focus.
“I didn't realize I had a neighbor so close.” I squinted my eyes to make out the small cottage tucked into the trees less than a hundred yards from my house. A long boardwalk stretched out over the dune grass before the sandy beach opened up.
“Looks vacant,” Tristan mused. There was a white shutter hanging off a window and dune grass had overgrown the boardwalk.
“I can take over now if you want. You looked so peaceful curled up over there,” he said as he took the wheel from me. I stood beside him for a moment and our shoulders touched. I was happy, and I wasn't sure how much of it had to do with the sailing and how much had to do with the guy next to me. I had the urge to lean into his arm and rest my head on his shoulder.
“Do you want anything? There's soda and bottled water in the fridge down below.” As he talked, the boat pitched to the side from a rolling wave and I knocked into him. He shot an arm out around my waist to hold me upright.
“Okay?” His hand tightened around my waist.
“Yeah. Took me by surprise.”
“Takes a while to get your sea legs.”
I nodded until I realized his hand was still firmly wrapped around my waist. His palm felt so warm and comforting. Fire shot through my veins, nerves prickled across my skin, and my brain fired off possibilities from that simple touch. I was just the right height to curl up under his arm. I closed my eyes, wanting so much to lean into him.
I should step away, but he felt so good, and he had just saved me from face planting on the floor of the boat. I didn't want to seem rude. A shiver rolled through my body as my shirt rode up where his palm rested and the pad of his thumb made contact with my flesh. My heart thudded in my chest and desire hit me in the pit of my stomach. His touch had electricity shooting through my body.
“Cold?” he asked before moving his palm up my arm and rubbing quickly to generate heat. I nodded and bit my lip as my brain fought to make sense of the energy bouncing between us.
“I should have told you to bring something warmer.” He pulled me into him as he kept one hand on the wheel and the other wrapped around my shoulders. My head tucked into his chest felt heavenly. If I was honest with myself, it was exactly where I'd wanted to be from the moment I'd stepped onto this boat with him. He rubbed his palm up and down my back. I inhaled deeply and smelled his fresh, clean scent. He smelled like the sun and the ocean and a clean, fresh shower. It was a heady combination.
Kyle.
The man you’re going to marry.
The man you’re going to have kids with.
Kids that will have warm, chocolate eyes, just like Kyle’s.
“I'm going to get a water; can I get you anything?” I yanked away from him and made my way toward the stairs to the galley.
“Water is good, thanks,” I heard him say. I grabbed two bottles and steadied myself against the small counter. I took some calming breaths as my brain burned with excitement.
Fire shot through my body at his touch. The scent of his skin caused my brain to short circuit. I knew I was only feeling that way because I'd been missing Kyle. This was the longest we'd been apart.
Kyle was my comfort, my home. The world felt strange and awkward without him; I felt strange and awkward without him.
It'd been nearly a week and we'd been so busy we hadn't had a chance to really talk. That's what this was ― I missed Kyle. I needed to remind myself not to mistake the pull I felt toward Tristan as anything other than my yearning for the sweet, dark-haired boy that'd been the first to place his lips against mine in a gentle kiss. Who'd taken me to prom and snuck into my room at night when terror tore through my subconscious and left me a crying shell of a person.
I thought of Kyle's sweet, brown eyes and the dark stubble that undoubtedly covered his jawline. I took a deep breath. Maybe I could convince Kyle to come down next weekend; he would love sailing.
I made my
“I didn't realize I had a neighbor so close.” I squinted my eyes to make out the small cottage tucked into the trees less than a hundred yards from my house. A long boardwalk stretched out over the dune grass before the sandy beach opened up.
“Looks vacant,” Tristan mused. There was a white shutter hanging off a window and dune grass had overgrown the boardwalk.
“I can take over now if you want. You looked so peaceful curled up over there,” he said as he took the wheel from me. I stood beside him for a moment and our shoulders touched. I was happy, and I wasn't sure how much of it had to do with the sailing and how much had to do with the guy next to me. I had the urge to lean into his arm and rest my head on his shoulder.
“Do you want anything? There's soda and bottled water in the fridge down below.” As he talked, the boat pitched to the side from a rolling wave and I knocked into him. He shot an arm out around my waist to hold me upright.
“Okay?” His hand tightened around my waist.
“Yeah. Took me by surprise.”
“Takes a while to get your sea legs.”
I nodded until I realized his hand was still firmly wrapped around my waist. His palm felt so warm and comforting. Fire shot through my veins, nerves prickled across my skin, and my brain fired off possibilities from that simple touch. I was just the right height to curl up under his arm. I closed my eyes, wanting so much to lean into him.
I should step away, but he felt so good, and he had just saved me from face planting on the floor of the boat. I didn't want to seem rude. A shiver rolled through my body as my shirt rode up where his palm rested and the pad of his thumb made contact with my flesh. My heart thudded in my chest and desire hit me in the pit of my stomach. His touch had electricity shooting through my body.
“Cold?” he asked before moving his palm up my arm and rubbing quickly to generate heat. I nodded and bit my lip as my brain fought to make sense of the energy bouncing between us.
“I should have told you to bring something warmer.” He pulled me into him as he kept one hand on the wheel and the other wrapped around my shoulders. My head tucked into his chest felt heavenly. If I was honest with myself, it was exactly where I'd wanted to be from the moment I'd stepped onto this boat with him. He rubbed his palm up and down my back. I inhaled deeply and smelled his fresh, clean scent. He smelled like the sun and the ocean and a clean, fresh shower. It was a heady combination.
Kyle.
The man you’re going to marry.
The man you’re going to have kids with.
Kids that will have warm, chocolate eyes, just like Kyle’s.
“I'm going to get a water; can I get you anything?” I yanked away from him and made my way toward the stairs to the galley.
“Water is good, thanks,” I heard him say. I grabbed two bottles and steadied myself against the small counter. I took some calming breaths as my brain burned with excitement.
Fire shot through my body at his touch. The scent of his skin caused my brain to short circuit. I knew I was only feeling that way because I'd been missing Kyle. This was the longest we'd been apart.
Kyle was my comfort, my home. The world felt strange and awkward without him; I felt strange and awkward without him.
It'd been nearly a week and we'd been so busy we hadn't had a chance to really talk. That's what this was ― I missed Kyle. I needed to remind myself not to mistake the pull I felt toward Tristan as anything other than my yearning for the sweet, dark-haired boy that'd been the first to place his lips against mine in a gentle kiss. Who'd taken me to prom and snuck into my room at night when terror tore through my subconscious and left me a crying shell of a person.
I thought of Kyle's sweet, brown eyes and the dark stubble that undoubtedly covered his jawline. I took a deep breath. Maybe I could convince Kyle to come down next weekend; he would love sailing.
I made my
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