Good Sensations (32 page)

Rubbing her back, I whisper, “Sorry.”

She smiles and says, “It’s fine. We always have later.”

“I’m going to hold you to that, Mrs. Ashford.”

“I’d expect nothing less, Mr. Ashford.” She walks toward the open doors just as Sunny rounds the corner with Kate.

Kate says, “Sorry for barging in on your honeymoon, but Liam and I will be in New York when you guys return from Costa Rica. One last hurrah was in order.”

Sunny shows up with a grocery bag in her arms, and Mallory asks, “Did you at least bring coffee?”

Sunny follows the girls inside, and I hear her say, “And orange rolls. Are you naked under that sheet?”

Before she disappears inside, my lovely wife replies without shame, “As a matter of fact, I am.”

“What are orange rolls?” I ask, slipping on the pair of board shorts from the ground that I was stripped of last night before the hammock was christened and take my new board from the rack I had installed the other day.

Zach shows up with a box of pastries in one hand and his board under the other arm. “Only the best invention ever since the donut. They’re like cinnamon rolls, but with this orange frosting stuff. They’re insane, they’re so good. Sunny and I discovered them last week on the North Shore. They’re popular on the mainland. Is that a new board?”

“Yes, sirree. I had it custom made. A present to myself,” I answer, making sure the wax I put on the other day is still solid. I point to the letters on the toe of the board. “I had Mallory’s initials put on it. She’s my compass. Blah, blah… yeah, I sound like a total prick talking about this with you guys, so I’m gonna grab one of those sweet rolls and stuff my face instead. I’m starving.” I reach into the box and pull out a pastry to start eating.

Murphy hits my arm. “You are totally whipped, man, and lucky I’ve gone all soft on love myself or I might not appreciate this new Evan Ashford.”

“Lucky me you’ve gone soft,” I say, rolling my eyes. “This conversation has turned all kinds of wrong.” I’m not lucky he’s gone soft on my sister. I’m lucky that he leaves to retrieve his board from the truck, ending this conversation.

“Man, what a view,” Zach says, standing there with his arms crossed over his chest, staring at the ocean. “Check out the break. House on the beach
and
good surfing right out your back door. You’re set.”

When Murphy returns, he stands next to us, three pairs of eyes set on the surf ahead. “I see lots of dawn patrol happening,” Zach says.

“I’d be disappointed if it didn’t.” I start walking and they follow. “Gentleman, it’s time to pray at the church of the open sky.”

With boards under our arms, Murphy takes off running while Zach and I give each other one quick glance—all bets on—then run into the ocean.

“It’s just not right,” I say, staring ahead.

“Not right at all,” Sunny adds.

While keeping our eyes glued on the display of cocky manliness, glistening sun-kissed skin, and smooth moves in front of us, we only hear a dreamy sigh from Kate.

I stand up, not able to bear it any longer. On a mission with the girls flanking my sides, we stomp down to the water’s edge, waving to the guys, who are currently floating on their boards, way past the break. I jump, hoping to entice them with… well, with my feminine wiles.
Okay, my tits
. I tempt Evan with bouncing breasts. One can’t always play fair.

It’s almost noon and they’ve been out there for hours now. I miss him. It’s technically our honeymoon and I want my husband back. He grabs the next wave, stealing it from under Zach, which pisses off Zach, who has now stopped paddling and is sitting on his board swearing. We can hear him from here.

Evan cuts across the top of the wave and just as it starts to barrel over, he jumps into the air, diving into the ocean, his board dragged behind him by the leash. I stop breathing, my heart lumping in my throat until he finally pops up for air and starts swimming to shore. I’m gonna kick his ass for that move, but later because I have other plans for him first.

When he reaches the beach, I stroll over, casual in my approach, needing to sweet talk him out of anymore surfing, at least for a little while. “You must be exhausted,” I say with my hands behind my back. I’ve brought ammunition or what I like to call a little bribe to make sure he sees things my way. But to him, he gets a little show as this position perks my breasts forward for him to appreciate all the more.

He kisses me through heavy, tired breaths, and says, “Damn, we scored. The break is epic and we live right here.” His eyes are bright with excitement and possibility.

Slowly swaying my hips, I ask, “Speaking of breaks, you ready to take one? You know, for food and other stuff?”

