by Amelia Judd
So what did the ache of disappointment suspiciously near Sage’s heart say about her?
“We’re here.” Pax pulled into a tiny gravel parking lot in front of a shop sporting a large, decorative longboard over the door. A hand-written sign advertising surf lessons hung in the window. He climbed from the vehicle, opened the back door for Sage, and extended his hand to her.
“How are you feeling this morning?” he asked, his voice low enough for only her to hear.
“A little sluggish and a lot embarrassed,” she admitted with a sigh. She climbed out slowly, stalling to give Kat and Logan time to enter the building ahead of them. She didn’t want an audience when she gave the speech she’d planned in her head.
Pax didn’t move toward the shop either. His gaze locked with hers. The intensity of his expression combined with the scent of soap rising from his warm skin almost made Sage lightheaded. She turned away and drew in another breath, filling her lungs with the salty ocean air.
She kept her gaze on the distant water. “Two drinks is usually my limit. I’m sorry you had to deal with me well past that point.”
“We’ve all misjudged our limits.” Pax paused. “But you’ll want to back off of Logan. He’s not your type.”
Now that ticked her off. The man who’d repeatedly turned down her sexual advances, albeit not well-thought-out ones, was now giving advice on her love life? Unbelievable. So what if Logan wasn’t her type? So what if she hadn’t actually been flirting with him? It might be good for Pax to know the possibility existed that she could be attracted to someone else.
“Oh, really?” she drawled. “He’s a sweet, good-looking guy who’s built like a—”
“Are you making a point?” Pax growled.
“My point is,” she continued, “I’m free to be with anyone I want.”
“What about Will?”
Holy buckets. What kind of horrible person was she? She hadn’t thought about Will in two days. It didn’t matter that she’d gone out with him only four times. Before she’d left Milwaukee, she’d definitely planned on seeing him again. Yet Pax had distracted her to the point of amnesia. Damn him for remembering what she’d so easily forgotten.
She narrowed her eyes. “We’ve only been out a few times. We’re both free to see other people.”
“I thought you had a promising future planned with the banker. Flirting with Logan could risk all that.”
“Seemed like a good idea at the time.” She shrugged, not bothering to explain that she hadn’t been flirting with Logan.
Pax stepped toward her. “A good idea? It seemed like a good idea to hit on a guy twice your size?” He took another step closer, backing her against the black SUV. “What would you have done if he’d accepted your offer? What if, even right now, he regrets telling you no?”
“Are we still talking about Logan?” She tipped her chin up. “Or are you finally getting tired of rejecting me all the time?”
“Rejecting you?” He leaned back, eyebrows raised. “Damn it, Sage, is that what you think?”
“You keep walking away.”
His jaw tensed and his expression filled with emotions—heat, anger, frustration. “The two times I walked away I did it for your own good. But I’m not a saint.” He leaned closer to her, his voice dropping to a murmur. “The next time, I won’t walk away, even if I should. Understood?”
“Yep,” she squeaked.
He ran a rough hand through his hair and sighed. A big, full-bodied thing that left no doubt how frustrating he currently found her. “I’ll see you inside,” he said as he strode past her into the surf shop.
Trying to get her heart rate under control, she sagged against the SUV and again wondered about the question that plagued her. Why did she have to be so insanely attracted to a man whose life and future were thousands of miles away from her own?
•••
Twenty minutes later, Sage stood on the beach dressed in her bright-blue boy-short bikini bottoms and a black midriff-baring wetsuit top. The top had long-sleeves, a full zipper, and was on loan from the surf shop. Next to her, dressed in a similar outfit but in all black, Kat stood on top of a surfboard on the beach pretending to ride a wave into shore.
Kat eyed the ocean with enthusiasm. “Enough talk. Let’s hit the water.”
Being La Vida’s best surfer, Logan had given them a brief lesson on how to mount the board and surf to shore. Sage now had a basic understanding and a mild desire to attempt surfing, but she still lacked Kat’s eagerness to “shoot the curl,” whatever the heck that meant.
