He chuckles, doing the same before following me into the cold, frigid water. We don’t have to go far before we reach the rocks.
His hands wrap around my midriff. “Be careful on the rocks. They’re slippery.”
I nod, a shiver running through me at his touch.
“Oh my God,” I breathe, my gaze on a starfish stuck to the side of the rock. The water is shallow in the narrow pool and I gaze at it, pulling my phone out to snap a photo.
Wyatt leans around me, kneeling on a rock, not caring that he’s getting wet. He reaches over, gently pulling the starfish away from the rock.
“Here,” he murmurs, holding it out.
“No,” I whisper, clutching my phone to my chest. “It’s too beautiful.”
Quick as lightning, he snatches the phone from my hand, keeping it there as he turns my hand around, my palm up. He transfers the starfish over to my hand and I suck in a breath, my hands shaking as I hold it up, amazed by the whites and browns that cover it.
I look up through my lashes at Wyatt, smiling, but it drops when I notice he’s holding my phone up, clicking on the screen.
“What are you doing?”
“Snapping a photo. I’m sending that one to my phone,” he murmurs, typing rapidly over the screen.
I place the beautiful starfish back where Wyatt pulled it from and squeal when a crab crawls out from under my rock.
I was wrong. I didn’t badly need to see a crab or hold a crab. Or be near a crab.
Its claws pinch at the end, looking sharp enough to slice through skin.
Laughing, Wyatt takes in my expression then looks down at the crab. “It’s a crab.”
I stand, stepping back when he reaches into the shallow pool. “Don’t you dare.”
He lifts it up, his thumb under the belly and his fingers over the back, holding it up. I squeal, stepping back into the sea.
“No, no, no,” I squeal, laughter spilling out of me when he follows.
Water splashes up his legs when he jumps from the rock. I walk rapidly backwards, keeping my attention on not only Wyatt, but the crab, whose claws are opening and closing.
“Come on, say hello to my little friend.” He holds the crab close to his face, pouting. “You don’t want to upset Sebastian.”
I laugh at ‘The Little Mermaid’ reference but still, I shake my head, moving faster. “Keep Seb away from me.”
“He just wants a kiss,” he teases, taking another step towards me.
I dodge right as he goes left, laughter spilling out of me when he chases me into the water. I move away from the rocks, keeping to the shallow end, water soaking into my jeans.
“Come on,” Wyatt calls back, thankfully not sounding close.
“No,” I laugh. I stop, turning around to find him no longer holding the crab. I arch an eyebrow. “Where is it?”
He holds his hand up. “Back on the rock,” he tells me, his laughter echoing over the waves.
I bend at the knee, smashing my hand through the sea and splashing him. “I can’t believe you chased me.”
Too late do I realise I’ve soaked his T-shirt and jacket. Water drips from his chin and he doesn’t look impressed.
I cover my mouth with my hand, hiding the smile I can’t stop.
“That’s it,” he growls, rushing towards me.
“No, don’t,” I scream, racing away, nearly slipping on the sand. I can’t keep the grin off my face. Hell, if I grin any wider I’ll resemble the Joker.
The sea is up to my thighs, the cold waves splashing and reaching the ends of my T-shirt. I don’t care. A sense of weightlessness strikes my heart as I dodge Wyatt’s reaching arms.
My body thrums with energy as his arms wrap around my waist, swinging me around. “Don’t you dare,” I yell when I feel his hands loosen.
I sail through the air, landing in the shallow waters, sputtering as the salty water enters my mouth and nose.
I laugh, kicking my leg out and sweeping Wyatt’s from under him. He lands in the water, on his back, howling as the cold water covers his entire body.
“You, you—”
“Got ya,” I boom, getting up and running towards the shore.
I hear the water dripping from his clothes as he stands up, and I squeal, running away, but I don’t get far before he’s lifting me off my feet, swinging me around once more.
A get a glimpse of an older couple walking their dog. They’ve stopped, watching us with smiles on their faces.
