#HolyGolfBalls

Ten minutes later, they were out on the bay and Colbie had her gaze glued to the horizon and a huge smile on her face. Watching her, Spence felt some of the pressures of his day fade away. It was hard to remain stressed when he was with Colbie, as he’d already discovered. She was like a warm spiked drink on a hot day.

A balm to the soul.

As for their view, it was that magical time between day and night. The bay was smooth and still beneath them, small swells slapping against the ship, the wind in their faces, the last of the light slanting sharply across the water, illuminating it with a soft blue glow. In the distance, they could see the Bay Bridge, which was also lit with thousands of small white lights, making it stand out against the night sky.

The two of them sat at the bow of the boat on a huge almost trampoline-like lounger that fit them both. Spence had packed the duffle bag for the weather and pulled out two down jackets and a wool blanket, then bundled Colbie in one of the jackets and covered them both with the blanket. They leaned back, the gentle jostling of the swells having nudged them up against one another so that they rocked together with each smooth rise and fall of the ocean tide.

Next to him, Colbie felt soft and warm, and he couldn’t think of another place he’d rather be.

“It feels like we’re birds,” she said, tilting her face close to his. “We’re flying low, skimming over the water. It’s amazing. I feel like my heart’s soaring as fast as the boat.” She sighed in pleasure and he felt his body react. He wrapped an arm around her to keep her close, liking the way she snuggled into him way too much.

Pru took them out of the bay, where they caught sight of whales moving out in the distance, five of them swimming together, enormous and massive and gorgeous.

“Holy golf balls,” Colbie said and clutched Spence tight. “Do you see?”

He never took his eyes off her. “Yeah. I see.”

Turning to him, she laughed. “The whales, Spence! Don’t look at me—look at the whales!” She went back to reverently watching them, so moved her eyes filled with unshed tears.

“You okay?” he asked.

“Better than okay.” She blinked the moisture away and laughed a little at herself. “It’s just that I realized that here, my life doesn’t revolve around me getting everything handled and done on my own. Here, life revolves on its own axis. I’m just along for the ride.”

He was getting that her growing-up years had been more than a little rough. Something they had in common. And that she’d clawed her way out of the gutter by her fingernails.

Something else they had in common.

She must have felt her phone vibrate because she pulled it from her pocket with a grimace of apology and accessed a text.

“Problem?” he asked.

“Kent. He says the emergency-only credit card I left him isn’t working at the pizza joint.” She rolled her eyes and thumbed in a response and shoved her phone away.

“What did you tell him?” he asked.

“That an emergency involves blood. And not just any blood either, but an arterial bleed.”

When he laughed, she sighed and smiled. “You know what I love?” she asked, her eyes back on the last of the sun as it sank below the horizon. “That I’m not important here.”

“You’re important anywhere,” he said.

She shook her head. “I didn’t mean it like that—I’m not having an existential crisis. It’s just that here, away from home and work, I’m not the glue, you know? I’m not the one having to hold it all together.”

He stared into her green eyes and felt himself lean into her, wanting to drown in them. “So the trick is to run away from home,” he said. “Got it.”

She smiled. “You need to run away?”

“Actually, this, here with you, is working wonders. I’m starting to feel like I’m not the glue right now either.” Still holding her against him, he slid his hand into her hair. “You should know something, Colbie.”

She licked her lips and nearly made him groan. “What?” she whispered.

“I want to kiss you again.”

Now she dragged her teeth over her lower lip. “Why?”

No one had ever asked him that question before, but she’d tilted her head, waiting on his answer, and he had to laugh. “I want to kiss you again because you’re a smartass. Because you’re a little demanding too, and those things somehow really turn me on.”

“Hmm,” she said and he laughed.

“I also want to kiss you again because you’re smart as hell. And also funny as hell. Not to mention sexy as hell.”

Her breath caught. “You think so?”

“I know so. And you roll with life’s punches and give it all you’ve got.” He pushed his sunglasses to the top of his head and lowered his head so that their mouths were only inches apart. “And you’re so pretty you make me ache.”

“Can you see me without your glasses?”

“No, but I have a good memory.”

