Riptide
Kinsey Corwin
Table of Contents
Title Page
Riptide (Limitless, #1)
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Four
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
To my girls—Sara, Jobain, Lia, Corry, Beth, and Molly. Thank you so much for always standing by me, having my back, and encouraging me! Each of you have served as my rock at various times and a small dedication hardly seems like enough to honor that.
And to Boston—the guy behind the scenes—for always inspiring me, staying up for late night conversations, years of unconditional friendship, love beyond measure, and countless other things unfit for print.
Riptide – Limitless Book One
Copyright 2016, Kinsey Corwin
Cover Design by Cover Couture (www.bookcovercouture.com)
Photo Copyright: puhhha / Shutterstock
Photo Copyright: Netfalls - Remy Musser / Shutterstock
Photo Copyright: EpicStockMedia / Shutterstock
Edited by Wendy Ely @ Creative Manuscripts
This is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places and incidents are products of the writer’s imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not construed to be real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locale or organizations is entirely incidental.
All rights are reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief excerpts or quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
Chapter One
Two years earlier...
“Where are you going, Hunter?”
“For a walk.” Hunter Sullivan didn’t turn around at the sound of the feminine voice behind him. She couldn’t offer him anything he wanted. Not his type. Besides, after the rough day of competition, where he’d fought to hold his own, he felt restless and agitated. The call of the ocean reverberated through his entire being. The last thing he wanted to do was sit around with his friends while they drank themselves into a stupor. He climbed the rock, the feel of grit from the sand and the worn edges of the stone were rough under his hands. In his hurry to find some peace a quiet, his foot slipped on the rock, sending a stinging sensation up the front of his calf. “Son of a bitch!”
The firelight illuminated the rock face and allowed him to inspect his leg. Blood trickled down his skin, but it wasn’t bad. In his experience, the reef delivered far worse damage and he wasn’t about to ruing a good t-shirt for such a minor wound. The light breeze carried the scent of salty sea air, ocean life, and seaweed. He closed his eyes as he soaked it all in, feeling the tension ease from his shoulders with each breath. No matter where he traveled, those were the smells that brought him peace. He continued to make his way over the rock wall that divided the beach in half. The sound of laughter and his friend’s voices slowly faded until the only sound was the waves crashing against the sandy shore. White noise that would lull him to sleep if he’d allow himself to sit still long enough. His feet touched the ground and he turned to take it all in.
This side was much quieter. Secluded. Peaceful.
And occupied.
Disappointed that his search for a little peace and seclusion fell through, he pulled up short when he saw the woman reach behind her back and tug on the string to her bikini top. Should he say something? Let her know she was not alone? The last thing Hunter wanted to do was startle her. Then again, he was enjoying the view too much to stop her. She dropped the strip of fabric onto a surfboard laying in the sand to her left, then she pushed her bottoms down over the curve of her ass and her long lean legs. She grabbed the towel and slowly dried herself off. Shadows and moonlight played over her skin, teasing him with bare glimpses of flesh, yet cloaking her enough that he didn’t get the full view he longed for. She was thin, but from what he could see of her, she looked tone. The longer he watched her, the harder it was to look away. He needed a distraction or a cold shower. Maybe both.
“How long are you going to stand there before you say something?” The woman spoke without turning to face him.
“Sorry, I didn’t want to startle you.” Heat rose into his cheeks. “How did you know I was here?”
She pulled the tank top on over her head, then slid into a pair of shorts. Oh good God, no panties. That was hot and dangerous all in one petite little package.
“Your breathing has a different rhythm to it than the ocean. I’m here often enough to notice. Besides, you weren’t real stealthy in your climb over the rocks.” She looked over at him as she crouched down to repack her bag with her wet belongings. “This stretch of beach is usually vacant. Especially this time of night. You lost?”
“No.” Hunter didn’t get lost. Not where surf and sand were concerned. It was in the realm of everyday life that he felt at odds. “Just taking a walk.”
“Well, there’s plenty of beach and a nice pier a little farther down the shore. Don’t let me keep you.”
Hunter looked at the mysterious, yet intriguing beauty, and found himself hesitant to just walk away. She was so at ease around him. Clueless to who he was. It was a nice change of pace from the women his friends were hanging with. “Care to join me?”
“Seeing as I don’t know your name, and you’ve already seen me naked...taking a walk down a secluded beach sounds like a fabulous and completely sane thing to do.” She fished her phone out of her bag and slid it into her back pocket as she stood.
“We don’t have to stay strangers.” He took a few steps to lessen the distance between them. “Besides, being alone on a beach is a bit of a gamble, too, wouldn’t you say?”
“Point taken, but I can hold my own.” She tossed the bag on top of the surfboard and held out her hand to him when he approached. “Name’s Phoenix.”
“Hi.” He took her hand, and the contact sent a slight thrill through his body. “No last name?”
“Not at the moment.” She smiled.
“Pleasure to meet you. I’m—”
“Hunter Sullivan. Saw you ride this afternoon.”
