This isn"t my home.
My thoughts crank back to a few nights ago, in my apartment, tangled up in bed with Trix, her purple and blond hair tossed around my chest and neck.
That"s home.
I"ve been in Vegas for a year and never felt like I totally belonged. Until her.
I grin as I step out of my jeans, crawl into bed, and hit the light. I pull my phone off the bedside table to plug it into the charger. d.a.m.n, I miss her. Maybe a quick text. Even if she"s sleeping, she"ll see it in the morning and know I didn"t forget about her.
Just got home. Miss you too. Seeing you bright and early doesn"t seem soon enough.
I lean over to hook up my charger when the phone vibrates in my hand.
New text.
I can be there in an hour.
I grin so big my cheeks hurt.
I"ll be here waiting. Don"t forget your bikini.
I hit "send" and stare at the screen, willing her to write back.
Oops! I didn"t bring one. Nude beach?
A low groan rolls around in my chest at the thought of Trix fully naked on a secluded beach with no one around for miles. Just the two of us, the contrast of the coa.r.s.e sand against her silky skin beneath me as-my phone vibrates.
h.e.l.lo? Did I scare you?
I run my hand through my hair, taking note of the tent I"ve created in my boxer briefs, and contemplate how to respond.
Got lost on a nude beach alone with you for a sec. I"m back now.
I press "send" and wait.
That didn"t take long. Should I be worried?
I type back.
We stay on this topic, the next time I get you naked beneath me I won"t be responsible for what happens.
My phone vibrates almost immediately.
Promises . . .
Seconds pa.s.s and I want to tell her how much I miss her, I want to smother her with fancy words and flirty innuendos, but everything seems like too much and never enough.
Mason?
Beatriks?
I want you. More than I should.
I blink at the text and then type back.
You"ve got me. Whether you should or not, you have me, baby.
My phone vibrates.
I"m smiling.
I type back.
Get some sleep. I"ll see you in the morning.
Minutes pa.s.s and stretch into longer minutes, and I wonder if she fell asleep when my phone vibrates in my hand.
Goodnight, Mase.
I smile through a small wave of disappointment. I don"t know what I was expecting, but something felt like there was more to say.
I close my eyes and go back to a deserted beach with nothing but the warm body of my woman and the waves crashing around us.
Twenty-one.
Trix I squint into the sun that just came up minutes ago as we cover the last few miles from the highway to the beach. The weather report said it"s supposed to be a perfect day, sunny and seventy-five degrees. Although the water is cooler up here than in Southern California, when the sun"s out, it"s heaven.
I shake Isaac, who"s in the pa.s.senger seat next to me. "Wake up! I can see the water!"
He jerks awake and pops on his aviator sungla.s.ses, his black, board-straight hair sticking up at all angles. "Sweet, we got here before the crowds."
"Yeah, that"s because we basically left last night," Josiah pipes up from the back of the van followed by a yawn.
"Bee-a-ah, are we the-r-r-e?" Leah"s scratchy, sleepy, little-girl voice quakes with excitement.
"We are, Leah-bear. Now remember . . . whoever sees the sand first wins."
The entire van explodes in voices saying "I see it!" at the same time.
"Guess we all win," Zoe says and then squeals.
After I texted Mason last night, I was so excited to see him I barely slept. I didn"t even need to set an alarm to get up at five a.m. and make a ton of peanut-b.u.t.ter sandwiches to pack in the ice chest. I hope Mason likes peanut b.u.t.ter.
My stomach flutters with nerves as I pull into the lot, not sure what I"m expecting to find, but I"ll know when I find it. I"m not even sure what to look for, but knowing Mase, he won"t make me search.
There are about a dozen cars scattered in the lot, and I maneuver to get to the few s.p.a.ces close to the sand.
"That your man there?" Isaac points to an older pick-up truck right up front, the tailgate down and, simply put, a G.o.d of the male form propped up on the back.
I swallow and try to calm my racing heart. "Yep, that"s him." Yeah, that sounded good. Not at all shaky like I feel inside.
"He brought boards!" Josiah has the back doors sliding open before the van is even to a complete stop.
"Whoa, awesome!" Aaron pushes past Zoe and they all start to tumble out, two at a time.
I pull the keys and toss them into my beach bag. I want to fluff my hair or check my face one more time, but it"s too late. My door swings open, and I"m scooped up by Mason and slammed against his chest.
"G.o.d, I missed you," he says into my neck, his grip so tight that I believe he really did miss me as much as I missed him.
I wrap my arms around his middle and hold on, breathing in the clean cotton scent of his shirt that"s now mixed with the nutty and tropical smell of sunscreen. "Mmm, you too."
"I wanna kiss you so bad, but I don"t want your brothers to kick my a.s.s." He drops a hidden and lingering kiss against my neck.