“Put me down,” I yell through laughter.
He swings me around so I’m facing him. His broad smile reaches his eyes, spreading lines outwards as he drops me gently to my back on the sand. I groan, feeling the rough texture stick to every part of my body.
I run the palm of my hand over his rough stubble, giving him a crooked smile. “You got me wet and now you’ve got me covered in sand.”
A low and pleasant hum warms my blood when the corners of his lips turn up. His gaze cuts from my see-through T-shirt to my face, devouring me. “I’m going to do more than get you wet when we get home.”
I run my fingers through his hair, unable to look away as he looms above me, pressing between my thighs. “Is that a fact?”
“Fuck yes.” He grins, angling his head down to brush his lips lightly over mine. “The day is most definitely not over, and now that we are wet, we’re going to need a shower when we are back.”
Every fibre of my being lights up at the promise. I can feel him becoming hard, and I squirm beneath him.
Will I ever get enough of him? I don’t think so.
“I’ve had a good day.”
“Me too,” he replies softly, brushing his lips over mine once again.
I tilt my head to the side, studying him. “Even when I won the giant bear?”
He narrows his gaze at me. “That game was rigged, and you know it. That guy let you win.”
Laughter bursts out of me. “No, it wasn’t. You are just sore that I was a better shot than you.”
“It was rigged,” he argues, not giving up the façade.
“If you say so.”
“I’m glad you’ve had a good day, baby.”
“Did you?” I ask, wiping sand off his cheek. Not that it makes a difference. We’re both covered.
His voice deep, low, he replies, “The best.”
I wrap my arms around him, softening under his touch. “I’m glad.”
I roll my eyes when his gaze drifts back to my shirt, where he can see my pink bra showing through. “Wyatt?” I call, keeping the laughter from my voice.
“What?” he asks, lifting his head.
I chuckle, shaking my head at his behaviour. “As great as today has been, I’m seriously not looking forward to driving the few hours it’s going to take us to get home, in wet clothes. Sandy wet clothes.”
His lips twist together, and he glances up, looking at something behind us. “Excuse me, but do you know where the closest clothes shop is? We’re a bit wet and we didn’t bring spares.”
I try to shove him off me, but he doesn’t move. I forgot about the couple walking their dog. And we are in an intimate position.
Heat fills my cheeks as I shuffle my body enough to see the old lady and her husband. She gives us a big smile in greeting, her hand raised as she waves. Her husband stays close as they head towards us.
“You should always bring spares.”
Wyatt grins, winking, and I hear her sigh. “I know, but I completely forgot. I was dazzled by my beautiful lady.”
“What did he say?” the old guy yells, looking from us to his wife.
“He needs to find a clothing shop so he can buy them some clothes,” she yells back at her husband.
“He should have brought spares,” he yells back, lifting his chin when our gazes meet. “Although, if I remember correctly, it was always you who forgot them.”
The lady rolls her eyes. “I never forgot them. It was you.”
He winks over at us. “Because I was hop
ing she’d go skinny dipping with me. Never happened.”
I choke on laughter as Wyatt, too, rumbles with laughter. The wind picks up and I shiver, snuggling closer to the warmth radiating from Wyatt.
The lady slaps his chest. “You.”
“Please tell me there’s a clothing shop close,” I plead, beginning to shiver. The sand is rubbing against my skin, and it feels raw.
“What did she say?” her husband yells.
She ignores him, nodding to me. “Just across the road. Would you like our towel until your fella has bought you new clothes?”
“I couldn’t—"
“She’d love to,” Wyatt answers, reaching over to grab the towel from the lady. I smile, sitting up to wrap it around me.
“Thank you.”
“You’re most welcome.”
“We not taking a dip today, Martha?” her husband yells.
“Bert, she’s going to catch a cold. We can go another day.” She continues to walk away, calling back to us over her shoulder. “You two have fun.”
