Page 156 of Hooking Up
Chapter Twenty-Four
Iris
"Mmmm." I fall onto the bench seat as I take a long sip of my sugary cold brew. Sweet, sweet caffeine. "Thank you, surf gods."
"You're welcome." Walker slides onto the bench next to me. He taps the outside of my knee with the outside of his.
We're both in shorts and t-shirts. We both towel changed at the beach. After about a gallon of water, I'm finally hydrated enough to caffeinate properly.
"Don't you want to eat?" He arches a brow as he takes a long sip of his black cold brew.
"Eventually. This first." I lean back in my seat. Sip. Sigh with pleasure.
He wraps his arms around my waist and pulls me onto his lap. "You make me so fucking jealous, Iris."
"Yeah?" I lean back so my neck brushes against his cheek. It feels warm. It feels better than it has any right to.
"You don't fool me, sweetness. You do it on purpose." He places his palm on my quad and rubs my inner thigh with his thumb. "You sure you're good to do dinner at seven tonight?"
I nod.
"Fuck, we're jumping into relationship fast."
I laugh. "True."
"Too much?"
"No." Not even a little too much.
He brushes my hair behind my ear. "Tell me the truth."
I thought you'd ask. There's no way you're okay with the past being the past. I really, really want to believe that, but I can't."Yeah?"
"You love surfing."
Oh. "I do." It makes me feel alive and vibrant. A natural high. It makes sense now, why so many former addicts drive motorcycles or jump out of planes. The rush is everything. "Walker, I—"
"Don't tell me you're already backing out."
"No. Of course not. This is, um, part of being a girlfriend. Or whatever we're calling this."
"I like girlfriend."
"Yeah?"
He nods. "I've never been a boyfriend before."
"You're a virgin?"
He nods.
"Not even once in high school?"
"Not even once."
"Wow. I'm not sure I've ever popped a cherry before." I turn so I can look into his eyes. They're dark and beautiful and filled with trust.
Is it really okay keeping this secret?
