Page 19 of Tide and Seek

I grimaced.“Uh… whatever you say, Max.”

He laughed and his mouth found mine, warm and affectionate.He smelled like suntan lotion, and the skin of his chest was warm against mine.The kiss was distractingly good, but after a few seconds, he pulled away.

“Whew.”He ran his hand over his hair, cheeks flushed.“We should definitely have beach sex while we’re here.”

I smiled.“Never had that before.Sounds… intriguing.”

He dropped his gaze, clearing his throat.“It’s tricky.Need to keep the sand out of delicate places, but with a blanket, it can be fun.”

“I’ll bet.”

Did you have beach sex with James?

I immediately snuffed out that jealous twinge.Max was mine, and I had no reason to be jealous.I’d always believed that if you loved someone, you had to trust them.Otherwise, what was the point?

“However,” Max said brightly.“Beach sex is strictly a nighttime endeavor.”He started down the steps.“For now we’ll take a leisurely walk on the beach like respectable adults.”

“Yes, we’ll be the most respectable, shockingly pale, shirtless couple on the beach.”I smiled and grabbed his hand, my toes digging into the warm sand.

He squeezed my fingers, leading me toward the water’s edge.The waves weren’t too big, and it seemed the tide was going out.Sand crabs scrambled for cover as the waves receded, and gulls hovered above, squawking loudly.I inhaled the briny air, allowing myself to relax into the moment of seeing the Pacific Ocean in person for the first time.

“Spectacular,” I said, gazing out at the water.“This is something else, Max.”

The morning sun painted the water in shades of gold, silver, and deep blue that seemed to shift with each passing wave.It was nothing like the murky waters of the Gulf I’d grown up with in Texas.The Gulf had its charm, warm and lazy.But this?The Pacific surged.It had weight and presence, almost as if it had somewhere better to be and was impatient with the land holding it back.

The beach was mostly deserted, but there were a few people jogging or playing with their dogs.When we passed by one elderly couple out for a stroll, they nodded pleasantly, but Maxwell gave them a dirty look over his shoulder.

“Nobody seems to understand what a private beach is,” he whispered to me.“Look at all these people sneaking in, pretending they belong here.”

“Oh, those two seemed harmless enough.”

He scowled.“It’s more the principle of the thing.”

I laughed.“Shall I eighty-six those old folks off your beach?”

“No.”He gave a sheepish smile.“Leave them be.For now.”He bent down and picked up a broken shell, tossing it into the water after a few steps.

“Seems like there’s plenty of space for us all to share.”

“Yes.”He was quiet for a moment.“They probably belong here more than me, now that I live in Texas.”

I hesitated.“You can have a life in both places, if you want?”

He wrinkled his brow.“How would that work when you’re in Texas?”

I shrugged.“I just mean, if you wanted to visit more often, I wouldn’t blame you.I’m sure there are things here you miss.Rainy Dale is another world, and I know you don’t always like it there.”

“No, I don’t always like it there.I’ve never hidden that.”He shrugged.“But it’s home now.It even feels like home.”

I glanced over.“Does it though?You fit in here nicely.”

He stopped walking, frowning at me.“If I didn’t know better, I’d think you were trying to convince me to move back to LA or something.”

“What?Heck, no.”I grimaced.“I just mean, I know you must miss LA.I’m trying to be supportive of your needs.”

“My needs?”He gave me a confused look.“Royce, is something wrong?You’ve seemed tense since we arrived.Are you sorry you came with me?”

“Not at all.”I turned toward him.“I just don’t want you to have any regrets.You have a whole life here that you left behind.”