Freeing Asia

by Abel, E. M.

  “Nice bikini,” he murmured as he looked down at my breasts.

  My top was a little small for my C-cups, which is why I had packed the rash guard. I’d learned the hard way that bikini tops didn’t provide much support after being pummeled by a wave.

  “Thanks. Nice legs,” I teased, checking him out.

  He laughed and shook his head as he walked to the back of his white Chevy Avalanche. My dad would have liked his truck. Jay loaded my board next to his and then came to open my door for me. Just like his Mercedes, his truck was clean and smelled new.

  Jay drove us to my usual surf spot. I was surprised he surfed in this area, too, because I had never seen him here before. I was sure I would have remembered if I had.

  Once we found an empty spot among all the other umbrellas and beach towels, I set down my board and pulled out my wax. Jay took the towel he had draped over his shoulder and laid it out on the sand. Reaching over his head, he pulled off his shirt like he had the night before, and I watched him closely again. His shorts were hanging low on his hips, and the absence of his boxers revealed more of his V-shaped muscles.

  My eyes stopped there as I bit my bottom lip. I could feel myself reacting as I admired his body. When I looked up, Jay’s eyes were on mine. The reflection from the sun on the sand made them look lighter. He gave me a big smile, showing his dimples, and then he licked his lips as he winked at me. I smiled back, blushing, and then I quickly finished waxing my board.

  The waves were pretty strong today. Jay and I sat out in the water on our boards as the swells moved under us. Five or six other surfers were also out in the water, and as usual, I was the only girl. I knew a couple of them, and they waved when they saw me.

  Sitting on my board, I closed my eyes, listening to the sounds of the ocean mixing together with kids laughing on the shore as they ran from the waves crashing at their feet. This was my version of heaven. The ocean was its own living, breathing organism, and the movement of the water was like its heartbeat. It was like sitting on a beast, trying to tame it. Become one with it.

  “This one looks good,” Jay said, looking back at the approaching big swell.

  I gave him a challenging smirk as we both got on our stomachs and started paddling. Just as I felt the water start to retreat under me, I hopped up on my feet and rode the wave into shore. I smiled from ear to ear, enjoying the ride and spike of adrenaline. Looking back, I noticed Jay wasn’t far behind. He was a natural. This was just another thing for me to love about him.

  Once my board reached the shallow water, I jumped off, laughing as the next wave came and rolled me back. When I pulled my head up, Jay was standing over me, holding out his hand. Gripping his hand, I pulled myself up. I used my ankle strap like a lasso to get my board, and then we made our way back out to do it again.

  After catching a few more waves, Jay spotted someone on the beach, and he told me he would be right back. I watched as he walked off with his board. He waved to a guy sitting on the beach with his family.

  I decided I would catch one more wave before taking a break. Sitting out in the water, I saw Jay on the beach. He’d moved his towel next to his friend, and they seemed to be in deep conversation. I felt a small twinge of disappointment in my gut when I realized he hadn’t invited me to go with him. Looking up, he lifted his arm to wave at me, and I waved back.

  After riding one more wave to the shoreline, I stood up and noticed the current had moved me a few yards down from where we’d started. I undid the Velcro on my ankle strap, and then I tucked my board under my arm as I walked up the wet sand. Just like always, my arms were tired from paddling. As I was staring down at my feet while they were sinking into the sand, I heard a familiar voice. I looked up to see Shaun standing in front of a group of girls.

  Although his back was to me, I could spot Shaun out of any crowd. His tattoo made it easy. He had a Celtic cross that covered the entire length of his back and shoulders. When he turned eighteen, he had gotten it in honor of our mother. As I scanned the girls giggling at something Shaun was saying, I saw Marcus sitting on a towel with a girl on each side of him. He was laughing, and just as my eyes found his face, he looked up at me.

  He stopped laughing and grinned as his eyes scanned over my body. He watched as I approached the dry sand. One of the girls next to him noticed his focus was elsewhere, so she followed his gaze until her eyes were also on me. She studied me for a few seconds before turning back to Marcus to see if he was still staring. Her face fell when he stood up and started walking toward me. Shaun turned around to see where Marcus was going, and suddenly, the entire group was staring at me.

