Page 39 of Shattered Rhythm

“Hey, boss, taking the day off?” she asks.

“Yes, and I trust you have everything under control?” I reply.

“Absolutely! Have fun, you two!” she says with a wink at me, and I roll my eyes. I guide Liv out of the studio and around to the private parking area that Chase and I use. His bike is parked next to my Jeep, even though I haven’t seen him all day. He must be stuck in classes.

“Hop in,” I say, opening the passenger door to my black Jeep Wrangler for her.

“Oh my god, I just now realized you’re driving the most cliché beach car ever,” she says.

“Says the girl with the Mini convertible,” I reply, but she just shrugs and gets in the car as I sit down in the driver’s seat.

“You know, I came here to live the beach life, but you seem reluctant to give in to the hype most of the time.”

“True,” I say. “But the car is nice as hell and just convenient here.”

“Can we put down all the windows and sing loudly to happy music while we drive to the beach like in the movies?” she asks, giving me puppy dog eyes.

“Sure, live your dream,” I say with a sigh.

I hand her my phone with the music app open, then start the car and put the windows down. As we drive off, “Sunshine” by OneRepublic starts playing, and I smile to myself. As we pick up speed, the wind blows her long hair everywhere, and she starts singing loudly. I peek over at her and see she has one arm hanging out the window, surfing the wind, while her eyes are closed as she sings and laughs loudly. I don’t think I’ve ever seen her happier. She’s radiating joy.It’s contagious.

As we drive into South Beach Park, Liv tries to smooth out her tousled hair, but it’s no use, so she just piles it onto her head in a messy bun. I grab our beach gear from the backseat and get out of the car, while she tries to open her door, but it doesn’t budge.

“Really? You put the child lock on for me?” she asks.

“Not everything is about you,” I tell her, but I sure as fuck put it on when she was leaning out of the window so much. “You know Ryder—better safe than sorry,” I joke as I open her door for her, and she laughs.

“I didn’t know you were funny, Jaxon. Where were you hiding that humor?”

“Oh, I can be fun. Let’s get you to your first beach experience,” I say before hoisting her over my shoulder and carrying her towards the sand. She holds herself up on my hips, so her head doesn’t bump into my ass.

“Put me down, Mr. Tanner,” she protests.

Why does her calling me that turn me on?I give her fine ass a playful spank, and she hits my butt in retaliation.

“Stop it,” she says, giggling.

It’s a beautiful day. The sun is shining, and the sound of the waves crashing is soothing. I find my usual spot and put her feet in the sand.

“Here is our designated towel spot. You can spread out without fearing the police.”

“Don’t tease me. How was I supposed to know that the beach is a free-for-all?” she says with a laugh. I look at the few people around us—some seniors, and a mother with her kids.

“Yeah, only lawless people lounging here,” I mutter.

Liv spreads out her towel, and I do the same right next to her. We sit down, and she takes in the view.

“This is stunning.” she says, still gazing out at the water.

“Yeah, it is,” I reply, my eyes not leaving her.

We sit in silence for a few moments, just enjoying each other’s company and the beauty of the beach. I feel my body starting to unwind, something that has been difficult for me lately. It’s good to be here with her, without any stress or distractions.

Suddenly, Liv jumps up and shouts, “I forgot to put on sunscreen!” She rummages through her bag and pulls out a tube of 50 SPF, then pulls down her shorts, revealing a white bikini bottom that barely covers her ass. When she bunches up her Boca Raton sweater to her waist, her toned stomach is on full display, and my thoughts race as I try to control my reaction to her perfect tight body.Fuck my life.

She puts lotion on her belly and hips, but before she can begin to apply the sunscreen to her legs, I quickly stop her.

“Let me,” I offer.

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