“No, he does not,” Damien says with a laugh. “He’s so fucking miserable right now.”
He laughs again when we watch a wave crash into Ev and push him off his board. When he surfaces and then quickly flips off my brothers, we all laugh even harder. Allie gives a whoop and cheers him on, making Dima scowl before paddling off to where he sees a group of waves starting to form.
I tilt my head back, watching the clouds above us and the way the sun is slowly bringing out all the different shades of blue and grey. The lull of the ocean always calms me, and with my eyes still closed I smile when I feel Damien’s foot brush mine.
“You wearing anything under that?”
I sputter out a laugh at his question while keeping my eyes closed. “A bikini,” I tell him.
“Jesus,” he groans. “What color?”
“Red.”
“I’d very much like to see that, Sitka.”
His voice is low and seductive, and when I open my eyes to look at him, I can see the desire in them. The same raw need I feel is mirrored in those dark eyes, and I can’t look away.
I watch the corner of his mouth lift before he asks, “You thinking about riding my face?”
“Always,” I say, making him laugh. “You thinking about sliding into some part of my body right now?”
His smile grows bigger. “Always.”
At the sound of several wolf howls and shouts, we turn our heads in time to see Ev surf the smallest wave I’ve ever seen. I cup my mouth and cheer along with the others while Damien gives a loud whistle to support his cousin’s valiant attempt at surfing.
He’s thrown off his board seconds later, but when he surfaces and wipes the water from his face, I can see the big smile he’s wearing. Pushing himself back up onto the surfboard, he watches Dima catch a massive wave that’s just come in and ride it all the way through. His fingers drag along the barrel of the wave, every move graceful and effortless like he was born part fish.
“Showoff,” Ev yells at him with a grin. “Mine still counts, fucker!”
Damien and I float while the others catch a few more waves, and when I start to grow a bit antsy, he nudges my foot and says, “Get your ass out there,besyonok. Your adrenaline-loving ass is never going to be happy sitting on the sidelines.”
I grin at him before leaning forward and paddling further out. While I wait, I scan the horizon, in awe of the natural beauty around me. I soak in the silence and the constant rocking of the water beneath me, knowing I’ll never get tired of this, and wondering if I could ever truly be happy living in a city. My heart squeezes in my chest at the thought of not seeing this every day,but as much as this hurts, the thought of not seeing Damien is worse. My chest aches for this, but it will shatter without him.
When I see a new set coming in, I push aside all future worries and instead embrace the moment I’m living in right now. I watch it start to build as excitement races through me. Leaning forward, I turn my board to face the shore and start paddling my ass off, racing to keep up with the wave that’s still growing and gaining power. All my focus is on that wave, but I register the sound of Damien cheering me on and the loud smack of Bran hitting his board to let me know he’s doing the same.
I let the wave pick me up, grabbing me and pulling me towards it as I jump to my feet and steady myself on the board, riding the wave as it continues to build. A giddy thrill runs through me when I realize it’s not stopping. The wave curls over me as I skim through the tunnel, dragging my fingers along the water like Dima had done. I shoot out the end before it crashes down, riding my board to shore while the others cheer from behind me.
“Fucking nice, Sitka,” Misha says when I start to paddle back out.
I grin and shout a thanks over my shoulder while everyone starts to converge in the calmer water past the breaker waves. Damien’s grinning at me when I slide in near him and Ev. The wink he gives me sends a thrill through every part of my body that makes the high I just experienced pale in comparison.
“You made that look way too easy,” Ev tells me.
“You just need more practice,” I say.
He laughs. “Yeah, that’s not going to happen. Thanks for the experience, but fuck this. I’m completely numb but also so cold it’s painful. How is that possible?”
“Oh come on,” Yuri teases. “You didn’t feel a little bit of pride when you surfed that teeny-tiny wave?”
“The size doesn’t matter,” Ev says with a laugh. “It still fucking counts.”
My brother grins. “Size definitely matters.”
“Not out here it doesn’t,” Ev says. “I’m assuming at some point my junk will drop back down again, but right now it’s all about survival and staying warm. So, no, size doesn’t mean shit in the Pacific.”
“Man, it sucks being a dude,” Allie says. “We’ve just got to deal with nips that won’t go down.”
We have those too,Bran says, making everyone laugh.
