His gaze traveled down the length of her body as he shrugged a shoulder in nonchalance. “Potayto, potahto.” He ran his fingers over her thigh. Then he licked his lips and tore his attention away from the scrap of fabric between her legs to look back at her face. “All I’m saying is that’s a pretty skimpy bikini you’ve got on there. It would take no more than a flick of the wrist to have those bottoms discarded and my cock lodged deep inside you.”
Kerrigan lifted her head just enough to whisper into his ear. “I think I may have just cum a little.”
Caught off guard, Dominic burst out laughing. “Did you really just say that?” It was so unlike her to say naughty things.
She pushed him away, crossing her arms over her chest and pouted.
Her childish behavior only caused him to laugh more, but to his credit, he really was trying to get it under control. “Aw, come on, Querida.”
“You laughed at me,” she whined, refusing to look at him.
“I just didn’t expect you to say that.” He took her chin in his hand and forced her eyes to meet his. “It was sexy as hell, though, and I really, really hope you’ll consider saying things like that more often. Seriously, it was hot.”
“Really?” she asked, still pouting.
Dominic nodded, but mocked her tone. “Really.” When she rolled her eyes, he took a page out of her book and leaned down to whisper in her ear. “I am so fucking hard for you right now, it’s almost painful.”
He rolled over just enough for Kerrigan to see the truth of his words for herself. Dominic never wore swimming trunks to the beach. In fact, he never went anywhere without his button-fly jeans, and the hard-on he was sporting made them look about two sizes too small.
“See? I told ya. Fucking hot.”
She gave him a satisfied grin that was so beautiful Dominic had to kiss her. He took his time and slowly dipped his head to take her bottom lip between his. When she deepened the kiss of her own accord, it was all he could do to stave off the itch to hitch her leg over his hip and grind into her. But there was no way he was going to make his girl look like a trashy slut on a public beach, so a kiss was as far as he would allow them to go.
“Is this spot taken?” a British voice asked from just over Dominic’s shoulder. Annoyed with the Brit’s impeccable timing, he rolled off of his girlfriend with a heavy sigh.
“Hey, Drew!” Kerrigan greeted her fellow Guardian with a bright smile.
“Miss Cruz, you are positively glowing this afternoon.” He meant it quite literally. The offered energy she had taken from him the day before had most certainly kicked her Light voltage up a notch or two. Her skin was so radiant he could see it sparkle even with his sunglasses on. “Dominic,” he greeted with a nod. “I hope I’m not interrupting.”
“You are,” Dominic said dryly, earning an elbow to the ribs.
“’Ello, ’ello, ’ello... what’s all this then?” Tyson asked in an exaggerated British accent as he and the rest of their friends came to meet the newcomer.
Kerrigan got to her feet to make the introductions and a disgruntled Dominic followed. “Everyone, meet Drew Dickens. Drew, you already know Gabe and Colton. These two beautiful women are my dear friends, Olivia and Sydney.” She motioned toward the pair of swooning women. “And the twins, Tyson and Talon, are their boyfriends.”
“I’m Talon, the normal one.” Talon staked his surfboard in the sand to shake Drew’s hand.
“The big-headed one is Tyson,” Sydney said. A stranger who didn’t know any better might have thought she didn’t care much for her boyfriend’s brother, but in truth, he was one of her dearest friends. They liked to get each other all riled up.
“I say, pip pip, Cheerios, and all that rot, old chap,” Tyson greeted him, even using a cereal name in place of the colloquialism.
Olivia smacked his arm. “Ty! Stop being rude.”
“Poppycock! That’s right good, that is. I’m just speaking the bloke’s language, I am. How is that being rude, love? A chap comes over from across the pond, makes him feel better when someone understands his language.”
Sydney rolled her eyes. “He’s from England, douchewad! Which means he speaks... oh, I don’t know... English?”
Olivia gave Drew an apologetic look. “His all-time favorite movie is Mary Poppins. He sort of has a thing for Julie Andrews.”
Tyson beamed. “She’s practically perfect in every way.”
“I’d be jealous if she wasn’t like eighty.”