As much as I want to laugh, the tiny brush of his lips has robbed me of the ability to speak and infused me with pure need. Dammit, if this is how cranked up we are just from being separated for twelve hours, what will we be like at the end of weekend when we finally get back to Vegas?
"Mr. M-m-ason?" Leah tugs on his shirt, and he releases me quickly as if being caught hugging by a six-year-old is a felony. "Are you g-gonna teach us h-h-ow to surf?"
He squats down to her eye level and my heart melts. It"s now I notice his hair is a little damp and his strong jaw is covered in stubble. With his hand braced on the truck tire, his bare arms, which are exposed by his sleeveless shirt, flex in the sun.
"Would you like to learn how to surf?" His voice has taken on a softness that I don"t even know if he"s realized, but Leah responds immediately by grabbing his hand.
"Yeah, I wa-a-ant to be like Be-th-th-thany Hamilton when I grow up." She tugs him to the back of the truck, and I lock up the van then follow.
"Except maybe avoid the shark thing, yeah?" Josiah says, his tanned twelve-year-old-boy arms crossed at his chest.
"Oh, yeah." Leah blushes. "No shark."
Mason reaches into the back of the truck and pulls out a long surfboard that looks like it"s made out of foam. "I brought this for whoever wants to learn. The waves here are pretty mellow. Good for first-timers."
Isaac points to the other board in the back. "What"s that one for?"
Mason props the long board against the tailgate and grabs the short, stealthy looking one. It"s white with blue-and-green flames. "This one"s mine. It"s better for doing airs, trick riding."
Zoe peeks up from under the brim of her wide sun hat. Dark eyes peer up in wonder. "Can you show us some tricks, Mr. Mason?"
His deep blue eyes find mine. "Tricks? I"d love to."
My cheeks get hot and I tug at my cover up.
"You guys think I can get your big sister to surf with me today?"
They all respond in some form of "good luck with that."
He stares at me. "Well, what do you think? You up for a little surfing, baby?"
I nod. Yes. Of course. With him, I"d do just about anything.
Mason Cold water. Lots and lots of cold water.
That"s the only way I"m going to get through a day of being around Trix in her bikini without embarra.s.sing myself. Sitting on the sand, I thought the distance would help. It doesn"t.
My gaze stays locked on her at the water"s edge; she"s holding Zoe"s and Leah"s hands, jumping little waves and laughing so hard it drops her head back. The older kids are a little deeper in the water, doing the same. Trix splashes Leah, and the little girl runs away squealing before coming back to crash into her big sister"s arms. Trix"s smooth bronze skin warms beneath the sun, and the swells, dips, and gentle flares of her curves call to be touched. Kissed.
Kids! Kids . . . focus on the kids.
I blink away from my woman in her bright green string bikini and focus on Isaac. He"s tossing a football from hand to hand, staring out at the breaking waves.
"Isaac, man."
He turns toward me, his gaze not unfriendly, but I can see he"s protective of his older sister and he won"t be won over easily.
"You wanna throw?" I nod to his football.
He a.s.sesses me for a second longer then shrugs. "Sure."
I hop up from the big sheet that Trix laid out for everyone right before she slathered them in sunblock and took the younger kids to put their feet in the water. She asked me to come with her, but the vision of her in that tiny bikini had me benched.
Even thinking about it now-football. Focus on football.
I jog out to give the kid a decent distance, but not too far that he can"t get the ball to me. I lift my hands, signaling I"m ready. He tilts his head then shakes it a few times before taking two steps back. He c.o.c.ks his arm then fires the ball. It spins and arcs high, higher, and sails over my head to land a good fifteen yards behind me.
"Holy s.h.i.t." I stare at him, unbelieving, only to get another shrug. "Sixteen years old? d.a.m.n." I jog to get the ball.
After scooping up the football, I slap it between two hands and torpedo the thing back to him. He catches it easily then throws it back.
Seems like I may"ve underestimated the kid. We play like this until we"re both sweaty and my right arm is burning like a motherf.u.c.ker. Trix and the kids have been working on a sandcastle, and other than the few times I"ve caught her watching and stolen a smile, I haven"t spent any time with her.
I flag Isaac and we jog to meet in the middle. He"s breathing heavy, thankfully just as exhausted. "d.a.m.n, you"ve got some serious talent."
His eyebrows pop up behind his shades. "Yeah?"
"h.e.l.l yeah! You kidding? I"ve never seen a kid your age throw like that." I hold out my fist and he b.u.mps it.
"Thanks, bro." He wipes his forehead.
"Why don"t you take a dip, cool off a bit." I grab the football to deposit it with our stuff.
"I think I will."
"You mind watching the little kids for a bit so I can take your sister out on the long board?"
He watches me for a few seconds then nods. "Sure thing, man. Just give me a sec to get wet."