Page 16 of Try Me

When You Know, You Know

Pearl

They changedinto their wetsuits and paddled out to the lineup where a handful of surfers sat bobbing on their boards. When the others saw Pearl, their eyes widened. They obviously weren’t used to sharing their waves with a woman. When they spotted Declan — the most recognizable surfer in the world — their jaws dropped.

After a moment of awkward silence, the surfers greeted them, then everyone turned their attention to the surf.

“Outside,” Declan said. “It looks better over there.”

Pearl looked toward the outer reef where the waves doubled up in feathering claws. They were beautiful, perfect for showing Declan what she was capable of doing. Her heart pumped faster in anticipation.

“Let’s go,” she said.

They paddled further out, just in time to see the first wave of a massive set roll in from the open sea.

“You want it?” Pearl asked.

Declan shook his head. “You go.”

The wave was coming in fast. There was no time for hesitation. No room for second guessing. Pearl turned and went. A moment later, the wave lifted her off her feet. She momentarily forgot about Declan as she leaned in to make the drop, then steered her board into the bottom turn. She raced down the line, a grin splitting her face. When she kicked out of the wave, she looked behind her. Declan sat on his board, watching her with a stunned expression.

Pearl smiled and gestured for him to turn around. He was going to get clobbered by the next wave if he didn’t get moving. Declan snapped out of his trance and moved just in time to get ahead of the wave. How he managed to escape getting crushed was a miracle. One second, he was in the danger zone. The next he was completely in control, shooting down the line on top of the glassy wave.

Pearl had seen Declan surf before. She’d seen him win the US Open in person only a few days earlier. But surfing beside him was a completely different experience. Pearl had never seen anyone surf like that in her life. It was as if he possessed some kind of magic.

He kicked out of the wave and maneuvered his board to land next to her with a soft kiss on top of the water. When he smiled, Pearl’s world tilted. Warning bells clanged in her head, and she forced herself to think clearly. She couldn’t fall for his charms, or get lost in his pale blue eyes. She had goals. She had aspirations. And despite seeming like a nice guy, Declan was well-known for his exploits with women. Pearl refused to let her attraction for him lead her down a dangerous path.

“Again?” Declan asked.

“Again,” she agreed.

They took turns on the waves for hours, missing lunch and hardly noticing as the day slipped by.

Finally her body protested. She was starving, and despite the wetsuit, she was numb with cold.

“I’m freezing,” Declan said, shivering as they strode ashore.

“Makes you miss Hawaii,” Pearl said.

Declan cleared his throat. “Yeah,” he muttered.

Pearl glanced up at him. He sounded funny, as if he was choking on something. The light in his eyes had dimmed, and his expression went blank.

“You miss it?” Pearl asked.

Declan nodded. “Sometimes.”

They climbed the hill back to the parking lot. Declan leaned his board against the van and began taking off his wetsuit. He seemed unusually quiet, lost in thought. It must have been her mention of Hawaii. Pearl turned to him, intent on apologizing, but found she couldn’t continue as Declan stood in front of her half-naked with his wetsuit hanging at his hips. She tried not to look. She begged herself not to look, reminding herself of her goals and ambitions, which falling for Declan would ruin. She knew better than to look, but after a moment, she let her eyes drop.

It was worth it. He was worth it.

He was smooth skin, and rippling muscle. He was fire in her ice-cold veins.

Her eyes dropped slowly over his lean torso, following the golden trail of hair that disappeared under the waistband of his shorts. Her eyes dragged back up with lazy appreciation, taking in every dip and ridge of his defined muscles under his tanned skin.

When Pearl’s gaze landed on his face, heat flashed through her body. Neither one of them had acknowledged the undercurrent of attraction buzzing between them, but now it was too strong to deny. Electricity crackled as their eyes locked. He’d caught her staring, but Pearl didn’t care. She couldn’t look away.

All day they’d been feeding off each other’s energy. Pearl had never felt anything half as powerful with another man.

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