Riding the Wave: A Pacific Blue Novel by Lorelie Brown

Author:Lorelie Brown [Brown, Lorelie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780451468420
Amazon: 0451468422
Publisher: Signet
Published: 2014-07-01T14:00:00+00:00

Chapter 21

The fact that Avalon was still annoyed with Tanner the next day didn’t surprise him. What freaked him out to hell and gone was how much it bothered him.

“You sure you don’t want me to smile and say cheese?” He knew it was the last thing in the world she wanted, but at least the question got a look from her.

The family surf shop wasn’t a huge venue, but an hour before the place opened, its emptiness took over. The long, narrow place smelled of surf wax, salt, and a hint of coconut. Racks and shelves were filled with everything water-related. Shorts, bikinis, flip-flops. The back quarter was devoted to Sage’s boards, a few demonstration pieces along the walls.

In the center of the room, toward the huge plate-glass window, sat the squared-off front counter. Tanner claimed a spot where the corner curved. His hand brushed the side of the register.

He couldn’t even count how many afternoons he’d spent working that register, counting out change to tourists. It hadn’t been his favorite activity.

Watching Avalon fling attitude around as she evaluated her cameras was almost enough to drown out the memories of a teenager affected with permanent wanderlust. The girl was certainly cute when she was annoyed.

With an impatient hand, she flicked her long bangs out of her eyes, then slanted him some decent side-eye. For all her irritation, she didn’t seem capable of exactly ignoring him either.

He hadn’t ever liked being ignored, so that was a definite win.

“You,” she said, wagging a long, black lens at him, “are an asshole.”

He grinned. “And you’re not very good at maintaining the silent treatment.”

“I wasn’t giving you the silent treatment. I was keeping my mouth closed until I had something nice to say. Your own mother taught me that.”

“Calling me an asshole is something nice?” Surprise lifted his brows. “I’m not sure I want to know what you’re holding back.”

She tucked lenses and cameras back into her bag with precise, sharp moves. Everything had a padded slot and little zippered compartments kept tiny pieces in order.

The slim T-shirt she wore rose up in the back as she bent to tuck her camera case beneath the counter. Her spine was a delicate curve, and her khaki shorts dipped enough to reveal the dimples at the base of her spine.

Tanner slipped off the counter, his feet slapping on the ground. He rested his hands behind himself on the counter. No matter how much he wanted to touch her, he couldn’t. Not yet.

He had no doubt he’d get back in her panties before too long. If it hadn’t been for a meeting he’d had with one of his sponsors, he’d have devoted his whole morning to Avalon.

God only knew she was a damned sight better time than practically everything else in his life.

Like the fact that his knees groaned in protest when he hopped off the counter. Old man. At thirty-one. It was beyond ridiculous.

But the five-mile run this morning had taken a lot out of him.

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