“You don’t like onions?” Kerry swiped the cut pieces into a bowl.
“Oh, love onions. All kinds of onions. Boiled, fried, battered, blossomed, sweet, green. Onions, they’re great.” He picked up a raw piece and crunched it between his teeth without so much as a twitch.
“We’re making progress.” Kerry felt her face heat at this strange man.
“Except I get the feeling you don’t want to show me how to surf. Does it have anything to do with the quitter part of your job description?” He crunched another piece.
“Stop touching the ingredients.” She yanked the bowl from the counter. As for the second part of the question, why had she announced herself as a quitter?
Because that’s what you are, and you know it. Other people get right back in the water. Other people aren’t fazed. Other people have the guts and heart to be a champ.
“I’m a hungry boy.” He reached for a slice of cucumber, and she slapped his hand before realizing what she’d done.
“Sorry.” She jerked her hand as if she’d touched a live wire, gasping at the strong tingle zapping straight to her heart.
He grabbed her hand, holding it tight. “Listen, you don’t owe me a tater tot or a tit. You chased me off the property, big deal. If you want me here, I’ll stay. If you don’t, I’ll go.”
His hand was big, firm, and warm, a real man’s hand, and his rugged face was stern, bordering on brooding. He needed this place more than she did. When Siena had called her back and told her about Finn’s deployment in Afghanistan, she’d let a bolt of guilt run through her for driving him away.
Kerry made a half-hearted attempt to tug her hand from his, but the warmth and security of his grip felt comforting and safe, not to mention exciting, despite his undertaker demeanor.
She let her hand relax under his. “I can find another place to stay. It’s easier for me. I have a car, and I’m sure you need this vacation more than I do. It’s well deserved R&R from combat duty.”
“Do you want me here?”
“Yes, sure. I mean, you stay. I’ll go. Sorry about the miscommunication. Keep all the food. I’ll just shove my stuff back into the car and be out of your way.”
“You’d rather run away than go to the beach with me?” His large brown eyes held a trace of vulnerability, and the way his lips moved weakened every joint below her hips. Oh my, he was hot. Especially so strong, silent, and wounded.
She softened her expression. Was she really that bad of a man-eater that she’d made an Army Ranger quail? Heck, a guy like him was fearless, and with that bod and those tats and muscles, he could be an exotic dancer.
Except he has more character than a male dancer. He got those muscles out on the battlefield, not pumping iron at a gym between visits to the juice bar and steam room.
Kerry really needed to stop talking to herself. Finn hadn’t let go of her hand, and he hadn’t broken the silence. His eyes hadn’t left hers, and she got the sense he was lonely, bone-deep lonely.
So was she.
Before she could check herself, she closed her eyes and zeroed in on his lips. Her kiss whispered across his mouth, and he did not back away, neither did he press for more.
She opened her eyes and caught a shadow of a smile, before his face hardened and he grunted a simple, “Thanks.”
# # #
If it was possible to fall in love at first sight, Finn was halfway there. Except, love was not real. It was an illusion, especially for a guy like him. Alone in the world and ready to die.
From the moment he saw the vision in the window—a naked angel, if such a being were possible, he was buffeted by visions from somebody else’s life: holding hands, kissing in the rain, jogging and playing in the surf. This woman was not his to cherish. She was a stranger, and she had her own problems.
He held his breath at the surprise kiss, wondering if she’d come back for a second one. Her scent was of the sea, coconut and salt spray, and when she opened her eyes, he was drawn in as if a goddess had bestowed a blessing on him.
“Thanks,” he said—so stupid and inadequate. Heck, it wasn’t as if they were getting married or anything. She hadn’t even answered his question, and dammit, he should kick himself—sounding so damn needy.
Finn cleared his throat and rubbed his unshaven face. “I didn’t mean to guilt you.”
“You didn’t,” Kerry said. “Are we okay? I mean, I don’t usually, um, kiss men I just met.”
“Yeah, we’re okay. I never turn down a pretty girl.”
