“I need to get dressed and run to the market for some groceries.”
Tyler nodded. Paige went to her room to get dressed. When she returned, she was covered up a little more, dressed in a pair of shorts and a tank top with her swimsuit underneath. He still thought she looked striking with her hair all twisted up and clipped at the top of her head. She appeared to have no makeup on, and he was in awe of her.
She excused herself and walked out of the door. Even though he felt a little creepy, he watched her through the window as she grabbed a bike from the storage unit to peddle to the local market in town.
Tyler looked around the condo and was embarrassed at the condition she’d seen the place in. It wasn’t horrible, but he was certain she had to have been shocked when she walked in and saw dishes left lying around and sand scattered all over the floor. He took some time to tidy up. It was the least he could do. He wanted to impress her, and he thought this was a good way to start.
Less than an hour later, she walked in with two bags in her hand.
She glanced around the place. “You cleaned?” she asked with a small smile.
“A little. Sorry about the condition of the place before. Obviously, I wasn’t expecting any guests.”
“Thank you. I appreciate that. Did you get a hold of him?” she questioned as she put some food in the cupboard.
“Who?”
“The owner.”
“Oh, um… I called a few times, but no one answered. I left messages at both numbers.”
He’d lied.
He didn’t want either of them making other arrangements. The attraction and pull he felt to Paige was strong. He couldn’t explain it, but he was certain it—she—was something he wanted to explore.
She frowned and bit her lip.
He found her so fucking adorable. He wanted to pull her into his arms and taste her.
“You know, this is a two-bedroom unit,” he reminded her.
“Yeah, so?” she said with an attitude.
“Well, I am not here most of the day. I spend my days at the beach. I’m usually just here to sleep. Do you think we can put up with each other as roommates for a few days?”
Paige let out a frustrating sigh. Do I have a choice? She could call some hotels, but they’d been really expensive when she’d looked online, and she’d already paid for this place. “As long as you give me space and quiet time during the day, I guess we can try to make it work. It is only for a few days,” she grudgingly agreed.
Tyler smiled at her. He walked over to her groceries and pulled out a bagel. He took a bite, and his grin grew larger.
She scowled at him. “Really? Stealing my food? Well, roomie, aren’t we off to a great start?”
“I’ll make it up to you when I take you out for a nice dinner tonight.” Tyler winked at her and walked out of the door without allowing her any time to protest.
Paige stood there with her mouth gaped open. “What the hell just happened here?” She shook her head in amazement. He’d just asked her out on a date. No, he hadn’t actually asked, he’d told her. They knew nothing about each other except for their names, and Paige knew what his package looked like. Sure she was impressed with it, but she already found him annoying. She hoped he would keep to his word and give her quiet space during the day. Her career was depending on it.
Paige grabbed her laptop and some stuff for the beach and walked across the street. It wasn’t ideal to have her laptop near the sand and water, but she would just have to be extra careful. She was determined to get inspired and kick the worst case of writer’s block she’d ever had.
She walked up and over the small sand dune and saw the incredible body of water with its roaring waves. The beach was fairly empty for the time being, and she was grateful for the peace and quiet.
She spread a blanket on the sand far enough back to account for high tide, which was due to arrive around lunchtime, according to the tide table app she’d downloaded on her phone. After she lathered herself up with sunblock, she logged on to her laptop and looked at the screen. Her fingers lingered over the keys. She stared at it some more. She reread the last paragraph for the fifteenth time.
Nothing.
Her mind was still blank. She grunted out her frustrations and looked around the beach for a while trying to find something—anything—that would trigger her creativity.
Still nothing.
With a frustrated sigh, Paige closed her laptop then put it back in her bag. She took a walk to the water, barely dipping her toes in to test the temperature. Pleased with its warmth, she walked in a little more. She let the waves rush over her feet, hoping they would wash away some of her stress. She licked her lips, tasting the salty air. With her hands on her hips and her sunglasses on her face, she stared out across the ocean, hoping to find answers and inspiration. The seascape seemed endless, but she knew better. Across the deep sea was another land—a safe haven of sorts from the volatile waves. As the saying went, life is a journey, not a destination. Paige had always felt each and every destination made the journey of life—sometimes you felt like you were drowning. Other times you rode out the waves. She had lost track of herself for a while and was set to find her next stop.
A small gust of wind brought her mind back to the present. She pushed some loose hairs out of her face and smiled a genuine smile. It was definitely beautiful and peaceful in Montauk. Here, she was certain she would find herself again.
She picked up a few seashells as she walked back to her blanket, admiring the various curves of each shell. Each one was different, but they were all interesting and beautiful to her, even the broken ones.
Paige lay on her belly and reached for the book she’d bought in New London, hoping some reading would trigger her story.
* * * *
Deep in her book’s dream world of a handsome hero rescuing an attractive woman, Paige was suddenly distracted by the noises that were growing around her. Returning to her reality, she squinted against the sun to see what all the ruckus was about. She found a bunch of surfers carrying on as they walked out of the water. She went back to her novel, in the midst of a steamy scene.
“Paige?”
