Riding the Wave
Riding the Wave
Riding the Wave
by
Serenity King
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Copyright © 2011 Serenity King
Editor: Stephanie Parent
Cover Art: Shara Azod
Riding the Wave
Chapter One
Teksuen “Tek” Montreal stood on the balcony of his oceanfront condominium, breathing in the fresh morning air and listening to the waves as they danced across the ocean. He loved this place: Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. He’d purchased the condo with his brother three years ago after vacationing here with some of his best buds, Stelvson, Winston, and Oregon.
He’d instantly fallen in love with Myrtle Beach. In fact, Tek liked to refer to his place as his “little piece of paradise.” Yep, this was a perfect hideaway from all the stresses of his business and, unfortunately, the stress caused by his mother, Sachi Montreal. No mistake, he loved his mother to death, but her habit of constantly badgering him and his twin, Tackuan, or “Tac,” to settle down was grating on his last nerve.
At twenty-nine years old, you’d think a man should able to decide for himself when, and if, he wanted to settle down and start a family. Not to his mother’s way of thinking. According to her, it wasn’t natural for a grown man of his age to still be single. Tek didn’t know if it was natural or not, but he did know that he wasn’t settling down. Not yet anyway. He was having too much fun as a single man enjoying himself to the fullest.
Tek had turned to walk back into his condo when he noticed, from the corner of his eye, a lone woman walking across the sand. There was something about the woman that caught his attention. Maybe it was the way she walked alone, as if she carried the weight of the world on her shoulders.
He knew that feeling. He’d experienced it many times before. There was a familiarity about her, too. As if he’d seen her before. Shading his eyes with his hand, Tek strained his neck forward and leaned heavily against the balcony to get a better look.
He continued to watch her as she walked along the shore. The thin, sheer covering she had on over her bikini did nothing to conceal what appeared to be one sexy body. The breeze coming off the shore caused her long hair to lift off the nape of her neck. It flowed like a wave in back of her. Although her shoulders were slumped, her movements were fluid and graceful. Definitely someone worth a second—or even a third—look. We’ll see, he thought, hoping he would run into her during his stay.
She must have sensed his presence because she stopped, looked up at the balcony, stared at him, and then waved before moving on.
“Well I’ll be damned.” He laughed richly at being caught staring. If she was walking on this side of the beach, then she had to be staying in the condo complex. Tek was sure he’d be seeing her again. In fact, he’d make a point of seeking her out.
Turning on his heels, he walked through the sliding glass door leading into his place. He headed directly to his bedroom, where he took off his robe, put on a pair of running shorts and trainers, grabbed his keys, and then left the condo for his morning jog. This was the perfect time for a jog. Early morning, not many people on the beach, and he could run while enjoying the beauty of the sun above the water.
Tek was about five minutes into his jog when he thought he heard his name being called. Who would be calling me out here on the beach? Only his brother and friends knew Tek was here, and, as far as Tek knew, they were still in New York and wouldn’t be joining him for several days.
“Tek, wait up,” he heard the familiar voice call again. Frowning, he turned toward the voice just as his brother came upon him. He slowed to a more manageable walk and smiled into the face that mirrored his own. “Tac, man, what are you doing here?”
“I got in last night.” Tac smiled back.
“Where’d you stay?”
Why did he even bother to ask? Tek watched the smirk on his brother’s face and knew that he’d hooked up with a woman.
“All right, who is she?” Tek asked with a shake of his head.
“I don’t kiss and tell.” Tac slapped his twin on the back.
“You’re unbelievable,” Tek snickered. “Well, since you’ve decided to grace me with your presence, you might as well start jogging, brother. By the way, where are your things?”
“I only brought a carryall. It’s still in the trunk of my car. I figured I’d catch up with you on the beach this morning, so I changed into my joggers and left. I’m only here for the weekend, and then I’m off to Atlanta.”
“What changed your mind? I thought you weren’t coming this time around. The guys will be here on Sunday.”
“Just needed a break is all,” Tac said, staring straight ahead.
