Make Me Forget (2 page)

“I can’t believe how bad the traffic can be trying to get through The Hamptons,” Tyler said sarcastically. He laughed, recalling Matt’s warning. He’d told him to leave a good few extra hours early, but Tyler hadn’t listened. He’d thought it was ludicrous. Tyler had wanted to spend his last few hours in the water, not in a car. “No big deal, mate. It’s not like staying here is a hardship.” Tyler raised his beer and clinked it with Matt’s.

“I’m going to head out. Are you hitting the waves tomorrow?” Tyler asked, downing the rest of his beer.

“Absolutely. I got some shark biscuits to teach first thing in the morning, then I’m free the rest of the day.”

“Great. See you then.”

Tyler enjoyed the mile-and-a-half walk back to the condo. It was just past midnight and a gorgeous, clear July night. The sky was full of stars. He walked along the road where only the sand dunes separated him from his love and passion. The sound of the ocean waves crashing always soothed him. He pondered his life. He felt at ease with almost everything. He loved his job, had a wonderful family and good friends, but there was still a void in his heart. He hoped it would be filled one day with the love he wanted. He could hear his mother’s voice.
Why don’t you
try one of those online dating sites?
His sister and other staff members at the school were always trying to fix him up with someone. He’d tried it a few times, and the dates hadn’t gone well at all. He was twenty-eight years old and wasn’t out searching for the love of his life, but putting it in the hands of fate.
It will happen when it is supposed to
. Perfection couldn’t be rushed.

When he arrived back to the condo, he could still hear the rhythm of the ocean waves through his open window. Sure it was hot out, but he didn’t care. He would rather have the windows open with a light breeze and hear those waves than have the air conditioning blasting through his room. He stripped off all of his clothes and settled in for a nightcap.

* * * *

Tyler was awakened by the sun beaming through his window. It felt like he had just shut his eyes. He looked at the clock, and it was a bit past seven. He took a deep breath and swore he smelled coffee brewing. Perhaps it was just his need for caffeine playing tricks on him, or the way the wind was blowing through his window.

He got up and sauntered out to the kitchen, stark naked. It was how he’d slept, how he always did. He made his way around the corner and froze.

Standing in his kitchen, lightly tapping her fingers on the countertop as she waited for the coffee to finish brewing, was the most beautiful woman he had ever laid eyes on. Her straight, light brown hair draped over her shoulders. She was wearing boy short panties, revealing the bottom curves of a sexy, plump ass, and a matching tank top.

Damn.

The side view of her breasts looked amazing in her tight shirt. She stood on her tiptoes reaching for a coffee mug from the top shelf. Tyler’s eyes traveled from the top of her head all the way down to her pointed toes. His breath hitched at the sight before him. All thoughts went out of his mind as he took a step…and tripped over the rug in the hallway.

Her eyes darted toward him, and she let out a high-pitched scream. She pulled a knife from the wooden block on the counter. “Stay back,” she yelled, holding the knife away from her, preparing for battle. “Who the hell are you?”

“Sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you.” Tyler put his hands in the air to show her he was unarmed and harmless. He tried to speak calmly to her, but his racing heart and the excitement he was experiencing was making it difficult. A small smile found his lips. This gorgeous woman was holding a knife to him and yelling at him, and it was turning him on.

The woman’s green eyes nearly bugged out of her head as she studied him.

Just then, Tyler realized he was naked. He quickly covered his junk—or tried to. His morning wood, turned full-on erection from seeing a beautiful woman in her panties and a tight-ass shirt, was not helping.

“Why are you in my condo?” she demanded to know.

“Your condo? It’s mine. I’ve been renting it for the past few weeks.”

She vigorously shook her head. “No, no, no. I just rented it a few days ago because it was available this weekend. The owner told me the renter left earlier than expected.”

“I told him I needed it
longer
than expected because I missed my flight home. Shit. I’m sorry. I—” Tyler took a step forward.

“Oh for crying out loud! Could you please put some pants on? I can’t talk to you while you’re naked!”

