Chapter 25 : A Heated Discussion

**Cat POV As soon as I hit the water, I held my breath. I started kicking back to the surface. A muffled splash echoed overhead, and someone wrapped their arms around me, pulling me up. When my head broke the surface, I heaved, breathing hard and pushing away from the person that was still holding onto me. "Cat, Cat, are you okay?" Luke's voice asked worriedly. His arms tightened around me. "I'm fine, you can let go of me," I snarled, trying to wiggle away. My movement dragged us both underwater again, and I quickly held my breath. We surfaced once more, and Luke was still holding onto me. "You're going to drown us both," I argued, trying to wriggle away again. "Cat, stop struggling. I'll get us to the dock," he said. "What are you doing? Let me go!" I snapped, swatting at Luke's chest. Finally, he released me and drifted back. "Rescuing you," he said, creasing his brow. "I know how to swim," I argued. I kicked my legs, treading water, and used my arms to keep Luke back. He was treading water, too, eyes full of concern. "You slipped and fell. I thought you were in trouble," he said, giving an awkward shrug in the water. "I'm fine," I hissed through gritted teeth. Luke nodded. "I see that now. I'm sorry. I reacted on instinct, thinking you were hurt or something." I scoffed and looked away. Luke was being so sincere, but I wasn't sure I should believe him. I couldn't trust anything he said or did at this point. For a moment there was no sound except the swishing water as we both kept our heads up. Luke sighed and cast his eyes down. "Cat, why are you doing this? I thought we were on good terms. Now, you're just cold to me all the time." I rolled my eyes. "What the h*ll do you expect me to do in this situation?" "What situation?" Luke pressed, his voice getting tense and rising. "This situation, with us!" I snapped. "I'm not following you, Cat. What are you talking about?" he asked more urgently. "We work together, so I'm keeping things professional. But how do you expect me to keep being professional when your personal life keeps getting in the way?" I asked. A wave splashed my face, and salty water filled my mouth. Growling, I spit the water out and swam closer to the dock. There wasn't a ladder for me to climb to get back up, and I wasn't sure I could lift myself up with my own upper body strength. "And we have to only be professional? We can't also be friends?" he asked, moving closer to me in the water. "I know too much about you personally. I don't want anything to do with who you are personally. So, I'm trying to keep respecting you on a professional level. How do you expect me to do that when you keep trying to make things personal?" I asked, flashing him a look over my shoulder. Luke creased his brow again, eyes shifting back and forth. He looked so lost and confused. I wondered if it was all an act. "I met Victoria," I said sharply. Luke's eyebrows disappeared into his hairline, but he didn't say anything. I grabbed onto the dock so I could stop treading water but I just hung there, wondering how I was going to get out. "Is that it? You met Victoria, and now you're pissed at me?" Luke asked. "Shouldn't I be? You're a cheater. You cheated on your girlfriend with me!" I hissed, shaking my head. "Oh...." I looked over at Luke. I could tell he was trying to hide a smile. "What? What is so funny?" I asked, my anger growing. He couldn't even take this seriously. He found it funny! What kind of a*shole was he to think that cheating on his girlfriend was funny? "Nothing is funny," he said quickly, shaking his head. "Look, she wasn't the most pleasant person. She was rude, threatened me, and was really mean to your housekeeper. But that's not a reason to cheat on her. After what happened with Aaron and your sister, how could you…" "Cat, it isn't what you think," Luke said. My arms trembled, and I shook my head again. "Who Victoria is isn't any of my business. Your relationship with her isn't either. So EXCUSE ME for trying to be professional after YOUR cheating!" I sighed heavily, looking away from Luke and at the setting sun. It was almost completely down the horizon now, and the water was colored orange and purple. "Um… wow. That's really what this has been about? Cat, I think we should talk about this… when we aren't floating in the water," Luke offered. "I don't know if there is anything else to say," I admitted with a shrug. "Maybe not, but I'd like a chance to try," he said. I looked back at Luke. His features were soft now, apologetic. For a moment, I thought that maybe I should listen to what he had to say. "No. I'm done with people's lies and cover-ups. I've had enough of that to last a lifetime." "What does that mean?" Luke asked, arching an eyebrow. "It means that coming here was a mistake. I'm going to get a commercial flight back to the city tomorrow. I'll officially resign to Hannah and leave town," I said. Suddenly, Luke burst out laughing. My blood boiled, and I turned to him, my fingers shaking as I gripped the