Page 58 of Lowering His Guard

I shrug. “It’s my job. Unfortunately, looking good on a surfboard doesn’t pay well. I can’t trade mermaids clapping for me for money to pay my rent.”

His gaze rakes over my body and his blue eyes heat. I shiver. How would it feel to have those eyes rake over my naked body? I want to find out. Maybe not now since we’re in a crowd. I have nothing against nudity, but I want this man’s attention focused solely on me.

“Brock Porter!” Eli shouts.

Brock drags his gaze away from me and stands. “What?”

“You’re the first raffle prize winner.”

First raffle prize winner? Eli’s done with his speech already? I was so busy drowning in Brock’s blue eyes I lost track of time. I never lose track of time. Timing is essential for a surfer. But Brock turns my world upside down. In a good but scary way.

Eli lifts up a mermaid tail trophy. “This is your prize.”

“What is it?”

“It’s a handcrafted, one-of-a-kind glass mermaid tail sculpture made by a local artist.”

I squeal. “It’s beautiful.”

“What the hell am I supposed to do with a glass mermaid?”

I elbow him. “Be grateful.”

He glances down at me. “You want it?”

My eyes widen. “Are you serious?”

He shrugs.

“Yes!” I jump to my feet and throw my arms around him. “Thank you.”

I forget all about the glass sculpture as Brock wraps his arms around me. I’m surrounded by him. His heat. His strength. His ocean scent.

I nearly melt into him. What I wouldn’t do to have the right to hug him this way every day.

Chapter 19

Rule #8: Never change your mind.

Brock

“What time does your class start?” I ask Jace as he plops down in a chair across from me at the table in our suite. It’s a miracle. He’s actually awake in time to eat breakfast.

“Fifteen minutes,” he mumbles between bites of his cereal.

“Slow down. You’ll choke.”

He rolls his eyes, but he does stop shoveling food into his mouth faster than Tanner can run a route.

“Are you walking me to class? May will be there.” He wiggles his eyebrows.

“May and I are just friends.” Despite how right and natural it felt when she was in my arms at the charity event. How much I wanted to do more than hold her. How much I wanted to taste her lips before continuing on to other more interesting parts of her body.

He snorts. “You don’t smile when your friends text, but you do smile when she does.”

I grunt. “Eat your food.”

My phone chimes with a message.