Another sexy smile, along with a sigh. "Six, then." Then one more long, hormone-rattling kiss, and by the end of it, her knees were knocking.

"'Night," he whispered.

"'Night."

"Sweet dreams," and he walked out into the night.

Smiling like an idiot, she dreamily watched him go. This was perfect, surface only, fun only, just the way she liked it.

But at the thought, her smile slowly faded.

9

Halfway through the following week, Heather found her brother in his huge backyard, sitting by his oversize pool. She took one look at the surfer magazine in his hands and burst out laughing.

Jack sighed and tossed it aside. "So nice of you to knock."

"If you didn't want me to walk in, you shouldn't have given me a key."

"You could still knock."

"Right. Next time." She plopped down on a lounge chair next to him. "Want to talk about it?"

"It?"

"The brooding look on your face."

"I'm not brooding."

She poked at the surfer magazine. "Maybe we should talk about Sam then."

"What about her?"

"Oh, don't give me that carefully blank look. You like surfer girl and we both know it. She's hot, she's also adorable, though I'm sure she'd hate me saying so."

"Is there a point to this?"

"My point is, I can see why you like her. I like that you like her."

"I don't need your opinion."

Her smile was fond, and she ruffled his hair. "You never have, but when has that stopped me?"

"I just don't want you roping her, or me, or her and me, into another event where-"

"Where what? Where you have to have a good time? Where I get to see you smile and look happier than I've seen you since you hung from baskets for a living? Oh, Jack, give up. Give in. Make it easy on yourself. Talk to me."

"You want me to talk to you? Fine. This weekend, she's going to… teach me how to surf."

"That's so sweet. She wants you to be a part of her world."

"I asked her to teach me."

"Then that's even sweeter, you wanting to be a part of hers. But you couldn't think of a better way to be with her than risking life and limb? Have you thought about being traditional and going out for pizza and a beer?"

"I don't like traditional."

"You don't trust traditional. And why would you? Your professional career was anything but normal and traditional, Jack. But you have a normal life now." She checked her watch and stood. "Look, be snide and keep your secrets then. I've got to run. We're presenting a check for the rec center today at city hall, and-"

"I like her. Okay? I really do." He grabbed her wrist. "And it scares the shit out of me."

She sank to the chair at his hip and threw her arms around him. "Oh, Jack-"

"I know. I'm so screwed."

"She'll like you back. She will," she said fiercely. "Or I'll kill her."

That got a laugh and he peeled her off him. She leaned in again, kissing him noisily on the cheek. "I love you, Jack. Now don't go all broody again, I'm just looking out for you, and in keeping with that, I'm going to say this with love."

"Oh, boy."

"Listen up, smarty-pants. Stop sulking and go live your life. Go get her."

"Yeah."

"And, hey, it could be worse. She could be into skydiving. Or chucking herself off cliffs doing extreme skiing, something like that."

Right. It could be worse.

He'd remember that.


* * *

As the days passed, Sam spent hours on the phone with Jack, which was strange since she usually hated the phone. But his voice in her ear made her feel oddly giddy, and she'd hang up wondering how the hell she was supposed to relegate him to just a quickie affair when she liked him so very much.

Saturday dawned clear and beautiful; the sky was tinged pink and lavender. The waves crashed onto the sand with a satisfying thunder that made her anxious to be out there with her board beneath her feet.

She sat on the sand next to Lorissa and Red. Cole was there, too, and Sam hadn't been happy to discover he fit her worst nightmare of a boyfriend for Lorissa. He was beautiful, she'd give him that, all long and rangy and blond, with carefully sculpted muscles that would have been perfectly at home on the cover of GQ, but his eyes were cold. When he broke Lorissa's heart-and he would, she was sure of it-she was going to kick his ass, and enjoy it.

She and Lorissa and Red had just done some warm-up stretching. The ocean lapped their feet, and at their backs were their surf boards, standing up in the sand waiting for them.

Sam had an extra board behind her.

"Four- to six-footers," Red said, watching the sets roll in. He wore a one-piece wetsuit hacked off at the knees and shoulders. His long silvery hair was pulled back in a strap of leather.

"So why aren't you out there?" Sam asked. "It's not like you to sit and watch the others."

