The Officer's Runaway Wife & Secret Son novel Chapter 101

The dive was cut short.

The speedboat tore across the waves on the return trip. Clara Bridges sat at the stern, while Rhys Huntington sat opposite her, phone in hand. The screen lit up, then went dark, over and over again.

Finally, he deigned to look up at her.

She sat quietly, eyes cast down, looking neither at the scenery nor at him.

"Still sulking?" Rhys tucked his phone away, his tone laced with helplessness. "My attitude was poor just now, I admit that. But wandering off underwater is dangerous. What if something had happened? I didn't mean to snap at you."

Clara stared at the ocean surface, saying nothing.

"Clara, say something." Rhys reached out and squeezed her hand. "Diving is an extreme sport. You have to follow commands. If you actually got hurt, who takes responsibility? You'd be the one crying in the end."

"I'm not mad," Clara finally said. "Captain Huntington is right. Safety first, life above all else. After all, your life is precious—you need to save it for rescuing the suffering masses."

Hearing the sarcasm in her voice actually made Rhys relax. If she was sniping at him, she was fine. He leaned back, his posture loosening. "I'll take you for seafood lunch later. The captain recommended a local bistro run by some natives. I've already booked a table."

When the speedboat docked, Rhys hopped onto the pier with practiced agility. Holding the equipment bag in one hand, he extended the other toward her, palm up, waiting for her to take it.

Clara looked down at that hand.

*This is the last time,* she told herself.

She placed her hand in his and used his leverage to jump onto the dock.

Back at the villa, Rhys dropped the gear bag and peeled off his seawater-soaked T-shirt, revealing a lean, muscular torso. Toweling his hair, he walked to the floor-to-ceiling windows and pulled the curtains halfway open.

"Go take a shower first. The salt feels sticky," he said, glancing back at her. "I'll run the bath. Want to join?"

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