Running his hand over his hair, rubbing roughly to shake the water out, he says, “Good idea. I’m starved. What’s for lunch?”

I hold up my weapon. “I’ve got an idea or two.”

His eyes widen, but when the smirk appears, I know I’ve got his complete attention. “Sex wax, huh? What do you plan on doing with that?” he asks.

I turn to walk back to the house, flipping up sand in the process. But I stop and look back at my surfer, the boy who became a man, dominating every ounce of his sex appeal and me along the way. “I’ve got a few ideas… and some matches.” I feign innocence as I say, “Oh, and I almost forgot to tell you. A fruit platter was delivered this morning while you were out surfing.” I add a little batting of the eyelashes for extra emphasis.

“You did not just go there,” he teases, waggling his eyes.

Nodding, I wiggle my booty, and say, “I totally did.” I take off running as he rushes to undo the leash from his ankle. I make the mistake of looking back once, which causes me to lose my lead, but losing to him is worth it since I’ll win in the end when he catches me. My hot husband runs toward me with a look in his eyes that can only be described as ‘starving.’

The girls laugh and catcall as we run past them, knowing we are about to take advantage of our newlywed status with all intents and purposes that come along with that title.

With one swift move, Evan captures me, swings me over his shoulder, and smacks my ass…
hard
. Inside, he flops me onto the bed and I’m caught between his strong arms and a fit of giggles. Jumping on top of the mattress, he pins my wrists above my head. Positioned between my legs with his erection pressed against my middle, he thrusts twice, making me squirm, and asks, “Now what was this about hot wax and fruit?”

It’s in that moment, looking into the deep ocean blue of his eyes, I realize I never stood a chance that day at the airport. Evan Ashford owned my heart and every breath I took thereafter from the second he asked, “Do you need the local time?”

My how time flies when you’re having fun and boy did I have some fun writing this series. My heart and soul felt every emotion and word spoken as I grew and experienced life with and through Mallory and Evan. There are characters that you write that feel so real that you struggle to explain the depth of love you have for them. This is one of those stories with those characters for me.

I have so many to thank starting with the readers. Thank you for traveling this road to paradise with me. Without you, Evan and Mallory’s story would lie without the backbone that made it great. Your support has meant more than words can express. Thank you for being there for me and these characters as they found and cherished their true love.

For my amazing and supportive team: I am humbled by your kindness, support, friendship, and insight. You challenge me as well as encourage me equally and I love you for it. We may not be perfect, but you are pretty damn perfect to me. Thank you for being there and making this process fun and for pushing me to great lengths to produce the best story possible. I adore and thank each and every one of you: Daisy, Danielle, Flavia, Heather, Irene, Jennifer S., Kerri, Kirsten, LemmieJenn, Lisa, Marla, Mary, Meire, Suzanne, Tricia, Vilma. You each have touched my life and this publishing journey in a way that has also touched my heart. Thank you for everything you have done and for your friendship.

Thank you to Veronique C. for the French translations. Très bien.

Thank you, Sarah Hansen, for the amazing covers. Your vision has brought this story to life in an image that also captures every emotion of the story.

A huge thank you to my sweet Kiss & Tell girls. Your support makes it exciting to do my job every day. <3

To my family: You are my everything. Thank you for endless encouragement and enthusiasm. Xo

S.L. Scott has a degree in Journalism and is the author of Amazon bestseller,
A Prior Engagement
, her debut novel,
Naturally, Charlie
,
Good Vibrations
,
Good Intentions
, and
Good Sensations
as well as several novellas, including Amazon best seller,
Sleeping with Mr. Sexy,
and
Morning
Glory—all currently
available on Amazon. Pursuing her passion for telling stories, she spends her days escaping into her characters, letting them lead her on their adventures. She is a Contributor to Huffington Post as well as writes for her own blog along with several other popular sites.

Travelling, music festivals, and surfing are a few of her hobbies she loves, but she doesn’t get to enjoy on a regular basis. She has an obsession with movies, a varied taste in books, and collects Fitz & Floyd teapots. With a memory full of useless trivia facts, and a Keurig addiction, she loves a fun night in with her family as much as a loud night out with her friends.

Scott lives in the lively city of Austin with her husband, two young sons, and two Papillons, enjoying life in the beautiful hill country of Texas.

Visit her website at
www.slscottauthor.com