Page 54 of Riding the Waves

While her eyes searched the angry water, Amy’s brain told her no one would survive being out in that. If it weren’t for his car in the car park, she might be able to convince herself that Hugh had got it wrong and Damian was just sitting at home. At that moment she’d even be okay with him being on a date. So long as he hadn’t risked his neck for an adrenaline rush.

Tears stung her eyes as she debated what to do. Standing in the rain wasn’t doing her any good, and there was no sign of him. Turning, she contemplated returning to the car before her gaze landed on the surf shack. The rental equipment which was usually on display was all packed up inside, leaving the large patio area empty and giving the place an abandoned feel. Except the glow at the window told a different story.

Her heart was in overdrive as she dashed up the beach. Opening the door, relief washed through her at the sight of Damian fastening his jeans beside a rack of wetsuits. He grabbed his T-shirt from the back of a chair and pulled it over his head. Beside him, water dripped from the legs of a black wetsuit hanging on the rack. The sight of it turned her relief to anger in an instant.

“What is wrong with you?” she shouted over the noise of the rain pummelling the roof.

He swung around, surprise written all over his features.

“I can’t believe you’re still pulling this crap,” she snarled, drawing up in front of him. “You have two children and you’ll risk your neck just to catch a wave?” Emotions gathered in her throat at the thought of what could’ve happened while he was out riding waves in a storm. “Do you ever stop to think about Marty and Billy when you’re off pulling your stupid stunts?” And her, she wanted to ask. Did he ever stop to think about her?

Calmly, Damian reached for his hoodie and pulled it on. “What are you doing here?”

“I came to make sure you didn’t kill yourself,” she said through gritted teeth.

“I didn’t go in the water,” he said.

“Your wetsuit’s dripping,” she pointed out.

He held her gaze. “I went in up to my knees, then came to my senses and realised I don’t actually have a death wish.”

“What were you thinking getting that far?” she demanded.

His lips twitched to one side as he sank onto the chair and reached for his trainers. “If you must know, I was thinking about you and Anthony and our boys off on your cosy family day out.”

Roughly, he shoved one foot into a shoe and then the other. “I spent all day feeling sick thinking about the four of you together. And I realise he’s your husband, and it’s good for him to spend time with the boys, but it makes me feel like crap. It always has done and it always will. And then when I came to your place and saw you with him …” He trailed off and took a deep breath.

“We’re separated,” she said sadly. “He’s staying at a hotel, not at my place.”

Damian’s gaze flicked up to meet hers. “Really?”

“Yes.” She felt the skin of her forehead wrinkle as she frowned. “I need you to promise you’ll stop being reckless. You can’t go out surfing in storms.” She shook her head as her throat tightened. “Our boys would be lost if something happened to you.”

He cast his eyes down and rubbed the back of his hand against his forehead. “They have another dad so I reckon they’d be fine.”

Amy couldn’t believe what she was hearing. He couldn’t really think that. “That’s absolutely not true,” she said, her voice brittle.

He didn’t look at her but stood and started across the room towards the door.

“What about me?” she called over the noise of the rain thundering on the roof. He stopped then, turning to give her a quizzical look. “What would I do if something happened to you?”

“You’d be fine,” he said, quietly enough that she had to read his lips to make out the words.

“No.” She shook her head as she went to him. “I wouldn’t be fine.” Lightly, she rested her hands at his chest and looked him right in the eyes. “If you weren’t in the world, I wouldn’t want to be in it either.”

“Amy,” he breathed, refusing to meet her eyes.

“I mean it,” she said, bunching his top in her clenched fists. “When I thought you were out there on the water, I was so scared.”

His forehead came to touch hers and his breath swept tantalisingly over her lips. Closing her eyes, she savoured the closeness of him and the feel of his hands as they softly landed at her waist. The wind shook the walls around them, but everything seemed to still as the sweet, intoxicating scent of surf wax filled her nostrils.

Amy’s breath hitched as Damian’s hands trailed a path over her ribs. When his palm caressed her jaw, tilting her face upwards, she opened her eyes. He gazed down at her adoringly and she tipped her head, brushing her nose against his before laying a gentle kiss on his soft lips.

Pulling back a fraction, her eyes darted to his, then to his lips. Her nerves endings sparked like the lightning that flooded the room with light. Thunder growled in the distance at the exact moment his lips crashed against hers. This time the kiss was desperate and greedy – a clash of bodies and lips and lust.

When they collided with the rack of hanging wetsuits, Amy could feel his lips curl to a smile but he didn’t stop kissing her, just circled his arms tighter around her waist and walked her backwards until she was pleasantly wedged between him and a wall. His hands strayed under her top, crawling over her lower back before working their way up and gripping her shoulder blades. Panting, she tugged at his hoodie as her need for skin contact increased.

“Wait,” he said, pulling back and breathing hard.

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