Logan’s gaze was locked on Kat and lit up with amusement. “Okay, Gidget, hop off your board. I’ll carry it out for you.”
“Gidget!” Kat roared, shoving at Logan in a futile attempt to push him away as he bent to pick up her board. “Unless you want your boys relocated to your throat, do not call me Gidget!” Eyes blazing, Kat scooped up her surfboard, tucked it under her arm, and stomped off toward the ocean.
Logan turned to Sage and Pax, eyebrows raised and palms up in a what-did-I-say gesture.
Sage smiled reassuringly. “Don’t worry. She’s never carried out one of her exaggerated threats before. She just needs a minute to cool down.”
Pax shrugged. “Looks like she’s immune to your charms, mate. Personally, I’m glad she hates your guts. Means I don’t have to kick your ass if you touch her.”
Sage rolled her eyes. Men could be such idiots. “Maybe Kat prefers not to be teased about her size.” Not that her best friend had ever seemed concerned about it before.
A frown settled between Logan’s eyes. “I didn’t mean to hurt her feelings. I’ll go apologize.”
Sage made a mental note to ask her friend again what was wrong. Normally, Kat would have loved Logan’s height, muscular build, and mesmerizing accent. Kat had once told Sage she’d majored in International Affairs in college because she hoped to sleep with a lot of hot foreign guys. Sure, Kat had been mostly kidding, but Sage always suspected the statement held a bit of truth.
Pax picked up Sage’s surfboard, and they started toward where Kat and Logan stood talking farther down the beach.
“Logan has been with La Vida almost as long as I have,” he said quietly. “He’s my best friend. I’d trust him with my life.” He paused, staring ahead as the big Australian tucked a strand of hair behind Kat’s ear, followed immediately by Kat swatting his hand away. “But I am still glad she hates him.”
Sage dug her toes in the sand and swallowed a laugh. Birds soared overhead in the cloudless sky, and the cool Pacific water rolled over her feet. A prefect tropical day. Nothing to worry about.
So why was her pulse beating so fast?
•••
After the onshore surf lesson, Pax cut through the water, determined to reach his sister before she spent much time alone with Logan. Too bad Brick couldn’t surf to save his life. Better him than Logan, who too often charmed the pants off the women he met. Literally.
Pax had originally hired the Australian to give surf lessons at La Vida since Logan had grown up with a longboard under his feet. A friendship had developed quickly between the two men, and Logan’s responsibilities at the resort had grown over time. Even though he liked to piss Pax off from time to time, Logan always had his back. That didn’t mean, however, that Pax wanted him touching either of the two women currently wreaking havoc in his life.
“Quick review before the first go at it.” Logan stood in chest-deep water, holding on to Kat’s board. “I’ll boost you onto your board. When I say go, start paddling toward shore, and I’ll give you a push. When you feel the wave start to carry you forward, put your hands in a push-up position. Then pop your front foot directly between your hands in the middle of the board and slowly stand up.”
“Got it. I’ll go first,” Kat said.
Logan grabbed her hips and lifted her onto the board in one effortless motion.
“Here comes a good wave. Get ready, darl. Go!” Logan commanded as he shoved
Kat’s board toward shore.
Kat popped to her feet, let out a shriek of excitement, and stayed upright for a good five seconds before tipping into the water. Not bad for a first timer.
“Your turn.” Pax moved behind Sage, wrapping his hands firmly around the curves of her hips.
Her body tensed.
“Do you want me to let you go?” Despite the question, he instinctively tightened his hold on her smooth, slick skin.
“Maybe,” she murmured, her breathing growing heavy. “I’m not sure what I want anymore.”
Fighting the rush of desire to pull her against his body, he gritted his teeth and boosted her out of the water and onto her surfboard.
“I can’t believe I’m saying this,” Pax mumbled, struggling to clear his mind and cool his blood. “I think Logan should lift you out of the water next time.”
