serene. She’d also been serene while surfing with Cork and me the previous day.
As I continued to watch her, she began to sing. Singing being a relative word.
I cringed as she hit a clunky note. Her pitch was completely wrong. She had a shit voice, something that apparently hadn’t changed since we were kids. But now, just like back then, she got extra points for her enthusiasm.
“Hey,” I said, continuing down the remaining stairs. “What are you doing?”
Lotus didn’t respond, didn’t even shift to look at me. She must not have heard me.
That wasn’t good. Anyone could sneak up on her and catch her unaware. Something needed to be done about this setup. It wasn’t safe, especially not with her wearing earbuds.
But for now, I focused on her, the woman who had filled my every thought since she’d stepped back into my life. And focused on her, I had to touch her.
After leaning my surfboard against the wall, I moved behind her and placed my hands on her hips. Hot electrical current surged up my arms. Her fruity scent flooded my lungs, and my already stiff cock hardened even more.
“Oh!” She let out a gasp and spun around, her trowel raised as a weapon. Seeing me, her eyes widened, but she lowered the trowel.
“Oh, it’s you,” she said overly loud.
But something was different with her this morning. Her eyes didn’t light up when she saw me like they usually did. Was that Saber’s doing?
Frowning, I plucked her buds out of her ears.
“You scared me half to death,” she said in a normal tone, pocketing her phone and earbuds while making a face at me.
My lips quirked. “I tried to get your attention before I touched you.”
She was adorable in her gardening gear with that streak of dirt on her skin. I’d get into it with her later about her gardening situation, but for now, I had my hands on her, and having my hands on her felt good. Really good.
“You were pretty absorbed. The gardening I understand is a big deal for you, but who are you listening to on the earbuds?”
“Tempest,” she said. “Their greatest hits album.”
I arched a brow. “I didn’t know they had a greatest hits release.”
“Just dropped today, but I preordered it months ago.”
“Ah.” I cocked my head, putting together the wrong words she’d been singing. “‘My Way or the Highway,’ right?”
She nodded.
“I didn’t recognize it the way you were singing it.”
“What way is that?” she asked, shifting subtly.
She was trying to put some space between us, but I didn’t allow it. I kept my hands where I wanted them.
“You sure you know the right words?” I asked.
Her sexy lips pursed. “I know them.”
“If you say so,” I said, but I think my twinkling eyes gave away my amusement at her expense.
“Don’t you have something better to do than hassle me?” She twisted, putting her hands on her hips and dislodging mine.
Nothing is better than being with her.
As I came to that realization, I immediately contemplated possibilities, ones she might allow where I could get my hands on her again.
Her gaze dropped to my bare chest and stalled there. The fact that I was shirtless seemed to just occur to her.
My mouth curved at her obvious interest, and when I flexed, she let out a breathy sigh. My cock extended to its full length, straining the confines of my shorts.
Too long. It had been far too long since I’d had her.
I spoke to draw her attention away from a big problem that I knew she wouldn’t remedy for me. Not yet, at least. But I wasn’t giving up. Not when touching her—hell, only just looking at her made me burn.
“Actually, I do have something much better to do than have my ears assaulted by you butchering that poor band’s song. I’m going surfing.”
Her gaze lifted, and she blinked a couple of times. After she cleared the haze and her eyes focused on me, I winked at her.
“You can take a picture with your cell. Look at it later for inspiration, if you know what I mean.”
“Ass.” She rolled her eyes, but she didn’t deny checking me out. “I like your tats. They’re interesting.”
I was certain that wasn’t all that she was interested in. “They’re kind of a road map to my life.” I gave her truth I wouldn’t give anyone else.
“Like the stickers on your guitar case.” She tilted her head to a reflective angle. “I’ll bet there are memories associated with each one from the