I nodded, and picked up my paddle. “Ready.”
“Good,” he said, moving around on his own board. “Go ahead and choke up on the paddle. It'll make it easier.”
I moved my hands down the shaft of the paddle and then confidently put the blade into the water. The board moved forward and I grinned. I went a little faster, dipping the paddle in deeper and using a stronger stroke. I could see how Bastian had such a wonderful body. It wasn't terribly aerobic exercise, but it required a lot of stability and strength.
“This is fun,” I yelled, looking back at him. He grinned and caught up easily.
“Are you ready to stand up?” he asked, practically steering circles around me. I nodded.
“Okay, feet on the sweet spot, and stay low...” he instructed. I did exactly as he told me, wobbling but finding my balance. “Now, stand up slowly and go to a staggered stance- one foot in front of the other.”
I grinned as I found my way to fully standing. I was up. I wasn't moving yet, but I was up.
“Keep your arms straight and use your core to paddle,” he instructed, making a down and back motion. I nearly fell off as the sun glinted off the muscles in his arms and back as he demonstrated. I definitely wasn't paying attention to his technique. “The closer you stay to your board, the straighter the line you'll travel on.”
“Uh huh,” I replied, trying it out. It was even more of a workout than kneeling. I didn't think I was that out of shape, but this was working my core in ways that I knew would have me sore by dinnertime. This was way better than crunches at the gym. Company's better than at the gym, too, I thought.
“Ava, look over there,” Bastian called out, pointing his paddle to off to the side. I raised my gaze from the water to see a pod of dolphins, at least four or five of them, leaping through the water.
“Dolphins!” I squeaked with excitement, jumping up and down with glee. Which meant I promptly fell face first into the water.
“You okay?” Bastian asked, saving my paddle for me as I climbed back onto my board.
“Dolphins!” I squealed again, grinning with sheer delight. Bastian laughed at my childlike enthusiasm as the pod swam closer. I wished I could touch them, but they changed direction and went off in search of food in deeper water.
When they left us, I stood up again, determined to get better before we had to go in. Bastian watched me carefully, praising me and giving me pointers as he zoomed around me, going backwards and forwards and showing off. He never fell in the water though.
Bastian groaned as his watch began to beep. “Time to go back.”
I pouted, sticking out my lower lip at him.
“You'll have to explain to Charlotte and Leo why I'm late then,” he replied. “And if Gabe's there, she'll be mean.”
I pouted bigger, but I began paddling back in the direction of the mansion. I wished we didn't have to go in. I would have stayed out on the water forever with him. Out here, it was just the two of us, and possibly some dolphins. There were no worries or obligations. No phones or deadlines. I didn't want to go back to land and back to reality. Even the Caribbean mansion reality I was currently in.
Bastian paused as we approached the shore, slowing down his paddling and waiting for me to catch up. I could tell he was just as reluctant as I was to return.
“Thank you for sharing this with me, Ava,” he said softly.
I smiled and tried to steer closer to him, but instead rammed my board into his instead of coming along side it. He jumped into the water and pulled me with him.
“Thank you,” I told him once we surfaced. “This has been the best day ever.”
He grinned. “And it's just starting.” Then together, we brought our boards into shore to start the rest of our day.
Chapter 19
“Would you like to have a drink with me?”
I startled and banged my head on the bottom of the desk. I could see Bastian's feet in the doorway as I worked my way out from under the antique writing desk.
Bastian chuckled, coming over and holding out his hand to help me up. I rubbed the sore spot on my head, and he leaned over to kiss it.
“You really should be more careful under furniture,” he teased. “You keep bumping your head.”
I stuck out my tongue at him and he kissed my head again, mussing my hair in the process.
“So, drinks?” he asked, smiling gently.
“Are we actually going to go drink, or will it end up like last time I had alcohol with you?” I grinned at him, remembering our dinner last night. “Because I'm up for either.”
Bastian's eyes twinkled and he wrapped his arm around my waist, pulling me into him. I loved the way his body felt, and I pressed closer. I rocked my hips against his and was rewarded with a passionate kiss.
“I was thinking drinks at a bar, but you are certainly tempting me to just raid the wine cellar,” he murmured. “I wanted to take you out.”
“You mean you are willing to be seen in public with me?” I asked, pulling back slightly.
He cocked his head to the side with a confused smile. “Why wouldn't I want to be seen in public with you? I want to show you off.”
I smiled as a happy warmth filled me. He wanted to show me off. I felt like running around doing a little happy dance because Sebastian Belrose liked me. Really liked me. But that would mean getting out of his arms.
“I'd love to get drinks with you then,” I told him proudly. He let me go, smiling broadly at my acceptance.
This would be great. I would put on a cute dress and some makeup, and maybe even curl my hair...
“Excellent,” he said. “I'll go get the car.”
“Wait, you mean right now?” I ran a hand through my hair. I had been working all day and it was just up in a ponytail. I had sweat-stains on my t-shirt and my shorts had a mustard spot on them from lunch. I was not ready to go out.
“Well, yes.” Bastian looked at me like I might be a little slow. “Did you have other plans this evening?”
“Let me go change,” I begged. “It'll take two seconds, I promise.”
“I think you look great, but if you want to, go ahead.” He shrugged. He of course looked amazing. He had on light linen pants and a long sleeve t-shirt that covered his scars but showed off his impressive frame. He looked like something straight out of a billionaire yacht club magazine.
I flashed him a quick grin and ran out the door to my room. I didn't have enough time to do much, so I just found my dress, a cute pair of heels, some mascara and a dot of perfume. It wasn't much, but it was better than mustard shorts.