For Business...Or Marriage? by Jules Bennett

dimly lit hall. Surprisingly, she wasn’t as uneasy about seeing him as she thought she’d be. Granted, she wished he would’ve pulled her into the room and said forget snorkeling, but at least he wasn’t avoiding her, either.
    A driver was waiting at the front entrance to take them to the docks where a catamaran awaited them.
    “It’s a beautiful day for your first snorkeling adventure,” Cade said as he assisted her onto the gleaming white boat.
    She took a deep breath of fresh ocean water and fresh, masculine Cade. Once they were on board, the guide informed them that they would be going out to the second largest coral reef in the world. Seeing as how Abby had never seen the largest, she was sure to be impressed.
    There were two of everything—snorkel masks, life jackets, flippers. As the guide continued to explain all the fish and plant life they might encounter, Abby pulled her tank over her head and dropped it into her bag.
    Just as she unbuttoned her shorts and hooked her thumbs in to slide them off, she caught Cade’s heated glare.
    Keeping her eyes on him, she slipped out of her flip-flops and pushed the shorts down her legs. With the edge of her foot, and her eyes still on Cade’s, she scooted her belongings off to the side.
    When packing for this trip, she’d tried on every suit she’d owned. She wished she’d had the extra money to purchase a new one, but she hadn’t. In the end she’d chosen her favorite—the one that enhanced her curves.
    The yellow two-piece was simple and plain, save for the bright red flower on her right breast. The top was two triangles and strings, the bottoms tied on her hips with little red beads dangling on the ends.
    “You can’t get in the water like that,” she joked with a grin, motioning to his still fully clothed body.
    But the joke was on her when Cade pulled offthe gray T-shirt he’d worn with his navy and white trunks. To say the man was ripped would be a vast understatement.
    She’d gotten glimpses of him yesterday during their massage, but now that they were facing each other, she got a full, agonizing look at him.
    The sun beat down on his bronzed shoulders and Abby wanted nothing more than to toss their guide over the side and let him go snorkel while she explored all those nice ridges and planes on Cade’s body.
    “Any questions?”
    Abby jerked her gaze to the guide who’d been talking the whole time about safety in the water and what to expect.
    “None from me,” she said a bit guiltily, since she’d not heard a word. “Cade?”
    Without taking his eyes off her, he shook his head. “We’re good.”
    Once they were suited up, the guide showed them to the end of the catamaran where Cade promptly jumped off.
    He bobbed in the water and motioned for Abby to join him. Even if he were swimming in shark-infested waters, Abby would still have jumped in without a second thought.

Twelve
    S he hit the warm water and secured her mask like Cade showed her. After he ducked under the water, she did the same and was positively amazed at the secret world below she’d never known about.
    Abby could easily see why Cade enjoyed this. The colors were so vibrant, so alive. She couldn’t take in all the beauty at once. She tugged at Cade’s hand over and over to point out various plants and fish and other sea creatures.
    Every now and again Cade would tap her on her shoulder or leg, depending on how they were swimming, so he could show her something, as well.
    After what seemed like only minutes, Cademotioned for her to turn around and head back to the boat.
    They surfaced next to the ladder and Cade helped her up first, then hoisted himself up and onto the boat.
    “That was amazing,” Abby squealed the second she’d taken the mask off.
    Cade smiled as he took off his gear. “I thought you’d enjoy that.”
    “I can’t believe I’ve gone my whole life without doing this.” She sat on a small bench, slid the flippers off her feet and reached for the