“Oh, please,” She waved me off. “You’d be fine, flesh wound, nothing more.”
“They drown people!” My voice rose an octave. “Because they can!”
“Details.”
I huffed while I applied the deodorant, then tossed it back at her and walked toward my large closet.
“Next!” She clapped her hands and shoved past me into the closet and began frantically looking through my designer jeans.
I paused and looked at the honeymoon wish list. “Sharks? You want to swim with sharks?”
She nodded but didn’t turn around; instead, a pair of jeans went flying through the air, nearly hitting me in the face.
I caught them just in time. “How about I take you fishing, and we can pretend there are sharks, or better yet, I get a blow-up shark toy and put it in the pool out back?”
“Hmm…” A sweater sailed over my head. “…I may agree to those terms as long as you put on the Jaws theme song.”
“I’ll hum it.”
She stood to her full height and laughed. “Such a good sport.”
“Right. That’s what I’m being — a good sport. I figure if I don’t at least try to make you happy, you’re going to make my life hell then shoot me in my sleep.”
“The idea has merit.”
“See?”
“Wear those.” She pointed to the clothes she’d tossed onto the floor. “And I really like the new boots you bought online a few days ago.”
“You read my mail, don’t you?”
“Can I have a credit card with no limit?” she asked, ignoring my question but actually answering it, considering she’d probably seen my credit card statement.
“Sure… can you stop waking me up with your pot-and-pan trick?”
“Ohh… he drives a tough bargain.”
“I’ll give if you do.” I picked the clothes off the floor and approached her. “What do you say?”
“I say…” She eyed the list in my hand. “…give me one thing on the list today, and you have a deal.”
I glanced back down at the list. She wanted to go on a foxhunt, whatever the hell that was. An idea popped into my head. “Fine, go change into something you can move in.”
“Really?” She squealed.
Her excitement was this tangible real thing, almost like I could taste it in the air. I fought to keep myself from catching her enthusiasm. “Really.”
“You’re the best husband ever!” Her hand reached for my towel. She tugged. The towel fell.
I scowled but had nothing to hide.
Her hand moved to my hip, and then her fingertips grazed my abs. “You sure you don’t want to work on those other fifteen options?”
My body said yes.
Her eyebrows arched in… ah, there it was, not necessarily wonderment, but I could tell she was at least semi-impressed by the way she licked her lips.
My body was on board, but every other part of me said no — that it would be the final straw, that I’d fall and have no hope of ever being the same again. I took a step back.
She pouted, but her eyes drank their fill. “Fine, but one day I’m going to stop asking, and where’s that going to leave you?”
“Rhetorical question?”
“Food for thought.” She winked. “I’m going to get ready. Hurry up! Don’t want to be late for our first adventure.”
She skipped out of the room.
Leaving me in silence, in my giant closet.
Her presence was like the sun, making everything seem brighter, happier. I hadn’t realized until that day how boring and dark my life had become.
But that was what happened when you actually experienced life through someone else; you realized what you’ve been doing wasn’t living, but existing.
And I had a sinking feeling that my existence would miss hers even now… after only knowing her for a week.
It was a scary thought.
Terrifying actually, to imagine a world where people like Andi — where Andi herself — didn’t exist.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Andi
I LOOKED UP AT THE HUGE BUILDING and grinned. “You, my dear husband, are a brilliant, scary man.”
Sergio gripped my hand tighter. I let out a breathy sigh because, well, he was wearing the tight jeans I’d picked out for him and the black long-sleeved sweater that hugged every single muscle he possessed.
It helped that he’d finished the look with a pair of D&G aviators.
They should be illegal on a guy that sexy.
He looked like a walking sexy-man commercial. You know, if those existed.
“You ready to do this?” He released my hand and moved his fingertips to the small of my back. “I mean, if you’re scared we can go back.”
I took a deep breath. “But we’re already here.”
“True.”
“And it’s important that I face my fears.”
“Also true.” He chuckled. “So what will it be, little Russia? You gonna run home with your tail between your legs? Or are you gonna play?”
“I may get hurt.”
“Yup.”
“You could get hurt.”
“Yup.”
“We could die trying.”
“Yup.”
“Are you just going to keep saying yup?”
He paused then shrugged. “Yup.”
I rolled my eyes. “Okay, we’re doing this.”