she quipped.
“I’ve got to get ready for my next lesson,” Brendan said awkwardly, taking the boards back to the office to escape the dirt track our conversation had veered onto.
“Need help?” I offered.
“No, but you could make sure Morgan gets back all right. We did an extended lesson, and she’s probably pretty wiped out, if you’ll excuse the pun.”
“I won’t excuse it. I can’t believe you’re already making terrible dad jokes,” I said.
“I’m okay. I can make it back to my hotel. I drove over.”
“I can drive you back,” I offered.
“How about we walk? It’s not that far, but I haven’t really seen this part of the island. I need to stretch my legs anyway. I’m tired, but I don’t think my legs cramping up would be good.”
“It’s a good day for a walk,” I said. I was lying. It was hot as the surface of the sun, and I’d already been for a run.
I dodged into Brendan’s office and grabbed us a couple bottles of water. I handed her one.
“Let’s sit down and have some water first,” I said.
I led her over to the shaded overhang outside the surf shop and sat down. She sat beside me and chugged half her water down quickly.
“I didn’t even know I was that thirsty.”
“The sun and the exercise will dehydrate you,” I said wisely.
“Yeah, I know. I just didn’t feel it until I sat down. Look at that,” she pointed to her tanned, shapely calf, “muscle spasm.”
Sure enough, there was a visible quiver under her skin. I reached for her leg without even thinking and started to massage her calf. I was easing the tension in the muscle when I met her eyes.
“Is this helping?” I said.
“Yeah. It’s—really good,” she said. “Like, if hiking doesn’t pan out, you could give massages.”
“You mean when I’m not dropping my pants for calendars?” I asked. “You seem to think I have a sleazy side.”
“Nothing sleazy about a little healthy male nudity and a massage. Especially not at the same time,” she said, blushing a little. I smiled at her.
“I think it’s okay now,” she said, pulling away from me.
The color still stained her cheeks. I knew from the flush on her cheeks and chest, the darkness in her eyes that she was aroused by my touch. I wanted to feel her pulse flickering against my fingers, against my lips for proof. But I wouldn’t overstep, wouldn’t pressure her. The tension between us was so sharp. I could feel it in my teeth, in the soles of my feet, in the way my hands twitched to take her face in my hands, my tongue longing to taste her. I drank my water and stared out at the water.
When we were done drinking, I took our bottles to Brendan’s recycling bin and grabbed some sunglasses from the display in the surf shop.
“I have mine, but you’ll need these. It’s bright out today, and there’s not much shade on the walk,” I said.
“Thank you,” she said.
Morgan gathered her things, put on her sandals and slid a white cover up on. It covered her from shoulders to high on her thighs, but I could see the shadow of her bikini through the sheer fabric. It was somehow even sexier than seeing the expanse of smooth skin when she wore only her swimsuit. My hands curled into fists, wanting to crush that soft fabric in my hands and gather her into my arms. Instead, I made sure she had everything and then took her beach bag from her to carry it.
“I can—" she started to protest.
“I know,” I said. “I want to carry it for you.”
She shrugged her agreement. I led the way off the beach and onto a side street.
“There are some beautiful old houses up this way,” I said, indicating the stucco homes in shades of peach and yellow and cream with their wrought iron trim and bright flowers in a profusion of pink and white. She stopped to look.
“This is really pretty,” she said as we walked along the street slowly, taking in every vine and flower, every detail. I speculated on the age of the structures, told her what I knew about the neighborhood.
“This would be a hell of a place to live,” she said, “walking distance to the beach, in a beautiful old house with such detail. I want to peek in the windows. Obviously I won’t—but I just imagine they’re all wood floors and original light fixtures and high ceilings. Sort of dark wood