by Vawn Cassidy
‘Alright then.’ Nat stands slowly picking up his board as I pick up mine, and we head out into the water.
I find myself watching him avidly. The first few times, he flounders and falls, landing on his arse in the shallow water, but each time, he just laughs and gets back up. There’s something so boyishly charming about him. Something that makes my stomach wobble in the worst possible way. It’s one thing being attracted to him and wanting to fuck him six ways from Sunday, but I’m a little startled to find I’m genuinely fascinated with him, and yet, I know next to nothing about him or where he came from, or more importantly what he’s running from.
I stare at him contemplatively as he skims the whitewash perfectly, washing into the shore with a wide smile. There’s a kind of child-like exuberance to him as he plays in the surf, practising his slide up with single minded determination and focus, yet it’s easy to see he’s really enjoying himself.
The first day I met him, I remember thinking to myself that he was a bit of an enigma, and the more time I spend with him, the more I realise how true that initial impression was. A trainee chef with no formal training that cooks incredible food, and I know because I tasted some of his grilled Bream with ranch dressing and fennel coleslaw last night at the restaurant. I haven’t had food like that since my dad died.
Nat’s clearly educated and well-spoken, yet he rolled into town with nothing but a backpack and is living quite contentedly out of a cute touristy little B&B owned by a rapacious man-eating OAP. He’s alternatively shy and funny, sometimes outspoken, and other times unsure of himself. He’s like a puzzle, and my fingers are itching to pick up the pieces and figure it out. Maybe that’s what’s bothering me. I’m never that interested in a guy outside the bedroom. I’m usually only looking for a wild night between the sheets with zero expectations.
Nat picks up his board and heads toward me, his wet hair now jet-black and framing his face in loose wavy curls, making his blue eyes pop even more, and as he levels me with that wide, careless smile once more, my stomach clenches.
He’d be something else between the sheets. I’m willing to bet money on it. I have a feeling once he let loose, the heat would incinerate me, perhaps it’s a deep-seated sense of self-preservation that has me taking a mental step back. As much fun as it is to flirt with him, I should probably dial it back to just friends seeing as that’s what we agreed to. Whatever it is he’s looking for, I know I’m not it.
‘Wow,’ he laughs a little breathlessly as he stops next to me. ‘I think I’ve got the hang of it now, and I’m ready to for something a bit harder.’
A flirty retort hovers on my lips, and I’m not usually one to pass up such a blatant innuendo, but I reign it in with some effort, remembering my shaky resolution of being just friends.
‘Okay then.’ I force myself to smile easily. ‘Ready to go out past the break?’
‘I guess so,’ Nat replies as he stares out at the waves. ‘Gotta do it sometime right?’
I nod. ‘It’s okay, I’d never let you do anything I didn’t think you were ready for.’
He turns his head and fixes me with those pale blue eyes. ‘I trust you.’
My stomach swoops like I’ve just stepped down and missed a step. Jesus, he really has no idea just how potent he is, or how lethal his penetrating gaze is.
‘I...’ I clear my throat and try again. ‘Okay,’ I begin briskly as I grab my board, and we wade out into the swirling shallows. ‘This time, we’re going out past the break, but the waves are picking up a little now, so we can’t go straight through them, which means we have to go under.’
‘I’ve seen the others doing that.’ Nat nods in interest. ‘They kind of roll over.’
‘It’s called a Turtle roll,’ I explain. ‘You want to grab your board by the rails.’ I wrap my fingers tightly around either side of the board to demonstrate. ‘And hold on tight, you don’t want to lose your grip on it. We’re going to paddle out toward the wave, then as it breaks, you want to roll to the side. As your back hits the water and you go under, your board shields you and the wave washes over the underside of the board. You want to keep your momentum going as you roll and come up the other side still lying on your board. The whole manoeuvre should be fluid.’
‘So, when you cut through the water, it’s kind of like a corkscrew,’ Nat muses.
‘That’s exactly it.’ I nod. ‘You might not be too graceful on the first couple of tries, but you’ll get it. I’ll go first, and you can watch me.’
