Riding the Waves. Tawny Weber

you know you want to do it,” Alex teased, the grin curving his gorgeous sun-kissed face telling her he knew she was arguing with herself over the surfing lesson. A lesson she’d been second-guessing for the last hour, ever since she’d met him at the Surf Shack to get started.

      Hopefully he didn’t know the details of her internal argument, though. Or that she’d be taking him up on a lot more than just the white-and-blue-striped board he was offering. Although, from his wicked grin, he very well might know exactly what she’d been thinking.

      He stood there in the late-afternoon light, two surfboards stuck in the sand, one on either side of him. This section of beach was mostly deserted, the nearest people tiny pImages** at the far end of the hotel. The sun was hot, the breeze a bare wisp of air and Alex was gorgeous.

      His muscles glinted in the sunshine, the light scent of sunscreen mixing with the salt of the ocean. His simple blue trunks rode low on his hips. Her gaze trailed over the dusting of hair on his chest, gliding down his belly like an arrow pointing the way to ecstasy.

      She’d have to be an idiot to walk away.

      “I do want to do it,” she said in a breathless rush, committing to a lot more than the lesson.

      As if he realized that, the grin slid off Alex’s face. His dark eyes narrowed, taking on a smoldering look of concentration. The heat of that gaze washed over her, more intense than the rays of the afternoon sun. Her breath quickened. She sucked in her bottom lip, nibbling on the soft flesh and wondering if they could toss aside the pretense of surfing and just go back to her bungalow.

      “C’mon,” he invited instead of following it up, though. Maybe the lurking terror in her gaze made him hesitate. “It’s time. We’ve already waxed the boards and gone over the basics. The next step is to hit the water.”

      Nerves, this time having nothing to do with the sexual tension filling the air, jumped in Dru’s stomach. She eyed the seven-foot-long surfboard. Then she glanced at the vivid blue water of the Sea of Cortez.

      “Maybe we should go over the safety rules again,” she said faintly.

      Alex smiled and rubbed a reassuring hand up and down her bare arm. His touch melted her fear with an onslaught of lust. Dru’s breath hitched. A look of wicked pleasure crossed Alex’s face.

      He trailed his hand up and down her arm again, but this time the move was slower. Softer. More tempting. Dru’s heart skipped a beat, then tumbled so fast she could feel it pounding against the slick fabric of her sedate one-piece swimsuit.

      His fingers traced down again, leaving a heated path in their wake. He moved closer. Just one step. That’s all it took to fill her senses with him. His body’s warmth. His scent. His sexual energy.

      The whole world narrowed as that energy engulfed her. The sound of the surf, the heat of the sun, they faded. She stared up at his face, the olive skin and high cheekbones. His full lower lip, perfect for nibbling.

      Without realizing it, her tongue slipped out to touch her upper lip. The desire in his midnight eyes intensified. But he didn’t move. Dru wasn’t sure if he was holding back to torture her or if he was too much of a gentleman to hit on a student.

      So any moves were up to her. Her. The woman whose last successful hit on a guy had involved a lame joke about the periodic table. Dru’s heart sank to join the stressed-out butterflies bouncing around in her belly.

      Taking the chickenshit route, she leaned backward instead of forward. Her body screamed in fury at the denial of pleasure. As always, though, her mind was stronger. And her mind was warning her that if she didn’t learn to surf, she’d fall all over Alex, do wildly unspeakable things to his body, roll off with a gasp and realize she wouldn’t have a damn thing to say to him other than thank-you.

      And while she had great hopes of plenty of orgasms to thank him for, the practical scientist in her insisted that they find some common ground to discuss between sexual bouts.

      At least, that was her pathetic excuse.

      “I guess I know the rules well enough,” she murmured.

      He gave her a brief, inscrutable look, then gestured to the sea.

      “You’ll catch on quickly once we get started.” He arched his brow, making it obvious he was talking about more than just surfing. “This part of the beach gets the smaller waves, it’s pretty mellow. Perfect for getting the feel of the board.”

      A long, rocky spit of land separated this bit of water from the vastness of the rest of the sea. Here, the water was much calmer, the waves babies compared to the huge breakers crashing off to the left of the rocks.

      She wasn’t reassured. She was a hardly an athlete. Sure, she could swim. But she was more at home in a pool than the sea. The alternative was mind-blowing, meaningless sex. The sex sounded so much better than surfing, but a girl had to have some standards.

      “Okay, let’s do it,” she said. Then she winced.

      Alex just laughed. A loud, booming sound that melded perfectly with the pounding surf.

      Relieved that he didn’t seem to hold her hesitation against her, Dru picked up the surfboard he indicated. It was too wide to fit under her arm the way he carried his, so she followed his instructions and—feeling more clumsy than sexy—carried it balanced on her head.

      “Wouldn’t this be better earlier in the day?” she asked, struggling to balance the board while her feet sank into the shifting sands as she followed him down to the shore.

      “Nah, this is the perfect time. Everyone is still at siesta, so it’s quiet. Besides, I have the feeling you’ll be a quick study. We’ll get through the basics and I’ll bet you’re on the board by this evening. There’s nothing like surfing at sunset.”

      “Like you were last night?” She gave him a curious glance, wondering at a life filled with such trouble-free pleasures. How did he stand the simplicity of it? Was that as much a part of his appeal as his gorgeous face and broad shoulders? That easygoing attitude so at odds with her own life. “Do you surf every sunset?”

      “As many as I can,” he admitted, glancing out at the Sea of Cortez with a look of pleasure on his face. Much as she’d stare at the stars in the night sky or a sexy man’s naked body. Joyous, contented appreciation.

      Dru wanted to feel that. That simple confidence evidenced in Alex’s look. As if he saw the challenges and not only accepted them but longed to meet them head-on. But most of all, that he knew perfectly well he was up to whatever came his way.

      For a woman who had to give herself pep talks on a daily basis, that look was like a drug she craved.

      Then he shifted his attention, studying her. The warm appreciation remained in his eyes, along with a healthy dose of lusty interest. Dru had never had anyone look at her like that. As if the idea of being with her made him happy, horny and amused all at the same time.

      And that was even more tempting than the confidence he showed facing the surf’s wild challenge.

      Suddenly determined to somehow capture both Alex’s confidence and his admiration, she drew her shoulders back and lifted her chin for the last three steps through the sand.

      When they reached the water’s edge, he indicated that she should attach the leg leash to her left foot. Then she lifted the board again and followed him into the sea.

      Dru gasped at the chill of the water compared to the warmth of the beach. Alongside Alex, she waded out until the water reached her hips, then, trying to mimic his easy movement, pulled herself onto the surfboard.

      “Let’s paddle out past the first break,” he told her, his voice just under a shout to be heard over the crashing of the waves. “Remember how I told you to cup your hands? Like you’re swimming.”

      Swimming was a lot easier, Dru decided after a couple of minutes. Belly flat on the board, she struggled against the waves pushing her one way while the undertow tugged her