I ended up sitting on one of the large rocks at the edge of the beach, watching the sailboats drifting into the harbor. I’d purposely left my phone at home because I didn’t want to speak to anyone. I just wanted to be by myself with the brain space to figure things out.
However, it seemed like only one person could change my mind. Someone wolf-whistled at me, and when I turned to see who it was, my mouth watered and I had to try not to drool.
It was a shirtless Ryan walking towards me. With his muscles and tats on display and dark blue jeans hung low on his hips, the man looked like he’d stepped straight off the billboard of a Levi’s ad.
He was that and so much more.
He walked up to me and stopped. I’d been so focused on the look of him that I’d missed the backpack over his shoulder and what seemed to be a folded fishing net in his hands.
“Looks like I missed today’s lesson.” He spoke, but I was too focused on the full sensual lips I’d kissed less than twenty-four hours before to really hear him.
“What?”What was he talking about?
“Brooke goes to the beach all by herself, same way she went to the bar last night to get wastedall by herself. Today, she looks like she’s lost everything, I just don’t know why.” His lips curved, revealing dimples.
The shadow of the bruise over his eye was still there and slightly puffy, but what caught my attention more was the interest that twinkled in his eyes.
“How’s your eye?”
“Well I can see you, so it must be working.”
I pressed my lips together to keep from smiling. “I’m glad your eye works. Thanks for last night.”
“Which part?” Mischief now swallowed up that twinkle.
I’d known I was going to have to see him at some point and that I’d die of embarrassment from the way I behaved; it was just that actually going through it was so much harder than what I’d played out in my head.
“The part where you saved me from being that meathead’s love slave.”
“Just that part?”
“Yes.” I answered too quickly.
“Did you remember that thing you wanted to remember?” He smirked with a wicked grin I hadn’t seen before.
The sinful seduction that rippled from it did funny things to my insides and twisted my stomach into knots. My cheeks flushed with heat so intense I knew my whole face would be red within the next few seconds.
I wasn’t likely to forget the way he’d kissed me like he wanted to devour me, and God the way he’d tasted. He’d tasted like something I had to have, and now that I’d had some, I wanted more.
“Yes.” Nervously, I tucked a lock of my hair behind my ear and tried for all I was worth not to show just how much he affected me.
“And did you remember to do all that other stuff you forgot yesterday, like take your pill and make sure your underwear matched? Not that I would have minded.” He gave me a stern look then chuckled.
Black hole, please swallow me up right now.
That was it—I was about to wither away.
“Do you think we could maybe forget certain parts of last night?”
“Hmmm.” His brows drew down while he pretended to think. “I’m not sure I can. Depends on the parts I’m supposed to forget. There I was thinking I was about to excel in this Brooke 101 course, and now I have to forget what I learned? It’s a hard ask, don’t you think?”
“Why must you be such an ass?”
“Oh, sorry, I totally forgot you think I’m sexier when I’m not in cop mode or dad mode. Assuming normal mode now.” He made a stupid show of shaking his head and blinking several times.
I really wanted to remain neutral and not laugh, but I couldn’t control the giggle that spilled from my lips. It almost made me forget my dire job situation.
“You are so silly.”