  As I got closer, I heard Shaun say, “Don’t worry, ladies. We’ll be back.” He jogged to catch up with Marcus.

  Marcus’s eyes never left mine as we approached each other, and like they always did, his eyes held mine captive. He was wearing black boardshorts and nothing else. I scanned the tattoos covering his body. On his entire left arm, black-and-gray tattoos reached all the way up to his shoulder, a dragon tattoo covered the right side of his ribs, and a few more were displayed on his right bicep. His brown hair was wet, creating a sexy mess on top of his head. His hazel-green eyes appeared almost clear in the bright sun, and every tight and toned muscle made his body look amazing.

  Think about Jay. Think about Jay. Think about Jay.

  “Hey, Asia,” Marcus greeted me, giving me his we-share-a-secret smile.

  I got the impression he wanted to say more by the look in his eyes, but he stopped himself.

  When Shaun reached Marcus, he looked flabbergasted. “What the fuck, man? I had all those chicks eating out of my hand. And you left me hangin’ for my sister?”

  “Nice to see you, too, Shaun,” I said sarcastically as I rolled my eyes.

  Shaun turned to me, looking me up and down. “What are you doing here? Are you by yourself?”

  “No, I’m here with Jay.” With my free hand, I pointed down the beach.

  Looking at Marcus, Shaun rubbed his palms together as his lips lifted into an evil smile. “Guess we finally get to meet Asia’s new boyfriend.”

  Marcus smiled, his eyes never leaving mine. “What’s wrong, Asia? Worried we might scare him away?” he asked when he noticed my eyes had widened.

  The last thing I wanted was for Shaun and Marcus to interrogate Jay. I was also worried they would expose the side of me that I was carefully hiding from Jay. I narrowed my eyes at Marcus.

  “No. Why don’t you guys just go back to your groupies?”

  Marcus looked behind him at the group of girls still watching us. “They can wait,” he muttered, glancing back at Shaun.

  When I turned to see if I could spot Jay, I saw him walking toward us with his board under his arm. Damn it.

  “Don’t be assholes,” I warned, eyeing them both.

  They were staring in Jay’s direction as he approached.

  “There you are.” Jay grinned at me before turning his attention to Marcus and Shaun.

  “Jay, this is my brother, Shaun, and his friend, Marcus,” I grumbled, waving my hand toward them. I gave Shaun one more threatening look.

  Here I was, surrounded by three tattooed, muscular men who were half-naked. No wonder girls don’t like me.

  “Hey, what’s up?” Jay said, raising his chin toward them as they sized him up.

  I swallowed, feeling my nerves spike, as neither of them said anything back.

  “Thanks for watching out for Asia the other night,” Jay continued, looking at Marcus. “She seems to have bad luck in my club.”

  When he peered down at me, I smiled back, trying to hide my apprehension.

  “You don’t have to thank me. I’d be more than happy to do it again if I had to,” Marcus replied, finally breaking his silence as he looked Jay straight in the eye. His statement sounded more like a warning.

  “Anyway,” I drawled, rolling my eyes at Marcus. “Don’t you guys have somewhere to be?” I aimed my glare at Shaun who was still eyein
g Jay.

  “Trying to get rid of us?” Shaun asked, his eyes never leaving Jay.

  I clenched my jaw, narrowing my eyes at my brother. “Yes.”

  Marcus chuckled, disrupting the tension. “C’mon, man. We can harass Asia another time. Besides, it looks like our friends are growing impatient.” He tilted his head behind them.

  Shaun glanced at the group of girls before turning back to Jay. With his green eyes piercing into Jay, Shaun said, “I know who you are, and for some reason, my sister seems to think she can trust you. If you do anything to break that trust…you’ll regret it.”

  I sighed and watched Jay. I was scared to see his reaction.

  He looked down at his feet and then back up to meet Shaun’s glare. “You’re right. I would,” he admitted as his eyes met mine again.

  I could see Marcus straighten his back when he saw the unspoken exchange between Jay and me.

