Page 96 of Hunt for the Roses
Dane eyes me curiously. “What are you doing?”
“Come and find out,” I tease as I turn around and walk to the shoreline where the waves meet the sand. My bare feet press into the mushy sand, coarse and wet, and the tip of the waves crash against my ankles before receding back. Then I purse my lips as I spin on my heels to face Dane, who’s standing in the same spot with his hands shoved in his pockets.
He shakes his head with a smirk. “No.”
I gesture a “come here” motion with my finger, and when Dane doesn’t bite, I decide to egg him on a little more. I drop my hand to my side and sigh. “Not for nothing, Dane, but you’re kind of being a vagina.”
Dane laughs. “Are you seriously calling me a pussy right now?”
I scrunch my face. “You can’t use that word outside of the bedroom.”
Dane walks a few steps toward me to close the distance. “Is this some sort of unspoken rule of yours?”
I nod my head confidently. “Yes, it is. It’s not allowed.”
Dane chuckles as he just peers down at me. “You do know you were the one that just called me out?”
I hold my hands out to drive my point home. “But I used a less vulgar term. Read the room.” Dane’s lips curl up in the corner as he holds my eyes, but at the same time, he shuffles on his feet to remove his sneakers and socks. I look down in question, and then back up to Dane. “I thought you only took your sneakers and socks off when you were getting in the water?”
Dane smiles knowingly as he half-turns to chuck his sneakers and socks farther up the sand, so they don’t get wet, and I gasp when he turns around and hoists me up by the back of my thighs. My arms snake around his neck while my legs wrap around his khaki shorts, and I bite my bottom lip as I look down at his bright green eyes.
Eyes that give me all the hope I’m ever going to need.
“Maybe I spoke too soon,” I tease with a smirk.
“I can agree with that,” Dane says.
“Maybe you should shut me up then,” I challenge as my palms snake from around his neck to the sides of his face. As if my words reel his lips to mine on a fishing line, Dane’s chin tilts up to catch my lips in a sultry kiss. We’re further into the water since our weight has shifted, and the waves are knocking us back and forth as we make out. Unexpectedly, a big wave comes. Dane is unable to keep himself upright from the power of the crash, and we yell at the same time as the wave takes us with it.
“Shit!” Dane yells.
“Ahhh!” I laugh out.
We topple over in the water, the current taking us deeper and submerging us in the salty water. When we both come up for air, we’re laughing hysterically, and immediately start swimming closer to the shore. Dane extends his hand out to me in the water, and I take it gratefully as we make our way out of the waves and onto the dry sand. We’re completely soaked from head to toe, Dane’s t-shirt sticking to his rippled six-pack, and his shorts molding to his thick, muscular thighs.
God,he’s so undeniably sexy.
“Mmm, I could get used to that look on you,” I say as I run my hands through my wet hair and devour Dane with my eyes.
“Hey, Miss!”
A voice calls out from behind me.
When I turn around, there is a guy about my age walking up to me with my white floral print headband in his hand, but it’s not the hair accessory that keeps my attention.
It’s his face.
He has dirty blonde hair and blue eyes that feel like they’re staring into my soul.
He reminds me so much of him.
Kyle.
I just stand there and don’t say anything as I scan over his facial features, trying to decipher if this person is Kyle reincarnated. I know that’s not possible, but my mind starts to believe that maybe this is Kyle sending me a message.
“Miss?”
I shake my head slightly to thwart my thoughts. “Oh, thank you,” I say breathlessly as I take the headband from him.
