by Jaci Burton
“There are three heats, which start this afternoon,” Ben said.
As she enjoyed her oatmeal, she asked, “And what do you think Alex’s chances are?”
“Good. Better than good.”
She looked out over the water, saw several surfers riding the tops of the waves. “Some of those guys are much younger than Alex.”
Ben took a swallow of juice and nodded. “Younger, yes. Not as experienced. Not as good as he is. Trust me, he’s got several years of competition left in him, providing he stays healthy.”
She wondered if Ben thought about still being out there, if he hadn’t gotten hurt. “Do you still surf?”
“Of course. Not the bigger waves, but I surf for fun. I can take you out there or Alex and I can both take you.”
She laughed. “I don’t think I can hang in there with the two of you.”
“Sure you can. We’ll take care of you.”
She pushed her plate to the side and poured another cup of coffee. “So tell me about yourself, Ben. Where are you from?”
“San Diego. That’s where I fell in love with surfing. Been doing it since I was a kid. Started competing when I was young.”
“And obviously you were amazing at it.”
He leaned back in his chair. “I was great at it. Won a lot of competitions, picked up some incredible sponsors, and learned a lot about the business side of surfing, which helped after I got hurt and transitioned into the management and promotion aspect.”
She loved talking business with Ben. “You’ve obviously done well for Alex. He seems to have thrived.”
“Thanks. I manage a couple of other younger surfers as well. And it doesn’t hurt that these popular surfers promote my products. So we work well for each other.”
“But you’re not just using them. You actually like them. It shows.”
“I’m glad you see that. There are some unscrupulous promoters and business managers out there who take advantage of young surfers, especially the ones just starting out. I try to advise the kids to steer clear of them, but some of them don’t listen.”
She shrugged. “It’s the same way in my business. Agents just trying to make a quick buck off young and upcoming athletes, but they don’t care about their futures. There’s not much you can do about it. There’s always going to be sharks in any sport.”
“True. Fortunately there are good people like you to steer them in the right direction.”
“And people like you.”
He laughed. “Okay, now that we’ve mutually admired each other, how about we hit the beach?”
“Sounds great.”
She changed and put her swimsuit on under her sundress, slipped on her sandals and sunglasses, and grabbed her beach bag. Ben took her hand and they rode the elevator down and walked out onto the sand.
“We can sit under the tented area,” he said. “It’ll be cooler in there.”
“I like that idea.” It was already shaping up to be a warm day. The sun shone bright and though it was still early in the day, she was sweating in the heat.
Ben found her a chair with a great view of the competition. Alex came over and gave her a kiss, his body dripping water on her.
“You look beautiful today. Did you rest well?”
“I did. How’s it going?”
“Great,” he said. “I’m ready to get this thing started.”
She pressed her palm to his chest, wishing she could touch his bare skin instead of the wet suit. But she’d take what she could get. “Best of luck out there.”
“Thanks, but luck has nothing to do with it, babe.”
She loved his confidence. “Then go kick everyone’s ass.”
“I intend to.” He grinned, then went over to have a conversation with Ben before wandering off to the competition area. He gave her a wave before he disappeared.
Ben left the tent for a while, standing outside to have a conversation with some of the other promoters.
“Hey, Victoria.”
Whitney leaned into the tent.
“Hi, Whitney.” Victoria stepped outside the tent and stood on the sand next to Whitney. “Are you here to watch the competition today?”
“I am. Got the day off and everything. How have you been? I haven’t seen you around.”
“Oh, yes. I’ve been hanging out with Alex.”
Whitney cocked her head to the side. “And with Ben?”
“Well . . . yes. With him, too.”
Whitney shoved a shoulder into her. “Lucky you. You’ve really scored two winners there. Ben’s a little old for me, but oh is he ever hot.”
“I think so. And how about you and . . . Cade, is it?”
Whitney sported a sly smile. “Things are going well. He seems into me. I’m definitely into him.”
“I’m glad. You should be having some fun.”
“Oh, we’re doing that. I think I’m going to pull up a spot near the water with a few of my friends. Catch you later?”
“Absolutely. Nice to see you.”
“Aloha.” Whitney jogged off with a wave, and Victoria headed back into the tent.
The competition began, so she settled in to watch. The waves looked big—overwhelmingly large compared to the guys aiming to master them.
Ben finally came back and took a seat next to her as Alex paddled his board out.
“Tell me how the scoring system works,” she said.
“The guys go out based on a priority system based on previous scores from other competitions. Alex has top priority so he can choose what wave to go after. Other guys can choose the same wave as well, as long as they don’t impede his run. Scoring-wise, each surfer will try to lock in their three highest scoring waves. The max they can score is ten points per wave.”
“So the highest they can score in each round—or heat, as you call it—is thirty points.”
Ben nodded. “Thirty points max per heat. Then those scores are added into the competition total. It’s all about a championship total. Whoever wins today will be on the leaderboard. It’s not like this is a final event. That won’t take place for a while. The competition continues in other countries.”
