{Wattys Shortlist 2022}
A one night stand is turned inside out when two strangers discover their shared past.
After a skydiving excursion that ends in a whirlwind one night stand, Camilla writes off ever seeing her handsome instructor again. That...
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When we first met, I'd tried to convince myself that Camilla was just like every other girl I'd hooked up with. I didn't drown in women because I was drown-proof. A frogman. A SEAL.
When Camilla opened the door and I saw the way this insanely beautiful girl looked at me, I knew I'd gladly drown in every inch of her.
In that moment, I knew this trip was going to be nothing but trouble.
The good kind of trouble.
You know, that feeling you get right before climbing out of your bedroom window—when the old wooden frame creaks—and you're sure you're going to get caught sneaking out.
But then you don't, and you feel invincible. Running across the grass as fast as you can and refusing to look back.
Well, that's how Camilla made me feel. Like I was getting away with being happier than I was allowed to be. Like I was chasing something I shouldn't be able to catch, but that I desperately wanted.
And when we were together, I wasn't just invincible—it was like I could finally breathe.
"Hey."
Say something else, South, my brain was screaming. Tell her she looks nice. Tell her you missed her smile.
"Hey to you, too," Camilla replied. "You ready to go?"
I tried to say something, but my mouth didn't want to work.
She was wearing tight black leggings and a loose t-shirt tied at the waist. Her long blonde hair thrown up in a ponytail.
How the hell was I going to make it through this three-hour drive without pulling over and...
Then Camilla's dad appeared over her shoulder, and all thoughts of peeling her leggings off disappeared. Admiral Isley wasn't smiling—not exactly—but I didn't think he looked angry either.
The way his eyes pulled at the corners looked more amused than anything else.
"I was wondering when I was going to see you at our door," Admiral Isley said. Then he let out a chuckle. "I hear you're taking my daughter to climb Mount Washington."
Never in the history of my life had I been forced to chat up a girl's protective father. I mean—some of the girls I'd banged before had called me daddy, but I didn't think that counted.
"Yes," I heard myself say, my gaze drifting back to Camilla's rolling eyes. "That's the plan, sir."
Her dad nodded once.
"Well, call me when you get there, Camilla."
"Dad," Camilla gritted out.
He ignored her, pinning me in place with a severe look. "Drive careful with my baby in the car. No speeding. And if you're tired, stop somewhere and get a hotel. Just don't let anything happen to her." Admiral Isley fixed eyes the same shape as his daughter's on me. "You hear me, son?"
