When she took a few steps forward, I walked back down to the rock I had been sitting on. I dropped down and patted beside me. She stared at my hand for a few seconds before joining me. We sat there for a moment in silence, taking in the sight.
“It’s beautiful here,” she murmured, barely loud enough to hear.
I shifted, bending my knee. “So why did you come if you hate parties?” My eyes scanned her features, taking note of her upturned button nose and stopping at her plump lips. The bottom one disappeared in her mouth as her teeth grazed across it. My attention snapped back to the ocean. Calm down, boy, I silently pleaded with my dick that had noticed that small gesture, too.
“Why did you?”
“Huh?” I had forgotten what it was I had been asked.
“Why did you come if you disappear away from everyone?” Her lips pressed together, obviously trying to hide her amusement.
How could a girl be so sexy without even trying to be? It was as if she didn’t even know what she was doing. Or maybe she did. Maybe she was cunning as fuck. I quickly disregarded that thought. No way. She was too innocent to be like that.
“Not sure, really. I think it’s more of Finn dragging me to these things.” I leaned back, resting on the palms of my hands. “Don’t get me wrong. I used to love this shit, but things changed. Maybe I outgrew it.”
“Maybe it has to do with the people here.”
I threw my head back and laughed. “Maybe. It doesn’t help that I run into girls I used to date, and for some reason, she thinks I’d still be into her.”
“Did you guys date long?” she asked.
“All through high school.”
“Things must’ve been pretty serious.”
I tilted my head, thinking back to those four years. The two of us had been attached at the hip. Of course, that probably had something to do with the fact that she’d been putting out. “I guess it was,” I finally answered. “What about you? Any exes you hate to run into?”
A rush of air escaped. She seemed to struggle with her words for a moment. “None that I care to mention.”
That sounded harsh. She must have had the same luck as me with picking idiots to be in a relationship with. My instinct told me it was fresh. I had seen the heartbroken features of girls many times before. She was damaged in a way that ate away at her.
I peered out across the horizon to give her a moment to gain her composure. I was sure the last thing she wanted me to do was ask questions. That was a subject I wanted to stay far away from because that would, in turn, make her curious about Victoria. I shook my head to dispel the thoughts.
Without warning, I jumped to my feet. “No need to dwell on the past. I say we do something crazy to take our minds off them. They aren’t worth it.” I glanced down at her, but she remained silent. “You in?”
“In for what?”
“To forget about them,” I prompted when she seemed unwilling to join me. I stretched my hand out for her to take. The gesture seemed to do the trick. A second later, she was at my side. “Now we jump.”
She skirted back, putting a few feet between us. “Look, just because I’ve had a rocky relationship in the past doesn’t mean I want to die. And that girl isn’t worth killing yourself over. There will be someone else. For both of us.”
I tossed my head back and laughed so hard my midsection ached. It had been a while since I had someone crack me up that way. When I finally managed to control it, I refocused on her. “I’m not throwing myself off the side of the cliff over Victoria. And I’m not suggesting you do the same for whomever.”
“Then what are you talking about?” she asked, rolling her eyes. “Why would you want to jump? That would kill us.”
“That isn’t high enough to kill us.” I gestured toward the water. “Now, it’s a different story if you don’t know how to swim. Then it might kill you. But I would think you’d let me know that beforehand.”
She glanced past me at the drop-off then locked eyes with me. “I don’t know how to swim.”
“You’re lying. I can tell!” A broad smile spread over my face as she visibly tried her hardest to remain unamused.
Eventually, her façade broke, leaving her smiling ear to ear.
“Can’t believe you tried that on me. Using my own excuse to get out of this.”
“Do you blame me? This is crazy. I’m not doing it.” She locked her arms into place as if daring me to test her stubbornness.
Touché, little lady. I can be just as stubborn. But the only difference between us was I had a way with words.
