Unlikely Venture (The Venture Series Book 1) by Kristen Luciani

and Sudoku.” Jessica giggled.
    “I’m glad you made an exception for me.” James gave her hand a little squeeze.
    “Hey, where are our seats?” Jessica waved towards the stadium entrance. “Is the game so crowded that we’re going to listen from the pier?”
    “Nah, you’ve got to give me a little more credit than that.” He pointed toward what looked like a dock. “That’s where we’re going.”
    Um, he didn’t tell me to wear a bathing suit.
    Then the sign caught her eye. City Kayak ? Oh please tell me I’m seeing things.
    “Uh, are we going kayaking?” Jessica tried hard to keep her voice even.
    James burst out laughing. “I told you to trust me, right?”
    “Mmm hmmm.” Oh for chrissakes, I can’t do this! Can’t even fake it! Not fun!
    He winked at her. “It’s going to be okay, I promise.”
    “You know this is way out of my comfort zone, right? The whole outdoorsy thing? I know you know that. You seem like a pretty perceptive guy.”
    “Yeah, I got that. But it’s a beautiful day and I’m an accomplished kayaker. You’ll be perfectly safe. And who knows? We might even catch a fly ball out here.”
    “Hence the reason for the glove?”
    “Yep.” He gave his name to the manager and paid for the rental. James handed Jessica a life jacket and slipped one on over his t-shirt.
    Okay, here goes nothing. Most interesting first date ever.
    She secured the life vest around her chest and followed James over to the ramp where their two-person kayak was waiting. Oh crap, it’s so small! I’m too claustrophobic for this little adventure. Come on, breathe Jess! You can do this!
    James stepped in and held out his hand. “Just hop in. I’ve got you.”
    Talk about a leap of faith, huh? Jessica took a deep breath and jumped off the dock, landing perfectly in the center of the kayak.
    “Nice job. You’re already a pro.”
    “I’ll help out as much as I can with the paddling but keep your expectations in check…”
    James laughed. “No need. Just sit back and enjoy. It’ll only take about fifteen minutes or so to get to the cove.” He handed her a bottle of water as they settled in. “Thirsty?”
    “Very.”
    He rowed away from the pier toward the cove. She admired how his muscles rippled under the thin t-shirt as he worked the paddles. Mmm, so delicious. She wondered how it would feel to have his arms wrapped around her, how safe and protected she would feel in his embrace. Stop! I don’t need to feel protected!
    “Wow, there are so many people out here! Is this whole kayaking experience a really big thing?”
    James nodded. “Yeah, this is where Giants fans come to tailgate. It’s a really cool attraction. Tons of tourists visit here every season. It’s even better at night. The stadium lights illuminate the whole cove.” He took a break for a second and flexed his arms, flashing Jessica a sheepish grin. “Only problem is that the current is kind of strong and we’re paddling against it right now.”
    Jessica giggled. “Oh, come on, a big strong guy like you can definitely handle it.”
    “Whew! It’s gotten really hot, huh?” James shaded his eyes and dug around the backpack for his sunglasses.
    “Now who’s the high maintenance one? You sure you don’t want to backpedal on that assessment yet?” Jessica raised an eyebrow.
    “Well, we do have a whole nine innings to get through.” A sly smile appeared. “I think I should get some more time to make a fair judgment.”
    Jessica shrugged. “Suit yourself.”
    “Hey, check it out! There’s the big screen, can you see it?” James pointed to the top of the stadium and flipped on the radio. “Damn AM radio, I hate static.” He twisted the knob, trying to get a clear signal. “Okay, there we go.”
    “This is really fantastic. Thank you for taking me out here. I’m having a great time with you.”
    His blue eyes twinkled in the sunlight. “So, you’re open to roughing it a little bit? I didn’t scare you off