Page 37 of Sweet Passions at Bayside
He laughed and patted her butt. “Move a little lower on the board, so the nose is slightly above the water.”
“Got it, Mr. Handsy.” She shifted lower and paddled with long, deep strokes, with Dean swimming beside her. “This feels good. I think I found my sweet spot.”
He felt himself grinning. “I’d like to find your sweet spot. I can guarantee you’ll feel good.”
“There you go, bragging again,” she said with a sexy smile. “I think I’ve got this.”
He motioned toward the oncoming waves. “You know what to do, doll. Pick your spot, paddle like crazy, and keep looking forward.”
He swam away, watching her like a hawk as she sat up on the board, used her hands and feet to turn toward the shore, and looked over her shoulder with the confidence of a lifelong surfer. She was stunning with the late-afternoon sun glistening over her damp skin.
As the wave swelled she paddled forward. Every muscle in Dean’s body tensed as the momentum of the wave built and she tried to stand on shaky legs. The board tipped, sending her flying backward, into the crashing wave. His heart lurched as he quickly swam toward her. She broke the surface as his arm circled her.
Swiping at her eyes and gasping, she yelled, “Stupid wave!” and reached for her board.
“You’re okay?”
“Yes, I’m okay! I’m mad. I slipped right off the stupid board.”
“It takes time. You did great. It’s really hard to find your footing when the world’s moving out from under you. You looked amazing out there.”
She faced the waves again and climbed onto her board. “I looked awful, but not for long.”
She paddled away, and after four more failed attempts, each one bringing more frustration than the last, he held her trembling body, both of them bouncing with the force of the water.
“You gave it a good shot. Let’s call it a day and try again—”
“No way. If you can do this, so can I. I have balance. I’m thequeenof balance. Watch.” She pushed away from him and paddled past the waves to calmer waters.
He swam after her, stunned when she unhooked the leash from her ankle andstoodon the board, fluidly arching backward into a backbend. How the…? He swam closer, careful not to create waves, and when she kicked her feet up into a perfect handstand and then lowered them perpendicular to the board in an even more precise handstand split, he saw her not as the temptress he lusted after, but for the experienced, intense, determined yogi she was.
A wide smile graced her beautiful face as her legs moved fluidly toward the board, and swiftly beneath her, until she was doing splits along the length of the board.
“See?” she said, a little out of breath. “Balanceisn’t my issue.”
She straddled the board and reached for his hand. He climbed on, mimicking her position, her knees tucked against his inner thighs. She pressed her hands to her thighs, her brows knitted in concentration.
“It takes a different type of balance when the board is cruising along a wave. It takes time, but you’ll get it,” he reassured her.
“Will you help me learn?”
He moved closer, her request touching him deeply. Emery wasn’t the type of woman who asked for help. Earning another level of her trust meant the world to him. “I’d love to.”
EMERY LAY ON the surfboard with Dean perched above. His strength radiated in the small gap between their bodies, making her feel safe and excited at once as the swell of a wave propelled them forward. Her heart thundered as adrenaline and something even more thrilling, sexier, and unexpected coursed through her veins. He’d gone over what she was supposed to do so many times it ran through her mind like a mantra.
I’ll stand, then you push up. Concentrate on your stance, knees bent, arms loose and extended, torso forward. Look straight ahead and know I’ve got you.
Suddenly Dean’s hands disappeared, and the board tilted with his weight as he rose to his feet. It happened so fast, Emery didn’t have time to think. She gripped the edges of the board, pushing her chest up as her feet moved beneath her. Dean clutched her hips, strong and stable, helping her pop to her feet. One of his arms circled her waist, holding her back against his chest as they rode the wave.
As they surfed along the shores of the Cape, the sounds of the rushing waves, distant voices in the wind, and the pounding of blood in her ears gave Emery a sense of freedom, euphoria, and at the same time, disbelief. The overwhelming sensations should bowl her over, or at least give her pause, but instead they gave her a sense of clarity.
Dean held her until the very end of their ride, when he lowered her to a sitting position and hopped off the board.
She was delirious with happiness and adrenaline, and her words tumbled out too fast. “That was amazing. Incredible.Life changing.Like the first time I did yoga. It felt like taking the clearest, deepest, soul-reaching breath, only the breath was insideandoutside my body.”
She swung her legs over the side, and Dean moved between them, his strong arms circling her hips. Her thighs pressed against his chest. The depth of emotions swimming in his blue eyes sent pulses of something warm and electric straight to her heart. She didn’t think, didn’t contemplate what it all meant or why her heart felt like it was trying to climb out of her body to reach him. She let it guide her and lowered her lips to Dean’s. Her head spun with the first touch of his warm, soft lips. In an instant, he took control. His hands flattened on her back, his arms squeezed her hips, tugging her closer, and his mouth—his gloriously hot, heavenly eager mouth—consumed her. The kiss turned rough and unstoppable. Amid sensual sighs and rough kisses, he hauled her forward, while simultaneously lifting himself higher on the board, as if he couldn’t get enough of her and might not ever have another chance. Her body slid against him hard. She clung to him with her arms and legs, never breaking their connection.
His arm wrapped around her waist, pinning her to his hard frame. His other hand moved along her back, into her hair, tangling and tugging demandingly, angling her face so he could intensify the kiss. His beard scratched her skin, giving her bursts of slight pain with insurmountable pleasure. She knew her face would be abraded, and she didn’t care. She kissed him harder, digging her fingers into his wet suit. A purely masculine sound erupted within him. It was the hottest thing she’d ever heard. Fireworks ignited inside her, sparking and exploding in rapid succession, shattering her ability to think of anything butDean. He squeezed her tighter, and she could barely breathe.
