I want to ask why they don’t come out to watch Zeke surf, but the question gets caught in my throat. I’ve got no right to ask that – I need to stay in my lane if I’m going to get answers from her. I can’t push for too much, too soon.
“Why can’t you swim?” I ask instead.
“Wha… what?”
“Swim, you know.” I make a swimming motion with my arms. “Seems like you spend a lot of time around water, you should probably learn.”
She hasn’t moved an inch, but I can see the panic rising within her.
I should probably feel bad for creating this type of a reaction by pressuring her, but I’m too curious. And I’m an asshole, so there’s that.
“I’ll keep the idea in mind,” she says, her voice nothing more than a whisper.
“Eden, what the hell is going on with you?” I probe, my voice gentler.
I don’t know why the hell I care so much but I can’t seem to let it go. The desire to know more about her is an urge I can’t contain.
“It’s nothing, Jake. Okay? I just can’t swim. End of story.”
The bullshit swirls in the air between us.
“I’m not going to stop asking you, Eden,” I tell her, and I’m not sure if it’s a warning or a promise.
She narrows her eyes at me. “Well, you’re going to be bitterly disappointed.”
She gracefully gets to her feet before walking – right on the verge of running – away from me.
I crack open her can of coke as I contemplate what the hell I’m going to do next.
I can’t give up. It’s just not in my nature.
***
“Stubborn little princess,” I grumble to myself as Eden scuttles off down the beach and to the safety of her brother and his girlfriend.
Three fucking days she’s avoided me.
It’s finals day, which I’m in, of course, but for once, I’m not thinking about the waves, I’m thinking about her instead, and I’m not happy about it.
I don’t know what the hell has got into me; my head has never been this wrapped up in a girl. Not even when I dated Christina Fernandez for six months the summer before last, and damn that chick was hot.
Still is actually, but that’s not the point.
Eden Brady has gotten under my skin.
I always did like a challenge, and this girl is the biggest challenge I’ve come across in years.
The worst part about the whole thing is, I can’t decide if I’m more intrigued by the prospect of getting into her bikini or the idea of her letting me into her mind.
I’ll get her to crack eventually, I know I will. I’m persistent to the point of being obsessive compulsive, and when I want something – I get it.
That’s just the way I work.
I watch as Eden says something to Zeke, and he scans the beach – looking for me I presume. I don’t know what she’s told him, but the fact that I’ve been chasing her around the beach for days, is probably a good place to start if she wants to get his back up.
I haven’t come up against her brother in this leg of the competition, but that’s about to change.
We’re both in the final, as has become normal – the number one and number two, fighting it out yet again.
She’ll have to look at me then.
I throw Zeke a hang loose as he stares at me, and his expression hardens.
I chuckle. His damn sister might be avoiding me, but it would seem that I’m still succeeding in getting under his skin at least.
Always a silver lining.
I turn away to go find my board.
CHAPTER EIGHT
Eden
I release a breath I didn’t realise I’d been holding as Jake jogs off up the beach and away from me.
For a minute there I’d thought he was going to follow me over here.
I’m not sure why I’m running from him the way that I clearly am – like a chicken shit – but I can’t take his probing.
He’s asking questions he has no business asking, and his green eyes seem to see right through the bullshit I’ve been spewing.
I don’t need a man like Jake Carson knowing my business.
In fact, I don’t need a man like him for anything at all.
He’s arrogant, egotistical and overconfident.
With good reason, my brain reminds me, but I silence the thought.
The last thing I need is my hormones taking the wheel here.
“God, I can’t stand that prick,” Zeke growls from next to me.
He’s watching Jake’s retreat up the beach as closely as I am.
Their final is up next, and I feel nervous; not because my brother is going to surf against him yet again, but because I know what’s coming.
He’s going to do that god damn routine he always does.
The one where he brings his stupid hand up to his stupid mouth and blows me a stupid kiss.
A kiss that I can feel on my lips… from all the way across the fucking beach.
I’ve considered just disappearing until they’re out in the line up and out of view, but I can’t seem to do it. Not to Zeke or to myself.
I love to hate Jake, and if I give in now and run away, then he wins. And he might be able to beat my brother, but he’s not about to beat me.
So instead, I’ll stay here and play my part.
“Go get your board and stop plotting ways to kill him,” Millie tells Zeke as she gives his shoulder a shove.
He grins down at her and I can physically see the love between the two of them.
They make me sick in all honesty.
They’re so deliriously happy with each other.
Zeke leans in as he cups her jaw and kisses her in a way that shouldn’t be legal in public.
I turn away. “Get a room,” I mumble under my breath.
“I gotta go,” Zeke announces.
He places one kiss on the crown of my head and then he’s gone, and it’s just me and Millie.
“So…” she says, and I already know what’s going to follow that one word. “What’s going on with you and Jake?”
I give her the side eye. “What makes you think there’s anything going on?”
She laughs as though the question is a joke.