Tek knew it was something else. He could feel it, but he decided not to call his brother out on it. Tac would tell him what the problem was when he was ready. Even though they were twins, they both knew when to respect the other’s need for privacy. He and his brother were so in tune with each other, it sometimes seemed they communicated without words. For instance, Tek had thought he’d felt his brother’s presence last night, but he had ignored it. Now he’d come to find out Tac had just been a few miles away all along.
“Well, this is the perfect place for a break,” said Tek. “I’m planning on jet skiing later. You want to come along?”
“Hmm, not sure yet. I might be otherwise occupied.” Tac smirked.
“Damn, brother, you wound me. And here I thought you wanted to hang out with me.” Tek chuckled.
“Give me a break, Tek. If I know you, and I do, you’ll be occupied as well.” Tac snorted.
Tek thought back to the woman he’d seen walking along the shoreline this morning and smiled. “Yes, I most definitely will be.”
“From that tone and the smile on your face…you’ve met somebody already,” Tac guessed.
“Not technically.”
“What the hell does that mean? You either did or you didn’t.”
“Well…” Tek stressed the words. “I did and I didn’t.”
“Well, that clears everything up,” Tac said sourly.
“I saw her this morning before my jog. She was walking along the beach in front of the complex,” Tek explained.
Tac lifted an eyebrow. “So, why isn’t she jogging with you? Don’t tell me you’ve lost your touch.”
Tek scowled at him. “No, I haven’t lost my touch. I didn’t speak with her. I just saw her walking along the shore from my balcony.”
At that his brother stopped walking and turned to look at him.
“Let me get this straight. You saw a woman…from your fourth-floor balcony. You didn’t get her name, her number, or where she was staying, and you’ve decided that you two are going to hook up,” Tac inquired, looking at Tek as if he’d lost his mind.
“That about covers it,” Tek said slowly, realizing that, when spoken out loud, it did seem preposterous.
Tac doubled over laughing. “Dude, you do realize that more than two people live along this beach, right?” he said around his laughter. “How the hell do you intend to hook up with a woman that you might not ever see again? And on the off chance that you do, how are you going to know if it’s her? I mean, really, how good a look could you h
ave gotten from the balcony?”
“Trust me. I’ll know,” Tek said, jogging a little faster.
“If you say so.”
The two brothers jogged around until they reached the condo. Once they were inside, Tek threw the keys on a nearby table, as Tac shut the door behind them.
“There’s coffee in the pot. I’m going to take a shower,” Tek called over his shoulder on his way to his room. The condo housed three bedrooms, each with its own bathroom. Once in the shower, Tek’s mind went back to the lone figure he’d seen on the beach. Tac could make fun and laugh all he wanted, but Tek knew that he’d see her again. And he’d know, too. Her figure was engraved in his memory. He had a damn near photographic memory, and at times like this, he really appreciated his gift.
Besides, he had a plan…he’d just hang around this side of the beach until he saw her again. She was bound to come back to the area, and he’d be ready to make his move.
Stepping out of the shower, Tek dried himself off, walked into his room, and put on a pair of swimming trunks. He heard the pots rattling in the kitchen. Tac must be making breakfast. His brother loved to cook. In fact, as far as Tek was concerned, Tac was one of the best chefs in New York and maybe the entire Atlantic coast. Of course he was biased, but there were no denying that Tac could prepare almost any dish for any occasion.
“What are we having, Chef Tackuan?” Tek joked.
Tac scowled at him. “Keep that kind of talking up and I’ll feed you seaweed and sand.”
Tek laughed heartily while Tac took out all the fixings for an omelet.
After eating a great breakfast which consisted of a spinach omelet, bacon, toast, and coffee, Tek helped Tac clean up the kitchen. As they worked, they talked about their jobs, and before Tek knew it, an hour had passed.
“I’m going to go for a swim before it’s time to pick up the jet ski. You want to come along?” Tek asked his brother.
“Nah. I’m going to get a little sleep before I start my day. I didn’t get any last night,” Tac responded with a suggestive grin.
Tek smiled and shook his head. “That night life is going to kill you, Tac.”
“Then I’ll go a happy man, my brother,” Tac said with a wiggle of his brow. He patted Tek on the back before heading for his bedroom. “I’ll see you…sometime today. Have fun.”
