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He shrugged his shoulders. “Surfing really isn’t a job. Modeling. Now that’s a job.” He shook his head. “Everyone thinks it’s an easy job.” He shook his head.

She laughed. “It must be rough, standing around in your underwear all day.”

He sighed and shook his head, then turned and said goodbye to Shelly and Marcus, who were leaving.

“
You didn’t answer my question about Roman,” Marcus said to Cole.
 

“
I didn’t?” Cole frowned and then grew quiet.
 

“
No,” Marcus finally said. “We got interrupted by the fight.”
 

“
Oh, right.” He chuckled. “That was a crazy one. Did you see how that guy…”
 

“
Cole,” Marcus demanded.
 

“
Right.” Cole shook his head and sighed. “He’s still in Atlanta, I guess.”
 

“
You guess?” Marcus leaned on the bar and
glared at his brother.
 

“
Yeah, I mean. I haven’t actually
spoken
to him.”
 

“
Well, what can you tell me.” Marcus crossed his arms over his chest and waited.
 

“
He’s not home.” Cole smiled and leaned back.
 

“
I know that. When will he be home?”
 

“
Why?” Cole asked. Wendy stifled a giggle. She knew when Cole was avoiding answering. She didn’t know why he was, but he was doing a terrible job at it tonight.
 

Marcus rolled his eyes. “Fine, if you’re not going to tell me, I’ll have Aunt…”

“
No!” Cole jumped off the stool and took his brother’s shoulders. “Don’t you dare.”
 

Marcus shrugged his shoulders. “Fine, then spill.”

Cole glanced around and sighed. “Fine, but I’m waiting until Cassey’s done.” He nodded to where their sister was busy setting chairs on top of the tables.

“
Okay.” Marcus glanced at Shelly, who nodded.
 

“
We can wait. I’m not that tired.” She smiled.
 

By the time Wendy finished cleaning and closing out, Cassey was finished as well. They all stood around the bar and waited to hear Cole’s big secret.

***

“
He’s gone to find Marissa.” He left out the part about him finding her. He knew he was betraying Marcus and Cassey, but he’d made Roman a promise. Besides, he wasn’t too sure if he believed Roman himself. After all, his brother had, in the last eight years, claimed to have seen her over three dozen times. Of course, no one else had, and half of those times, it had ended up being some woman who only looked like their long-lost sister.
 

“
Is that all?” Cassey sighed. Cole could see the sadness flood into his sister’s eye and hoped more than anything that Roman had indeed found Marissa.
 

“
Why didn’t he tell us?” Marcus sighed. “I mean, he’s taken several of these trips.” He used air quotes and looked like a complete dork doing it.
 

Cole laughed and shook his head. “Guess he didn’t want to have to see you do that.” He mimicked his brother.

Marcus laughed. “Bite me.” Everyone laughed harder.

“
Look, maybe he wanted some time. I mean, he’s been working his ass off the last few months.” Everyone nodded in agreement. “Just taking care of Spring Haven is a full-time job. And he’s been helping out with Paradise Construction and now with your new place.” He nodded to Marcus and
Shelly.
 

They both looked at one another. “He’s been such a help.” Shelly sighed. “He deserves a break.”

“
Maybe he’s just taking a few weeks off.” He shrugged his shoulders and started believing the lie himself.
 

“
Okay,” Marcus nodded. “We’ll keep this to ourselves. But we have to stand unified on the Fourth.”
 

“
Oh!” Cassey groaned. “What are we going to say to Dad and Julie?” She leaned her head back a little to look up at them.
 

He shook his head. “He’s in Atlanta straightening out some stuff for Spring Haven. That’s what he told me to say, so I’m sticking with it.” They all nodded.

“
Agreed.” Marcus nodded, then grabbed Shelly’s hand and pulled her towards the door. “Night,” he called out over his shoulder.
 

Just then, two large Styrofoam containers were delivered to the bar.

“
Ready?” Wendy wrapped them up in a bag and nodded to him.
 

“
Sure, is one of those for me?” He reached for them, only to have his hand slapped away playfully.
 

“
If you’re good.” She laughed. “Night.” She waved to Cassey, who watched them leave with a
frown on her lips.
 

“
Later. We will talk about this later,” she warned as he followed Wendy out of the door. Now he had a whole other conversation in his future to dread.
 

T
hey walked slowly along the dark boardwalk, hand in hand. He’d won the small battle about carrying the bag of food a few feet outside of the bar. She loved the coolness of the breeze that was rushing off the water that night and enjoyed the feel of his hand in hers.
 

“
Do you always walk to work?” he asked as they hit the street.
 

“
Sure, saves on gas.” She chuckled. “Why?”
 

She watched him shrug his shoulders. “It’s just the thought of you walking home in the dark…”

She laughed. “This is Surf Breeze, not Miami.”

“
Still, there are psychos everywhere.”
 

“
True.” She nodded. “I can take care of
myself.”
 

Sarcastic laughter burst from him. “Did you learn self-defense in yoga?”

She glanced at him sideways. “No, but I learned to shoot at gun school.” She tapped her small purse and smiled.

“
Carrying?” He nodded. “Yeah, you would.” He shook his head.
 

“
What does that mean?” She stopped and looked at him, crossing her arms over her chest.
 

“
Nothing. It’s just smart.”
 

She looked at his face to make sure he wasn’t being sarcastic and then nodded when she saw sincerity in his eyes.

“
What made you start?” He reached for her hand and continued to walk.
 

She shrugged her shoulders. “It was Alan’s idea.” He glanced at her and she could tell he was waiting for the story. She sighed. “Okay, it was after I’d been sort of stalked.” She felt his hand tighten in hers. “But,” she jumped in quickly, “that was back at the Flora-Bama bar. That place was crazy during spring break.”

