Chapter Sixteen
What just happened?
Heat still crawled under Rowan’s skin when they reached the tiki bar. Howie leaned on the bamboo counter, still shirtless. Sweat glistened across his chest. His hair was loose around his shoulders, his grin wide enough to make half the women in the place scramble to get closer.
Everett didn’t look happy.
Kelsey perched on a stool beside her friend, eyes bright. “Can you teach me that fire thing?”
Howie laughed, booming and easy. “Maybe in a few years, little sis. For now, you stick to the waves. They’ll burn you in different ways.”
He slid a coconut toward her. “Fresh juice. Straight from the source. None of that bottled junk.”
She drank, made a face, then smiled. “Tastes weird—but good weird.”
Rowan shook her head, laughing. “I still get nervous when you do the fire routine. Still the same show-off you were when we were kids.”
“Can’t help it,” Howie said. “I live for applause. You were the quiet one. Just you and your board.”
“That’s because you took up the whole beach with your ego.”
He threw his head back and laughed again. “And you kept winning contests. Balance in the universe.”
Everett listened, his hand curled loosely around a glass of whiskey. People gathered at the edge of the beach, where a bonfire crackled. “How long have you two known each other?” he asked.
Howie smiled. “Since elementary school. Our dads used to surf the same break. Mine was the one yelling, hers was the one winning.”
Rowan rolled her eyes. “That’s not true.”
“It is,” Howie insisted. “Your dad was a legend. Used to tell me: ‘Don’t fight the wave—dance with her.’ Still hear him every time I hit the water.”
The words landed soft and heavy, and for a second, everything in her chest tilted. She looked down at her drink, pretending interest in the melting ice.
“Howie,” she said quietly, “I appreciate you saying that.”
He touched her shoulder—just a brush—but it was enough to pull Everett’s gaze like a magnet.
“So what’s next, Ro? You coming back to the lineup? Lea says you’ve been flirting with the ocean again.”
She shrugged. “Don’t think I’ll compete with this injury. The knee got too damaged.”
He frowned. “Torn meniscus is bad but I’ve seen surfers battle back. I watched you move. You look loose. Comfortable. You did your PT, right?”
Rowan nodded. “Now you sound like Lea.”
“She misses you. Wants not only her friend back, but her competition. Don’t waste your talent. How’s Tino?”
A smile touched her lips. “Still creating the best boards on the island.”
He turned to Kelsey. “Come on, kid. Let’s go see if they’ll let us roast marshmallows over there. I’ll tell you the secret of the fire knife.”
Kelsey squealed. “Yes!”
Rowan started to follow, but Everett caught her arm gently. “Let her go.”
She hesitated, glancing toward the bonfire, where Howie was already spinning a stick for the kids, flames licking upward. Then she met Everett’s eyes and her breath caught.
“Walk with me?” he asked.
She hesitated. It was a turn in the road, a rogue wave. Her mind told her to politely decline and head toward the bonfire. Her body? It was already getting up from the chair to stand beside him, refusing to listen. “Sure.”
They moved down the beach until the music faded into the sound of surf and wind.
They followed the path of damp sand, avoiding the lick of water to save their shoes.
The crescent moon hung in a black sky, dotted with stars.
She liked how he didn’t rush to fill the silence.
People spoke too many words that meant little.
“You were quiet back there,” she finally said.
He smiled faintly. “Taking it all in. Howie’s an impressive guy. My daughter has a crush.”
Rowan tried not to laugh. She liked when he was off-kilter. “I’m sure she’s not the first. She’s safe with him. Everyone adores Howie.”
“So you’ve said. Yet your relationship still remains a mystery.”
She bumped his shoulder playfully. “You’ll have to work harder to get the answer.”
His laugh startled her. The sound was robust and sexy, and she wanted to make him do it again. It was different from his other ones. Like with her, he was finally unguarded and allowed for surprises. “Don’t you know I’m a master at work? It’s the one thing I excel at.”
“Not true. I’m sure you excel at many things.”
He gave her a long side stare. “You’re right. I’m good at some other things, too.”
Sexual tension stretched between them. Damned if her cheeks weren’t heated because she was now thinking about all the things he did masterfully.
