Page 1

Chapter 1

June

Shane

My gaze was fixed on Louis. The wind tugged at him. But Louis made the element obey him. Subtly. And with a power that made me nod admiringly to myself. If he won this race, he would be the overall winner in the racing category of the kitesurfing competition.

I couldn’t keep up with his results. Years ago, I had come to terms with the fact that my surfing skills were good enough to compete somewhere at mid-level, even above average. But I would never get any great endorsement deals in this life. Surfing was my passion. A passion that hardly paid the rent.

I dug my toes into the sand. The rough scratching calmed me down, and I brushed away the strands of hair the wind had blown into my face.

I took a few leisurely steps along the shore. Ahead of me, I could see the surf school and the Pride party area. There not only the residents of Ocean View but also surfers who had traveled there especially for the occasion would be hanging out over the next two days. I could hear the music. I knew the place was already filling up, but the biggest rush was expected later. Just like every year, the last evening was the highlight of the Pride weekend festivities.

I turned back to the competition. The distance from all the hustle and bustle felt good. A deep sense of satisfaction tingled down my neck.

My life was perfect. Day in, day out, I could do what I loved most: surfing until the sun set. What might seem monotonous to some was heaven to me. Chilling, surfing, chilling. And surfing again.

Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed movement and turned toward it.

My stomach lurched. The reason why my assessment of life—alternating between chilling and surfing— was no longer quite accurate was hurrying toward me across the beach. He was wearing shorts, a T-shirt that was way too big for him, as usual, and a cap. The tips of his dark brown hair peeked out from underneath. He probably had left his apron in his food truck at the party area. But he came bearing gifts.

A grin tugged at the corners of my mouth. Damn. I hadn’t expected to run into somebody like Ruben this summer. Although he had been at the beach the whole time, I had only noticed him a few days ago. When he had fallen into my bed. And whenever we spent even only minutes there, I was reluctant to let him go. Unfortunately, we both had work to do. The rest of the time, however . . .

His steps quickened, and he raced the last few yards toward me. I laughed as he ran past me into the water.

“Damn it!” He was adorable as his curses were harmless.

Smiling, I followed him. Gentle waves were washing around our feet.

Ruben closed his eyes, and with a relieved groan, he lifted his face toward the sun. “Why did I think it would be relaxing to walk here barefoot? My feet are burning.” Bowl in hand, he raised it to his head.

As always when he was near me, my hands took on a life of their own and I reached for him. “Because you work too much. And you still don’t know what’s going on at the beach. It can get pretty hot here, too. Not only at your stove.”

He lowered his head and studied at me with that tentative smile. I pulled him toward me and licked his lips. He immediately opened them for me, and I deepened the kiss. He tasted of the mint gum he chewed as soon as he left his stove. And as always, he tensed under my touch. At the same time, he greedily demanded more with his mouth, only to finally pull away from me.

Ruben was out. I knew that. So, I was the reason for his strange behavior whenever we were outside my trailer. The unwelcome thought came rushing back to me. Why was I doing this to myself—again?

I took a step back and searched Ruben’s eyes. He eyed me pleadingly. Open and hopeful. He sucked in his lower lip, and I remembered why I was doing this to myself. My cook didn’t have a mean bone in his body.

He raised his hand and held out the bowl to me.

“I made pistachio ice cream for you.”

I happily reached for the cool surprise.

“Yummy. I love pistachios.” I immediately examined the sweet treat.

“I know,” Ruben murmured.

Fuck! I was being unfair to him. After all, it hadn’t even been a week since we’d gotten together. Even though I had absolutely no problem with public displays of affection—whether with friends or sexual partners—that didn’t mean everyone else saw things that way. I immediately took a step back and gave him space. “Oh, really?” I asked. “Did I tell you that?” I tried to remember if we had ever talked about pistachios as I put the first spoonful into my mouth.

“God, this is good!” I exclaimed in amazement. A nutty mixture that melted on my tongue. Sweet with an almost smoky note. Not smoky. It reminded me of caramel. And with a pinch of . . . “What else is in there? Is that salt?”

Ruben ran his hand over the back of his neck and didn’t take his eyes off me. “Yes. I added a pinch of sea salt to the caramelized pistachios.” He played with his lower lip again. “What do you say?”

“What do I say?” I shoved a large spoonful into my mouth and turned to face him. The delicacy had already melted away as I leaned toward him. Why was I so unwilling to give him a bit of space? The guy was driving me nuts. Pistachio nuts. Were those nuts? I swallowed the ice cream, but the remains continued to tingle on my tongue. “Try!”

Ruben pressed his lips to mine. Licked inside my mouth. The cold spots warmed up immediately, and the sweetness mixed with the mint flavor from Ruben’s mouth. Shit. We had to get this from the beach to my trailer.