The Perfect Wave

by A. J. Pryor

  Watching her dance all night just about ripped me in two. Jess danced with anyone and everyone who would have her. She was stunning, and every man lined up to take a turn. I almost pushed the last guy away from her after he clearly tried to cop a feel.

  I should have kept my distance in the limo on the way home, but I was unapologetically drawn to her, and I had to touch her. My guard was down, and the noises she was making while my hands were on her feet hit me in the gut. If we hadn’t arrived at her house things would have escalated. Then what? Where would we go from there? I’d hoped to hear from her Sunday, but nothing.

  Monday morning I brought four different boards with me, not sure if she would show but wanting to be prepared if she did. The surf was low, which was good. All I really wanted to do was go out there with her and let her feel the motion of the water, to see if it spoke to her and whether the forces of the sea moved her as they did me.

  I sensed her before I saw her. Jess was five minutes early, which put a smile on my face. She walked down the sand dune that separated the parking lot from the beach, wearing shorts—make that, very short, cut-off jeans—a black hoodie and sunglasses. Her silken blonde hair was down, cascading around her shoulders, caressing her chest, but all that really caught my attention were those stunning legs. I wanted to wrap them around my waist and hold her tight against my body.

  Walking up to me, she kept her hands in the pockets of her hoodie, as she nonchalantly greeted me, “Hey, Surfer Boy. How was the rest of your weekend?”

  Hiding my relief that she had shown up, I smiled and lied, “It was good.” My weekend had actually sucked. Sitting around and wanting to kick my own ass for not kissing her when I had the chance or at least said something in the limo to ease the growing tension between us was not my idea of a good time. When I told her I was figuring it out and asked her to be patient with me, she seemed fine with that, but I wasn’t so sure that plan worked for me anymore.

  “I didn’t know if I needed to bring anything. I don’t own a wetsuit,” she commented conversationally, pulling her towel out of her bag and looking anywhere - but at me.

  “I brought you one, but the water’s still pretty warm from this ninety-degree fall weather we’ve been having. You’ll be fine in a long-sleeve surf top like the one I’m wearing.” I had to break beyond this barrier so I grabbed her hand and walked her over to where my things were. The tension started to slip away and she came along willingly; her soft hand in mine felt like the most natural thing in the world.

  There wasn’t a big swell, so there were only a few other people out attempting to catch a wave. I held up a black Roxy surf shirt I was sure would fit her. She unzipped her jacket to reveal a bright blue triangle bikini top, and shorts that hung so low on her hips the top of her blue bottoms were peeking out of the waist. I felt a familiar stirring in my pants that only happened around Jessica lately. Her skin looked like satin, and she was lean, with curves in all the right places. I could run my hands over her all day.

  She was perfection.

  I had to force my eyes away from her body and up to her face as I handed her the shirt. Once she was ready, I gave her the sunblock I used. “Here, this has zinc in it. It’ll protect your skin from the reflection of the sun off the water. It can be brutal.”

  “Thank you.” She took the lotion from me and applied it. She’d missed a spot, and I couldn’t help but take my thumb and rub it in. That small touch of her skin sent shivers down my spine.

  I turned, trying to hide what I could feel starting to grow in my pants. Suddenly I had turned back into a teenager. Maybe she was on to something with that boy comment.

  Choosing the longest board I’d brought for the beginning of the lesson, I pointed down to it. “Hop on,” I said in her direction.

  Frustration showed on her gorgeous face. “You said we could go in the water today.”

  “I want to make sure you remember everything from our last lesson. On your stomach, Locks.”

  Reluctantly, she did as I asked.

  “Remember,” I said, “much of surfing is balance.”

  She nodded as if I was boring her. I needed to get her to focus, so I pinched her ass.

  “Hey, what was that for?”

  “Making sure you’re with me.” I smiled down at her.

  “Roan, I am always with you.”

