Page 30 of One Night in Hawaii

He nodded as I talked. It was strange talking to someone about whale migration that didn’t hold a vested interest. It wasn’t exactly exciting stuff. Most people could care less about what a whale did or didn’t do.

“And you’ll do this with a team?”

“No.” I shook my head. “This will be a solo project. I’ll use my research to put together environmental impact studies and maybe do speeches or teach at the university.”

“Wow, smart and pretty,” he joked.

I laughed at the compliment. “Enough boring talk. Do you want to do a dive? There’s a reef I love to explore.”

“Scuba dive?”

“No, just a free dive. Snorkeling basically but a little deeper.”

He shrugged. “I could do that.”

“I’m sure you can,” I said, watching him pull off his shirt. “You’re a good swimmer and in great shape, so you can probably hold your breath for a while.”

“I haven’t timed it, but I think so,” he said, laughing.

I took off my clothes, revealing the bikini I chose with the intention of him seeing it. It was a little smaller than my usual choices with large rings on the sides. “Ready?” I asked.

He didn’t hide the fact he was checking me out. “I am.”

I was excited to share my knowledge of the reef with Archer. Snorkeling was one of my favorite pastimes, and exploring the underwater world with him made it even more special. Maybe I was kidding myself, but he did seem interested in what I did.

We jumped into the water, and the world beneath the surface opened up before us. The vibrant coral reefs stretched out in a breathtaking display of colors and shapes. Schools of fish darted around, their scales shimmering like jewels in the sunlight.

I led Archer through the underwater maze, pointing out different species of fish. It was a little hard to communicate underwater, but I felt like we were communicating without words. Archer seemed fascinated, his eyes wide with wonder. He had a natural ease in the water, and I found myself drawn to the excitement in his expression. It reminded me of my first time snorkeling when I was a kid.

As we swam deeper, I showed him hidden nooks where shy sea creatures took refuge. The deeper we went, the more the reef came alive, revealing its secrets. Archer seemed entranced by the beauty around us, and I couldn’t help but feel a sense of pride in sharing this magical place with him.

We moved with the rhythm of the sea, the sunlight filtering down and casting shimmering patterns on the coral below. Time seemed to stand still as we explored the underwater world, and for a moment, it was just the two of us.

After what felt like an eternity, we resurfaced, gasping for air but brimming with excitement. “That was incredible!” Archer exclaimed, his eyes still shining with awe.

“I’m glad you liked it,” I said, smiling. “The reef here is like a hidden paradise.”

We swam back to the boat, feeling a mix of contentment and exhilaration. As we dried off and sat on the deck, I considered telling him about my arrangement with Penelope. I didn’t want to ruin the moment. It felt good to be with him.

“It’s been a magical day,” Archer said softly, his hand gently brushing against mine.

I smiled, leaning in closer. “It has. I can honestly say I haven’t had this much fun in a long time.”

“Really?” he asked. “You seem like you have fun every day.”

“I do, but when I get to share what I love with someone else who seems to appreciate it as much as I do, it makes it so much better.”

He squeezed my hand. “I’m glad I got to see it for the first time with you.”

“Do you want a sandwich?” I asked him.

“Sure.”

We headed downstairs. I never realized just how small my space was until I had a man of Archer’s size in it. “Do you have a towel I could use?” he asked. “I don’t want to sit down with my shorts still wet.”

“I do.”

I moved to step around him, but only ended up brushing past him. We were both wearing next to nothing and the skin-to-skin contact was a little much. I sucked in a breath and tried to keep from touching him, but that was pointless. Instead of moving and creating more friction, I reached behind him to the shelf with my towels.

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