Page 42 of Try Me

She smelled of soap and toothpaste, which he hadn’t realized were aphrodisiacs until that moment.

“This okay?” she asked.

“It’s fine,” Declan said, gruffly. “Coffee?” he asked, offering her a Styrofoam cup.

Pearl took the cup, brought to her face and inhaled deeply. She sighed and let her eyes drift shut. “Thanks,” she said.

“You’re welcome,” he said, taking her backpack from her shoulder and then grabbing his duffel bag from the floor. “Let’s go.”

Pearl hurried to keep up with his long stride. “Where?” she asked.

Declan shook his head. “I’m not exactly sure.”

“Declan,” Pearl said, putting her hand on his arm. “You’re lying. Give it to me straight.”

Declan sighed and turned to look at her. “We’re going to Kauai,” he admitted.

Her mouth dropped open, and the color drained from her face. “Flying?”

“It will be okay. It’s a brief trip. No big deal.”

Declan opened the door to the car and threw their bags inside, but Pearl was frozen to the spot. He went back for her. Tucking her under his arm, Declan propelled her toward the waiting car.

Pearl shook her head, resisting. “I can’t.”

Declan stopped and looked at her. Her complexion had gone whitewash pale. Her mouth trembled. He wanted to wrap his arms around her and pull her into the warmth of his embrace. He wanted to promise her that she never had to do anything she didn’t want to do. But he did neither. Instead, he kept it light, chucking her under the chin.

“You can,” he said, winking.

Her eyes shined in her pale face, and Declan realized she was scared to death. He wondered what had happened to her. He knew the feeling of panicked fear. It was how he’d felt those first few months of waking up sober when he’d been terrified of facing the day without a drink.

Declan stroked his thumb across her jaw, then let his hand drop. He wanted to lean down and kiss her trembling lips, make her forget her fear, but he couldn’t. He wouldn’t.

“You’re the bravest person I know,” he told her. “The way you surfed at Sharp Park was incredible. You can do anything.”

Her mouth twitched in a half smile. “You can’t flatter me into flying.”

“It’s not flattery; it’s the truth. You’re smart, too,” he said, dropping his hand from her neck to trail down her arm. He couldn’t resist touching her even when he knew it was a mistake. Her skin tantalized him. “You know you have to do this to get what you want.”

Pearl’s blurry eyes sharpened. “What do you think I want?”

“To be famous,” he said. “McKenna can do that for you. But you gotta do what he says.”

“Is that what you do?” she asked.

“Yeah,” he admitted, wincing. He’d never wished more that it wasn’t true.

“You let him control you,” she said.

It pained him to nod. McKenna controlled his every move.

“You gotta do what he says, go where he tells you. Even if it means flying. A picture of you surfing the biggest wave of the year could be on the cover of a magazine next month. But not if you don’t get in that cab. Not if you don’t fly to Kauai.”

Pearl stared at Declan, then glanced anxiously at the car. Finally, she took a small step forward.

“Good,” he said.

Using the momentum from her step, he encouraged her to take another, and then another. Declan bundled Pearl into the cab, and they took off for the airport.

While he’d been waiting for Pearl to meet him in the lobby, Declan had gone to the restaurant, ordered the coffee and a few sandwiches. He knew enough from prior wave-chasing adventures that he might not eat for a while.

He offered a sandwich to Pearl, but she declined. She faced the window, giving Declan her back. Her breath was coming in quick, shallow pants and her body trembled.

“What is it with you and flying?” he asked. “You’re so brave, but you can’t fly?”

“I’m not brave,” she said, turning away from the window to glare at him.

Declan scanned her face. He knew she was terrified. Maybe he shouldn’t push her. But he also knew if she didn’t do what McKenna said, he would find a way to dump her and make her pay. He sighed and offered her a sandwich. “You should eat,” he said. “It might be awhile.”

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