“Did you not want your towel back?”
She waves me off. “Keep it. We have plenty. Our grandkids buy them for us all the time.”
“Thank you. It was lovely to meet you.”
“You too,” she tells us, waving.
“Bye,” Bert yells, before whistling so loudly it pierces my ears. A dog with long, shaggy ears comes sprinting up the beach, sand flicking around him. He is beautiful. I’m not sure what breed he is, but his golden colouring shines.
Wyatt strokes his finger down my cheek, pulling my attention away from the couple and the dog. “Let’s go get up on the path. If you wait by the toilets, I’ll run over and get us something dry to wear.”
“I can buy my own clothes,” I start, but his eyes crinkle and he leans forward, kissing me.
“I’ll get them. I was the one to get you wet,” he smarts, a smile teasing his lips. “You’ll be wetter later.”
I tap his arm, laughing. “You’re so bad.”
He winks. “Always.”
He jogs over to where we dropped our belongings, picking them up before heading back. I take his offered hand, getting up off the sand. I brush off as much sand as I can.
My teeth clatter together and the clothes stick to my skin like they are glued. I am not looking forward to peeling these off when I’m freezing my arse off.
Even with all that, I couldn’t be happier. I swing our hands back and forth as we stroll back up to the beachfront, and I can’t keep the big goofy grin off my face.
Today was undoubtedly the best day of my life.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
EVIE
The past few days have felt like what I imagine walking on clouds would be like. Everything around me seems brighter, lighter, and I’m filled with so much joy. Even the inevitable storm threatening to brew between us in the future hasn’t dampened the high I’m riding.
In previous relationships, I had been happy enough, content even. With Wyatt, it’s as if I could explode from happiness and love alone. I feel on top of the world, and I could stay this way forever.
I feel happiness in everything I touch or look at, in every breath I take, and in each moment we share together.
And it’s all because of him. He brings it out of me each time he teases me, brushes his lips over mine or holds me. It’s in every caress or sweet word. I will never get enough of him.
I love him.
There is no doubt in my mind that what I feel is love. It’s buzzing through my body like electricity. I get excited when I know I’m going to be seeing him, my stomach flutters when I do, and my brain turns to mush whenever he’s touching me. A heavy ball of emotion lies in the pit of my stomach whenever I let myself stop to feel my love for him. It turns sour whenever my thoughts drift and I imagine his reaction to my secrets.
The selfish part of me—a selfish part I didn’t know I had—ignores the voices in my head that tell me not to fall for him and to tell him the truth. You can’t build on lies and secrets. It is too late to do anything about my feelings for him and I can’t lose him. At least, not yet. I’m not ready.
Rebecca and I are making headway on Andrew’s diary. We downloaded everything we could find out about the people written inside of it on the first day we got it. And since Rebecca has had time on her hands lately, she’s enjoying spending it finding a link between the names and Andrew. We found some links between Big Move and a few other corporations. However, until we know what blackmail was used, who it was used on within those companies, and whether or not we can get our hands on it, is another story. The information is pointless right now. But she’s adamant about getting it done.
Wyatt strolls into the room, wiping sweat off his forehead. “Hey babe, you finished?”
Shutting down my computer, I slide my chair back, getting up. “I am.”
He grins, leaning over the desk to press a kiss to my lips. “Are you sure you want dinner with the family again?”
I giggle at his pout. “You’re just jealous you don’t get me to yourself.”
Walking around the desk, he grips my arse, pulling me flush against him. “You can’t blame me. It’s hard watching you strut around the office and not be able to touch you until we’re alone.”
Leaning up on my toes, I press another kiss to his lips. “I promised your mum I would help her finish the dinner. I’m excited.” And I am. When his mum approached me yesterday, asking if I’d like to learn to cook her corn beef hash, I jumped at the chance. And not only because I want to learn to cook but because I like his mum. She’s awesome and has time for each of her kids. She showers each of them with love, and although at times it brings tears to my eyes from missing my own mum, it makes me gravitate towards her because she showers me with love too.
