Summer on Lovers' Island (Jewell Cove 3)

“Naw,” she answered, her voice bouncing off the rock. “How high does the tide come in here anyway? Any treasure’s probably buried topside, right? Where it wouldn’t get drowned in salt water?”

“Right,” he agreed, wishing she’d back out of the cave. He squinted in the darkness, waiting for his eyes to finish adjusting. “Though the story does say that slaves hid in these caves, waiting for their ship to come and take them north. Part of that whole Underground Railroad thing.”

“What if the tide came in?”

“I don’t know. It’s a good question. Which is probably why it’s just a story.” He took a few short breaths, trying to steady his heartbeat.

A few seconds later and Lizzie was there, right in front of him, a goofy smile on her face. “You really don’t like closed-in spaces, do you?”

“Not really.” He swallowed, feeling silly.

“Maybe you just need to have a distraction. Something to take your mind off it.”

There was a silky quality to her voice that made his nerve endings stand to attention. “Lizzie,” he said quietly.

“Shhh.” She put her finger against his lips and slid the last few inches, until her body whispered against his. He couldn’t help but look down at her lips, slightly parted, shadowed in the dimness of the cave, only a shaft of daylight providing any visibility. Her eyes glowed up at him and that little half smile flickered at the side of her mouth, a playful invitation.

“You want to keep this private. What’s more private than kissing in a cave in the middle of nowhere?” Her voice was husky-soft.

“Private … look, Lizzie. It’s just … it’s a small town. If we…” He hesitated. “If we see each other in plain sight, there are loads of people who will think it’s their place to interfere.”

“So it’s not because you’re ashamed of being seen with me?”

He lifted his head sharply, hitting it on the hard rock behind them. “Ouch!” He felt the spot with his fingers as he stared at her. “What? Of course not! Lizzie, I—”

“Relax,” she said, laughing. “I haven’t been in town long, Josh, but I’m smart enough to figure things out. Your family’s pretty focused on pairing you up. If they knew about this afternoon…”

“Right,” he agreed, relieved. The last thing he wanted was for Lizzie to feel slighted in any way. “Lizzie, I like you. A lot. But we both know what this is, and what it isn’t.”

“And there’s nothing wrong with keeping that to ourselves.”

“Exactly.”

“And at some point you’re going to be quiet long enough for me to kiss you again.”

He nearly swallowed his tongue at the sultry tone in her voice. And he let her have the last word, since the next sound from her lips was a soft moan as she curled her hand around his head and pulled it down so that their mouths meshed together, hot and hungry.

* * *

The boat ride back to town was definitely better, though Lizzie had been dreading it a bit, worried she’d get sick again. Instead the fresh air was invigorating and she took out her hair elastic and let the wind blow her hair off her face. A check of her phone told her it was early evening, and the sky had softened into shades of coral, pink, and lilac. The breeze was cool, and Josh handed her a sweatshirt to pull on. It was two sizes too big and smelled like him.

Jewell Cove appeared on the horizon and, with it, reality. Lizzie sat back against the padded seat and thought about today. Rationally, she and Josh had both needed to get away, to blow off some steam. And they were safe for each other, she realized. Because she was only here temporarily. Josh didn’t want anything major. And neither did she. And yet … being together today had been good.

And it was over. They certainly couldn’t be that free here in town, with a hundred pairs of eyes watching their every move.

“You’re quiet all of a sudden,” Josh observed, the engine noise a slight purr now as he pulled into the dock.

She hadn’t really said much the whole trip back, but she knew the last few minutes she’d been quiet in a different way that was entirely related to mood and he’d sensed that.

“Reality check,” she said, straightening.

“Yeah,” he agreed, and he sounded as excited about it as she did. That was something, at least.

Could they ignore everything that had happened today? Rewind to a few days ago and keep things entirely professional? Maybe it was time she tried that. It was what she should have done with Ian—

Her cheeks heated. She’d done exactly what she’d sworn she’d never do again. Get involved with a coworker. With a boss. No matter how she and Josh justified it or said it was different, it really wasn’t. Monday morning they’d be in the same office seeing patients and pretending that she hadn’t been … oh God. That she hadn’t been sprawled naked beneath him on a sandy beach in the middle of the afternoon.

“Regrets?” he asked, easing his way along the dock to keep the boat from bumping.