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Prologue
Wes
MychesttightensasI push myself through the pain. My calves are aching, I’m struggling to get air into my lungs, and…what the fuck is with the wind?
Damn my best friend for being right.Beach running is fucking hard. And why didn’t anyone warn me that San Francisco was going to have shitty weather even though it’s California? I’m not saying it would have changed my decision to move here, but a little notice would have been great.
Scanning my watch as I sprint the last few yards, I slow to a walk the second I reach my goal, before doubling over to catch my breath. If my team trains on this shit, I’m fucked. Back in Chicago, I was one of the fittest, but I sure as hell don’t feel very fit right now.
When my breathing evens out, I stand tall, pulling my soaked tee up over my head before dropping it to the sand. Hands locked behind my head, I stretch out my muscles while kicking off my sneakers, desperate to get into the water to cool down.
I’ve just removed my socks when a stunning woman appears in front of me, drawing my questioning eyes up to her hesitant ones. Dark golden-brown wisps of hair blow across her face, and her chest rises and falls like she was sprinting along with me. Beneath the windswept strands, she greets me with a tight smile plastered on her face, as her hand rises to her cheek, brushing the hair away.
“Can I—”
“Please hold your questions until the end,” she says, cutting me off before reaching for my hand and intertwining our fingers, a determined expression in place. “Right now, I just need you to kiss me like your life depends on it.”Huh?
“Uh, what?”
“No questions.”
Without another word, she releases my hand, wraps her arms around my neck and slams her lips to mine. It takes all of two seconds for me to process her words before I’m gripping her waist and pulling her into me, instinctively matching her intensity. And fuck is she intense.
My hold tightens on her the longer we kiss, and a small gasp leaves her lips. It feels like the perfect moment to slip my tongue in her mouth, but…what the fuck am I doing?I don’t even know this woman. I start to break away, but her hands come up to cup my face, keeping me in place as her tongue meets mine, drawing my attention back to the moment. And what an incredible moment.Stranger aside, this is hot.Although, it could be the stranger part that makes it hotter.
Bending her back slightly, our bodies align as I deepen the kiss, allowing myself to be a little crazy for once in my life. But when a cheer rings out behind me, I realize where I am and pull back, staring into a pair of unforgettable blue eyes. Our gazes lock for only a second before she blinks, cutting off our connection as she peers over her shoulder and yells, “Report that back, asshole,” raising her middle finger in the air.
My eyes flash to the guy she’s cursing out to see him scamper away to a nearby car, and an amused expression takes over my features.
“Want to tell me what that was all about?” I ask, eyebrows raised in question.
“Nope,” she says, popping thep. “But thanks for the help.”
So much for allowing questions after the fact.
Before I can say another word, she takes off in a skip-like run down the beach without even looking back, only stopping when she reaches another girl sunbathing on the sand.
Well, fuck me.That was weird, but not at all unwelcome. Maybe I even enjoyed it.
If only my ex-teammates could see me now. I’m not the stick-in-the-mud they thought I was—not only did I leave my team and move to another franchise, but I also made out with a stranger…on the beach…in broad daylight.See, I can deal with change and spontaneity.Sometimes. God, why is my heart racing?
My eyes stay on the woman for longer than they should, trying to make sense of what just happened, and when she looks back at me, I’m still staring. She gives me a wave and a shy smile before tucking her sun-kissed hair behind her ear and turning away. Moment over.Right, okay.I can take a hint.
Shaking out my crazy thoughts, I quickly revert to serious mode and try to pretend it never even happened. And with one last peek at my beautiful stranger, I dash into the ocean and dive headfirst into the crashing waves, letting the cool water soothe my joints.
It may not be the sunny California I was expecting, but I could definitely get used to a morning beach run and swim.
Especially if I get to see my mystery woman again.
By the time I get out, she’s gone. Vanished without a trace. Like she was never even here. And yet, as our moment flashes across my mind, something tells me I’m going to have a hard time forgetting her.
Chapter One
Lucy - six weeks later
Lettingoutaslowsigh, I run my fingers through my thick hair, before pulling it up and securing it into a ponytail. After washing my face, I sink my head into my hands and press pause on my life for a second. I’ve been doing that a lot lately…taking a moment to reset before my mind spirals in the wrong direction. The past six months have been a roller coaster to say the least. I finished studying and officially became a certified physical therapist. I somehow secured my dream job working with a college football team, at my alma mater. And I’m finally single for the first time in two years, after a string of bad relationships. The latter being the main cause of my dark mood.
I made a vow to move ahead and find myself again, to get back to the fun girl I used to be. I just struggle with it all sometimes. Hence the need to reset.
