"Nicer, yeah," he said, smiling. "Having water around helps," he said, glancing out at the ocean. He stepped closer to his captain, putting an arm halfway around her waist. "Having you around helps, Captain."
That was probably too forward. Too much touching too early. His cheeks flushed and he laughed awkwardly, taking a step back. "Sorry. I'm not really good at this." He wasn't a smooth talker.