Making Waves: A Perfect Kisses Novella (4 page)

And then he’d kissed her and she’d kissed him back like their plane was going down.

More professional curiosity, Juss?

“I appreciate this,” she said as Will slid behind the wheel. “Thanks.”

“You’re welcome, though you’re not giving me much of a choice.” He fired up the ignition and Justin Timberlake’s falsetto voice shot out of the speakers.

“I see you’re still an unabashed fan of pop music,” she noted with a smile, hoping to relax him with non-surfing conversation.

“Quite unabashed,” he agreed, returning her smile, though he turned down the music all the way. He rested a hand on her headrest while he backed out of his parking space. She could smell the salt on his skin, causing the back of her throat to ache at a sensory memory.

A few people honked and waved as he pulled onto the road. “How about we grab a late lunch?” he suggested. “I’m pretty starving.”

“I’ll bet you are. You were completely amazing. I’m still feeling chills.”

“Yeah?” A corner of his mouth pulled up into a cocky smile.

“When you were
surfing
.” She glanced down at her notebook, hoping her face wasn’t as beet red as it felt. “I was paying close attention since I’m writing about it.”

“Right.” Will rubbed his square, smooth jaw. “Well, every restaurant is going to be packed because of the Eddie. We can go to my hotel. It’s got a huge patio with a view.”

Justine’s heart gave an erratically hard thump, then her blood kind of sizzled on its way through her veins. She wasn’t sure if her body was reacting with caution to the idea of going to his room, or responding to the excitement of being alone with him. Her racing pulse told her it was the latter—which she knew darn well was the more reckless of the two.

“Sounds heavenly,” she said.

Wow. For a blackmailer, you kind of suck.

Ten minutes later, Will passed through the gates of Turtle Bay Resort. He pulled up to valet parking and tossed the keys to one attendant while another opened Justine’s door. Everyone called him Mr. Ryder, except when they approached a group of teenagers doing landscaping off to the side.

“Hey ya, Chase,” one of the kids said to Will. He looked about sixteen and had shaggy, sun-bleached hair and dark eyes that displayed an exotic blending of Polynesia. “So…
damn
, man, heard ya lost.” He put a hand on Will’s shoulder and grinned.

Will shrugged. “Can’t win ‘em all.”

The kid pointed his chin at Justine. “Who’s the bunny?”

“Don’t be an ass, Anton. The
lady’s
name is Justine, and she’s both hands-off and eyes-off.” Will pointed at the rest of the guys, then Justine felt his hand go to the small of her back. She automatically leaned into it. “That goes for all of you.”

“Bro, enough said.” Anton chuckled. “We know not to mess with Chase Ryder. Ooooh.” He wiggled his fingers at Will like he was casting a magic spell.

Will chuckled under his breath. “Wise ass,” he muttered as he hooked an arm around Justine’s waist, starting to draw her away. He was being protective in a…boyfriend-like way.

She should
not
have enjoyed it.

“Tell your mom I’ll be by to pick up eggs tomorrow,” Will added. “And you guys’ll be at the Pipeline for dawn patrol?”

“Dude, you know we never miss a Sunday morning surf.”

“See ya then.” Will and Anton bumped fists.

“Later,” Anton said, then his eyes slid to Justine. “You, too,
ipo
—
ouch
.” The kid’s expression twisted as Will’s hand clamped over his shoulder. “Yo, just messing.”

“Find someone your own age,
kaikua`ana
,” Will said with a fiendish smile, releasing his grip. “Let’s go,” he said to Justine, pulling her closer to his side. The sideways glance he gave her accompanied by the smile made her want to do that teenage giggle again.

“Eggs?” she couldn’t help asking as they started off down the path.

“Anton’s family runs a chicken farm in La’ie, five generations. Best eggs on the island. We give each other shit, but he’s like a little brother to me. We have Christmas dinner with them every year.”

Justine stopped walking and stared at him. “I…” she began, but then broke off. This was not an inquisition aimed at Will Davenport, though the more time she spent with him, the more questions she had.

“This way,” he said, waiting for her on a path that didn’t go into the main lobby, but around the side.

“You’re not staying in the hotel?”

“I am, just not in those rooms.”

Justine walked with him through an outside courtyard. The soft air smelled of exotic flowers and the salty sea. Will headed down another path toward a cluster of cabins only steps from the beach.

