Chapter Nine
Then
Avery
Ihad butterflies in my stomach the entire night.
I wish sleep was enough to calm their erratic flying, but it wasn’t.
I woke up earlier than usual, read a few chapters in a romance novel, and then had breakfast and a green smoothie with Helen.
My nerves jump excitedly while I stand at the sink, rinsing my cup.
Twisting my arm in the warm water, I think of what Jasper could have planned for us this morning.
An extra bit of daydreaming is sprinkled in because of how he reacted to me opening up to him yesterday.
The absence of judgment or the typical expression of aversion left me feeling light and possibly even weightless.
A pointed knock on the door startles me from my steam-filled, lustrous state. I flip the water off and grab the dish towel to wipe my hands.
“Hey, Jasper.” I hear my aunt greet him from the other room.
“Good morning, Helen.”
I peek around the corner and spot him leaning against the side of the door with his hands firmly in the pockets of his shorts. God, he looks good.
“What can I do for you?” She opens the door wider, allowing him to step inside. “Is your dad okay?”
“Yeah, everything is fine. I’m here for Avery,” he says as I walk over, a smile beaming from ear to ear.
“Oh.” A surprised look flashes on my aunt’s face. Her eyes bounce from me to Jasper. “Okay.”
“Hi.” My voice hits the air with a firm tightness from biting back the uncontained grin.
“Hi, Avery.” He smiles, and my knees go weak.
Helen steps back, letting me walk in front of her. “What, uh,” she stammers. “What are you guys going to do today?”
Glancing at Jasper, I shrug my shoulders. He still hasn’t told me yet.
“I’m just going to show Avery around the town.” His voice is smooth.
Helen’s eyebrow raises. “Oh, that’s nice of you. When will you be back?”
“I don’t know.” He winks at her playfully. “I’m kidding. Before dinner.”
Helen sucks in a deep breath, seemingly confused about whether she should be more curious or not. “Alright,” she says, aggressively nodding. “I have a few errands today. Just text me if you need anything.”
“I will,” I say, slipping past her and out the door.
“Bye, Helen.” Jasper waves her off while we both step off the patio and onto the sand.
“Have fun,” she calls out, but her tone is low.
When we get closer to the break, I turn to Jasper. “I think Helen was a little shocked we’re hanging out.”
He chuckles. “Probably.”
Sitting halfway between Helen and his dad’s houses, I notice the two surfboards in the shade. They’re propped against the two large trees we sat under last night.
Oh no. Jasper’s not expecting me to surf with him, is he? Shit. I can’t surf. I’m going to make a fool out of myself.
“Wait.” I stop, placing a hand out in front of us. My palm lands directly on the warm moistness of his skin. Fuck. Blushing, I yank it away. “Sorry.”
“It’s okay,” he says, flipping his longer top hair away from his eyes. Who would have thought surf guys would be so hot?
“We’re not going into the water with those, are we?” I point to the boards in front of us—one more weathered than the other.
He laughs. “That is what you do with surfboards.”
“I know that,” I say. “I meant, you’re not expecting me to ride one, are you?”
Jasper walks over and runs his hand along the smooth, firm foam. “Yes. I’m going to give you lessons.”
“Who said I wanted a surf lesson?” I scratch my head, playfully giving him a smirk but second-guessing every choice I’ve made this morning.
“You can’t live here, on the beach”—he licks his bottom lips—“hanging out with me and not knowing how to surf.”
“We’re hanging out now?”
“Do you want us to hang out?”
Tapping my finger on my chin, I glance up at the sky, then back to Jasper. “Let me think.”
“It’s going to be like that, is it?”
I rub my lips together, staring back at him. “I think it is.”
“So, Arizona …” He takes a few slow steps toward me. “Can you swim at least?”
Did he just call me Arizona like it was an insult?
“Of course I can swim.” I cross my arms at my chest, cocking a hip out. “We have pools in the desert, you know.”
“Okay, good.” His sly smile lights up my insides. Then, suddenly, the breath is knocked out of me. I’m lifted into the air and thrown over Jasper’s shoulder. The pressure makes my stomach spasm, bringing out a full belly laugh.
I’m barely able to squeak words before he runs full speed into the ocean. “Jasper!”
“Hope you can swim!” he yells, diving us both into a low wave. We’re sucked under the water. I quickly plug my nose and try curbing my laughter so my nostrils don’t fill with salt water. Jasper’s stronghold on my waist never loosens while he pulls me into him right as we both break the surface.
