Or she was so attracted to Beck that he made her nervous.
The tension was back.
揑 still can抰 believe how fast I go once I catch the wave,?she said as she paddled back to me. Her cheeks flushed and her eyes were bright in the morning sun and I could do this all day, watch her when I should be training.
Right. Training.
I would still go out every morning after Hannah and I were done, and then again in the evenings. If everything at the shop was taken care of, I抎 go in the afternoons as well. Mornings were for Hannah and I, though.
I paddled out after her and surfed a small wave.
揧ou make it look so easy,?she called over.
I shrugged and gave her my cockiest smile. It was easy. The next wave, though, I hopped up and wobbled back and forth, pretending to be unbalanced, before pitching over into the water. I resurfaced, shook the water out of my hair, and opened my eyes to see her flat look.
揑s that supposed to be me??Her chest shook with laughter, and her eyes shone.
揑抦 trying to show you that even advanced surfers can fall.?I flicked some water over at her and she splashed me back. 揕et抯 call it quits for today.?
揙ne more.?She paddled past me, further out before the break, faster than before, and I pictured the muscles in her back moving as she swam.
And then I was picturing other parts of her under the wetsuit. Desire lurched in me and I frowned.
Things didn抰 seem to be awkward after admitting I was jealous a couple days ago at the gallery. She wasn抰 pleased, but she wasn抰 angry either.
It was like it never happened.
I had always thought Hannah had a crush on me growing up, even up until recently. The blushing, the way she couldn抰 make eye contact, how she disappeared before she抎 have to make any conversation.
But now? She splashed me, made fun of me, and didn抰 think twice about stripping down to her swimsuit in front of me. Something competitive and unsatisfied pinged in my chest. I should have been relieved that the bookworm didn抰 have a crush on me. It made things easier. Romantic feelings complicated everything.
I raked my hand through my wet hair, blew out a breath, and my gaze returned to Hannah as she paddled with the wave, hopped up, and glided over the surface of the water.
揙kay, now we can call it quits.?She swam over to me with her torso on the board. 揑 forgot to tell you. I booked an artist. She抯 going to fix up the mural.?
揟hat抯 great, bookworm. What changed your mind??
She pulled her bottom lip between her teeth and the motion stirred me. Her mouth looked so soft.
揑 was talking with my dad on the phone and厰 Her nose wrinkled. 揌e抯 so stubborn. He抯 never going to change his mind and he doesn抰 have a freaking clue about business.?She made a frustrated noise in her throat.
I grinned and raised my eyebrows at her. I liked the fire she was spitting.
Her eyebrows pinched together in a frown. 揝orry, I didn抰 mean to get mad.?
揑 like it when you get mad. You should get mad more often.?
Our gazes locked and my chest squeezed. A drop of water rolled down the column of her neck, into her wetsuit. She frowned at me. 揥hat??She smoothed a hand over her wet hair. 揇id the seaweed get me again??
揘o, you look beautiful like this.?The words flew out of my mouth.
She raised an eyebrow and laughed. 揕ike a drowned rat? Okay, weirdo. Did you hit your head on the rocks or something? Come on.?She swam past me and paddled to our cove.
My mouth dropped and I watched her swim away. That was it? She brushed me off, so easily. I called her beautiful and she called me a weirdo.
Well, there was my answer. She definitely didn抰 have a crush on me.
That抯 where I should have left it. I should have dropped it, continued helping Hannah become a hot girl or whatever, and kept things platonic. Friends. That抯 what we were. I should have left it all there.
That spark of competitiveness flared in my chest, the same one I felt every morning surfing. The same one I felt at competitions. I swam hard to catch up with her.
揥hen抯 your date with Beck??I called over as I approached even though I knew the answer.
揟onight.?
We drifted into the calm cove. She slid a hair tie off her wrist and pulled her hair off her neck before tying it up into a ponytail. I watched the movements, captivated, and I had the urge to run my finger down the back of her neck to see if she抎 shiver. My throat worked.
揂re you going to kiss him??
She blanched, and pink appeared on her cheeks. 揑 don抰 know.?She blinked.
I should have shut up, but I couldn抰。 揥hen was the last time you kissed someone??
She huffed, and the pink tinge spread. She was cute like this, all embarrassed. 揘one of your business.?