“You’re probably right. It’s a crazy idea. Life is always better when you play more by the rules.” I paced near the edge. “But wouldn’t it be fun to break them just this once? Prove to whoever done you wrong that you aren’t the girl they thought you were. That you’re better than them and deserve more than what they had to offer anyway. I know I do. I say fuck them. Life is moving on without them. It’s a new chapter that we can skip walking into by jumping the hell in it now.”
She came closer, pausing for a second to look down the waves below. “You sure this isn’t going to kill us? Looks pretty high to me.”
Her face twisted as if she was deep thought. I could imagine algebra equations going through her mind, trying to calculate speed, velocity, or some other kind of shit I was never good at in school.
“I promise. It won’t. I’ve done plenty of free falls from higher than this. I’m still here.”
“Free falls? What are you some type of adrenaline junkie?”
“You can say that,” I answered with a coy expression. “I like to think of it as being outdoorsy.”
“Sounds crazy…” She winked at me. “…but fun, I’ll admit. It’s something I could never do.”
“The girl that gets drunk and flashes the entire bar? Nah. I think you’ve got it buried in you. We’ve just got to get it out, and I think this has a pretty good chance of doing that. So, you in?” I held my breath, waiting for her answer. I wasn’t sure why I was making such a big effort in convincing her. Hell, I would do it myself and not think twice about it. But somehow, I knew this girl needed something different in her life. Like fear had her trapped inside an invisible fence.
Without smiling, she nodded. A sense of accomplishment washed over me.
“I’m scared. Like terrified.” Lightly, she touched her forehead, her fingers shaking.
I reached out, my hand landing on her shoulder blade. The tremors that wracked through her vibrated along my arm. “Calm down. Take slow breaths. In. Out.”
She nodded, looking to me as she did what I instructed.
“Better?”
“A little.”
“I know it’s scary. I was the same way the first time I did something like this.” I leaned over closer to her. “I’ll let you in on a little secret. I’ve jumped off this several times.
Her eyes went wide then turned thoughtful. “Why?” she asked softly.
I hadn’t thought about why before that moment. It was reckless. Dangerous. Especially the first time. I had no idea what was below me. Had I been looking for a way out of life without facing it? No. That wasn’t it. Doing stuff like that was the only thing I felt like I had control over.
I turned to her. “It makes me feel free, I guess.”
“From what?”
“Life.”
She didn’t say anything else, only nodded and pursed her lips. Somehow, I felt like she understood.
Her jaw locked. “Let’s do this.” She wrapped her hand through mine. I stared down at the two locked together for a second before meeting her gaze.
“Go.” The two of us tore toward the edge. I sucked in a lungful of air as I kicked against the ground, leaving it behind.
She screamed as we plummeted toward the waves below. We broke through the surface, finally coming to a stop several feet down.
I kicked upward, gasping for air when I broke the surface. “Leigh?” I twisted around, searching for her.
Laughter rang out behind me.
“That was unbelievable!” She pushed her hair away from her face, lying back on top of the water. “I’ve never felt anything like that before.” She looked up at me and smiled. “Thank you.”
“For what?”
“For not letting me back out.”
“Let’s get out of here,” I said before I realized it.
Her eyes narrowed to slits. “To where?”
“You ever rode a Jet Ski before? We could take it back to the mainland.”
She shook her head, a smile spreading.
It had been years since I had been on one. The only reason I would do it now was for her. I thought she would enjoy it.
“We’re just going to leave Bri and Finn? How will they get back?”
“Don’t worry about them. Finn knows how to drive my boat.”
Her forehead creased as her brows pulled in.
“I think you’ll like it. Follow me.” My arms moved through the water as my legs kicked behind me. At the shore, I pulled myself up and made sure she was behind me. We walked down a path until the party on the sand appeared in front of us. I approached a group of guys sitting in some chairs.
“Mikey!” I held out my hand and shook his.