  “We’ll see you later, Asia,” Marcus said as he pulled on Shaun’s elbow.

  “Bye.” I broke my gaze away from Jay and took a deep breath as I watched Shaun and Marcus walk back to the group of girls in bikinis.

  “Sorry about that,” I said, turning back to Jay.

  Jay shrugged his shoulders. “It’s okay. I can’t blame them for wanting to protect you. I’d do the same.”

  That evening, Jay and I ate dinner in his apartment. His home was breathtaking, but I had a hard time feeling comfortable when I was there. I was always worried I would break something.

  “I would love for you to stay the night.” Jay placed his hand on mine.

  We were sitting at the end of his long glass dining room table, eating steaks that Jay’s chef had prepared for us. I’d never pictured Jay having a chef, but I was guessing that sort of thing came with the territory.

  “But I have a really early meeting, and I should probably head to bed pretty soon.”

  I felt a sting of rejection as I stared down at his hand on mine. Trying to control my reaction, I looked back at him, smiling. “It’s okay. I should probably get some rest, too.”

  Jay leaned over and gave me a peck on the lips before taking both of our plates into his kitchen. As I sat alone at his expensive table, I imagined what things would be like if Jay and I were to get married—chefs making our dinners, unlimited shopping sprees, immaculate houses, and a wide array of cars all at our fingertips. Is this what I want?

  I knew I wanted Jay, but for the first time, I realized his money seemed more like an inconvenience than an added bonus. Maybe it wasn’t the money but the lifestyle that came with it. All of it created a distance between us that I didn’t like. His world required people to behave a certain way and live a certain lifestyle that I wasn’t convinced I could do.

  I knew he was out of my league, and I wasn’t sure how much longer I could keep pretending he wasn’t.

  “You okay?” Jay asked when he walked back to the table. He obviously noticed the look of concern on my face.

  I peered up at him and nodded as I put my hands in my lap.

  “I’m not sure I believe you.” He took his seat and began studying my eyes.

  “I’m just scared that we’re too different. I mean, we have a lot in common, and I love that—”

  “But?”

  “But what if that isn’t enough? I mean, look at this.” I glanced around his modern, sleek apartment. “I’m not sure I can be the woman you need me to be,” I murmured, glancing down at my scarred knuckle.

  He grinned, gazing down at his table, and then back at me. “So, I’m afraid I can’t be bad enough for you, and you’re worried you can’t be good enough for me.”

  I smiled back although it didn’t feel genuine. I was worried how this conversation would end.

  “Well, how do you feel about trying?” Jay asked as he reached in my lap, taking my hand. “Because, to be completely honest, Asia, I would be heartbroken if we didn’t. I know we haven’t been seeing each other long, but I’m falling for you.”

  He pulled my hand toward his mouth, and keeping his eyes on mine, he kissed it gently. I took in a sharp breath as my entire body grew stiff. It felt like I was in shock. Did he just say he’s falling for me?

  “Too much?” he asked, moving my hand away from his lips.

  I shook my head, trying to find my voice. “N-no, it’s not too much…I think…I think I’m falling for you, too.” Fuck it. I took a deep breath. “No. I know I am,” I admitted, holding my breath as I waited to see what happened next.

  As he heard my last words, Jay’s eyes quickly moved to mine, and a smile slowly curled onto his beautiful lips. Without another word, Jay stood, effortlessly picked me up from my chair, and carried me to his room.

  As always, sex with Jay had been great, but this time, something had felt slightly off. It’d seemed like every time things started to get rough or passionate, Jay had held back. He would separate from me and kiss me gently, whispering something sweet into my ear. I’d found myself wishing he would just let go and be himself with me. But how could I say anything when he’s not the only one holding back?

  On Monday, things slowed down a little at work. Most of the morning, Nick and I talked about our weekends as we drank coffee. As I was telling him about when Marcus had stopped by my apartment, I remembered I had agreed to eat lunch with him and Shaun.

  After the comment he’d made to Jay at the beach, I was actually looking forward to giving Shaun a piece of my mind. He was such a hypocrite. He’d had no right to judge Jay when he was out there, sleeping with God knows how many girls.

