Page 115 of The Perfect Spiral
A group of guys to my left started to whistle at me, trying to gain my attention. They’d gain my foot up their asses if they kept going. I ran through the water, feeling it climb up my body before I was fully immersed in the ocean.
Diving under an incoming wave, I resurfaced, stroked my hair back off my shoulders, and began to paddle out further to catch a wave.
Once I was out far enough, I sat on my board and watched the sun in the sky. “I miss you, Pop,” I whispered to myself, strokingthe water between my open fingers.
I heard Kyle shouting in the distance, “That’s too big!” I looked behind me and saw a large wave making its way over to me. This was perfect.
“You got this one, girl! Get it!” Andy, still wrapped around Kyle, waved her hand through the air in support. She was right, this one was mine. I frantically started to paddle so I could catch it perfectly.
Running out of time, I needed to stand up. It was now or never. I rose up off my board as quickly as I could and began to glide along with the wave about to break.
Squatting down even lower to my board, fully aware that my ass was on show, I didn’t let it stop me. I took in the smell of the saltwater, bobbed up and down on the board, and swerved it on the wave.
As I glide along the crest of the wave, my hand skims the surface, breaking the tension of the water. I adore these kinds of waves. They start to diminish, lowering as I prepare to emerge on the other side.
“Go, girl! You’re on fire!” Andy’s cheer echoes over the water as the waves continue to shrink to half their original size. I submerge myself in the sea, then stand, retrieving my board. I make my way back to the sand where my mom is clutching her chest, her eyes shooting daggers at me.
“Alex! You nearly gave me a heart attack! Good Lord!” I flash her a smile and wrap her in a hug, apologizing. I forget she’s not accustomed to my surfing antics.
“That was incredible! You’re amazing, I had no idea you werethat good. Damn! Can you teach me? I’m a quick learner,” Tyler proposes, his eyebrows dancing suggestively.
Tyler is handsome, but he’s not my type. His light brown hair is peppered with stubble, and his brown eyes are always sparkling. He’s a hit with the ladies because of his carefree charm. Just like now.
I turn my head to the right at the sound of squeals and spot Knox standing there. His arms are crossed, his stance wide. He’s wearing dark blue swim shorts that hang low on his hips, and a pair of sunglasses.
I can’t tell if he’s looking at me or not.
“Sure, I’ll teach you, Tyler. But keep your hands to yourself,” I warn, a smile tugging at Knox’s lips, indicating that he is indeed watching.
I shift my attention back to Tyler, who’s standing there grinning like a fool. “I can teach you when I’m teaching Adam,” I smirk, then head over to the towels to apply some lotion.
Andy helps me with my back, and I can’t help but glance over at Knox, who’s still looking in my direction. I don’t care. I plant my board in the sand and untie myself from it.
“Hey! You’re the one who caught that wave out there?” I look up to see a blonde guy towering over me. I can’t see him clearly, so I shield my eyes from the sun with my hands.
Getting a better look, I can see he’s quite attractive. He’s tanned and has the whole surfer bad boy look down pat, complete with a ripped body, defined abs, and a deep V line.
His deep, husky voice instantly grabs my attention.
“Damn! That was a big wave. You looked good out there! Wait, you’re Alex Thompson? Holy shit! Hi! Can I get a picture with you?”
“Uh, with me? Really?” He nods, pulling out his phone and swiping to the camera.
“Because you’re famous! And hot as hell! You’re even hotter in person! Are you—um—single?”
He grins at me, boyishly.
“Um, okay? Uh, yeah, I am.” I run my hand through my hair, pushing it to one side, and awkwardly meet his gaze. This is new. This is also weird. I’m not famous. Am I?
He hands his phone to Andy and places his arm on the small of my back. I wrap my arm around his waist.
I glance around to see my mom grinning at us, then back at the boys who are standing there with their arms crossed over their puffed-out chests. They look pissed.
Andy snaps the picture, and he hands me a piece of paper while retrieving his phone, planting a light kiss on my cheek.
“We should hang out and surf sometime! Text me or call me, or whatever.” He starts to walk away backward, then turns around to head back where he came from, but stops himself.
He turns back to face me, blushing slightly—or maybe it’s the sun? I notice the sexy tattoo on his back, extending down his arm. Damn, I do love a sleeve.
