Page 25 of Secrets at Seaside
“Oh. Um. I don’t really have anything to write on, honey.”
“I’ve got you covered, buddy.” Tony headed up the beach toward his gear. He had a soft spot for children, and over the years he’d gotten in the habit of having a pen and paper on hand. He remembered the excitement of watching the pros in action and the anticipation of one day meeting them, stalking the beaches they frequented and waiting for the perfect opportunity. Having been the eager kid and knowing it was that eagerness that led to determination, Tony made sure that no kid seeking an autograph went home empty-handed. Now he looked down at the enthusiastic little boy and wondered if his feeling toward kids had more to do with the loss he’d experienced with Amy and less to do with stalking pro surfers when he was younger.
“Are you sure?” his mother asked. “We don’t want to interrupt your surfing. I’m Lydia, by the way.”
“No worries,” he said to Lydia. He glanced back up the dune at Amy and hurriedly scribbled a personal message for Jonah so he could go talk to Amy before she disappeared like the wind. He crouched beside the little boy.
“Here you go, buddy. Surfing takes a lot of energy and dedication, just like school does. So you do as well in school as you want to do on the waves—got it?”
“Got it, Mr. Black. Thank you.” He reached for his mother’s hand and smiled up at her. “Look, Mom. I have Tony Black’s autograph.”
Lydia batted her eyes at Tony. “Thank you, and thank you for wrapping a little lesson in there with it.” Her eyes took a slow stroll down his body.
Meaningless sex had become something he loathed. He could no longer hide from what he really wanted, to share all of his life with someone he loved.
And as he lifted his eyes to the dune, he knew there was only one person who could fill that gap. And she was heading for the parking lot.
Tony ignored Lydia’s leer, tossed the pad and pen into his backpack, and darted down the beach toward the wide, steep path that led up the dune to the parking lot.
He reached the top of the hill as Amy drove toward the exit, and Tony sprinted through the parking lot, barefoot and thankful for all his training. He reached Amy’s car just as she stopped in the line of cars waiting to exit. He knocked on her window, startling her.
She rolled it down with a shy smile that made him glad he’d reached her. The memory of their kiss was so fresh he nearly leaned in and kissed her again.
“Hey.” He was out of breath. She was wearing his favorite bikini, the pale blue one that reminded him of her cottage, which brought his mind back to her bed and the feel of her body for that brief moment last night.
“Hey.”
“Why are you leaving?”
She shifted her eyes away. “I…Um. I just came to hang out for a while.”
“Stay with me.”
“I don’t know. You looked pretty busy down there.” She ran her finger over the steering wheel. When the car ahead of her pulled onto the road and her car rolled forward, Tony walked alongside, gripping the door.
Something in her voice made him take a deeper look at her expression, and that’s when he noticed it. He’d been so excited to see her that he’d missed the conflicting emotions in her beautiful eyes.
“Please?”
“Tony…I’m…I’m not ready to give up the job in Australia.”
“I…” He hadn’t thought she’d still go. He hadn’t put Australia into the picture at all since last night. Why would she just give up on them like that? “I just want time with you.”
She sighed. “You came here to surf.” Despite the efforts he could see her making to restrain it, a smile curved her luscious lips.
And now he knew just how delicious they were. “Come on, Ames. It’ll be fun.”
Her finger tapped the steering wheel.
“We’ll take a walk and find the ugliest bathing suit.”
She smiled at that. She must have allowed that memory to resurface just as he had. The summer they were together they’d stalked the beach claiming they were seeking out the ugliest bathing suits as a cover for just wanting time alone. Their ruse had worked perfectly—their friends made fun of them for doing something so lame and never wanted to tag along. They couldn’t kiss in front of their friends, but after walking a mile down the beach, they kissed like kisses were food and they were starving.
“But after everything…”
“We need this, Ames.” He ran his knuckle down her cheek, and she closed her eyes for only a second, but that second was enough for him to know she was more on his side of the fence than not. “Please?”
They walked down the beach with the sun at their backs and silence filling the distance between them. Amy looked sexy and sweet, something only she could pull off so effortlessly. She wasn’t walking with tension in her steps, but Tony didn’t have to see the tension to know it existed.
