Page 63 of Tainted Love

‘You’ll be amazing. I know it.’

‘All right, let’s get you some fruit and water to replace those tears. You heard him…’ He leans across the table for flavoured water and pours me a glass. Mimicking his friend’s accent, he states, ‘You need to hydrate.’

My amusement is short-lived though, because I realise now that Williams knows the truth… ‘Amanda doesn’t know, does she, about…?’

He hands me the full glass. ‘It’s not my story to tell.’

I nod. ‘Thank you.’

As I’m finishing my second glass of flavoured water and a plate of watermelon, Gregory gives Amanda a hand back onto the yacht. She pats his shoulder and says something that makes him shake his head with a smirk.

Williams and I watch them, waiting for a clue, but they apparently won’t be giving any insight. Hiding my no doubt red and puffy eyes behind my sunglasses, I say, ‘I’ve hydrated.’

Gregory bites into a piece of watermelon. ‘Good.’

‘Can I know what we’re doing now?’

‘I’m taking you diving.’ His wide, youthful grin makes my lips turn in response.

‘Diving how? Like off the boat?’

He chuckles. ‘Scuba diving. Wet suits, regs, tanks.’

‘I can’t justdive. I’ve never done it before.’ As I say it, I’m already giddy about the idea.

‘That’s the point, baby; I want you to experience it. With me.’

‘But won’t I need lessons?’

‘Ja. I’ll teach you.’ His playful South African twang thickens, making my stomach jump.

‘You’ll teach me how to dive?’

‘You only need to know the basics.’

‘How many times have you been diving? I’ll be breathing through a tank. I don’t think it’s?—’

He places two fingers over my pout. ‘I’m a qualified instructor. So’s Williams, and he’ll be with us.’

‘You’re a dive instructor?’ I ask through his fingers. ‘When on earth did you have time to become a dive instructor?’

‘In case you haven’t noticed, angel, I own a yacht that anchors in the Caribbean.’

‘All right smart-arse. When do we start?’

‘Right now.’ His eyes are beaming as he inclines his head in the direction of the harbour. I see Carl loading six tanks and bags of equipment onto a speedboat with purpose-made holders for the tanks. I stand to get a better look.

Two strong arms wrap around my waist and a chin rests on top of my head. ‘Excited, beautiful?’

‘Ha. Damn right I am.’

* * *

Carl manoeuvres the dive boat into a small bay where we’re the only people in sight. A small cove of golden sand, flanked by rocks, is decorated with pebbles and shells where waves are rolling gently to make white fluffy clouds on the shoreline.

Gregory stands on the front of the boat in only a pair of board shorts, his tanned skin enhancing the muscles of his already striking body. He drops anchor and gives Carl a thumbs up, then stands, legs spread for balance, with a smug half-smile as I stare, unashamedly delighting in his splendour.

‘Like what you see, baby?’