Shades of Sydney (Sydney West #1) Read Online Free PDF Page B

he was real.
    Shaking my head to erase the thoughts, I found myself taking in his body. I glanced down at his blue trunks, following one of the white horizontal stripes from his waist to a couple inches lower.
    He looks like a nice lover…
    “Yes, we’re ready,” Amelia said.
    Jason looked at me. I felt myself blush. I never blush.
    “Are you?” he asked.
    “Yeah,” I replied.
    What’s wrong with me?
    “O-kay, let’s get in the water and on the surfboard.”
    “Sounds great,” Amelia said, running into the ocean.
    I stood back, surveying the area. I felt out of place, like something was wrong.
    Jason had his back to me. Across his shoulder blades, a tattoo of an eagle’s wings gave the illusion he could take off and fly away. I wanted to know the message behind it and trace the lines with my fingertips…with my tongue. No, what I needed was to clear my mind.
    With my surfboard under my arm, I went out. The ocean was warm and took me in like a lost child. Jason was already sitting on his board, looking for some good waves to ride.
    “I thought we lost you,” Amelia whispered.
    “Nah, you can’t get rid of me that easily,” I joked.
    “Hey, Whitney,” Jason said.
    Something deep within me pinged. “My name is Sydney .”
    “Right, sorry. I remembered it ended with a –ney.”
    Amelia shrugged and pointed to a coming wave. “That one looks nice.”
    He nodded. “I agree, Amelia.”
    I bit my tongue to keep venomous words from escaping.
    He remembers her name.
    “I’ll take it,” I said, paddling out and doing a backside with ease.
    When I came back, Amelia looked pissed, her lips pressed in a firm line and her eyes intense like a wild fire. It was cute when she was mad.
    Jason laughed and hit the water, making a splash. “Whoa, are you sure you need my tips? You seem like a pro,” Jason said, looking impressed.
    “Well, actually—”
    “She’s a fast learner, right?” Amelia said, cutting in. If looks could kill, I would be dead in the water with the glare she gave me.
    “S—sure,” I said.
    Jason’s eyes flicked from Amelia to me. “Am I missing something?”
    “No, go on with the lesson,” Amelia said, giving him a smile.
    “Okay. I’ll show you how to ride the barrel of the wave. It’s tricky to stay on the board when the water is rushing and trying to crush you like a giant hand. Watch me and ask me any questions when I come back.” He paddled away to find a fitting wave.
    Amelia took the opportunity to talk to me. “What is wrong with you? Do you want to ruin this for me…for us?”
    “You were right the first time. This is for you and your guy isn’t even here. Can’t we call it a day and you go off with your guy later?”
    Her facial expression darkened. “I see how you are. As long as you’re having fun, then nothing else matters, but as soon as things turn on you, that’s when you give up.”
    “I don’t need to sit here and listen to this,” I said. “How about I leave?”
    “No, can’t you play along for an hour? Do me this one favor, please?” She held her hands up like she was saying a prayer. With her hazel eyes full of sorrow, she reminded me of a sad puppy. I had to give in.
    “Fine, but you only have an hour.”
    “Are you watching?” Jason yelled to us.
    “Thank you,” Amelia whispered to me. Then she yelled to Jason, “Yes.”
    He gave us a thumbs up and drifted toward the base of the wave. Soon he entered it and was in its belly. Licking my lips, I could taste the salt in the air. I didn’t want to watch him. Instead I focused on a sailboat on the horizon. I heard Jason shout something in joy. The boy did love to surf. I could tell from how he talked about it and because he was so willing to help strangers.
    “That was awesome,” Amelia hollered, cupping her hands around her mouth as a kind of microphone.
    He pointed to the open ocean, telling one of us to try. Amelia looked over her shoulder, silently urging me to go first. With a sigh, I