My pulse catches. “I nearly took the dinghy in,” I admit, trying not to be self-conscious about the fact I’m dripping wet, wearing nothing but a skimpy black bikini.
Even a wetsuit would feel indecent under the blazing focus of his gaze.
“Scared of the ocean, as well as heights?” Ash asks, a teasing smile playing on his lips. “Sorry I wasn’t around to distract you this time.”
In an instant, I flash back to our night together, and how he kissed me to distract me from our elevator ride to the top.
That kiss could distract me from a nuclear bomb.
“Well, you’re late to the party,” I manage to reply. I reach where he’s sitting and pick up a towel, drying off my face and hair.
I feel his eyes on my body, feel that prickle of awareness shiver across my skin. It sets my heart racing, so instead of quickly wrapping the towel around my body, I take my time; leisurely drying each of my limbs in turn. When I finally look up at Ash, there’s a fierce lust in his eyes that takes my breath away.
Oh.
We stare at each other, the heat between us burning brighter than the afternoon summer’s sun. Then a shout comes from further up the beach, where the others are unloading the dinghy.
“Who’s up for a little touch football?”
The moment is broken. I glance away, recovering.
“Sure,” Ash calls, getting to his feet. “But only if you’re ready to lose, big time.” He turns back to me, and his smile is quieter; more sincere. “I’m glad you made it,” he says softly, with meaning in his eyes.
My heart beats, hard, and I feel a delicious shiver of anticipation.
“Me too.”
14.
We hang out on the beach all afternoon: playing touch football, swimming in the ocean, and lazing in the hot summer’s sun. As evening draws in, the guys build a bonfire, and we cook hot dogs over the coals, eating with our fingers off paper plates and toasting marshmallows on spindly branches.
“I should have guessed you’d be the queen of s’mores.” Ash settles beside me in front of the fire.
“A girl’s got to have some skills in life.” I slide my melty marshmallow onto a graham cracker, top it with a square of chocolate, and sandwich the whole delicious mess closed. I bite down, and melted marshmallow oozes out onto my fingers. “Yum.”
“Here.” Ash grabs a blanket from nearby and drapes it carefully around my shoulders. “You look cold.”
“Thanks.” I pull it in closer. “I forgot to bring a sweater.”
“But you did remember three types of scones,” Ash points out, a teasing smile playing on his lips.
“Exactly. My priorities are just fine.” I take another bite of my s’more. I know I’m smearing chocolate around my mouth, but it’s worth it, just to see the look in Ash’s eyes when I lick it off.
Suddenly, it feels like we’re completely alone.
I sneak a glance around the fire pit. Everyone else has paired off, in their own private couple worlds. Nobody gives Ash and I another glance, sitting over here in the dusk light.
Ash leans towards the fire to prod at the embers. When he sits back again, he’s shifted closer to me, so the side of his torso is resting lightly against mine.
My breath catches. Did he mean to, I wonder, or was it just an accident?
“Did you have fun today?” he asks.
I nod. “You have a great family.”
His smile turns proud. “They’re not so bad.”
“Tegan told me, about your parents.” I say softly. It feels wrong knowing something so intimate about Ash without him realizing.
He looks over at me, the shadows playing on his face.
“I’m sorry,” I say simply. “I can’t imagine what it must have been like for you. Even now.”
He nods slowly. “The truth is, I don’t think about it. Not as much as I should, anyway.” Ash traces circles in the sand between us. “Ironic, I suppose. I spent so long doing everything I could to block it out, to just focus on what needed to be done. And now… Now I’m so used to not thinking about them, I have to try to even remember.”
I feel an ache, just watching him. “You did what you had to do,” I say gently.
He gives a sharp shrug, like he’s trying to brush off the conversation. “What about you?” Ash looks over at me. “How are your folks taking this change?”
“Not good,” I pause, but he clearly wants to change the subject, so I continue. “I wish I could make them believe I’m happier here, right now, but they’re so fixated on what it means to be successful, they won’t accept I just don’t want that life.”
“You think they’ll come around?”
“I hope so. Maybe when I get the business up and running, they’ll respect my decision more. But I can see it from their side too,” I add, not wanting to pile on. “I mean, to go from a big law career to baking cinnamon rolls in the space of a month…”
“It’s a big change,” Ash chuckles. “Even if they’re damn fine cinnamon rolls.”
We fall silent for a moment. I stare into the fire, feeling the heat of his body beside me as Ash plays with the sand. He picks up handfuls and lets it run slowly through his fingers. I watch, distracted, imagining the sensual feel of those fingers on my skin.
“Why didn’t you call?” I find myself asking out of nowhere. The minute the words leave my mouth, I wish I could take them back, but it’s too late, so I press on, my heart in my throat. “After that night. You said, we would have dinner, and then you never called. I left you my number.”