Chapter 10
Sage agreed that it was probably best if Pax kept his hands to himself.
Still, by the end of the day, she felt like a pro on the water, carving waves and completing aerials with graceful ease. Well, at least that’s how it felt to her. In the spirit of full disclosure, her greatest achievement was standing on the board and riding a gentle wave for almost fifteen seconds.
Surprisingly, she’d really enjoyed the three activities she’d participated in so far at La Vida. She never would have imagined horseback riding, swimming behind a waterfall, and surfing could be so much fun. She might be braver than she’d ever given herself credit for. She smiled at the satisfying thought.
Even spending time with Pax had turned out okay. As long as she and Pax avoided touching each other, they got along fine. While he gave her tips on improving her form, she teased him about making Kat the new full-time surfing instructor at La Vida.
As predicted, Kat had taken to the sport straightaway, her lean, athletic build adjusting easily to the challenge of balancing on a board rushing over the waves.
“Hi, y’all,” Brick greeted them as they returned to the surf shop’s parking lot. “Pax said you needed a pick up?”
“I only need you to take Logan and Kat back to La Vida,” Pax said, stepping to the front of the group. “I’d like to show Sage something in town before we return.”
Sage raised an eyebrow in question but didn’t comment. Instead, she said a quick goodbye to Logan, Kat, and Brick and slid into the passenger side of the Land Rover. Pax climbed into the driver’s seat, started the SUV, and left the parking lot, driving in the opposite direction of La Vida.
“Aren’t you going to ask where we’re going?”
Sage shrugged. “I trust you. Plus, I’m completely drained. Who knew surfing would be so exhausting?”
Pax grinned. “You loved it.”
She laughed. “Surprisingly, I did. I’m turning into quite the adventurer. If I keep this up, my rep might be upgraded from boring to mildly interesting.”
“You’re many things.” Pax looked at her, his dark eyes serious. “Boring isn’t one of them.”
Sage chewed her lip. “That’s good to know.” Unsure what else to say, she turned to watch the scenery pass by her window, relaxed into the soft leather seats, and listened to the low purr of the powerful engine.
Effectively settled into a peaceful little cocoon, she sighed when Pax pulled into a gravel parking lot between a single-story building painted a bright shade of blue and a playground full of equally colorful equipment.
“This is the local school we’ve been working with,” Pax said as they climbed from the vehicle. “So far we’ve painted the entire exterior and interior of the building. We’ve installed all new playground equipment and added a soccer field. We start the landscaping in a few days. La Vida has funded everything. The staff, our guests, and parents at the school have donated all the labor.”
“How do you pay for it?”
“Ten percent of La Vida’s profits go to funding its social outreach program. Some of the inexpensive activities happen year round. The costly projects require more planning. We usually tackle one of those a month or even every other month if it’s a particularly large project.”
“I assume the projects at the school you just mentioned are the expensive ones. What other interactions are there?”
“We donate a lot of books to the local schools. Our guests read them to the kids to help their English. The kids, in turn, teach our guests words and phrases in Spanish.”
Sage laughed. “I’m sure that can get interesting.”
“Oh, yeah. After spending the day with a group of ten-year-old boys, one lady told Susanna her food was wacala. Apparently, the kids had told her it means delicious.”
“What does it really mean?”
“Gross. Yuck. Disgusting.”
Sage sucked in a breath. “That couldn’t have ended well.”
“Nope.” Pax grinned. “Susanna threatened to feed the woman to a crocodile. Luckily, Brick calmed her down before she carried through with it.”
“Never a dull moment, huh?”
His grin widened. “Never.”
“You love them.”
He shrugged. “They’re family. Even if they drive you crazy, you’ve got to love them.”
