Too Sweet (Hayes Brothers #3)(38)

A low rumble comes from the seaside, and seconds later, another bolt of lightning cuts across the sky, illuminating the black canvas above with stark bluish whiteness.

The beauty of the spectacle forces my legs to work harder. I don’t want to miss another second of the show. I break into a jog, trying to avoid the puddles initially, but a few hundred yards later I no longer care. I sprint, hearing another low rumble.

Halfway across the street the piercing sound of a horn makes me jump. Too impatient to stop, I wave my hand in apology and keep going.

Darkness settles around me when I reach the sandy beach a few minutes later. I made it in time. A bright, long burst of lightning tears through the sky, hitting the ocean far away, jolting zestful energy through my bones.

I kick my shoes off, enjoying the wet sand under my bare feet, then climb the lifeguard station and sit on the floor under a narrow overhanging roof.

The wind grows in strength, screaming in my ears as the rain slams against the foaming, angry sea. White-crested waves claw at the shore, reaching further inland where the sand dances under the attack of heavy raindrops.

It’s reassuring to watch something so sinister and dangerous and not feel an ounce of fear... funny because my heart almost bursts at the sound of his voice.

FOURTEEN
Nico

I ALMOST KILLED HER.

She jumped onto the street out of nowhere, running mere inches from the hood of my car. I stopped, stamping the brake and simultaneously slamming my hand on the horn, making her jump.

Her hood fell off, revealing a mass of wet, blonde hair and the side of a pretty face that made me realize who this careless girl was.

She didn’t stop, just waved her hand and ran into the darkness. Into the pouring rain, cutting across lawns and between buildings. I followed, driving around until I found her at the beach, kicking off her shoes.

“What the hell are you up to?” I mutter, watching her run toward a lifeguard tower. “Fucking reckless,” I groan, killing the engine.

The rain hammers the windscreen hard enough that the wipers can’t keep up. According to the weather forecast, it’s supposed to get worse. A red weather warning has been issued in OC with projected winds reaching eighty miles an hour. And she’s out on the beach like it’s an eighty-five-degree sunny day.

I slam the door shut, shuddering under the pouring rain. I’m drenched within a minute as I cross the pavement onto the sand, jogging toward the tower.

“What the hell are you doing?” I boom, rounding the corner. “It’s pouring it down, Mia.”

She watches me climb the ramp. “You know, once every now and then, you could start a conversation with hey instead of yelling. How did you know where I was?”

“Hey. You jumped out in front of my car. I almost hit you. Why are you here?”

She gestures to the angry ocean. “I’m enjoying the show.”

“Get up. I’m taking you home.”

“Thank you, but—”

“I said get up. You’ll catch pneumonia if you stay here any longer. You’re soaking wet, and this will get worse fast.”

“I’ll be fine. I always sit here when it rains.”

I crouch before her, growing more annoyed when I realize the hoodie she’s wearing is a men’s size large at least. “Whose hoodie is this?”

She glances down like she has to check which fucker’s hoodie she put on today before she answers.

“Um, it’s James’s. Why?”

“And who’s James? Your boyfriend?”

Lighting crashes into one of the lamps on the pier, and we watch the rest flicker out one by one.

“No, he’s a friend. The best driver my dad ever had in his team if you want to believe his word.”

I clench my teeth, reining the urge to tear that hoodie off and give her mine. “I’ll fling you over my shoulder if I have to. Don’t fucking test me, Mia. Be a good girl and get up.”

“I know this is uncomfortable, wet, and cold... Please don’t feel you have to stay. I know my way home.” An adorable frown twists her pretty face before she quietly adds, “You can’t tell me what to do.”

“Watch me.” I lunge forward, grip her waist and—as promised—haul her up, then over my shoulder, not breaking a sweat. She weighs a quarter of what I bench at the gym. I wrap my hand around her thighs so she doesn’t slide down my back and face-plant the ground. “We’re leaving.”

“Let me go!” she squeals, bombarding my back with tiny fists. “Oh God! What are you doing?! Put me down!”

She’s soaked through and so cold. “If you end up sick, we’ll have a problem.”

“Nico!” Mia whacks my back again, the blow barely noticeable against the raindrops. “Put me down! This isn’t funny.”

“Am I laughing? You’re not staying here in the rain.”

She wiggles a little bit, arching further down my back as her hip butts against my head, and then—

“Fuck!” My grip tightens around her legs. “You did not just do that. Open your mouth.”

She clamps her teeth harder into the flesh around my ribs, then eases off enough to speak. “You lied! You said hands go where it hurts! Put me down!”

“No.” I quicken my pace, stepping onto the pavement. My back straightens like a metal rod when she bites again. “Stop it, Mia.” I open the passenger door, nudging her butt. “Let go.” She shakes her head, still buried in my flesh like a vampire, her teeth digging deeper. Without thinking twice, I lift her skirt and slap her ass. The sound of my palm connecting with her damp, cold skin makes my cock twitch. “I said let go.”