I wade my board further into the sea. Lining up the perfect wave, I paddle as fast as I can. My board is sturdy as I hop on top to ride the crest.

The wave breaks, and I pump the board with my feet to get more time on it. When the ride ends, I glide off my board. Surfing relaxes me, and I love the ocean. When I learned that Darren wanted Maxine and Vanessa to stay the night after their house was broken into, I knew I had to remind myself about this bet. She is great and all, and sure I’d love to just fuck her, but now things are progressing so fast. I don’t know what to make of everything.

I’m glad they are safe and neither was home when the vandalism took place. This type of crime doesn’t happen too often in Palm Beach, but with the help of Maxine’s father, they’ll catch the criminals.

I look to the shore and see Darren talking to Maxine and Vanessa. Vanessa is in jean shorts that show off her sexy, tanned legs and fine features. A tight baby-doll tee wraps snug around her breasts. I swim toward them, then grab my board and trudge through the shallow water to make my way on shore. Drying off and walking to Vanessa, I find myself just staring at her beauty.

“Are you okay?” I ask, pulling her body to mine.

Maxine goes into every detail of the break-in.

“And then, whoever broke in wrote the word slut on Vanessa’s bed in red paint.”

I cringe when I hear Maxine’s words. Vanessa’s eyes drop to the sand and she kicks at a shell. Placing my hands on her shoulders, I turn her to face me. My mind muddles as I look her square in the eyes. “Is this true? I didn’t know. I thought it was just a random break-in.”

She raises her head and stares deep into my eyes. “This is awful. I feel horrible about everything.”

Maxine cuts her off. “Don’t you dare blame yourself.” She wraps her arms around Vanessa and pulls her into a hug.

“Let’s go back to my place,” I say to everyone.

“Yes, please,” Vanessa says.

Darren grabs the rest of our belongings as we head towards my car. Vanessa and I pile into the Cobra as Darren heads to Maxine’s car.

As I drive, I turn to Vanessa and ask, “Are you okay?”

“I’ll be fine.” She even smiles a little.

We pull down the street in my neighborhood, and I can hear her suck in a breath. Two-story concrete homes with grassy lawns sit next to each other on their spacious lots. Definitely an upscale neighborhood, with a few kids riding their bikes while their parents watch from their front porches.

“Wow, you live here?”

“Yeah, my dad lets us live here,” I say, turning off the car and opening the door.

As she meanders up the path, she stops shy of the door. “It’s incredible.”

“Nah, nothing too great. You should see my parents’ house.”

Upon entering the house, Vanessa is quiet. I take her on a tour, showing her the marble bannisters and tiled floor.

“I’m afraid to touch anything—it’s like a museum.” She tiptoes through the entryway and seems mesmerized by the grand elegance of our home.

“Seriously, it’s nothing.” I lead her into the living room. She relaxes when she sees part of the place that looks more lived in.

We have a huge wrap-around leather sectional in front of a seventy-inch plasma TV equipped with the latest Xboxes and PlayStation. The place isn’t trashed, but you can tell a bunch of guys live here.

We continue into the kitchen where she runs a finger along the marble. Stainless steel appliances wrap around a center island where we cook and eat. I lead her through the hallway on the way to my room. Opening the door, I usher her inside. I have a blue comforter on top of my wooden platform bed and an original painting of waves crashing on the shoreline above it. Vanessa steps closer to examine the art.

“Wow, very nice.” She takes a seat on my bed as I shut the door.

“Are you hungry? I can order some food, or we can go out,” I say, sitting alongside her.

“Can we order in? I’m not up for going anywhere.” She lies down onto the bed and kicks her legs off the side.

I lie beside her and grab a hand. “It will be okay. I do have to say, if I find the person who did this, well, let’s just say it won’t be pretty.”

“Thanks, Trace. I feel safe here. Thanks for letting us stay.”

Turning my body to face her, I prop myself up on my elbows. “Of course. I don’t want you anywhere but here.”

I look into her sexy eyes as she closes them and licks her delectable lips. I taste them in my memory and want to relive the sensation.

“What should we order? Chinese?” she asks, breaking me from my vivid fantasy. She notices my eyes pop open and chuckles. I choke and laugh as she rolls her eyes. We leave the room and make our way to the kitchen where I shuffle through the cabinets, looking for a take-out menu. While we look, the front door opens. Maxine walks in, demanding attention.

“Hello, losers. What are you guys doing?” She throws her bag onto the counter and her sunglasses atop her head. Darren follows behind, tapping his phone like a crazed lunatic. Maxine rolls her eyes at him.

“Ordering Chinese food. You guys hungry?” I ask, pulling out a take-out menu. I flip it open to view the assortment of dishes they offer.

“Sure, sounds great. Darren, want Chinese food?” she asks him.

He glances up from his phone and nods his head yes.

Once the Chinese food has arrived, we settle into the living room to eat. I turn the TV on, and we get lost in the craziness of reality television.

A while later, Tony comes home and stares at us in confusion. “Uh, what’s going on here?” He sits on the sofa next to Vanessa and me.

