But speaking of perfection . . . Hayden was staring at the mold. Which made it really hard to concentrate on anything but the way her fingers grazed his mouth as she trailed an ice cube slowly over his fat lip. She bit her own lip while she concentrated and Hayden had a sudden urge to reach over and release her kissable lips from undo torture.
A possessive thought swept through him. If anyone’s gonna bite those beautiful lips, Joy, it’s gonna be me. “Don’t,” Hayden said, reaching over to free her pinned lip with his thumb.
Joy stilled. “Don’t what?”
“Don’t treat those lips like that. They’re too kissable.”
She smirked, and the faintest hint of coral pink flushed her already sun-kissed cheeks. “About that . . . I don’t normally go around kissing strangers.”
“No?”
“No. It was a dare.”
“A dare!” Hayden laughed and Joy dropped her ice. “What happened to, ‘welcome to Hawaii’?”
It was Joy’s turn to laugh. Christ, he liked that sound. That laugh was his new favorite sound.
How can I get more of that, Joy?
“Yeah . . . Sorry about that,” she said.
“Don’t be.”
Now neither of them were laughing.
Hayden brushed back a strand of Joy’s blonde hair that the wind had tangled with her mouth.
The goddamn wind better leave those perfect lips alone.
Those are my lips.
Joy licked her lips and Hayden shattered.
Shit . . .
Game over.
Resistance is futile.
Finish him!
The end screen of every video game Hayden had ever lost flashed through his head like a silent warning to his heart. But Hayden ignored them all. He ignored everything, except Joy’s perfect, sinful lips and the way they begged to be kissed.
So he did.
4
Joy
Well, that was unexpected.
Jo ran all the way back to the station house. It was well past curfew by the time she made it back to campus. Thankfully, being lead tower meant she didn’t have to bunk with any of the other ACE lifeguards or trainers. And that meant no one was there to witness her walk of shame.
Well, it wasn’t all that shameful.
All they’d done was kiss.
But damn, could haole kiss!
Jo unlocked the door to her ACE issued apartment and slipped inside. It was only four concrete walls, but it was all hers for the next six weeks. A blue-eyed Australian Sheperd trotted toward her from the bedroom.
“Piper, were you in my bed again?” Joy scolded.
The dog apologized by covering her in hyper kisses.
Joy laughed. She could never stay mad at Piper. They’d been together for the past four years. And without Piper’s constant company, Jo wasn’t sure she would’ve survived all the ups and downs that came with it.
She pulled Piper close and hugged her. “I know. I’m sorry I’m late. I missed you too, girl,” Jo crooned sliding down the door to cuddle her dog.
Piper jumped into Jo’s lap and rolled onto her back to have her belly scratched. “Awe, does this mean you forgive me?”
Jo leaned back against the door and gave her dog some attention while shutting her eyes to relive the surprising night she’d just had on the beach with a complete stranger. She felt her cheeks flush with embarrassment when she realized she didn’t even know the guy’s name. But she could damn sure identify his mouth—blindfolded if need be. Probably his abs, too.
Living with military men, Jo was no stranger to toned bodies, but she had never felt a body cut quite like Mr. Perfect’s. That was what Jo had dubbed her mysterious beach boy. Everything about him was perfect. From the way he kissed, to the way he’d pressed his perfect body over hers, crushing her into the sand with just the right amount of pressure. He hadn’t let her take his shirt off but she could feel the perfection beneath it.
Good God, that body! Jo was certain that the heat of his exquisite form and the gentle stroking of his tongue had turned her to liquid right there beneath him in the sand. And she was okay with that. She’d die content and happy, being pulled out with the tide to join the sea. But she shouldn’t be okay with that. She shouldn’t even be thinking about the things she’d done with Mr. Perfect.
Kai’s face drifted to the forefront of Jo’s mind and guilt crushed the elation she’d been consumed by moments ago. She’s crossed a line tonight. It started out as a dare, but the innocence of that kiss evaporated the moment her lips touched his. There was something about him, something she craved. Something she hadn’t thought she’d ever want again. Kai was supposed to be enough. She told herself he was more than enough. But the nervous feeling in her gut made her think otherwise.
