Page 51 of Broken Hearts

But that’s about all I can bear to talk about right now.

Sage doesn’t say anything now, as she too turns back to face the water. Eventually, I ask, “So you wanna surf some more or head back?”

She smiles, her eyes lighting up as she says, “Can we surf some more?”

Standing, I hold out my hand to pull her up. “You never need to ask me twice.”

We spend another hour or so surfing before calling it quits. It’s late in the afternoon, and as we head back to the car in silence, I can’t help but feel like things are different between us now. Better. Even if that lingering tension and wants still hangs between us.

“You want to grab some dinner?” Sage asks, sliding into the passenger seat.

Smiling, I glance over. “Sure,” I say. “Let’s go home and shower first, yeah?”

She nods, and we spend the drive back in a comfortable silence, my mind racing with all the things I’d like to do to her when we get home. When I pull into the garage, I can see that the shop is closed and I’m grateful. Grateful we won’t run into Alana and have to face her million questions on where we’ve been or why I couldn’t work today. Grateful I might be able to do all the things I’ve been fantasizing about.

“I’m just gonna run up?—”

Sage’s words are cut off when I slide my hand into hers and pull her toward the outdoor shower, intent on doing exactly that. It’s closed in on three sides, the fourth half open to the backyard. Without saying a word, I turn on the water, smiling at the yelp Sage lets out. Then, without waiting for it to warm up, I push her back against the wall, my hands on her hips as I crush my mouth against hers.

Sage lets out that sexy moan that undoes me as her arms loop around my neck, pulling me closer. My body presses against hers, my dick already hard against her stomach as we kiss; hurried and urgent, almost desperate, as our lips and teeth and tongues clash.

I feel like I’m unraveling, like I can’t get enough of her, as my hands slide around to her ass, grabbing it hard as I lift her up against the wall.

“Nate,” she murmurs, her legs wrapping around my waist, her arms around my neck tightening.

I’m still wearing just my boardshorts, but Sage pulled on her shorts before we left, her top half still just covered in that tiny fucking bikini that drove me insane today.

One of my hands slides up her back to the string, itching to undo it. Just as my fingers find the knot, we both freeze at the sound of her name being called.

“Sage?”

“Holy shit,” Sage breathes out.

“Shhh,” I say, chuckling softly, as I reach over to turn the water off before pressing my finger to her lips.

Sage’s eyes widen, neither of us moving as we hear Alana’s footsteps on the stairs that lead up to the apartment above the shop. “Sage, are you home?” The question is followed by a banging on the door, and still, neither Sage nor I move.

Eventually, Alana stomps back down the stairs, walking around the shop and past the outdoor shower. Thankfully, she’s too busy looking at her phone to notice the fresh water or even us, standing here in a very compromising position.

We wait a few moments, both of us holding our breath, even as our hearts beat rapidly in time together.

“You think she’s gone?” Sage eventually whispers around my finger.

Grinning, I pull my finger away, leaning in to kiss her again, softer this time. “Uh huh, but she’s probably gonna text you next.”

Almost on cue, we both hear Sage’s phone chime out from her purse on the ground with an incoming text. I notice Sage’s body stiffen a little as she holds her breath.

“I don’t think she’s still here,” I say, reluctantly letting her down. As much as I’d love to continue what we started, I’m not about to push it this time. Especially when I have no idea how Sage feels about something more happening between us. After what happened last night, I don’t want to risk getting into another fight with her.

Sage steadies herself against me, her hand on my chest as she glances at her purse.

“You can check,” I tell her, stepping back as I turn the water back on.

She turns to me, a smile on her face, her lips all red and puffy from our kiss. “Nah,” she says, shaking her head. “We already have plans, right?”

We finish up in the shower, both of us controlling ourselves this time before Sage heads up to her apartment to get dressed and I go back to my place to do the same. I’m not exactly sure what happens next, whether we’re going out or she’s coming here or what. But when I head back outside, Sage is waiting at the top of the stairs, a smile on her face.

“You wanna come up?”

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