“Their house was broken into. Max’s dad wants to install a new security system before they go back,” Darren explains.

Tony covers his mouth, gasping, “Holy shit. Are you ladies okay?”

Maxine goes into the details of the event but leaves out the part about Vanessa’s room.

“So they’re going to stay here tonight,” I say, rubbing my hands down Vanessa’s arms. She shivers from my touch.

“Of course,” Tony says, watching my hand movements carefully.

After watching TV for a while longer, I turn to Vanessa and ask, “Wanna finish watching in my room?”

“Sure.”

Tony heads to his room, and we make our way to mine. We haven’t discussed where she would sleep, but I’ll be damned if she thinks she’s staying anywhere but in here with me.

I turn to her as I shut my door. “Is this okay? Staying here tonight? I can sleep on the floor, or we can share the bed and I promise not to touch you,” I say, rushing through the words.

Her eyes grow wide, and she dips her head lower. Swaying her hands along her sides, she glances up.

“Okay,” she says, not really answering any of my questions.

“Get on the bed,” I demand.

She laughs and plops onto the mattress, throwing her flip-flops off her feet. Then she stands again and reaches for her bag. “I’m just going to change and get ready for bed.” I show her the door to the bathroom as I lift my shirt over my head. She glances back, unable to take her eyes from my chest, and slowly closes the door. Alone, I debate if I should turn the TV on or leave it off. Should I light candles? No, too corny. My phone rings on the dresser.

When I see who is calling, I dread answering.

“Hi, Dad.”

“Hello, son. Have you called Roberts yet?” His voice trumpets through the phone; I have to hold it away from my ear to avoid going deaf.

“No, not yet,” I confess.

“Classes end next week, and you need to find out where to report,” he says, sounding frustrated.

“Okay, I can call him tomorrow morning. Kind of late to call now.” I stare at the bathroom door, hoping Vanessa doesn’t come out while I’m on the phone. I hate talking to my father and don’t want her to see me upset and angry.

“Make sure you do, Trace. This is important.”

“I know.” I just don’t care. I’d rather do anything than work for Mr. Roberts this coming summer.

“Did you return the keys to the boat to Carlo?” he asks.

“Sure did.”

“Did you have a girl on the boat?”

“Yeah, just a tiny date.” I smile.

“I hope it’s nothing too serious. You have a busy summer ahead of you.”

“Don’t worry, Dad. It’s nothing,” I say, hoping Vanessa doesn’t hear me. Even if she does, I don’t think she can pick up on the one-sided conversation.

I ask myself if this is serious. Well, I mean I like her a lot, but is it something more? Not trying to think too much into it, I say my goodbyes to my father and hang up. Replacing the phone on the charger, I change into gym shorts instead of my usual sleeping nudeness. Vanessa doesn’t need to see me naked, yet.

She is on my mind and quickly working her way through my system. I can’t keep my thoughts straight when she is around. Upset and angry that someone broke into her house, I want to go on a mission and seek these assholes out, find ‘em and then beat the hell out of ‘em. I suck in a deep breath when I realize this girl is getting to me; the need to protect her is overpowering. The way she looks at me drives me crazy, and she has to know what she does, how she drives me fucking insane. I feel like a mental patient fresh from the asylum with a goal to claim her, to make her mine. I need her. Oh fuck, I need her. The beauty she possesses seduces me and makes me think of nothing but her.

How did I get into this situation? How did I let her get to me? I haven’t even known her that long, and already she has embedded herself into my being.

It occurs to me that, because I haven’t been with her sexually yet, this must be the reason why she is affecting me so much. A huge smile spreads across my face when the realization hits me. Once I fuck her, I can move on. Easy.

I’m not into her. I just want her.

Pulling the covers back from my bed, I lie down. This summer, I’ll work for Mr. Roberts, so I remind myself to call in the morning.

Mr. Roberts is an older man with a grasp for ass-kissing and a bad wardrobe. He should be perfect to learn from. My father thinks the world of him, and in his eyes, he can do no wrong.

When I first met Mr. Roberts, I was sitting in my father’s downtown office. Roberts walked in with a confident gait and sat in the chair next to me. After we were introduced, he raised his nose in the air and laughed. It pissed me off, and I didn’t care for him. My father said we would get along fine, but after taking one last look at Roberts’s greasy brown hair and protruding belly, I said, “Yeah, I don’t think so.”

I’ve seen him a lot over the years and my father is excited to have us work together. He has told me over the past few months that Roberts has helped grow the business exponentially—his words, not mine.

The door to the bathroom opens, and Vanessa walks out with her blonde hair falling around her face. Angelic and radiant, she wears pink pajama pants with little books on them and a pink tank top. Drool trickles out of my mouth, and I try hard to close it.

She takes my breath away, and I gasp for air. I hop out of bed on both feet and rush over to the bathroom.

“My turn,” I say, closing the door.

I turn the faucet on and race to finish everything so I can return to her.

Exiting the bathroom, I flip the light off and turn on a low-lit table lamp. Then I walk over to the bed.