Frayed (Connections, #4)(47)

With a grin, we both watch the guy as waves rise from under him and he catches one just right. “It looks like heaven.”

He jumps to his feet and pulls me up. “Come on, let’s do this. Lie down on the board on your stomach.”

“Shouldn’t we be in the water?”

“Red, you have a few dry land lessons to complete before we take you out there.”

My hands go to my hips. “What do you mean? Surfing is done in the water, not on the beach.”

“Yes, it is. But not for us—not today.”

I pout my lips but mostly for show because dry lessons means his hands are on me, and I can’t deny how much I like his touch.

He drops down on the board and all his muscles flex in the most delicious way. “Like this. See, you have to move fast.” He snaps from his stomach to his feet. “It looks easy but it’s not. Speed is what matters. And as simple as it sounds, the less time you spend trying to get to your feet, the more success you’ll have staying up. Do you know how to stand on the board?”

My eyes are ogling the ridges of his abdominal muscles and I fear I might be drooling.

“Red? You got that?”

I start to shake my head mostly because I haven’t tried to process what he said, not because I don’t understand it. I was too busy looking at what I haven’t seen in what seems like a very long time.

“Come here.” His tone is commanding and his voice deep.

I take a step and position myself right in front of him where he wants me. He nudges my feet apart with his, and the friction between his toes and my skin makes my pulse throb in places I didn’t even know it could.

“This is the tail,” he says, pointing to where my back leg is.

I shift my eyes and curl my toes into his. “Got it,” I say as my mouth goes dry.

“And this is the midpoint,” he says, trailing his fingertips down my thigh and peering over my shoulder.

By now I’m unable to speak and we stay like this for a few heartbeats—he’s standing close behind me in a provocative way. When his hands go to my hips, I have to close my eyes. He adjusts my stance so that my back is flush with his stomach and all I can think about is how much I need to have him.

“Just like this,” he whispers in my ear. His voice is hoarse.

His fingers glide up my skin from my hips to my waist as he realigns my stance. I wonder if he can feel my racing heartbeat. I can’t help myself and I lean into him, pressing the small of my back into what I already knew was there—his erection. He pops off the board like a rocket. My eyes snap open and his gaze follows every curve of my body before landing on my face.

He clears his throat. “Okay, so next you’ll move from a horizontal position up to your feet. Got it?”

I chew on my lip. Does he have any idea how crazy he’s making me? I swear he’s doing it on purpose. But I do as he instructs and lie on my stomach. When I swivel my gaze, I notice he averts his stare toward the water.

“Okay, Red, snap,” he snaps.

I hop to my feet but lose my balance and stumble down on top of the sand. He dashes to catch me but ends up landing on top of me instead. His body molds to mine perfectly and the closeness and familiarity make me crave him in a way that’s painful. I don’t push him away and he doesn’t move. Both of us are breathing hard and I can feel his heart beating as erratically as mine.

After a beat, he rises to his elbows and looks down at me. “Are you okay?”

I nod and watch as his eyes dart to my lips, then to my eyes. My hands move on their own and when I grasp his jaw a guttural moan escapes his mouth. I can no longer fight the feeling. I no longer want to. He lowers his head and hovers his mouth over my lips. I want him to kiss me. I know he wants to. But when the coolness of the water surrounds us, I scream. He quickly stands, grabbing my arm and bringing me with him. The tide rolls in and he laughs as I brush water from my face. I pull the tie from my hair and discover that the water has brought back my curls.

He twists a piece of my hair around my finger. “I like your hair curly. I remember it this way.”

I blow some stray strands out of my eyes as he runs his fingers through my hair.

“Really?” I ask, surprised.

He moves closer to me. “Yes. I do. I really do.”

I smile and tuck a piece of my wild locks behind my ear. I stare up at him into those blue eyes. “Why can’t we take the board into the water?”

He grabs my hand and points out into the vast ocean with it. “Because that out there is dangerous and I don’t want you to get hurt. I’ll let you know when you’re ready.”

“So we’ll do this again?” I ask.

“I hope so. I’d like to think I’m a good teacher.” He smirks at me.

Moments pass without words while I stare at him, but I think he knows what I’m thinking. I step closer to him and grab his other hand.

He moves into me, leaving no space between us. His eyes are locked on mine.

“Remember when you asked me what would happen to my guidelines when I changed my mind?” I ask.

His thumbs skim over my thighs with our fingers still laced at our sides. “Yeah. Yeah, I do.” He offers me a sexy grin. “You said you didn’t see it going that far.”

The heat between us is almost unbearable as he gazes into my eyes. He closes the final space that separates us.