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He shakes his blond head, running a hand through his short hair. “Fuck, I’m sorry, Greer. I didn’t mean to—”
His apology pisses me off even more than the way he shot out of bed like the devil was poking him in the ass with his trident. I open my mouth to tell him to fuck off, that this push and pull he and his friends have going on with me is giving me whiplash, but he pulls me out of bed before walking into the bathroom.
“Since we’re up early, let’s get some surfing in before work,” he says, coming back out mere moments later in the swimming trunks he had on last night.
Like I said, fucking whiplash. “I—but the water is going to be cold. It’s so early!” I protest, hugging his hoodie tighter to my body, barely able to suppress a shiver at the thought of being in the water. Okay, not just the water. The way Brady’s blue eyes are boring into me isn’t helping matters, and I’m now grateful for the hoodie so he can’t see how hard my nipples just got.
“There’s no rest for the wicked, baby!” he says with a lopsided smile that doesn’t reach his eyes. “The guys and I need to work for a living, and we need to train out of business hours. If you’re cold, we can find you a wetsuit, but you wanted in on this, so we need to get you competition ready. We have just over a month, so get your bathing suit on and let’s haul ass to the beach.”
I hurry into the bathroom, grumbling under my breath that this surfing thing is going to be the fucking death of me and not reminding him that I didn’t exactly apply to sub in for Jamie.
Brady
“Here, this one should fit you,” I say, throwing a wetsuit at her. “I don’t like borrowing equipment from the resort, but I guess the boss can’t really be mad if it’s for his daughter, right?”
Of course the boss would be plenty mad if he knew it was for a race that had nothing to do with the resort.
Fuck, he’d be even more mad if he knew that I spent the night in his daughter’s bed and that, against everything that’s wise, I had my tongue down her throat. Again.
Keep your mouth off of Greer, motherfucker, and for all that is holy, keep your fucking dick in your pants!
I repeated that to myself like a mantra the whole way down to the beach, glad that this is a vacation place and people don’t tend to wake up with the sun unless they are here to work.
“Shit,” she grunts. “Are these things torture devices? How the fuck are you supposed to fit into it? I think I need a bigger size.”
I chuckle at the way Greer is twisting and pulling to put on the pink wetsuit I got her from the resort’s supplies. She looks like the literal fish out of water. “It’s the right size, Greer, trust me. They have to have a snug fit so they keep the water out for the most part.”
She finally manages to get her arms into the short sleeves, huffing and puffing as if she’d just run here from her room. “Easy for you to say, since you aren’t wearing one! But trust me, there’s no way the zipper is going to come up my boobs. This thing must be designed for people with no—”
“Here, let me help you.” I laugh, taking a step forward and doing up the zipper in one fell swoop.
Fuck, I was kind of happy to have Greer covered up, because seeing all that soft, creamy skin on display is hella distracting, but I hadn’t seen how hot she looks with the way the pink neoprene hugs her curves.
“Come on,” I say, busying myself with carrying both our boards so I have something to occupy my hands when all I can think about is undoing that zipper again. “Let’s see if we can get you to stand up on the board today.”
We carry our boards into the cold ocean water. The breathtaking beauty of the sea that surrounds Coral Cove never fails to amaze me. The sun is barely creeping up, looking like a wedge of orange dipped into the blue water of the sea. As the brightest star in our galaxy gets higher on the horizon, it sets the sky and the sea alight with the softest hues of pinks, purples, oranges, and yellows, making the world around us look like the work of a talented artist.
But the beauty of the scenery isn’t the only thing filling my eyes. The rising sun also lights Greer’s blonde hair like a golden halo, and for a second, I almost forget why we’re here, about the race and the money, everything. I forget who I am and who she is and why it’s a bad idea to get closer than I already have. I’ve already fucked things up for me and my brothers, and this is our last chance to make something of ourselves without leaving Coral Cove.
Stay in your place, Brady. Girls like Greer Manning aren’t made for the likes of you and your friends.
“Okay,” I say, fighting to keep my head in the game. “The wind is perfect today, enough to give us some waves but not too much that the waves are too big. Remember what we practiced on land?”
She nods. “I have to lie with my toes touching the tail of the board. Afterward, with my hand near my rib cage, I need to lift my stomach and place it like I’m doing a push-up, and my thumbs need to be in line with my lower ribs.”
I smile, pleased that she was paying attention. “Where do you need to look?”
“Straight up.”
Perfect. “That’s right. Avoid looking down or moving your head, and don’t use your upper body strength to launch and take off.” My eyes track her movements. “Great, now slide your knees up. Awesome, now that you’re kneeling in the center of your board, shift your palms up to rest on your fingers. Remember, don’t look down,” I warn her. “You’re in the right position. Now bring your dominant foot forward, twist your hips, and—”
Splash!
The board tips to the side, and Greer plunges into the water.
She emerges one second later, spluttering and coughing. “Fuck!” She huffs, hitting the water with her palm and looking hotter than she has any business to be looking. “I don’t know what happened. It’s like the board slipped right out from under me.”
I smile. “You almost had it. You were practically standing on your board. Your feet were too far from each other, that’s why the board tipped. You need to keep your feet slightly closer so the board will have the chance to pick up speed and it won’t lean out and collapse. Come on, let’s try again.”