Nat nods as I slide onto my board and begin paddling toward the next wave, as it crests, I grab my board and roll smoothly, taking a deep breath as I slide under the water, rolling like a turtle and coming up the other side with the waves breaking behind me. I paddle out a little further, then push myself up so I’m sitting straddling my board with my legs dangling in the water as I manoeuvre myself around so I’m facing the beach.
I sit comfortably with the sea rising and falling beneath me as my gaze locks on Nat. He’s paddling toward the wave now; I see him suck in a deep breath then roll twisting beneath the wave as it washes over the underside of his board. He comes up the other side, overcompensating slightly, and it wasn’t exactly smooth, but on the whole, he didn’t do too badly for his first try. I feel a little flicker of pride as he paddles toward me.
Pushing himself up, he straddles his board mimicking my position as he turns his board toward the beach, his legs dangling in the water either side of the board, and we float side by side with the shift and flow of the current.
‘Not too bad,’ I compliment him with a smile. ‘How did that feel?’
‘Good.’ He coughs slightly, pinching his nose. ‘Burns a bit when you get seawater up your nose though.’
‘You get used to that,’ I chuckle quietly. ‘You also learn exactly when to exhale through your nose to stop that happening. It all comes with practise.’
We sit there for a while bobbing up and down on the water in companionable silence. He finally breathes in deeply and tilts his face up to the warm rays of the sun and exhales from somewhere deep in his soul.
‘I had no idea how much I needed this,’ he finally says before looking at me with a shy smile. ‘Thank you, Beck. I can’t believe I’ve taken up nearly your whole day.’
I shrug aiming for nonchalance when I feel anything but. ‘I’d planned on spending the day in the water anyway.’
‘It’s so peaceful.’ Nat smiles watching the sun rippled water sparkling along the horizon.
‘I used to come out here with my dad all the time before he got sick,’ I murmur quietly and feel his eyes on me.
‘I’m sorry about your dad,’ Nat replies quietly. ‘I wish I could’ve met him. Everyone I’ve spoken to talks about him with so much love.’
‘Yeah.’ I swallow down the burn at the back of my throat. ‘He was a real people person.’ I look across to Nat with a small smile tugging at my mouth. ‘I don’t get that from him.’
Nat laughs and my mouth opens, and the question is on my lips before I think about it. ‘What about your dad?’ I ask.
‘What about my dad?’ Nat asks as he turns to look at me, an unreadable expression on his face.
‘What’s he like?’
‘Nothing like your dad that’s for sure.’ Nat shrugs. ‘So, are we going to catch my first wave or not?’ he asks a little too brightly, and I know he’s trying to change the subject.
‘Sure.’ I offer an easy smile. He nods gratefully as I try to switch my mind back to instructor mode. ‘Okay, so we’ve covered the basics. You’re going to wait for the next wave and then start paddling. You have to keep watching it, don’t take your eyes off it. If it’s bigger to the right, you want to ride to the left and vice versa. Slide up just the way you practised on the whitewash, and remember if you lose your balance, try to fall backwards, and when you do, kick the board toward the shore. If the board gets caught between you and the wave, you’re gonna get slammed.’
‘Okay.’ Nat gri
ns.
We lie back down and start paddling, and I keep enough distance between us to stop us from colliding but also so I can keep an eye on him, but the truth is he’s doing fine. He’s fearless. I can see he’s taken in everything I’ve said, and he’s paddling in confidently, watching for the wave, and as it breaks, he slides up and rides to the left. He has a little wobble but manages to keep his balance as the wave starts to peter out, and he turns toward the shore as I follow him in. At the last second, he turns to grin at me and loses his balance toppling backward into the water. I laugh as I glide toward him, sliding off my board and into the water to help him up. The water’s only waist high as he gets his feet under him, laughing in delight.
‘I did it!’ He grins wildly.
‘Yeah, you did,’ I reply, and I’m dazed by that smile. It’s so infectious, and I can actually feel his happiness and exhilaration as if it were a tangible thing that I could wrap around myself.
He laughs again as the waves buffer into us, and he stumbles against me, grinning. I unconsciously grab his hips to steady him. The laughter dies on his lips as he realizes how close we are. Another wave smacks into us, the current swirling around our legs as he grabs onto my arms to keep his balance and feeling the sand shift and drain away beneath our feet.
