“Fuck,” I groan, stepping into the shower.
The easiest thing to do would be to jerk off, but that somehow feels wrong on so many levels. Normally, I wouldn’t give a shit, jerking off whenever the situation called for it. But here in Quinn’s bathroom, with her in the other room and every single part of me wishing she was here in the shower with me.
Whole different story.
“Fuck my life,” I mutter, turning the water to cold as I step under it, forcing myself to stand there as I wait for my dick to get the memo and calm the fuck down. When it does, I turn some of the hot water back on, quickly washing before it decides to get excited again.
When I’m done, I dry off and quickly get dressed before heading back to the kitchen.
“Thanks for the shower,” I say, sitting down across from her, an easy smile on my face.
Quinn is picking at a cupcake. “Thanks for the surf lesson.”
Chuckling, I grab one of the vanilla cupcakes from the box. “Anytime,” I say, shoving half of it in my mouth. “So, you ready to go?”
“Where are we going?” Quinn asks.
Standing, I again tell her, “You’ll see.”
I pull up in front of the warehouse, turning to Quinn, who is taking in the huge sign emblazoned on the side of the building. It’s actually new, something Nate did not that long ago when Dad decided he wanted to re-brand a little.
“Coming?” I ask as we get out of the car.
“Kai, what is this?” Quinn asks as she gets out.
Smiling, I meet her at the front of the car. “This is where I work. You said you wanted to see some of the boards.”
She gazes up at the building, her eyes hidden behind sunglasses, but a look of surprise is still visible on her face. “I mean, yeah,” she murmurs. “I guess I didn’t expect...this.”
“It’s our family business, Quinn,” I say, taking her hand in mine as I lead her into the workshop. “It means a lot to us and a lot to this island. We don’t just make boards for anyone,” I continue.
“You don’t?” she asks.
“Nope,” I reply, shaking my head as we step inside. “Grandpa started it, and back then it was small and kinda something he did for friends. It eventually grew, but when my dad started working here, he got the idea that we should focus on customs. Boards that mean something and belong only to a particular surfer. They’re one-offs for each person, so they don’t get re-sold, and if they get damaged, Dad will always fix them.”
“So what, you can’t just walk in and buy one?” she asks as her gaze wanders around the large open space.
“No. Dad will only make a custom board for someone who he thinks will respect it. I told you earlier that surfing is good for the soul and for connecting with nature. Your board is a part of that.” She turns to look at me, her sunglasses now pushed on top of her head as her eyes scan my face. “What?” I ask, almost nervous because I’ve never really explained surfing like this to a non-surfer.
“That’s really beautiful,” she whispers.
Grinning, I squeeze her hand as I lead her further inside. “I knew you’d fit in here.”
“Kai!”
I turn to see Dad standing beside an almost finished board that I know he’s made for the Aussie girl who beat Alana in Maui Pipe. Turns out she’s a cool chick, someone Flynn knows, and Dad was more than happy to welcome her to the Olsen family.
“Yo, old man, how’s it going?”
Dad laughs, coming over to give me a hug. “How are you doing?” he asks, a huge smile on his face. “And more importantly, who is your friend?”
“Dad, this is Quinn,” I say, introducing them. “Quinn, this is my old man, Tanner.”
“Nice to meet you, Quinn,” Dad says, a smirk on his face as he glances over at me.
I roll my eyes because I know exactly what he’s thinking. Before he can say anything, I add, “Quinn has just moved to Maui. Gave her a surf lesson this morning.”
“Oh?” Dad asks, brow raised in question. “And what did you think, Quinn?”
