Page 77 of XOXO, Valentina

Could we go back to pretending? Or would we avoid each other at school for the rest of the year? I didn’t want this vacation to end.

I pulled her into my arms and nuzzled her neck. Her skin was warm, and her soft hair tickled my cheek. I kissed a path across her collarbone, pushing her shirt aside to get to more skin.

When we went back to work, could I walk by her in the hall and not picture her wearing nothing but my T-shirt?

She put her palm on my chest, electrifying me with her touch. “Joey.”

Her smoky voice stirred my blood. It took all my willpower to resist dragging her back to bed for the rest of the day.

“We can surf later.” She slipped her fingers under the elastic band of my shorts.

My fingers circled her wrist, stopping her exploration. “We’ll miss the best waves.”

She wrapped her arms around my back and settled her cheek against my chest. “What have you done to me?”

I stroked her hair and dropped a kiss on top of her head. She was in my blood. I was in hers. “We did this to each other,” I said.

We stood holding each other for a while, soaking up our last morning before the rush of life began again. It was easy to see this was more than a fling, more than sex.

“Come on.” I crossed the room and rummaged in my bag for my swimsuit. “We will grab coffee in the lobby and get some boards from Santiago. I’ll teach you how to ride the waves.”And you will fall madly in love with me.

She worried her bottom lip between her teeth. “What if I’m not any good?”

I found her swimsuit and tossed it to her. “With me as your teacher, you’re going to be great.”

Gabriella was better than great. She was amazing. She learned to surf quicker than anyone I’d ever seen. She’d claimed that Shane had gotten his athleticism from his father, but she was selling herself short. Gabriella had more talent in her little finger than most people had in their entire body.

My plan to make her fall in love with me by way of surfing totally backfired. Watching Gabriella soar over the waves with her arms spread wide and a smile lighting up her face made my heart swell to the point of bursting. I was officially gone for her… head over heels in love.

After our successful surfing experience, we were starving. We threw on some clothes, got a tuk-tuk into town, and ate fancy sandwiches at a vegan café.

When we finished eating, we joined the tourists and locals for some window shopping. Gabriella slid her arm around my waist and snuggled close to me, something she’d never do if we were back in Mossy Oak.

I steered her toward the ice cream shop. “We need some of that.”

“Mmm. What’s your favorite flavor? No, don’t tell me. Let me guess.” We stepped aside to allow three kids to run by on the sidewalk. “Mint chocolate chip?”

“No.”

“Butter pecan?”

I grimaced. “Not even close.”

“Chocolate cherry?”

“Yuck.” We stopped in front of the ice cream shop. “You’re just naming every flavor that comes to mind.”

“That’s how guessing works,” she said with a laugh. “What am I supposed to do?”

I reached for the door. “Think about me. Think about what I might like.”

A woman struggling with a baby, an ice cream cone, and a wayward toddler nearly plowed me over. I grabbed the woman’s elbow to steady her as the little boy came barreling through the door. When she looked up at me, I froze.

“Maria,” I said.

“Fernando!” she cried. “What are you doing here?” She asked in Spanish.

A montage of memories played out in my mind. Our first kiss behind the bleachers. Our first drive to Liberia, which we’d thought of as the big city. Our first time getting drunk off cheap wine and passing out on the beach.

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