Page 8 of Escape to the Sun

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He was her ride.

Surfer Boy.

Sexy, sinful, Surfer Boy.

Heather swallowed hard. Even from a distance, her body reacted to him. Her first instinct was to shut it down, but she’d had two of Mick’s red drinks, plus a beer, and though she was far from drunk, she was…looser. Besides, she’d been thinking.

Why did she have to shut any thoughts down?She didn’t have anyone to report to. She was a free woman. And she could definitely do with a little fun.

No.

She could do with a whole lot of fun. It was a rebound thing. Isn’t that how it was supposed to work? She was expected to fall into bed with some sexy stud, who’d make her forget her cheating ex and the disappointing life she’d left behind. It was a rite of passage. She’d be doing herself a disservice if she didn’t pursue it.

“I see you found Ash.” Mick appeared at her side. He raised his arm in a wave to Surfer Boy, who was watching them. He waved back.

“Ash?”

“He’ll be your taxi driver. He kinda works for Sherri. Taking her supplies and running guests back and forth when she needs it.”

“Kinda?”

“I guess so. He never takes any money from her, from what I can tell. But he’s always there for her.”

“Are they…together?”

Mick laughed. “Nah. It’s more like a mother-son relationship. You’ll see when you meet Sherri. Although, with Ash you never…nah.” Mick dismissed his own thought with a laugh. “You want me to take you over there and introduce you?”

“No.” Heather hefted her pack to her back. “I got it. Thanks, Mick. You’ve been great.”

He pulled her into an unexpected but not unwelcome hug. “Whatever you need, chica. You know where to find me.”

She walked down the dock toward Surfer Boy. Knowing Mick stood behind her, she felt oddly comforted by the older man. Or maybe it was the town itself that gave her comfort? Despite—or maybe because of—the shambles of both the place and the people, in the few hours she’d been in Bocas Town, her initial distaste for the place had disappeared, replaced by a strange sense of belonging. She felt like for the first time she might have found a place where, for whatever reason, everything might be okay.

Surfer Boy watched her pick her way across the broken dock, carefully stepping over the rotted boards and exposed nails. She didn’t speak until she stood directly in front of him and his very full boat. “I think you’re my ride.”

He raised one eyebrow. His smirk said everything he didn’t need to. She could feel her face flush. There was a chance it could be mistaken for a sunburn. It was a chance. But not a very good one. Might as well own it.

“To Sherri’s place.”

“Of course.” He crossed his arms over his bare chest and for the second time that day, Heather had to force herself not to focus on the tight muscles and golden skin that just begged for her fingers to run over—

“So you’ll take me?”

His face split into a sinful smile. “Absolutely.”

It wasn’t going to be a conversation she’d be able to get out of gracefully. “Then you’re just the guy I’m looking for.” And he absolutely was. She hadn’t realized just how true that was until she closed another foot of distance between them and once more felt her entire body come alive at his nearness.

Damn.

She needed a man.

This man.

They stared at each other for a few moments. A challenge? Or a request? It was the boy who pushed between them, carrying a box of something that looked heavy before he jumped down into the boat.

Ash stepped back, ran a hand through his shaggy hair and surveyed his boat. It wasn’t much more than a wooden dingy, but longer. Heather was used to riding in similar boats, although the ones at the marina looked to be a little newer and in better shape. Surfer Boy’s boat didn’t even have a place to sit. Or if it did, it was completely covered in packages. There was nowhere for her to ride.

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