“I think there’s a good chance we’re good at fighting—and at chemistry,” she said carefully. His mouth quirked, the familiar gesture making her want to stay in his arms forever. “But you’re the one who keeps telling me not to take chances, Cal. To look before I leap.”
This time, when she twisted, he let her go. The ferry blew its last warning blast, the engines revving and churning up the water. The gangway rattled as it was withdrawn.
“You’re going to miss your exit,” she warned.
“I was wrong,” he said, not moving.
That made two of them. She didn’t want to compete with him, as fun as that had been. She wanted to compete for him, but that was a game where she didn’t know the rules or even if he wanted her entry.
“I love you,” he said. “And I think you should take a chance on us, because I’m sure going to.”
She took a step back and watched him. Instead of heading for the exit, he turned and walked over to the railing. The ferry lurched forward, moving slowly away from the dock.
“I’m hoping you might consider loving me back.”
His words hung in the air between them.
“Cal—”
“Jump with me?” he asked and held out a hand. “Take a chance. Be a daredevil. Do it because you can.” His mouth curved. “Because I dare you. And because I’m still scared shitless of going under, but I’ll take that chance with you.”
Wow. He had her there. Cal never took unnecessary risks. Never jumped without an action plan and a good reason. Not sure what to say, she walked over to him and stared over the side. The ferry was still moving slowly. Only a hundred yards to shore, she decided. Or possibly two hundred, if they aimed for the beach instead of the dock. They’d both made far longer swims.
She looked at him. He waited, watching.
“You think we’d get pulled under the ferry? No. Don’t answer.”
He grinned instead, and her heart pounded, a sweet, warm sensation spreading everywhere inside her. Honestly, she’d take her chances on surviving the jump with the right partner. With Cal. She toed off her shoes and picked them up.
Half the ferry’s passengers appeared to be staring at them—and she was fairly certain the ferry might, just possibly, be slowing down. Those were good odds.
“Ready?” he asked, eyeing her shoes.
“You bet.”
Together they clambered over the side. Her dress presented an unexpected challenge, but screw it. If she was really planning on jumping off a ferry, flashing a few innocent bystanders was the least of her worries. Cal steadied her anyhow, as she swung her legs over.
Cal glanced down. “I must be crazy,” he muttered.
“Crazy for me.” She laughed and tugged on her ear. Just once, because old habits died hard and she wanted only good things for her and Cal.
“One hundred percent. On the count of three?”
She nodded. “One. Two. Thr—”
Before she could finish, he scooped her up in his arms and jumped. She shrieked, her shoes flying free and heading out to sea independently of her. His arms tightened as they achieved a spectacular amount of air and then ripped through the surface in a cannonball of a landing.
They broke apart underwater and she kicked for the surface. When she broke it, Cal was already there, waiting for her. The ferry moved slowly away, the cheer from their audience fading slowly over the water.
“My car’s leaving without me,” she observed, treading water.
“It’ll come back.”
“And you owe me a pair of shoes.”
His wet T-shirt clung to him like a second skin. She looked down and, wow, she wasn’t getting out of the water until dark. Her white dress was completely see-through, plastered to the lacy pink straps of her bra. She was also clearly cold. Big deal. She turned to him.
“But you definitely got my attention.”
“Good.” He smiled at her, pulling her into his arms.
“Although there were probably drier ways to accomplish this,” she said. “Do you want to tell me what that was really about?
“You were leaving,” he said.
“For a business meeting at a bank, to see about possible financing. I was going to come back and kick your butt or buy it out.”
His eyes closed briefly. “Then, I may have jumped the gun. Slightly.”
“Oh.” She wrapped her legs around his waist and let him do the heavy lifting of keeping them afloat. “Are you taking it all back?”
“Carla left me with the impression you were moving off the island, lock, stock and barrel.”
That was definitely something Carla would do. “You want to be careful around her. She’s tricky.”