Keeping Mr. Right Now: A Kisses in the Sand Novel (Entangled Bliss) Page 10

  She also liked how her body flooded with new-to-her sensations. Pulses that caressed the insides of her thighs. Trembles that rolled down her sides. Raw, addictive need that made her head swim with thoughts of him touching her.

  Another gentle breeze made her keenly aware of where her dress hit mid-thigh. She shivered.

  “You okay?” he said.

  “Fine.” Times a million.

  “Zane, a picture?” a man said from behind her.

  The spell broke. She dropped her arms and took a big step back. Zane grabbed her hand, keeping her semi-close, and even though no one else was around them, she wondered if he’d danced with her to get caught. To help his reputation.

  “Hey, Chris,” Zane said, obviously knowing the man with a camera around his neck. “That depends on Sophie. What do you say, Sophie?”

  So surprised by Zane’s genuine demeanor and putting the decision on her, she really had no idea what to say.

  “Chris Lawson,” the guy said, extending his hand. “With the Surf Times.”

  “And a friend,” Zane added, letting go of her.

  “Hello.” Sophie used a firm grip as they shook hands.

  “Sorry to interrupt.” Chris looked back and forth between them as he adjusted his camera strap. “But I couldn’t let an opportunity like this go by.” He smiled the kind of smile Sophie was sure garnered him plenty of photo ops.

  “Sophie?”

  She looked at Zane. He’d been photographed with countless women, so it was no wonder this was no big deal. She, on the other hand, had never been in the same picture with someone like him. Heck, she’d never gone to prom or homecoming, so she didn’t even have those types of pictures. If this photo popped up in the Surf Times, she’d have to buy a few dozen extra copies to take home with her.

  “Sure.”

  Zane flashed that dimple of his, and the corners of her mouth pretty much lifted as high as they could go. He put an arm around her, and Chris took the picture. He asked her a couple of questions afterward, even though she got the impression he knew exactly who she was. Given her job with the film festival and her near-drowning experience with Zane, a lot of the local media did.

  “Thanks. Enjoy the rest of your night.” Chris waved and headed down the beach toward the stage.

  “Nice,” Bryce said, coming up beside them. Sophie had forgotten all about him and mentally shook herself. “Thanks, Sophie.”

  “Of course.” She smoothed down her dress and gave Bryce a pained smile. “I, uh, think I’ll head back to my hotel now. Everything seems to be going smoothly here. Good night.”

  “I’ll walk you,” Zane said.

  “You don’t—”

  “I want to.” He crooked his elbow.

  “Okay, then.” She took his arm, happy for the escort, but also nervous. Sophie the woman wanted to invite him up to her room for a drink. That was the standard MO, right? But Sophie the event planner knew that was a bad idea. That was not the standard MO in a working relationship.

  What would he expect if she did ask? Whispers of his reputation floated around like fairy dust on a godmother’s magic wand. Every girl wanted to be the next lucky one.

  Wait a second. She was delusional if she thought he wanted to sleep with her. She didn’t hold a candle to the kind of girls he made a habit of seducing.

  “Thanks, by the way,” he said, steering her down the boardwalk toward her hotel and breaking into her crazy thoughts.

  “You’re welcome. I’ve never had my picture in the newspaper before,” she said.

  “No, I mean thanks for the info you gave Julia. She texted me you’d been in touch already about the American…the American Cancer Society, and I can’t tell you how much that means to me.”

  Hearing his voice crack broke Sophie’s heart. She so wanted to reassure him that Julia would be okay, that the odds were very good given her young age and diagnosis, but she knew his mind would rest only after the surgery and treatment.

  Zane’s father, she’d read, had died of a sudden heart attack, and that had to have been hard. Had to up the worry he felt about his sister. Sophie would never forget the love that had shone in his eyes for Julia.

  “I’m happy to help,” she said. “Your sister is amazing. I really admire her positivity and strength. We’re the same age, and I’m not sure I’d have half as much poise as she does.”