  She had no idea how true that statement was. “Okay, then show me how to get into a standing pose.” I watched her determination and precision—she had been paying attention. Her legs flexed, the lean muscles keeping her balanced. I wanted to run my fingers along the insides of her thighs, make her scream my name and forget there were any other men on the planet.

  Instead, I said, “Okay. Time to go out in the water. I’m not going to bring a board. I’ll swim next to you, as you get comfortable on the board in the water. That way I can be hands-on. You good with that?” I needed a distraction from the thoughts plaguing my brain. I was also looking for a way to hide the sudden tightness in my shorts.

  She didn’t seem to notice my discomfort. “As long as I get to be on the surfboard, it works for me.”

  “Yes, Goldilocks, the board is all yours.” I picked up the surfboard and carried it into the water for her. She quickly followed me into the ocean. “It’s not too cold, is it? I have a full wetsuit if you want it, but I think you’ll get hot.”

  She didn’t hesitate when her feet touched the ocean. “No, it’s not cold at all.”

  I loved this girl. I’d never met a woman so feminine yet tough at the same time. “Getting the board past the breaking waves is the hardest part for most beginners. Hop on.”

  She did as I asked and then lay down on her stomach. I wanted to run my fingers down the backs of her legs and play with her toes. I shook my head to clear the thought, knowing I had to stay focused in order to keep us both safe.

  “I’ll help,” I told her, “but paddle your arms on both sides of the board.”

  “It’s hard! This is going to be the toughest arm workout I’ve ever had.” She was doing it, though—rising to the challenge. I only had to help her at times when the waves were bigger, to keep her steady so she didn’t fall into the water.

  We finally made it out past the breaking waves.

  The water was calm, with small waves that she should be able to handle, and I felt that, from here on, it would be easy. My grip on the board released and I began to tread water beside her.

  “Straddle the board for a minute,” I instructed, “Feel how the water moves it.”

  Swaying with the movement of the tide, Jessica was relaxed and focused. I could tell she was enjoying the way the waves lulled her, and the quietude of being the only two people in the ocean this early in the morning. Then a seemingly small swell was enough to upset her balance, flip the board, and she was thrown into the water.

  Surfacing immediately, she shouted, “Oh, shit, it turned on me! I didn’t see that coming.”

  “That’s why I wanted you to sit for a minute and feel the strength of the water, appreciate its power. It’ll flip you if you’re not careful. Here, I’ll get on with you and show you how to get in sync with the rhythm of the tide. But don’t ever believe that you can control it.”

  Getting the board beneath me, I straddled it. Grabbing her arm, I pulled her up with me and placed her between my legs. I had to take a deep, slow breath to calm my racing heart.

  The board was bobbing in the water, tilting us from side to side.

  “Close your eyes,” I told her, “and take in everything around you.”

  My hands were behind me, but I needed them in front of me. Her legs were in front of me—her bare legs. And suddenly every reason I’d ever used to convince myself to stay away vanished and the desire to touch her was too strong. I’d resisted temptation for weeks and it had gotten me nowhere. Leaning into her, I placed a hand on each of her thighs and fit my body perfectly against hers. She exhaled a shaky breath, the warmth of it rippling against my cheek as my ch
in rested on her shoulder. Desire coursed through me as her skin, cool from the ocean, warmed at my touch. Her muscles slightly tensed begging me to soothe the want and need clearly ebbing and flowing through her as well.

  “Relax, Goldilocks. Close your eyes and feel the movement of the waves.”

  She inhaled deeply as my arms encased her, and my chest rested on her back. Her whole body relaxed and she molded herself into me. Our cheeks pressed together and our breath moved in and out in perfect unison. “Feel how the board wants to sway to the right?”

  “Yes.”

  “Your legs control the board when you’re on it. The ocean is a force to be reckoned with, but if you use your body correctly, you can become one with it.” I captured her legs more securely with mine. “Feel how my legs are tightening their grip on the board to keep it in place?”

  “Yes.”

