He’s dressed casually in a black T-shirt and light blue swim trunks. And while his eyes may be covered, I can feel his gaze dip down to my exposed midriff and the swell of my breasts in my bikini top.
I might’ve chosen this one because of what it does with the little I have.
“Hey,” he says, voice gruff. “Ready to go?”
“I guess. I mean, you’re the one with the plan. I’m just along for the ride.”
With a curt nod, he takes off.
The drive is quick and quiet. He queues up theStick Seasonalbum by Noah Kahan without comment. I throw my hair in a quick braid to keep it from tangling and let my hand dangle in the passing wind. The crowded buildings fade into the blue line of the ocean. Salt tickles my nose and I inhale deeply, letting it fill my lungs.
“I’m surprised you like this album,” I say as we pull into a small parking lot. “Doesn’t seem like your type of music.”
He shuts the car off and puts the windows back up. “It’snot. But I saw the vinyl copy of it on the shelf in your room. Figured you had to like it.”
Such a small detail to notice, and yet he did. I bite my lip and damn my racing heart again.
When he pops the trunk open, a blanket, a tote bag of food, a small cooler, and a volleyball sit inside.This sure looks like the makings of a date.I reach for the tote but he stops me with an arm across my chest. “I got it.”
“You’re gonna carry all of this by yourself?”
“Yep.” He loads his arms up and nods toward the trunk. “Could you close that, though?”
I shut it with a loud thunk and take in the ridiculous sight in front of me. His large frame is loaded down with the items but he holds them as if they weigh nothing. His biceps strain against the fabric of his shirt, and I’m grateful for my own sunglasses on my face so he can’t tell where I’m staring.
“You seriously don’t want me to carry anything?” I ask.
He simply shakes his head and points over my shoulder. “Let’s go down there. There’s a little cove off to the left.”
I step back and follow him down the sandy, wooden path along the top of the beach until we reach the spot he was talking about. There’s large rock formations around, which give a small semblance of privacy, despite the walkway only a few feet away. He sets everything down and spreads out the blanket. I kick off my flip flops and try to contain the moan that slips free at the feeling of my toes sinking into the sand. Reid’s head jerks up, which causes me to clamp my lips shut. His hands twitch.
“It’s probably too cold to swim, but want to go dip our toes in?” I ask, itching to feel the cool kiss of the ocean.
Reid kicks off his own shoes and follows me to the edge. The sand is cool and damp as we wait for the next wave toroll in. My face grows warm from the sun and I tip my head back, letting it bathe me in its rays. I inhale the salty air right as water rushes over my feet.
Reid curses softly at the cold temperature of it, but I exhale against the sting of it. It’s incredible and refreshing. The sand tickles between my toes as the water recedes and pulls some of the grains with it, and I smile at the sensation.
“You really did move here because you loved the beach, didn’t you?” Reid sounds slightly surprised. I open my eyes and look at him. He’s staring at me like he’s trying to mentally take a picture of this moment and I’m something worthy of capturing.
“I did,” I answer softly. “I do really love it.”
“Well then I’m glad I brought you here.”
“Me too.” I smile, and he almost returns it.
We spend a few minutes talking in the water before we walk back toward the blanket. I immediately go for the volleyball and test out its weight. I haven’t played since high-school gym class.
“Do you play a lot?” I ask him and toss him the ball.
He catches it easily and inspects the white surface. “No. I, uh, didn’t know what you exactly do at the beach and this seemed like a popular activity, so I just went out and bought it last night for us.”
I suppress my grin at the pink that stains his cheekbones.
He tosses it back to me like he’s wishing he never admitted that. “Whatever, we don’t need to use it.”
“No, no, I think that’s a great idea. I have to admit I haven’t played in many years, but it’ll be fun. How about each time one of us drops the ball, the other gets to ask any question they want.”
He arches a brow and cocks his head to the side. “Are you trying to hijack my plans?”