I raise my brows at her.
“Okay, where do I start…” She holds up her hand to count off the points on her fingers. “There’s the fact that you spent the night in his room the other night, there’s that little pre-heat routine he’s so fond of—”
“That’s just to piss off Zeke,” I interrupt her.
She ignores me.
“There’s also the fact that he’s staring at you more often than he’s not, and that you blush whenever he’s within your sight…”
“I do not blush,” I argue. “And he’s probably plotting ways to make my life miserable.”
“He likes you, Eden.”
I snort out a laugh. “He does not. His only goal is winning, and I’m nothing more than a pawn in his game.”
She nods her head and shrugs, her brown hair moving as she does.
“Maybe,” she acknowledges as she slips past me. “But did you ever consider the fact that he doesn’t need to do any of that to win? He’s got the talent, hands down, so maybe there’s another reason he can’t take his eyes off you.”
She leaves me with that thought – one that is totally unwelcome in my brain.
I don’t know what she’s playing at. Zeke would blow his lid if he knew that Millie, of all people, was almost encouraging an interest in his sworn enemy, but I’m pretty sure that that is exactly what just went down.
I know Millie wants to see Zeke back off and let me grow up, but I can’t imagine that he’d be accepting of me getting involved with anyone on the surfing scene, let alone the guy he hates the most.
I glance around up the beach and see Zeke and Jake waiting at the water’s edge.
They’ll get a ride out into the line up and from there; the siren will sound, indicating the star
t of the heat.
I see the jet skis pulling into the beach and my heart thumps in my chest.
Jake turns, right on cue, and he doesn’t even have to hunt for me this time, his eyes find mine immediately and he grins.
I don’t know what comes over me, but I smile back at him.
He lifts his arm and blows me a kiss.
I instinctively respond, giving him the middle finger, but instead of my usual scowl, a huge smile graces my face.
I’m enjoying this I realise, this little game we’re playing.
There’s officially something wrong in my brain.
I watch him chuckle. He dips his head once before taking one final look at me and then running into the water, his board tucked safely under his arm.
“Well that was new.” River giggles from next to me. “You know what, I think you like that boy.”
I snort out a laugh. “Could you imagine?”
She eyes me sceptically but doesn’t say anything more about it as we watch Jake and Zeke surf wave after wave, scoring some of the best waves of the competition. And even though Zeke surfs like he was born to do it, Jake makes beating him look almost effortless.
The crowd goes wild as the final siren sounds, and Jake is announced as the winner, yet again.
I wish I could say I was surprised.
That yellow jersey he’s wearing isn’t going anywhere anytime soon, if ever.
I watch as Jake rides the wave in to the beach and is hoisted onto the shoulders of his fans and friends.
I can see his coach in there too, patting him on the head as he goes up, his victory being celebrated by his hoards of supporters.
The golden boy with the number seventeen on his back.
CHAPTER NINE
Jake
“Jake, I don’t know what to say, you just keep getting better and better. This is your fourth win on the trot; that yellow jersey looks good on you. What does a win on your home break mean to you?”
“There’s no place like home.” I grin. “But seriously though, a win in my home town is always that much sweeter, and I’m grateful that I got the opportunity to surf here again this year.”
“Tell us about the final here today.”
“Coming up against Zeke was tough. He always brings his best out there with him into the line-up, and today was no exception, but I wasn’t going to give this one up easy, that’s for sure.” I chuckle.
“Your coach, big wave legend Brad Coles, is there anything he can teach you anymore, or has the student become the master?” he jokes.
“Definitely not.” I laugh with him. “I’m always learning from Brad, like you say, he’s a legend, and I’m very lucky to have him on my team.”
The interviewer claps me on the shoulder. “Well, congratulations again,” he turns to the camera, addressing the viewers, “Jake Carson – the winner for this leg of the World Surf League.”
The cheers erupt from the fans surrounding me once again.
I might do this for the surfing, but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t enjoy this part of the sport all the same.
“Jake!”
I grin as I see Brad walking my eight-year-old brother through the crowd towards me.
“Zayne!” I yell back.
There might be close to twenty years between us, but he’s my best friend – even if he drives me insane ninety percent of the time.
He runs up to me, leaving Brad behind and throws his arms around my waist.
“Hey, bud.” I chuckle as I wrap my arms around him.
“That was epic!” he says excitedly. “You killed it.”
I ruffle his blond hair and he shrugs out of my touch. “Thanks, Z. You wanna go get a milkshake or something?”
He picks up my board for me. “We can go soon. You need to go sign some stuff for your fans.”
The kid is seriously my biggest supporter and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
“Where’s Mum?” I ask Zayne as I take the marker pen Brad is holding out to me.
“She left me with Brad, she had to go to work.”
Our mum is a hard worker – she’s been a single mum with me and again with Zayne.
She might be a good mother, but she has terrible taste in men.
She refuses to take any of the money I make, so she’s still working long hours to provide for her and Zayne.
