Have Your Way With Me

by Parker, Weston

  “No, not yet.” Thankfully. If I never saw her again, I’d be happy. There was too much history there. “I told you I probably wouldn’t.”

  “Never say never.” He started paddling, turning his head to look at me over his shoulder. “You coming or what? I’m not spending all day out here doing all this girl talk with you.”

  I lowered my chest to my board and shot him a thumbs-up. “I’ll be right behind you.”

  For the next couple of minutes, I didn’t think about anything except for my body, my board, and the water. Surfing was exhilarating, a rush unparalleled by most other things that were legal for civilians to do. Or free, for that matter.

  Sure, the board and its maintenance weren’t free, but the public beaches were. As were the waves.

  To people like me who’d picked up a decent board that had happened to be the right length for me at a yard sale, it was a relatively cheap hobby. Plus, anything that got me into the water and made me feel like I was flying for a few seconds was worth it.

  I kept an eye out for Mauli, careful not to ride over his head, and all too soon, we were back in the shallow water. We moved out of the way from where the others would be coming in, stowed our boards on the beach, and then walked back into the ocean, sinking down to sit on the sand while still covered to our waists.

  As I was lowering myself down, I caught sight of a familiar figure walking along the beach nearby. I might not have seen her for ten years, but I’d know that fucking girl anywhere.

  Elyse Dennis, as I live and breathe. She really was here.

  Of course, I’d known Kole wouldn’t lie about her moving to Hawaii, but I hadn’t actually been expecting her to be here. Especially not to appear like a fucking angel on the beach in the early morning light.

  She was as beautiful as ever, her shiny black hair still cut short but longer in the front. The tips of her hair swung to her chin, progressively getting shorter as it reached the nape of her neck.

  I used to love to push those longer tendrils back behind her ears just before I kissed her. Even the memory of it, of drinking from her sweet, pink lips, was enough to let me know my dick remembered her too.

  Those same lips would part to whisper the sexiest things in our stolen moments, usually deep within the dark of night. They formed a near perfect “O” when she came and yet could smile the sweetest, most gorgeous fucking smiles just a few seconds later.

  Even though she was too far away for me to see them, I could picture her eyes in such vivid detail that my mind could fill in for what my eyes couldn’t actually see. The blue of hers was warmer than Kole’s ice blue, but just as light. They had a darker rim around the edges that could seem almost violet sometimes.

  They were always full of life and laughter, mischief and a longing for adventure. No, they always used to be. You don’t know if that part is still true.

  I sighed softly, knowing that I was a complete and total asshole for even wondering if her vibrant eyes were the same as I remembered them being. Then again, with only a soft white cover-up flowing around her body, her eyes weren’t the only thing I was wondering about.

  Elyse’s curves still sneaked into my dreams sometimes. I couldn’t even blame myself. There had been long months when I’d been surround by nothing but cock, and when they got too long, I figured it was human nature that I’d been too weak to keep her out of my dreams.

  The girl was perfection. Even though I was six-foot-three, her head slotted in right underneath my chin like our heights had been measured at some point to make sure we’d line up perfectly.

  She had enough hip to really hang onto without getting cut up by bone, and her breasts, while she thought they were too large for her frame, were the ideal size for me to cover with my hands. But if I didn’t stop reminiscing, I was going to have a problem getting out of this water.

  I was surprised Mauli hadn’t called me out on checking Elyse out yet, even if he didn’t know who she was. But when my eyes darted to his, they were fixed on the figures behind the breakers and watching them making their way to the sand.

  Luckily, he wasn’t the only one who hadn’t noticed my staring. Elyse was still walking along the beach and hadn’t turned my way. A soft smile was spread on her lips, almost dreamy.

  I knew that whatever that smile was about, it wasn’t me, so I tore my gaze away from her for good and turned my back on the beach to watch the other surfers with Mauli.

