Yours Truly (Billionaires and Brides 2)

“Are you going to tell her?” Noah's blue eyes searched my face.

“Hell no.” I set my coffee cup down. “She'd go off to find him, and I'd get stuck doing all her research work!”

Noah laughed, and his face relaxed. The light was back in his eyes. He was a good friend to worry about his buddy like that. I couldn't help but like him just a little bit more.

“So, research work? What do you do?” Noah asked. He leaned in against the table, as if he were actually interested.

“I'm a marine biologist.”

“Do you work with dolphins?” Noah's eyes sparkled at the idea.

I shook my head. “Sharks, actually.”

“Sharks?” Noah frowned. “Like Jaws?” he made a chomping motion with his hands, and I giggled.

“Sharks, yes. Jaws, no. Jaws was a great white shark, and they typically don't live in the Caribbean,” I explained gently.

Noah leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms. “You must not have seen Jaws Four, then.”

“It's what inspired me to become a marine biologist!” I opened my eyes wide in mock enthusiasm, making him laugh. “It's only the worst movie ever,” I said, making a face, and he laughed harder. “I actually mostly study lemon sharks. Not great whites.”

“Do they look like great whites?” He gave me a serious look. “Please tell me we're going to need a bigger boat.”

I snorted a laugh, covering my mouth with my hand so I wouldn't spit out my coffee. It wasn't like anyone had never made the joke before, but when he said it, it was hilarious. It took me a second to recover and not shoot coffee out my nose.

Adele came by then, and dropped off our food. I took a big inhale of the rising steam before diving into the scrumptious feast. This was why my wetsuit was a little tight, but it was more than worth it. Butter dripped off the fried slices of cinnamon roll. The eggs were covered in cheese, and my bacon was the prime level of crispy. Adele had made the perfect breakfast yet again.

“Holy mother...” Noah said quietly as he chewed his first bite. “Did I die and go to Breakfast Heaven?”

I just grinned at him and dug into my plate. We ate in companionable silence for a few minutes, the food taking both of our attention away from talking.

“Have you ever been bit by a shark then?” Noah asked, his blue eyes concentrated entirely on my face. He pushed his empty plate away and leaned forward in his chair, honestly interested in my profession. It was wonderful to get to talk to him and not be constantly interrupted by drink orders.

“Once, but it was a baby. I didn't even get a good scar out of it.”

“I can't imagine being in the water with one of those monsters. They kind of freak me out a little bit.” He smiled with just a hint of bashfulness. Like admitting he was afraid of sharks made him somehow less of a man. “How many sharks are in the area?”

“Well, we've recorded about thirteen species. The island actually has one of the highest populations of sharks in the area,” I told him.

He paled slightly. “I'm never going in the water again.”

“Oh, they're not that bad! Sharks are cool!” I reached out and put my hand on his without thinking. “Haven't you seen Shark Week?”

“Yes. And I've seen all the episodes where people get bitten!”

I rolled my eyes, but I smiled, taking any sting out of my expression. “Fine. I dare you to come swim with me, then. I'll show you the wonders of the deep.”

“If my arm gets bitten off, I get yours.”

I pretended to think about it for a moment. A movement outside the window caught my eye, and I could see the woman with the khaki shorts from earlier looking in various windows of the local shops.

“You'd look pretty silly with my arm,” I told him, wearing a serious face. “I think it would be too short for you.”

“Hmm...” He frowned and nodded. “Good point.”

“How about I take you on a tour of the research pools sometime? You can see a baby shark, and it won't bite you,” I offered.

“Baby sharks just bite you, then?” he asked with mock seriousness.