She nibbled on her lower lip. “That’s awfully profound for a surfer boy.”
“I’m more than just a surfer boy, but you already knew that, didn’t you?”
She crossed her arms. “I’m going surfing today, so you can’t go.”
“Excuse me?” I laughed at her audacity. “I hate to break it to you, but you don’t own the ocean, Princess.”
She stiffened. “No, but you work for my family and I don’t want you out there with me, so you have to listen to me. I’m your boss.”
Okay, that stung a little bit. It would be a lie to say it hadn’t. “The hell you are. I work for your father.”
Her face turned red. “Just go away. I don’t want to be out there with you.”
“Then surf farther south. Or north, for all I care.” I gestured toward the ocean with my board. “This is my beach, and I’m not leaving it. Not even for you.”
“I thought no one owned the beach,” she called out, taunting me. Even her stance was aggressive, her feet spread wide and her eyes flashing with anger. She wanted a fight, and she wanted it bad.
I wouldn’t rise to the bait. Wouldn’t fight. But I sure as hell wouldn’t back down either. “They don’t, but this is the beach my mother took me to every weekend as I grew up. It’s where we had our last night together, before she was gone forever. And it’s the beach I rode my first wave on, with her by my side. I’m sure as hell not leaving it because you hate me.”
I brushed past her, fully intending to leave her standing on that beach alone, but her soft word stopped me. “Wait.”
“What now?” I asked, my entire body tense.
“I’m sorry. You’re right.” I turned to face her, and she swept her hair out of her face with a frustrated sigh. “I’m being a bitch. Just because I can’t stand the sight of you doesn’t mean I get to tell you to leave.”
“Such a heartfelt apology.”
She lifted a shoulder. “It’s the best I can do, considering.”
“May I go now, boss lady?” I cocked my head toward the ocean. “I’d like to enjoy the type of solitude only the ocean can give me before it’s too late.”
“You never mentioned wanting solitude out there before.”
“That’s because I was with you,” I reminded her.
She cocked her head. “Why did you take me, if you didn’t like going out there with other people?”
“Because with you? I didn’t mind.”
I headed for the ocean once more, leaving her standing there. She wouldn’t believe me anyway, so there was no point in waiting to see if she replied. She’d just accuse me of running a play on her, or trying to win her over so I could babysit her better. I wasn’t in the mood to get my heart trampled again.
Just my body.
I almost made it to the water before I got interrupted again. I bit back a curse when a blonde in a skimpy bikini stopped me. “Hey. Remember me?”
I scanned her face. Nope. I didn’t. “Uh…?”
“I work at Surf’s Up,” she said, punching my arm lightly. “I helped you pick out your girlfriend’s surfboard.”
“She’s not my girlfriend,” I said, my eyes automatically scanning the beach for Carrie. She stood a few yards away, her own gaze on me…and the blonde at my side. “We’re not even friends anymore, really.”
Her nostrils flared. Could she hear us? She looked ready to kill someone. I wasn’t sure if her target was the girl or me—maybe both.
“Oh, well, I like the sound of that.” She trailed her fingers over my tattoo, giving me a flirtatious smile. “I like your ink. What’s it mean?”
I hated when girls asked that. It wasn’t any of their damn business what my ink meant. “Thanks, and nothing. It’s just ink.”
“Oh. Hot.”
That was…deep. About as deep as a puddle. I cleared my throat and looked at Carrie again. Her fists were clenched at her sides. Was she jealous? Nah. Not possible. “You surf?”
The blonde laughed and punched me again. Why did girls think that was sexy? I only liked one girl hitting me, but she didn’t even want to touch me right now. Or ever. “No, I just help out at the store, and I date a lot of surfers. Only surfers.”
Before I could reply, Carrie walked up to some shirtless guy. She smiled at him and handed him sunscreen. The jerk smiled back at her and Carrie turned her back to the guy. When the jerk squirted sunscreen on his hands and massaged it over Carrie’s shoulders, I clenched my teeth. Carrie laughed at something the guy said, slapping his arm lightly. The jerk didn’t seem to mind either.
