Bastian floated next to me, sitting on his own board as he looked at the horizon. The sun was coming up gold and setting the sky aflame. I gasped. It was magical to be out here, floating with my feet in the water as the sun came up. Just as the last inches of the giant ball of light left the horizon, he leaned over and kissed me.
I closed my eyes, feeling his warm tongue and tasting the salt of the ocean while the sun heated my skin. No, this is heaven, I decided, losing the rest of my thoughts to his gentle lips and tongue.
I sighed with contentment when he pulled away. His kisses were magical. He grinned at me. “You ready?”
I nodded. “Yup.”
“First, we'll go to our knees,” he explained. “Find the sweet spot, where the balance is best.”
“That's what she said,” I quipped. Bastian burst out laughing, stopping in his demonstration and nearly falling into the water.
“Just get up on your knees,” he told me, splashing water at me with his hands.
I stuck out my tongue at him. “Again, that's what she said.”
This time he used his paddle to splash me, drenching me instantly. I wiped the water from my eyes and slowly wobbled my way up to my knees. The board dipped and swayed with the rolling ocean waves, but it actually took less balance than I thought it would.
“Excellent,” Bastian praised me. I glanced up at him, proud of myself and wobbled. He smiled. “If you fall off the board, ditch the paddle. You can always get the paddle back once your back up. Go ahead and get it ready.”
I nodded, and picked up my paddle. “Ready.”
“Good,” he said, moving around on his own board. “Go ahead and choke up on the paddle. It'll make it easier.”
I moved my hands down the shaft of the paddle and then confidently put the blade into the water. The board moved forward and I grinned. I went a little faster, dipping the paddle in deeper and using a stronger stroke. I could see how Bastian had such a wonderful body. It wasn't terribly aerobic exercise, but it required a lot of stability and strength.
“This is fun,” I yelled, looking back at him. He grinned and caught up easily.
“Are you ready to stand up?” he asked, practically steering circles around me. I nodded.
“Okay, feet on the sweet spot, and stay low...” he instructed. I did exactly as he told me, wobbling but finding my balance. “Now, stand up slowly and go to a staggered stance- one foot in front of the other.”
I grinned as I found my way to fully standing. I was up. I wasn't moving yet, but I was up.
“Keep your arms straight and use your core to paddle,” he instructed, making a down and back motion. I nearly fell off as the sun glinted off the muscles in his arms and back as he demonstrated. I definitely wasn't paying attention to his technique. “The closer you stay to your board, the straighter the line you'll travel on.”
“Uh huh,” I replied, trying it out. It was even more of a workout than kneeling. I didn't think I was that out of shape, but this was working my core in ways that I knew would have me sore by dinnertime. This was way better than crunches at the gym. Company's better than at the gym, too, I thought.
“Ava, look over there,” Bastian called out, pointing his paddle to off to the side. I raised my gaze from the water to see a pod of dolphins, at least four or five of them, leaping through the water.
“Dolphins!” I squeaked with excitement, jumping up and down with glee. Which meant I promptly fell face first into the water.
“You okay?” Bastian asked, saving my paddle for me as I climbed back onto my board.
“Dolphins!” I squealed again, grinning with sheer delight. Bastian laughed at my childlike enthusiasm as the pod swam closer. I wished I could touch them, but they changed direction and went off in search of food in deeper water.
When they left us, I stood up again, determined to get better before we had to go in. Bastian watched me carefully, praising me and giving me pointers as he zoomed around me, going backwards and forwards and showing off. He never fell in the water though.
Bastian groaned as his watch began to beep. “Time to go back.”
I pouted, sticking out my lower lip at him.
“You'll have to explain to Charlotte and Leo why I'm late then,” he replied. “And if Gabe's there, she'll be mean.”
I pouted bigger, but I began paddling back in the direction of the mansion. I wished we didn't have to go in. I would have stayed out on the water forever with him. Out here, it was just the two of us, and possibly some dolphins. There were no worries or obligations. No phones or deadlines. I didn't want to go back to land and back to reality. Even the Caribbean mansion reality I was currently in.
Bastian paused as we approached the shore, slowing down his paddling and waiting for me to catch up. I could tell he was just as reluctant as I was to return.
“Thank you for sharing this with me, Ava,” he said softly.