“Seventy-five, babe. Well, actually, she’s seventy-four. We’re celebrating the seventy-fifth anniversary of the day the most talented person on the face of this planet was born in October this year with a tea party on the ceiling. I’m sure we’ll have a gay old time.”
Gabe giggled. “I know I sure as hell will.”
“It’s for Julie Andrews, not Dick ’an’ Dyke.” Dominic purposely left off the V in the name of Julie’s famous counterpart.
Everyone, except Gabe, laughed. He failed to see the humor in what his housemate said, although, judging by the look on his face, he was more than aware of the meaning behind the joke. Luckily for Dominic, Gabe wasn’t offended when his friends made jokes at his expense. Lord knew he didn’t miss a beat when he was given a wide-open invitation to do the same.
“Hardy-har-har.” Gabe shot daggers at him with his eyes.
Sydney lightly punched Dominic in the shoulder, impressed by the zinger. “Look at you. Mr. Moody McBroody actually made a funny.”
Tyson clapped him on the back. “Jolly good show, mate.”
Dominic flipped them all off, with the exception of Kerrigan of course. He didn’t think he had been that bad with his mood swings. Maybe he should have made a conscious effort to be more upbeat. It wasn’t like he had much to be happy about, but he was still alive—for the moment—and he still had Kerrigan to warm his bed.
Having taken in all the bantering, Drew laughed. “The lot of you are quite entertaining. I imagine there isn’t a dull moment about when you’re all together.”
“He said he thinks we’re funny, and not boring.” Tyson had a look of concentration on his face as he translated, even though it wasn’t needed.
There wasn’t a person present that didn’t look at him like he was a complete idiot. Tyson winked at Drew and teetered back and forth on his heels. “We Brits have to stick together.”
“Oh? You’re British then, are you?” Drew just barely contained his amusement. It was quite obvious that neither Tyson nor Talon were British in the traditional sense.
Tyson puffed out his chest. “We Swails hail from Swallow Hill, near Barnsley County, Yorks.”
Sydney snapped her head toward him with her brows pinched together in confusion. “What... the hell are you talking about?”
He shrugged. “Genealogy fascinates me. I’m a man of many talents. I also crochet.”
“Genealogy? Crochet?” Olivia was taken aback. “Why have I never known about this?”
Tyson pushed his shoulders back and lifted his chin haughtily. “You never asked. Perhaps you should be more concerned with getting to know the man I really am instead of viewing me as a sexual object. If you took the time to look under the hunk of burning love that women perceive me to be, you’d know there’s more to this man you see before you.”
In unison, all seven faces, stunned and speechless, turned their attention away from Tyson, deciding not to even bother, and focused on Drew again.
“So, hey man, do you surf?” Talon asked.
“Well, London isn’t exactly known for its prime surfing conditions.”
“Yeah, well neither is St. Augustine.” Talon nodded toward the smallish waves breaking just offshore.
“Kerrigan could fix that for you,” Drew offered with a glance in her direction.
Kerrigan was thrown for a loop. “What?”
“It would be a fantastic training exercise. The more you use your gift, the stronger it becomes.”
“But, I can’t—”
/>
“Why have we not thought of this before?” Tyson still used the silly accent. “You just do your little mind trick thing, and then, Robert’s your mother’s brother... bitchin’ waves.”
“It’s Bob’s your uncle, you idiot,” Sydney corrected him. “And have you lost your mind? The beach is crawling with people today. You can’t ask her to do something like that.”
Dominic put his hand to the small of Kerrigan’s back and turned her to look at him. “Actually, nobody’s looking. If you keep your eyes closed, no one will even notice. As much as it pains me to say it, I think Drew has a point. You have to hone your skills, Querida.”
“Please, Mary Poppins, please!” Tyson begged in a childlike voice.
Sydney turned to Talon. “Seriously, how many times did you say your mother dropped him on his head?”
Dominic ignored them and pulled Kerrigan to the side. “You remember our first training session?” She nodded. “We came right here to this beach, and you pushed the surf back with your mind. So much has happened since then, and I’ve seen you do some pretty amazing things. This is nothing. I know you can do this.”