  Not for the first time, she thought about switching gears and working for a company that solely did charity fund-raising. Yes, fiftieth wedding anniversaries and milestone birthdays were important. Celebrating life was important. But she wanted to go above and beyond in that celebration.

  “From what I’ve seen, you’d handle it just as well.” He watched her out of the corner of his eye.

  Her breathing stuttered. He didn’t have to pay her compliments.

  A group of skateboarders charged toward them. “Wassup, Sophie?” Dylan called out just before Zane put an arm around her shoulders and brought her closer so the riders could pass.

  “Hi, Dylan.”

  “We’re partying down the way if you want to join us,” Dylan said, flashing a smile and slowing to a near stop with both feet on his board. His friends passed by.

  “Sounds like fun,” she said, not at all interested in the party scene.

  Dylan nodded before lowering a foot to the ground and pushing off to gain speed. “It’s gonna be epic.”

  She spun out of Zane’s hold to watch Dylan skate away.

  “Zane can come, too,” he called over his shoulder.

  “Thanks for asking,” she called out.

  “If you want to go, I won’t stop you,” Zane said, his voice gruff.

  Twisting back around, she frowned. “You were invited, too. Is there anyone who doesn’t know you?”

  He shrugged.

  “I’m, uh, good right here,” she said. “But if you—”

  “I’m good, too.”

  They resumed walking, quiet filling the space around them until Sophie remembered the question she’d wanted to ask before Dylan had come barreling toward them. “Were you always close to your mom and sister, or did your dad’s passing make you guys closer?”

  Sophie noticed Zane clench his hand at his side. “That’s personal.” His tone held a brusque edge again.

  “I guess I just thought that today we’d…” She ran her hands down the sides of her dress. The twinkling white lights in the palm trees outside her hotel came into view. Uncertainty wormed its way back into her vocal cords.

  “Today was…” Zane started to say.

  “Today was what?”

  He slanted her a look she found difficult to read. And to her astonishment, she wasn’t letting this go and now she’d caught him off guard. “Unusual for me.”

  “It was for me, too,” she said softly.

  It seemed they both needed to let that sink in, since neither said anything more. Tall light posts with scrolled ironwork glowed along the boardwalk, allowing Sophie a peek at the charming beachfront houses to her right. Most were quiet, but voices and music trickled out of a few.

  “My father and I didn’t get along,” Zane said, his voice tempered now. “The only thing that kept me clearheaded was surfing. Next came my sister and mom. Bryce and Danny.”

  “I didn’t realize you guys went back that far.”

  He turned his attention toward the sea, something Sophie noticed he did a lot. It seemed to come as naturally and be as important as breathing.

  “Was your dad against your surfing?”

  “Not at all.”

  “Jealous of the time you spent in the water instead of with him?” A large number of people spilled out of a house and onto the walkway, and Sophie had to dodge a couple of giggling girls.

  Zane briefly put his hand on her lower back and upped their pace. “Definitely not.”

  “I don’t understand, then.” She wanted to add that being at the top of his sport was amazing, and what father wouldn’t be proud of his accomplishment
s, but she’d already gone gaga over him at lunch and didn’t want to do that again.

  His shoulders stiffened; tension rolled off him. “You always this nosy?”

  “You always this evasive?”

  “When it comes to my father, yes.”

  She put a hand on his arm. The muscle there went rigid. “I’m sorry.”

  He looked down at her, and she wasn’t sure what he saw, but his muscles relaxed. “I don’t like talking about him.”

  “Okay,” she whispered. At his admission, her thoughts fast-forwarded to tomorrow night. “I don’t know if Danny or Bryce mentioned it yet, but I’ve arranged a small cocktail party and Q&A for you tomorrow. I’ll be sure the topic of your dad stays off the record, but are there any other questions you don’t want to answer?”

  “Will you be there?”

  At his softened gaze, she knew she’d do whatever she could if… “Do you want me to be?”

  “Yes.”

  “Okay.” She’d spoken to her boss on the phone earlier and filled her in on the extra events for Zane. Thrilled Sophie had nabbed the opportunity, she wanted no expense spared and Sophie’s full attention on Zane.

