Chapter 5
5
H er first look at the Pacific Ocean up close made Maddie forget all about being annoyed with Garrett. The water was simply breathtaking…smooth as glass and so very blue. She’d never been out west before and she couldn’t help a little sigh of pleasure at the thought of spending the day admiring it. Her toes hit the soft white sand and she paused, breathing in deeply and taking a moment to look around .
“It’s beautiful, right?” Garrett spoke behind her and she smiled .
“Yes. Just as pretty as the pictures… I may never leave .”
He laughed. “That’s how I feel every time I come .”
They continued to the cabana he’d reserved and she dropped her bag on the wooden floor. It was about ten square feet with a tented top and two chaise lounges with padded cushions. A small table rested between them with several beach towels stacked on it .
“Umbrella up or down?” Garrett asked her .
“I’m from Canada and October is basically winter,” she snorted. “I need all the sun I can get !”
“You got it .”
He adjusted the tent flaps with some kind of lever that opened everything for them as she put a towel on one of the chairs .
“And I’m officially on vacation!” She put her sunglasses on and started rubbing sunscreen into her skin. She was going to enjoy the sun, the sand, and the water she couldn’t wait to swim in. Maybe Mr. Tall-Tattooed-And-Not-Flirting would loosen up after getting a little sun .
T wo hours later, Maddie was more frustrated than relaxed. How had a simple kiss gone so wrong? One minute they were all over each other, the next he was putting on the brakes so fast she could almost hear tires squealing across the tiled floors. Though it seemed like nothing on this vacation was going to go according to plan, he was pushing her away for a specific reason and she wished she knew what it was. If he was telling the truth, and he wasn't involved with someone, she couldn’t imagine what the issue was. He was definitely attracted to her, which only proceeded to confuse her further. Why was he pulling back? They had genuine chemistry—that kiss had been hot—despite the short amount of time they’d known each other .
He was extremely good-looking but not arrogant. He obviously had money but didn’t throw it around or try to impress her with it beyond helping her out of the situation she’d been in. More than that, he was down-to-earth. Even though he said he had a complicated life, he didn’t act like it; he acted like a good guy who was going through a hard time. She hadn’t seen him drink or smoke, and he’d gone for a long run this morning. He seemed fit, healthy and intelligent, with money to spare and good manners. What could possibly make him refuse no-strings vacation sex if he was single? He was right that it was out of character for her to sleep with a guy she barely knew, and that she would most likely have regrets, but she already had years of regrets about things she hadn’t done. Maybe this kind of experience would breathe new life into what had become a very stagnant existence .
With a huff, she turned onto her stomach to get some sun on her back. They’d been here for a couple of hours and hadn’t really said much of anything to each other. He’d gone with her when she’d cooled off in the water, but even then, they’d been almost painfully polite together. Had one kiss ruined a chance for them to even forge a friendship ?
“You sound pretty sexually frustrated over there,” Garrett murmured, eyes closed and hands behind his head .
She snapped her head to the side to glare at him. “ What ?!”
“All that huffing and puffing…sounds like you’re mad at me .”
“I’m not. I’m just hot .”
“That you are .”
“Is this how we go back to flirting?” she asked wryly, lifting to one elbow and looking over at him .
“Yup.”
He still hadn’t looked at her and she scowled. “I’m going in the water,” she muttered, lifting to her feet. It really was hot and the water looked inviting. Besides, she was dying for a long swim. Without looking back, she walked through the sand and splashed into the glassy water. She’d never been in water so smooth and clear, without so much as a ripple. It was cool enough to be refreshing too, and she dove in as soon as she was deep enough. With strong, steady strokes she headed out towards the horizon. The weather was perfect and it was a great opportunity to test her strength and endurance. The pool at her gym was good for exercise and building her stamina, but there was no real way to test herself .
She loved to swim, but living in Toronto meant people were far more focused on winter sports than something like swimming. It existed, of course, but with two brothers who played hockey there hadn’t been time for her parents to lug her around to pools or swim meets. That was okay—it’s not like she could have had a career as a professional swimmer—but she wished she’d had a chance to show how good she was at any sport. Her brothers’ rooms had been lined with awards and trophies from almost every level of hockey; her achievements had all been academic. She’d played hockey too in the beginning, but playing with other girls had paled in comparison to what her brothers did, so she’d quit sports altogether and focused on school. She still swam, though, and she’d been looking forward to testing herself in the open waters of the Pacific .
