Chapter 24
Droplets clung to his skin, catching the sunlight like scattered diamonds. Claire blinked,
then did a double take.
Jace.
The guy who’d given her the SIM card.
Before she could say anything, a group of ladies beat her to it.
“Hey, handsome, are you alone? Join us for a drink?”
“Yeah, we’re about to swim–want to come?”
Jace pulled himself out of the pool, casually slipping on a robe, instantly covering up the show. “Sorry, I’m not alone.”
Then, to Claire’s complete shock—
He walked straight to her.
“My girlfriend’s right here.”
The ladies‘ smiles faltered.
“Oh… you have a girlfriend.”
They exchanged looks, then walked off, disappointed.
Claire just… stared. Then pointed at herself. “Are you talking about me?”
Jace smirked. “Hope you don’t mind. Just needed a quick excuse.”
Claire let out a small, awkward laugh. “I guess not.”
He took a seat beside her, eyeing the pool. “You’ve been sitting here forever. Why not go in?”
1/
Claire hesitated. “Because I can’t.”
+15 Bonus
She’d never learned how to swim. Even snorkeling made her nervous unless an instructor
was nearby.
Jace stepped back into the water, holding out a hand. “Want to try? I’ll teach you.”
Claire chewed her lip, intrigued. “Really?”
“Why not? You can learn anything if you want to.” His voice was easy, reassuring.
After a pause, she took his hand and let him guide her in.
The moment her feet left the ground, panic hit. Her arms flailed like she was trying to fly, and before she could stop herself, she latched onto Jace–death grip style.
Jace sucked in a breath but stayed steady. “It’s okay. Trust me,” he said calmly. “Loosen up a little. I won’t let anything happen to you.”
His voice, steady and patient, melted her fear. Slowly, she let go.
Under Jace’s guidance, she learned to float, then managed a few small strokes.
“Not bad,” Jace said, impressed. “You’ve got talent.”
As they climbed out of the pool, Claire spotted scratch marks on Jace’s chest. Her face
burned–she must’ve done that in her panic.
“I’m so sorry–I didn’t mean to scratch you.”
“Make it up to me with dinner?” he teased.
Claire’s stomach chose that moment to growl.
She nodded. The two headed to the restaurant together, chatting along the way.
Jace wasn’t usually the type to spend time around women–most were too much effort.
But Claire?
2/3
Chapter 24
From the moment they met, she’d been different.
+15 Bonus
And the more time he spent with her, the more he found himself wanting to stick around.
By the time Finley arrived, the sky was already dark. He booked a room, plotting ways to “accidentally” run into Claire. Wandering onto the beach, he spotted fireworks bursting against the night.
Claire, drawn to the display, bought some fireworks and handed them to Jace. “Wanna try?”
Jace frowned. A grown man playing with fireworks? Not exactly his vibe. Before he could
refuse, Claire shoved them into his hands.
As the fireworks lit up, so did Claire’s face. She clapped, grinning like a kid. “They’re gorgeous!”
Standing on the beach, watching the fireworks sparkle over the ocean, she felt something
rare–peace. If only she could stay here forever, no baggage, no past, just this moment.