“You’ve got to be kidding me,” I murmured. “I’m going to kill her.”
Blondie shot me the dirtiest look ever. “Just friends, huh?” Then she was gone.
I stood there, trying to figure out what the hell had just happened.
Carrie. That’s what happened.
She thanked the helpful guy, then headed for the water, pulling up her wetsuit. I caught up to her within seconds. “What was that all about?”
“What?” She blinked at me innocently, but the smirk was harder to hide. “I needed sunscreen.”
“Under your wetsuit?”
“Sure. You can never be too careful.” She shrugged. “Did you have fun with Bambi over there?”
And just like that, I relaxed. “You’re jealous.”
She snorted and snorted again. As if such a preposterous statement required a double snort. “I am not.”
“Oh. So, if I go out there and flirt with her, you won’t give a damn?”
“Good luck with that. She probably hates you now.” Carrie splashed into the water, sending droplets my way. “As a matter of fact, I might have to watch you get rejected. It’ll be funny and good for your ego.”
I stared at her. “Is that a challenge?”
“No.” She eyed me. “Knowing you, she’d be in your bed by nighttime. You’d like that, wouldn’t you?”
I tensed. She made me sound like a manwhore, and I wasn’t. I wasn’t a virgin, but I didn’t sleep around either. “Because I’ve given you reason to believe I’m a manwhore?”
“Stop asking me rhetorical questions.”
I gripped my board tighter than I should have, but I couldn’t help it. I wanted to scream. “That wasn’t rhetorical. I’d love to know why you think I’d bring her home with me mere days after we broke up.”
“You brought me home.”
I rolled my eyes and fought against the huge wave trying to knock me down. “Oh, well, then I must be a whore. If I’ll bring you home, anyone will do.”
She whirled on me. “Yeah, pretty much.”
“Wave.”
“What?”
A wave knocked into her, throwing her in my arms. I caught her, stumbling back a bit before I caught my own balance again. As soon as I gained my footing, she quickly shoved out of my arms. “Wave,” I repeated.
“I noticed.” She shoved her damp hair out of her face. “Thanks for the warning.”
I couldn’t tell if she was being sarcastic, so I nodded. “Might want to face outward from now on.”
“Gee, thanks for the pro tip.” Another wave crashed into us, and she stumbled back. I started to reach for her elbow, but she shot me a supersonic death glare. “I’m fine. Stop protecting me.”
“It’s my job. Don’t want my help? Go over there.” I pointed to a crowded spot in the ocean. “They won’t give a damn if you wipe out.”
She lifted her chin. “I’m staying here.”
“Thought you didn’t want to be near me.”
Did her chin go even higher? Yep. It did. “I don’t, but I refuse to run away just because you’re here.”
“Lucky me,” I drawled.
Another big wave came, and she stumbled backward again. I swallowed the sense of premonition creeping up. The ocean was perfect for me today, but for a novice like Carrie, it could be a deathtrap. If she got taken under by a monster wave, I might not be able to reach her in time.
She glanced at
me out of the corner of her eye. “Why do you look like someone might take away your favorite toy?”
I shook my head. “I was quiet. That’s all.” Another wave came, and I made a big show of getting knocked back. “Wow, the waves are pretty rough. Maybe we shouldn’t surf today.”
She eyed all the other surfers, who were smiling and laughing and catching waves. They weren’t exactly helping my cause. “They all look fine to me.”
“They’re idiots for being out here in this. I don’t know what I was thinking.” I grabbed her elbow. “Let’s go back to the shore.”
She jerked free. “No.”
“Carrie—”
“No.” She kept going farther into the ocean. I could tell by the way she stomped through the water that I wouldn’t win this one. “Now go away. You’ve got an appointment with Jesus, and he doesn’t like to be kept waiting.”
I squared my jaw. “It’s too dangerous for a newbie like you.”
“For your charge, you mean?” She glanced back at me over her shoulder. “Oh well. You’ll be earning your keep today, guard.”
