Page 34 of Body Shot

Two guys on the same team chasing after the same woman is always problematic.

And despite the fact that Hana has supposedly friend zoned Felix, my gut tells me he’s not going to give up that easily.

“Do you want to stay?” I ask Claudia as I hand her a towel. “Surf some more? Tawny said we can take any of the boards in the shop if we want to try it for a while longer.”

“I can’t believe I’m saying this, but yes, I do.” She grins at me.

So that’s what we do.

The beach is busy between the special event at the shop and a good portion of the team being here. Once a handful of beachgoers recognize us, it gets even busier, and the shop is full simply because Knights fans want to hang out with us.

On one hand it’s nice, because I appreciate the fans. Without them, I wouldn’t have the incredible life I have.

But at the same time, in this particular instance, it’s bad enough I have to share Claudia with our friends; dividing my time taking pictures with fans is even worse.

She’s a good sport, though, offering to take pictures and not reacting as women flirt with me. They flirt with all the guys, and most of it is harmless, but some women get upset when it happens right under their noses. Not that Claudia and I are in a relationship, but we are out on a date. I’m the first to admit I’ll be annoyed if guys hit on her in front of me when we’re obviously together.

It’s different for me, though. This is part of my life, and any woman that’s going to be with me will have to trust me enough to know that I’ll be polite, I’ll smile and crack jokes, but that’s as far as it’ll go. I’m not the kind of guy who cheats or double dips. If I’m out with a woman, she’s my focus, whether it’s one night or forever.

Why am I already thinking about these kinds of things?

Apparently, I’ve got it bad for her.

“Hey, I’m ordering pizza,” Jordan tells us late in the afternoon. “Mushroom, pepperoni, and extra cheese. Anything else?”

“I’m good,” I say, digging for my wallet. “You want money?”

He waves a hand. “Nah, I’m good. You can buy me a beer next time we go out.”

“I’m starving,” Claudia says as she sinks down onto the big blanket we’ve spread out.

“Why didn’t you say something?” I ask, sinking down next to her.

“We were having fun,” she says. “And you were busy.”

“I’m sorry about that. Once we get recognized, it’s hard to say no.”

“It’s all right. It’s part of it, right? I’ve heard Johan talk about it over the years, trying to find a balance between being good to the fans and having a modicum of privacy.”

“Yeah? Would it bother you? If we were in a relationship?”

“The way women throw themselves at you?” She laughs. “I mean, probably? But I wouldn’t be in a relationship with someone I didn’t trust. Now, getting me to trust you will take time.”

“But assuming we were to that point, where there was trust, where we were in a relationship, you’d be okay with it?”

“Well, I don’t think any of us are ever okay when someone blatantly makes a move on the person you’re in a relationship with, but as long as you have boundaries, I’d have to be okay with it. Otherwise, I couldn’t be with you.”

I might be falling a little in love with her already.

“I mean, you saw how Johan handled it, right?” she continues. “He made it very clear that Sloane is his fiancée, and that he isn’t available. I think it’s up to the man, in this particular case, because you’re the celebrities, to set the boundaries. Justlike I would make it clear I’m not available to some guy who approached me at a bar.”

“You’re right.” I nod. “That’s very thoughtful. And I completely agree.”

“Every so often I come up with something thoughtful,” she says.

“I bet it’s more than every so often.”

Our gazes linger, and I’m lost.

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