She shuddered and gasped. “Jamie.”

“You like me. Admit it.”

I felt the shake of her head and the flutter of her pulse against my tongue.

“You like me.”

“I don’t.” She sounded breathless and breakable. She sounded weak.

I growled, lifting my head and claiming her hot breath and sweet parted lips. One hand pushing through the hair at the base of her neck and holding while the other pressed low to her back.

She whimpered against my tongue. Then she started sucking on it.

Tori fought with her words. Not her body. I quit asking and just kissed her.

And kissed her.

And kissed her.

I kissed her until seconds blurred into minutes. I kissed her hard and rowdy and rough.

She kissed me harder. Sucked harder. Bit harder. Her hands gripped my back and shoulders and pulled. She wanted me close.

Tori wasn’t just taking. She was giving it back.

Again.

Fuck yeah. She liked me. She liked me a whole fucking lot.

When my lips burned and the bite from her nails stung my scalp and neck, I pulled away, panting. Hands around her waist, I dropped my forehead against hers and held her eyes.

“Bet’s over,” I said. My voice was hoarse.

Tori kept her fingers on my jaw. She licked me off her lips, nodding and breathing heavy. “Okay,” she whispered.

“Gave me somethin’ last night and I’m keepin’ it. You’re not takin’ that.”

Again, she nodded.

“Quit fightin’ me,” I growled, putting pressure on her back.

Tori closed her eyes. Her hands fell between us, pressing against my chest as her throat worked with a noisy swallow. Then she blinked up at me. Her eyes were pale blue.

“I didn’t just come here to beg,” she admitted, keeping her voice soft and maybe a little scared.

My mouth twitched. Fuck me, this woman. I could’ve gloated but I didn’t. I didn’t want anything tainting this moment she was giving me.

Tori might not give it up again.

“You gotta work today?” I asked her, leaning away but keeping my hands on her. I held her hips.

“Yeah.”

“When?”

“I gotta be there by nine,” she said. “I told Nate I’d help him with the schedule.”

“Got time to eat then.”

I directed Tori with a hand to her back toward the kitchen. She went without resistance.

“You want coffee?” I asked.

“I don’t drink coffee.”

“Juice? Water?”

“Juice would be good.”

I moved past her and opened the cabinet to get a glass, then I went to the fridge and poured some orange juice.

“Did you get in the ocean this morning?” she asked from behind me.

“Yeah. Why?”

“You smell like it.”

I turned my head and caught Tori staring at me, leaning her hip against the counter and pressing her fingers to her bottom lip.

“But I guess you always smell like it.” She dropped her hand and shrugged. “Like you were born out there or something.”

“Been surfing since I was four.”

“Really?”

I nodded, looking away to put the bottle of orange juice back on the shelf. Then I opened the cabinet where I kept food and grabbed a pack of Pop-Tarts.

“Soon as I could walk, my parents took me out. My mom surfed,” I replied, going to Tori and handing her the glass. “Started out on body boards. Loved it, so I learned fast. I was out there every day.”

She took a sip of her juice, watching me over the rim.

I opened up the pack of Pop-Tarts and held one out. Tori took it, brow furrowing.

“What?” I asked, biting off a corner.

She sat her glass down on the counter next to my empty cup, then she turned her hand over, examining the breakfast I was offering. “I don’t think I’ve eaten one of these since I was a little kid,” she said on a laugh.

“I eat them all the time. They’re good in a pinch.”

Her eyes came up. She was smiling. “They’re pure sugar, Jamie. Especially this kind with the icing. I’m surprised you still have teeth.”

I stared at the curve in her lips, stained red from the color she always wore on them. My chest grew tight. I had no fucking idea what she’d just said. Didn’t matter, though. I had something I needed to share.

“You told me last night you wanted to stop feelin’ him,” I reminded her, lifting my eyes and watching hers flicker wider.

Tori gazed at me for a beat, then she slowly brought the Pop-Tart to her mouth and took a bite.

“I don’t got time to take care of that this mornin’,” I said. “I gotta get to work.”

“Me, too,” she answered, sounding anxious around her mouthful, her hand coming up in front of her lips. “I need to go home and shower, so—”

“What time you get off?”

Her eyes went round.

“From work,” I added, smirking.

Jesus.

“Oh.” She swallowed, lowered her hand and licked her lips. “Ten tonight. I’m working a double.”

“Right.” I jerked my chin. “Be at your house by ten fifteen then.”

Tori blinked.

“You won’t be feelin’ him tomorrow,” I promised.

She blinked again. Her cheeks flushed red and she coughed a little.

I smiled, liking her reaction. “Eat, Legs. We don’t got all mornin’.”