Dive

Chapter Twenty-Eight

 "For every good reason there is to lie, there is a better reason to tell the truth."— Bo Bennett

"Ethan is coming."

Both Knox and I look up to see Amanda's infatuated smile as she announces it.

"Here?" I ask dumbly.

"Yeah, I talked to him last night. He can only stay until tomorrow, but he's coming. You'll get to know him a little, Care."

I smile because I know how much this means to her. I was only very briefly introduced to the man who captured my friend's attention, but never got the chance to actually have a conversation with the guy. "That's great."

"I need to change. Can you make some more of those daiquiris? They were great."

Before I can even reply, she's already halfway down the patio, her back to us as she hurries inside, bright-yellow skirt fluttering around her legs. I glance at Knox who is sitting across from me at the table, eating his breakfast.

"Do you know him?" I ask.

"I do."

"And?"

He cuts into his poached eggs unhurriedly. "And, what?"

"What do think of him?"

"He's okay."

"Just okay?"

Blue eyes regard me curiously. "What do you want me to say?"

"I don't know. I'm guessing you have an opinion since Amanda is crazy about him."

"I try to keep those opinions to myself."

"Does that mean you don't like him?"

He sighs. "I like him just fine. What's with the inquisition?"

I shrug, going back to my own food. I spear a piece of salmon and bring it to my mouth. "I'm only teasing."

The look on Knox's face goes from mildly annoyed to amused. "You like to tease me?"

"No more than you tease me."

He knows exactly what I'm referring to. He glances toward the house then back at me. "You came hard."

"So did you," I say quietly, keeping his gaze.

He smiles, and it looks a little arrogant. He is a man who knows exactly just how good he is in bed. The fact that we get along so well in that regard is merely a bonus.

"You feel like a game of tennis?" he asks casually after another minute in which we are both eating in silence.

"Now?" I say, a little surprised.

"When we're done here."

I nod because why not. "Sure."

We finish eating in silence, with Knox focusing on his phone and answering a few work-related e-mails. I didn't bring my laptop, though I did check my inbox earlier this morning, just to make sure nothing urgent came up in my absence.

When we're both done, Knox drains the last of his coffee and stands, rounding the table and offering a hand to help me up. I take it, and my skin heats from the brief contact. We're long past the point of touching each other chastely, but my body still reacts to every single brush of his skin against mine as if he's touching me straight between the legs. He either doesn't notice or he doesn't care to address the way I look at him from beneath my lashes. With a palm on the small of my back, he guides me across the patio, to the other end of the property where the tennis court is located.