Billy's Baby - Annie J. Rose Page 0,14

have those big hands on my skin. I gave a ragged exhale and shook my head.

After the lesson, I asked Brendan if he had time for a few questions. He agreed.

“I’ve expanded the surfing business recently, so I have more time at home. I have two full-time instructors besides myself and a part-timer who does bookings and equipment maintenance and pitches in with lessons from time to time.”

“Great, so what’s your favorite part of the job?” I said.

“Being out on the water, helping people discover the love of surfing and how freeing it is to ride the waves. Early this morning, right at sunrise, I took my wife, Elise, out surfing. We don’t have a lot of alone time since the baby was born, but we grab an hour at least once a week to surf together. My brother Mick watched the baby while we just got back in touch with nature and each other,” he said. Then he looked bashful. I was pretty sure they did more than surf on the beach early that morning, but I didn’t want to embarrass him. It was so cute the way he lit up when he mentioned his wife and child.

“Did you set out to try a surfing business after you left the service?” I asked.

“No. I came down here to pitch in with Connor at the pub. But after a while, I decided to branch out. I’m more of a morning person, and I like being outside. The pub was really his venture, the one that started it all. And the thing is, we all have our own place. We found our niche, and we help out where we’re needed, but it’s better to have your own thing. Nobody wants to answer to Connor if we can help it,” he said with a grin.

“Connor is the eldest. He has a little girl as well, right?”

“Lilly.” He gave a sort of goofy smile that made me smile right back at him, “and we thought Brandi got through Connor’s gruff exterior. Lilly melted him, all of us really. She’s adorable. I knew I wanted to settle down, and so did Mickey. But seeing Connor with Brandi, and seeing them have Lilly was so powerful. It changed all of our lives. But Mick and I were the only two who were what you’d call the marrying kind,” he shrugged.

I grinned in spite of myself. Maybe my boy Billy was just what I needed after all. A little bit of fun on this trip. Because even his own brother knew he wasn’t looking to settle down. Suddenly that hike I was looking forward to seemed even more enticing. Nothing like the distinct impression that the guy I was lusting after was just out for a good time to convince me to give it a try. I felt invigorated, like I’d had ten hours of sleep and a double shot of espresso in my iced coffee. Tomorrow was going to be one hell of an adventure.

Chapter 8

Billy

I added an extra mile to my morning run to see if I could work out some of the pent-up tension in my body. After the fourth mile, I felt my muscles start to loosen. This girl had me tied up in knots with her voice, her mouth, her body. I had to shake it off.

Toward the end of my run on the beach, I saw Brendan and Morgan talking. Judging by the equipment on the sand, they’d just gotten back from a surfing lesson. They were laughing and I felt a pinch of jealousy. It was completely stupid. I’d just met the woman, and my brother was married in the ride-or-die fashion. He would never look twice at another woman, not even one as striking as Morgan. She was wearing a red bikini, her blonde hair slicked back in a high ponytail, her long, tanned legs making me wish they were wrapped around me back in my cabin. There was nothing to be jealous about, except for the stubborn fact I wanted to be the one making her smile.

I jogged over to say hello. I couldn’t help noticing how Morgan’s eyes traveled over me appraisingly, lingering on my abs and shoulders. I was out running in my gray shorts and nothing else but sunglasses. I could feel her gaze on me as surely as if she’d run her hands all over my chest. I liked her looking at me that way, like I was hers to look at, like