揗y. Rules.?
揙kay, okay.?I spun around again and stepped into the little building. It was dark without the lights on, and I found a small room that looked like it was for changing. I pulled on my swimsuit, a navy blue one-piece with a front that dipped too low for my taste and cut outs along the side. Avery had made me buy it last year and I抎 never worn it. I should have worn something more practical but this was the only suit I owned, and it wasn抰 like I had a lot of time to prepare.
With some effort, I pulled the bottom half of the wetsuit on. The fabric was thick, spongy, and I wondered how many people had peed in this suit. How often did they clean them?
Nope, not worrying, I told myself. Just going to go outside. That was the next step.
揥ell, look at you.?Wyatt gave me a lopsided grin and straightened up. His gaze flicked down to the low neckline of my suit and my face heated immediately. He spun his finger in the air. 揟urn.?
I gave him my back and slid my arms into the suit. He pulled it closed at the back, not roughly or forcefully but with authority. Like he抎 done this a hundred times. Like he didn抰 want to wait for me. Like he was in charge.
My skin tingled with awareness, but I ignored it.
He pulled the zipper up quickly and I wondered what it would be like in reverse, Wyatt yanking the zipper down as fast as he could, impatient to get it off me.
My face burned. I couldn抰 turn around now, blushing like this.
I swallowed and thought about the frigid water around the corner that I would soon be stepping into. There. That was helping.
I hoped these fantasies about Wyatt would go away. Maybe the more I got to know him, the more my body would realize what my brain already knew, that Wyatt was all wrong for me.
揕eave your glasses here.?Wyatt hopped down the steps and strode across the gravel the same way I arrived, before disappearing around the corner of the surf shop. I watched his tall, lean form, hypnotized with the fluid way he moved, before I set my glasses on the side of the step and hurried after him. I couldn抰 see very well without them, but I could still make out his form in front of me, moving across the sand with enthusiasm and long strides.
Two boards laid on the sand near the shore. I automatically stood near the smaller, sleeker board. The other one was huge and all banged up with marks and scratches.
揘o way.?He shook his head and gestured for me to stand near the bigger board. 揧ou get the crappy starter board today, bookworm.?He crouched near the bigger board pointed at a strap of velcro tethered to the bottom of the board and gestured for me to come forward. 揟his is your leash,?he told me, and he undid the velcro before fastening it around my ankle. One of his hands encircled my ankle and the warm contact of his skin shocked me.
If he ran that warm, no wonder the guy was always shirtless.
The contact ended before my thought did and he strode over to fasten his own leash before he laid down on his front on the board, head up and watching the ocean.
揟his is the ready position.?He tilted his chin at me, gesturing for me to do the same. 揅ome on.?
I matched his position on my own board.
He braced his palms on the board beside his shoulders. 揑f you see a wave coming that you want to take a bite out of, you抮e going to hop up on your board like this.?He sprung up so he stood in a balanced crouch, before he glanced over his shoulder at me. 揧our turn.?
I copied his actions, but there was no way I made it look as easy as he did. I looked like a drunk baby deer, stumbling around and trying to find my balance.
He glanced at my legs. 揃end your knees more.?He nodded when I did. 揋ood. Okay.?He shrugged. 揂nd then you try to stay on your board and ride the wave.?
I blinked at him. 揑t抯 that easy??
That lazy grin returned. 揑t抯 not, but it抯 something you learn by doing.?He stepped off the board and picked it up, tucking it under his arm. 揕et抯 go.?He began to jog to the ocean.
Alarm shot through me. 揥ait!?I called after him. 揑抦 not ready.?
揧ou抣l never be ready, bookworm,?he called back before wading into the water. 揅ome on.?
He started paddling, and I watched his blurry form cut through the water. It was like the ocean drew him forward.
The board was lighter than I expected, but the water was as cold as I anticipated. I winced and inhaled sharply. Gentle waves rolled in, and I followed Wyatt deeper and deeper until he paused and waited for me, laying on his board梟o, lounging on his board. It was like he was lying on the couch.
He watched with amusement as I made a few failed attempts to lay on the board. It was trickier on the water, and the board kept moving under me. My face flushed with embarrassment. Finally, I managed to lay on the board. When I started to float away from him, he reached out and held my board, anchoring me to him.