Vain: A Stepbrother Romance Read Online Free PDF Page A

the end of the day. How long you stand is due both to balance and
perseverance. So, let’s have some fun.”
     
    The group lets out a
collective cheer.
     
    “Let’s start on the
sand, and then make our way out to the water. Put your board face down on the
beach. Mick, you’re late, so you’re going to want to get changed.”
     
             
“Nah, I’m okay—I’ll just put on this shirt.”
     
             
Sam narrows her eyes at me. “Don’t you want a wetsuit?”
     
             
I shrug. “Nah, my blood runs pretty hot, anyways.”
     
             
I look at Sam, realizing what I just said. I can see she’s thinking about it in
an unintended way. As I take off my shirt, she is staring at my body—I know
that look, and I know part of her wants me. After a few moments, she quickly
starts talking again, trying to divert the attention she had given me.
     
    “So, once Mick is
done with his strip show, we can get started.”
     
     
    There are a few
chuckles.
     
    “Now… put your board
on the sand in front of you. Good. Now, lay down on it with your hands on the
rails. Nice. There are two ways to get up. One way is to just jump to your
feet. The other, more subtle way, is to take a big step forward and slowly rise
up to your feet. Let’s give those a try.”
     
    I watch as she
demonstrates both actions. My eyes follow her as she walks around to the group.
Sam looks my way expectantly. She waves her hand to say, go help out. I
couldn’t help but become entranced by her. I try to shake the feeling, but it
clings to me like wet sand.
     
    Sam knows I can’t
stop looking at her. On the outside, she appears emotionless, but a part of me
knows her true feelings are beginning to surface.
     
    “Well, Professor
Mick, let’s see what you’ve got.” She motions to me to move closer to the
surfers.
     
    I step forward and continue
the lesson, and I am actually nervous—not for the surfers, but for Sam to see
and hear me. Having her eyes on me makes me anxious.
     
    “Okay, guys, now put
the leash around your back leg like this. We are ready to go. The waves we are
going to ride today are fairly small, so there is no need to worry about them,
but Sam will go over some safety items to be sure you know what to do if you
get in trouble. If you get knocked off your board, the most important thing to
do is not panic. Stay calm and paddle hard to return to the surface. Time to
become surf legends.”
     
    What I said, I meant.
This stunt is going to put me in front of every person in the country. I will
get more attention than any ten of those stupid interviews. I don’t need to
teach now—I need to show my skills. That way, I can impress Sam and surprise
the surfers—becoming a surf god.
     
    I watch Sam run with
the class into the water. God, she is beautiful. As if she could feel my eyes
looking to her, she turns around and smiles. She actually smiled at me. I think
it was by accident. I also think she knew what I was thinking. I run into the
water after her.
     
    As I approach the
water, longboard in hand, I lay the board down and begin to paddle next to her.
I stare into her eyes. If we were anywhere else, I would lean in to kiss her.
But now is not the time.
     
    “So, Sam, how am I
doing? Have I won the bet yet?” I wink at her.
     
    She laughs. “Oh,
we’ll see about that. Your surfing skills are admittedly better than your
teaching.” She playfully splashes water on me as she paddles away.
     
    At this point, part
of me wants to tell her about the stunt. I’m a little concerned about how she
is going to react. That would ruin the whole surprise. I have to just soldier
on.
     
    “Oh, yeah? Let’s see
about that.” I stand up on the board and speak to the class.
     
    “All right, class, I
always say it’s best to watch and learn from the greats. I’m sure Sam wouldn’t
mind if I demonstrated my teaching skills in action.”
     
    Sam’s look of growing
admiration