She had his juices pumping, and he hadn’t totally forgotten how to flirt. By the way she was blushing, he’d say he hit the mark.
“I’m neither a girl, nor pretty.” She let go of his hand and headed to the stove.
Okay, maybe not. Let’s try that again.
“You’re not a girl. I can see that, but from where I’m sitting, you are a vision of beauty.”
She cracked the eggs and beat them. “That’s because you haven’t seen a woman in months.”
“Not true. We have plenty of pinups and magazines we pass around.”
“Sure, all doe-eyed with cute ski-jump noses and skinny as a greyhound on a racetrack.”
“Guess we have to make do. Me? I like more meat.” He crossed his arms, knowing he was getting himself into deeper doo doo.
“Too bad. I’m a vegetarian.” She flipped her hair over her shoulders. “If you’re looking for steaks and seafood, you won’t find any here.”
He glanced at a picture on the refrigerator with Dex and Siena posing inside the jaws of a great white. “I take it shark’s not on the menu?”
Kerry froze. She took a deep breath, her nostrils flaring, and propped herself straight-armed on the counter beside the stove. Her head bent between hunched shoulders, she appeared to be calming herself, eyes squeezed shut.
He was about to apologize when she turned and shook the spatula at him. “Did they call you Shark or Huck back in school?”
“Shark Finn or Fuck Finn, your choice.”
Chapter Five
While Finn shoved his Army bag into the master bedroom, Kerry played with the Shark Tracker app on her tablet. Three female great whites hung around the Eastern seaboard. They were able to travel up to seventy-five miles in a single day, which meant the one that was currently off the coast of New Jersey could be at Long Island within a week. Two of them were tagged at Cape Cod, and a third one was tagged locally in Montauk.
Kerry trembled as she read the obituary of the latest shark victim, a young surfer off the coast of Australia. Every day, there was news of another attack.
“What’cha looking at?” Finn appeared over her shoulder, startling her.
Kerry quickly covered her tablet. “Just checking surf conditions. The swells aren’t that high, but it’ll be perfect for beginners.”
“That would be me. I’m a landlubber. Army, you know. Climb mountains, trek desserts, hack through jungles.”
“Why do you want to learn how to surf?” Kerry rummaged through her beach bag for a tube of sunscreen. Maybe she could talk him into something safer. “We could go horseback riding or shoot clay pigeons.”
“Done all that.” He drew out a chair and dropped his gorgeous body next to her. “Buddy of mine, it was his dream to learn how to surf.”
She didn’t have to ask. He’d used the past tense. Buddy was gone, which explained the sadness around his eyes. How could she burden him with her ridiculous fear? After all, a person was more likely to be struck by lightning than eaten by a shark.
“Was that his surfboard? The one you left behind?” Somehow, she wanted to draw him out, have him unload on her. He’d be gone in less than two weeks back to the war zone, and it was important for him to deal with his grief and possibly guilt.
“Yeah, he grew up in the South Bronx. It was a hand-me-down. He went straight to the Army after high school.”
“Must have been a good friend. What’s his name?”
“Lonnie Dominguez, or LD. We us
ed to call him ‘Laid’ because that was his favorite position.” Finn lowered his eyes to the tabletop. “Look, I know what you’re trying to do, but I’m not bowed over with guilt or PTSD. I’m just honoring his memory.”
“Sure, got it.” Kerry swallowed the tightness in her throat. “Why’d you leave the board this morning?”
“A buddy dropped me off late last night on his way to the Cape, but it was too heavy to lug all the way back to the Long Island Rail Station, even for a big guy like me.” He rubbed his jaw, and she noticed he’d shaved, which was too bad, since she loved the grizzled look and feel. “You sure, it’s okay?” he continued. “I’m imposing on you. We agreed to share the cottage, but you really don’t owe me anything.”
“I want to. Let’s put on our wetsuits and get out there.”
“I don’t have a wetsuit. It’s not that cold, is it?”
“Forty-six degrees, wave height three feet.”
“No wonder I froze this morning.” He fixed her with a wry expression.