My gaze drops to his full lips as I pull his lithe body closer, feeling the wiry strength and shape of his body against mine. For a second, it’s like time stops, and all I can hear is his breath and the rapid pounding of his heart against my chest.
‘Nat!’ a voice calls from the shore and the moment is lost.
We break apart, reaching for our boards as he turns to see Georgie waving one hand, the other holding up her phone as she takes a picture.
‘Hey, Nat!’ She grins. ‘How did it feel to catch your first wave?’
He whoops loudly as he half jogs, half wades through the water toward her.
‘Did you see?’ He grins like a kid at Christmas.
‘Hell, yeah, I did!’ she laughs, waving her phone. ‘Got it all on camera for you to watch back later.’
‘Oh my god.’ Nat shakes his hair spraying Georgie with water. ‘That was so epic!’
‘Oh, I know that look.’ Georgie smiles widely. ‘Got bitten by the bug didn’t ya?’
‘Shouldn’t that be bitten by the crustacean?’ He grins.
‘Crustaceans don’t bite.’ She shakes her head wryly. ‘You’re one of us now, brother!’
‘That was so incredible.’ Nat beams and it’s like being blinded by the sun. ‘I can’t wait to go back out.’
‘Well, I’m afraid you’re going to have to wait,’ Georgie tells him. ‘Aunt Mel called; she needs you up at Sully’s.’
‘How did she know I was here?’ Nat blinks in surprise.
‘Are you kidding?’ Georgie answers but her gaze is firmly fixed on me. ‘Nothing gets by that woman,’ she murmurs.
‘I better get going then.’ He smiles, turning those beautiful eyes on me. ‘Thanks, Beck, it’s been a really good day.’
‘Welcome.’ I nod as I watch him jog up the beach and prop his board up next to the shack.
‘Wanna tell me what’s going on?’ Georgie smirks knowingly.
‘What?’ I shrug innocently. ‘There’s nothing to tell, we’re friends that’s it.’
‘Sure, it is,’ she agrees sardonically as she lifts her phone and wiggles it. ‘I saw your face just now, Beck, and other than Jesse and Ryan, nobody knows you like I do; now shall we watch this back and you can tell me you’re ‘just’ friends.’ She raises her hands and makes little quoty fingers in the air.
‘It’s true,’ I object with a sigh. ‘Because that’s what we agreed.’
‘Why would you do that?’ Georgie frowns in confusion. ‘He’s a total hottie, and from where I’m standing, he’s just as into you as you are him.’
‘It’s not that simple.’ I shake my head as I get a firmer grip on my board and begin to make my way up the beach.
‘But why?’ She jogs to catch up with my long-legged stride.
‘You do know that you sound like a two-year-old right now.’
‘Stop deflecting,’ she tuts. ‘Insulting me is not going to get me to change the subject. I’m one of your closest friends, Beck, so you may as well tell me, or I’m just going to bug the shit out of you until you do.’
‘You already bug the shit out of me.’ I scowl.
‘Oh, believe me there are levels.’ She smiles widely. ‘You want me to kick it up a notch?’
I growl in frustration as I stop and turn to face her, almost clipping her with the board as she skips nimbly out of the way.
‘Fine,’ I relent. ‘I promised Mum I wouldn’t go there. She’s taken a shine to him and doesn’t want me…’
‘To dick and dash?’ she supplies helpfully.
I growl again and turn sharply stomping back toward the shack.
‘Wow, I’ve never seen you so… ruffled before.’ She jogs to catch up with me. ‘Beck…’ she says softly as she catches my arm to slow my movement. ‘Beck.’
I stop and turn to her with a resigned sigh.
‘You like him.’ She realizes. ‘I mean like, LIKE him.’ She smiles widely.
‘What are we twelve?’ I snap defensively.
‘You like him as more than a one-night hump and dump,’ she chuckles clapping her hands in delight. ‘Oh, this is too perfect.’
‘Where do you come up with this shit?’ I roll my eyes. ‘Seriously, have you got like a phrase book or something?’
‘Ssh, I’m being serious here,’ Georgie replies contemplatively. ‘I never thought I’d see the day, especially not after what happened in Florence.’
