Page 38 of Meet Me in Tahiti

Soon, she found herself caught in a chat with a guy named Ryan, who wore mirrored sunglasses and a diving watch. He was a bit too friendly, full of stories, and at the moment, probably too much rum.

She studied him as he talked. Normally, she would’ve enjoyed meeting a single, good-looking guy like this. But her heart wasn’t in it. Not even close. Plus, he was—should she admit it? Fairly self-involved. She stifled a yawn, then laughed at something he said, just to be polite, wondering when the outing would be officially over.

She glanced at the dock where Russ or Malik wouldpick them up. But there was no sign of either of them yet.

Her mind drifted back to Russ. To his hands. To the taste of his kiss. To the way he looked at her like she mattered. Something Ethan hadn’t done in… months?

No, she wasn’t looking for attention from Ryan. Or anyone else on this trip.

She was already taken.

Russ steeredthe dinghy up to the dock near the plantation, the motor humming gently as he cut it and tied off. He glanced toward the shaded pavilion just off the vanilla fields, the rum bar still alive with conversation and music. It was a scene he’d seen a hundred times before, but today, he found himself scanning the crowd for just one face.

He spotted her easily on the open-air patio. Tessa was standing with a group of tourists at the bar, including two guys who looked like they hadn’t stopped drinking since noon. One of them leaned a little too far into her space, grinning at something she said.

Tessa’s body language said it all. Arms crossed, polite smile, eyes darting like she wanted to escape.

Still, a twinge of something sharp hit Russ right in the chest.

Jealousy. Plain and stupid.

He clenched his jaw and looked away, ashamed of the reaction. He wasn’t the possessive type. So whatwas he doing? Acting like some kid at a high school dance? He was a grown man. A thirty-five-year-old captain at sea. He had no business feeling this way.

And yet, the thought of her with someone else made something inside him go rigid. Similar to the way he’d felt when Mia had told him about the baby that wasn’t his.

It’d been clear at the time that Mia couldn’t handle his being away at sea so often. Back then, he’d taken charters to the Bahamas and even further into the Caribbean, frequently. He’d be gone for weeks at a time. He was earning his stripes, putting in his time.

Looking back, he hardly blamed her for finding someone else. She must’ve been very lonely, although she’d never let on just how much. But history didn’t need to repeat itself here. Russ could be present with Tessa right this very moment, while they were still on the same side of the world, and hecoulddo something about the other guy talking to her before she took an interest in him—just in case the thought had crossed her mind.

Without another thought, he tied up the dinghy and hopped from the boat, headed off the dock, and weaved his way through the small crowd.

Moments later, he reached out and gently tapped Tessa’s shoulder from behind. She turned, startled, but her face lit up to see him standing there, and his heart warmed.

“Hiya, honey,” he said smoothly, as if he said it to her every day, flashing her a quick grin so she’d knowhe was playing. “There you are. I’ve been looking all over for you,” he lied.

Tessa seemed to catch on instantly and shot him an extremely grateful look. “Hi!” she said quickly. “I was wondering where you’d disappeared to,sweetie.”

He grinned as she looped an arm through his as if it were second nature. Russ turned to the guys, who suddenly looked a lot less confident.

“So, Ryan,” Tessa told one of them, “this is… Russ.”

Russ gave a casual, cordial nod. “Boyfriend,” he added with a goofy grin, playing up the part.

“Ah. Got it,” the guy muttered awkwardly. “You two have a great afternoon,” he said as he and the other guy turned and stumbled off.

As soon as they left, Tessa laughed under her breath. “You just saved me! Oh, my gosh. Thank you.”

Russ kept their arms linked if only to keep himself from throwing both arms around her and kissing her on the lips, right here. He was glad she’d appreciated the gesture, because things could’ve gone very differently if she’d been interested in the guy. “You looked like you needed a rescue?”

She rolled her eyes. “I really did. How do you always know when I need rescuing?” She stepped in closer to him, one arm still looped through his.

He laughed. “I’m sure you were doing fine on your own. Just thought, maybe it’d be fun…” He breathed a sigh of relief that she did seem to want him around. But what would it be like when she went back home and the same sort of thing happened? He wouldn’t be there. Eventually, some tall, dark, and handsome dude would appeal to her, and he’d ask for her number, and she’d start going out with him.

And then Russ would lose her. Just like he’d lost Mia. And he wouldn’t be there to do anything about it.

Tessa chuckled, distracting him from his sobering thoughts. “I was just trying to run out the clock, since I knew you or Malik would be here soon. I’m too polite to be rude.”

He breathed in deeply, then let it out and cast her a smile. “I know you are.” She was a nice girl from the Midwest. “That’s one of the things I adore about you,” he whispered into her ear. Although, he couldn’t expect her to keep turning guys down for him when she went home, unless she knew for sure he was coming back. At a given time. For a specific purpose. To restart his life there. Where he could be there for her.

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