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And hell if every word out of Sophie’s lush mouth while they were out there didn’t make him feel even better.
Less alone for the first time in his life.
Bryce and Danny had tried over the years. Even Julia. But whenever they went in the water with him, he shut them out, preferring silence to conversation. Out of the water, they dragged shit out of him, sure, but he didn’t share willingly. They’d witnessed the humiliation his dad doled out, so there was no reason to rehash it.
And for as long as he could remember, the only thing women wanted from him was a piece of his fame, five minutes in the limelight. Which suited him just fine. The less talk, the better. No woman seemed to honestly want to get to know him as a person. They only wanted what was on the outside.
The beautiful, sweet brainiac lying next to him saw through him and seemed to like what she saw.
Why did he care what she thought?
Caring, even for a few days, was a bad idea for a guy who lived out of a suitcase and kept his guard up. A guy who couldn’t shake the crap his father had said to him.Ifhe ever found someone he liked enough to have a relationship with, she wouldn’t be someone who’d skipped grades in school and graduated from college early. How would he keep her interested for the long haul?
Sophie was unlike any woman he’d met before, and it messed with his head, that was all.
“What are you doing?” her soft voice asked, pulling him from his thoughts. Her green eyes stared up at him, her lips parted slightly.
“Watching you sleep.”
“How long have I been out?”
“About an hour.”
“An hour!” She bolted up. “Whoa, head rush.” She covered her forehead with her hand and cast her gaze to the shirt that had slipped off her back.
He put his hand on her arm. Her warm, soft skin set his body on fire. He’d fought the urge to touch her while she slept, his willpower truly put to the test. “Slow down. There’s no rush.”
Her long, dark lashes fluttered. “But your mom and sister are waiting for you. I’m super sorry I slept so long. You should’ve nudged me or something.”
Several somethings came to mind. “We’ve got all day. No worries.”
“I don’t have all day, Zane. I need to be back by three, four at the latest, for the concert tonight.”
He’d forgotten she had a job to do. That she had a new career she seemed to love and worked hard at. His schedule was unique, and he couldn’t expect that she’d fit into it. He couldn’t expect anyone to. “That’s right.” He got to his feet and put out his hand. “We’d better get going.”
She lifted his T-shirt with her free hand. “You covered my back with this.”
“I didn’t want you to get sunburned. I figured you put sunscreen on your legs, but not your back.”
“Thank you.” She blinked up at him with soft, appreciative eyes that made him ache to sweep her into his arms.
“Not a problem.” He took the shirt from her outstretched arm and pulled it over his head.
She stepped into her shorts and pulled them up her slim legs. His eyes tracked up the length of velvety fair skin and settled on the slight flare of her hips as her hands zipped and buttoned the clothing. She bent to pick up her shirt, rewarding him with a very fine shot of her ass. Her eyes widened as she straightened. He’d been caught checking her out.
Normally that didn’t bother him.
But with Sophie, he wasn’tjustgiving her the once-over, not if the twinge in his chest was any indication.
He grabbed their towels and avoided further eye contact. He felt like a damn teenager, confused and constantly turned on.
“Your knee okay?” he asked after they’d taken a few steps, the sun at their back, miles of sand and unpeopled ocean in front of them.
“It’s a little sore, but better than it was before. So is this beach really always this empty? It’s so beautiful I can’t imagine people don’t flock here. Especially this time of year.”
“It’s difficult to get to, so yeah.”
She made a face. “You’re not telling me something.”