I scribble my signature on hats, shirts, arms, hell, even foreheads until I get cramp and my jaw hurts from smiling at people.
Zayne tries to convince me to give away my board to some hot chick about four times, but I refrain.
He’s such a little ladies’ man.
“Let’s get a milkshake already; I’m ready to sit my ass down.”
He follows me into the competitors’ tent where we ditch my board and wet gear.
We head past the half pipe where a skate competition is still running and into the area where I can get a feed. I’d kill for something greasy right now.
I grin to myself as I think about Eden’s disgust over my diet.
“What do you want, Z?”
“I’ll take a chocolate shake, fries, and a hot dog.”
Unlike Mum, my little brother has no aversion to spending my money.
“Make it two,” I tell the guy serving.
I’m leaning against the side of the building, my arms crossed across my chest, when I see her.
Zayne is rambling on, something about one of my rides this afternoon, but I stopped listening about five minutes ago; the kid has verbal diarrhoea.
My eyes follow her as she strolls across the courtyard with River at her side.
At least a dozen heads turn as they walk by, and I can’t even blame them.
River might be mostly covered up, but Eden is wearing yet another tiny bikini – this one is bright pink, and she’s thrown a pair of the shortest denim shorts I’ve ever seen over the top.
I bet I could see her ass cheeks out the bottom of those things – not that I’d be complaining.
“Oooooh you’re staring at her,” Zayne announces loudly, causing a handful of people to turn and look at me.
“Shut up,” I mutter to him as I attempt to cover his mouth.
He shoves me off and grins. “But you were staring. Is she your girlfriend or something?”
“I wasn’t staring,” I hiss. “Here take your shake and shut your trap.” I take the shake from the counter and thrust it in his direction.
If he has something in his mouth, maybe he’ll stop embarrassing me.
He grins at me. “You luuuurrrve her.”
I narrow my eyes at him. “Take the shake, kid.”
He takes it, but he’s still grinning like the punk-ass little shit he is.
“Why don’t you go talk to her?”
I snag the rest of our order off the counter, handing him his food as I go.
I stalk off in the opposite direction that Eden and River went. The last thing I need is Zayne outing me to her.
He follows, and I swear if he goes for another round of ‘Jake and that girl sitting in a tree’, I might just paddle him out the back of the sets and leave him there.
“Zayne, cut it.”
“Go talk to her then,” he retorts.
He might be my biggest fan, but he certainly isn’t afraid to give me lip.
“Maybe I would, if she wanted to talk to me.”
“Why doesn’t she want to talk to you?”
“Because I kick her brother’s ass all the time.” I chuckle. “That’s Zeke Brady’s sister.”
He laughs before taking a drink from his milkshake. “Sucks to be her.”
I doubt it sucks to be her at all, but I’m not going down that path, not now that he seems satisfied with my answer.
“Can I stay here with you tonight?” he pleads.
I’ve been staying at the hotel for convenience while the event was on, but any day now I’ll check out and head down the coast to my place for the break.
“If you stop giving m
e shit about girls,” I bargain with him.
“I make no promises.”
I shake my head in amusement. He’s just like me when I was young.
A total smart ass.
“You should just make that girl talk to you,” he says after a few moments of silence.
I pop a handful of fries into my mouth. “Oh yeah? You reckon, do you, genius? And how do you propose I do that?”
I spot my sponsors approaching and wave them over.
“I can’t come up with all the ideas, Jake,” he says with a roll of his eyes. “Go and show up at something she likes or whatever.”
I chuckle. This freaking kid.
Bob and Jeff wave back and it’s only when I glance at the logo on Bob’s hat, that inspiration hits.
CHAPTER TEN
Eden
“I’m sorry, what?” I gape at Millie, who is not only my brother’s girlfriend, but also my booking agent. (That’s how the two of them met – just call me cupid.)
She shrugs, and I can see the mischief dancing in her eyes. “I don’t know what to tell you, Eden, that’s what I got told.”
“It’s not fucking happening. She’s not posing with that asshole.”
That gets my back up, turning my disbelief at the initial request into anger directed at my brother for thinking he gets a say.
“Excuse me?” I turn to Zeke, who is sprawled out on the couch. “It’s actually nothing to do with you.”
“Like hell it’s not,” he mutters.
“It’s my job, Zeke, get a grip. You surf with the guy all summer, but I can’t do one photo shoot? I’m a professional for crying out loud.”
“It’s actually a series of four shoots,” Millie interjects helpfully.
“I don’t care if it’s four hundred,” Zeke drawls lazily. “It’s not happening.”
I grind my teeth together.
“Well, unfortunately for you, it’s not your decision.” I turn to Millie. “When’s the first one?”
She grins gleefully, and I can’t help but feel like she’s orchestrated this whole thing perfectly. She knows I can’t resist defying Zeke.
Mr. May: A Forbidden Love Romance (Calendar Boys Book 5) Page 5