dock. "You think this is funny!?" I snapped. "I've been wondering if I should leave or stay for a while. Now I know, I can't stay! Not here with a cheater like you!" "Cat, please," Luke said, still chuckling. He shook his head and wiped a tear away from his eye. "What is so funny about this?" I asked, my anger slightly derailed by my curiosity. "Let's get out of the water, and I'll tell you," he offered. I glared at Luke. He was still playing games and still trying to manipulate me. "N- AHHH!" Something wet slithered past my leg. It was slimy and gooey on my skin. Releasing the dock, I threw myself at Luke and grabbed onto him. "What? Cat, what's wrong?" Luke asked. He grabbed the dock with one hand and slipped his arm around my waist with the other. I kept my arms around his neck, breathing heavily and trembling. "Something just brushed my leg. Something wet and slippery brushed by me," I wailed. Luke chuckled again and tightened his arm around my waist. "Look, it is just a tropical fish." He nodded behind me. I twisted around and saw a beautiful, bright-colored fish lazily swimming through the water. Luke laughed again. "Did you think we'd encounter the Loch Ness Monster here in the Caribbean?" he teased. "No, but get me out of here before some sea monster does come up from the deep," I said, clinging to him tighter. "You're going to have to let go of me first. I can't lift us both out," he told me. Reluctantly, I released Luke and grabbed onto the dock again. With a grunt, he pulled himself out of the water and onto my dock. He held his arm down to me. "Grab on," he said. I clung to Luke's arm with both hands. Glancing sideways, I saw that the fish was swimming back. "Hurry up, that thing is coming back," I begged. "Okay, okay, I've got you," Luke said. "HURRY!" Luke yanked me out of the water and fell back, pulling me with him. I landed on top of Luke, bracing my hands on either side of his head. He laid on his back, staring up at me. Both of us were breathing hard. My wet hair slipped around my face and brushed against Luke. "That was close," I whispered, unable to look away from his eyes. Luke smirked, his hands resting on my hips. "Don't worry, I've got you." His eyes traveled down, away from my face. I followed his gaze, realizing my white shirt was soaked through, clinging to my body tightly. My nipples and belly button were visible. Laughing nervously, I pulled away from him and crossed my arms, trying to hide my nipples. Despite the cold chill now that we were out of the water, my cheeks got hot. "Th-thanks for saving me from that killer fish," I muttered. Luke chuckled and sat up, shaking water out of his hair. "It was touch and go there for a minute." We were still sitting really close together, his shoulder brushed against mine. I shivered and leaned away, but it wasn't a shiver from the cold. My skin tingled with the way he'd looked at me, hungry with desire. I knew it was wrong because he had a girlfriend, but I couldn't help liking the way I felt when he looked at me like that. "Cat, can we please talk about this, civilly? We're both adults, and I think we can, you know, reach some kind of understanding." His voice was ragged as he spoke. My stomach twisted and fluttered. Again, my cheeks got hot, and I bit my lower lip. Maybe I was overreacting. I didn't know what he could say to justify his actions, but I believed I could at least listen to what he had to say. "O-okay. I guess we could try that. But can we have an adult conversation with my shirt all see-through?" I asked. Luke laughed and threw his head back. With a sigh, he glanced sideways at me. "Probably not. We should dry off and change first." "Good idea," I said, nodding. "Come by my villa once you're dry and in fresh clothes?" he asked, nodding to the neighboring cabin. "You want to talk at your place?" I asked, arching an eyebrow. Luke shrugged. "Would you rather me come over to your place?" I shook my head. "No. I'll meet you over there soon." "Sounds good." Luke stood up and dove off the dock. I stood up and wrapped my arms around the wooden pillar, watching Luke's powerful arms as he swam across to his dock. He really wasn't fazed by the creature who had been swimming around. He pulled himself out of the water, effortlessly. The corded muscles of his arms tensed and bulged. Shaking his head, water droplets flew off his hair, glittering like diamonds as they flew around him. His hair flew around him like he was some kind of sea god emerging from the deep. My stomach twisted as Luke pulled his sopping-wet shirt off. He wrung it out over the edge of the dock, water dripping free. I ran my eyes over his muscular chest, still glistening with those same diamond droplets. He looked amazing with the sun setting behind him and the solar lights overhead. A few minutes ago I was hell-bent on leaving him and all of this behind. How could a man turn my emotions into a roller coaster? Luke turned his head toward me. Squeaking, I pushed away from the pillar and ran inside, my cheeks burning again.