Chapter Thirteen
Addi
Okay, okay, I’ll admit it. Cole’s right.
Boogie boarding is not the same as surfing.
Not in any way.
Cole’s tried to teach me how to surf the past couple of days, but I think the saying Can’t teach a dog old tricks may have some truth to it.
Because I absolutely suck at surfing.
At least I tried. For now, I watch Cole.
My heart roars in my chest like the powerful ocean before me as his gorgeous figure surfs as though it takes no effort at all. I want to wrap myself around him, become one with him and his board, and drift into the sunset.
Fuck, there are those things called feelings again.
Abort, abort.
He catches a few more waves, then swims to shore, his lean body gliding in effortlessly. A half smile plays on his lips, and I’m happy he’s in a better mood.
His meeting with the bank the other day seemed to go well, and since then, he’s had a pep in his step. Our marketing plan seems to be kicking off, and more customers are trickling in slowly. I designed new business cards, giving his shop a more modern and updated logo. I created posters and flyers, and Gramps and I have spent a few mornings plastering them everywhere.
It seems to be working, and both of us are benefiting from the arrangement.
I just hope it stays this way. Maybe this could work out well … for both of us.
I watch him walk out of the water carrying his board under his arm, the water dripping off him in several places. My body pulses for him, literally thumping with need as the blood rushes my veins.
When he finally reaches me, he places his board at our feet and gazes down at me. Water from his suit drips onto my toes. He presses his wet body against my dry sandy one, the sandy now wet and sticky between us.
“I love you watching me.” His greenish eyes darken as the words leave his mouth. My insides clench as my bikini bottom rubs against just the right spot when I stand with one leg crossed over the other. Cole feels the shift and looks down. He grips my thighs and digs his fingers into the soft skin before he pulls my legs apart.
I grab his shoulders in an attempt not to fall, completely thrown off balance. His passion takes me by surprise sometimes, the desire to consume me bringing out his dirty side.
Before I have a chance to demand an apology, he grabs my face and slams our lips together. Right there, on the beach, in front of anyone to see.
His fiery kiss scorches like the hot sun beating down on the beach where we stand. Sand squishes between our toes. The salty sea air whips through our air, leaving the ocean as the only relief from the heat raging between us.
We’ve never kissed outside the shop before; our sex has strictly been during work hours. But here we are on a Saturday evening, together and in public, no less. After a busy day at the shop, Cole asked me to join him on the beach and even asked me to dinner. He claims we have business to discuss.
I’m trying to follow Leigh’s advice and not read into anything.
But it’s becoming hard as fucking hell.
He squeezes my ass, his long fingers caressing the bare sandy skin.
“I want you, Addi. Right here, right now.”
“Then what are you waiting for?”
* * *
Cole picks me up at my parents’ house a few hours later, each of us having gone home to shower and change. A few moments ago, he sent me a text that he was almost here, so I decided to wait outside. The house is stuffy and hot because no one was home during the day this past week. My mother took off on another one of her girl trips, and my father hasn’t been home in a few days. I don’t bother to ask anymore.
An engine roaring in the near distance catches my attention, and my head follows the sound. As a big Jeep comes down the road, Cole’s shaggy hair blowing in the wind, I see the top down and no doors attached. Your typical beach Jeep.