The sweet summery scent of coconut came off him from the sunscreen we’d both applied earlier. I loved that smell. It was quintessential summer, and on him, with his tanned skin and a blue cap pulled over his eyes, it was like every girl’s summer-fling fantasy come true.
“Sofia?” The sound of my name startled me. I jerked my head up to meet his eyes, amusement lighting them up now despite how annoyed he’d been just seconds before. “Did you just sniff me?”
“No,” I scoffed, blinking as I returned my focus to the motor. “I was just thinking. If it’s been that long, I think you’re right about the carburetor. It’s probably starved.”
“Let’s hope it’s that. Pumping fuel through the line is the easiest thing to fix out here without a lot of equipment,” he said but then peered at me curiously. “I’m assuming you know how to do that too?”
“Of course, I do.” I suppressed the urge to roll my eyes at him but hid a smile at the surprise that flickered in his eyes when I answered. “I’ve spent hours fixing Dad’s boat with him. A starved carburetor is hardly going to trip me up.”
Lincoln’s dimples came out as he lifted his cap to drag a hand through his hair before replacing it. “Yeah, okay. Let’s do it then.”
“Let’s,” I agreed. “By the way, I was definitely not sniffing you.”
Those Cognac-colored eyes of his rolled, but his smile grew. “Sure. Of course, you weren’t. I totally believe you.”
My cheeks heated, but I decided to let it go. I’d get my revenge fast enough if I managed to fix his boat.
We moved together to the engine mount, then climbed onto the narrow seat at the back of the boat. Swinging my legs over the side, I pushed myself up so I’d be able to find the float that needed to be pumped.
Meanwhile, Lincoln leaned over the motor and used it for leverage as he hopped onto the step above the water. With both of us hovering only inches away from the rippled surface of the ocean, it was like the water was beckoning to me, tempting me to jump in for a dip.
The sun was climbing higher in the sky. The heat as it reflected off the water was becoming almost blistering. Between the heat, the humidity, my jeans, and Linc’s oversized shirt, droplets of sweat tracked down my spine and on my brow.
Most of the fuel lines and parts back there were black, which made them hot to the touch. Lincoln muttered curses as he worked on lifting the cover. He was covered by a sheen of sweat himself, but instead of making him look gross, it made him look like he was posing for the cover of a fucking mechanics’ magazine.
It was wholly unfair really. No doubt, I looked like a drenched rat as I balanced on the join between the motor and the hull and dug around for the fuel pump.
“Hang on a sec before you do anything,” Lincoln said, his brow wrinkling as he lifted the cover off. “I want to check something first.”
“You’re worried we’re going to end up flooding the engine?” I swiped at the back of my neck, then lifted the edge of his shirt and wafted some air between my skin and the damp material.
He nodded, looking up just as I lifted the shirt an inch or so higher to catch some of the measly humid breeze. A grin tugged at the corners of his lips as his gaze traveled lazily down the length of my torso.
“There’s no one else around if you want to take that off,” he suggested, motioning to his own shirtless abdomen. “It’s not much better heat-wise, but it’ll make for a much better view for me.”
“I doubt it,” I joked but also not really. “Have you checked what you wanted to check yet? I see the float. I’m ready to pump when you are.”
A burst of laughter came from him before he waggled his eyebrows at me, his cap moving on his head with the motion. “I’m ready to pump, but not the fuel line.”
“Have at it then.” I shot a glance at the captain’s seat and waved a finger toward it. “Enjoy yourself while I get us running again.”
“That doesn’t sound like any fun.” He sighed, fixing me with a pretend pout. Or at least, I thought it was pretend. “Why would I want to enjoy myself when I could be enjoying you?”
“One of us needs to get the motor going,” I said, but I couldn’t help the heat building in my cheeks or between my legs.
Truth be told, there was nothing but miles of deep blue sea around us. No one would see us if we fooled around, and we’d both already proven that when the mood took us, we had no real problem with getting down and dirty in public.
Plus, it was really beautiful out there. Gentle swells lifted the boat and deposited us gently on the other side of each one. The lapping of the waves against the hull was comforting.
As I looked into the unique reddish undertone of his earthy-brown eyes, I wanted to see them darken with need again. It had only been a few hours, but this opportunity seemed too good to pass up.
When was I ever going to be out on the water alone with a super handsome SEAL again? One that I actually liked and enjoyed spending time with to boot.
“How about this?” I suggested, mentally preparing myself for what I was about to do. “We get the motor running, and once it is, we go check out the cabin?”
Before he could say anything or I could think better of it, I grabbed the hem of the shirt and lifted it off over my head. Rolling it into a ball between my fingers, I