He stopped her just outside her door. “And now you walk to your condo every night at”—he glanced down and frowned—“one-thirty in the morning with nothing but what I can only presume is the smallest gun possible.” He glanced down at her small purse.

She chuckled. “Yes, and I live in a town the size of a shoe box.”

He shook his head. “This place gets pretty crazy. Did you see how many people were in there tonight? It was almost packed out on a Monday.”

She nodded and smiled at him as she wrapped her arms around his shoulders. “Do you want to fight about it?”

She knew the smile cost him, but it was worth it to see his lips turn up. “Later,” he mumbled before his lips touched hers. “Now, I’m too hungry to argue.”

She nodded. “Ditto.”

When she opened her door, she enjoyed the fact that she’d kept her small place clean. She no longer had to rush around cleaning before a man came over. She’d spent most of her morning organizing the rest of her place using everything she’d bought the day before. She even had a small list of items that would further organize the place.

“
You’ve cleaned up the place,” he said, walking in and looking around. “Is this new?” He walked over to her table and picked up a small ball covered in dried leaves. She’d picked up the bowl and balls to decorate her table along with the new place mats.
 

“
Yeah, I bought them yesterday.”
 

“
Cool.” He tossed it back in the bowl. “I guess
you like this kind of stuff.” He looked around again and she could tell he was noticing the other new things she’d put out. She turned and started unloading their dinner, putting the sandwiches out on plates.
 

“
Here.” She reached in and shoved a cheese stick in her mouth. “You can start with these.” She handed him the chips and salsa. “I don’t know what Sam puts in the salsa, but it’s addictive.” She scooped some up with her cheese stick and moaned.
 

“
Lime,” he said, scooping some up with a chip.
 

“
What?” She frowned at him.
 

He shrugged his shoulders. “I asked.”

“
So did I.” She crossed her arms over her chest.
 

He chuckled. “I asked after signing his kids surfboard for him.”

She growled. “Famous people suck.” She turned back towards her task. “I bet you can get anything you want. All you’d have to do is walk in wearing a pair of shorts and no shirt and they’d give you the key to the city.”

He chuckled. “It does have its advantages.” She felt him take her hips with his hands. She sighed as her knees went weak and she leaned back against his chest.

“
This is not because of that.” She enjoyed herself for just a moment.
 

“
If I thought it was, I wouldn’t be here,” he said against her hair.
 

“
What about all the others?” She turned in his arms, looking up at him.
 

“
What others?” He took her mouth with his as his hands reached around and pulled her closer. She felt his arousal against her hip and instantly felt herself go warm. The food sat on the counter, forgotten, as they hungrily enjoyed each other.
 

“
Cole,” she begged, trying to pull him closer. “Don’t make me wait again.”
 

“
No,” he said as he started to tug her shirt over her head. “Not this time.”
 

He walked her towards the back of her condo, and when her knees hit the edge of her bed, he stopped her from falling back. She reached for him, pulling his shirt over his head as he watched her. She shook her head. “This should be illegal.” She ran her hand over his chest as he chuckled.

“
I agree.” His finger lightly played over her chest, causing her eyes to close. His finger hooked under her bra, sending it off her shoulder. She sighed at the release of the weight and then moaned when his finger followed the curve. She felt herself sway a little, and then he was taking her hips and guiding her down to the bed.
 

He lay beside her, running his hands lightly over her skin. The tight shorts she’d worn to work were peeled slowly off her until she lay there in nothing but a matching bra and panty set she’d splurged on the day before. When she looked up, she frowned. He was still wearing his shorts. She started to tug them off, only to have his hands take hers and move them above her head, holding her still.

He chuckled when she frowned at him. “Trust me, we’ll get to that. For now, I want to enjoy you.” He moved until both of her hands were encased in one of his. “Who would have thought.” His eyes traveled over her.

“
What?” It came out as a whisper. How could she have known that just having him look at her would turn her on so much.
 

“
That I’d stray from being an ass man.” He shook his head as his eyes and free hand traveled over her powder-pink bra. She arched her back, trying to get him to move faster. “Easy.” He chuckled as he slowly moved the strap off her other shoulder. Using just one finger, he swirled her shoulder, traveled across her collarbone, down until he lightly moved the lace down, exposing her. She felt her nipples pucker in the cool air or maybe it was because his eyes were hungrily eating her up.
 

Her hands were still caught up in his above her head, but she knew she could break free if she tried. When his fingers traveled down behind her, she arched so he could unclasp her bra.

“
Okay, definitely rethinking this whole ass man thing.” He chuckled as he tossed her bra aside. She
giggled and arched a little more for him.
 

“
Touch me,” she begged, needing to feel his skin on hers. So far, since he’d freed her, all he’d done was look.
 

His free hand lightly scraped down her shoulder until he brushed against her chest. Dual moans sounded and she thought for sure she’d burst if he didn’t touch her more. Then his warm mouth was on her, sucking and licking her, and she broke her hands free to bury them deep in his hair.

“
Yes,” she moaned. Needing the warmth of him next to her, she wrapped her legs around his hips and moved against him. She could feel his desire for her and had to have more. But when she tried again to remove his shorts, he stopped her with a chuckle.
 

“
Not yet. I’m enjoying my new found obsessions.” He chuckled against her nipple. His hands reached up and took her wrists, pulling them aside.
 

“
Cole,” she warned, not wanting to have to wrestle him down. He just chuckled again, then gasped when she flipped him over and straddled him quickly. “You asked for it.” She smiled down at him as she pinned his hips to the bed.