“But it suits you, does it not?” Ash asked.
“Depends on how you define ‘pretty.’”
“How about I define it with one word?”
“Take your best shot.”
“You,” he said with a grin.
The trickling heat of her red cheeks called to him. Her embarrassment matched her bathing suit in all the best ways. Ash grinned and walked up to her, then tossed his board to the ground before sitting on it.
“Is that good for the board?” Kallie asked.
“Do you surf?” Ash asked.
“I never have, no. But I can’t imagine the sand would be good for the wax on your board.”
“So you’re at least a little knowledgeable about it.”
“Doesn’t everyone know that?”
Smart and unaware of that fact. Fuck, Ash thought she was wonderful.
“Want a lesson?”
“In what?” Kallie asked.
“Surfing,” Ash said. “Come on. I’ll give you a crash course.”
He stood up from his board and offered her his hand, but she looked at it like he was crazy. He wiggled his fingers and beckoned to her, vowing to himself that she wasn’t getting away without spending some quality time with him. After picking up his board and dusting it off, he offered his hand to her one last time. His eyes communicating that he wasn’t taking no for an answer.
And he smiled when Kallie slid her hands into his.
“Do you have time to give a surfing lesson and tend the bar?” Kallie asked.
Ash chuckled to himself before wrapping his fingers around her hand.
“It’s my day off,” he said.
She seemed hesitant to go with him. Or believe him. Or a combination of the two. But when Ash started walking toward the ocean, she followed.
And he felt victory rush through his veins.
“Okay,” he said as they stood on the wet sand. “First, I’m going to show you how to stand on the board. You have to balance yourself, so brace your abs and don’t lock your knees.”
He helped Kallie onto the board and watched as she teetered. A wave came up and swept the board off the sand and Kallie nearly fell on her ass. He reached out his hand and caught her, pulling her close to his body as his board stayed connected to the harness around his ankle.
She had beautiful green eyes.
“Sorry,” Kallie said.
“Don’t be. It takes time to learn to balance. Come on. Let’s try again,” Ash said.
Over and over again, Ash held her hands while she steadied herself on the board. And after a few times of the waves picking her up as she kept herself stable, the two of them made their way into the waves. He held the board for her and she practiced getting on and off, then straddled it as her feet dangled in the water.
“The trick is to listen to the ocean. You don’t have to look behind you to know a wave is coming. You’ll feel it against your ankles. Close your eyes.”
Kallie looked at him like he was crazy but followed his every order.