Page 63 of Sunburned

As I shut the door to my suite behind me, there was a soft tap on it. “Who is it?” I called.

“Laurent,” came his voice.

I gave myself a quick once-over in the mirror above the sink before opening the door to find him changed out of his uniform into swim trunks and a black rash guard that advertised a surfboard retailer, holding my suitcase.

“I have your bag,” he said. His tone was professional, but his blue eyes were fixed on mine.

I peered into the empty corridor, then swung my door open wide.

He glanced over his shoulder before he stepped inside, leaving the door ajar. I started to close it behind him, but he caught my wrist and shook his head, so I pulled him into the bathroom, where we could talk out of sight of anyone that might be passing by.“I’m sorry I left without saying goodbye last night,”he whispered, leaning against the sink.“The call I received was our dive master canceling. I had to find another dive master, then Tyson decided he wanted to come to the ship early.”

Our bodies were close in the tight space, the inches between us crackling with electricity. I wanted to feel him against me again, but wasn’t about to be the one to make the first move when he was clearly uncomfortable being in my room at all.

“It’s okay,” I said. “Did you get any sleep?”

“I never sleep much when I’m working.”

“Your job is hard,” I sympathized.

“It won’t last forever.” I shivered as he ran his fingers lightly down the inside of my arm. “Audrey…Last night is between us, yes?”

I nodded. I didn’t risk losing my job like he did if anyone found out about us, but it certainly wouldn’t be a good look. “My lips are sealed.”

His eyes flicked down to my lips, lingering.

In the hallway, someone called his name. “I’ll see you upstairs,” he said, pulling away.

“Yes,” I said. But he’d already gone.

Chapter 19

Once I’d changed into my swimsuit and shorty, I descended the stairs at the far end of the pool to find ten tanks and dive vests laid out on the sugar scoop at the stern. Jennifer and Cody were already there, checking their equipment with the aid of the dive master, a wiry man with a shaved head who looked to be about forty.

“Bonjour,”he greeted me, flashing a smile. “I am Rémy, I will be leading the dive today. I love your—” He gestured to my shorty. “The green—” He kissed his fingers with such gusto, I wondered for a moment whether he was Italian. But no, the accent was definitely French.

“Thanks,” I said. “I’m Audrey.”

“Welcome, Audrey.” He checked his clipboard. “Your dive partner is Laurent.”

I nodded, pleased, as he crossed to the vest on the end. “This is yours,” he said, looking me up and down. “I think the”—he grabbed the weight belt and stared at it, perplexed—“I have lost the word.”

“Weight belt?”

“Oui, oui. The weight belt I think will be good, but you see.”

Allison appeared at the top of the stairs looking sleek as a seal inher wetsuit with Gisèle and Samira close on her heels in rash guards and bikini bottoms.“Allô,”he called out to them.

As he rushed over to get the others sorted, I took a seat on the bench to wait for Laurent so that we could do our buddy check, and Jennifer collapsed next to me. I’d washed my face and tied my hair back in a braid, but she was just as perfectly made up as usual. She was going to be a mess after the dive, but to each her own.

“You dive often?” she asked.

“Used to. What about you?”

“I got certified in Turks at Christmas,” she said, zipping up her navy shorty. “But yeah, this will only be my third dive.” She showed me her hand, which was shaking. “I’m kinda jittery.”

Jennifer’s inexperience worried me a little, but if the rest of us were seasoned enough, she’d likely be okay. “Just breathe,” I said. “You’ll be fine.”

“Jennifer’s better than she thinks she is,” Cody said, coming over to join us as he checked his buoyancy control device.

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