“Mornings are best. I can’t believe you went out there without knowing what to do.”
“Hey, I didn’t know you were around. What luck to be rooming with a pro.”
“You’ve got the right person.” Kerry squeezed his shoulder, wanting to pull him into her arms and comfort him. But she’d already gone out on a limb with the kiss, which was really not a come-on type of kiss, but one of acceptance and acknowledgement.
I know where you’re coming from. Because if you had anyone else to vacation with, you wouldn’t be here alone. The same way I’m alone.
# # #
“I don’t need you to hold onto the board.” Finn tried to balance himself on the surfboard. It was a lot harder than it looked, even lying down on it.
“I don’t want you to stand up yet.” Kerry said. She’d left her board on the beach and stood in shoulder deep water right outside of the break zone. “You need to get the feel for paddling and the wave lifting you, which is going to be difficult since you’re what, over two hundred pounds?”
“Two ten.”
“A little harder, but still doable. When the wave is cresting, and you feel that slight lift, paddle real hard. I’ll give you a push, but don’t pop up.”
“Pop up?”
“Go from lying down to standing. Not yet.” She wore an amused smirk on her face.
Heck, he wasn’t going to take a wave lying down. No way. It was embarrassing enough to be standing over tiny three footers and needing a push.
The swell came from behind, and right when it was about to curl, Kerry pushed and yelled, “Paddle.”
The wave barely lifted him and left him high and dry. He could feel the derision of the elderly couple strolling hand in hand on the beach as they peered out from under their visors.
“I’ll need bigger waves,” he said. “Not fair.”
“You can’t even handle these babies,” Kerry jeered, way too amused. “I got you on a longboard, so no complaining. You have to paddle harder. Let’s try it again.”
“Yeah, no excuses.” Finn was a Ranger, and he didn’t cotton to excuses. They’d left his buddy’s dinged up board behind in favor of one of the longboards, one with a beautiful wood grained top. It probably belonged to Dex who was a little over six-feet tall, but not nearly as heavy.
They watched swells, and this time, when Kerry yelled at him to paddle, he put his entire heart into it, surging down the face of the wave. How hard could it be to stand? He gripped the rails of the board to crouch …
Bam! He nosedived off the board, spinning and crashing into the rocky sand while water dumped over his face.
“Ha, ha, ha.” Kerry’s melodious laughter greeted him as he swiped water from his face. “I told you not to stand. That’s for tomorrow. Paddle out again, soldier.”
“Yes, ma’am.” He couldn’t help slapping a burst of seawater at her. It splashed off her face. In return, she cupped her hands and shot a stream at him.
A wave caught Kerry in the back and sent her pitching into the sand. This time, it was Finn’s turn to laugh.
“I thought you were a pro. Didn’t your mama ever tell you not to turn your back on the sea?” He grabbed her hand and pulled her to her feet.
“I did that on purpose so you could pull me up.” She spit water at him. Wearing a full-length wetsuit did nothing to hide her curves and feminine shape. If only the weather would warm up and he could have her surfing in a bikini. A guy could dream, especially since he was on leave.
He retrieved the surfboard. “How about you give it a try? Miss Pro Surfer.”
“Me? Easy peasy, weezy cheesy.” She flipped her wet hair back and leaped onto the board in one smooth glide.
Instead of paddling to the shallow beach break she wanted him to try, she paddled out further, diving beneath a breaker and emerging on the other side of a point of rocks. What was she? Nuts?
Finn swam toward her with his powerful strokes, but by the time he looked up, she was already standing, pointed straight at the rocks, walking back and forth on the board, like an angel walking on water. She turned around at the front, surfing backwards. Right before she jumped off near the rock point, she wiggled her butt and glanced over her shoulder at him and gave him the “hang-ten” hand signal, her fingers curled with only her thumb and pinkie extended.
Finn’s heart expanded into a gallop, as if she’d initiated him into a secret club with her. He waved the sign back at her. She caught the board and paddled horizontally back to his location.
“Your turn, soldier.” She pushed the board at him.
