Waterfall Kisses (The Kisses 9)

“Ha ha, very funny,” Leo replied, crossing his arms.

“Give me a good sailing boat over one of those racers any day,” Robbie said. “Those things are nuts.”

“Oh, come on, Robbie,” Leo replied in a good-natured tone. “You're telling me you've never thought about trying to break the water speed record? I know you like to go fast.”

“Not that fast.” Robbie shook his head. “I have no desire to go so fast that I'm hydroplaning and praying I don't slam into the water at 300 mph because I hit a wave wrong. If we were supposed to go that fast on the water, we'd be able to do it with sails.”

As if to prove his point on the danger, a wave knocked his boat gently and made him grab the railing.

“Besides, if I want to go fast, I can get in a car and break 300 without breaking a sweat. ” Robbie continued. “Give me a sailboat any day. That requires skill and you might actually live.”

“You have no sense of adventure, Robbie.” Leo shook his head and clicked his tongue. “You can't break records if you're afraid of a little risk.”

“A little risk?” Robbie scoffed. “An eighty-five percent fatality rate of everyone whose ever attempted to break the record isn't risk. That's not sport. That's a suicide attempt.”

“I agree,” I added quietly. I'd seen the boats Leo liked to race. They skittered over the water like jet fueled bugs, barely clinging to the surface and liable to go flying at the smallest wave. They were million-dollar deathmobiles of speed.

“Just because I'm in a boat that can go that fast doesn't mean I am,” Leo replied calmly. “I haven't gotten anywhere near the 317 mph record. And I have no intention of trying to.”

“But you're on a boat that is designed to do that,” I said, trying to get my fears across to him. “You like to push limits. How long before you go just a little too fast because your boat can handle it but you can't?”

Leo's eyes flashed. This argument was far from over.

“Oh, hey, Charlotte and Leo!” A female voice interjected, stopping whatever Leo's retort was going to be. “I thought I heard voices up here.”

Sam, or rather Samantha, came to join her husband at the railing. Her sun-bleached blonde hair was pulled back out of her tanned smiling face. She was the reason that Robbie was no longer a problem child. He wrapped his arm around her shoulder and she leaned into him like he was her strength. Robbie's caressed her arm as he pulled her closer to him. It was such a small motion, but it spoke of a deep love between them.

I envied them slightly. They spent their days either racing sailboats or teaching others how to sail. They got to be with the love of their life doing the thing that they loved most. I hoped Leo and I could be that happy someday.

“Hi, Sam,” I greeted her. “It's good to see you.”

Leo murmured an appropriate greeting as well. Our discussion on the safety of his boat would have to wait until later.

“So, we're planning a little outing this evening for friends. Just floating around the island a bit. You two are more than welcome to join us,” Sam offered. “Right now, it's the two of us, Jack and Emma, and hopefully you two.”

“Thank you,” I answered slowly, looking over at Leo to make sure I wasn't getting our plans wrong. “I'm not sure what our plans are, but we'll keep you in mind.”

“Sounds good. No pressure.” Sam smiled and leaned into Robbie, putting her head on his shoulder. “It looks like you are off to go have an adventure. Have fun!”

“Thanks,” Leo and I chorused. We all waved as Leo and I continued down the dock to where he had the Silver Lightning docked.

Leo hopped into the open cockpit and pulled out a set of keys. Unlocking a panel in the back, he pulled out a pair of swim trunks and tossed them to me. “Hold on to these for me.”

I laughed, climbing in to the passenger seat and settling in. The tan seats were soft to the touch, even though I knew they had to be waterproof. It even had what looked like mahogany trim, giving the boat a classic and elegant feel. Every detail of this boat was made for the very rich, and then I knew Leo had tricked it out.

He turned the key in the ignition and the engine purred to life. This boat could go fast. Not breaking the record for a vehicle on water kind of fast, but definitely fast enough to give me a thrill.

Leo grinned at me as he maneuvered the boat carefully out of the dock and out toward open water. As soon as we hit the buoy marking freedom, he gunned it. I slammed into the back of my seat, laughing as the waves sped by and my hair streamed out behind me.

Leo was an expert driver. He had to be in order to pilot the boat I refused to even think of. But now he was using those skills to show off.

Twisting through the water like a powerful sea creature, the Silver Lightning ran the waves. I loved the way the wind blew through my hair and the sound of the ocean caressing our boat as we sped along. I had no idea where we were going, but I didn't care. If all we did was drive around in a boat all day, I would consider that a perfect day with Leo.

Leo slowed the boat and then turned off the engine. My ears throbbed with the sudden silence.

“So, you still have that swim suit for me?” he asked, turning to look at me.

I hastily stuck it under my leg. “Nope. Threw it overboard.”