Page 26 of Stoker's Serenity

“You really are serious about this girl,” Cutter called from over at his bike, tracing his thumb over the screen of his smart phone.

“Yeah, Cap. I am. I don’t know what it is about her, but I really like her.”

He looked up from his phone and over the top of his aviators and said firmly, “Then don’t fuck it up.”

Just like that. Like that was somehow magically going to keep me from doing whatever thing had the potential to torpedo this whole thing with Ren. I laughed to myself and shook my head.

“Aye, aye, Captain. Aye, aye.”

9

Serenity…

“Holy shit, Ren, where did you bring me?” Linny was looking over her sunglasses in the direction of the beach and the knot of men standing around with beers in their hands, laughing. All of them were wearing the same kinds of leather vests that Stoker had with the same dirty patches, over their bare chests and board shorts.

“Close your mouth before you catch a fly in the back of your throat,” I said.

“Oh, I’m going to catchsomethingin the back of my throat.”

“Ew! Gross!” I cried but couldn’t help but burst out laughing as I turned on my signal and pulled into the lot to the Marina. Stoker waved from the curb over by the broad set of cement stairs leading down to the sand.

“That him?” Linny asked.

“You know it is,” I admonished.

She rolled her eyes and pushed a hand into her hair, leaning her elbow on the car door as she sized Stoker up. It always made me nervous when she did that. I mean, she was so much prettier than I was and so carefree, I always worried someday she would swipe the guy I was with from under my nose. Granted, this would only make the second or third guy I’d attempted to date since, well ? since.

“You did good for yourself, babes. I like the look of him, but I think I’ll go for tall, darkly tanned, and blond over there if he’s not already – shit. Annnnd, he’s taken.” She pouted as a blonde woman with beachy waves in her long hair went up to the man Linny’d been scoping out. He lifted her up and swung her, shrieking and laughing, in a circle and I laughed.

“I can’t imagine many of these guys are going to be available,” I said, parking and pulling my emergency brake.

Stoker didn’t waste any time. He was at my door, lifting the handle to get it for me. I smiled up at him and unlocked it so he could open it.

“Hey! You made it.”

“I did!”

He leaned down to look in the open door and said, “Hey, Linny.”

“Hi!” She smiled at him politely and I bit my bottom lip and eyed the rest of his club friends. I was always nervous meeting new people. You never knew who might know…

“Come on.” He straightened, reaching down, holding out his hand to me.

I undid my seatbelt and slipped out of the car, taking the hand he offered. He immediately pulled me to him and kissed me, which surprised me. I mean, I wasn’t used to guys doing that. Kissing me in front of their friends. Comfortable with public displays of affection. It was different for me. It was… nice.

I blushed furiously when the cheering and whistling started, lowering myself flat to my sandaled feet to thunderous applause.

“Shut up!” Stoker called out to his friends, but his deep dark eyes were fixed on me and he winked, a crooked smile on his perfect lips.

“Come on,” he murmured, and steered me around the car.

“Hang on, let me grab my stuff.” I opened up the back car door and picked up my black mesh macramé beach bag from the back seat. Linny grinned at me from over the roof of my car as she fetched hers on her side.

“You got sunscreen?” Stoker asked.

“Yeah.”

“Cool, let’s get some on you.”

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