Fine. She wanted to be like that? She could be like that. I followed her, muttering under my breath, “After you, boss.”
Looked as if my day of planned solitude was off. I wouldn’t get the brief time of no one bossing me around or bugging me. Instead, I’d have to save her life time and time again. If she went and tried to drown on me, I’d rescue her and then throttle her little ass for being so damn reckless.
Once I got out into the ocean, I straddled my board, determined not to let Mr. Worrywart take the fun out of my morning. It had been a long, painful week and I needed to let go. Needed to relax. But then he came. I knew there was an easy fix to this annoyance. Knew I could swim away from him, and our entire interaction would be over. But if I did that, he might start flirting with Bimbo Bambi again. And for some reason I didn’t want to name right now, thank you very much, I didn’t want him talking to her.
Or looking at her.
Or thinking about her.
No big deal, right? Right.
He paddled closer to me and gave me a long, hard look. “So, where’s Lover Boy today?”
Lover Boy? As if. “Don’t you call him Golden Boy?”
“Yeah, I did, but I changed my mind lately. Where is he?”
“He’s not the surfing type,” I said simply.
The truth was, I hadn’t invited him. Why would I? This wasn’t his thing. It was mine. Besides, I had been spending way too much freaking time in his company lately. He was a perfect gentleman. He didn’t do a single thing wrong. Never lost his temper or fought with me. Never called me annoying nicknames. He treated me like a princess.
Turns out, I didn’t like being treated like a princess.
I liked annoying surfer boys who lied to me.
“No kidding,” he said dryly. “I never would’ve guessed that.”
“Talk to Jesus, not me.”
“I can’t. I only talk to him when I’m alone.”
I saw a wave coming in the distance, but quickly realized it would be too big. I knew not to ride the huge ones. Knew I was a novice at best. He worried for nothing. Small correction—he worried about me because he was paid to do so.
“You get this one.”
He hesitated. “You going to be okay alone?”
“Yes, yes.” I rolled my hand in a sweeping gesture. “Just go.”
He gave me one last look before paddling forward. Despite my annoyance with him, I couldn’t help but watch in admiration. He sliced through the wave as if he was born on a surfboard, and he made it look damned sexy. Effortless too. I could sit here all morning, watching him surf.
Talking to him. Fighting with him. Kissing him…
God, what was wrong with me? Why was I still thinking about him like this after what I’d found out? After knowing he’d been paid to get close to me? To fool me into liking him. I was sick. I would never have believed myself possible of such weakness before Finn.
By the time he made his way back, I was thoroughly disgusted with myself. He grinned at me and shook his head like the dog he was. Droplets landed on my nose, and I swiped them off. “That was a great one.”
I clucked my tongue and kept staring straight ahead. Not looking at him. “I saw.”
“You okay?” he asked after a moment’s hesitation.
“I’m freaking wonderful.”
I checked over my shoulder, but it didn’t look like any waves of an appropriate size would be coming anytime soon. Maybe he’d been right, and I should’ve left, but then I’d have to admit defeat to him…and I wasn’t willing to do that. Not ever again, if I could help it.
He looked out at the ocean too, his brow furrowed. “We could just head in. You can try tomorrow.”
“Not happening. I’m riding at least one wave before I go home.”
“You don’t have to prove anything to me,” he said, his voice low. “We both know you’re good at surfing, but that’s exactly why you can’t take one of these. You know you’re not ready.”
“Don’t tell me what I can and can’t do,” I said, my grip on my board tight. “I’ll take whatever wave I want, whenever I want it, and you can’t do a darn thing to stop me.”
“The hell I can’t,” he snapped, throwing his left leg over the side of his board. “Watch me.”
“Stop right there,” I warned, holding my hand out. If he touched me, I would be done for. I couldn’t ever feel his touch again, because if I did, I might just forget all about the lies. I might not care anymore. “I’m warning you.”
“Or what? You’ll yell at me some more?”
