Page 20 of Knot Your Sunshine
He plants his surfboard in the sand, using the motion to step closer. Close enough that a trace of his scent drifts over to me. It's… citrusy? I can’t pin it down, and the not-knowing makes an omega whine claw up my throat.
"Closest I've gotten to surfing is falling off an inflatable swan in a lake," I blurt, forcing the words out just to smother the sound threatening to escape.
His smile widens, showing perfect teeth that flash white against his tan. "I could teach you. Help you find your...rhythmwith the waves."
The way his tongue caresses 'rhythm' should be illegal. Heat pools low in my belly, and I bite my lip.
"I'm not sure I have the coordination for it."
"It's all about balance." Another step closer. I have to tilt my head back now to maintain eye contact. "Knowing when to lean in..." His voice drops to a rumble. "When to pull back. When to just... ride it out."
I fan myself with my hand, trying to be subtle and failing entirely. Is it hot? It feels hot.
"You make it sound easy," I manage, my voice coming out breathy.
"With the right partner, it is." His eyes hold mine, pupils dilated despite the bright sun. "I'm very good at helping people find their center. Very... hands on."
"Hands on," I repeat stupidly, watching his pupils dilate further. "That sounds—"
"Hey, Mia!"
I jerk back so fast I nearly fall, suddenly aware I'd been leaning toward him like a plant toward sunlight.
Elena jogs over with her pack trailing behind, worry creasing her brow. Then she sees Keanu, really sees him, and her eyes go wide with an expression that screams 'oh shit, terrible timing.'
"Elena, this is Keanu. Keanu, my best friend Elena and her pack: Dorian, James, and Cole."
"Nice to meet you all." Keanu's nod is friendly, but his eyes are quickly back on mine. He reaches for my hand, and when our skin makes contact, electricity shoots straight up my arm and directly to… other parts.
He holds on a beat longer than necessary, his thumb brushing across my palm.
One last heated look, then he grabs his board and jogs back toward the ocean, catching a wave that carries him further away.
I stand frozen, heart trying to pound its way out of my chest, mesmerized.
"God, I'm so sorry!" Elena's hands flap between us. "I didn't realize you were having a moment! I saw him getting close and thought—I just wanted to make sure you were okay!"
"No, it's fine." I press my hand to my chest, trying to slow my racing pulse. "I need to keep my head in the game anyway. Can't get distracted by hot surfer alphas when I'm here to pitch a business idea."
The words taste like chalk.
"Oh please," Elena loops her arm through mine, tugging me back toward our chairs. "As you once told me when I was being an idiot about my love life, you deserve to have fun. And that man was looking at you like you were water in the desert."
"Men look at me like a lot of things." I shrug, trying for casual. "Doesn't mean anything ever comes of it."
"Stop that." Elena stops walking, forcing me to face her. "I was literally hiding my designation, terrified of who I was, convinced I was broken. And love still found me. You? You're brave and open and amazing. You'll absolutely find your someone. Or someones."
"Yeah... maybe."
But as she head back to our chairs, where Julian is now feeding Rose banana slices, a familiar doubt starts its whisper.
Why can't I actually believe I'll ever find anyone for me?
Chapter eight
Mia
I sink into the jacuzzi's bubbling heat with a sigh that comes from somewhere deep. Above me, stars scatter across the Hawaiian sky like diamonds on black velvet, and the moon hangs low and full, painting silver paths across the dark ocean below.
