Page 31 of The Time It Takes
I finally reached him and there he was, underneath the pier, sprawled across the sand with a joint in between his lips. God, he was gorgeous. Everything about him was mesmerizing. His sandy blond hair was ruffled from the wind, and he was wearing nothing but his baby blue swim trunks. Every contour of his body was cut with lean muscle, and he had always been so ridiculously tan.
As I approached, an orange spark flickered.
I stopped and stood directly in front of him. Smoke poured from his mouth like a cloud, and his eyes were closed in peaceful bliss, but they fluttered open as if he felt my presence. He had his headphones in, so he couldn’t hear my approach. I suddenly felt like a creep staring down at him.
“Hi,” he said as he tugged off his earbuds.
I sat down in front of him, pulling my knees up to my chest. He lifted himself with his hands into a sitting position.
“I’m upset with you,” I admitted honestly.
He extended his hand toward me, offering me the joint. “I know.”
I grabbed the joint but made no move to smoke it. His eyes drifted down some and then back up to mine. The corner of his mouth lifted mischievously.
“You’re wearing my shirt.”
I pressed the joint between my lips and stood on my knees. I pulled the white t-shirt over my head and threw it at his chest. “Ass,” I muttered.
He caught it with a laugh. “I didn’t say I wanted it back. It’s just…” he trailed off. I inhaled the smoke directly into my lungs and nearly choked to death.
“It’s just what?” I asked after getting my shit together.
He brought the shirt up to his nose and sniffed. “It smells like you,” he said, scrunching his nose.
I shook my head and handed him the joint back. I batted my eyelashes at him. “And I need it to smell like you again.” I motioned my hand in circles. “So, make yourself useful.” He smiled and slipped the t-shirt on. Then I was suddenly mourning the sight of his torso.
I sat back down and stared out into the water.
“So, why are you here with him?”
“Tucker?” I looked over at him and he gave me a short nod. His face was unreadable. There was no hint of his previous smile.
I shrugged. “Why not?”
“I thought we decided we weren’t into him.”
I threw my head back and laughed so hard I had to place my hand over my stomach from the ache.
“What?” he asked defensively, his brows drawing down.
My brows rose. “We?”
He put the joint out in the sand and gave me a bewildered expression. “Oh, come on Damsel, don’t act like these things aren’t group decisions.”
I snorted. He was being absurd. “Can’t hurt to hang out with the guy.”
“Are you into him?”
I shrugged again, uncommitted to answering his question just to see where he’d take it.
He let out an exasperated sigh. “Does he make you feel like a galaxy of stars exploded in your gut?”
My spine straightened as I narrowed my eyes at him. “No.”
“Is his voice the best sound you’ve ever listened to?”
“No.”