The voice sounded all too familiar to her, one she’d recently discovered earlier that morning. She looked up and saw her naked intruder. Although this time, he was wet, wearing blue and yellow board shorts and carrying a surfboard. She was much calmer than she’d been after he’d scared the shit out of her this morning, and she wasn’t nearly as pissed off anymore. Now, she was really noticing him—all of him. His brown hair had blond sun-kissed streaks running through it. His eyes were as blue as the ocean he stood before. His body was lean and built.
Damn, it must be the sex scene I just read.
“Hey, Tyler,” she tried to say with little enthusiasm. She had to mask the heat that was settling between her legs. It’s just the heat from the sun, she tried to convince herself.
“Is that her, mate?”
Tyler nodded as the left side of his lips curved up. He gestured for the guys to leave. He put his board in the sand beside her blanket and took a seat, dripping water everywhere.
Paige immediately grabbed her bag, pulling it to a dry spot far away from Tyler. He gave her a funny look.
“My laptop is in here. I don’t want you getting it all wet,” she explained as he settled onto the blanket. “So, I take it you came to Montauk to surf.”
“I did. I needed a little vacation. Do you surf?”
Paige shook her head. Her answer was partially true. She had never been the adventurous type. She was a bookworm—always had been, always would be. Being an author was the perfect occupation for her. She locked herself in her office and was perfectly content with her computer and her characters.
“I would love to teach you,” Tyler offered.
Paige stood up. “I don’t think so, but thanks for the offer.” She started gathering her stuff. “I need to head back to the condo and try to get some writing done.”
Tyler helped her shake the sand out of her blanket. He folded it and leaned toward her as he handed it to her. “See you later for dinner,” he whispered and kissed her cheek. He grabbed his surfboard and jogged toward his friends, who were already down the beach a way.
Paige just stood there, shaking her head, amazed by the way Tyler had once again left her speechless. Part of her was still annoyed by him since he was interrupting her quiet plans for the weekend. Part of her was intrigued. She still knew almost nothing about him. However, she would admit she was slightly attracted to him—just a little.
She started back to the condo. She tried to keep her head high, almost forcing herself to believe she was going to be okay, but her mind was racing. She thought about the characters in her book and attempted to visualize the next scene. Instead, her mind was immediately consumed with visions of her ex. It had to be the hurt and sexual drought she was going through. Even before she’d left Justin and New York City, it had been months since she and Justin had made love—or had sex. After finding the cheating bastard with his assistant—his married assistant—Paige had wondered if they’d ever actually made love. She thought she’d loved him, but doubt had always crept into her thoughts. The way Justin treated her when they were making social appearances made her skin crawl. For so long, she’d contributed it to their personality differences. As a talent agent, he’d always been mingling with the rich and famous. Paige had hated being dragged along. When she’d first made the bestseller’s list, he had bragged to everyone. But when people had turned their attention away from him, wanting to ask her about her books, he’d quickly changed the subject. Justin had thrived off being the center of attention. Paige, on the other hand, was more of a loner and completely fine with it.
Paige took a deep breath and dabbed at her eyes. She did not want to shed another tear because of Justin or her writer’s block. She opened the door to the condo and welcomed the blast of cool air against her sun-warmed skin. She set down her bags on the white-tiled kitchen table then grabbed a glass of ice water before looking around the kitchen and living room areas. She thought about what had happened this morning—and her naked intruder. A smile found her lips, and she snickered at the ridiculousness of how the entire event had unfolded. It was definitely a funny story that would be worth telling for years to come.
Paige settled at the kitchen table and started up her laptop. She began rereading her book from chapter one.
Chapter Three
It had been a great day on the water—the waves had been perfect for surfing. Tyler smiled as Matt drove him back to the condo. He was hoping his evening would give him even more to smile about.
“You have a big grin on your face, mate,” Matt noticed. “Plans tonight with that lady?”
“I’m taking her out to dinner,” Tyler answered with excitement.
“She’s quite the looker.”
Tyler glared at Matt.
“Sorry, I was only making an observation.” Matt chuckled at his friend’s possessiveness.
“I know. She is freaking beautiful. I really want to get to know her better, but she seems pretty quiet and closed off, other than her screaming at me and threatening me with a knife.”
“What do you expect? She found you naked this morning while she was making coffee. The poor girl probably wasn’t even awake yet, let alone prepared to see all that.” He gestured to Tyler’s body.
Tyler laughed. Matt made a good point. Hopefully, the initial shock of the intrusion was behind them and they could simply enjoy each other’s company for the next few days.
Tyler walked through the door and saw Paige sitting at the kitchen table with her laptop open. She was lying on her arm, sound asleep. He quietly walked over to her and watched her napping. Even though watching her again made him feel kind of creepy, he couldn’t help it. Her beauty was enticing. He noticed the cute trail of drool trickling out of the corner of her mouth and down her arm, and he smiled. The fact he found her drool cute made him laugh. Her body flinched, and her elbow hit her computer mouse, bringing her laptop out of sleep mode. Tyler watched her closely to make sure she was still napping.
I know I shouldn’t look, but curiosity is killing me.
