Page 3 of Married to Murder
“Well, I’m ready when you are.”
As I walked I explained my process. “We’re going to start with some basics on the sand. Just things like standing on the board, positioning your body in the center, paddling. Beginner stuff.”
“Okay.” He sounded breathless as he tagged along behind me.
I dropped my board on the sand, and he did the same. I had him stand in the center of the board, and we practiced lying down and sliding up on his palms in preparation for standing to catch a wave. He was graceful and he mastered most things very quickly. I could tell he’d surfed before, even though he was obviously rusty.
Because of the nature of the lesson, I had to touch him a lot. I gave lessons all the time, but I was bashful about putting my hands on him. However, if I was going to give him his money’s worth, I needed to get over my hesitancy to touch him. I put my hands on his shoulders and helped him balance on the wobbly board. He smelled good, his cologne was definitely high-end, and his muscles were hard beneath my hands. I clenched my teeth and focused on teaching.
After about an hour of drilling him on the basics, I said, “I think you’re actually ready to get in the water.”
He wrinkled his brow. “You sure?”
“I’ll be with you.”
He gave a little smile, and for the first time I was able to see a reciprocal gleam of attraction. “You’ll keep me safe, Seth?”
“Absolutely.” I was painfully aware of the thump of my heart as I held his dark gaze.
“This surfing lesson was just a spur-of-the-moment thing.” He laughed. “But you’re a good teacher. I’m kind of glad I walked into your shop.”
“So is my bank account.”
He grinned and little dimples appeared. “I’m spending the night in town. I might just come by for another lesson tomorrow.”
“Sounds awesome. Maybe I’ll be able to pay my rent this month.”
His laugh was husky. “You seem very focused on the money aspect of this.”
I shrugged. “It’s my business, but I want you to have a good experience too. It’s not just about the money.”
“Good.” He glanced out at the waves, and he sucked in a breath.
“It’s okay. Don’t be nervous. Just remember what I showed you and have fun.” I leaned toward him. “Life should be enjoyed, Tanner. Just let go and feel the water around you and the sun on your skin.”
His eyes warmed. “That’s a nice thought.”
“I’m full of nice thoughts. I don’t have time for negativity, man.”
“Me neither.” He picked up his board, and he blew out a long breath. “Okay. I’m ready.”
I put my hand on his shoulder to reassure him. “The waves are small today. I don’t think you’ll get in too much trouble.”
He turned his head, and our faces were only a foot apart. “I don’t have anything against trouble.” His gaze dropped to my mouth. “In fact, I kind of like trouble.”
“Is that right?” I asked breathlessly.
“Yep.” He tore his gaze from my mouth, and glanced at the ocean. “It’s drowning I worry about.”
Chapter Two
Tanner
I’d been stressed and in a foul mood after a nasty argument on the phone with my dad, when I’d wandered into Seth’s little surf shop called Surf’s Up. It was located in a small, nondescript white building tucked just off the sandy walkway near the beach. Perhaps the thing that had drawn me to Seth’s store was the rainbow wind sock attached to his roof, flapping wildly in the breeze. I’d still been hurting from some homophobic comments from my dad, and that flag had been a welcome sight.
The thing that hadkeptme in the shop was Seth himself.
On the surface, he had a sexy surfer-dude vibe, and I was embarrassed to realize that made me dismiss him at first as probably not very bright. But when I’d actually started talking to him, it was obvious he wasn’t dumb at all. His light blue eyes were sharp and intelligent, and his demeanor was calming. My decision to ask about surfing lessons had mostly been because I’d wanted to spend a little more time around his cheerful energy.
