Chapter 358
**Sara**
We waded out until the water reached my shoulders, jumping with each new wave to avoid getting our faces wet. Tom never let go of my hand, keeping me anchored against the pull of the current.
"I could stay here all day," I said, floating on my back between waves, my hand still in his.
Tom's smile was soft as he looked down at me. "We can stay as long as you want. We've got all the time in the world."
My heart fluttered at his words. The way he looked at me made me feel like I was the only person on this entire beach, no, in the entire world. The cool, refreshing water lapped around us, contrasting against my sun-warmed skin.
"All the time in the world, huh?" I tilted my head, droplets running down my neck. "What exactly would you do with all that time, Professor Blackwood?"
His eyes crinkled at the corners as his smile widened. "That's an excellent question, Ms. Parker." He pulled me closer, the water swirling between us. "I could spend it all with you if you'd let me."
"Is that so?" I wrapped my arms around his neck, the gentle waves pushing us together and then apart in a rhythmic dance. "Sounds like a pretty serious time investment."
"The best kind of investment." His voice dropped lower, just for me to hear. "High risk, high reward."
I laughed, splashing him playfully. "Are you calling me risky?"
"Absolutely." His hands found my waist underwater, anchoring me to him. "You're the riskiest thing I've ever done. And the most rewarding."
The sincerity in his voice caught me off guard. Here we were, floating in the Pacific Ocean, thousands of miles from home, and I'd never felt more right about anything in my life.
"Tom..." I started, not sure what I wanted to say.
He didn't wait for me to figure it out. Instead, he leaned down and pressed his lips to mine, soft and salty from the ocean spray. I melted into him, forgetting where we were, forgetting everything except the feel of his mouth on mine and his arms holding me steady against the push and pull of the waves.
When we finally broke apart, I was breathless and not from swimming.
"You're going to get us arrested for public indecency," I murmured against his lips.
"Worth it," he replied, stealing another quick kiss before releasing me. "But I suppose we should behave ourselves. For now."
I splashed him again, laughing as he retaliated by ducking underwater and tugging at my ankle, making me squeal. We played like children, diving under waves, racing each other to an imaginary finish line, and floating on our backs, staring up at the endless blue sky.
"I can't remember the last time I had this much fun," I admitted, treading water beside him. "Maybe never."
"See what you've been missing by dating boring guys?" Tom smirked, smoothing back his wet hair.
"Oh, please. Like you've never dated boring women?"
"None of them were as exciting as you," he said, and the simple way he said it made me believe him. "None of them stole my sweaters either."
"I borrowed it," I corrected him primly. "There's a difference."
"Keep telling yourself that, sweater thief."
I was about to retort when something in the distance caught my eye. A sleek gray shape breaking the surface of the water, then another, and another.
"Tom!" I grabbed his arm, pointing excitedly. "Look!"
He turned, following my gaze. "Dolphins!"
Sure enough, a pod of dolphins was swimming parallel to the shore, their dorsal fins cutting through the water in graceful arcs. As we watched, one leaped completely out of the water, its body twisting before splashing back down.
"Oh my god!" I squeezed Tom's hand, practically bouncing in the water. "That's amazing!"
More dolphins joined the first, putting on a show as if they knew they had an audience. They jumped and dove, sometimes in pairs, sometimes solo, their movements fluid and joyful.
"They're playing," Tom said, his voice filled with wonder that matched my own. "Look at them go."
I couldn't tear my eyes away. The dolphins continued their performance, seemingly as delighted with themselves as we were with them. One particularly acrobatic dolphin did a full backflip, drawing cheers from other beachgoers who had also spotted the pod.
"I've never seen anything like this," I whispered, afraid that speaking too loudly might somehow scare them away. "It's magical."
Tom wrapped an arm around my shoulders, pulling me against his side as we treaded water together. "It is. Almost as magical as you showing up in my classroom that first day."
I tore my gaze from the dolphins to look at him, surprised by the sentiment. "You're such a sap," I said, but my voice came out soft and affectionate.
"Only with you," he replied, kissing the top of my head. "Don't tell anyone. I have a reputation to maintain."
"Your secret's safe with me, Professor." I leaned into him, savoring the warmth of his body against mine despite the cool water. "Besides, who would believe me? The great Thomas Blackwood, billionaire heir, and corporate finance guru, getting mushy over dolphins."
"And over you," he added. "Mostly over you."
We stayed like that, wrapped in each other's arms, watching the dolphins until they disappeared from view, heading further out to sea. The moment felt perfect—suspended in time like the droplets of water that hung in the air when the waves crashed.
"Thank you for bringing me here," I said, turning to face him. "For all of this."
"Thank you for coming." His expression was serious now, his playfulness momentarily set aside. "I know it wasn't easy to take time off work, especially when you're just starting."
"It was worth it." I ran my fingers through his wet hair, pushing it back from his forehead. "You're worth it."
The intensity in his eyes made my stomach flip. How had I gotten so lucky? A few months ago, I was heartbroken over Matt's betrayal, convinced I'd never trust anyone again. Now, here I was, halfway around the world, with a man who looked at me like I was something precious.
"We should probably head back to shore before we turn into prunes," I said, noticing my fingertips were already starting to wrinkle.
"Good idea. I have plans for these fingers later," he said with a wink, taking my hand and kissing my pruney fingertips. "Race you back?"
Before I could answer, he was off, swimming with powerful strokes toward the beach. I laughed and followed, knowing I couldn't catch him but enjoying the chase anyway.
The water grew shallower as I approached the shore, making it harder to swim and easier to run. I watched Tom's muscular back cutting through the waves ahead of me, droplets flying as he powered forward.
"Cheater!" I called after him, pushing myself harder.
He glanced back with a cocky grin. "You snooze, you lose, Sara!"
By the time I reached the point where my feet could touch the sand, Tom was already jogging onto the beach, looking annoyingly good with water streaming down his body. I made a final sprint through the knee-deep water, splashing dramatically.
"That was completely unfair," I said, catching up to him at our beach spot. "You didn't even count to three."
"I don't recall agreeing to any rules." He grabbed a towel and draped it over my shoulders, pulling me close. "Besides, the view of you chasing me was worth it."
"I bet it was."
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