She nodded. “Got it. So what are the judges looking for?”
“Degree of difficulty, innovation, and the different variety of moves they make.”
“What are the types of moves the judges look for?”
“Speed, power, control of his board, where he is in the tube, and how long he rides it. There are varying factors that go into scoring a ride and it takes years of expertise to become a judge. They know what they’re looking for, and they know, from varying degrees of difficulty, who’s mastered a wave and who’s blown it. So it’s critical for the surfers to not just get up on any wave and ride it.”
She blinked. “Wow. That’s a lot of work.”
He nodded. “It is. It’s more than just riding the wave. There’s so much finesse that goes into it.”
She leaned forward in her chair as Alex approached a wave, her heart in her throat.
Ben took her hand and squeezed.
“Relax. He’s got this.”
So it appeared, as he dropped down on what she thought was a huge wave, slid down over the top of it, then underneath that massive, rolling tube of water, much to the enthusiasm of the crowd. It was as if he owned that wave, riding it for what seemed like an eternity.
While Victoria was terrified, she could see Alex’s comfort level, the ease with which he mastered what she thought was a treacherous wave all the way through and out of it. He flipped his board out from under the wave, then back over the top of another, making her hold her breath. When he coasted to calm waters and wild applause and cheers from the crowd with a grin on his face, she knew he’d done well.
“He should score high on that ride,” Ben said, his
gaze fixed on the scoreboard.
So was Alex’s as he sat on his board and grinned when he popped a ten for that ride.
“Perfect,” Ben said, nodding and smiling. “It doesn’t get any better than that.”
Victoria had never seen anything like it. It had been death defying and the most amazing ride she had ever seen.
She watched other surfers, trying to gauge what the judges would see, but she was no expert. Unless the wave collapsed over them or they crashed, they all looked amazing. But she had Ben telling her where some of them went wrong, or how they did well, so eventually she could see the subtle differences.
Alex went out for two other waves. One pinned him down and crimped over him.
“He’s okay. He’ll pull up on another,” Ben said.
Alex dropped down on top of another huge wave for a long ride in the tube, scoring a seven point nine.
“Great score for his second ride,” Ben said.
Victoria had no idea, so she’d take Ben’s word for it.
“It seems like many of them wait for just the right wave,” she said to Ben.
He nodded. “The right wave is everything.”
She watched the other surfers. Some did equally as well on their rides, some couldn’t seem to catch a decent wave.
When Alex took another, it seemed as high as the first one he’d ridden, though he wasn’t in the tube for as long a period of time. But he flipped an aerial on top of the wave to polish things off, which, to Victoria, had looked spectacular.
“That’s the way it’s done,” Ben said with a wide grin.
Victoria leaped from her chair and cheered.
“That was . . . fantastic,” she said.
Ben smiled and nodded. “It was a stellar wave and he rode it for all it was worth.”
She wanted to go to Alex and hug him, to tell him how magnificent he’d looked out there. But she knew he was in competition mode, and since she dealt with athletes in her business, she knew he didn’t need the distraction. Right now he needed to focus on the waves.
Alex had moved from the quarterfinals to the semifinals. And Victoria was in awe. It was as if he was one with both his board and the monstrous waves.
She’d never seen anything like it.
By the end of the day Alex was tied at the top of the leaderboard with two other surfers.
Ben gathered up some paperwork. “There’s a party and bonfire on the beach again tonight for the surfers and other attendees, sponsored by the promoters. With food and drink. Alex and I want you there with us.”
She linked her arm with his, feeling warm and cared for again and happy that Ben had told her he wanted her there with them. “I wouldn’t miss it.”
“Good. Alex is going to spend some time in post-competition meetings. How about you and I go surf for a bit?”
She cocked a brow. “Seriously?”
“Yeah. You know you want to get out in that water.”
She pointed to the high-rolling waves. “I do not want to go out in that water.”
He laughed. “I’ll take you to another beach. One that has smaller waves.”
She had to admit that watching the guys surf made her itch to try it. It had been years since her last attempt. “Okay.”
He took her hand and led her through the hotel and out front. “Wait here and I’ll get the boards.”
He stopped to talk to the valet, then disappeared. By the time Ben returned with two surfboards, the valet had pulled up an SUV. They strapped the boards to the top of the vehicle, climbed in, and they were off.
She hadn’t left the hotel area since she’d gotten here, but now she was eager to see more of the island.
She’d almost forgotten it was the holiday season. Sure, the hotel was decorated thematically with trees and garland and seasonal wreaths, but the lack of cold weather—and snow—made it feel a lot more tropical and much less like the holidays. Just the way she wanted it.
But now as they drove past decorated homes and buildings, she started to feel the holiday spirit. Green and red décor abounded.
“Christmas is coming,” she said.
“Yeah. Alex and I will hang out here until after the holidays. What about you?”
