Page 52 of Try Me

Declan blew out a breath. “Nah, I’m fine. Are you? Fine, I mean?”

“I’m hungry and tired,” she said. “You ate most of the sandwiches, and you have too much energy for one person alone. I thought you were never going to stop surfing.”

“You were the one who kept asking for one more wave,” he said, grabbing their bags from the back of the truck.

“I was hoping you would say no.”

Declan smiled. He never said no to another wave.

He’d been having the time of his life at Tunnels; it had been like the old days with Eddie and Keoni, sharing the waves with someone who could read your mind. Someone who didn’t need to talk over the roar of the ocean because they already knew what you were thinking.

As an added bonus, Pearl was much better looking than Eddie or Keoni. Declan had caught himself several times during the day content to let a wave pass by in order to watch Pearl surf.

She made surfing look like a sensual dance. Declan had never thought about sex so much in a surf session as he had today. Pearl radiated enough sexuality to heat the Pacific. Every bend and sweep of her strong, tanned legs enticed him, calling up images of her thighs wrapped around his hips.

Pearl tried to take one of the bags of groceries they’d picked up from the last store on the North Shore, but Declan resisted, handing her a smaller one instead. Their fingers brushed during the exchange, and Declan heard the sharp intake of Pearl’s breath. Their eyes met and clashed. There was no denying the attraction was mutual. It was going to be the longest night of his life.

Mahoe retrieved the key from the window sash hiding place with a flourish.

“Sorry, it ain’t much,” he said. “Mo’ bettah than the ground, though, eh?” They stepped inside where it was dark and smelled of wet socks. “You can walk right down to Tunnels from here. It’s straight down the hill, yeah? Not too far.”

Declan nodded, glancing around the small cabin as his eyes adjusted to the dark. “Is there electricity?” he asked.

“Generator out back,” Mahoe said.

“You gonna watch the Duke on Saturday?” Declan asked.

“Wouldn’t miss it,” Mahoe said.

They shook hands, and Mahoe left. Declan stood outside for a moment, watching the truck disappear into the jungle. Darkness fell quickly in the mountains under the thick canopy of trees. Light from the full moon filtered the leaves, leaving the woods in shadow. The faint crash of a waterfall sounded nearby, and crickets filled the night with chatter.

This was the first time he’d been so alone in years. Competing in the contest circuit had propelled Declan from one city to the next. He had been living in hotels surrounded by other contestants for two years. McKenna was usually a few doors away, keeping constant watch over him.

Declan took a deep breath, filling his lungs with the country air. The absence of others comforted him. Especially the absence of McKenna, who had no way of reaching him out here in the middle of nowhere. Declan had taken an earful from McKenna about screwing up at Tunnels. He was supposed to catch one wave and be on the way back to the helicopter. That was the agreement. Instead, he and Pearl had spent the whole day soaking up the sun and surfing one more wave. They had missed their ride back, and McKenna was livid.

A loud hum permeated the air, shattering the eerie quiet of the deserted forest. Declan startled at the unnatural sound breaking the solitude of nature.

“Try the lights,” Pearl yelled.

“Bossy,” Declan mumbled under his breath, walking back up the porch and into the cabin. He’d never met a woman more take-charge than Pearl. Declan had to admit that it turned him on. Declan imagined Pearl bossing him around in bed. He wouldn’t mind doing everything she commanded.

He flipped the switch, and light flooded the cabin. A whoop of delight sounded from the vicinity of the generator. Declan smiled at the sound and got busy exploring the kitchen. He found an emergency medical kit, a battery-operated radio, and some candles, all of which he set on the counter just in case.

“Wow,” Pearl said, coming back inside. “It’s so cute.”

Cutewould not be the word Declan chose to describe the sparsely furnished, one-room cabin. It wasn’t much more than a roof over their heads. There was a kitchen, a living room, and a bedroom all in one. A sweep of his gaze took in the entire space. His heart leapt into his throat as he saw the sleeping arrangements: a single platform bed built into the far wall.

“I’ll take the floor,” Declan offered.

Pearl brushed by him, setting the flashlight down on the kitchen counter. “Don’t be silly,” she said. “The floor is hardwood.”

“Mmm-hmm,” Declan said, appreciating the curly grain on the polished floors. “Koa,” he said.

“Koa?” Pearl asked.

“The floors. They’re made from koa trees.”

Pearl cocked her head at him. “What?”

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