Tonight, being with her mystery man on the beach had filled some void in Jo’s life that she hadn’t realized she had. It was hard to explain. But just the simple act of kissing him seemed to absorb three years of pain and regret, making it possible for Jo to concentrate on nothing but him and enjoying the moment he was giving her.
Piper’s insistent bark pulled Jo away from her shameful memories.
“Okay, okay,” Jo grumped, climbing to her feet. She fed the dog dinner and took her out for a quick walk on the beach before bed, hoping it would help her get her head on straight.
The beach at night was always Jo’s favorite. She loved how calm it looked when the night blanketed the ocean in shadow, moonlight painting the waves silver and gold. When she was little, Ethan used to tell her that the Man in the Moon spilled his paint over the waves to show all the magical creatures the path back home. The memory made her smile.
Ethan was Jo’s favorite brother. She knew she probably wasn’t supposed to have a favorite, but it didn’t stop it from happening. Lucas and her were nearly the same age and that made them too competitive. Ryan was five years older so that made them not have as much in common. But Ethan was just right. She told him that once and he started calling her Goldilocks.
Jo was the least girlie girl on the planet—probably a side effect of being raised in Hawaii with three brothers—but she secretly loved being called Goldilocks. Only by Ethan, though. But of course Lucas called her that all the time as soon as he knew it pissed her off.
The smile that had been on Jo’s face since she left Mr. Perfect slipped away once more—stolen by memories of Lucas punching him. God, she could just kill Lucas! Jo couldn’t believe he started a fight with a tourist right before ACE. Well, she could. That was just the stupid kind of thing that Lucas did. Still, Lucas supposedly wanted ACE as badly as Jo. But getting in bar fights was the quickest way to get kicked out. The only thing worse would be fraternizing with the ACE swimmers.
Jo scoffed. She wouldn’t put that past her brother either. Lucas may be stupid, but her uncle Jack wasn’t. Jo had too much respect for the man that raised her to let anyone screw up and give him a bad reputation. She knew he was sticking his neck out putting her and Lucas on the ACE staff this year. She’d earned her spot on the lifeguard tower just like everyone else, but being the adopted daughter of the man running it made Jo feel like she had more to prove.
And that’s why she planned to get up early and give Lucas a piece of her mind. But first she needed to get to sleep, which suddenly felt like an impossible task. She glanced at the time knowing she should’ve been in bed hours ago. Tomorrow morning was coming fast. But then she looked at her phone. Jo knew it was way too late to call Kai now. He’d already be in bed, but she was desperate to hear his voice. She picked up her cell phone and opened the dozens of voicemails she’d saved from him. She scrolled to the most recent and pressed play.
“Love you, goodnight.”
Kai’s words filled Jo’s heart and she squeezed her eyes shut letting the tears fall as she played the simple message again.
“Love you, goodnight.”
Jo clutched the phone to her chest and sobbed. God, she loved him.
This
was going to be the longest six weeks of her life without him. But she reminded herself that she was doing this for him. That thought alone comforted Jo as she slowly drifted to sleep.
Hayden
Hayden couldn’t stop smiling when he got back to his hotel room. He meant to go back to the bar to get his wallet, but he was on cloud nine after his make out session on the beach with Joy. What a perfect name—Joy. It was exactly the feeling that pressed against his chest from the inside out.
Hayden hadn’t kissed that much since he learned there were things more fun than kissing. But damn, Joy sure reminded him just how great a first kiss could be. And a second, and a third, fourth, fifth . . . he’d lost track. All he knew was his lips were swollen and sore, and not just from the hit they took from Joy’s brother.
Actually, Hayden was pretty content with his sore lips. He’d take a punch to the mouth any day if it ended with a sunset and Joy.
Joy.
There he went again with that idiotic smile. It was impossible to say her name—no, even think her name—without smiling.
