Page 71 of Spring Tide

“Apuppy?”

“Yeah, like one of those little guys running around on the beach with their tongue hanging out, chasing birds and stuff.”

“Wow, this is great. I feel loads better now. So I remind you of your dead, grouchy cat, and Nate reminds you of a cute, innocent puppy?”

“RIP, Mr. Tickles,” she mumbles, glancing toward the sky. “And not anymore. Plus, like I said, that silly crush had absolutely nothing to do with this double six-pack you’re referring to.”

“Alright.”

“I do loveyourbody, though.” Her fingertips fumble with the buttons on my shirt, slipping each one through its respective hole. Her hands slowly trail down past my waist, then slide back up to push at the fabric around my shoulders. “Definitely sexy.”

“We’re in public, Harper.”

“We’re at the beach, Luca.” She swipes her tongue across her bottom lip, subtly, an action I would have hardly noticed if my eyes weren’t glued to the spot. “People go shirtless at the beach, you know. Plus, it’s practically dark, and no one’s out here anymore.”

“All of this is true.”

“I’ll take my dress off if that would make you more comfortable.”

My grip tightens around her hips, brows lifting. “How would ... you know, there’s something inherently wrong with your logic tonight.”

“I have a bikini on under this, silly. We could go for a little night swim before we head back.”

“I didn’t bring trunks.”

“You have boxers on, yeah?”

“Yeah.”

“Then let’s go.”

She pushes onto her feet, tugging at my free hand. There’s a pleading smile and a hopeful glimmer in her wide-eyed gaze, as if I might actually deny her.

“Yeah, alright.”

The next thing I know, she drops my hand, lifts her dress over her head, and bounds toward the open ocean. The soft, green fabric billows into a pile halfway down the shore. I’ve barely managed to unbutton my shorts by the time she’s fully submerged underneath the shallow waves.

With one final shake of my head and the ghost of a laugh, I take off after her.

21

HARPER

My hair is still dampfrom the ocean. The lingering salt water seeps into the headrest behind me, soaks through the bottom of my dress, and pools onto Luca’s faded leather seats. I’d normally be worried about the possibility of a stain on his interior, but he doesn’t seem to mind.

“Seriously, Harper, don’t worry about it.” His right arm slings around the passenger seat, one corner of his mouth lifting in a reassuring smile. He glances behind us, shifts into reverse, and steadily pulls out of the beach parking lot.

My shoulders slump. “I feel bad since I made you go for a swim when you weren’t expecting it. I didn’t even think about towels or anything.”

“First of all, you didn’tmakeme do anything. And second, I’ve had this car since before I had my learner’s permit. I seriously could not care less about a bit of sand and salt water. Trust me.”

“That long?” Luca must have owned this car for six or seven years at this point. I find it admirable, considering I’ve gone through at least three vehicles since the summer I turned sixteen. Four, if you count my short stint with a Vespa last year. “Was it a gift from your parents?”

“Definitely not.” He gives me a disbelieving snort. “I saved up for it from the moment I turned twelve, just working odd jobs around the neighborhood.”

I’ve always known Luca was a hard worker, but the fact that he started earning a wage that young is impressive. When I was twelve years old, I barely had the drive to run my own lemonade stand.

“That’s cool. Subarus are great starter cars, according to my dad anyway.”

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