Total pages in book: 38
Estimated words: 35982 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 180(@200wpm)___ 144(@250wpm)___ 120(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 35982 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 180(@200wpm)___ 144(@250wpm)___ 120(@300wpm)
“Guys, this is Cal. Cal, this is everyone. Shots!”
Someone shoved a shot glass in my hand. I held it between my thumb and forefinger, scanning the friendly, happily buzzed faces and—
There he was.
And can I just say…Luca was a handsome dude. Dark hair, dark eyes, olive skin, and strong, angular features. The guy had a perfect nose, a razor-sharp jawline, and a slight cleft on his chin. He looked like an Italian movie star in his snug-fitted black tee and dark jeans. Somehow the monochrome ensemble gave him a bad-boy vibe that had been lost in translation in his rented wetsuit. If he’d been out of his depth that morning, he certainly wasn’t now. He exuded easy confidence with a major dose of sex appeal.
Okay, I wasn’t sure why adjectives like handsome, sexy, or hunky kept popping up in my mind. They were accurate, but still…
I pushed my random admiring thoughts aside and realized almost immediately that I’d blown that impromptu kiss way out of proportion. Based on posture and the sheer force of “cool” Luca emanated, I really doubted he’d thought twice about it. In fact, his cool, even stare made me think he didn’t recognize me at all.
Obviously, whatever had happened was a once-in-a-lifetime fluke. Embarrassment wasn’t the reason he hadn’t called for another lesson. Nope…he just wasn’t interested in learning how to surf.
I slammed the shot, blanching at the feral taste of tequila before closing the distance between us.
“How’s it goin’, Luca?”
He tilted his chin and gave a wry half grin. “It’s going well. Small world, eh?”
“Yeah, a friend of mine is in the next band and I—”
“Cal! OMG!” Zoe jumped forward and wrapped her arms around my waist like we were old buddies, swaying unsteadily as she turned to address her friends. “Guys, this is our surfer man. He teached me and Luca. But then he had to save Luca ’cause he almost drowned. It was like a Baywatch moment. Lifeguards showed up and everyzhing…”
Eden was at my side again, oohing and ahhing over Zoe’s drunken rambling while a half dozen of their friends listened in. I smiled wanly and plotted my escape, feeling like an idiot. I wasn’t here to hang out with tipsy college students. It was time to find my people and put the kissing incident behind me. If Luca didn’t care, I sure as fuck shouldn’t either.
I gently untangled myself from Zoe and stepped aside. “It was good to see you. I should meet up with my friends before the band comes on. Thanks for the shot.”
A round of hugs later, I was free.
The bar area was more crowded than ever. The best path to the stage was to maneuver the perimeter. It was jammed near the restrooms too. I glanced around for Rex and pulled my cell out to call him, inching close to the exit.
Just as I cleared the press of bodies, someone tugged on my shirt from behind. I figured it was Rex, but my smile faltered when I turned.
“Oh, it’s you.”
“Yeah. Do you have a second?” Luca asked, pointing at the doorway.
“Uh, I’m supposed to meet my—”
“I know. This will take less than two minutes.” He held my gaze for a moment, then squeezed through the exit.
And of course, I followed.
Luca moved to the corner and stood under a streetlamp with his arms crossed. His defensive stance contrasted with his sheepish expression. He wasn’t outwardly uncomfortable, but I could tell that he wanted to make this short and sweet. Fine by me.
“I actually haven’t been to Long Beach all summer. I forgot how busy it is on the weekends,” I said, making light albeit lame conversation.
“Mmhmm. My mom told me you called.”
I winced. “I did. Sorry. That was…weird. I don’t know what I was thinking.”
Luca chuckled. “It wasn’t weird. It was good customer service. She wants me to use those unclaimed lessons, so she can buy a few more from…how did she put it? ‘That nice young man who went the extra mile.’ My mom thinks you’re a rock star.”
I pointed at my chest and shrugged nonchalantly. “Well, I’ve been told I look a bit like Mick Jagger.”
“You look nothing like Mick Jagger,” he deadpanned, continuing with a sigh. “You’re hotter. Not to mention super patient and cool and…I fucked up. On top of being the worst surf student ever, I kissed you, ran, and ignored my mom’s request to call you back. To be honest, if I’d happened to see you in there before Eden brought her A game and talked you into joining us, I would have continued ignoring you.”
“Why?”
“ ’Cause I kissed you,” he whisper-hissed. “I guess I can blame it on a near-fatal adrenaline rush, but—”
“You weren’t going to die,” I intercepted.
“I know,” Luca huffed, raking his fingers through his hair. “I know. Adrenaline was definitely a factor, but it’s a poor excuse. I apologize. I’m sorry for the kiss and I’m sorry for being a dick.”