“Oh, of course. So your argument about me being a stranger loses a bit of weight.” He waited for the disappointment to settle over him at the realization he’d lost that bit of anonymity he’d found with her. It didn’t come and he was thankful that for once, he might get to enjoy the company of a woman who was neither ignorant to his world or obsessed with it. Most of the people he’d met were around for the competition, either as spectators, competitors, or vendors. He wondered which category she fell into. They started walking. He glanced down at her bare feet. She had a silver toe ring on her left foot, though he couldn’t make out the detail of the design. “Do you compete?”
“No. Just an ocean lover. Surfing is just a way of unwinding for me.” She bent down and picked up a piece of driftwood off the beach.
“What are you, all of nineteen years old? What could you possibly deal with that you would need to unwind?”
She playfully pushed against his shoulder. “I’m twenty-one and have the same concerns as everyone else.”
“Like?”
“Trying to figure out the meaning of life. Saving the world. Making rent.”
“Yeah.” He chuckled. “Sounds pretty normal.”
“As normal as my life gets.”
“Intriguing.” And so eerily similar to the answer he would’ve given if the question was directed at him. “A woman of secrets then?”
“Not many, but I have
a few.” She winked and then threw the piece of driftwood off into the surf, stopping long enough to watch it disappear into the white foam.
“Well, I love working out a good mystery.”
They started walking again. Hunter found it strange how at ease he felt with her. He talked about his best friend and how they’d taken up a nomadic lifestyle of chasing the waves. Surfing was the one thing he felt was all his. A piece of the ocean he could claim selfishly without his parents input, if even for just a moment in time.
“What brought you to a life of competition?”
He shrugged. “Not really sure. Something to do to help pay the bills and keep doing what I love.”
“Doesn’t the pressure just get to be too much?”
Again, he shrugged, but this time he didn’t answer. Sure the life he’d chosen came with pressures that he didn’t always want to deal with, but there were perks. He got to travel and meet people like her. He got to spend time away from home. It was the latter part that most people didn’t understand.
They’d reached the pier and walked underneath it.
“So surfing and the ocean are your obsessions.” She walked around one of the support beams, tracing the outline of words carved into the wood.
“You could say that. What’s yours?”
She stopped just in front of him. “Living.”
“Pretty broad.”
She laughed. “I think it is something to obsess over.”
As they stood there, moonlight breaking through the planks overhead, he wanted to lean in to kiss her. Taste the softness of her mouth. See if the comfort and ease he felt with her was a fluke or would it continue if things progressed between them. Would the call of the ocean continue to be sated in her presence or would the ocean win out as it always did? Staying in one place for too long never did suit him and they would probably never see each other again, but curiosity pushed him to close the distance between them.
“Hunter?” Slade Everett, his best friend, jogged up the beach, stopping short when he saw Hunter was with someone. “Oh sorry, didn’t realize you had company.”
“It’s cool.” Though Hunter really wanted Slade to leave quickly, he could see a look of relief on Phoenix face. “Slade—”
“Everett. Up and coming surf god depending on who you ask.” Phoenix shrugged. “My dad’s a fan.”
Hunter looked at her, wondering just how much she knew about the surfing world, about his world but wouldn’t ask. He held out hope that her knowledge was minimal and he could enjoy being a normal guy around her.
“And you are?” Slade slowly looked her over, taking in the full sight of her.
“This is Phoenix.” He glared at his best friend, hoping he caught the hands off warning he was sending. If Slade saw it, he didn’t acknowledge it. Typical.
“No last name? That’s very Madonna of you.” Slade winked and turned to face Hunter. “So look, we’re heading out. You coming? You can bring her back to the hotel with you.”
Hunter turned toward Phoenix and saw amusement in her eyes.
“Thanks, but I think I’m going to take a pass.” She started backing out from under the pier, making her retreat in the same direction they’d come from.
Hunter wasn’t ready to let her go. “Let me walk you back.”
“Don’t worry, I have my big girl panties on. Besides, you don’t want to keep your friends waiting.”
Hunter fought the temptation to call her on the fact that she wasn’t wearing any panties but didn’t want to give Slade something to razz him about later.
His friend slapped him on the back. “Meet you up at the car.”
Once Slade disappeared from view, Hunter stepped closer to her, closing the distance between them. “Sorry about my friend. He doesn’t always think before he speaks.”
“Or maybe he’s use to you conquering a new girl at each competition.” She drew her hand out of his.
“I’m not that guy.”
“Nothing wrong with being that guy. Relationships are messy. Especially with me.” She tilted her head up and smiled as she continued her retreat. “Nice meeting you.”
“How long are you here for?”
She bit her bottom lip as she studied him. “Why?”
“I want to see you again.”
She shrugged. “Well, if fate is kind, maybe you will.”
***
“You still thinking about that woman from last night?” Slade stood his board up in the sand and sank down onto the beach beside Hunter.