  Around noon, I got a call on my desk phone from one of the blondes in the lobby.

  “Um, Asia…someone is here to see you.”

  I grabbed my purse and waved to Nick as I headed out.

  Marcus was standing in the lobby with his arms crossed, looking at some of the ads framed on the wall. Both of the blondes were gawking at him. They were obviously as infatuated with his looks as the rest of the female population. When he saw me walking toward him, his face lit up and his full lips lifted at the tips as he looked me over.

  I was wearing more of my new clothes—a black sleeveless blouse tucked into a red knee-length skirt that hugged my legs and my black heels. He was in his usual attire— a black Hurley T-shirt, a pair of khaki cargo shorts, and black Marcus Avery Nike shoes. He looked perfect. His brown hair was messy but incredibly sexy, like he had just woken up. I sighed when I noticed Shaun wasn’t with him.

  “Hey, sexy.” He pulled me into a bear hug.

  I saw one of the blonde girls shoot me an evil glare. I rolled my eyes and then narrowed them as I pushed him away. “Where’s Shaun?”

  “Oh, he couldn’t make it. He picked up some girl next door.” He wiggled his eyebrows up and down.

  “If he doesn’t slow down, his dick’s gonna fall off.”

  Marcus smiled as he held out his arm toward the door. “After you.”

  As we walked out the front, out of the corner of my eye, I could see the two blondes eyeing each other. I bet they had plenty to talk about now.

  Marcus and I went to the deli down the street and grabbed some sandwiches before sitting at a small table in the corner.

  “So, what are you doing out here?” I inquired as I unwrapped my turkey sandwich.

  “I’m still looking for a spot for my new shop.” Marcus took a sip of his orange soda.

  I couldn’t help but watch his full lips wrap around his straw.

  “Why do you want to open a shop out here?” I asked, quickly looking down at my sandwich before I got caught staring.

  “Well, the one out in L.A., is doing pretty well, and I wanted to open another one. So, why not open it here? I’ve got some good people working for me out there, and I thought this would be a good time to move back. L.A., isn’t good for me. There’s too much trouble to get into.”

  A smile curled on his lips, and I could feel my body betraying me again. His hazel-green eyes looked so light next to his tan skin and dark brown
hair. Settle down, girl. Settle down.

  “If I remember correctly, you seem to find trouble everywhere you go,” I remarked before I bit into my sandwich.

  “Yeah, you’re probably right, but at least things move a little slower out here. Besides, I enjoy the scenery.” Marcus gave me a sexy smile before he took a big bite from his roast beef sandwich.

  God, I want to hate him. I really do. I mean, who wouldn’t hate him after what he did to me? For some reason though, I couldn’t. He obviously had no clue how badly he had hurt me, and I didn’t want him to know. Although my mind was telling me to cuss him out, my heart just wasn’t in it, so instead, I sighed.

  I took a sip of my tea, and he looked at my hand as he was chewing.

  “Where’d you get that?” he mumbled around the last of his bite.

  I glanced down at the ring on my right hand. “Jay gave it to me.”

  “The ring or the scar?” he asked, raising his eyebrow.

  I smiled and rolled my eyes. “The ring.”

  “Oh. Well, I was asking about the scar. The ring is nice though. It’s not really your style…but it’s nice.” He peered up at me with that secret smile on his lips again.

  I ignored his last comment. “I punched some jerk at Red a couple weeks ago.”

  “You, too, huh?” Marcus smiled at me. “Did you catch a tooth?”

  He took my hand to examine the scar. His hands were big and rough, and I unconsciously squeezed my thighs together when I felt them. Damn it.

  “Yeah.” I pulled my hand back. “That shit hurt. The dude was huge, and after I punched him, he smiled at me like it was foreplay or something. It creeped me out.” I knew I was rambling, so I quickly took another bite of my sandwich.

  Marcus laughed to himself. “I guess you haven’t changed much since I left.”

  I shrugged my shoulders as I examined my scar. “Yeah, I guess not.”