Page 19 of Summer with a Player

Time slips away with the current and I don’t know how long we’ve been in the water. All I know is that we both want out.

He carries me all the way back to the fire, grabbing his t-shirt on our path up the beach. He uses it to wipe the salt water away from the crucial places. The fire got low while we were gone but the sand still remembers its warmth as Asher plants me on the ground. Then he is on top of and inside me so suddenlyI shudder. My nails reach around and dig into his back as the sand gives beneath me with each thrust, pushing me deeper and deeper into the ground. Between laughs and fumbling kisses he lifts me again by my thighs and the sand comes with me into the air. I exclaim in surprise but he smothers the sound with his mouth, entering me over and over again.

“Keep your voice down. Someone might hear,” he whispers in my ear without stopping. I bite his ear and moan louder than I need to, wrapping my arms tighter around his shoulders. If someone walks by, lucky them right?

We continue just like that until he tells me he’s finishing, pulls out and comes on my stomach. I pull him close one last time, smear both of us and we fall to the ground, me laughing and him groaning his complaints. We lay there, silent, until the fire is nothing but embers and the night air carries a much harsher chill on the wind. I shiver and crawl closer to him.

“We should probably stop having sex on the beach every time we have a fire. We’re gonna get seen one of these days,” Asher says.

I snuggle a little closer. “You know you like it.”

He snorts but says nothing. As the waves crash against the shore and the embers dwindle, we know what these moments are worth.

We lay side by side on the blanket, our bodies close enough to feel each other's heat. Asher wraps an arm around my shoulders,drawing me even closer, and I rest my head against his chest, listening to the steady rhythm of his heartbeat.

"Elle," he begins, his voice low and intimate. "What do you want most in life?"

I chew on my thumbnail, considering his question. It's not something I've shared with many people – not even my closest friends.

"More than anything," I admit, "I want to become a nurse. I want to help people, to make a difference in their lives."

"Wow," Asher says, his eyes softening with admiration. "That's an incredible goal, Elle. And I have no doubt you'll achieve it."

His faith in me sends a good feeling through my chest, making me smile.

"Thank you, Asher," I say, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. "That means a lot to me."

"Your turn," I say, looking up at him, suddenly excited to learn more about the man who has captured my heart. "What do you want most?"

He hesitates, clearly pondering his answer before speaking.

"Truthfully," he says, "I want to find a love like the one my grandparents had. They were soulmates, Elle. The kind of love that transcends time and space. That's what I want."

"Then I hope you find it," I tell him sincerely, our eyes locking as the sun dips below the horizon. "You deserve that kind of love, Asher."

"Maybe I already have," he murmurs, his gaze never leaving mine.

Chapter 11

Asher

I dial the number for Miss Tusaine's Readings for the Divine, as I stand out on our back porch and listen to the ocean waves in the near distance. I can't believe I'm doing this, but I need to hear her voice.

Thank you for calling Miss Tusaine’s Readings for the Divine, your personal guide to your future. In a moment, you’ll be connected with Lavender Meadows. To accept all that is waiting for you and the charges, please press one.

“Thank you for calling Miss Tusaine's Readings for the Divine, this is Lavender Meadows. How may I help you tonight? Elle's lovely tone calms me.

"Hi, um, I'd like a reading," I stammer, trying to play it cool.

"Asher, seriously? You don't have to pay money to talk to me," she says with a laugh. "But if you really want a reading, I see lots of hockey and beach time in your future."

"Very funny," I chuckle, feeling the tension dissipate. But something in me shifts, an aching need to be real with her. "Elle, can we talk about something serious?"

"Oh, of course. What's wrong?"

I swallow hard, hesitating. "My parents… I’ve been wanting to tell you this for a while, but I can’t seem to do it face to face. So, here I am being a coward hiding behind technology.

“Asher,” she says softly, squeezing my heart a little more.

---