  Talk about a no-brainer.

  With the movie venue owners and their staff two days into the running of the film festival and very much on the ball, it freed Sophie to be where most needed.

  And she most needed to lick—stick!—close to Zane.

  “Then I’m good with any other questions.”

  They entered her hotel lobby, and as she did every time she was in the reception area, she inhaled the citrusy floral and dried-in-the-sun driftwood scents. The dash of coconut was a bonus.

  Tango happened by and sent a huge smile her way. She delivered one back, his warmth and kindness another gift from White Strand she’d always remember. When she’d told him about her surf lesson, he’d taken her aside and told her if anyone messed with her again to let him know and he’d take care of it. She’d giggled because really? This big, bad ex–football player was on her side, and she’d never been taken under someone’s wing like that before.

  Right now, Tango shot daggers at Zane, and she once again let free a nervous giggle. Was he worried about her being with the surf god?

  “Zane. Thanks for seeing my girl back.”

  “My pleasure.”

  “She have a good night?”

  Zane stood taller, puffed out his chest. “I think she did.”

  “She’s standing right here, you know.” Sophie crossed her arms and lifted her chin, trying really hard not to split the biggest grin ever. No one talked about her like this, and a thrill trekked down her back.

  Both men looked at her.

  “Hi, Tango, I had a lovely time at the concert. Thank you for asking. Zane, thank you for walking me back. I’ll see you tomorrow.” Then, because heck, she wanted to, she lifted on tiptoes and gave each man a kiss on the cheek before striding toward the elevator.

  She liked this independent, bolder Sophie. She liked her a lot.

  …

  Zane couldn’t have been more in the present. The huge waves pounding the beach had called to him early this morning and, along with most of the other pros in White Strand, he’d taken the plunge. He stood on his board, feeling the air and sprays of water around him, as the power of an eight- to ten-foot wave pushed his surfboard harder, faster. Any loss of focus and he’d bite it.

  Thanks to storms thousands of miles away off the coasts of Antarctica and New Zealand, a chain of cosmic waves had made their way to California. According to the forecast, a rare summer rainstorm was due to hit the West Coast sometime in the next few hours as well, creating conditions surfers only dreamed about.

  He rode out the wave and then caught another.

  And another.

  He paddled hard and ripped it up every single time. In the zone, that weightless, nothing-can-touch-me surreal existence where all the negative crap in his head left his body and he was only left with the feel-good stuff.

  Sophie stuff.

  Whatever was happening upstairs—in his brain, in his psyche—had Sophie written all over it, and with every swell, he wanted to suspend time and enjoy the sensations.

  All his rides had been for her. And he took one more fast-as-hell, long, bumpy drop. He rode it all the way to shore and hit the sand to applause and cheers.

  “Zane!”

  “Dude! That was sweet!”

  “Zane! Couple of questions?”

  He ran a hand through his sopping hair. With his other hand, he hung on to his board. “Sure.” The crowd of spectators had grown since he’d been in the water. A few press guys stood out, lanyards around their necks, notepads in their hands.

  “Is this a dream day or what?” one reporter asked.

  “No doubt,” Zane said. “And fun as hell.” He glanced over his shoulder at the crushing waves, the guys still out there in line. A young boy, seven, maybe eight, came up beside him and slid the Velcro wristband from his boogie board in place on his arm.

  “But,” he added, ruffling the kid’s hair, “surf like this brings dangerous riptides, and everyone except the professionals needs to stay on the sand.” The boy’s mom quickly undid the band.

  “Being an intrepid leader in the sport, what’s it like out there just for fun?” another reporter asked.

  “It’s awesome. When I’m on a wave, time ceases to exist, and I’m in this intense state of euphoria, peace, and excitement.” He took a deep breath. “And when I don’t have to worry about scores, I can mess around with my technique and put toes on the nose if I feel like it.”

  “Looked like every ride was near perfect today.” This from Chris.