“Nah. Nothing to think about.” It was a lie. There was plenty to think about. Thoughts that kept Phoenix on his mind when it should be on the competition...like the way the strands of her hair danced around her face in the evening breeze. Or how badly he wished Slade hadn’t interrupted them last night. Better yet...why hadn’t he pushed to get her phone number?
“Really? You were giving me quite the ‘stay the fuck away’ vibe when I found you last night. If you aren’t really interested, though, maybe I will ask her out.”
Hunter laughed. “Fat chance. Your girl would be so far up your ass you wouldn’t know what hit you.”
“Maybe, but let’s get a few things straight. Riley isn’t my girl. She plays too many games and I’m done with that mess.” Slade leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “Besides, I think the lady with no last name could be a lot of fun.”
“Don’t even think about it.”
“Ha! So you are interested.”
“I’m not dead, dickhead.” Hunter stared out at the ocean. “Just haven’t had much luck tracking her down.”
“Not having a last name would definitely make finding her a bit of a challenge. Lucky for you, her last name isn’t an issue.”
“You know something I don’t?” Hunter looked up and Slade jerked his head to the right. Hunter turned to see what his friend was staring at and saw Phoenix talking with a cameraman down on the beach. She turned, and as she walked away, she noticed them on the beach, waved, and headed their way.
“Hey, guys. You already ride your heat?”
“Just finished. Romeo here is next, though.” Slade elbowed Hunter in the side.
“Swells are nice. Hope you have a great set.” She studied them for a moment. “Stay away from the South bank, it’s killer. I’ll catch you later.”
He watched as she headed off down the beach, unable to take his eyes off her. From the trident tattoo above her left shoulder blade, to the way her hips flared out just enough to give her a soft hourglass figure, every inch of her body held him captive. The ties from her string bikini top swayed back and forth, tempting him to give them a little tug just to see what happened from there.
“Earth to Hunter. Are you seriously just going to let her walk away? Go ask her to the bonfire tonight.” Slade snorted. “Of course, if you’re stupid enough to let her slip through your fingers again, I just may go after her. Screw the guy code.”
“Some friend you are.” Hunter pushed himself up off the sand.
“I’m the best kind to have, otherwise you’d let her walk right out of your life.” Slade smiled as he slapped him on the back. “If you don’t hurry, though, you’ll miss line up, so I suggest you run.”
Chapter Two
Present Day...
Hunter juggled his luggage and the bouquet of flowers as he slid the key into the lock and pushed the door open. The kitchen light cast a glow out into the foyer. He dropped his bag quietly on the floor just inside the door by the small table in the entryway where he set the key. He shut the door behind him and flipped the lock back into place. Everything looked just as he remembered it. The large bunches of fake tropical flowers stood tall in copper floor vases in varying sizes, the light colored stone tile offset the walls that were rich with shades of teal, and bamboo covered the lower half of the walls.
He toed off his canvas tennis shoes and left them by hers near the front door. Sand was gritty under his feet and he smiled as he made his way into the kitch
en to his left. A spear gun sat on the table, the wicked looking spears sitting on the counter, tips sticking out of a towel. Seeing them made his chest swell with a toxic mix of pride and panic. She loved the ocean, only took what she ate, and never killed simply for sport. But the fact that she would go spearfishing alone...struck a nerve.
The windows were open, letting in the sounds and smells of the ocean that lay waiting outside. Once upon a time, the sound of the surf crashing against the beach in a rhythmic pattern would’ve brought him a sense of peace. Now it served as both temptation and torture all in one. A towel hung over the back of the bar stool. It didn’t take much to imagine her out there waiting on her board, studying the roll of the water, watching the waves as they began to build, patiently waiting to see what kind of set the ocean would gift her with. Oh how he wished he’d made the earlier flight from Australia. Just to catch a glimpse of her from the patio as she cut through the waves. That would’ve been a piece of Heaven on Earth.
He stepped over to the sink, pulled out a vase from the overhead cabinet, and filled it with water. After dropping the roses into the see-through glass vessel, he pulled out a solitary stem and headed back toward the bedroom. The rest of the house was bathed in various shades of darkness, but it didn’t matter. He would’ve found his way to her in the middle of a monsoon.
Moonlight cascaded into her room from the open patio door. The scent of the salty ocean carried in on the evening breeze. Slowly, his eyes adjusted to the light and he could make out her form on the bed. With the single flower in his hand, he neared the mattress, and sucked in a deep breath. He raked his eyes slowly over the woman whose image had permanently etched itself on his brain. Every little detail of ink, scar marking her sun-kissed flesh, and outline of muscle on her lithe frame, he’d memorized over the past two years. Still, his memories didn’t elicit the same rock-him-to-his-core reaction. Only seeing her in person could do that.
“Damn, you’re a sight for sore eyes,” he whispered into the stillness of the room. Who knew that a late night on the beach and the need to find a bit of peace one August evening would give him a woman who wanted nothing more from him than an occasional night of mind blowing sex? Would’ve been the perfect arrangement for a guy like him if she wasn’t his agent’s daughter. That one little piece of information threatened to destroy everything.
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