With a laugh, she gripped the front of his jacket and tugged his mouth to hers. The aggressive move had him groaning and when she broke from the kiss, he had to take a long, unsteady breath and grapple for control. The only thing stopping him from letting her have her merry way with him was that they weren’t alone. Plus it was fucking cold and when he had her, he wanted her naked against him. Not in a down jacket. “Colbie—”

She shut him up with her mouth in another kiss so hot he was surprised smoke wasn’t curling from their bodies.

“You’re a good kisser,” she whispered against his lips. “Which you probably already know from previous relationships.”

“Yeah, well, it’s not like my life has lent itself to many relationships,” he admitted. “And the ones I’ve had have all gone bad over time.”

She looked at him for a minute and then gave a small smile. “Good thing that time is the one thing we don’t have,” she said. “So no one can read too much into this, right?”

He stilled and met her gaze. “You heard me say that to Eddie. Listen, I didn’t mean—”

“No, I get it. And you’re right.” Her stomach growled and she pressed her hands to it, changing the subject. “The beast is hungry, apparently.”

“Colbie—”

“Didn’t you say something about dinner?” she asked.

“Yes, but—”

“I’m starving, Spence.”

He looked at her for a second, trying to ascertain if she really wanted to change the subject. She did, so he nodded. “I’ve got you.” And once again he reached for his old duffle bag.

“Did you really cook?” she asked.

“Sort of,” he said.

“Did you burn water?”

“Funny.” Relieved to hear the laughter in her voice, he took her hand in his, brought it up to his mouth, and playfully nipped at her fingers. “I put together a picnic.”

“Ingenious,” she said. “Also cheating.”

He had to laugh. He’d totally cheated, even more than she knew because he’d had Trudy put it all together for him. “We’ve got wine, cheddar cheese, salami, crackers, grapes, and chocolate chip cookies,” he said, citing the list he’d given Trudy. “Because everything goes better with chocolate chip cookies.” He pulled out the goods and Colbie stared down at it all and laughed. She laughed so hard she tipped over.

“Can’t wait to hear how you explain this,” she finally managed, swiping a tear of mirth from her cheek.

He’d unloaded Gouda cheese, a beef stick, red apples, a still warm foil-wrapped loaf of garlic bread, and sugar cookies. He shook his head.

“You did get the drink right,” she said, nudging the bottle of wine. “So, who did this for you?”

“Trudy, my housekeeper.” He gestured at the garlic bread. “Why would she add garlic bread?”

“Because it’s delicious?”

“Yeah, but . . .” He scratched his jaw, thinking it might hinder any further kissing action, and he’d definitely planned on more kissing action.

Colbie grinned. “I think it’s okay if we both eat it.”

He locked eyes with her, liking the look on her face, the one that said she was remembering exactly what it felt like when they kissed, and that she liked the memory very much. “Maybe we should test that theory,” he said, and leaning over her, he brushed his lips along her jawline.

And then the side of her neck.

She moaned and tilted her head in invitation, which he took, rolling with her, pushing her to her back, his hands pressed on the canvas on either side of her head.

She sucked in a breath, and it assured him that she liked the move. As did the way her legs shifted, making room for him between them.

Her hair was spread out over his hands and forearms like a halo as she whispered his name.

Another invitation that he gladly took, along with her mouth. She kissed him back eagerly, the kind of kiss that pretty much guaranteed a guy was about to get laid and it was going to rock his world.

Except they were still on the boat. With Pru, who probably couldn’t see them from where she was controlling the boat but knew they were there. With regret, he broke the kiss and lifted his head.

Colbie’s eyes were filled with straight-up lust and she was breathing just as hard as he was. She smoothed out the nail marks from where she’d been clutching his jacket. “I think we’re supposed to actually eat the bread first,” she said on a rough laugh as Spence’s phone went off.

Looking pained, he pulled the phone from his pocket.

Spence shook his head and put the phone away.

“Emergency?” Colbie asked.

“Nope. No arterial bleeds,” he said, and together they took in the sight of Alcatraz lit by the full moon. It was both spooky and stunning, and Colbie seemed transfixed by the sight.

“Wow,” she whispered, breathlessly. “Tonight’s the best night ever.”

Spence thought so too.