“Luca, where the hell have you been hiding? It’s been a while since I’ve seen you out here,” he said, standing. He tossed an empty beer can in a cooler near his ankle. “What’s up?”
“I was wondering if you still bring those Jet Skis out here.”
“Yeah. Gassed up and ready. You wanting to ride?” He cast a glance behind me.
Without turning, I knew he was staring at Leigh. I shifted to bring his attention back to me. “I was wondering if you’d let me take it back inland. Finn’s out here, and I can’t leave him stranded. I know he isn’t going to want to leave since we haven’t been here long.”
He leaned down and fished around a bag. A set of keys flew in my direction. “Just remember to lock it up. I’ll come by later and pick up the keys.”
I nodded. “Can you do me another solid and tell Finn that I left?” I turned toward Leigh, holding up the keys with a smile. “Oh, and tell him not to leave Bri, either. She’s his ride home from the marina unless he can get someone else to take him!” I called over my shoulder.
“You got it!” Mikey yelled.
Leigh’s face broke out into a bright grin. “Can I drive it?”
I stopped, which made her slam into my back and stumble back. I braced her shoulders with my hands.
She laughed.
My arms fell to my sides. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to make you, you know, almost fall.”
“I didn’t know the thought of me driving would have such a weird effect on you,” she teased.
I rolled my eyes and shook my head. “I just wasn’t expecting you to want to drive. That’s all. You think you can handle it?” I asked, my gaze never leaving hers. Damn, she has pretty eyes. At that moment, I knew it didn’t matter what she wanted. I would give it to her. No questions asked.
She stepped forward and leaned close enough for me to smell an apple scent coming off her hair. For a second, I thought she was going to kiss me. She reached down and yanked the keys from my grasp. “Oh, I can handle it. Can you?”
My dick jumped. I got the feeling the conversation at hand wasn’t about the Jet Ski anymore. I swallowed hard and nodded.
She practically bounced, clapping her hands together. “Good!” She twisted, searching the shoreline. “Now, where is this thing?”
I wrapped my fingers around her wrist and pulled her gently to my side. “Around here.”
She fell into step and allowed me to guide her past several boats. Two Jet Skis came into view that were tied to the side of party barge. I pointed at them. “There you go.”
Leigh yanked me forward, nearly pulling me to the ground.
Waves splashed across my legs the deeper we went into the water. “Which one?” she asked, stopping when reached them.
“The blue one.” She lunged for the machine. Her hands pressed against the seat as she attempted to hoist herself up. She fell back into the water, nearly going completely under in the process.
I couldn’t help but to laugh at the failed attempt.
“Here.” I put my hands around her waist.
Her body went rigid as her breath hitched in her throat.
I leaned down near her ear. “Let me help.” With ease, I picked her tiny frame up and placed her on the seat.
She pushed wet tendrils of hair out of her eyes as she twisted to face me. “I guess I needed that, huh? Short girl problems.” She laughed at herself. “But you wouldn’t know anything about that, would you?”
I hopped on the back. “I’ve got my own problems when it comes to height. Bet you never have to bend down to get into some doorways. I moved, throwing one leg over the seat, then scooted up against her.
“Um...” Leigh glanced down at my leg now pressing against hers. “Can’t say that I have,” she said in a shaking voice. She cleared her throat and wiggled up, trying to put space between us. “So how do I work this thing?”
I reached around her. “This here is the gas. The more you pull on it the faster we’ll go. Let’s go nice and easy until we’re out on the open water. Here. I’ll show you.” I twisted the handle, barely giving the engine gas.
The breeze carried her sweet scent back in my direction as we went through the maze of boats floating around us.
She shrugged. “Seems easy.”
Once we reached an area that was clear, I stopped.
“My turn?”
“Yep.”
Her shoulders rose as she took a deep breath.
My hands slowly inched around her waist before locking in the front. I couldn’t deny I enjoyed it. The way her body shook at my touch was such a turn on. “Let’s go.”