Tyler nodded and scurried back to his room to put on a pair of shorts.

When he came back, the beautiful woman was frantically pacing the kitchen, waving the knife around. “This can’t be happening. This
can’t
be happening! I am supposed to be unwinding. I have work to do. I have a fucking book to finish,” she ranted.

“What kind of book?” Tyler was curious.

She looked over at him. “What?”

“You said you have a book to finish.”

“That is none of your business,” she said firmly.

“I’m Tyler Barrow, by the way.” He stuck out his hand for her to shake. “Nice to meet you.”

She glanced at his hand and back at his face. “Paige.” She moved the knife to her other hand and shook his hand firmly.

“Does Paige have a last name, or are you like Madonna or Bono and only go by one name?” Tyler joked, but apparently she liked it since the most beautiful smile appeared on her face.

“Paige Mattheson.”

“Well, Paige Mattheson, nice to meet you. Now that we have made formal introductions, can you please put the knife down?”

Paige glanced at the knife. “Oh…sorry.” She replaced her weapon in the wooden block but remained close to it, as if she still didn’t know if he was a threat to her. “You scared the shit out of me. I was trying to protect myself.”

“I’m sorry for the mix up. I can call the owner and try to figure something out.”

“Thank you, Tyler. I would appreciate that.”

“So, are you a Madonna fan or a U2 fan?”

“Neither.”

Tyler cocked an eyebrow out of curiosity.

“I just found what you said ironic. My father made the exact same reference to Madonna and Bono when I told him the pen name I had chosen,” Paige explained.

Tyler smiled. He got the impression she didn’t want to talk about her work, but if he had his way, he would find out everything he could about her. Even first thing in the morning in her pajamas and before coffee, she was absolutely beautiful. There was something else about her, aside from her natural beauty—something about her captivated him.

“I need to get dressed and run to the market for some groceries.”

Tyler nodded. Paige went to her room to get dressed. When she returned, she was covered up a little more, dressed in a pair of shorts and a tank top with her swimsuit underneath. He still thought she looked striking with her hair all twisted up and clipped at the top of her head. She appeared to have no makeup on, and he was in awe of her.

She excused herself and walked out of the door. Even though he felt a little creepy, he watched her through the window as she grabbed a bike from the storage unit to peddle to the local market in town.

Tyler looked around the condo and was embarrassed at the condition she’d seen the place in. It wasn’t horrible, but he was certain she had to have been shocked when she walked in and saw dishes left lying around and sand scattered all over the floor. He took some time to tidy up. It was the least he could do. He wanted to impress her, and he thought this was a good way to start.

Less than an hour later, she walked in with two bags in her hand.

She glanced around the place. “You cleaned?” she asked with a small smile.

“A little. Sorry about the condition of the place before. Obviously, I wasn’t expecting any guests.”

“Thank you. I appreciate that. Did you get a hold of him?” she questioned as she put some food in the cupboard.

“Who?”

“The owner.”

“Oh, um… I called a few times, but no one answered. I left messages at both numbers.”

He’d lied.

He didn’t want either of them making other arrangements. The attraction and pull he felt to Paige was strong. He couldn’t explain it, but he was certain it—she—was something he wanted to explore.

She frowned and bit her lip.

He found her so fucking adorable. He wanted to pull her into his arms and taste her.

“You know, this is a two-bedroom unit,” he reminded her.

“Yeah, so?” she said with an attitude.

“Well, I am not here most of the day. I spend my days at the beach. I’m usually just here to sleep. Do you think we can put up with each other as roommates for a few days?”

Paige let out a frustrating sigh.
Do I have a choice?
She could call some hotels, but they’d been really expensive when she’d looked online, and she’d already paid for this place. “As long as you give me space and quiet time during the day, I guess we can try to make it work. It
is
only for a few days,” she grudgingly agreed.

Tyler smiled at her. He walked over to her groceries and pulled out a bagel. He took a bite, and his grin grew larger.

She scowled at him. “Really? Stealing my food? Well,
roomie
, aren’t we off to a great start?”

