Page 4 of Suddenly Beck

I hunker down as she licks my chin, her whole-body wagging. I rub her damp fur, sending her into paroxysms of delight.

‘What’s her name?’ I look up at him and find him watching me curiously.

‘Ursula,’ he replies. ‘Because she thinks she’s the Queen of the Ocean. You have no idea how often I have to fish her out of the sea.’

‘I, um.’ I swallow, suddenly nervous as he watches me. ‘I should get going.’ I stand quickly and move to pick up my backpack, which is still sitting at the edge of the dunes.

‘You staying around here?’ he asks, eying the huge backpack.

‘I, um, no… yes, maybe.’ I hesitate.

‘Well, which is it?’ He smiles in amusement. ‘Yes, no or maybe?’

‘I just got here, and I haven’t found a place to stay yet,’ I tell him. ‘I don’t suppose there’s a hotel or something close by?’

‘Just up over the dunes to the left, follow the road up past the little blue cottage and at the top of the hill is a B&B. Big white building, just ask for Molly.’

‘Um, thanks.’ I turn, but before I’ve taken two steps, I pause and turn back. ‘Thanks, by the way.’ I flush. ‘For saving my life.’

‘You’re welcome,’ he replies, studying me thoughtfully. ‘Next time, don’t get so close to the edge during a storm.’

‘Lesson learned.’ I smile and turn away.

‘Hey, Lieutenant Dan,’ he calls out, causing me to stop and glance back toward him once again. ‘What’s your name?’

I stare at him for a moment. ‘Nat,’ I finally answer before turning and hurrying up and over the dunes until I can no longer feel his hot gaze trickling down my spine.

Chapter Two

Beck

‘In the words of Madonna, I’ll take my chance on a beautiful stranger.’

I find myself watching the dark-haired stranger scramble up and over the dunes nervously before disappearing out of sight. My lips purse speculatively as I continue to stare in his direction even though I can no longer see him.

Nat…I roll the name on my tongue experimentally, a smile tugging at my lips. A loud almost mocking bark draws my attention, and I look down to find Ursula tilting her head and staring at me, her pink tongue lolling out of the side of her mouth as if she’s somehow laughing at me.

‘What?’ I shrug as I stare at my dog.

She barks again, standing suddenly, her tail thumping against my leg.

‘Okay fine, you win.’ I roll my eyes. ‘Let’s go.’

I turn and scoop up my discarded jacket and shoes. It’s really not worth putting them back on considering I’m soaked to the skin and covered in wet sand, which is now sticking to me in clumps. Dusting the worse of it off and leaving my hand feeling gritty, I wander back down the beach slowly. The rain, although now a fine mist rather than a hammering downpour, doesn’t bother me. I was born and bred in the Bay, and I’m well used to the temperamental weather and having sand stuck in unfortunate places.

I think back to the pretty man I’d just fished out of the ocean, all that dark curling hair and pale olive skin, a slim face and full, slightly, bee stung lips. I swallow hard trying not to think about those lips as they’d parted on a panting breath, or how soft and inviting they’d looked, it draws my imagination to places it has no business going. That pretty face of his is certainly tempting, but what really caught my attention, and won’t let go, are his eyes. They’re a pale and shocking shade of blue, a striking contrast to his dark hair as they’d stared back at me.

I shake my head feeling slightly unsettled. I probably shouldn’t have yelled at the poor guy. He’d almost drowned after all, and it was bound to have shaken him up. It’d certainly shaken me the hell up. I’d seen him climb down from the dunes and drop his backpack on the sand, pausing almost in awe as he watched the storm-tossed sea. I couldn’t blame him, after all it’s a hell of a show. Mother nature in all of her truculent glory, throwing a wild temper tantrum. It’s a sight I never tire of and often wander down to the beach to watch when I feel restless.

I wasn’t expecting to find anyone else out in this weather and had stood mesmerised watching the dark-haired stranger as he inched closer to the water’s edge. He was fascinating to watch. My fingers had twitched involuntarily, and I found myself wishing for a moment that I’d had my sketchbook with me. I’d watched as he lifted his hands palm up to the storm laden skies, tilting his face back so it was bathed in raindrops. He closed his eyes and just breathed, a tiny smile of contentment curving the corner of that delicious mouth.

He looked like a mischievous God… or maybe… Poseidon I decide, commanding the waves. He was so lost to the storm, that he hadn’t seen the huge wave heading straight for him. I’d shouted in warning, but a violent gust of wind and the crashing boom of the waves stole my voice away. He didn’t hear me. I was already running for the spot where he’d last stood, kicking off my shoes and stripping my jacket to reduce the drag in the water, just in time to see him flailing in the surf before being dragged under.

I’d dived in, heading for him frantically as the waves pounded against my body, smashing into me as I searched. It was lucky for both of us that I’m such a strong swimmer or we’d have probably both drowned. But this is my bay, my ocean, and I’ve been swimming and surfing it since I was old enough to walk. I may have done some dumb shit like storm surfing when I was younger, although if my mum ever found out, I’d deny it to my grave, but one thing’s for certain, I never failed to respect the ocean.

I’d finally grabbed onto the guy and dragged him back to the shore, hauling him up the beach away from the edge. The worry and stress had frayed my temper making me snap at him when I could’ve been a little more understanding, after all he wasn’t a local, he didn’t know any better. Instead, I’d been rude and not a little insulting. I hadn’t meant to, but something about the fact that he could have died if I hadn’t been there had shaken me badly, and I was at a loss to explain why. I was about to apologise when he’d opened that gorgeous, pouty mouth and snapped right back.

I smile to myself, shaking my head. God damn it, I’ve always had a weakness for the snarky ones. That pretty, impish god-like face, the sharp tongue and bloody hell, that smile. When I’d answered back, his face had broken into a wide, genuine smile, and holy shit it was like being momentarily blinded by a light flare, and I’d found myself staring at him like an idiot.