My eyes sharpen, and my stomach tenses. ‘I don’t want to talk about that.’
‘No,’ she mutters thoughtfully as she stares at me. ‘You never do. I’m not trying to drag up the past, but I’m serious, Beck. I’ve never seen you look at anyone the way you look at him, so I repeat, why aren’t you doing something about it?’
‘Because Mum...’
‘Bullshit.’ Georgie shakes her head vehemently. ‘That’s never stopped you before.’
‘Drop it, Georgie,’ I warn. ‘I mean it. We’re just friends, and that’s the way it’s going to stay.’
By the next morning, I know I’m lying as I find myself inside the B&B at the arse-crack of dawn, hoping desperately Ms Molly is still in her coffin having fed on the blood of some young virgin. I glance around carefully, and seeing the coast is clear, I raise my hand and knock at the door to Nat’s room, hopefully loud enough that he can hear me but not loud enough to attract the attention of the old succubus.
I knock again, and after a moment the door opens, and I almost swallow my tongue. Nat is standing there in all his warm, sleepy glory. His olive skin flushed, his wild dark curls rioting all over the place and wearing nothing but a very… very thin pair of sleeping shorts. I swallow slowly, and as if all that tempting skin rippling down his lean torso isn’t inviting enough, I can actually see the outline of his cock beneath his shorts, and fuck me, he’s hung. My mouth is actually watering, and I almost reach up to see if I’m drooling.
Just friends…. Just friends… I chant silently.
He blinks slowly, as if he isn’t quite awake enough to focus.
‘Beck?’ he murmurs, and his voice, hoarse from sleep, shoots straight to my balls. He blinks again in confusion. ‘Am I having that dream again?’ he wonders aloud. ‘If I am, where’s your moustache, and why aren’t you fixing the plumbing?’
I snort out loud, and it breaks the tension.
His head tilts as he studies me. ‘What are you doing here?’ He glances back into his room, presumably to look at a clock and scowls. ‘At five thirty in the morning?’
‘The break is perfect this morning, so I thought we could catch some waves.’ I smile.
‘At five thirty in the morning?’ he repeats slowly, and I nod. ‘Are you fucking kidding me?’ he says dryly.
‘Urgh,’ he grunts in disgust and turns back into the room.
I reach out and slap my hand against the door before it slams in my face and follow him in curiously. He crosses the room and crawls back into bed, flopping down on his stomach like a starfish with his face buried in the pillows and gifting me with a gorgeous view of his round peachy arse.
‘Go away and come back at a more civilized hour,’ he mumbles incoherently into the pillow.
‘Come on, Nat.’ I smile widely as I throw the curtains open and let in the pale rays of dawn.
He grunts again as he grabs a pillow and shoves it over his head.
‘Besides,’ I say brightly. ‘Mum asked me to take you into Newquay today. The farmers market is on at the Killacourt, and she wants us to source some new suppliers for the restaurant.’
‘Then come back and get me in four hours,’ comes the muffled reply from beneath the pillow.
I cross the room slowly, unable to hide how much he delights me, even all sleepy and grumpy. I drop down on my haunches beside the bed.
‘I’ll buy you a coffee,’ I croon in a low teasing voice.
For a moment there’s silence, then the pillow shifts, and his face slowly peeks out, locking those startling baby blues on me, which are framed with sooty black lashes. I’ve never seen him unshaven, but now he has a sexy dark stubble gracing his jaw that I’d love to trace the pads of my fingers over before brushing those soft, bee stung lips.
‘What sort of coffee?’ He pouts in reluctant interest.
‘Only the best for you, Nat.’ I smile slowly. ‘Hand roasted, freshly ground and as dark and bitter as the pits of hell.’
‘Sounds like my dad’s soul,’ he murmurs, and I lift a brow. ‘Fine,’ he huffs. ‘But I want a really big one.’
He stares at me, and I know he’s baiting me. I bite my lip refusing to give in and rise to the blatant innuendo. His mouth twitches slightly as he drags himself out of bed and heads toward the bathroom closing the door behind him.
I stand slowly and glance down at the rumbled bed, temped to bury my face in the warm sheets to see if they smell like him, and trying not to think about the words he’d slung at me in the restaurant the other night.