“I’ll make it up to you when I take you out for a nice dinner tonight.” Tyler winked at her and walked out of the door without allowing her any time to protest.

Paige stood there with her mouth gaped open. “What the hell just happened here?” She shook her head in amazement. He’d just asked her out on a date. No, he hadn’t actually asked, he’d
told
her. They knew nothing about each other except for their names, and Paige knew what his package looked like. Sure she was impressed with it, but she already found him annoying. She hoped he would keep to his word and give her quiet space during the day. Her career was depending on it.

Paige grabbed her laptop and some stuff for the beach and walked across the street. It wasn’t ideal to have her laptop near the sand and water, but she would just have to be extra careful. She was determined to get inspired and kick the worst case of writer’s block she’d ever had.

She walked up and over the small sand dune and saw the incredible body of water with its roaring waves. The beach was fairly empty for the time being, and she was grateful for the peace and quiet.

She spread a blanket on the sand far enough back to account for high tide, which was due to arrive around lunchtime, according to the tide table app she’d downloaded on her phone. After she lathered herself up with sunblock, she logged on to her laptop and looked at the screen. Her fingers lingered over the keys. She stared at it some more. She reread the last paragraph for the fifteenth time.

Nothing.

Her mind was still blank. She grunted out her frustrations and looked around the beach for a while trying to find something—anything—that would trigger her creativity.

Still nothing.

With a frustrated sigh, Paige closed her laptop then put it back in her bag. She took a walk to the water, barely dipping her toes in to test the temperature. Pleased with its warmth, she walked in a little more. She let the waves rush over her feet, hoping they would wash away some of her stress. She licked her lips, tasting the salty air. With her hands on her hips and her sunglasses on her face, she stared out across the ocean, hoping to find answers and inspiration. The seascape seemed endless, but she knew better. Across the deep sea was another land—a safe haven of sorts from the volatile waves. As the saying went,
life is a journey, not a destination.
Paige had always felt each and every destination made the journey of life—sometimes you felt like you were drowning. Other times you rode out the waves. She had lost track of herself for a while and was set to find her next stop.

A small gust of wind brought her mind back to the present. She pushed some loose hairs out of her face and smiled a genuine smile. It was definitely beautiful and peaceful in Montauk. Here, she was certain she would find herself again.

She picked up a few seashells as she walked back to her blanket, admiring the various curves of each shell. Each one was different, but they were all interesting and beautiful to her, even the broken ones.

Paige lay on her belly and reached for the book she’d bought in New London, hoping some reading would trigger her story.

* * * *

Deep in her book’s dream world of a handsome hero rescuing an attractive woman, Paige was suddenly distracted by the noises that were growing around her. Returning to her reality, she squinted against the sun to see what all the ruckus was about. She found a bunch of surfers carrying on as they walked out of the water. She went back to her novel, in the midst of a steamy scene.

“Paige?”

The voice sounded all too familiar to her, one she’d recently discovered earlier that morning. She looked up and saw her naked intruder. Although this time, he was wet, wearing blue and yellow board shorts and carrying a surfboard. She was much calmer than she’d been after he’d scared the shit out of her this morning, and she wasn’t nearly as pissed off anymore. Now, she was
really
noticing him—all of him. His brown hair had blond sun-kissed streaks running through it. His eyes were as blue as the ocean he stood before. His body was lean and built.

Damn, it must be the sex scene I just read.

“Hey, Tyler,” she tried to say with little enthusiasm. She had to mask the heat that was settling between her legs.
It’s just the heat from the sun
, she tried to convince herself.

“Is that her, mate?”

Tyler nodded as the left side of his lips curved up. He gestured for the guys to leave. He put his board in the sand beside her blanket and took a seat, dripping water everywhere.

Paige immediately grabbed her bag, pulling it to a dry spot far away from Tyler. He gave her a funny look.

“My laptop is in here. I don’t want you getting it all wet,” she explained as he settled onto the blanket. “So, I take it you came to Montauk to surf.”