Shattered: A Salvation Society Novel Bella Emy (best ebook reader for laptop .TXT) 📖

for a moment. “What if we’re too far out and it takes a long time to get me back to safety.”

Erin throws me a look letting me know she disapproves of my reply. “Safety? Really, Lexi?” she whispers then places a hand over her forehead.

“Then I’ll just have my private helicopter come pick you up in the middle of the ocean, no biggie.”

I roll my eyes as a smile pulls on my face. I love how he says no biggie like having a personal helicopter at your fingertips is the norm for most people. “Is that so?”

“Uh-huh.”

I smirk to myself. “Right. It’s so easy when you’re loaded,” I whisper purposely so he doesn’t hear my rude remark.

“What did you say?” He asks.

This time, Erin punches me in the arm. I rub at it with my hand. She just shakes her head at me and mouths the words, “Not nice.”

I shrug. “Nothing.”

“So, how about it, Lexi. Are you willing to let yourself go and let me take your mind off things for a bit?”

“Yes!” Erin answers for me way too excitedly.

I throw her a glare… if looks could kill.

Kalen chuckles. “Hey, Erin.”

Erin giggles. “Hi, Kalen.”

“How are you?”

“Good, good, thanks,” she answers. “And your handsome self?”

I want to die. Kill me right now….

He laughs softly again. “Good, too. So, Lexi. Are you going to accept my invite like Erin says?”

I shrug and roll my eyes once more. He’s not going to give up. If it’s not this trip, it’ll be dinner later, or an underwater adventure tomorrow, or God knows what else until I accept. And Erin is not letting it go, either. She’s just going to keep hounding me until I say yes. Maybe going out to sea really will help a bit. I just have to keep my distance and I should be fine, right?

God, I really hope I don’t regret my decision… “Oh, what the hell. I give up. Fine. I’ll come along. You two win.”

“Yes!” Erin shouts. “We need to get you packed!” She jumps up to her feet and heads toward the closet to go through my things.

“But we don’t even know when this is hap—” I say but am abruptly cut off.

“Thanks, Erin,” Kalen states, then after a few moments, he says, “I’ll get everything up and ready. You get yourself all prepared for first thing tomorrow morning. I’ll meet you in the lobby at 8 a.m.”

8 a.m. Shit. This is really happening. What the hell did I just agree to and get myself into?

Chapter Twenty-Four

I wrap my arms around myself as the shawl draped across my shoulders comforts me. I’m twenty minutes early, but I couldn’t stay upstairs any longer. Erin was still fast asleep as I got dressed and ready. She stayed up late last night with me to make sure I finished packing and didn’t back out.

Yes, it crossed my mind more than once. I could easily head down to the beach for the day, maybe hide away from Kalen and Erin. But I’m sure they’d find me. And then what?

So, after sleeping for less than five hours I hopped out of bed at six, got myself prepared, and was downstairs with a small suitcase by seven-thirty. I think I packed enough outfits to last me a week. I mean, do I really know what I’m going to feel like wearing tomorrow? Or is it even going to look the same on me once I’m wearing it? Yeah, I know I’m being paranoid, but I have days where I’ll love the way a shirt fits me one day, and then completely hate it the next. I’m odd like that.

“Good morning, Lexi,” Kalen’s voice sounds from behind me.

I push away from the counter in the lobby and turn to face him. Holy mother of God… he looks amazing. My jaw wants to drop to the ground, but somehow, I manage not to do that and look like a fucking moron. I wouldn’t be surprised if I were drooling right about now though. A black V-neck T-shirt—that I’m guessing costs more than my pair of Louboutins sandals gracing my feet—sits on top of khaki shorts. He’s got both of his hands in his pockets, and he looks down to the ground with a modest grin on his face.

Holy fuck.

Holy fucking fuck.

How the hell am I supposed to be spending three days out on the water with him? I’ll have nowhere to go and hide from him; not even for a second. Maybe I can lock myself in the bathroom for a while when I feel the need to get away from him and pretend I’m fine.

Yeah right. He’s going to end up thinking I have stomach issues. I don’t want that. It would be uberly embarrassing.

What the hell did I just get myself into? Maybe I can still back out.

His eyes flit back up to meet my gaze, his smile never wavering. “You ready to set sail with me?”

I swallow thickly as his words register in my brain. “Y-yes. I’m ready.” Well, there goes my body betraying me. I was planning on backing out, but he asks me one time, and I’m willing to sell myself to him. What the fuck?

“Cool,” he answers, pulling out his right hand from his pocket and walking toward me. “Let me take that from you.” He motions for my luggage as he comes a few feet away from me.

Damn, he even smells good, too. If I wasn’t drooling before, I sure as hell am drooling now.

What is wrong with me? I need to keep my cool. I need to remember why the hell I was mad at him in the first place.

I cringe. Wait, why was I mad at him to begin with? Oh, yeah. Asshole. Dickhead. He was an ass.

Yeah, okay. I know name-calling and such is childish. Hell, everything between us happened so many years ago, but I guess I’m still holding on to this grudge against him… even if he is smoking hot.

I let him