After All(58)

"You can't reverse!" he yells from the waves. "You're under sail!"

"How do I turn it off?" I yell back, frantically trying to hit all the buttons with one hand while steering the boat with the other.

"You can't! You're under fucking sail! Jesus Murphy, Alyssa, throw me the ring!"

Right. The ring. I have no choice but to let go of the wheel again until the boat is completely turned around. At least now, the sails are slack and flapping and the boat is slowing down.

I grab the ring off the back of the boat and quickly throw it into the water with all my might. My throw isn't the best–neither is my aim–but at least it's in the water and Emmett is swimming toward it.

Despite the danger and trauma of watching him possibly drown, there's something incredibly sexy about the way he's slicing through the water, doing a front crawl through the waves like he's a fucking tugboat on speed.

Damn. No wonder the man used to be on the swim team.

It's not long before he's reached the ring and slides it over his head. He then grabs the rope and starts pulling himself in after the boat until he's finally at the platform at the back.


      ///
       
         
       
        

"I am so, so sorry!" I cry out to him as I feebly try to help him on board. He's so cold to touch and shivering, his lips looking a shade of blue.

"It's okay," he says, trying to catch his breath as he crawls onto the deck and slowly tries to get to his knees. "It's okay. It was my fault."

"No, I'm an idiot, I shouldn't have let go of the wheel," I tell him, holding onto his wet shirt, afraid to let go in case I lose him again.

"No, it was my fault. I shouldn't have shown you my penis. I know the power it has over you."

He's smiling as he says this but it still doesn't make me feel any better.

"Hold on," I tell him. "I'll get you some blankets, you would have gotten hypothermia if you were in there for one minute longer. Do you think you can steer it back or should I call the Coast Guard?"

"I'll be fine," he says, heading over to the wheel.

I swallow hard, hating the sight of him like this, regardless of how well his wet clothes are sticking to his muscles, and I quickly hurry downstairs to gather up as many blankets as I can. When I get up top, I dump them at my feet and then start pulling his shirt off his head. "Gotta get you out of these first," I tell him. "That's all."

"Sure, sure," he says with a grin, even though he's unable to keep from shivering. "Pants next. But, mind you, the water is cold."

His pants are unzipped anyway, so I pull them down until he's naked and try not to stare at his cock, which truly does look quite different than what he was showing me prior to going overboard. Then again, the man is blessed in that department, so it doesn't look any different from average.

"You don't need to stare at it," he says. "You're making him shy."

I smile at him. "Shy or not, I have to stop and appreciate. I learned my lesson before."

"Never look away from my dick."

"You got that right."

Then I start wrapping the blankets all over him, covering up every wet inch so that by the time we're heading back into the marina, he looks like he's started some kind of blanket-wearing fashion trend. I'm sure Kanye West would try and sell it for a couple grand.

Somehow, we manage to dock the boat and he gives me instructions on how to properly tie it down, fancy knots and all.

Then I come back on board.

"Are you sure we shouldn't take you to the hospital?" I ask him, even though the color is coming back into his lips and his eyes look brighter.

He nods. "I just need to get warm and rest. Come on." He puts his arm around me and ushers me downstairs into the cabin. 

Cold and wet (him), high (me) and exhausted (both of us), we crawl into the berth with each other.

And promptly pass out.





Chapter 12





Alyssa





When I wake up it takes me a moment to realize where I am.

It's almost dark, the blue glow of twilight comes through the glass hatch above me. I yawn, feeling as if I could sleep forever, and slowly turn my head to see Emmett beside me.

This is the first time I've seen him sleeping.

I feel like such a creeper.

Because even when he's asleep, he's a fucking babe. His boyish face is almost pretty with his tan skin and long eyelashes. His thick hair is slightly mussed up from the seawater and his stubble seems darker in the dim light.

I could literally stare at him forever.

That's when I'm hit with a curious pang. This side of us, the one rife with intimacy, where we can sleep beside each other, is not part of the deal. This isn't supposed to happen, it just has by silly accident, and now I'm soaking it up as much as I can.