She twisted the throttle, propelling us forward. A squeal of delight erupted as we jumped a wave that sent us airborne for a few seconds. We cut to the right then back to the left before zooming out straight.
“This is so much fun!”
I couldn’t help but to laugh. Her enjoyment was contagious. We rode around for a few hours before heading back inland and docking.
“I need one of those things,” she said as she watched me tie it off. “Don’t know where I’ll keep it in Arizona though. My apartment might not like it there.” Her eyes lingered on it for a moment longer as if she were actually thinking about where she might store one.
“Glad you liked it.” We walked in the direction of where my truck was parked. “Better than staying around a bunch of people you don’t know, huh?”
She nodded. “Can I ask you something?”
“Sure.”
“They seem to be your friends, so why don’t you like to hang out with them?”
Her question caught me off guard. It was the last thing I expected her to ask.
“Well, I guess I just started working too much to be around them a lot. When that happens, you kind of take a step back and realize that partying isn’t something you need to do all the time.” It was the truth, but a glossed-over truth, missing some of the key details.
“But everyone needs a break sometimes to unwind. Otherwise, the work will drive you insane. I know from personal experience. I only had one person that I spent time with outside work. Now… well, now I’m alone.”
The drive back to Bri’s house was quiet. I wasn’t sure what to say after our conversation on the pier. I wanted to know more, but she hadn’t gone on any further. I wasn’t about to pry either.
When we arrived at the house, I walked her up to the door not really wanting our time together to end. I hesitated on the top step, hooking a sweaty palm around the rail of the porch.
When Leigh reached the door, she stopped and turned around, giving me a warm smile.
She took a small step back in my direction as her gaze dropped to the ground before meeting my stare. “I had a good time toda
y. Thank you.” Her bright blue eyes blazed behind thick lashes.
I had to turn away. A look like that could mean bad things. Like me pushing her into that house and into the bedroom. In my mind, I could see every single detail of how that would play out. It would be something fucking unbelievable, yes, but in the end, we would both regret it happening. I couldn’t do that to her. There needed to be boundaries. She needed to know we were just friends.
I shifted my feet, crossing my arms over my chest. “Yeah. I had fun, too.” I sighed, dropping my arms to my sides. This was ridiculous. Why was I stalling? Just get in the truck and leave. I knew I needed to, but my feet were obviously not aware of how dangerously close they were to fucking me over by not moving.
“Do you want to come in?”
I could practically feel the pressure coming from her stare. There it was. The invitation that I didn’t want to refuse. I laced my fingers on top of my head.
“It’s getting dark. I should really get going. I’ve got a busy day tomorrow.”
Leigh’s eyebrows rose with understanding. “Oh. Yeah. Of course.”
I knew that look. She was crushed. She’d just put herself out there, and I was the dick who’d stomped all over her invitation. I hated the way it made me feel. I shouldn’t care that much. But I did.
“Can I maybe get your number? You know, we can hang out again another time if you want…”
She probably didn’t, not after that. But to my surprise, the corners of her mouth turned up into a smile that nearly stopped my heart.
“Sure.” Her hand turned over. “Give me your phone. I’ll put it in for you.”
With no hesitation, I did as I was told.
Her fingers glided across the screen with ease. “There,” she said, handing it back. She turned and closed the gap to the front door. “Hopefully, you won’t be a stranger, Luca.” She pushed the door open and gave me one last glance over her shoulder before leaving me standing alone.
10
Leigh
The phone hit the deck with a thud. My world rocked. Despite the chilled breeze from the waves, my temperature skyrocketed. Breathe. In and out. I gasped, feeling as if something was pressing down on my chest, squeezing every bit of air from my lungs. I sucked air through my mouth, dragging it to my toes and slowly pushing it out my nose. It didn’t do anything to relieve the feeling knotted in my stomach.
Fearlessly Yours: Emerald Coast Series Page 8
