Page 42 of California Waves

There was something in her face he couldn’t read, like maybe this should have been the perfect deal, what she always wanted from her lovers, not to feel tied down or constricted in any way, to enjoy each other until one or both of them was done. But now that he was offering it to her, she didn’t want it anymore.

But if that was what she was thinking, she didn’t admit it. She stood instead. “I agree. We have a deal.”

Herschel tried not to laugh as Mila formally held out her hand and shook his while the too-big bathrobe slipped open, exposing the delicious slopes of her breasts. “Deal,” he replied. Then he had no words left. He hiked her into his arms and carried her to bed.

After the initial start of surprise, she laughed and threw her arms around his neck. “I am no featherweight,” she said.

And she wasn’t—she was all muscle, which he loved about her. His reply was to remind her that he worked out. A lot. And then she settled back in his arms and nibbled his earlobe and whispered things in his ear that made him half crazy with desire. By the time he had her back in his bed, it was even wilder than the first few times.

As though there was only limited time, and they had to squeeze every drop of pleasure from every moment.

Chapter Twenty-One

Mila woke with the unfamiliar sensation of warmth at her back. For a second, she hazily thought she was looking after Erin’s dog, Boswell, who, no matter how sternly she told him he had to sleep on the floor, always ended up in her bed when she looked after him. But as her eyes opened, and she came fully awake, she realized that not only was she not sleeping with Boswell, she wasn’t even in her own bed.

And then it all came back to her. She’d fallen asleep in Hersch’s arms. It was something she never did, certainly not the first time she slept with a man.

What was wrong with her? And then she realized that for the first time in her life, she was thinking about him as a maybe. Maybe she could do this. Maybe she could trust a man to be there for her. Maybe she could see herself with only one man for the rest of her life. The thought should have been terrifying, but instead, it was oddly comforting.

He was sound asleep beside her, and she paused just a moment to take pleasure in the strong lines of his face, the moustache that she was coming to love, and that Saint Christopher’s medal glinting on his chest. A quick glance at her watch told her she had time to go surfing before she went to work. She very much needed to clear her head.

As silently as she could, she slipped out of bed. She found her dress, which the incredibly tidy Hersch had somehow found time to pick up and fold neatly. Beside it was her bra, but she couldn’t find her panties.

She slipped on her bra and the dress and was looking under the bed for her missing underwear when a sleepy voice said, “I like that view.”

She felt horribly flustered as she stood. Her panties were in her hand, and she tried to be casual as she stepped into them and pulled them up. He watched, hooking an arm behind his head, his eyes filled with lazy amusement.

“Do you have to go so soon?”

“Yes. I have waves to surf.”

He glanced at the clock on his bedside table and crooked an eyebrow. “At six in the morning?”

“Oh yeah.”

He started to roll out of bed. “I could put on some coffee.”

She leaned over and kissed him. “Go back to sleep.” She glanced at her watch, and he was right. It was just after six. “I looked at the surf report. It’s going to be epic.”

She hadn’t looked, but she didn’t care if the ocean was flat as glass. She’d take her surfboard and get out on the water even if she just floated there, trying to make sense of what had happened between her and Hersch.

The way he looked at her made her wonder if he was seeing more than she wanted him to. She was so confused. She’d never felt this confused.

“You can’t go surfing without coffee. I’ve seen you. You have an addiction.”

Darn it, he really did see too much. “I’ll brew some while I’m getting my surf stuff on,” she told him.

“What about breakfast? I can make you some breakfast. Maybe something to go?”

Now she realized there was a flicker of humor in his beautiful eyes. It was as though he knew how badly he’d shaken her and was enjoying it.

“No. I’m fine. I’ll call you later.” She kissed him quickly on the lips before rushing out.

When she reached her house, she sent Erin a quick message. Coffee this morning? Need advice.

Erin was also an early riser. Mila was tempted to tell her sister to grab her surfboard, but she needed an hour or two alone. Erin texted back in no time. Just one word: Sure.

The ocean wasn’t that calm, nor was it the best surfing she’d ever had. However, she managed to get some good rides, and more than that—enough time on the ocean to calm the choppy seas inside her. When she rode in, it was close to eight, and to her delight, her sister was waiting right there on the beach. With two cups of coffee in her hands. Mila immediately flashed back to when Hersch had stood not so far away, also with two cups of coffee in his hands.

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