Read Online Beyond the Waves (Pacific Shores Book 1) by Lynnette Bonner - Free Book Online Page A

the young couple too, a worried look in her eye. As there should be. He sighed. Brice reminded him a lot of himself a few years earlier. He would have to have a talk with him.
    Just then Brice looked up. “Want to play some volleyball? There’s always a net set up just down there.” He pointed down the beach. “And I brought a ball. It’s in Kylen’s trunk.”
    Taysia’s face brightened, and she looked up at him.
    Tossing his kabob stick into the garbage, he stood. “Sure. Sounds like fun.”
    Brice and Marie formed one team; Kylen and Taysia the other.
    Marie set the ball up nicely for Brice, and he sailed into the air and spiked it into the sand just behind Taysia. Marie and Brice high-fived.
    Brice pumped his fist. “Oh yeah, baby. We’re gonna beat the ol’ fogeys.”
    “That’s right!” Marie agreed.
    Kylen shook his head in amusement, and beside him Taysia laughed.
    A moment later the ball landed out of bounds, and the serve turned over to him and Taysia.
    Marie grinned, widened her stance, and bent her knees, ready for the serve. “Don’t worry, Brice. They probably serve like pansies.”
    “Oh, it’s on now!” Taysia rested the ball against one hip and pointed a finger at Marie. “You better watch it, girl. I know your boss.”
    Marie laughed sassily and waved a hand. “She’s a pushover. In fact, I’m due for a raise any day now, so you should say something about that to her.”
    While Marie talked, Taysia served the ball right past her head. The ball landed with a satisfying thud in the sand.
    Kylen laughed at the look of astonishment on Marie’s face.
    “Hey!” Her hands settled on her hips. “That’s cheating!”
    Taysia grinned. “You should have been playing instead of flapping your jaw, girl.”
    Marie made a face and tossed the ball back.
    Taysia served again and Brice returned it. The ball sailed up high and Kylen ran for it. “Got it!” Taysia called. He tried to stop and back off, but she was watching the ball and crashed into him. Their legs got tangled.
    Taysia squeaked, and he grabbed her to him in an attempt to maintain their balance. He failed. They both went down into the sand.
    The ball landed in bounds, and Marie and Brice set to celebrating. But suddenly everything around Kylen seemed very far away. Everything except for Taysia. She lay on her back, only inches from his face, her hair fanned out across the sand, her eyes sparkling with amusement. She chuckled and punched him in the arm. “I called it, you goofball!”
    Kylen leaned onto one elbow, in no hurry to get up. He stared at a shimmering strand of her hair, remembering a similar day years ago. They had walked to the beach, teasing and jostling. He had chased her. She had fallen, and he had teased that he was going to put sand in her hair. Kylen blinked and refocused on the present.
    He took in her face. Smooth eyebrows. Large gray eyes, outlined with dark lashes, turning suddenly serious at his scrutiny. Flushed cheeks. Full, parted lips. He leaned forward. Her breathing stilled and she tensed, clearing her throat softly. Don’t go there, Sumner . He transitioned his forward momentum into reaching for a handful of sand, forcing his mind on to other avenues. Letting the grains trickle through his fingers, he gave her a wicked grin. Her eyes widened. He could see that same memory flooding her face.
    Taysia swallowed thickly. That day on the beach so long ago had been wonderful, full of fun. It had been just before school started. Just before Kylen realized she wasn’t popular and that friendship with her would mean hard times for him at Marinville High. Just before she realized how painful love could be.
    All Taysia could think was to get away from him. Once again, she was having fun with him. And too much desire coursed through her veins right now. “I really ought to go clean up the lunch things.” She struggled to sit up, but one of his legs was pinning her to the ground.
    The moment stretched as his face