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See, it's too good to be true, the evil part of me whispers.This man's surely going to rip your heart out. He'll leave and you'll never see him again. Or something.
And it's going to feel worse than anything you've ever felt in your life, so you'd better get ready. Enjoy the kisses now, revel in that gentle touch while you can.
Because girls like you don't get happy-ever-afters with men like him.
"This might beout of my comfort zone."
It’s the day after our midnight picnic. I eye the placid blue water, then the paddles and the boards. We're standing on a small beach on the side of the island that faces the mainland. It's my day off, and I'd had the bright idea—in part, thanks to my neighbor Carmen, who owns a surf shop—to go paddleboarding with Damien. I thought it would be a fun date, something other than lying around and making out after sundown.
I have never been on a paddleboard.
"You've done yoga, right?" Damien asks.
"Yeah," I say, stooping to touch the board. Carmen delivered it and the gear to us here on this beach, and we're supposed to call her when finished. I rap on it with myknuckles as if it's a door. It's surprisingly solid. "I'm not doing yoga on this."
"No, but people do. My point is, if you have the balance for yoga, you'll do fine on a board."
I stand up, squinting with disbelief. "You're naturally an athletic person. I'm not. And you've done this before."
He gently pulls the brim of my ball cap down. "This was your idea, and you're going to do great. Look how calm the water is. C'mon. I'll be with you at all times. And what's the worst that happens? You fall in the water. You know how to swim."
He pauses. "You do know how to swim, right?"
Laughing, I reach to pinch his stomach. Of course, there's nothing to pinch because of his muscles, so I settle for a tickle instead. He grabs me and wraps his arms around my body. We smooch, slow and sensual, for a few minutes. We're the only ones on this little beach, and I start to get ideas.
Sexy ideas.
Then he breaks away with a giant inhale. "Okay. Paddleboarding."
"Right." I clap my hands. "So much for sexytimes. And yes, I can swim."
Chuckling, he walks to his board, shaking his head. "You are too much, Kate Cooper."
He proceeds to explain each part of the board and the paddle and talks in detail about how I'm going to start by lying flat on the board, on my stomach.
"You'll get a feel for the board by floating," he says.
"Can I get a demonstration?" I ask.
"Sure," he shrugs.
Then he takes off his shirt. Although we've been doing a lot of making out over the past week, I haven't actually seen him shirtless. I've touched his bare chest under his shirt, but never have I seen his naked torso until today.
It is a work of art.
My mouth hangs open a little as I take in his rippling abs.
"I'm going to put the board in the water and show you each step of how to stand." He easily lifts the board, and my eyes go to his biceps.
Guns out, sun's out.I wonder if I should stealthily snap a photo for Lauren and edge over to my beach tote.
"You put the board in the water like this. Kate? You watching?"
"Yep, sure am!" I abandon my plan to take a photo, figuring I should pay attention. Plus, his back is to me, and his butt looks tight and cute in those light blue swim trunks.
This man wants me? My mind churns with disbelief as I watch him move. Damn. What did I do to get this lucky?
He sets the board atop the water and walks it out until he's hip deep. I step closer to the water's edge, marveling at his bronze skin in the sunlight.
