Page 34 of Try Me

“Not that you need it. You were doing just fine when I walked up.” He narrowed his eyes at the director’s back. “I’ve worked with Frank before. He’s not half bad, but he has no idea about surfing.” He grimaced. “He probably has something outrageous planned for us. The first commercial I did with him three years ago he had me surf with a dog on the front of my board.”

Pearl laughed. She’d seen the commercial on television. “That was a good one. Cereal, right?”

“You saw it?” he asked, sounding embarrassed.

“Sure. That dog was adorable. He looked like he was having the time of his life.”

Declan smiled. “She,” he corrected. “Her name was Lady, and she was like a queen on the front of my surfboard. She stole the show. I think she gets more fan mail than me.”

“I doubt that,” Pearl said. “Thanks again. You really are decent.”

“You keep saying that, it’s gonna go to my head,” he warned. “Don’t think too highly of me. I did it for selfish reasons. If you wore that suit, no one would even notice me in the commercial. They’d be too busy staring at you.”

Pearl cocked an eyebrow at Declan. “You’re unbelievable.”

One of the crew members came over and handed Declan a surfboard, and then Frank told them the plan. He launched into a description of his idea in an exaggerated accent that Pearl suspected was just as fake as Declan’s relationships.

He wanted Pearl and Declan to catch a wave together, Declan to lift Pearl over his head in a tandem pose, and then ride up to shore and invite everyone to watch the Duke contest on Saturday. All in one take. All for live television.

“No way, Frank,” Declan protested, casting a gaze around the busy beach. “It’s too crowded. Plus, I haven’t done tandem surfing in years. Any number of things could go wrong. We can’t possibly pull that off on live TV.”

Declan looked to Pearl for confirmation. It was a bold idea, but she was willing to try. “Maybe we could have a practice run first,” she suggested.

Frank shook his head. His scarf flew into his face, and he shoved it aside, glaring up at Declan. “It’s now or never. No time for a practice run. Can you handle it?”

Declan stepped closer to the smaller man, towering over him. Pearl thought Declan was going to deck him. She slid in between them, holding up her hands.

“We can handle it,” she said. Her hand settled on Declan’s arm, and he stiffened. “Right?” she asked.

“I don’t know,” he said.

“I do,” Pearl insisted. “Just follow my lead, okay?”

Declan stared down at her, eyes bugging. “This is live television. We can’t do it.”

Pearl realized Declan had a lot more to lose if they made fools of themselves. She was asking him to trust her when they hardly knew each other.

“Don’t worry,” Pearl said.

“I’m not.”

She shook her head. “You’re a terrible liar,” she said.

A reluctant smile curved his mouth. “I don’t think this is a good idea.”

“Just don’t drop me,” she said.

Tandem surfing required a lot of skill. It was like dancing with a partner on top of a surfboard, with the dance consisting mostly of lifts.

“I’m not going to drop you,” he said, seeming offended. “Maybe I’m worried you’re going to fall on me.”

Pearl laughed. “Not going to happen.”

Declan tugged his shirt over his head, and Pearl forgot the commercial as her eyes dropped over his muscled body. A spark of lust detonated through her. Her heart fluttered, and her skin tingled.

“Maybe this is a bad idea,” she said, dragging her eyes back up to his face. She was talking about more than the commercial.

“Of course it is,” he said, tucking the board under his arm and striding toward the shore break. “Come on.”

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