Kerrigan wasn’t quite as convinced as Dominic, but she felt a surge of power pump through her veins, a weird sort of magnetic pull that seemed to carry indecipherable words to her brain. Maybe she was going crazy, but somehow she knew she could do anything she set her mind to in that moment.
“I’ll try. But you have to promise me you’ll be there with me. I can’t do this without you.”
“I’m always there, Querida.”
She nodded again, and they went back to join their friends. Dominic clapped his hands together in front of him. “Hop on your boards, boys and girls. Surf’s up!”
“Hell yeah!” Tyson yelled, his fake British accent forgotten in his excitement.
The twins and the girls grabbed their boards, while Colton and Gabe copped a squat next to their pornographic sand creation. Colton apparently realized what his partner in crime had done and scolded him. “This is a family beach!” Then he destroyed it—despite his coartist’s protests.
Dominic took Kerrigan’s hand and walked her down to the edge of the water. Drew followed closely behind, but stood off to the side. He didn’t want to intrude, but he wanted to be close should she need him. His female counterpart turned to look at him, and he gave her a simple nod and smile of encouragement.
“Do you have any last-minute advice?”
“Ah, Miss Cruz... you seem to forget that you have a surplus of Light running through your system right now. You don’t need any help from me, but might I suggest you attempt to accomplish the task without going to your sanctuary?” When he saw her confused expression, he qualified his statement. “Making something that is already there bigger doesn’t require a lot of power. You have only to will it, and it will be. It takes but a flicker of thought. Have faith in yourself and the gift with which you have been entrusted.”
Didn’t that sound exactly like a very Availia Cruz type of thing to say? How could she not believe him when the one person she trusted above everyone else had, in fact, said nearly the exact same words?
“He sounds like fucking Yoda,” Dominic whispered into her ear with a quiet chuckle.
Kerrigan ignored him the best she could. “Anything else?”
“Yes, I think this will work best if we walk into the water. You need to feel it ebb and flow against your skin. Take it inside you, and become one with it.”
“That’s what he said,” Dominic muttered under a cough meant to camouflage his words. “Scratch Yoda. I think the freak is channeling Gandhi now.”
A hint of a smile tugged at the corner of Kerrigan’s mouth, but she didn’t want to encourage her boyfriend’s childish behavior, even if it was sort of cute. “Dominic, this is serious. You’re the one who said I should do it.”
“I’m sorry, Querida,” he apologized without even the slightest hint of sincerity. “He just left himself wide open, and I couldn’t pass it up.”
They took a few steps farther until they were wading shin-deep into the ocean. Kerrigan looked down when she felt something brush against her leg. A school of tiny minnows had gathered around their feet, but instead of scattering, they almost seemed to be sitting in wait of something.
She looked at Dominic, seeing that he was just as puzzled as she was. “You got me. I’ve never seen anything like this shit.”
“It’s our Light,” Drew said from beside her. “Light is that one missing factor scientists will never find to explain the creation of the universe. One simple spark created all that we see around us, and you and I carry it within us. Such a splendid gift. Although, I am curious as to why the fish seem to be just as interested in you, Dominic.”
“Hey!” Tyson yelled from the line-up he and the rest of their friends had formed a few yards out. “What’s the hold up? We surfin’ or not?”
Saved by the bell, or yell as it was, Dominic evaded Drew’s prodding question. Waving Tyson off, he turned to Kerrigan. “All right, let’s get this show on the road. You ready?”
She nodded, and he turned to Drew. “I guess I should let you lead this one since you’re supposed to know what the hell you’re doing. So... do your thing.” He looked at Kerrigan. “I’ll still be right by your side, Querida. I won’t let go,” he said, squeezing her hand.
“Close your eyes. Deep breaths in, slow on the exhale.” Drew mimicked the action himself while facing the wide expanse of ocean before them. It took everything in Dominic’s power to keep from commenting how Drew went from Yoda to Gandhi to Mr. Miyagi, but he managed to pull it off in the end.