Like in the bedroom.
“I underestimated your sense of humor,” she muttered, not ready to cross any line. She didn’t know what they were doing. Why was she having feelings alone on a beach with Everett Hale?
She was acting like a teen girl nervous for a first kiss. So cringe.
Their pinkies brushed. “I planned to talk to you tonight.”
“About?” she asked.
“Boundaries. About not getting too close to Kelsey. About how temporary this whole thing is.”
The words hurt but Rowan refused to show it. Instead, she nodded. “Makes sense. You don’t want her to get too close so she’s not too upset when summer ends.”
“Exactly.”
“Another situation you’d like to control.”
He huffed out a breath. She caught the scent of whiskey and clove on the wind.
She wondered if his jaw had a five-o’clock shadow or if his razor bent to his will and refused to create stubble.
“I like control to gain better odds. But I’ve dealt with some real shit, too, Rowan.
I’m not trapped in a corporate ivory tower like you assume. ”
She nodded, properly schooled. “You’re right. I apologize.”
Everett stopped walking and muttered a curse. “You were supposed to storm off or call me an asshole. Don’t make this harder.”
She tilted her head, confused. “I have no problem calling you an asshole when you act like one. But you also don’t deserve to be judged because you have money and wear designer clothes.
You told me a little bit about your dad, who sounded harsh.
You told me about Kelsey’s mother, who left you and Kelsey behind.
We all go through bad stuff, and how we deal with it makes us who we are. ”
His gaze locked on hers. Heat licked through her veins. Her muscles softened and she swayed slightly toward him. The air sparked with awareness until Rowan could hear every rough breath, every ramped-up heartbeat, as they faced each other on the sand.
“I was wrong.” She waited, sensing his next words might change everything.
“My daughter hasn’t been this happy in so long.
It’s like a light clicked on inside of her and I don’t want it to turn off.
” He took a step closer. His broad shoulders filled her vision and then he lowered his head, inch by inch, giving her plenty of time to move away.
She didn’t.
“I won’t tell you to stop being the reason her light is on.”
Something trembled loose inside her. “Everett . . .”
His hands cupped her cheeks. His warm breath rushed over her lips and suddenly she was surrounded by his touch and scent.
The grip of his gaze never wavered. His thumbs stroked the line of her jaw.
It was like being overtaken with slow, deliberate actions; a heady combination of that razor-sharp control and sensual focus, making her feel like the center of his world.
“I’ve been waiting to hear my name, Rowan,” he whispered. “And it sounds as good as I imagined.”
Then his mouth closed over hers.
Did she whimper? Rowan had no idea. All she knew was the soft, firm heat of his mouth over hers, kissing her like she’d never been kissed before.
She expected structure, calculated movements, and expertise.
She got shocking warmth, intensity, and a raw hunger that shook her to the core. His tongue traced the seam of her lips, asking for entry, and this time, Rowan couldn’t help the greedy noise that escaped her throat.
He took advantage and slid his tongue inside, lazily exploring every inch of her mouth without apology.
Her fingers dug into his shoulders as she moved closer.
Her breasts pressed against the hard wall of his chest, where warmth burned through the fabric of his shirt.
His hands moved from her face to thrust in her tangled hair to tilt her head and dive more deeply into the kiss.
Time stopped. The crash of waves and wind continued. The stars gleamed and the moon cast beams of light onto the water.
It all fell away when Everett Hale kissed her.
When he slowly lifted his head, she almost swayed on her feet. Those dark eyes speared deep. Her body ached for more, her core throbbing and empty, head dizzy.
“Wow.”
A half laugh sputtered from her damp lips. His delicious taste lingered in her mouth—spice, liquor, hunger. She wanted another taste but tried to gather her composure. “Yeah. Wow.”
His grin warmed her insides. His thumbs rubbed her scalp, keeping her close. Their bodies were still plastered together. She felt his erection through the thin fabric of her dress.
“I’ve wanted to do that for a while,” he admitted, trailing kisses along her jawline. Down her neck. Bit gently between the tender flesh of her collarbone. Shivers exploded through her. “And now I’m in real trouble.”
