Page 26 of Reckless Hearts

“Sure, sure,” he now says, and Sage walks over to him, holding out a beer, and he takes it with a smile.

I swallow hard, not sure how the hell I’m going to do this without looking completely obvious. Flynn looks so goddamned gorgeous, my heart kicking up a few notches as I take him in. I need to look away before Sage calls me out for ogling him.

It’s not just that he’s stunning, this hot surfer with an accent to match, but it’s more about how he makes me feel. How he helped me overcome my fear of getting back out on the water. There was a connection there, there still is.

“Hey, hey, hey!” Kai yells out, rounding the corner, a case of beer in his hand. Miles and Owen are right there with him, and only seconds later, Daisy and Sloane show up too.

Tanner and Luna arrive a few minutes later, and soon the place is busy with conversations and laughter. The yard is dark, and Nate turns on the festoon lights, the backyard glowing brightly now. The firepit is going and Sage has set out some hot dogs, marshmallows and other snacks.

Walking over to the cooler, I grab another beer, and I can’t seem to take my eyes off Flynn. He’s watching me every time I look at him, his face pained and my heart aches seeing him.

Wetting my lips, I take a long pull of my beer, my memory floating through the time I spent with Flynn. Remembering not just the sex we had but the conversations and fun. I’m a fucking mess.

“He’s hot, right?” Sage says, coming up to stand next to me. Clearly, she’s caught me staring at Flynn, who is now engrossed in a conversation with Tanner. I’m sure Tanner knows who he is and is impressed with Flynn’s surfing career.

“Yeah, sure,” I reply, trying to play it casual, acting like I have I don’t have a clue. “Is he staying in the cottage?”

“He’s in for Maui Pipe. He’s a coach,” Sage tells me. “He’s our first booking, staying for like three weeks or so. You should go talk to him.”

Sage smiles at me, her eyes widening a little as she mouths “so hot,” and I let out a breathy laugh. She looks ridiculous, but I can’t disagree with her. He is hot, and she has no idea what he looks like naked or when his head is between my thighs.

She gives me a little shove, and even though I shouldn’t, I start walking over to him. This is a huge fucking mistake, but I can’t stop myself.

“Hey, Alana,”Tanner says, throwing an arm around her shoulders as soon as she walks over. “You know who this is?” he adds, throwing his other hand in my direction.

Internally, I cringe because this is the part I hate. The part when all the questions start: How did it happen? Were you scared? When are you going to start surfing again?

But that’s not what happens this time because Alana knows who I am and what happened and how I feel about it all. Instead, she smiles at me, a smile that instantly relaxes me as she says, “Yeah, it’s Flynn.”

Tanner and I both laugh at the simplicity of her answer. “Hey, Alana, nice to see you again,” I say to her, meaning it.

“You too,” she replies with a smile. Fuck, she is beautiful.

“You guys know each other?” Tanner asks, surprised.

Alana turns to him, a confused expression on her face. “Yeah, who do you think gave him your card?” she asks, referring to the card she gave me that day in the shop so I could get access to a custom Olsen board.

But I never mentioned Alana’s name or the card when I saw Tanner. Didn’t need to because he recognized me the secondI walked through the door and was more than happy to talk boards and making one for me. Not that I told Alana that. Well, not the part about Tanner recognizing me anyway.

Tanner glances over at me before turning back to Alana, chuckling a little when he says, “Guessing you didn’t recognize him then, huh?”

Her smile disappears now as she swallows and turns to me. “Not at first, no,” she says quietly. “But I know who he is now.”

My heart aches with how shitty I feel about all of this and how much I wish it could be different. I never set out to hide who I was from her, just like it was never my intention to do something dodgy like get involved with a competitor. That’s not what any of this is.

“Yeah, I actually met her the morning I arrived,” I say, smiling at Alana even though I’m talking to Tanner. “Got to see her surf. She’s impressive to watch.”

“A natural talent,” Tanner says, laughing, his arm squeezing Alana into his side. “She’s gonna kill it in the Pipe.”

“For sure,” I reply, nodding, my eyes locked with Alana’s.

“I think you two might both be overselling it,” she says, finally breaking our gaze as her eyes drop to the beer in her hands. “Everyone else is a pro. I’m just…well, you know.”

Tanner pulls her into his side again, dropping a kiss to the top of her head. “Don’t sell yourself short,” he says. “You got in as an amateur, Alana. That’s a big deal.”

Alana nods, her eyes still on her beer. “Maybe,” she murmurs.

“Definitely,” I reply, knowing it really is a big deal. Although amateurs are eligible for certain surf comps, they don’t always make it. To get in, you need to be exceptional.

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