“Alright, but after, we’re still going to The Ginn Inn,” he declares.
I flutter my lashes, leaning into him. “Well, duh. I can’t wait to have drunken, dirty sex with you again.”
The palm of his hand runs over my arse, pulling me against him so I can feel how hard he’s getting. “Oh, there’s definitely going to be a lot of sex.”
“Then let me go so I can go home to freshen up and get back here,” I order softly, licking my bottom lip. I can feel my arousal as I lean in closer, brushing my breasts against his chest.
His eyes darken as his smouldering gaze pins me in place. “Go, before I fuck you over this desk. Something, I might add, I’ve wanted to do since you first strutted your arse into this office.”
I let out a breath, shaking the lust away with great difficulty. “I’ll hurry.”
He presses a hard kiss to my lips before letting me go. “See you soon.”
“I won’t be long. Rebecca is meeting me at mine, so I’ll be twenty minutes at the most.”
His mum, standing by her word, invited Rebecca for dinner, and not wanting to be rude, Rebecca accepted.
We say our goodbyes and I leave, getting in my car to head home, smiling as I do.
Life has never been this good. There is always something going on in my life that drags me down, and although most of the time I don’t let it get to me, it suffocates me in a way that holds me back from living.
And for right now, I’m finally living the best life, and I never want it to go away.
I’m finally seeing the positive in a negative situation.
Twisting the volume up on my radio, I bob my head to the beat of the music, singing off-key and most likely getting all the words to the song wrong. I don’t care. I’m too happy and I want to let it out.
Not far from home, the speakers begin to blare with my ringtone. I turn to my car’s screen display, reading Rebecca’s name.
I press the green phone icon to answer, not taking my eyes off the road. “Hey, I’m nearly there.”
“Evie?”
Hearing the panic in her voice, I tense, gripping the steering wheel tightly. “What’s wrong?”
“You need to get home.
Some guys are here and they’re throwing your stuff all over the front garden.”
“What?” I screech, pressing the accelerator down as my heart races. “Why?”
“Hey, have some fucking respect,” Rebecca screeches. “Evie, just get here. Safely.”
She ends the call and I grip the steering wheel until my knuckles turn white, fear paralyzing me.
I don’t know how I get home without wrecking my car, but I do, and when I pull up outside, my breath catches in my throat. All my belongings are out on the grass. Rebecca is yelling at a guy with a clipboard. And some of my neighbours have come out to see what is going on whilst some are hanging out the windows, avid interest on their expressions.
My hands begin to shake as I step out of the car. Hearing my car door slam, Rebecca whirls around, her face red as she storms over to me.
“I’m sorry. There was nothing I could do. I got all your clothes in a suitcase before they ordered me out,” she explains, pointing to the case by the lamppost.
“What is happening?”
I watch as a guy comes out carrying a glass figurine that belonged to my grandmother. I race forward, snatching it out of his hand. “What are you doing? You can’t do this.”
A guy with a bald patch on top of his head walks over to me, his large, round stomach shaking with each step. Sweat pours down the side of his face as he pulls at the collar of his black shirt. “Are you Miss Wilson?”
I scowl at him. “What are you doing?”
“We had a call from the owner of this building. You were given the eviction notice and legal papers to leave the premises and ignored them.”
“Even if that were true, she has squatters’ rights,” Rebecca snaps.
“Ah, here is Mr Saunders,” he announces.
“Mr Morrison, I hope everything is going smoothly?” Mr Saunders asks, not looking my way.
“Kind of,” he replies, glaring at Rebecca.
“Mr Saunders, what is the meaning of all this? Why have you entered my flat without my permission and removed my belongings?”
His usual easy-going nature isn’t there, and in its place is a man I don’t recognise. “Miss Wilson, it came to my attention that you were residing here.”
Eye for an Eye (Take a Chance Book 2) Page 19