She bent her head back for better access. God, he melted her in all the right ways. Rowan had never been this attracted to a man. “Why?”
“Because I want to do it again. The idea of Howie having the right to see that tat is driving me a little crazy.”
She gasped as he nibbled and tasted like she was a buffet and he was starved. “That’s a bit archaic. No one has the right over my body but me.”
“Let me rephrase. I want to be the man invited to see it. I want to see you strip naked for my pleasure and have the honor of exploring every inch of your beautiful skin. With my hands. My mouth. My tongue. My teeth.” He trailed his lips up to her ear to whisper the next words.
“I want to hear you say my name when I’m deep inside of you as you orgasm. ”
Oh. God.
She was on fire from his dirty words and loved every moment. Grabbing his face, she dragged his mouth back to hers for another drugging kiss. Her hands coasted from his shoulders to thrust in his thick, dark hair, mussing up the strands like she’d fantasized. “I should’ve known you’d be a talker.”
He bit her lip, then chuckled. “I should’ve known you were dangerous.”
“I have my own fantasies, Suit.” With wicked intention, she arched against him with invitation. “Seeing you messed up. Hair disheveled. Tie ripped off. Shirt wrinkled and open.” She pressed kisses slowly to his full mouth, addicted to his taste. “Lipstick on your face. Pants unbuckled. No control.”
“Fuck yes. Let’s do it all.”
She laughed and clung as they fell into another long kiss. He was completely addicting. She was a complete goner. “We have to get back to Kelsey.”
“You’re right.”
Slowly, she pulled away, dragging in a deep breath.
Rowan watched while he smoothed his hair and straightened his shirt.
Everett never took his gaze from her. She stayed quiet, not wanting to break the magical moment.
It was a kiss she already knew she’d never forget.
As an old woman, she’d always remember the way Everett Hale had kissed her on this beach.
“I thought I could control this, but I can’t. Or I don’t want to.” A troubled frown creased his brow. “I can’t stop thinking about you, Rowan. I want to see you again. Spend more time together.” His eyes darkened with hunger. “Intimately.”
Rowan knew what he was asking. Somehow, they’d gone from rivals to .
. . this. Whatever this was. In that moment, she realized it was the first time since her dad passed that she wanted to take the leap.
What was wrong with having a summer affair?
She wanted this man. As long as they were careful with their expectations, no one would get hurt.
“Me, too.” The words felt right. The satisfaction and hunger on his face confirmed he felt the same.
“I’m glad. I just need to be careful with Kels. I don’t want her to have any . . .” He trailed off, emotion flooding his gaze.
“Expectations,” she finished. “I understand. We should set the rules.”
His lip quirked. “I love rules.”
Rowan laughed, burying the sting of his words. She knew what they were agreeing to and she was okay with it. She wanted to experience an affair with Everett Hale. It just had to be carefully contained. “I know. We agree this will end when summer does. You’ll go back to New York.”
“Yes.”
“I’ll keep teaching Kelsey to surf. I’m good with whatever you want to tell her about us, but we can keep this a secret for now.”
“Yes.”
She continued to rattle off the mental list in her head. “We respect each other’s privacy but we don’t sleep with anyone else.”
“Thank God. You’re not with Howie?”
She shook her head. “No. We’re like cousins—nothing romantic between us.”
His smile was sharklike. Arrogant. Satisfied. Confident. “I’m glad you’ll be mine.”
Her entire body tingled with excitement. Damn, he was dangerous. “We keep communication open. If we don’t want this anymore, it can’t affect Kelsey. She’s the most important.”
Everett blinked. His voice softened. “Agreed.”
“I think that’s it. Anything else?”
“When can we see each other again?”
“Depends on your busy schedule, Suit.”
Amusement tinged his smile. “You have a surf lesson tomorrow, right?”
“Yes.”
“I’ll be there to watch. After, I’ll head to the office, have dinner with Kels, and come to you when she heads to bed.”
Rowan nodded. Her stomach danced with nerves and something much headier. “Sounds good.”
His heated gaze held wicked intention. “Oh, I promise. It will be.”
Then he grabbed her hand and led her off the beach.