Tyler began skimming the book Paige was working on. After reading everything on the screen, he carefully reached for the mouse and continued. The story was good, really good. He wanted to finish it, which surprised the hell out of him since it was a romance novel. Her use of imagery was impeccable. The way she described the characters and scenery drew him into the story, especially the chemistry between the man and woman. He continued to scroll down. It ended abruptly right when the two main characters were locking lips.
Tyler carefully tiptoed away to the bathroom. Reading Paige’s book had created a deeper desire for her inside him. The way she used her words to paint a picture was mindboggling. She was definitely a talented, passionate writer. Not only did he want her company, he wanted to know more about her—what made her tick, what she liked and didn’t like. He wanted to know about her love for writing.
He stepped into the shower and began washing away a day’s worth of sweat, sand and salt water. Visions of Paige ran through his head as he wrapped his hand around his cock and began stroking himself. The way she looked when they first met… He wanted to hold on tight to her ass as he took her against the door. The way her breasts looked in that damn bikini she’d been wearing at the beach today… He wanted to suck on her nipples until they formed hard peaks.
Tyler had had to sit down beside her at the beach earlier, wet or not. He’d sported a major hard-on as soon as he’d noticed her. Board shorts had done nothing to keep him concealed.
His hand moved over his cock faster. He put his other hand against the tiled shower wall, needing the stability. He pictured her under him, naked, crying out for him as he thrust into her. Her name escaped his lips as he finished masturbating. He leaned his head against the cold tile as the warm water rushed over him. He wanted to blow her mind, starting tonight.
* * * *
Paige woke up at the sound of a child yelling outside. She grunted as she wiped the drool away from her face…and her arm. Do I always have to drool when I sleep? It grossed her out and had always annoyed her ex, but she was a mouth breather. It was almost inevitable.
She was still unable to write a single word. Instead of feeling frustrated about it this time, she accepted it. The words will come. I won’t be lost at sea forever. Soon I will hit my destination. She turned off her computer and noticed a note left beside her laptop.
Dinner @ 6:00. Wear something nice. —Tyler
Her lips curved up after reading the note. Paige certainly wasn’t getting any writing done at this point. She might as well have some fun.
She hopped in the shower and got ready for the evening. She put on the red dress she’d bought in New London the night before. It was a simple, somewhat formfitting, sleeveless dress. Paige loved the way the fabric felt against her skin, and she was all about comfort. She also put on the earrings she’d purchased at one of those fair trade stores. They were coiled silver embellished with a red glass bead at the top, beautifully handcrafted in Kenya. She was happy she had thrown in a pair of wedge heels. She didn’t own many pairs of heels, but the wedges were the most comfortable to her. She kept her hair down and applied some mascara and lip gloss. With a puff of her favorite body spray, she took one last look in the mirror. She felt confident in the outfit she wore despite the butterflies in her stomach. Was it her nerves? Excitement? Anticipation? Perhaps a little of everything. She took a deep breath. Tonight, she was ready to relax and have some fun, just like she’d promised herself she would.
Paige walked out of her room and stopped as soon as she saw Tyler sitting on the cream-colored leather couch. Her breath hitched. Her heart began to race. Her body started to ache. To hell with fighting the attraction she felt for him, the man was gorgeous.
Tyler looked up, saw her and gave her a bright smile
that shined in his eyes. Paige couldn’t seem to pull her gaze away from him. She had seen him naked, in a swimming suit and now he was all dressed up. He was wearing black pants and a dark blue, button–down collar shirt. The shirt made his ocean blue eyes stand out even more. Paige’s mouth watered. He was looking yummier than ever. How is that possible? Wow!
“You look beautiful,” he said, walking over to her. When he reached her, he gently kissed her cheek, letting his lips linger.
Paige closed her eyes briefly at his touch. She swore the temperature in the room increased by at least twenty degrees, and she couldn’t blame it on the sun. She couldn’t remember the last time a gorgeous man had complimented her. “Thank you. You look very handsome too.”
Tyler smiled, but it was a different kind of smile this time. It was a smile that would make panties drop. The naughty part of her, buried away, wanted it to be her panties.
“Ready?”
She nodded as he led her out of the door with his hand at the small of her back.
They headed to a restaurant right on the water. It was open and airy to the gentle harbor breeze, but the white linen tablecloths and napkins showed a level of class. The host seated them by the outdoor dining area, giving them the perfect view to watch the boats come in.
“Last time I was here, I ate out on the deck and a seagull snatched up my container of tartar sauce. It did a fly by and took it right off my plate. I couldn’t believe it! I turned my head for one second, just one single second, and boom! It was gone. Those birds can be nasty sometimes,” Tyler admitted, causing Paige to giggle.
“Well, I think this is the perfect table for us then. Sheltered a bit from the seagulls, but still with a beautiful view.” She gently smiled at him then began looking at the dinner specials.
They placed their dinner orders, both ordering seafood dishes. Tyler decided on the swordfish, and Paige ordered the seafood stuffed jumbo shrimp. The waiter brought back their drinks—a glass of wine for Paige and a beer for Tyler.
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