“After you,” he said, opening the door to the first cabin.

It wasn’t huge, about the same size as a normal hotel room, but the view was absolutely breathtaking. Without thinking, Justine breezed past Will and walked straight through to the lanai.

“My gosh.” She stepped onto the terrace. “It’s stunning.”

“Yes, you are.”

She stopped and turned around. Will was still standing by the open door, his gaze meeting hers from across the room. The expression in his brown eyes made her heart speed up all over again, and her fickle fingers started to twitch.

Chapter Four

He hadn’t meant to blurt it out like that, but any red-blooded man would have said the same thing. There were no two ways about it: Justine was stunning. Though maybe it wasn’t the most appropriate thing to say to a woman he hadn’t seen in a year. But again, it was a reflex.

“Well,
that
was subtle,” he said, going for self-deprecating. “You’ve probably noticed, I’m as smooth as ever.”

Smooth, yeah
. He’d felt about as smooth as a damn octopus when he’d grabbed her and kissed her on the beach like that. What had he been thinking?

Hell, he hadn’t been thinking—that was the problem. He’d seen her standing there on the other side of the rope and then he’d followed a physical reflex too strong to fight.

The way she’d responded to his kiss, though, had been a very pleasant shock. He’d felt her surprise, but then she’d held onto him just as tightly as he’d been holding her. If his handler hadn’t tapped his side, Will was certain he would have pulled Justine’s soft body over those ropes and carried her off.

“Got any Justin Beaver on your iPod we could play?” she said, running a hand over one of the patio chairs.

Will laughed. “I do have a line,” he said, finally entering the room and joining her on the patio. “Justin Beaver is way past it. And I think it’s
Bieber
.”

She tilted her head. “Are you sure?”

He frowned in thought for a moment. “No.”

When Justine burst out in a lilting laugh, powerful heat spread through Will’s chest. He had to take a few steadying breaths, then he folded his arms and gazed down at her.

“What?” she asked, tucking a chunk of hair behind an ear, looking nervous.

No, not nervous, that was just Will’s imagination. She was being careful with him, careful and professional and detached—which was exactly what he deserved. He hadn’t invited her to his room to break through the professional wall between them. Though having her here now, that notion sat squarely at the front of his mind.

“It’s great to see you again,” he finally answered. “I still can’t believe it.”

“It is kind of coincidental.”

Coincidental
. He inwardly scoffed. So many times in the past year he’d thought about her and the unfair way he’d ended things. Six months ago—six months after the last time he’d seen her—he’d hoped enough time had passed and he could finally tell her the truth…that he spent half of his life in the water. But then he’d worried that might hurt her all over again, when she might be healing instead. He couldn’t do that to her.

“Can I ask you a question?” she said, looking appealingly nervous again.

He couldn’t help laughing. “Ask whatever you’d like.” At hearing his own words, the chuckle in his throat died.

The interview
.

For five magical minutes, he’d forgotten. Being around Justine was throwing him off.

Except for that first year of irresponsible debauchery, Chase Ryder had never given an interview, never had a photo op. At fifteen, he’d thrived on that kind of notoriety, being the newest hotshot on Oahu. But when his reckless behavior caused his mother to suffer, his entire life changed. Since then, he’d made damn sure to keep the personas of Will and Chase separate.

Yet here he was, at the mercy of a Los Angeles-based reporter. If Justine wanted to, she could ruin life as he knew it, and all because—a year ago—he’d been desperate to spare her feelings and not hurt her more than she had been hurting at the time.

“That’s what we’re here for,” he added after taking a deep breath. He lifted an eyebrow and pulled out a chair for her to sit. “The interview.”

“Right,” she said, although she seemed to be thinking of something else. “Let me just grab my notepad.” She dashed to where she’d dropped her purse by the door.

“How long are you on the island?” Will asked.

“Two more days,” she said, digging through her purse.

“You said you’re on vacation. Did you come alone or with friends?”

“Alone, but visiting a friend.”

“Female friend?” he couldn’t help tagging on.

She lifted her chin and looked at him. “Hey, who’s interviewing who?”

Will chuckled. “Sorry. I just…it’s been a while since we’ve seen each other.”

And whose fault is that?