  No good can come from that, Jordan. I’d do well to remember my old mantra, no matter how much my body was fighting for me to go to her. It had always been like that with Elyse, like she had one magnet in her chest and I had its mate in mine.

  But no good could come from it, so I rubbed the ache in chest and did my damnedest to let it go.

  Chapter 6

  Elyse

  Soft sand beneath my feet, I walked along the beach near Sunshine Cottage. It was early, and people were only just starting to arrive for a day in the glorious sunshine.

  Hawaii really was beautiful, but at this time of the morning, it was breathtaking. There was a serenity in the air that hadn’t been present back in San Francisco.

  Staring off into the distance over the azure blue ocean and the ball of orange flames slowly rising beyond the horizon, I saw people on surfboards and others on bodyboards. I couldn’t make out their features, but I admired the way they leaped to their feet once they caught their waves.

  Maybe I should learn how to surf. Despite my promise to Kole that I would make friends, this was day three on the island and I’d yet to meet a single person. Well, except for the woman at the grocery store near my house. She was polite and friendly, but she was probably at least triple my age and hadn’t seemed very interested in making friends.

  Surfing could be the answer I had been looking for. Surely, there had to be some sort of camaraderie between those people out there behind the breakers.

  My phone buzzed in the small denim satchel hanging near my hip. I pulled it out and smiled when I saw the call was from Lisa.

  “Hey, you. How are you?”

  “I’m good,” she said. “Missing you, but I’m surviving.”

  “Of course, you’re surviving. For the record, I’m missing you too.” I sat down on the sand, running the fingers of my free hand through it while I talked. “Have the movers picked up Mom’s stuff yet?”

  “Yes.” She sighed, pausing for a second. “The apartment is so empty now without you, without that stuff. How are you holding up?”

  “I’m good.” I couldn’t not be good with the view I had, looking out over the most gorgeous sunrise with the sparkling waters of the Pacific Ocean right in front of me. “A little homesick, but I guess this is my home now, so I’m going to have to get used to it.”

  “How’s Kole? Is he happy you’re there?”

  “Yeah. It only sucks that he’s got so many responsibilities. I haven’t seen much of him.” Which kind of defeated the purpose of my moving out there to be closer to him, but I guessed it was going to take both of us some time to adjust to make time for each other in our lives.

  Of course, I had nothing but time until I started working. Kole didn’t, though. I understood that.

  “Are you still happy that you moved all the way there to be with him when he’s not even around?” Lisa asked. I could practically hear her frowning.

  Smiling at how in sync she was with my thoughts, I nodded even though she couldn’t see me. “I’m happy. I’m enjoying Hawaii so far. It’s beautiful and you’ve never seen so many happy people in one place in your life.”

  She laughed. “You would love that.”

  “I really do.” Hearing her voice, my heart twisted with another pang of homesickness. “I wish you were here.”

  “I wish you were still here, too.” Both of us went silent before she asked, “When do you start your job? At least that’s something to look forward to.”

  “Definitely.” A smile lifted the corners of my lips. I’d taken my new Jeep, which was
actually quite an old, beat-up one that Kole had bought off someone at the base, for a drive past the daycare yesterday. Seeing the kids playing outside had sent an electric surge of excitement through me. “I start on Monday. It should be fun. I can’t really wait. I’d have liked to have started already, but Kole thought it would be nice to have a week to settle in.”

  “I suppose you do have to get your bearings,” Elise said. “Find your nearest grocery store, hairdresser, all those things.”

  “You know I’ve had the same hairstyle and color since before I even met you. What would I need a hairdresser for?”

  “Just in case you want to embrace island living and put a blue streak in it or something.” She chuckled. “I think you’d look good with a blue streak, or maybe even purple.”

  “That’s not a bad idea actually.” I lifted my hand to my hair and tucked a lock of it behind my ear. “I’ll think about it and let you know if I decide to do it.”

