Page 20 of Beach B!tch
Instead of answering, he turned his back and squatted down. "Climb on!" he called over his shoulder.
"What?" I sputtered.
Dean rotated his head around, exasperated with me. "I don't want you to walk back on that ankle. Haven't you ever ridden piggy back?"
My jaw dropped open as I realized he wanted to carry me all the way back to our cars. Everything inside me clenched in excitement to be wrapped around his body, but he had guessed right. I'd never ridden piggyback before and was feeling a little awkward about it.
I guess my silence clued him in.
"Seriously, sweetheart?" he whispered. His mouth turned down at the corners, but before I could say something to stop him from pitying me, he twirled back around and commanded, "Hop on, woman, I don't have all day!"
"Okay, okay, bossy pants." I faked my annoyance, but inside I was melting over his perceptive abilities, knowing I didn't want him to make a big deal out of it or to pity me. He didn't seem put off by everything he was discovering about me, and that was priceless.
I took a leap, literally and figuratively, and landed on his back. I wrapped my limbs around him and enjoyed the feel of his warm skin along mine. His arms wrapped around my legs and he held my calves as he stood up.
I wanted to freeze this moment, tuck it in my pocket and take it out later to relive it again. The feeling of his body between my legs, the clean, sweaty scent of his skin, the breeze coming off the ocean, the sweetness of this man carrying me over a mile to my car so my ankle wouldn't hurt. I wanted to soak it all in and possibly stay here forever. The pressure of volleyball seemed so far off, and I couldn't say I missed it.
Dean kept up a steady conversation with me all the way to his truck, which was parked just a few spots away from my car. He wouldn't hear of me following behind him and unceremoniously dumped me onto the passenger seat of his truck. He rearranged me how he wanted me in the seat and then buckled my seat belt for me. He took a lot of time getting the seat belt just right, which I was thinking was a ploy for him to get up close to me. Luckily, I didn't mind it.
He wouldn't tell me where we were going, so when we pulled up to an older home in Costa Mesa, I wasn't sure what I'd gotten myself into.
"Really, Dean? No hints as to whom I will meet or what we're doing here?" I begged, using the sweetest voice I had, which apparently wasn't that sweet since it didn't sway him one bit.
"You've already told me I'm a bullheaded male, so I thought I'd live up to my reputation." He gave me an evil grin before hopping out of his truck and coming around to my side.
Ouch. I remembered that I had called him that, but I'd been provoked. I was sure of it. Dean opened my door and gave me his hand. I grabbed ahold of it but paused to defend myself.
"From the sound of it, you've really been holding on to that, so I'd like to apologize for calling you a bullheaded male. I'd hate to damage your frail, male ego with my careless comment. My apologies." My voice was sweeter than honey, my grin devilish.
"See what I mean? You keep things interesting." Dean smiled back at me, unaffected by my barb. "My male ego has no issue admitting that."
We kept grinning at each other, silently agreeing to hit the pause button on our verbal sparring so I could see this person he wanted me to meet.
Dean helped me down from the truck and didn't let my hand go as we approached the front door to the house. His fingers laced with mine, sending shivers up my arm. I was so focused on how his simple touch could make me feel so much, I didn't have a chance to get nervous about having to meet someone new.
The door swung open, and I didn't see anyone for a split second. Then I looked down and saw there was a young man in a wheelchair. Dean leaned down to embrace him, obviously very familiar with him and good friends. Dean straightened back up and introduced me.
"Brinley, I'd like you to meet my best friend: my little brother, Stefan."