Justine returned to the patio and sat across from him, placing her notebook on the table. Looking very professional—like a reporter. Will tried to ignore the heavy rock of dread in his stomach. He did not want to do this.

“Female friend,” she stated quietly, staring down at her notebook. He caught the tiny smile tugging at the corner of her mouth. It made him smile in return, and suddenly that rock didn’t seem as heavy.

“Anyway.” She turned to a clean sheet of paper. “Tell me, Chase Ryder”—she shot him a smile that cut into his heart—“why did you retire?”

He cleared this throat and sat back in his chair.
Here goes nothing.

“About a year ago, at the beginning of the winter season, I had a…well, I guess you’d call it a crisis of faith. I was at the top of my game, everything was going great, but it was like I didn’t have the heart, I didn’t love it like I should. Chasing the big waves like I do, your head has to be in the game, otherwise, it can be dangerous.”

“Dangerous,” Justine repeated in a low voice, not meeting his eyes.

Will was about to go on, but he hesitated, wanting to come at it from another angle. “Which is why I stopped competing mid-season. I don’t get a high from taking foolish risks. I’m not a daredevil, Juss.” He waited until she looked up at him. “I respect the ocean and its potential dangers. For what I do, I’m as safe as they come.”

She nodded slowly. “I see,” she said, her eyes turning toward the beach. After a moment, Will could see her shoulders drop a bit, like she’d been tense up until now. Then she began to intermittently scribble on her notepad and suck on the end of her pen.

Damn lucky pen
.

“So you had this crisis of faith. Can you tell me why?” When he didn’t answer, she looked up. “Will?”

“Oh, um.” He pried his gaze away from her mesmerizing mouth. “I don’t know what it was. Nothing happened that I can put my finger on.”

“You just…lost the love.”

He nodded, looking into her blue eyes.

She put down her pen. “A year ago? Was that the same time we…” Suddenly, she glanced away, blinking rapidly as darkness furrowed her brow.

Will knew exactly what she was thinking. Now that he considered it, when he’d decided to retire from professional surfing was about the same time he’d ended things with her. Because of the way he’d handled it, he’d been pissed off at himself, but until now, he hadn’t thought the two events were connected.

They obviously were.

“Off the record,” he said, leaning his elbows on the table between them, “Chase was my grandfather’s name. Ryder is what the guys called me when we were kids. It’s what I’ve always gone by here.”

Justine’s pen hovered over her notebook. “Where did you grow up?”

“Malibu. And that’s back on the record.”

“So you’ve been surfing your whole life?” she asked, writing again. He was glad he’d pulled her away from what was making her sad.

“Swimming before I could walk, but I didn’t pick up surfing ‘til I was twelve. My parents divorced and my mother moved here to Hawaii. I visited every summer vacation and for a month in the winter. The waves are amazing. I fell in love.”

“Love,” she repeated.

It was a sweet kind of torture—the way she looked, her loose hair blowing, the turquoise ocean her backdrop, the word “love” hanging off the lips he’d kissed. When he opened his mouth, he was tempted to say “stunning,” and then pull her onto his lap.

But he wouldn’t revert to octopus mode. Justine was relaxed, maybe even trusting him again. A little. If he told her the truth about that night, maybe she would understand why he’d left. Maybe she’d even forgive him. He looked at her face, her blue eyes, remembering the fun they’d had together, and the first time he’d held her hand, the way she’d made his head buzz like he was sixteen again.

The realization was like being hit on the head by a coconut.

Justine had to forgive him. He wanted a second chance. Will always swore he would never do an interview, but if giving one to Justine might give him that chance…

That’s one hell of a live volcano you want to climb
, he told himself.

She nibbled on her pen and laughed softly at one of the notes she was rereading. And suddenly, it wasn’t even a choice.

So, Will balled his hands into fists under the table and answered more questions for her article. In the middle of telling her about his most recent trip to Australia, she laughed again.

“What?”

“You.” She pointed her pen at him. “Sorry, I’m still trying to wrap my brain around
Chase
being Will. You’re different, but…” Her eyes gazed away for a moment. “But the same. Huh, maybe it’s the tan.”

He chuckled. “I am the same. Honestly, it’s not something I think about anymore. During the winter when I’m here or in South America, I’m Chase. I work my day job, but it’s mobile, so I can do both without warping my surf bum image.” He grinned. “In the summer when the Pacific is warmer, I’m in L.A. Most days, I go to meetings and appointments just like any working stiff.”