  “Only if you promise to send me lots of pictures. I don’t only mean of your hair. I want to see it all. Your new house, the beach. Everything. I need a vacation, and since I’m not going to be seeing Hawaii myself anytime soon, I’m planning on living vicariously through you.”

  I laughed, pulling my phone away from my ear to take a quick snap and sending it to her. “There you go. That’s my view right now. You caught me while I was on a walk.”

  There was a muffled sound, then a longing sigh before she was back. “Wow. What a place to wake up to. I can see why you’d abandon me for it.”

  “I’m glad you understand,” I joked. “If it makes you feel any better, I’d much rather have had you here with me.”

  “Amen to that. You never know, though. Maybe I will be someday. How’s their environmental design sector?”

  I knew she was only teasing, but I answered seriously anyway. “I don’t know, but I’ll find out for you. I’m sure I could find a firm here that would kick Whatsitsname’s ass.”

  “That would be great, but I’m not sure my parents would be happy with me moving so far away anyway.”

  “True. Your family’s pretty tight.”

  “We are,” she said. “But it might happen that I make my way there sometime. In the meantime, have a dip in the ocean for me. It looks glorious.”

  “Doesn’t it?” I agreed. “I will. Maybe not right now, but I will. I also promise I’ll be better about sending pictures.”

  “Great.” Another sigh. “I’m sorry, Ellie. I have to go. I just wanted to touch base with you. I’m glad you’re enjoying it and I hope your brother makes time to see you soon.”

  “Love you, Lisa. I’ll talk to you soon.”

  “You too.” She blew a kiss into the phone and then said her goodbyes before hanging up.

  I put my phone back into my little satchel and drew my knees up to my chest, looping my arms around them. People-watching had always been a bit of a guilty pleasure of mine, but watching people here was awesome.

  It made me feel lonely, sure, but it was nice to see so many people so happy and having fun. It gave the whole place this genuinely joyful vibe.

  After watching all the families on the beach spending time together for a few more minutes, I decided to call my brother. Maybe he would be free for lunch. I didn’t want to bother him, but I figured even Lieutenant Commanders in the all-mighty Navy needed to eat.

  “Hey,” I said when he answered. “I know you’re probably busy so I won’t waste your time. I just wanted to know if you were free for lunch or dinner later?”

  “Sure, I can do dinner. Can I let you know when I’m done and I’ll come pick you up?” He sounded distracted, but his tone was warm.

  “That sounds good. I’ll see you tonight, then.”

  “See you tonight.” He hung up, leaving me alone with my thoughts once more.

  Once I left the beach, I spent the rest of the day spring cleaning the cottage and doing some more exploring of my new neighborhood. I met the florist, a dentist, and a guy who worked at a record store before Kole called to let me know he was on his way to my house.

  He grinned when he saw me, dropping out of his truck. “Hey. I’m glad you called me this morning. I was actually planning on calling you later today.”

  “You were?” I lifted my eyebrow at him, disbelieving but not really caring. He was here. That was all that mattered.

  He shrugged, then winked at me. “Okay, busted. I really am glad you called though. I thought I might drop by over the weekend, but I’m happy we didn’t have to wait that long. You ready to go?”

  “I am. I travel light, as you know. Unless there’s some kind of dress code wherever we’re going?” I gestured to the white cover-up I’d been wearing since the morning. “Is this okay?”

  He looked me up and down, his brows drawing closer together with disapproval. “I mean, it’s a little revealing, but I suppose it’s fine. We’re going to a place that does barbecue on the beach anyway.”

  “Great, let’s go then.” I rounded his truck and climbed in, grinning as Kole joined me in the cab and got us onto the road. “I’ve never had a barbecue on the beach. Is it as great as it sounds?”

  “Usually.” He frowned and turned his head in the general direction of the beach. “Unless the wind picks up. Then we’ll have to go somewhere else.”

  “I’m sure we’ll be fine,” I replied. “How was your day?”

  “Busy.” He flipped his indicator, slowing down to make a right. “Yours? How are you enjoying being here so far?”

