Chapter 18
“He’s so sexy. Look at the way that wetsuit sucks onto his whole body. I wish I was that wetsuit.” The blond at the Tiki hut sips her smoothie and stares out at the ocean. “I’d suck his whole body.”
“Dream on,” her friend says. “He’s got women everywhere. You don’t want to just be part of the lineup.”
“I’d like to be the starting lineup.” The blond flips her hair over her shoulders. “No harm in getting mounted on vacation.”
I stare at her. She’s tan and toned with big, blue eyes. She looks like every other hot blond I’ve seen him pick up. All she’ll have to do is walk up and offer and he’ll jump. She’s perfect. The problem is, now that I know who he is, I want to piss on him and mark my territory. She looks at me and her eyes get as big as saucers.
“Need help carrying anything?” Damien puts his arm over my shoulders and the skank team eyes me.
“Sure,” I kiss him on the cheek and they start whispering. I hand D’Rey two drinks and he turns to leave.
“So you know Chance?” Bimbo Barbie is suddenly my best friend. “Can you introduce me?”
I huff. I can’t help it. “He’s a grown up. I assume you are too. If you want to meet him, just go talk to him.”
She twirls her hair. “But he’s in the water.”
Even her friend rolls her eyes. “I guarantee he’ll come in sometime.”
I walk away and catch up with Damien. “Lord help us all. Blond Ambition back there wants a Chance intro. She would introduce herself but he’s in the water.”
Damien laughs. “Did you tell them to back the fuck off?”
“Of course not.” I take a seat on the beach blanket and slide my sunglasses back on.
“Why the hell not?” Damien is staring at me.
“Because he can do what he wants.” I lie back and untie the bikini straps at my neck. I want to get bronzed and wear a sexy strapless dress tonight. My assignment is almost over and I’m going to live it up. My eyes are heavy as the sun soaks into my skin.
“And the wolves have descended.”
When I hear Damien’s voice, I lean up on my elbows and watch blondie walk toward the water. Chance and Harley are standing with their boards, wetsuits at their waists, laughing. A tinge of jealousy runs through me. The muscles in his back are so defined. I’ve seen him with his shirt off before and it never affected me. But standing there in a wetsuit, water dripping from his hair, face kissed by the sun, he’s a whole different person. His beauty is unmatched. I want to reach out and touch every inch of him.
I watch as Blondie shakes his hand. She twirls her hair and giggles. They’re too far away for me to hear anything. Chance points out at the ocean and blondie touches his arm when she laughs. He says something to Harley and they’re all laughing. Harley pulls his board from the sand and starts to walk toward us. Chance stays behind. Blondie pokes out her boobs a little further but he doesn’t seem phased. He’s so animated when he talks and he flirts without even knowing it. He’s got her eating out of the palm of his hand.
I’m drowning in a sea of anxiety. My stomach is in knots and I feel like I’ve swallowed a brick. It’s a feeling I’ve never had before. “Oh my God. I think I’m jealous.”
Damien belly laughs and Joshua follows. I feel like I’m the last one to know how I actually feel about him. If he leaves with Busty Barb, I’m going to be a wreck. This can’t be happening. I stare at him and wonder if I should walk down there. But what if he rejects me in front of her? I think I’m going to throw up.
Chance bends over to pick something up, then shakes her hand again and tucks the board under his arm. He jogs toward us and I lie back down. My breath whooshes from my chest and I feel my stomach relaxing.
“Good boy, Lennon.” Rachel winks at me.
He anchors his board in the sand and walks to the blanket. He stands above me as he jokes with Harley about one of the waves. Cold water drips from his suit and lands on my bare skin. When he realizes it, he doesn’t move. He just smiles down at me, those green eyes burning right through me.
“How’d you sleep, Princess?” He squats down to get closer. “I didn’t. I’ve gotten used to your snoring.”
“Like a rock. No one was hogging the covers.” I reach out and run my hand over his foot. Even his feet are sexy.
“Speaking of, I got you something.” He holds up a pebble.
I run my finger over the smooth rock in his hand. I don’t understand why he keeps giving me rocks but I find it kind of charming. He doesn’t do it for anyone else. I look up at him and smile. I take it and hold it in my hand as I lie back down.
“Seymour, you want a surf lesson?” Chance’s voice is so loud and I laugh as Harley cringes. “Take off the shirt and enjoy the sun a little.”
Joshua looks up from his book. “Pass.”
“You give him so much hell,” I whisper in his direction. I know he does it as a sign of affection and Joshua takes it all in stride.
“He’s so quiet. I want him to know he’s a part of the family.” He shrugs and stares at me. “You are too. You’re stuck with us now. We have a way of picking up strays and they never leave.”
“That’s what happened with me.” Rachel kisses Max on the cheek. “I was hired to help these guys. I showed up one day and never really went home again.”
“Thank God for that.” Max pulls her into his lap. Their love is inspiring. I love watching them together. They love each other more than anyone I’ve ever met.
Damien and Mia are married. Harley and Laney are engaged. And Max tells me that he and Rachel are perfect just the way they are. Even though I know he’d marry her tomorrow if that’s what she wanted. Joshua is the mystery to me. His life is spent with these men but I don’t know anything about his personal life. As a reporter, I feel like I’ve failed not uncovering even a glimpse of the real Joshua Seymour. I’ll make my last article about him. He’s the leader of this group. He deserves a little of the spotlight.
“Hey Joshua,” He looks up at me when I call his name. “Can I interview you for my last piece?”
“I was hoping you’d do a look back on your time with us. That will be far more entertaining than an article about me.” He looks back at his book.
“I second that!” Chance and Harley say in unison and we all laugh.