"I have a feeling this is where the show is today." Lorissa laughed. She wore surfer shorts and a sunshine-yellow bikini top. "Definitely gotta see this. Cole's brought his camera for blackmail shots."

Cole had wandered off to get some pictures of the surf, so Sam felt free to roll her eyes. "I shouldn't have told you I was teaching Jack how to surf this morning. A camera will send him running."

"Do you really think he'll show?"

"Depends on if she's done the deed with him yet," Red piped in.

"What?" Sam turned her head and glared at him. "What did you just say?"

"It depends on if you-"

"I heard you! I just don't know what that has to do with anything."

"Well, if you haven't, he's still in that wanting-to-please-you stage. He'll be here. Trust me, I know these things."

"And if you have been with him-" Lorissa's eyes danced with laughter "-he won't feel the need to get up at the crack of dawn, because pleasing you is no longer necessary."

Sam shook her head. "You guys are sick, and for the record he asked me to teach him to surf." She heard Jack's SUV roar into the parking lot of the café on the bluff above them and her heart kicked it up a notch.

"She hasn't slept with him yet," Lorissa said to Red, who nodded sagely.

Sam shook her head and got to her feet. "Stay here, both of you. Don't say a word."

Jack appeared at the top of the dune. The light morning breeze ruffled his hair. He wore a light blue hoodie sweatshirt and black swim trunks that came nearly to his knees. As always, no matter where he was or what he was doing-whether in a tux sipping champagne or getting ready to surf for the first time in his life-he looked completely at home.

She knew the exact moment he laid eyes on her because he smiled.

And her heart, still racing, tipped right on its side. She lifted an arm and waved to him, and he began walking down the steps. "What?" she hissed out of the corner of her mouth to Lorissa, who was staring at her.

"Nothing."

"Really? Because that was the most loaded nothing I've ever heard."

"You just waved to him, and jumped up and down at the same time."

They all watched Jack, who had eyes only for Sam, come closer.

"I did not jump up and down," Sam snapped.

"Yeah, you did. Oh, baby, he's got you wrapped," Red said. "And it's quite possible you have him wrapped right back."

"I thought you weren't going to say a word," she said a little unevenly-God, Jack looked good-and started walking to meet him.

Jack's smile spread. "Hey. Sorry I'm a few minutes late. I'm not used to my alarm anymore. Or early mornings."

"No problem." She glanced over her shoulder, eyeing Red and Lorissa with a silent warning to be good. "Jack, you know Lorissa. And this is my uncle, Red."

The two shook hands and Sam looked at Jack. "So are you sure you want to-"

"I'm sure."

"But-"

He set a finger on her lips. "I want to do this. I want to be here. With you."

Okay then. She felt a stupid smile break over her face, and he ran his finger over her lower lip before dropping his hand away. "So…" He eyed the waves and the few surfers out there already doing their thing, and nodded. "Let's go for it."

"Why don't you do a few stretches first?" she suggested. "Save yourself from pulling something."

Once he'd limbered up, she walked him over to the boards. Both Lorissa and Red still sat there, along with Cole who'd returned from his photo op. Sam didn't look at them.

Jack smiled at Lorissa and Cole. "Aren't you guys going to-"

"Don't talk to them," Sam said. "Or Red. They're all grounded. Grab your board." She pointed to the one she wanted him to take. "Ideally, it should be a foot longer than you, but this is the biggest one I could borrow. It's going to be a couple of inches short but it's wide enough, freshly waxed, and soft-skinned, which is easier to learn on."

"Okay." He carried it to the water's edge.

"How's your knee?"

"Good enough," he said.

Which was probably man-code for it was killing him. Well, she wasn't his mother. "I already know you can swim," she said. "But if you get into trouble, I'll be right there."

He smiled. "I like the sound of that."

God, the way he looked at her. It was lethal to her brain cells. If only he didn't look so hot this morning. He hadn't shaved, and the shadow on his jaw made her want to rub up against him like a cat in heat. "See the leash? You've got to have it around your ankle so you don't inadvertently kill someone. People frown on loose boards out there."

"No loose boards." He nodded agreeably.

She just wanted to toss the boards aside and kiss him. Pathetic. "And the water might appear perfectly calm, but dangerous rips lurk beneath the surface, so watch out. If you get caught in a rip, swim out of it by moving parallel to the shore until you can get in."