Wow, one night of kissing and he was already in too deep. This was either going to be the best or worst six weeks of Hayden’s life. That all depended on if he could figure out a way to get a little more Joy into those six weeks.
Once in his room, Hayden locked the door, drew the shades and cranked on the rainfall shower system. The thing had more knobs and dials than his Range Rover, but he could admit the cascading water was mighty enticing after rolling around in the sand all night. He set the water temperature and padded back into the bedroom to undress in front of the full-length mirror.
He unbuttoned his shirt and steeled himself for the barrage of scars that called his chest home. He’d seen them a thousand times before but they still repulsed him. It looked like Dr. Frankenstein had used his chest as a quilt.
It had been difficult to keep Joy’s hands from roaming there. Luckily, she’d been satisfied with his abs and the defined muscles that lead below his belt. Anytime her hands got too close to his scars he’d had to weave his fingers through hers and lock them above her head. She hadn’t fought him on it. She actually seemed to enjoy it.
Hayden kicked his clothes aside and made his way to the shower, thoughts of Joy fresh in his mind. His entire body still thrummed with excitement just thinking about her. He knew relief would be easy tonight. Hayden had a feeling Joy could make everything easy for him if he let her.
5
Joy
3 years ago . . .
“Come on, don’t be a baby,” Jo called as she paddled out under the crackling thunderheads.
Max shook his head. “Jo, this is a bad idea.”
She grinned back at him. “Lots of things we do are bad ideas.”
“You mean like this?” he called, leaping from his board to her.
“Hey!” Jo squealed and sucked in a mouthful of salt water as Max tackled her off her surfboard.
Max pulled her up, concern in his eyes as she sputtered and coughed. “You okay?”
Jo was perfectly okay, but she wasn’t going to tell Max that. Ever since he turned fifteen and sprouted up three inches seemingly overnight he forgot his strength when it came to her. Their normal horseplay and rough housing now left Jo sorely outmatched. She needed every advantage she could get over her best friend. She laid on the coughing fit extra thick, grabbing for him while she pretended to gasp for air.
“Jo. Shit, I’m sorry. Are you okay?”
She let him circle his hands around her waist as she rested hers on Max’s shoulders, nodding as a devious smile slipped across her face. “I’m fine, but you’re gonna be sorry!”
She surged forward pressing all her weight on top of his shoulders to push him underwater. Max laughed right before he went under, releasing a trail of bubbles that fizzed to the surface carrying his amusement. Night surfing was quickly forgotten, giving way to a dunk fest that Jo was surprisingly winning. But the rumble of thunder put an end to their fun.
“Come on, we’re gonna get electrocuted out here,” Max called when the sky sparked like the Fourth of July.
Jo frowned but followed him in, paddling back to shore on her board. Their paddle back turned into a race to catch the best wave. By the time they reached the beach, the sky had opened up, prompting them to dash to the trees for shelter.
They were both laughing and breathless by the time they reached a cluster of palm trees. They angled their boards against the trees to create a little more shelter from the rain that was coming down in sheets.
“You’re lucky it’s storming,” Jo teased. “Because I was destroying you out there.”
Max smirked. “Are you crazy? I was letting you win!”
Jo shoved his solid chest. “You wish!”
Max’s blue eyes stilled and he slowly shook his head. “No, this is what I wish.” His hands came up, gently cupping either side of Jo’s face as he pressed his lips to hers.
Holy shit! A boy just kissed her! Not just any boy, but Max!
Jo pulled back in shock, her pulse roaring louder than the thunder. “Max, what are you doing?”
“Something I’ve wished I could do since I was thirteen.”
Jo’s heart cartwheeled in her chest as she was hit with a feeling of relief. She wasn’t alone in her desires! She’d had a crush on Max since before she knew what a crush was. But he was her best friend . . . was that worth screwing up just for a few kisses? “Max . . . this is a bad idea.”
He smiled that smile that Jo knew so well. “We’ve established we like bad ideas, Jo.”