“Once you feel your body relax, I want you to focus on the sound of the surf. Picture the ocean... endless and deep. The gentle rise and fall of the waves—let them set you adrift and lull you into relaxation.”
He could tell by the set of her shoulders and the way her breathing became slow and deep that she was in a meditative state. “You’re doing great, Kerrigan,” Drew whispered so as not to break her concentration. “Now, far off into the distance, there’s a wave building. Visualize it swelling... swelling... swelling... it’s growing, gathering up smaller waves in its path and adding to its size.”
While he continued to coach her, Dominic watched the horizon for any evidence that showed she was doing it. After a few moments, he saw a large wave rolling toward the beach. He smiled and squeezed her hand in encouragement. She never ceased to amaze him.
Talon’s movement in his peripheral vision caught his attention, and Dominic turned to see him paddling toward the wave. At the last moment, he turned on his board and headed toward the shore, rising from his stomach into a standing position. The wave wasn’t huge, but it was certainly much bigger than the beaches of Florida were accustomed to.
“You’re doing it, Querida,” he whispered to her, the smile on his face evident in his voice.
Talon crouched on his board and carved through the wave, his arm extended behind him and his right foot forward to balance himself. He let out a satisfied whoop of excitement while maneuvering left and then right, zigzagging along the length of the wave until it eventually petered out, and he dove off his board.
“Whoo-hoo!” Talon shook his head back and forth to fling off the excess water. “Dude, that was fucking epic righteousness!”
Having heard Talon’s enthusiastic shouts, Kerrigan’s face became a beacon of satisfaction. Dominic watched her in awe, amazed that she could be even more beautiful than he had ever seen her. The gift she possessed was a phenomenal thing to behold.
“Again,” Drew said from her other side.
Twice more she willed the waves to form, Sydney and Olivia taking their turns riding them. Olivia had a wicked wipeout, while Sydney rode her wave smooth as a knife cutting through butter. A crowd of people had gathered near the water, each confounded by the presence of the waves.
Feeling more confident, Kerrigan let go of Dominic’s hand and placed her palms out to her sides. She cou
ld feel the surge of wind at her back blowing against her palms and forcing tendrils of her ponytail to fly into her face. Stronger and stronger, the magnetic pull inside her grew. She felt light and weightless, like she could walk on air. She envisioned another large swell on the horizon and willed it to grow, pushing the wind at her back to build the wave’s momentum.
Just then, Drew placed his palm against hers. Every sensation in her body heightened and she gasped in surprise. Like a stellar explosion behind her eyes, bright white light shot toward the picture of the wave in her mind. It rose from the surface, bigger than any of the waves she alone had created before. This was something out of the movies—a big wave, the likes of which were usually only seen off the beaches of the North Shore.
“Fuck... me...” Dominic said from beside her. “Christ, that’s big. He’s going to get himself killed.”
Opening her eyes, Kerrigan saw a colossal wave folding in on itself, creating a barrel of water around a tiny form. Tyson was on his board, riding the wave with his hand cutting through the massive wall behind him. Talon and Colton were shouting cheers at him from the beach, while Sydney, Olivia, and Gabe remained silent with trepidation.
She flinched to pull her hand away from Drew’s to stop the wave, but he linked his fingers through hers. “Not yet,” he cautioned her. “If you release it now, it’ll come crashing down on him. Keep your mind clear. I’m going to try to pull it back a little.”
Kerrigan did as he said. She turned and focused on Dominic’s face instead of watching Tyson, for fear her emotions might make it impossible to keep her head clear.
Seeing the quiet pleading in her eyes, Dominic took her face in his hands. He moved in close, his gaze trained on hers, and his voice calm and reassuring. “I don’t give a shit what he says. Pull it back, Querida. You can do it.”
She closed her eyes and willed the wind to die down to a steady breeze. “That’s it. Keep going,” Dominic whispered. She could feel his cold breath against her lips, and then he kissed her. Soft, warm... inviting. His lips moved against hers tenderly, and the surge of power inside her dialed back until she felt peaceful surrender.