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Chapter One
~ Breezy ~
“Crap!” I threw down my binoculars already diving toward the lifeguard stand’s ladder, my flotation device slung around me. “Swimmer in trouble in the water. Call for help. Get everyone out of the water,” I called to my partner, Carla. I didn’t look to see if she did it. I knew she would.
“Out of the water! Out of the water!” I yelled. The way that guy was flailing, he had to be drunk, he’d gotten caught on something, or there had to be a rip current no one had forecast. Our weather service wasn’t perfect, but it usually forewarned us accurately.
I sprinted out into the water before I dove into the waves. I didn’t feel the pull of a strong current yet. That didn’t mean it wasn’t there. With powerful strokes, I swam toward where I’d seen the man. More help would be here in moments. I couldn’t wait for a boat or jet skis to rush in, however.
A hand flailed out of the water, again. Shit! He was farther out and failing fast. Using all the power I’d developed in the gym, as well as during my years of swimming, three of which were as an Ocean Rescue lifeguard throughout the recent summers, I swam toward him as fast as I could.
I was almost to him when I felt the pull. I let it drag me, knowing it wouldn’t take me under. The most dangerous part of this would be when I got to him. If he panicked—which clearly, he was already panicking—he could plunge me right under with him.
Pulling free the floater, I shoved it in front of me, so he could grab it and not me. Once I had his attention and one of the guys on the jet ski arrived, he could be towed back to shore.
“Grab this,” I yelled.
His arm came up, and I was close enough to capture his wrist and shove the floatie against him. He hugged it, and when I released him, he clung to it as if it were a life preserver—which it was. As he grappled onto it and not me, I got closer.
“Just relax. The current will take us out then bring us back in. We’ll swimwith it.”
My scan met his panicked face to make sure he understood, and shock pierced through me. I’d been so focused on saving him, I hadn’t realized who it was.
“Felix? What the hell!”
Seriously? What was my ex doing out here,drowning?Felix was a great swimmer. As he stared wide-eyed, there wasn’t a trace of recognition on his face while he clung to the red life preserver. He seemed so confused, I wasn’t sure I could even get him to swim with me.
The problem was taken out of my hands as two jet skis neared and slowed.
“Breezy!” one of the guys yelled to get my attention. “Felix?”
“Barron,” I acknowledged my brother. “Something’s wrong with him.”
Barron gave a sharp nod and hauled Felix up with him. His partner for the day, Wade, helped me up behind him, and we sped toward the beach.
“It was supposed to be green flag today,” I muttered.
“You know how it is,” he yelled over his shoulder. He was right, in any condition, there was a chance for a strong current to develop. I wasn’t even sure it was an actual full-blown rip. More like Felix had… What? Flipped out? Had a mental break?
I jumped off the vehicle as soon as we were near the beach, and I ran to Felix. Yeah, he was my ex, but I’d dated the damn guy until a six months ago. Years. We’d been together for years.
He panted on the sand where Barron had dragged him. I dropped to my knees beside him.
“Felix. What’s going on?” I said, and for the first time, I realized he was still wearing the jeans, T-shirt and work boots he would have worn to the construction site this morning. He’d been out in the water in his work clothes…not a swimsuit. How had he ended up in the ocean? “Felix…”
I palmed his cheek and pulled his gaze to mine. He looked confused then relief filled his eyes.
“Breezy,” he breathed and pulled me down to him. All the way down. Lips to lips as if he needed mouth to mouth to resuscitate him. Awareness sizzled through me, and I moaned. God, I’d missed him, even if I shouldn’t have.
But that moan ripped me from the moment, and I jerked back.
“What are you…?” I trailed off. I mean obviously, I knew what he’d been doing. Just not why. “Is this some stunt? You could have been killed!”
“I…” He shook his head, but still looked dazed. But as his eyes cleared, fear edged into his confusion. “Why am I all wet?”
“This isn’t funny, Felix.” The words growled from under my breath, while I grew ever aware of the crowd around us. Glancing furtively, I saw an ATV racing our way.
He shook his head and winced. “I…I…really don’t know how I got on the beach.”