“Oh yeah, my turn, all right.”
Finn grabbed the board with one hand, and reeled Kerry in with the other hand. Dipping her back, he dragged his lips over hers, too rough. Damn. He should bite his own tongue. This was no way to treat a lady.
The surf swelled and buffeted them, and before he could take the next breath, her hands were around his neck and she was sucking on his lips with the same urgency as he devoured her mouth. Her lips opened and her tongue found his, greedily slipping into his mouth. He drank in the salty taste, the scent of the surf and sea, and the churn of the ocean wrapping her into him.
She was a strong kisser, and hot, so damn hot, despite the freezing water temperature. He’d had enough of paddling, unless it was on the bed. All he could think about was stripping off her wetsuit and letting her body surf on him—longboard Finn.
Chapter Six
Kerry’s heartbeat thumped and pumped, and still she didn’t relinquish the kiss. If Finn was playing chicken with her to see who’d break for air first, he’d be waiting a long time. She was an excellent diver and could hold her breath while swimming the entire length of a pool.
She clutched him tighter, aching to jump up and wrap her legs around his waist. From what she saw in the shower, he was sturdy and strong with delicious abs, and that well-shaped ‘V’ cut over his hips made him even more tasty.
Her mouth was being pummeled, and her tongue tangled around his, but she couldn’t get enough. This strange man was a bundle of contradictions and face it, she was overdue for a fling, especially since the last creature who’d bitten her was a shark.
Shark! Her breath caught, and she pushed off Finn’s chest. She’d plumb forgotten about sharks while razzing Finn about his surfing inadequacies.
“You okay?” He held her still, although his grip wasn’t as tight as before.
“Of course, I’m fine.” She glanced nervously over her shoulder toward the swells. No sign of a fin meant nothing. Great whites didn’t attack by cruising on the surface for everyone to see their dorsal fin. They spied from underwater and surged up to twenty-five miles per hour to attack from below.
“There’s no one out there.” Finn put his hand over his eyes to shield the sun. “Besides, I didn’t take you for the shy type.”
“I’m not.” She took a deep breath. Any large shark would have been spotted by the surf fishermen, and there were no warning signs on the b
each. She was being stupid.
Besides, the thrill of hanging ten had left her toes tingling, and seeing the awe on Finn’s face while she surfed brought back a surge of joy mixed with competitiveness.
“So, either I’m a horrible kisser.” He tilted her chin up. “Or you had to come up for air, in which case, I win.”
“Win? Oh no. Not unless we’re kissing underwater.” She ducked below the board and popped up on the other side from him.
“I can do that, too.” He squeezed his nose and ducked under the water, but before he could catch her, she’d flattened herself onto the board and started paddling out.
“Hey, wait.” Finn waded toward her. He grabbed the back of the board, and she shimmied up toward the front to keep it balanced.
“Let’s paddle out there, and do it together.” She spread her legs and dangled them off the board, looking back. “Scoot up as far as you can.”
Finn’s eyes widened, and the corners of his mouth stretched with the start of a smile as he pulled himself over her so his chin was right above her butt.
“Okay, let’s paddle.” She raised her legs and hooked her feet back and up over the top of his way too sexy ass. Images of wrapping her legs around him in other ways warmed her blood even in the cold water.
“Can I, like, rest on you?” Finn managed a tight-lipped smirk.
What would it take to get a real smile out of him? Kerry wiggled her hips. “Sure, soldier. Just as long as you paddle hard.”
“No one’s paddle is bigger than mine.” His powerful arms swept the water back at a fast churn.
Another innuendo said with a flat voice. Either he was oblivious to the sexual undertones, or he was playing with her and enticing her with his dry humor.
Kerry steered the board until they were further out. “When I see a good one, I’m going to turn. When I say paddle, do it fast, then I’m going to stand. You should stay down.”
“No way. You pop, I pop.”
There he went again, more sexual hints, and this time, his voice had a definite leer to it. Hoo boy, this soldier was going to be loads of fun.
The Remingtons_Leap, Laugh, Love Page 3