He hopped off his board and started swimming to me. Oh God. I had to get away. Needed to escape. He’d triggered the fight-or-flight response in my system, and I chose flight. I glanced behind me just in time to see a wave forming. It was bigger than usual, but nothing too insane.
He must’ve seen the look in my eyes, because his own went wide. “Don’t do it, Carrie. You can’t—”
“The hell I can’t,” I echoed back at him, paddling forward.
“Carrie, no!” he yelled. He leapt on his board, clearly trying to catch the wave with me.
I had no idea if he succeeded, because I was trying to keep my balance since the “not so big wave” turned out to be humongous. I was an idiot for trying to ride it. Within seconds, I wiped out, the salt water stinging my eyes and filling my mouth. I hadn’t held my breath. Hadn’t been ready. I’d been too busy worrying about him and what he was doing.
I went under hard, and my tethered surfboard hit me in the back of the head. Stars swam before my eyes, but I tried to wait out the torrential wave like Finn had taught me. I got thrown around like a limp rag doll in a washing machine. Oh, God, I was going to die out here in the cold Pacific Ocean, all because I’d been too much of a fool to know when to call it quits. Too darn full of pride for my own good.
What would happen to Finn when he realized I wasn’t coming back up? How could it be that we would never see each other again? There was so much more to talk about. Things to figure out and fights to have. I wasn’t ready to die yet.
A hand closed around my wrist, yanking me up to the surface. Before I could so much as blink in surprise, my face cleared the water. Finn took a deep gulping breath, then disappeared below the ocean.
“Finn!” I screamed, paddling around in a frantic circle. “Finn!”
Nothing. He was gone.
I took a deep breath and sank under water, but I only just got my head under when someone from behind me yanked me back up. I let out a broken sob and broke free. “No! He’s missing!”
I dove back under the water, but my captor caught my arm again. I swung a fist at him, refusing to be held back when Finn needed help. Refusing to let him die because he’d saved me.
“Jesus, Ginger,” Finn said, shaking me. “I’m right here.” He shook me again. “Carrie, I’m here.”
I stopped fighting and took a deep
, ragged breath. He was here. Alive. I burst into tears and threw my arms around his neck. He hugged me tight and kissed my temple, then my cheek. I held my breath, waiting to see if he’d take it further. If he’d kiss me. He seemed to hesitate, his lips hovering near mine. So close I could move just a tiny bit, and we would be touching.
But I held my breath for nothing, because he didn’t move that inch, and neither did I. “Sh. It’s okay. You’re okay. I got you.”
I choked on a sob and hit his shoulder. “I wasn’t worried about me, you idiot.”
“Well, you should have been.” The calming tone he’d been using disappeared and was replaced by the hard, cold tone he’d never used on me before. “Fuck, Carrie. You could’ve died. All because of what?”
“Because of you!” I hit him again, but he didn’t even flinch. “Because you won’t leave me alone! I had to get away.”
He flinched. “Well, from now on, I will. Believe me, I will,” he rasped, his voice breaking on the last word.
He started for the sand. Part of me wanted to continue this fight out here in the ocean, but the other part of me wanted to get him safely to the shore. I had almost lost him. Really lost him. When he’d sunk under the water, I had gone insane with worry. And the way I felt at the mere idea of losing him told me something I should have known already.
I wasn’t over him. I might never be completely over him.
As soon as my feet cleared the hectic rush of the water, he let go of me and dragged his hands down his face. “Jesus.”
“What did you mean out there?” I asked, unable to stop myself. “About leaving me alone?”
He turned to me, his face drawn and ragged looking. “I didn’t know you hated me so much you’d rather die than surf next to me.”
I swallowed hard. That wasn’t it at all. I didn’t hate him. That was the problem. “I can’t surf with you or be your friend. I don’t even want to see you. It hurts too much.”
He paled. “It hurts me too. You have no idea how damn much it hurts because you think this was all a game to me. It wasn’t. And seeing you every day? It kills me.”
The OUT OF LINE Series Page 16