  Two words, that’s all she’d spoken since I pulled her between my legs. Six letters, signifying permission. Even though I knew my past would bite me in the ass and I could in no way, no how, give this girl what she deserved, I couldn’t keep my fucking hands off her. With that admission, the roaring of my pulse stopped, the constant doubt playing in my mind vanished and everything became peaceful. The only sound was the water lapping around us, and the up and down motion of the waves keeping us tethered to each other.

  The game was finally over.

  My thumbs gently stroked back and forth on the insides of her thighs, eliciting a moan deep in her throat. Continuing to stroke her soft skin, I nuzzled my face in her hair, softly trailing my lips along the smooth lines of her neck. Subtly biting down on her skin, needing to know if she was as sweet as I imagined her . . . so sweet. My tongue moved on its own, making a slow track from the top of her neck down to her shoulder.

  Suddenly her hands covered mine, stilling their movements. Her thumbs began to sweep across my skin and her breath turned heavy and heady. Any self-control that was keeping me in check quickly sank to the bottom of the ocean. I needed more of her.

  Wrong. It was all so wrong but felt so good.

  e wanted me to focus on the water, feel the waves beneath the board. Impossible. His hands were on my thighs, and all I could think about was sex. Hot, sweaty, untamed sex. Was it even possible to have sex on top of a surfboard in the ocean? Maybe I should turn around and find out.

  As my hands covered his, the beat of his heart quickened against my back and his tongue swept up to the bottom of my ear, gently licking and sending shivers all down my spine. It was time to take this further.

  Patience, my ass.

  I was on fire and only Roan could ease this burn.

  Pressing further back against his chest, my hands slid up his arms, feeling the muscles underneath his surf shirt then tracing the lines of his face up and over the stubble on his cheeks. This was our dance, swaying in the ocean, and tempting our desires to the point of no return.

  “Jess,” he whispered in my ear.

  Those letters coming out of his mouth caused the fire burning deep inside to grow stronger and spread further throughout my body. I moaned as he slowly and seductively trailed the palms of his hands from the inside of my thighs, up the sides of my body and along my arms to entwine with my hands. My body ached with a want so strong it was almost impossible to sit still.

  “Jess,” he whispered again.

  I carefully tried to turn around, needing to be face to face, but the movement was too much, and we were both thrown into the rolling waves. Unprepared to be dunked, I swallowed what had to be a gallon of salt water. When my head finally emerged above the surface, I was coughing, and water was dribbling out from my nose. Roan’s hands caught hold of me and helped me to the surface, securing the board beneath me.

  “Are you okay?” he asked, the concern evident.

  “Yes, I will be in a minute,” I said, still shaken. “Damn, that wave came out of nowhere.”

  “We’ve had enough for now. Time to go back to shore.”

  We were once again at a disconnect. Maybe there was no perfect wave, only the illusion of one. Reality will come crashing around you—a reminder that fairy tales rarely come true.

  Feeling beaten down, I took in our surroundings. “Do you always move so far away from your original spot when you go surfing?”

  Looking a little embarrassed, he said, “Ah, no. Usually I pay much better attention to the water and my whereabouts.” He grabbed me by the waist and helped get me back onto the board.

  “Do we really have to go in? I didn’t stand up yet.” I felt like this lesson was an utter failure.

  “Locks, you won’t stand up for at least another turn in the water. Today was to teach you about the waves. To show you that the ocean is boss when you’re out here. I think you learned that.”

  I paddled back to shore. Once on dry land, I took off the surf top he’d let me borrow and handed it over to him. He was staring at my body, not even trying to hide the look of pure lust in his eyes.

  Putting my towel away and reaching for my shorts, he suddenly grabbed my arm and pulled me to him. Staring down into my eyes.

  “I’m off to Fiji tonight through the rest of the week. When I get back, we can do our third surf lesson.” My heart was pounding in my chest.

  I swallowed - hard. “Then I guess I’ll see you when you get back.” He hugged me and buried his face in my hair. I ran my hands slowly down his bare back, causing him to shiver, enjoying the feel of his contoured muscles.

  He breathed in deeply and held on tighter. I was drowning in my own desire and had no idea if I could ever be saved.