By the time she stopped, she realized she’d come a long way and was pretty far out. It was strikingly beautiful, the shore lining with the tops of palm trees and the horizon an endless sheet of blue and green. She could stay out here treading water for hours, she thought, looking around. The sun would scorch her pale skin if she didn’t reapply sunscreen soon, though, and she didn’t want her heart rate to slow down too much, so she turned towards shore. She’d just put her face in the water when strong arms gripped her about the waist. She gasped, ready to kick out in protest when she recognized Garrett’s dog tag tattoo .
“What are you doing?!” she demanded, shaking water out of her eyes .
“What the hell are you doing?!” he countered. “The lifeguard was blowing his whistle for you to turn around and everybody on the beach thinks you’re on a suicide mission !”
“What are you talking about?” she yelled. “I’m an endurance swimmer—I swim at my gym at least ten hours a week and try to take one trip a year to somewhere I can test myself in an ocean! I’m not trying to commit suicide, you idiot !”
H e blinked, staring into her furious face in confusion. What the hell was an endurance swimmer? Was that a thing? This probably wasn’t a good time to ask her, though; she looked pretty mad and he was starting to feel foolish .
“I swam out to make sure you were okay but I think they were going to…” His voice trailed off as a lifeguard approached them on a jet ski .
“Miss, you’re not supposed to swim beyond the buoy,” he said with a frown .
“I’m sorry.” She spoke in a polite tone he hadn’t heard before. “I’m a strong, capable swimmer and this is how I build my endurance. I’m planning to do a triathlon next year so I swim like this any chance I get—it never occurred to me I would worry anyone .”
“You’re doing a triathlon?” Hawk asked in surprise .
“Yes.” Her voice was low but she gave him a dirty look. “Can I please swim back to shore? My heart rate has already dropped and if I sit out here treading water, I’m going to get sunburned .”
“Just be careful, miss,” the lifeguard said. “And let someone know if you’re going to come out this far .”
“Of course. I apologize for the inconvenience .”
“Need a ride back, sir?” the young man asked Hawk .
He scowled. “No, I’ll swim back with her. Thanks .”
“I don’t need a babysitter!” she ground out .
“You need to be kissed,” he murmured, reaching out to pull her close .
“Garrett!” She let out a little squeak as his lips claimed hers. Their tongues danced together deliciously, and it wasn’t until they began to sink that she pulled free. “Kissing you is nice,” she panted. “But I’d prefer not to drown doing it .”
“Just thought I’d help you get your heart rate back up,” he laughed. “ Ready ?”
Without a word, she turned her back on him and used powerful strokes to swim towards shore. He was surprised at how hard he had to work to keep up with her. She definitely had done this before and by the time they reached the beach, he hadn’t been sure he could finish. Sheer pride had kept him going since the idea of losing to her was unacceptable, but she’d beat him by a full minute anyway and he was impressed. He wondered if she could run and bike this well too .
She didn’t wait for him, trudging back to their cabana and digging a bottle of ice-cold water out of the cooler. She drank deeply and reached for a towel, wiping her face, chest and arms. She started to reapply sunscreen and arched her brows as he sank into the lounge chair breathing hard .
“Damn, baby, you’re amazing .”
She narrowed her eyes. “Are you being sarcastic ?”
He met her gaze, startled. “Uh, no. You’re really freakin’ amazing. It’s beautiful to watch the way you glide through the water like a damn fish. I’m a pro—well, I work out a lot and I couldn’t keep up. Doing a triathlon is pretty cool too. How do you train?” Her triathlon training was a safe subject and she told him about it as she lay back in the sun .
“Mostly I swim,” she admitted. “I run too, but I hate running indoors and it’s too cold a lot of the year to be outside .”
“And biking ?”
“That’s next. I think I’ve got the swimming and marathon parts down, but the biking is going to be an issue because I simply don’t have a place to do it. Especially in the winter. I did pretty well over the summer, but I was back and forth to Vegas to see my brother so not as much as I wanted. I don’t know how I’ll be ready for the race if I can’t find a place to really train .”
He ached to tell her about his buddy in L.A. who competed in bike races around the world, but that would only be another loose end he had to tie up when she found out who he was. It seemed as though everything was taking one step forward and two steps back when it came to her .
“I’m starving,” she said abruptly. “Can we get something to eat ?”
“The restaurant inside the hotel, the Golden Porpoise, is good, or we can order pizza or something. I can run up to the hotel and grab it when it arrives .”
“Sure.” She smiled over at him. “Pizza sounds great. Pepperoni okay ?”
He nodded. “A girl after my own heart .”