  “Yeah. Luck was a factor for sure with those amazon swells. I knew I didn’t want to be too deep at the back door, and I had to grab air a few times, but it felt great out there.” Zane glanced at the sky. Dark clouds were moving in.

  He scanned the crowd next, hoping to find a certain redhead. After the sweet kiss she’d placed on his cheek last night, he couldn’t stop thinking about where else he wanted her mouth.

  And after she’d called him “evasive,” he’d wondered for the first time what it might be like to trust a woman. He didn’t want to lie to Sophie. But he didn’t want to tell her the truth, either.

  I never graduated high school and yeah, my dad told me I had shit for brains so often that I believed him.

  “I hear it can be magical out there,” a female reporter said. “Any truth to that?”

  Zane redirected his focus to the woman. This morning had been amazing, in no small part thanks to his growing relationship with Sophie and his thoughts about confiding in her.

  “Definitely,” he said. “It’s that feeling of flying we thought about as kids combined with the sense of accomplishment we hunger for as adults. Not a bad way to spend a few hours.”

  “Zane, rumor has it SHE wants you to be their next ambassador. What can you bring to the table?”

  Effing Chris. He’d mentioned SHE to him earlier, not expecting to be put on the spot like this. The back of Zane’s throat constricted and he fought to swallow. His hand squeezed the board. He knew what he wanted to contribute, but saying it in front of all these people…

  Every word out of your mouth means jack shit. You’re stupid, son, so best keep quiet. You’re a lost cause except in the water.

  He skimmed through the pack of people, avoiding eye contact, the shapes and sizes blurring until that halo of beautiful reddish-yellow hair snagged his attention.

  Sophie.

  She stood off to the side, a burst of sunshine on this cloudy day.

  “I think I speak for every surfer,” Zane began, “when I say we’ve become increasingly aware of our impact on the planet.” Sweat trickled down his back; his heart pounded in his chest. “And uh…”

  Sophie nodded. She nodded like she knew his answer and knew the crowd wouldn’t find fault with it.

  “And I want to bring more positive environ
mental, social, and global change.”

  Jesus. He sounded like a PSA for any charitable organization. But the generalization was a start, at least. “I’d like to keep the rest of my thoughts to myself until I have a chance to talk to SHE personally.” He felt deeply about helping to make a difference. Knew in his head he could if given the chance. Even more so now. If an intelligent woman like Sophie thought him worthy, then so would SHE and everyone else.

  The smile she wore drew his own. Everything faded away but the look of pride on her face. He didn’t know if he deserved her admiration, but in that moment, every second he’d spent with her flashed through his mind and he did know he didn’t just want her. He wanted to know everything about her.

  “That’s all for today,” he said. “Thanks.” A few long strides and he stood in front of this crazy beautiful woman he hadn’t a clue how to handle. “Hi.”

  Her gaze took in his chest, dipped lower, came back up. “Hi. You were amazing.”

  “In the water?”

  “Just now.”

  Pride unlike any he’d felt before swam through his veins.

  She ran her hand along the logo on his surfboard. “But in the water, too, definitely. I got really nervous watching you. Those waves are gigantic. Honor told me to chill out.”

  “That’s good advice.”

  “Were you scared out there?”

  “Not even a little.” No fear or go home, he and his surf buddies said. Sure, he’d been shaken a time or two. But nothing like the massive impact Sophie seemed to have on him with growing frequency.

  “Well, that’s good. I guess you’ve surfed even bigger waves?”

  “Yeah.” He ran his finger across her nose and cheek. “You’ve got a couple more freckles than you had yesterday.”

  “I do?” Her eyes grew rounder. She reached up to cover her face, but he stopped her with a gentle hold on her wrist so he could watch her cheeks redden. That he made her nervous was such a rush.

  “I think the California sunshine likes you.”

  “I like it, too.”

  “Fritz says some rain is coming.” He rubbed the pad of his thumb across the inside of her wrist.

  “Fritz?”

  “The weather guy.”

  “Is that very common?”