Read Online Sanctuary of Mine by S. Pratt, Emily Dawson - Free Book Online

myself it’s from the severe dumping I just received is doing nothing for my ego either.
    ‘Oh my god, I’m really sorry, Tyler.’ What a fucking cock up!
    ‘No problem, I’m totally fine – how about you?’
    ‘Good … I’m good,’ I splutter, not sure why I have suddenly taken on the persona of a blithering idiot.
    ‘You sure? You look a little pale …’ He’s eyeing me sceptically, not fully convinced.
    ‘Yep, I’m totally fine.’
    ‘You know, we’ve got to stop running into each other like this or I’m going to think you’re stalking me.’ I sit stupefied, eyes ogling his tanned, muscle ridden stomach as he sits causally on the beach in his board shorts. His shoulders bunch up around his ears as he leans back on the flat of his palms, evidence he’s in no rush to go anywhere. Water droplets cling to his wet hair and he shakes his fringe just so, removing it from his eyes while the water flicks off like a dog’s would after he’s had a bath.
     
    ‘I’m not stalking you, I didn’t even know you were going to be here today,’ I offer defensively.
    ‘Don’t get all worked up, I’m only teasing you.’ He chuckles a little and I watch as the muscles on his stomach react to this effort.
     
    When I can tear my eyes away from his stomach, they find their way back to his eyes. They’re waiting to connect with me, waiting to hold my attention. Hastily I force myself to look elsewhere, embarrassed at being caught checking him out, my cheeks suddenly flushing hot.
    ‘You don’t have to stop looking, you know. View’s pretty good from where I’m sitting too.’ My breath catches in the back of my throat and I feel light-headed. Forcing myself to act like I at least have a little confidence, I return his stare. Those blue eyes of his are something I could get lost in.
     
    ‘I’m not looking …’ It’s a totally lame thing to say, especially when it is so obvious that I was.
    ‘Really?’ He still looks amused, so I decide to shut him up.
    ‘I was appreciating,’ I say matter-of-factly. The grin leaves his face and he looks taken aback with my honesty.
    ‘Well then … keep on appreciating,’ he challenges.
    ‘I’m all good, but thanks.’ Dragging myself off the ground, I stand up to leave him and head back to my towel. The middle of the day has brought with it a blistering sun that is taking up prime position overhead in the cloudless sky. I need to get off the beach before I cook.
     
    ‘Mackenzie?’ he calls after me, jogging to catch up.
    ‘Yeah?’ Slipping my shorts and tank top on, I pretend to busy myself with packing up my stuff, all the while wondering what he could possibly want.
    ‘You want to grab some lunch?’ It’s a simple question. A normal question. People eat all the time. It’s a perfectly natural thing for two people to do together. Yet my brain screams its protest. No, no, no! No food for you! I take in his hopeful expression and my heart melts instantly.
    ‘Sure. I’d like that – a lot.’
    ‘Great!’ He grabs my bag off me and slings it over his shoulder before taking my hand in his. The electricity that suddenly sparks down my fingertips makes me feel giddy. Holy fucking shit! Would you look at that! Tyler Redding, THE hottest boy in school, is holding my hand!
     
    He leads me up the beach towards his belongings. Collecting them as we go, we head off in the direction of the local burger joint. Lunch with Tyler? Now this should be interesting.

Chapter Ten
    Mackenzie
     
    Tyler doesn’t let me buy lunch, nor does he ask what I want. What he orders suits me just fine, though, as it is what I would have selected, had I needed to choose something myself. With our food wrapped in a bag, he takes my hand in his again and we head for the shade of the cliffs on the southern end of Bondi Beach.
     
    We find a spot away from the footpath where people are constantly walking past. It still affords us a great place to relax and enjoy lunch, without being too