“I’ll be waiting here,” he responded and watched as she disappeared inside.
Chance couldn’t remember the last time he felt so nervous about being with a person; Claire was a force to be reckoned with. She was strong and stubborn, from what he could tell, and she could easily blow him off whenever she felt like it. He wasn’t really in control of this game.
Claire walked up behind him without him realizing it. She tapped him on the shoulder.
Chance jumped and turned to her. “I didn’t see you come up.”
“Maybe you should pay more attention,” she said.
“Maybe,” he replied with a grin.
Claire was absolutely taken by his good looks, his dimples, and the commanding air he possessed. He seemed confident and self-assured, and she wasn’t sure she was a good fit for him. Still, this was a vacation, and this fling would probably end with the week.
“So deep,” she smiled.
Chance beamed as he enjoyed his mini victory, and he cringed when he passed the same girl who had been vying for his attention the day before. She stared at him incredulously and looked Claire up and down.
Claire glanced back at the girl after they had passed, and she noticed Chance looking dead ahead. “One of your admirers?” she asked.
“Yep,” he replied, rubbing the back of his head nervously. “Nothing happened between us if that’s what you are wondering. Not when you’ve occupied my head.”
“Is that so?”
He smiled and took her hand as they wove through the tables and chairs in the courtyard. He was content to be in control of his game once more, at least for the time being.
***
Chance shared his knowledge and adventures with Claire as they sat in the dinghy on the lagoon.
“Are you sure about this?’ Claire asked as she looked at the little space they shared on the small boat.
“About what? Have you never been in a canoe?”
“No,” she said as she shook her head.
“Now that’s frightening. The first time my father took me in that thing I almost died,” he laughed. “Especially after it collapsed.”
“I’m a good swimmer, but that doesn’t mean I want to be stuck underwater with this thing over me,” Claire laughed. “So if you’re trying to frighten me, it won’t work.”
“I won’t let you drown, Claire,” he grinned. “Even if my life depended on it.”
Hearing him say her name for the first time, she felt warm and fuzzy inside as she recorded his words and played them over and over again in her mind. “You’d better not,” she exclaimed and looked down into the water.
From where he sat across from her, Chance watched Claire stare at the water below them and put her hand over the side of the boat to comb the water as it moved. They could see the sand at the bottom, and the small fish that raced along. He watched her as she focused on taking in all the sights around her like a child might. Gosh, she was beautiful, and all he wanted to do was pull her to him and kiss her, but he didn’t want to spook her. It had taken him far too long to gain her attention to lose it by doing something stupid.
They spent the rest of the morning and mid-afternoon on the water; by the time they got back to the bay and resort, Claire was red all over.
“Did I do that to you?” Chance blushed as he touched her parched skin.
“Not unless you instructed the sun to shine,” she said and smiled. “Don’t worry about it; it will be fine after I shower and cool off. I should have applied sunscreen.”
“We are still on for dinner, right?” he asked as he stopped in front of her door, wishing she would invite him in, but he knew it was too early in the game. They hadn’t kissed yet, and from what he had already learned about Claire, there was no way she would get closer to him that night than she already had.
“Dinner? Did we agree to that?” she asked as she grinned and opened her door.
“Yes, dinner,” Chance said. “You said yes.”
“I never did, but yes, I’d love to go to dinner with you,” she said before disappearing into her room and closing the door. Then she braced against the door and inhaled deeply. She had only been leaning on the door for a moment when she heard a knock.
CHAPTER 11
“Claire?” Amy called from outside. Claire opened the door for her friend. “Was that Chance I just saw leaving?”
“Leaving?” Claire asked. “He wasn’t in here.”
“You know what I mean,” Amy pressed and folded her arms over her chest. “Well?”
“We were just out on the bay. Satisfied? I need to go shower,” she said as she headed to the shower.
“No.” Amy followed her into the bathroom. “What happened?”
“What normally happens on a bay,” Claire shot back. “He rented a boat and we went out into the water. Is that exciting enough for you? Stop looking for a story here.”
“Well, stop writing one,” the girl grinned. “For so long you have ignored him as I forced myself onto him, and now you expect me to sit back and miss all the gossip?”