While he spoke, he was trying very hard to ignore the devil on his shoulder who kept whispering that it was pretty dumbass to spill his life story to a reporter.

“Well, this is great.” Justine leaned back in her chair, looking chill and completely at home with the sky and beach behind her. The one-hour interview she’d asked for had stretched to two hours, and Will had barely noticed. “You have no idea how much I appreciate this,” she added. “I hope it wasn’t too painful.”

“I’d like to say it was out of the kindness of my big heart, but we both know that’s not true.”

“I wish I could apologize for that, but…” She slid a finger across her notebook, then tapped her nails. “Leading this story with how you have two separate lives is the way I know I should go. That’s good journalism.”

“Justine…”

“It’s a huge story, Will. I need a huge story. But I haven’t forgotten your side of the bargain.” She ran a hand over her forehead, kneading a fist into her temple. “There’re holes in my memory only you can fill. I promise to not include your real name if you fill those holes.”

The devil was whispering again.

“How will I know you kept your promise?” Will asked. “Are you going to let me read it first?”

She scoffed a laugh. “Yeah, right.”

Will spread his hands. “I’m just supposed to trust you?”

“Yes.”

Now was his turn to scoff. “No go. I promise to tell you everything that happened that night, only
after
you turn in your story.”

Her mouth froze pre-rebuttal.

“Not cool being blackmailed, is it?” he said, grinning.

After a moment, she smiled and rolled her eyes. “I suppose that’s fair. Can I ask you one more thing? Off the record.” Her voice was quieter than before. “It’s kind of personal.”

“Okay.”

She sank her teeth into her full bottom lip, quite distractingly. “Tell me, how does it feel…you know…when you’re out there riding the waves like that?”

Will felt a natural smile spread across his face. “Off the record?” he asked. She nodded. “Exhilarating—on crack. A roller coaster or flying, being pushed and pulled. I’m connected to my board, tied to earth, but lighter than air, thrusting like a rocket, then weightless.” For a second, he was far away, lost in his own thoughts. “For me, it’s a rush…but it’s more than physical. It’s intellectual, an emotional high…heady and wet…like you’re screaming on the brink of the hottest—”

He stopped before finishing the comparison.

When he looked at her, Justine’s eyes were round and wide, like they’d been strapped together on the same ride.

“Yeah,” she said after a moment, a corner of her pink mouth curling into a smile. “That’s what it looked like to me, too.” She exhaled and stood, moving toward the edge of the patio. Her little yellow dress blew in the breeze. “I miss it sometimes,” she murmured softly, as if speaking to herself.

“Miss what?”

He noticed her shoulders tense up again and he wondered what he’d said wrong.

“Nothing. It’s stupid.”

“I just compared surfing to hot sex,” Will said, pushing a hand through his hair, feeling sand between his fingers. “Nothing you say can embarrass you now.”

Justine laughed. “It’s not embarrassing, but thank you for telling me about the hot sex. I’ll add it to my story…give it that human element readers love.”

“Great,” Will said with a chuckle.

“Anyway, the way you talked about surfing and being in the ocean.” She gazed toward the waves. “I haven’t been in the water for a while.”

“Not at all?” He suspected this already, but he was curious. “The Justine Simms I knew was a water bug. You talked about learning to scuba dive.”

She shook her head. “It scares me.”

Will heard the hitch in her voice. His chest tightened, understanding what she meant and why she was now afraid of the ocean.

So, she’d followed through with it…her promise to never swim again. Back then, he’d hoped it was nothing more than a drunken rambling.

Evil
, he remembered.
She called it and everything that touched it evil
.

His mind rushed back to that last night they’d spent together. The intensity of it. The sorrow and fear and confusion. Also, how she’d clung to him, begged him to stay. And how he’d given in. Had he made the right decision? He still wasn’t sure. All he knew was he’d done what he thought was best, and now he was living with the consequences.

“I miss it. Especially being here.” She leaned forward, resting her elbows on the ledge. “I mean, is there a more beautiful sight than this?” She gestured toward the ocean.

Without realizing it, he was on his feet, moving to her side. “You miss it but you’re afraid.”

She twisted her neck and tipped her chin to meet his eyes, her hair tumbling over her shoulder. “Yes.”