Page 42 of Now or Never

“Holy fucking fuckballs,” Jae said, elbowing Chelsea in the ribs.

She shot Jae an annoyed look before her eyes landed on a dripping wet god emerging from the surf, and she schooled her features to neutral.

Jae’s panting was audible. “Look at this fucking dude,” she said, panting. “I’m going in.”

She dramatically stuck her leg out toward him in a big step before Chelsea grabbed her by the shirtsleeve and held her in place.

“That’s Adam.”

“What?!” she yelled.

Chelsea half expected her head to spin like Regan inThe Exorcist.

“Thatis Adam?”

Chelsea hummed. “Didn’t you look at his face in the video?”

Jae shot Chelsea an incredulous look as if to say “Of course not!”

“That video didnotdo him justice. My panties are wetter than that lake,” Jae said before snapping her mouth shut as Adam came closer.

He reached down to adjust the bottoms of his swim trunks that were clinging to his thighs, then combed a hand through his hair, pushing it off his face and making his pecs stretch and his abs tighten.

They both whimpered.

“Hey,” he said with a perfect white smile.

Chelsea tried desperately to play it cool. “Hey,” she said.

His smile brightened before he turned to her friend. “You must be Jae. I’m Adam.”

“Uh-huh,” Jae said, mouth slack.

“It’s really nice to meet you.”

“Yeah,” Jae said.

Chelsea glanced in Jae’s direction and rolled her eyes at the dreamy look on her face as she mooned over Adam.

“So . . .” Chelsea said, hoping to move on from her friend drooling all over her . . . other friend, “this is why you beat me at minute-to-win-it, even though I bunted.” She waved a hand at his soaked body.

Adam’s eyes narrowed. “So you admit you bunted?”

Chelsea shrugged as a smile took over her face.

Adam laughed and shook his head. “Most mornings I run that way,” he said, jerking a thumb down the beach and making his biceps bunch up. “Then I swim back.”

“I see. So you live . . .” Chelsea trailed off, looking around.

“Just there,” Adam said, pointing to a house behind her.

Chelsea turned, eyes widening when she saw the navy-and-white house with a huge glassed-in deck. It was smaller than the neighbouring houses, but it looked like the set of a movie, right down to the gorgeous white deck furniture, giant potted palms, and the tall grasses emerging from the sand below and swaying peacefully in the breeze.

“Wow. Your mom definitely had a vision. It must’ve been amazing to grow up on a beach.”

Adam nodded. “Yeah. It was. But we left after she died. My dad . . .” He trailed off, looking at the sand. “He couldn’t stay.”

Chelsea wanted to know more. Wanted to know everything. Wished there was something she could do to bring the easy smile back to his face. “When did you decide to move back?”

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