Read Online Surrender of a Tattooist: Obsessive Dark Romance Alpha Bad Boy (Tattooist Series Book 2) by Lexy Timms - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Lexy Timms
Ads: Link
to them more.” She opted to change the subject, just slightly. “How many siblings do you have?”
“I’m one of three. My sister died in Afghanistan a few years ago so it’s just me and my brother now.”
Sympathy hit hard. “Oh, that’s awful. I’m so sorry.”
Cliff sighed as he watched the waves. “It was really hard at first but it gets easier all the time. It was really hard on my folks; they never wanted her to joining the military in the first place and they blame themselves, which is stupid and pointless, but it’s what all parents do.”
“I imagine they would. That’s another reason to not have kids, if you ask me. What do you do if they die before you?”
He turned and looked into her eyes. His beautiful ocean blue ones held her there. “Tell me… are you afraid of death too?”
“Yes,” she said promptly. “I hate it and I’m afraid of it. Isn’t everyone?”
“Sure. I’m afraid of it, that’s why I am determined to live as much as I can. I don’t know if I’ll get to come back and get a do-over, so I might as well make it count for something.”
“You have a good point.”
He smiled and slid an arm under her head. She closed her eyes and let the sun lull her into a semi-awake state. The scent of his body and the sea, and the good strong heat lying across them, the coolness of the shade, it all combined to make her sleepy and content.
When she opened her eyes it was to see that quite a few people had left. Cliff blinked sleep from his eyes and asked in a groggy voice, “Do you want to go back in?”
She took a look at the surfboards standing nearby. She peeked out from under the umbrella to judge the time. It was about five or so if she was right, which meant they’d dozed for at least an hour. The shade had started to recede, and they were lucky they had woken up when they did, otherwise they would both be sporting sunburns on their ankles and calves. “Yeah, let’s do it.”
They did. They took the boards out, swimming far out and waiting for the waves. They rode a few and got knocked off their boards a few times too. By the time they made it back in, they were panting and spent and the beach was even more deserted than before, with just a few hardy souls still braving the heated sand and the cooling waters.
They showered at the outdoor showers and Pixie giggled as Cliff held the blanket up around her so she could change, and then she held the blanket for him.
Once they were both dressed, Cliff said, “Do you want to go to a party?”
She eyed him cautiously. “What kind of party?”
“You know Mitch Rider, right?”
“Yeah, he goes to the shop a lot. Famous dude, but really nice.”
“He invited us, the guys at the shop and our dates, to a party at his place. Very casual, not at all black tie or fancy. I think he said something about a barbecue and beer.”
“That sounds awesome.” She loaded the rest of her things into the truck. “Where is it?”
“At his house in the Hills. He’s moving out of it because he’s getting ready to move back to Nashville, so I guess he figures he might as well throw one more party in there.”
“I would.”
Cliff grinned. “Me too.”
They climbed into the truck. The sun had darkened their skin and she could feel the heat rising up from her body. Cliff’s hand found her upper thigh, just below the edge of her ragged denim shorts. She looked down at his hand, enjoying the sight of it on her skin. She said, “I never asked you back. Where would you go if you could go anywhere?”
Cliff started the truck. “I don’t know. I love California. I’m a California guy through and through, and I don’t really want to go anywhere else. Europe doesn’t appeal to me, and I traveled when I was a kid. I wouldn’t mind taking that cruise, though, but as far as having an exact destination in mind—nothing catches me as somewhere I want to go.”
“I love it here too,” she said. “I can’t imagine living anywhere
“I’m one of three. My sister died in Afghanistan a few years ago so it’s just me and my brother now.”
Sympathy hit hard. “Oh, that’s awful. I’m so sorry.”
Cliff sighed as he watched the waves. “It was really hard at first but it gets easier all the time. It was really hard on my folks; they never wanted her to joining the military in the first place and they blame themselves, which is stupid and pointless, but it’s what all parents do.”
“I imagine they would. That’s another reason to not have kids, if you ask me. What do you do if they die before you?”
He turned and looked into her eyes. His beautiful ocean blue ones held her there. “Tell me… are you afraid of death too?”
“Yes,” she said promptly. “I hate it and I’m afraid of it. Isn’t everyone?”
“Sure. I’m afraid of it, that’s why I am determined to live as much as I can. I don’t know if I’ll get to come back and get a do-over, so I might as well make it count for something.”
“You have a good point.”
He smiled and slid an arm under her head. She closed her eyes and let the sun lull her into a semi-awake state. The scent of his body and the sea, and the good strong heat lying across them, the coolness of the shade, it all combined to make her sleepy and content.
When she opened her eyes it was to see that quite a few people had left. Cliff blinked sleep from his eyes and asked in a groggy voice, “Do you want to go back in?”
She took a look at the surfboards standing nearby. She peeked out from under the umbrella to judge the time. It was about five or so if she was right, which meant they’d dozed for at least an hour. The shade had started to recede, and they were lucky they had woken up when they did, otherwise they would both be sporting sunburns on their ankles and calves. “Yeah, let’s do it.”
They did. They took the boards out, swimming far out and waiting for the waves. They rode a few and got knocked off their boards a few times too. By the time they made it back in, they were panting and spent and the beach was even more deserted than before, with just a few hardy souls still braving the heated sand and the cooling waters.
They showered at the outdoor showers and Pixie giggled as Cliff held the blanket up around her so she could change, and then she held the blanket for him.
Once they were both dressed, Cliff said, “Do you want to go to a party?”
She eyed him cautiously. “What kind of party?”
“You know Mitch Rider, right?”
“Yeah, he goes to the shop a lot. Famous dude, but really nice.”
“He invited us, the guys at the shop and our dates, to a party at his place. Very casual, not at all black tie or fancy. I think he said something about a barbecue and beer.”
“That sounds awesome.” She loaded the rest of her things into the truck. “Where is it?”
“At his house in the Hills. He’s moving out of it because he’s getting ready to move back to Nashville, so I guess he figures he might as well throw one more party in there.”
“I would.”
Cliff grinned. “Me too.”
They climbed into the truck. The sun had darkened their skin and she could feel the heat rising up from her body. Cliff’s hand found her upper thigh, just below the edge of her ragged denim shorts. She looked down at his hand, enjoying the sight of it on her skin. She said, “I never asked you back. Where would you go if you could go anywhere?”
Cliff started the truck. “I don’t know. I love California. I’m a California guy through and through, and I don’t really want to go anywhere else. Europe doesn’t appeal to me, and I traveled when I was a kid. I wouldn’t mind taking that cruise, though, but as far as having an exact destination in mind—nothing catches me as somewhere I want to go.”
“I love it here too,” she said. “I can’t imagine living anywhere
Similar Books
