His face turns crimson, my que to take off.
I sprint for the water, sand spraying up behind me. Halfway there, I spin and shoot him a vicious look over my shoulder, daring him to chase me.
No time to check if he does.
At the shoreline, I swing the board in front of me and dive.
My chest slams into it a little too hard, but I ignore the blunt pain and start paddling.
He gets this cute, high-pitched voice whenever he’s upset, and I hear him calling my name like I’m a very,verydisobedient dog.
Except I’m a wolf, he should know that by now. Listening was never part of the plan.
For now, I just want to play along with the idea that he thinks I’m a rookie, paddling straight into a rising wave like a reckless adrenaline junkie.
I know exactly what to do, and if Poseidon’s watching, he’ll let me ride this wave like the shameless peacock I am, feathers out for the one man I’m trying to impress.
I feel the swell building beneath me.
I paddle once, twice, then push up in one smooth motion. My feet plant wide. knees bent, weight centered. I manage to find my balance. I’m flying.
I ride it out until the wave dissolves beneath me. Only then do I let myself fall, crashing into the water with a satisfied feeling.
Adrenaline floods my veins.I can’t remember the last time I felt this fucking alive.
I get up on my board, wiping my wet curls backwards like a fucking god. And then,bam, asolid punch to my shoulder sends me flying ungracefully back into the fucking water.
“Idiot piece of shit! You nearly gave me a heart attack!”
Shit, I’ve never heard him swear at me like that, it instantly kicks me off cloud nine.
I cough as I struggle to lift myself out of the water, my throat burning with seasalt.
“Trust me…” Cough“I know from first-hand experience…” Cough, cough“you wouldn’t be this fiery if you… had one.”
His strong hands slip under my arms, lifting me effortlessly from the water onto my board. For a moment we don’t say anything, just stare into each other's eyes. Not blinking, not looking away. Nothing of that.
Then his mouth curves into a grin. He plants his palms on the nose of my board, pushing me away.
“Next one’s mine, loser!” Yosh calls over his shoulder, already paddling hard for the break.
Sure it is, love.
I pretend to race him, but I’d give him every wave just to keep him smiling at me like that. And if this is a game he’d rather not play, fine. I’ll give it my all and play for both of us.
Chapter twenty
Yosh
By the time we leave the beach, my mood starts to change. Not because anything went wrong, but because nothing did. It was good. Too good.
Which is exactly why my brain decides to ruin it.
Why do I always do this? Why do I always go straight to thebuts, theifs, and thewhensthe second happiness gets too close?
Today, I’d almost touched something like euphoria.
I’d felt the freedom of the open sea, the rawness of nature under my feet. And the best part? Every time I looked over, he was right there, feeling it too.
