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Soon after I find myself with a beer in hand and swaying to some song.

Then Aaron picks me up and swings me over his shoulder and jogs to the ocean before dropping me in.

The cold water sobers my buzz up instantly.

Hell bent on revenge I stand up and kick my leg out sending the water flying out in his direction.

Aaron and I start a splash war which quickly leads to wrestling.

I give up when it becomes clear that I won’t be able to win.

As I leave the ocean, I spot Harlyn and decide to check in with her, but as I approach, I have a misstep as the most gorgeous human being I’ve ever seen catches my eye.

He is standing next to Jagger and I can see some similarities.

The same square jaw and chiseled cheekbones, dark hair, and tall.

This guy has to be at least 6’4” compared to my 5’1” frame. I’m a sucker for a tall guy.

I manage to get my mind straight and make my way to the group, but I swear I can feel the mystery guy’s eyes on me.

Once I join the group Harlyn introduces me to the new people.

The mystery guy is Axell James, Jagger’s older brother.

He’s even more gorgeous up close. He reminds of the Greek Gods you read about in the mythology books.

All night I hung around the group hoping to talk to Axell but shortly after I had joined the group a beautiful blonde walked up behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist. My heart fell, but of course someone as good looking as he is, has a girlfriend.

That makes sense. My jet lag starts to kick in a little while later and I’m barely able to keep my eyes open.

“Do you want a ride home?” I hear a deep voice ask.

The voice dances over my body like music and makes every nerve stand on end.

I look up and see Axell towering over me.

“You look like you’re about to fall asleep. ”

I laugh but it comes out airy and barely there. “A little jet lagged, that’s all.”

He smiles and even his smile is more perfect up close. “Well, I’m fixing to leave if you’d like a ride home. I promise I don’t bite, but if I do, I’ve had all my shots.”

I laugh, and it sounds normal this time. He’s handsome and funny, I’m a goner. “Well, I’m not against biting but I’m more worried about your girlfriend’s claws.” A look of confusion crosses his face. “Pretty blonde named Jemma.”

“Oh,” he says shaking his head. “She’s not my girlfriend so you’re good.”

Part me of me is screaming for me to go with him and the other is screaming this a horrible idea.

Of course, that little devil in me wins and I stand up and follow him to a car.

He opens the passenger side door and I as I pass by, I catch a whiff of his scent, oil and musk, who would have knew that those two scents would smell like heaven?

It’s masculine and natural. When he gets in the car, he tells me I can pick the radio station, but Lynyrd Skynyrd come over the speakers and I instantly start to sing along.

The song ends while we are sitting at a red light and my stomach picks now to roar like a lion. Axell laughs then takes a right, the opposite direction of my house. Before I get to ask, he pulls into a fast food drive-in that looks like it just came out of the 50s. “What is this place?”

“It’s Burt’s, best food in town.” He pulls in and a car hop appears. Axell orders two cheeseburgers with bacon, two large fries, and two chocolate milkshakes.

“What if I didn’t like chocolate?”

He turns to me and eyes me. “You love chocolate.”

“Do I now?” I ask.

He nods slowly. “You like the things that are deemed bad for you and you are not one to deny yourself the simple pleasures in life.”

His words shock me because they are so true.

Even with the warm breeze I have goosebumps covering my body.

I try to smile but I’m sure it looks forced.

Soon enough the food arrives. We eat in silence, nothing but the music from the drive-in speakers playing.

Axell is right, this is the best food. Afterward, he pulls out and heads to my house.

When he parks, he opens his door and walks around before I can tell him he doesn’t need to.

He opens my door and extends his hand to me.

The minute our skin meets it’s like my arm is on fire.

Butterflies attack my stomach. I get out on wobbly legs.

As I go to step up on the curb, I trip but Axell catches me, pulling me into his chest. Speechless, I look up into his eyes but up close they look like two different colors.

I move to my tiptoes to get a better look and sure enough his left eye is solid blue and the right eye is half blue and half hazel.

They are mysterious but hold sadness in them.

A look I recognize. Before I even realize he leans down and presses his lips to mine, moving one of his hands from my waist to my hair.

I’ve kissed my fair share of guys before, hell I’ve even thought I was in love before, but I’ve never had a kiss feel like this.

This kiss has my body on fire and my nerves standing at attention.

The world around me has ceased to exist. I’ve never had that feeling of becoming one with another person, but with Axell I swear that’s what we just did.

Axell pulls away from my lips but he’s only a breath away.

I’m breathless and by the look on his face I think he’s just as affected.

“Come with me,” he demands as his husky voice soothes my raging nerves. I simply nod not caring where we go.

We get back in the car then drive to a tiny playground in a pretty questionable area. He takes my hand as we walk to the swings. I sit down, and he starts to push me. “Why don’t you swing too?”

He comes around and sits beside me. “This used to be my favorite place in the world. My mom used to bring me and my brothers here every day. I grew up here. I played cops and robbers, superheroes, cowboys and Indians, my whole childhood was here. I remember my mom sitting under that tree with a picnic basket on long summer days. She’d be reading while we played for hours. ”

I smile, imaging Axell as a child, running and playing in this playground. “That sounds like a great memory to have.”

“My mom is dying so memories will be all I have soon enough,” he whispers.

My heart cries for him. This explains the sadness in his eyes.

I reach out and take his hand in mine as the sun starts to rise in the sky.

If I thought I knew anything before I was wrong, so wrong.

I didn’t know anything until Axell James gave me a ride home and changed my life.

The traffic starts to move again, and I let the memory slip from my mind. What happened to those two who loved each other so much?