Page 64 of Knot Your Sunshine
My God, it's like I'm flying…
For three perfect seconds.
Then my brain catches up. My knees lock. The board tilts, and I crash spectacularly, going under in a tangle of limbs.
I surface gasping and laughing so hard I can barely breathe, pure euphoria flooding through me.
"I did it!" I shout, throwing my arms up. "Did you see? I actually surfed!"
"You did!" Keanu swims over, his eyes bright with genuine pride. "You were perfect!"
Before my brain can form a thought, I launch myself at him, wrapping my arms around his neck and kissing him hard.
He goes still for a heartbeat, surprised. Then his arms come around me and he's kissing me back. First soft, a question. But when I nip at his lower lip, he groans and pulls me flush against him. We're treading water, trying to kiss and not go under, laughing against each other's mouths when a wave dunks us.
We surface, still holding each other.
"Been wanting to do this since I saw you this morning, looking like a sleepy angel," he says, then kisses me again, deeper, hungrier.
"Sweet talker." I pull back just enough to breathe, our foreheads touching.
"Truth teller."
A wave hits us sideways and we both go under again, coming up sputtering and laughing. He pulls me toward shallower water, never letting go of my hand. When we can stand, he turns to face me, water streaming down his chest.
"Hi," he says, grinning wickedly.
"Hi," I grin back.
Then we're kissing again, his hands in my wet hair, mine exploring the muscles of his back. The beach feels too far away and too close at once.
He takes my hand and we stumble through the shallows, laughing as waves keep knocking us sideways. I steal kisses between steps, tasting salt on his lips. The sand burns warm under our feet as we half-run toward what I see is a beautiful gazebo, its white curtains billowing in the breeze.
"What is this?" I ask, breathless from more than just running.
"Let's just say I wanted everything to be perfect," he says, pulling back one of the curtains.
Inside, cushions and towels cover a low platform. A table holds something hidden under a beautiful woven dome cover. A private paradise within a paradise.
"You planned all this?" My voice comes out soft, touched.
"Of course, Sunshine, it's the least you deserve." He pulls me inside, letting the curtains fall closed behind us.
The filtered sunlight creates a golden glow around us. He kisses me again, slower now, deliberate. My swimsuit suddenly feels like too much barrier between us.
"Untie this for me," I breathe against his lips, reaching back to guide his hand to the tie of my bikini top.
He pulls the string slowly, his knuckles grazing my spine. The top falls away and his sharp intake of breath makes me feel powerful, desired. He traces the tan lines with reverent fingers before leaning down to kiss along my collarbone, down to the curve of my breast. I arch into his mouth, threading my fingers through his still-wet hair.
"You're beautiful," he murmurs against my skin.
"And you're wearing too many clothes." I tug at his board shorts. "Off. Now."
He laughs and helps me push them down. I bite my lip, drinking in the sight of his beautiful body, my fingers skimming over hard muscle that shifts and flexes beneath my touch.
We come together on the cushions, slightly sandy and sun-warmed. His hands map my body like he's memorizing everycurve. I do the same, learning what makes him gasp, what makes him groan.
"I want you," I whisper against his mouth.