  “I’m loving it,” I said honestly. “The place is great. I hope I’m not taking you away from work by asking you to dinner tonight, though?”

  “No, no.” He waved me off. “It’s really fine. There’s nothing to be done that can’t wait until tomorrow, luckily. I’m glad we’re going to be having dinner together. I know you must have been lonely these last few days. I’m sorry about that.”

  “A little,” I admitted, “but I’m okay. I’ll make friends soon, and I’m sure that once I start work, I’ll meet some people there, too.”

  “Yeah, but I feel bad that I can’t be there for you as much as I want to be.” He dragged a hand through his black hair and tossed me a glance in the rearview mirror. “I’ll call Jordan. Maybe he can show you around.”

  My stomach flipped. “Jordan Coppens, Jordan?”

  “Yeah,” he said, already reaching for a button on his steering wheel to call his friend. “Would you mind if he showed you around and I didn’t?”

  My mouth went so dry, I had to clear my throat before I could talk. “No, I wouldn’t mind at all. That will be fine.”

  “Great.” He pushed the button and the sound of the phone ringing flowed through the speakers in the cab.

  A smooth, deep voice that made my heart skip several beats answered a few rings later. “What’s up, Kole?”

  “Hey,” my brother said. “Remember how I told you my sister was moving here?”

  “Yeah.” He sounded hesitant, but then again, I didn’t know the guy anymore. Maybe it wasn’t hesitation but disinterest.

  “Do you think you’ll be able to show her around the island a little tomorrow? I have to be on the base and she’s been alone all week as it is. Please, man?”

  There was a definite pause, followed by an almost imperceptibly quiet sigh. “Yeah, sure. I’ll show her around. Why not?”

  Okay, so he wasn’t exactly jumping for joy. But that didn’t matter.

  I’d thought about him a lot this week, knowing that I was bound to see him again sooner or later. The more I’d thought about him, the more I’d wondered what he’d become like, whether he was like the boy I remembered or if he’d changed so much that I would hardly recognize him.

  Whichever one of the two it ended up being, I was actually a little excited to find out. It would be good to see him again—even if I would have to watch myself around him.

  Jordan had always had a way of getting under my skin, and I couldn’t allow it to happen again. />
  Chapter 7

  Jordan

  Kole and Elyse were meeting me at the same diner where Kole and I had had breakfast the other day. It was the same as it always was, filled with laughing tourists and relaxed locals. I, however, couldn’t quite get myself to relax.

  They were due to arrive at any minute, and my heart thundered while I waited. A thousand scenarios played out in my mind about how my reunion with Elyse could go, all of them seeming equally likely.

  She could be the same as she always had been or she could have changed entirely, matured into an entirely different person. We could still have that same sizzling chemistry that we used to have, or there could be nothing.

  I was hoping for the latter in both instances, that she’d have morphed into a stranger who I wasn’t attracted to at all. There was also a distinct possibility that she could be pissed off at me, holding a grudge over how I’d never contacted her again after Kole and I had left for the service.

  Elyse and I hadn’t made any promises to one another back then. She’d known that I planned on enlisting all along and hadn’t expected anything long distance, or so she had said.

  I supposed that taking a sixteen-year-old girl at her word that she didn’t expect me to call her, contact her at all, might not have been the wisest move. I could have at least sent her a message to let her know that we were okay from time to time.

  Maybe it would make things easier now if she was pissed off at me because of it, especially if she even slightly remained the same person she used to be. Because then, I could get into real trouble, falling for her all over again when she was still as off-limits as she always had been.

  At least back then, I’d known we couldn’t have anything serious. We’d both known that what we had couldn’t last. But now?

  “Hey, Jordan,” Kole’s voice interrupted my thoughts. “Thanks for agreeing to this, man. You remember Elyse, right? My little sister. She was the annoying one who used to insist on us giving her a turn on the gaming console even when we were in the middle of a quest.”