When Caleb finally slowed down the boat, there wasn’t a part of me that wasn’t windblown. My hair had turned wild, and my laughter was out of control, my smile reaching all the way to my ears. Aside from being in an airplane, I’d never felt speed like that before, and I was beginning to understand his love for adrenaline. Whether I was in the air, parasailing; or in his car, rushing down the New Hampshire interstate; or hauling across the ocean, it brought me to a place where nothing mattered aside from having fun. Where everything around me melted away.

Except for him.

The sky had darkened, the blue interior lights showing the glow of his fingers as they reached across my thigh. “What do you think?”

“Oh, I just fell in love with boating. Hard.”

He laughed. “My girl.”

He took us toward an inlet that was surrounded by tall trees, ending with a small strip of sand. We didn’t go as far as the beach, stopping quite a distance before. The boat idled as he opened a compartment, taking out a large anchor that he dropped overboard.

“I found this spot last year when the boys and I were down here, vacationing. It’s a perfect place to watch the sunset.”

“It’s too bad we missed it.”

He came closer, lifting the bottom of his shirt, tossing it on one of the seats. He slid out of his flip-flops and shorts, leaving on just his boxer briefs. “Up for a swim?”

Even though the black water was extremely intimidating, there was no way I could refuse that offer.

“Of course,” I answered and glanced down the front of my dress, realizing something very quickly. “I don’t have a bra on under this.”

“I know.” His thumb traced my cheek, goose bumps spreading with each swipe. “I wouldn’t have brought you here if there was a reason to worry.” He was slowly lifting the dress over my head, tossing it onto his clothes. “Mmm, no panties either.” When his eyes met mine again, he added, “Trust me, no one is going to see what’s mine.”

His protective demeanor reminded me of when he had held me back from running into the street, something I’d never had before him. And when I watched his boxers fall to the floor, I wasn’t sure if I’d experienced this level of hunger either.

“Explain the expression on your face,” he said while we stood in the center of the boat.

It took me a minute to really process his question. “In the past, I’ve always been the fixer and the caregiver. You don’t need that from me, and I’m just not used to it.”