6
Hayden
Hayden rolled over, checked the time and groaned. He’d slept in way later than he should have. He had a lot to do today, starting with returning to that beach bar to get his wallet. He couldn’t register for ACE without it. Then he planned to treat himself to all the five-star amenities his swanky hotel offered. He knew it would be the last bit of luxury he had for the next six weeks.
ACE was known for churning out world-class swimmers, not for fine accommodations. Jack Wright’s motto was “rougher equals tougher” and it applied to more than just training. Hayden had a feeling the food and facilities at ACE would have nothing on the Four Seasons Resort he currently occupied.
He showered and dressed quickly. He was already dreaming about a delicious meal and maybe an oceanfront massage. With any luck, he’d be able to find Joy and get her to join him. Nothing says luxury like waking up in Egyptian cotton with a gorgeous girl draped over you.
Joy
Jo woke up with a start. She was covered in sweat and twisted in her sheets. It took her a moment to get her bearings as she looked around the unfamiliar room. She was in her ACE apartment, not on the rainy beach with Max, where her torturous dreams had taken her.
But it hadn’t really been a dream, had it? It can’t be a dream if it actually happened. It was more like a heartbreaking memory of her and Max’s first kiss.
That’s how all of Jo’s memories of Max were—painful, agonizing, tragic. And that’s why she tried not to think about him. It hurt too much.
Jo was normally successful in avoiding such memories. She kept herself busy and she had Kai to fill the Max-sized hole in her heart now. But last night she’d let herself get distracted. A night spent kissing a stranger on the beach must’ve sidetracked her enough to let her guard down, allowing the painful memories of Max back in to assault her sleeping mind.
As Jo quickly showered and got ready for her long day at Locos, more memories battered her. But these were much more recent. It wasn’t much of a stretch that the mystery man she’d spent the night kissing had made her think of Max. Not when they both had the same startling blue eyes. And not when both kisses happened under those same damn palm trees on the same damn beach.
7
Joy
“Hi, Lena. Sorry I’m late,” Jo called, rushing behind the bar to grab her apron and checkbook. She tied the black waist apron around her faded jean shor
ts and knotted the back of her soft orange Loco’s tank top to make its boxy shape somewhat formfitting.
“At least you’re here,” Lena said without even looking at Jo. She was busy restocking glasses behind the bar. “Hector called in sick. Can you cover the bar today?”
“Sure.” Jo loved working the bar. It beat carrying heavy plates and clearing half-eaten food. Plus, she always made better tips behind the bar. “Who else is on today?”
“Me,” Kendall said strolling in wearing the same orange tank top. Hers was tucked into a pair of high-waisted black shorts, making her already long legs look like they went on forever.
“Nice of you to show up, and only a half hour late,” Lena scolded swatting her niece on the ass as she sauntered by.
Kendall blew Lena a snarky kiss.
“Hector called off today,” Lena called. “Jo’s got the bar, you’re on the floor.”
Kendall’s mouth dropped open. “No way! I want the bar.”
“Then you shoulda got your little behind in here before Jo.”
“But—”
Lena crossed her big, tan arms over her even bigger chest. “I don’t want to hear it, Kendall. I don’t say shit to your mama about you drinking beers in my bar and that means I don’t wanna hear shit about where I tell you to work.”
Kendall swore quietly but nodded to her aunt as she donned her apron. She helped Jo with the opening checklist and after everything was done, Kendall took up a spot on a barstool and rested her chin in her hands. “So, how was your night, Jo?” she asked, wiggling her eyebrows.
“Fine.”
“Bullshit. Don’t fine me. I saw you walk outta here with Magnet Lips.”
Jo choked on the soda she was sipping from her cheesy pineapple-shaped souvenir cup that Locos was famous for. “Magnet Lips?”
Kendall shrugged. “Seems like an appropriate name for him. His lips pulled you in like you were stuck in a tractor beam. Even Lucas got a piece of those lips.”
The Summer Boyfriend Page 3