“What the hell?” Laughing hysterically, I wipe the water and snot from my face while simultaneously pushing my hair back. “If you wanted me to swim with you, you could have just asked.”
“Will you swim with me?” Under the water, I feel his other arm wrap one of my legs around his waist. I let him move my body as he wishes, enjoying the gentle control. Then, I bring my other leg around to match. Our bodies are flush.
“Alright.”
His broad, dark eyes flare as they bore into mine. “Let me teach you how to surf.”
The intensity forces a hard swallow and a slight curve of my upper lip. Damn, it’s hard to be this close to him and not kiss his wet lips. “If you really want to.”
“People pay up to a hundred and fifty dollars for lessons from me.” His gaze falls to my mouth, and the light dusting of his breath tickles my lips. “For only an hour. And I’m offering them to you for free.”
“When you put it that way,” I whisper, keeping my focus away from the only thought in my mind. “Do you have room in your schedule?”
Jasper’s thumb caresses the skin of my outer thigh while his other hand cups my ass cheek, clutching me like he’s afraid I’ll get carried away by a wave. “I have room for you.”
“Okay.” I smile, my cheeks burning. “Let’s get started.” I gesture toward the beach, immediately regretting agreeing to embarrass myself. If this is what it takes to spend more time with him, so be it.
“Wait,” he says, his eyes following back to my lips.
They tingle under his intense stare. Jasper tilts his head to the side and brings his mouth to mine.
My eyes close. When we connect, a shock wave travels up my spine, causing my hips to arch forward and rub against his length.
His kisses are soft and intimate. I melt into him.
His tongue darts out to run along the seam before I open to let him in.
He moves with purpose, exploring my mouth.
The spots on the backs of my eyelids increase with euphoria.
I swing my arms around his neck, urging him into me and craving more.
But he slowly pulls back, resting his forehead on mine. “I want to spend more time with you.”
With my eyes still shut, I rub the tip of my nose across his. “We will be, you’re giving me lessons, right?”
“I want more than this,” he smoothly demands, softly kissing the corners of my mouth and tracing along my jawline.
I smile, my heart skipping every other beat. Thank god he’s gripping me tightly because I would have been carried away by a wave. “I would like that too.”
Clutching my hips, he urges me further into him, rubbing his hardness against my throbbing core.
There are only a few pieces of thin fabric between us, and it would be so easy to push it all aside and take him in.
But I’ve never slept with anyone before, and I’m not going to lose my virginity in the ocean of all places.
“Ready to surf?” His demeanor returns to playful as if he picked up on my hesitation with our close contact.
“Let’s do it.”
“Awesome.” Jasper releases his hold around my waist and slips his hand into mine. He pulls me along as we both swim toward the shore. Soaked, we both trudge through the sand and under the tree.
“The water is a bit chilly this morning,” I comment through chattering teeth.
He laughs. “The waters of the Pacific Ocean are not as warm as the Indian Ocean but are a close second.”
Giggling, I lean over to shake out my wet hair. “Is that so?”
He smiles confidently. “Yes, it also has the largest heat reservoir, which helps the top layers of the water stay warmer.”
“Of course you would know that.”
He shoots me a quick smile, showing all his teeth. “I love the ocean.”
“I can tell.”
“Okay, now down to business.” His expression turns into a playful firmness. “Let’s start with the basics.”
Squinting in his direction, I block the sun with my hand to get a better view of him as he speaks. “I’m listening.”
Jasper lifts the more weathered surfboard from the top. Pointing with his other hand, he meets my eyes. “This is a surfboard.”
I roll my eyes and laugh. “I know what it is.”
“You are from the desert, so I shouldn’t assume.”
Blushing, I look away. “If you’re going to poke fun at me all day, then I’m out. I’d rather go eat tacos.”
Jasper’s arm hooks around me. He pulls me into his wet chest. It’s warm and inviting. “Alright. Alright.”
“Let’s move on,” I play.
“Okay,” he agrees. “Let me show you something,” he says, slowly rotating my body so I’m facing the crystal blue waters. “See that?”
Staring into the open ocean and a clear blue sky, I’m confused about what I’m supposed to be looking at. But I don’t want him to tease me anymore. He’s having way too much fun with it. I nod and agree. “Yes.”
From behind, he leans in, his lips grazing my ear lobe. “That’s called the ocean,” he whispers.
Oh my god. I belly laugh and push away from him. “Jasper! I know what the ocean is!”
Laughter bubbles up from inside him. It’s the best sound I’ve ever heard. A perfect, authentic, and raw emotion. And at this moment, all the loneliness of my life before slowly fades away.