Page 87 of Suddenly Beck

‘Yes.’ I bite my lip as I watch him.

‘That was incredible,’ he breathes. ‘Being inside you bare, feeling the heat of your body and knowing that I’ve come inside you is...’

‘I know,’ I whisper back, the intimacy of the moment wrapping around us like vines binding us to each other.

Sated to our bones, our limbs wrapped, entwined, he pulls the sheet over us and holds me as we sink down into the sweet oblivion of sleep.

I don’t know how long we sleep for, but it’s still dark outside when we’re both ripped abruptly and terrifyingly from sleep by the sound of the bedroom door flying open, followed rapidly by the loud blast of an air horn and the harsh glare of the light being flipped on.

I sit bolt upright in bed and blink a couple of times to adjust to the brightness of the light and see both Jesse and Ryan standing in the doorway grinning and holding the offending air horns. While Beck remains laying down with his eyes closed, obviously used to being awoken in such an offensive manner.

‘It smells like sex in here,’ Ryan remarks.

‘Oh, well done, Poirot,’ I snap testily. ‘Now kindly fuck off and come back during established office hours.’ I turn over and lay back down, burying my face in the pillow in the hopes they’ll get the message and go away, while Beck chuckles beside me in amusement.

‘Come on.’ Jesse grins. ‘You know what time it is.’

Beck seems to know whatever the hell code it is his twin is talking in because he props himself up on one elbow and glances out the window, smiling widely.

‘Nat, wake up.’ He shakes me lightly.

‘No,’ I say stubbornly, keeping my eyes closed.

‘Come on,’ Jesse whines. ‘Everyone’s waiting outside. Get your sexy sugar daddy out of bed, time’s a wastin’.’

‘Sugar daddy?’ I look up in annoyance. ‘I’m barely a month older than him, and you, you fuckwit.’

‘He sounds so posh when he’s cross.’ Ryan grins. ‘I’ve gotta admit, it’s hot.’

‘You’d better switch the coffee machine on,’ Beck tells Jesse. ‘Without coffee you’re not getting him out of the house.’

‘You’re not getting me out of the house anyway,’ I grumble. ‘It’s the middle of the night and I’m naked.’

‘Yes, you are.’ Ryan smiles appreciatively at my arse beneath the thin sheet.

‘Hey,’ Beck growls. ‘He’s mine, go get your own.’

Ryan holds up his hands in mock surrender as he takes a step back and laughing.

‘Come on,’ Jesse tells us firmly. ‘I’ll make the coffee. Be downstairs in five minutes.’

‘Ten,’ Beck counters.

‘Fuck off,’ I add.

They slam the door shut and Beck winces. ‘Not sure the hinges can take that much punishment,’ he remarks.

‘I’m not sure I can take this much punishment,’ I growl. ‘Am I being punked? Is this some kind of weird birthday tradition?’

‘Oh, it’s a tradition alright.’ He smiles as he leans down, eyes soft as he kisses gently across my shoulders. ‘Trust me, baby?’

‘Urgh, fine.’ I fling the sheet off me and climb out of bed in a surly huff. ‘There better be coffee.’

Approximately twenty minutes later, I step onto the cool midnight sands of the beach barefoot and wearing my wetsuit while clutching a mug of coffee as if my life depended on it.

‘What’s going on?’ I frown.

It’s the dead of night, the full moon is burning in the sky painting the waves with a silvery phosphorent glow. Georgie’s swim shack is lit up brightly and lined along the sand in front of it, are several surf boards staked into the sand, waiting for their owners. There are also a dozen tiki braziers burning in the warm summer night, flickering and dancing with the breeze coming in off the sea.