Page 17 of Try Me

“You need some help?” Declan asked.

His words pierced Pearl’s fog of desire, and she nodded. Her fingers were too numb with cold to work her zipper. Declan came closer, and the heat between them ramped up another few degrees. He reached for her zipper and tugged. She felt his fingers slide down her back, bringing up goosebumps. A torrent of water flooded to the ground, and Pearl shivered.

“Thanks, eh?”

“You’re welcome.”

His voice was near her ear. She turned to look at him, and the intensity in his eyes made her feel as if they were the only two people in the world. She should probably apologize for asking him on the trip under false pretenses.

“Coffee?” Oscar asked, interrupting them again. “Or I’ve got beer.”

“Coffee,” Declan and Pearl answered in unison.

They changed into dry clothes and settled down to eat bowls of lentil soup that Jenny had prepared while the others surfed. They passed around chunks of crusty bread and shared a block of cheese, chasing everything down with coffee.

“I’ve never seen anyone attack the waves like you,” Pearl said.

Declan took a sip of coffee, shaking his head at Pearl. “I’ve never seen anyone switch their stance in the middle of the wave like you,” he said. “How did you know it was going to break left? I never saw that wave break left.”

Pearl shrugged and looked up at him. “I could just feel it,” she said. “When you know, you know.”

Declan nodded. He did know. “How did you all meet?” he asked.

“Berkeley,” Pearl answered. “Billy and Oscar were pre-law. We bonded over surfing.”

Billy lit a joint and they passed it around, but Pearl was too high on adrenaline to smoke. Declan didn’t smoke either. He just passed the joint every time it came around.

“Your mom taught you to surf?” Declan asked.

Pearl nodded. “I learned to ride the waves before I rode a bike.”

“I’ve never seen anyone as natural as you,” he said.

“I’m sure you’ve seen better,” she said.

Declan lay back in the grass and stared up at the sky. “Not like you,” he said. “You have something special.”

Guilt was eating her alive. She hadn’t expected to feel this attraction for Declan. It complicated everything. And there was Claudia to consider.

“What is it?” Declan asked, turning to look at her.

“I had an ulterior motive today,” she blurted. “I invited you for a reason.”

Declan stiffened and looked away. “What?”

“I thought if you noticed me, then maybe you would put in a good word for me.”

“A good word?” he asked, sounding as if he’d swallowed something bitter. “You think anybody listens to me?”

Declan’s mouth thinned, and his expression closed down. At that moment, he looked every inch a member of the elite crowd of Oahu. Declan had every advantage Pearl didn’t. He was rich, powerful, white, and male. He had been born at the top of the ladder, while after years of climbing, Pearl had yet to reach halfway up.

“You’re the world champion,” she said.

“That title means nothing,” Declan said. “It was a contest. I got lucky. On any given day, I could have lost.”

Pearl heard sincerity ring in his voice. He really believed his words. Underneath the arrogant mask, there was a shy vulnerability to Declan.

“There’s no such thing as luck,” Pearl said. “You beat the best surfers in the world.”

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