Sage’s heart inflated like a balloon mortgage. Jeez-o-Pete. She liked him. She liked how he considered his staff family. And that he gave up a cushy, secure future to follow a dream. She liked that he’d built La Vida on the belief that people can give and receive in unison as long as they kept their hearts and minds open. She liked that he understood her. She liked that he didn’t dismiss her fears, but he didn’t let her hide from life because of them. And she liked that when he smiled at her, she wanted to make him smile right back.
Holy buckets. That was a lot of likes.
If she wasn’t careful, she could fall for him—a totally stupid move since he didn’t seem interested in catching her.
Sage needed to remember that Will was the sensible choice for her. She wouldn’t have to change her life for him. With Will, she didn’t have to risk making the same mistake her mother made again and again. And she lacked Pax’s bravery. She could never risk a secure future to follow a dream.
She did a mental head shake and cleared her throat. “You mentioned landscaping?”
“It’s what you’ll be doing here in a few days.”
“Not all of it, I hope.”
He chuckled. “Don’t worry. They’ll be a lot of people helping out.”
“Can I see the plans?”
“Yeah.” He paused. “They’re at my house. Why don’t you come over for dinner tonight, and I’ll show them to you.”
“Oh. Okay. I guess that would be fine.” Warning bells sounded in her head.
Dinner with Pax, alone, would be dangerous on many levels. She’d known for years that she couldn’t trust her body to do the smart thing around him. Now, she feared she couldn’t trust her heart either.
•••
Less than an hour later, Pax dropped Sage at the resort with instructions to head up the trail to his house whenever she was ready for dinner. She took a quick shower, brushed on light makeup, and paired an airy sundress with strappy sandals. As she left her villa and climbed the nearly hidden path from the beach to Pax’s home, her heart pounded heavily in her chest. Maybe climbing the steep hill—rather than the excitement at spending the evening alone with Pax—had caused her rapid pulse?
“Yeah, right,” she muttered, rolling her eyes at her own delusions.
She reached the end of the trail, stepped out of the thick canopy of foliage, and gasped at the sight of his home perched on a bluff overlooking the ocean.
From where she stood, she saw a beautiful outdoor living area nestled beside a serene infinity pool built along the edge of the bluff. The candlelit outdoor area had a natural stone floor, dark wood furniture topped with oversized neutral-colored cushions, open walls, and a steep roof supported by large wooden columns. It was lovely and peaceful, the epitome of Balinese-style perfection.
; Pax emerged from the interior and moved toward her. Jeans and a black T-shirt hugged his frame. A devilish smile lit his eyes.
“I wasn’t sure you would show. I’m grilling steaks and local vegetables, and I stole a loaf of Susanna’s bread from La Vida’s kitchen. If she finds out, she’ll be ticked. Ever since the last pastry chef left, she’s had to do all the baking, which isn’t her strong suit. She won’t even attempt to make the chocolate croissants we used to offer every morning. La Vida was known for them, although, I think I miss them more than the guests do.” Pax gave a wry smile. “Can I get you something to drink?”
“Iced tea would be great.” Sage hopped onto one of the bamboo barstools and made a sweeping gesture with her hand. “Your home is amazing.”
“I designed and built as much of it myself as possible. Balinese style is starting to gain popularity in the area. I love how it invites nature inside by mixing indoor and outdoor spaces. But it incorporates a lot of hand-sculpted craftsmanship that’s beyond my scope of abilities.” Pax set a glass of tea in front of her and pulled steaks from the refrigerator. “So I hired local artisans to do the more intricate work.”
Sage smiled. “It’s good to know your limits.”
His hands stilled and his dark eyes found hers. “I’ve always known my limits. But I’ve never been good at living within them.”
“It seems you don’t have to. Your family here consists of an Australian surfer, a Southern horseman, and a Latina firecracker. You drink Californian Cabernets with your dinner and eat chocolate croissants at breakfast. Your home is a Polynesian masterpiece in a Latin American paradise.” She bit back a grin. “As far as I can tell, you have no limits.”
“That’s not true.” He paused. “I can’t have you.”
Shocked, Sage sucked in a breath. “Do you want me?”
