Rebound (Boomerang #2)(29)

I get a plastic pitcher and fill it with water, then pour some into a glass to leave on the nightstand by her side, along with another Dramamine because there’s no way she kept the first one down.

After I’ve switched off the lights and shut the door gently, I go back up to the forward salon.

Adam’s in there, standing by the window. He’s untucked his shirt, and his pants are rolled up at the ankle, exposing bands of tan skin. He looks like a surf kid, his skin sun-brightened, sandy blond hair wavy from the sea air. And his lean swimmer’s body, with its broad shoulders, taut muscles. He’s devastating.

Something inside me catches, like I’ve been hooked, like there’s an invisible filament spanning the space between us, and he’s drawing me to him. He’s not even looking at me, but I feel the pull.

I walk up to him, and he turns and smiles.

“Where are my folks?”

“Your mom’s crashing on a chaise upstairs. And I’m afraid I lost the battle with Captain Graham.”

I roll my eyes. “Great.” I’m waiting for some other shoe to drop. For him to ask about Ethan, for me to have to decide what to tell him, what to keep to myself.

Instead, he surprises me. “Hey,” he says. “Want to go for a dive?”

That might be the best thing I’ve ever heard in my life. I’m so hungry to shed this ridiculous day, to get into the ocean, into the cool, magical world beneath the waves. Without my parents and my past.

With Adam.

“I’d love to,” I say.





Chapter 16



Adam


Instead of Lover’s End, Weston modifies our course and takes us around Catalina, where we drop anchor at West End. The water on this side of the island is smoother and with Mia as sick as she is, it was the obvious choice. Alison and I take turns changing into our swimsuits in the room next to Mia’s and meet back on the rear deck.

“My dad likes Lover’s End better, but this is my favorite place to dive out here,” she says as she pulls her hair into a ponytail. She’s got her wetsuit half on, the arms hanging limp at her waist, and a black tank up top. She looks like she’s done this a thousand times. “The best visibility and the kelp forests are incredible.”

“What kind of marine life?” I ask. The news about Ethan’s still on my mind. I want to know more.

“Oh, you’ll see everything here,” she says, her blue eyes lighting up. “I’ve seen moray eels, leopard sharks. Yellow tail. Lots of Garibaldi. I haven’t seen any horn sharks lately, though. You have to catch them at dusk, or on night dives, but who knows? Maybe we’ll get lucky. And it’s always pretty private. The currents can be strong, so you only get advanced divers.”

She pulls her tank top off, no warning whatsoever, and I’m looking at her in a black bikini. She’s beautiful, so gorgeous. Toned arms. Long, slender neck. My eyes drift lower, and suddenly I’m trying not to stare at the way she fills out her bikini. Trying and failing. I make myself think of sharks, moray eels, kelp forests, so I don’t go full mast right here.

“Are you okay with that?” she asks. “Advanced-level diving?”

“I’m an advanced-level diver, so yes. And I’m good with everything that’s going on right now.”

Ali pauses in the middle of slipping one of her arms into her wetsuit. Her gaze narrows in question.

I want to answer that question.

Yes, Alison. You’re beautiful.

“Horn sharks, huh?” I say instead. I turn and focus on pulling my own wetsuit out of my dive kit. Gulls circle above us, and I see a thin tail of barbecue smoke rising from the opposite end of the boat.

“Yep,” she says behind me. “I’ve always liked them. They’re so clumsy in the water and slow—and super sensitive to light intensity and water temperature—but they’re still successful predators. Amazing. All those strikes against them but they still manage to make it work.”

What’s amazing is that I’m practically getting wood just looking at her, and she’s talking about a fish.

“Fan of the underdog, are you?” I shake out my suit and step into it. “I guess we really weren’t meant to be.”

Ali laughs. Her gaze feels like sunshine on my back, but I don’t turn around. I pull my wetsuit up to my waist, adjusting myself so I’m comfortable. The cool Neoprene layer feels familiar and my body responds, my heart thumping hard, anticipation rushing through my veins. The prospect of the ocean always does this to me. This has nothing to do with the girl behind me.

“Adam?”

Ali’s voice is close. Turning, I almost bump into her.

Her wetsuit is all the way on, which is good. And terrible.

“What’s up?” I ask.

She smells like suntan oil and peaches. This close, I see that her cheeks are turning slightly pink from the sun. With her hair pulled back, no makeup, and the wetsuit covering her completely, she looks better than she has all week at the office. Better than she did in the Catwoman costume. There’s something powerful about her now. The way her slender legs are planted firmly on the swaying boat, like she’s not trying at all. She’s at home on the water. This from an admitted equestrian. I can only imagine what she’s like with her horses.