He was fighting a losing battle.
Taking a long, deep breath, he told his body to behave itself. He was thirty-one-years-old, long past the age when it was acceptable to get a hard-on at the beach.
She pulled her hair back, fixing it into a messy bun with a brown hair tie, then inclined her head to look up at him. “I don’t have a wetsuit,” she said, glancing down at her blue swimsuit, cut high at the hips and low at the back. “Is this okay?”
This time he wasn’t going to look. “Try this top, courtesy of Lorne’s surf shop.” He passed her a waterproof, long sleeved surf top, with a zipper from the neck to the mid section. “I think the guy might have a little crush on you. When I told him I needed surf gear for you, he offered it up.” He grinned and looked out at the sparkling blue ocean. “The water’s not too cold at this time of day, and we won’t be hitting the strong waves, but you don’t want to hurt your chest when it’s against the board.” He pulled his own surf top on over his head, tugging at the hem until it reached his long board shorts. “We’ll be starting your lesson on the beach, anyway.”
“We will?” she asked, pulling the top over her head and re-fixing her hair. And no, he wasn’t looking at the way it lifted her chest high. Not him.
He cleared his throat. “Yeah. I’m going to teach you how to stand on a board.”
She caught his eye and started to laugh. “I’ve been standing since I was about six months old. I think I have it covered.”
“Try it on the board in the water without practicing and you won’t be laughing,” he told her, raising an eyebrow. Put your board on the sand and lie stomach down on it.”
“You’re very bossy,” she told him. “I kind of like it.”
“It would be a lot easier if you didn’t answer back every time.” He grinned and shook his head.
She gave a mock-pout. “That wouldn’t be much fun.” She pointed at a black cord, attached to a thick cuff. “Is that to put around my ankle?”
“Yep. But you don’t need it on now. We’ll attach it when we get to the water. Now stop talking and get down on the board, woman.”
She blew him a kiss. “As you command, sir.”
He rolled his eyes.
She did as he told her, putting the board down on the warm sand, then lying flat until her stomach and chest were pressed against the waxed surface.
Griff knelt next to her, taking her feet in his hands and placing them at the end of the board. “You’ll start off paddling through the water like this,” he said, adjusting her toes until they were flexed against the board. “But you need to be ready to jump up when you see a wave.” He grabbed his own board and laid down next to her. “See where I have my hands?” he asked, placing his palms on the board and lifting his chest up from the surface. “You want to push up with your toes tucked at the end.” He flexed his biceps, centering himself as he lifted his entire body up from the board, balancing for a moment on his palms and toes. Then he tucked his leg beneath him, placing the sole of his foot firmly on the board, before bringing the other one further forward, in the space between his braced hands. “Make sure your feet are far enough apart to keep you stable.”
“Like this?” She mimicked his movements, arching her back as she pushed herself up from the board and set her feet forward in a one-two movement. God, she looked good.
“Yeah. Just like that. This time, let go and use your thighs to stand up. Keep your knees bent.”
Ten minutes later they were in the water. Griff had left his own board on the sand, and was holding Autumn’s steady as she climbed on and sat down on it the way he showed her.
“A lot of surfing is about sitting down and judging the waves,” he told her. “That’s something you’ll learn over time. You don’t want to hit it too early or too late, or take a wave somebody else is heading for. For now we’ll practice here in the shallows until you get used to balancing in the water.”
“Okay. Can I try it now?” Her eyes glinted with excitement.
“Sure.”
The first three times, she ended up plunging underwater, coming back to the surface and spluttering as she coughed the water from her mouth. The fourth time, though, she managed to balance for five full seconds before going under.
“I forgot to say you’ll get really wet. All the time. Even if you hit a wave right you can end up going under.” He grinned. “It’s a good thing you look sexy when you’re soaking.” He lifted her back up onto the board, his strong hands circling her waist. “Try to look ahead when you stand instead of at your feet. Trust your body to know what it’s doing.”
“Like this?” She lifted her head, keeping her eyes set on the water ahead as she pressed her hands on the board and bent her legs, scooting them forward until she was balanced.
He grinned. “Perfect. Now lets go a little deeper. See if you can get used to the waves.” She was a natural, and it made him want her more. She didn’t care about getting wet, or spending more time underwater than a dolphin. She was too determined for that. She was flexible, too, and lithe.
Thank god the water was more than waist deep.
“I think you’re ready to catch a wave,” he murmured, when she’d mastered paddling and turning on her stomach. “You’re looking to hit it just before it breaks. If you’re too early you won’t be able to ride it. Too late and the foam will take you under.”
“How can I tell that it’s the right time?”
“Look for a swell coming forward.” He grabbed hold of her board and turned it around until she was facing the horizon. “See that one?” he asked, whispering in her ear. “It looks like it might come good.”