Until the End (Sea Breeze #9)(88)

“You look surprised,” he said with a smile. “Do I not look fourteen to you?”

I swallowed and tried to breathe again. When this guy’s eyes were on you, then you forgot how to talk or do pretty much anything. “I, uh, yes, I mean no, I mean . . . You just look older than that. And you act older. I didn’t think . . . I thought . . . Never mind.” I stopped my ramblings and once again thought of burying my head in the sand.

I really needed to give myself a break. There were not any guys around here who looked like him. Any girl faced with this kind of . . . of . . . perfection would also freak out. His dark hair was cut short, but there was a messy thing he had going with the top that seemed to be a little longer.

He laughed again and I dropped my eyes to the sand.

“Ah, come on, Bliss York. Look at me again. I didn’t mean to laugh, but you make me. I can’t help it.”

“Well, you make me nervous,” I blurted out.

“I do? Why?”

I was not telling this beautiful boy that he was beautiful. So I just shrugged.

“Bliss!” Eli’s voice called out, and I turned to look toward the Falcos’ to see Eli waving at me to come back. I stood up quickly and glanced back at the guy, who also stood up, but he did it smoothly, without the clumsiness of my attempt to scramble up. The last thing I needed was Eli telling my dad I was talking to a boy.

Daddy would lose his mind.

“That your boyfriend?” the guy asked, and I laughed this time.

“Eli? Uh, no. He’s like my brother. . . . No, my brothers drive me nuts. He’s more like my cousin. Or best friend. Our parents are close.”

The guy’s mouth curled into a pleased smile that made my knees weak. I had to walk back to the Falcos’ and Eli. I didn’t know how I was going to do that if Mr. Gorgeous kept smiling at me.

“I gotta go,” I told him.

“If you’re sure,” he replied.

I was positive. This guy was the epitome of cool, but he had not met Cage York yet. And he didn’t want to. “I, uh, yeah. My parents are probably looking for me.”

He smirked. “Okay. Maybe I’ll see you again, Bliss York.”

It hit me then that I had no idea what his name was. He’d had me in such a scrambled mess with that face of his that I’d never asked.

“Yeah, maybe. You never told me your name.”

That sexy grin was back, and he glanced out at the waves, then back at me. He tilted his head in that way guys in the movies do and you swoon. He had it nailed, and I was so about to seriously swoon.

“Nate Finlay.”