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“Yep,” I said and gave her a melodramatic and sad look. “And my mom still has pictures of it. Little fucker wouldn’t let go, and we had to get the lifeguard to pry it off. I was quite the local celebrity for the rest of our vacation.”
“For getting bit by a shark the size of a kitten?”
Laughing, I shook my head. “You know what the worst part is?”
“No, what?”
“My nephew has recently become a big, big fan of that stupid baby shark song, thanks to my nefarious sister. Except she changed the words so it’s a song about Uncle Tyler getting bit by a baby shark.” I stared in the direction of her house fifteen miles away, as if I could see her now. “She even taught her kids a dance for the song that reenacts my shark bite.”
Nora burst out laughing, all traces of fear gone, and she was gorgeous in an all-American, girl next doorway in the rising California sun. “That’s terrible! I know that song all too well. I have a niece and a nephew who are two and four. My brother swears the two-year-old learned how to use the tablet just so he could play that song.”
The breeze from the ocean pushed at our backs, drying the lingering water from my shower, and cooling my skin. “Do you live around here?”
She looked around as if noticing where we were for the first time, her pretty bowed lips turning down into a frown. “No. God, how far did I run? I just moved here a few months ago, so I’m still learning the area. Where am I?”
“Manhattan Beach.”
“Shoot, I didn’t mean to run this far north.” She groaned. “I’m staying south of here in Rancho PV and my phone is dead. Can I borrow yours so I can call my roommate for a ride?”
“I would, but I don’t have my phone with me. I don’t bring it with me on my morning surf. It’s the one time of the day when I can be by myself.” At her worried look, I quickly added, “But my house isn’t that far away. Only three blocks. We can go there, and I can get changed then give you a lift back. I have to head into work soon anyway.”
“Are you sure? I don’t want to make you late for work or disturb your family.”
“You’re fine. I don’t have a set time I need to be at work, and it’s just me and my cats. Trust me, they love company. The more people to spoil them with chin scratches the better.”
“I’m not sure…” She chewed her lip for a moment. “No offense, but I don’t know you.”
“Understandable.” I pointed to the roof of the showers. “See that? It’s a camera linked to the police department. They have them all over the place. As we walk back to my house, we’ll pass some businesses with cameras, and people’s homes with cameras on their front doors. I’d have to be a pretty dumb murderer to abduct you knowing your every move is recorded and will lead directly to my house. You know, aside from the fact that I’m not a serial killer.”
“Huh, I didn’t think of it that way.” Relief filled her expressive little face, and I started to worry about the strength of my reaction to her. “Thank you, thank you so much. I’ll pay you back for the gas—”
Standing, I laughed and offered her a hand up, strangely gratified when she took it. “Don’t worry about it. If you want to help, you can carry my towel for me while I carry my board.”
She giggled, and two deep dimples popped out in her cheeks. Damn, she was too adorable for words. My dick stirred in interest, but I willed that fucker to relax. So what if physically she hit all my like buttons, not to mention the fact that I’ve always loved dimples? She was a scared woman at least ten years younger than me looking for help, not someone I was on a date with.
But that didn’t stop the burning need in my gut to know more about this intriguing woman.
“You mentioned you have to head to work,” she said as we walked up the hill along the coast toward the homes past the shopping district. “What do you do?”
“Private security,” I replied. As we passed beneath a towering palm tree, the shadows played across her face. “What about you? Where are you from? You have a hint of an accent that isn’t local.”
“I’m originally from Oklahoma,” she said with an irresistible bright smile.
“What brought you out here?”
Her smile faded, and she looked away. “Oh, I got a great job offer. Plus, my best friend lives out here and she, um, needed a roommate.”
I studied her for a moment, and she pretended not to notice my gaze as we crossed the street. Nora was a terrible liar. Her whole body would tense, and her hands balled into little fists as if lying was physically painful for her somehow. I wondered why she was lying when it was so clearly distasteful, but I reminded myself that it was none of my business. I tended to interrogate people and, after the stressful morning she had, the last thing she needed was me riding her ass.