  The death grip he had on me lessened. His lips were inches from mine. They twitched once . . . twice . . . I was sure he was going to kiss me. I parted my lips for him, anticipating what his would feel like. The heat from his breath hit my lips, and I inhaled deeply, patiently waiting for his next move. He held on to my arms so tightly, I wondered if I’d have bruises tomorrow.

  He gently released one arm to twirl a strand of my hair around his finger. “Jess, I’m . . .” He took in a big breath and then slowly released the air from his lungs. “I can’t . . . Oh, fuck it!”

  His lips were instantly on mine, his tongue demanding entry inside. He pulled me to him so hard our teeth clashed. His kiss was raw and passionate and caught me off guard. For a second, I stood there shocked and let him have me until I needed to take from him. I pushed my body into his, grabbed the hair on the back of his head, and kissed him back, pouring all the desire of the past few months into it. Hoping he would get a taste of how much I’d wanted and needed him to kiss me.

  He tasted of salt water, and his wet hair was dripping onto my forehead. His hands moved down my back and cupped my rear. He growled, and I gripped his hair tighter. Suddenly he picked me up and moved my legs around him. I crossed my ankles and held on as he sat down on the sand. I landed in his lap.

  His kisses softened, and he pulled his face away from mine.

  “You have no idea how badly I needed that.” His fingers moved a strand of hair out of my face and he tucked it behind my ear, then leaned in and kissed me again. “You’re soft and warm and so sweet, Locks. You’re the sweetest thing I’ve ever tasted.” He continued to kiss me and caress the inside of my lips with his tongue. “I’m gonna screw this up, and I’m sorry. I’m so, so sorry.” He kept kissing me and running his hands up and down my back.

  “Roan, don’t be so hard on yourself. I’m not that experienced in the boyfriend department. I don’t know what I’m doin’ either. We can screw it up together, but we have to try.”

  “I don’t want to know about any of your past flames, Locks. I’m going to kill any guy who’s ever touched you. You’re mine now.” He ran his hands up my legs and to my back, his fingers quickly untying my blue bikini top. Moving it to the side, his thumb reached underneath and gently skimmed across my nipple. I gasped from the sensation and the realization that we were in public. Yes, it was early, and there was no one else on the beach with us
, but someone could come at any moment.

  I stiffened and moaned at the same time. I didn’t want anyone to see us, but I also didn’t want him to stop. Sensing my growing unease, he reached for my towel and wrapped it around us.

  “See, Locks? I’m already screwing up. I want to touch you so bad, feel you under my fingertips, I’ve lost all sense of decency.”

  He cocooned us in my towel and held my breast in his hand, kneading it and kissing me senseless.

  “I want to suck on you, taste you,” he said. “Start on your nipples and make my way down your body, trailing my tongue along your skin, ending with you screaming my name and asking for more.”

  I could barely think straight. “Roan . . .”

  “What is it, Locks?” he whispered in my mouth.

  “Roan, take me home. Take me to bed.”

  He growled and slumped his shoulders. Taking in a deep breath, he pulled away from me. “I can’t.”

  I looked at him, shocked.

  “I have to be at work in half an hour. Not nearly enough time,” he said through more kisses. He pulled back and looked at me. “Goldilocks, I plan to take my time with you. Taste every inch of your body and make you scream until you lose your voice. Once I have you in my bed, I’m going to make sure you never want to leave it. Half an hour isn’t anywhere near enough time for that.”

  My breath hitched at the thought, and I moved closer to him.

  “Keep this Sunday open,” he said. “I plan to show you exactly what I mean.” He leaned forward, reached for the strings on my top, and then put my suit back in place. I didn’t like how expertly he knew how to do that. It would be rare for him to bump into an ex-flame of mine. I hadn’t slept with every man in Los Angeles, but his conquests were in every corner, bar, and restaurant. Something I would have to get used to.

  He stood up and pulled me with him. “I’ll call you this week.” He kissed me again and moved to deepen it.