“I’ll be here.”
He gave her a quick look. “We should spend Christmas together.”
She smiled, again a warm feeling suffusing her. “I’d like that.”
He pulled down a narrow street and parked in front of a beach.
“The waves here aren’t as high,” she observed when they got out of the SUV.
“Yup. It’ll make it easier for you to catch a wave.”
She pulled off her sundress and kicked off her sandals, leaving both in the car. Ben drew off his shirt and tossed it inside as well.
“I can carry one of those boards if you’d like.”
He gave her a look. “Why? You’ve got me.”
She leaned into him and brushed her lips across his. “Okay.”
He wrapped his arm around her and tugged her close, kissing her back, letting that kiss simmer, turning it into one that made her boil.
When he pulled back, she was breathing hard. “Now I need to cool off.”
He looked around. They were alone, so he took her hand and placed it on his erection.
“So do I.”
“Too bad we’re not in the hotel room. I could take care of that for you.”
He backed her against the car and kissed her with a hard, driving passion, his body pressed against hers, his erection rubbing her clit. Passion exploded and she suddenly wanted him inside of her.
The beach was deserted and there were no other cars around.
“I need you to make me come, Ben.”
Without a moment’s hesitation, he said, “Hang on.”
He reached inside the front of the SUV, grabbed something, and then shut the door, locked it, and said, “Come on. I know a private place where no one can see us.”
He left the boards stowed and took her hand, leading her down the walkway a short distance to what looked like a lifeguard shack. There was another one a ways down the beach, manned by a lifeguard. This one was older, bleached out, and seemingly abandoned.
He shoved a shoulder into it and the door gave with a creak and a groan.
“Are you sure about this?”
“No one uses it,” he said. “And trust me, I’m going to get you off fast.”
“I like the sound of that because I need to come.”
He shoved the door closed and there was a hook to lock it, which he used. Then he turned to her and kneeled, drew her swimsuit bottom down, and put his mouth on her pussy.
Shocks of pleasure ignited her like a fast-moving wildfire, taking her from a frenzied passion to out of control in seconds. She tethered her fingers in Ben’s hair and held on while he licked and sucked her sensitized flesh, making her gasp and writhe against him, pushing her sex against his face as her orgasm hit.
“Yes. Oh, Ben, yes, I’m coming.”
Her climax was wild and made her legs tremble. Ben wrapped his arm around her and held her close to him while she bucked against him, still quivering from that epic orgasm.
He stood, grabbed a condom out of his pocket, and dropped his board shorts. She wrapped her fingers around his cock and stroked the hot, heavy shaft in her hand.
“That’s it,” he said. “I like your hands on me, Victoria.”
She stepped back so she could wriggle out of her swimsuit bottom while he applied the condom.
He backed her against the wall, lifted her hands above her head, and slid into her, then took her mouth in a blistering kiss while he thrusted and grinded against her, rubbing her clit in a perfect way that made her temperature rise in the hot shack.
His tongue warred with hers, a perfect thru
st and parry, matching the movements of his cock, which seemed to swell even larger inside of her.
He pulled his mouth away and laid his forehead against hers.
She was panting, hot and sweaty, fired up and filled with Ben. And the way he moved against her made her tighten around him, her pussy quivering.
“Are you gonna come for me again?” he asked as he drove deeply into her.
“Yes. Oh, yes.”
“I’m so ready to shoot hard into you, Victoria. Make us both come.”
She moaned at his words, and when he pulled the cups of her bathing suit top aside and sucked her nipple, she orgasmed, her pussy gripping his cock in a tight vise as contractions rippled through her.
With a loud groan, Ben drove hard into her. She held tight to him as he came, giving her everything she could possibly want at that moment. And when he kissed her, it was fierce and passionate as he rode out his orgasm.
His lips gentled on hers, his hands stroking down her slick, sweat-soaked back.
She pressed a kiss to his chest. “That was . . . everything.”
His tipped her chin so she met his gaze. “Jesus, Victoria. I lose myself when I’m inside of you. And all I can feel is you and me—like we’re one.”
She shivered at his words. Powerful words that she wanted to contemplate, but not here. And not now.
“Come on,” he said, his lips curving in a teasing smile to break that suddenly serious mood he’d created. “Let’s head out before someone finds us in here fucking like teenagers.”
She laughed.
They righted their clothing and Ben unlocked the door, took a quick look outside, then they exited the shack. He disposed of the condom in a nearby trashcan, then they made their way back to the SUV.
“I’m really looking forward to the water now,” she said.
He grinned. “Me, too. You made me sweat.”
He carried both boards down to the edge of the water, then handed her one of them. She attached the surfboard leash to her ankle.
“Need any instructions?”
“It’s been a while. The last thing I remember is to stay balanced and don’t fall.”
“Okay. We’ll go through a few things to remind you. Which foot do you put forward if you were on slippery ice and you were going to fall?”