Read Online Exhale by Kendall Grey - Free Book Online

the bumper, Zoe gripped the cantilever, poised and ready.
    The whale hung at the surface as if waiting for something to happen. Zoe angled the pole and pushed the digital tag onto his back. The suction cups slurped. She released the tag with a quick yank. “Got it.”
    “Woo hoo!” Adriene eased the Zodiac away from the whale. “That was awesome.”
    Zoe high-fived Dani, Elizabeth, and then Adriene.
    A round of applause from behind them reached Zoe’s ears. The other boat. Why were they still here? A loud whistle pierced the air. “Good show, ladies,” the same voice from before came through the radio.
    Whatever. Zoe turned to Adriene and lifted her chin at the other boat. “See if you can get rid of them, will you?”
    Adriene nodded.
    The male escort lingered about fifty meters away. Zoe sat on the bumper, leg dangling off the side, as he cut and glided through the water.
    What had the mother and calf seen that frightened them so? And why were they heading north, when they should have been going south to where the food was? The mother said ‘fire’ came from the north. Why would she risk her calf’s life by returning?
    The rising thrum of a motor interrupted her darting thoughts. She faced the approaching recreational boat.
    The adrenaline rush wore off. She was soaked to the bone. Teeth chattering like mad, Zoe stood up and squeezed out her hair. Elizabeth grabbed a towel from a dry bag and tossed it to her. After wrapping up, Zoe leaned over the starboard side to see what the guy wanted.
    Four men, all shirtless and tanned, looking like twenty-something Australian beach gods, greeted her. Probably a bunch of friends out for some alcohol-induced fun. Shouldn’t they be working or surfing or something? As they pulled up alongside, waves shook the tiny Zodiac, and they came to a stop.
    “You girls all right?” the driver, a blond with dreadlocks, called. They were all various states of gorgeous—
    Oh, shit.
    One of them was Gavin Cassidy. And the other guys were his band mates, if she remembered correctly. She and Adriene exchanged amused expressions.
    Australian gods, indeed.
    Gavin faced her, black sunglasses hiding his eyes. Heat flooded her cheeks, and she dipped her head so the shadows from her CRN cap would cover the blush.
    Adriene got her hoodie off lickety-split. Her too-small bikini top flashed bodacious cleavage their way. Smiling at them, she rested her elbows on the side. “We’re fine. All in a day’s work.”
    Zoe shook her head and concealed her grin, pretending to be busy with some ropes. Which was ridiculous since they were nowhere near a dock.
    The blondie driver licked his lips, admiring Adriene from top to bottom. And who wouldn’t? With beautiful ebony skin and warm brown eyes to match, Zoe’s best friend had a stacked body—big boobs, slim waist, and a perfectly round ass Zoe had always been jealous of. Long, black ponytailed hair peeked out from the back of her CRN cap, but Zoe guessed the guys didn’t notice that.
    Adriene removed her sunglasses and regarded the blond with a lopsided grin. Even with a broken leg in a cast, she oozed charm.
    The guy smiled at her like all guys did. “I’m Mike,” he said.
    “Adriene,” she called back.
    Gavin did a double take at his friend, then slammed down a couple gulps from the bottle in his hand. Zoe slid on a pair of sunglasses. She sensed his gaze locked on her. Jesus, it was hard not to stare back, especially when the ripped muscles lining his chest and abs begged for her attention.
    And his ink. The swirling tattoos dancing down his arms mesmerized her. True art. She wished she could see them up close. Along with that lip ring she wanted another taste of.
    Stop it.
    Mike rested a hand on the wheel and pushed his boat closer. “You girls gave us a bit of a scare.”
    “Yeah, well, we’re fine. You really shouldn’t get close while we’re tagging,” Adriene warned, her voice more professional now, despite the boobs pouring out