Tek watched his brother disappear into his room. Taking his key from his armband, he reached behind his neck and unhooked a thin gold chain bearing a single gold cross. He put the key on the chain and placed the chain back around his neck. He didn’t want to wake Tac when he came back in. Tek grabbed a towel and left for the beach.
Riding the Wave
Chapter Two
Dr. Josinia “Jo” Brown walked along the shoreline with a heavy heart. Tired of walking, she sank down on the sand, watched the waves and listened to the quiet of the morning. Her best friend and business partner, Gemini Seagram, had coaxed her into coming along with her and two of their old sorority sisters, Pamela and Stephanie. Jo needed a break, Gemini had said seriously, and Myrtle Beach was a great place for all of them to relax and have fun.
In truth, Josinia had needed a break in the worst way. The startup of their Sports and Rehabilitation facility, as well as the strain of trying to keep her impetuous sister out of trouble, was fast becoming a problem.
The twenty-year-old girl seemed to have a talent for finding trouble. Jo was afraid she’d end up in jail—or worse. At least her seventeen-year-old brother gave her absolutely no grief. She thanked God for that. She couldn’t have handled him being a problem, too.
Josinia had been a senior in high school when her mother died of breast cancer. She’d fought it off bravely once before, but when it came back for the second time, she had no more fight left in her. This time, the disease had spread throughout her body. Her mom had held on as long as she could, fighting the battle for three years before finally succumbing to the inevitable.
To make matters worse, that was also when Jo had found out she had an eleven-year-old sister, Tempest and an eight-year-old brother, Anthony. Her father had been having an ongoing affair for years. And she didn’t even have the energy or the inclination to hate the man.
She’d promised her mom on her death bed that she’d finish school on time and go on to college, no matter what, and that she’d find it in her heart to forgive her father. Josinia hadn’t a clue as to what her mother was talking about at the time. She’d always adored her father. He wasn’t around much, but she understood the life of a surgeon was hectic. Apparently it wasn’t too hectic. He had found time to carry on with a mistress and father two children outside of his marriage.
Josinia’s high-school graduation present was the announcement that her father would be marrying his long-time mistress, Monica. She’d been hurt beyond belief. How her father expected them to live happily-ever-after was beyond her.
The whole situation had been a disaster from the start. Monica had moved in and immediately started removing any and everything that had belonged to Jo’s mother.
Her father, Stamford Brown, was a successful heart surgeon and was on staff at not one but several area hospitals. He also had had a private practice. Had being the operative word. Josinia’s father had died three years ago of a massive coronary at a medical convention in Nevada. He’d been found in his hotel room alone. Ironic. Karma’s a bitch, Jo thought.
Even more ironic was that, while he lay dead in his hotel room alone, his wife was in their home screwing one of his colleagues. Josinia knew that because apparently her father’s widow refused to answer the phone when the hospital called. Since Josinia was the emergency contact, she’d had to drive from her Manhattan apartment to Deer Park, Long Island, just to find her stepmother in bed with one of the partners in her father’s practice.
At least Anthony and Tempest hadn’t been there to watch the show. They were staying the weekend with friends. She’d asked her stepmother the names and addresses of the friends and had gone to collect her siblings.
It’s stunned her to find out that her father had left the majority of his holdings to her. He had also made her the executrix of his will and trustee over Tempest’s and Anthony’s inheritances. A portion of their share was for their college educations. The rest would be turned over to each at the age of twenty-five. Apparently her father hadn’t been so oblivious to his wife’s extracurricular activities, after all.
Monica had done everything in her power to try to contest the will. To Jo’s amusement—and horror—Monica had even slept with her father’s attorney. The unlikely allies had then tried to pull a fast one on her. Josinia, however, was not stupid. She’d called her dad’s much younger brother, her Uncle Kadian. He’d hopped on the next available flight out of Jamaica to come to be with her. By the time her uncle had finished with Monica and the attorney, Monica had given her guardianship over Anthony, and the attorney was going up for review with the bar association for misappropriation of funds in his escrow account. He’d probably be disbarred. Monica realized if she wanted to hold on to the small amount that her husband had left her, she’d better stop trying to contest the will—especially since he had put in a clause stating that if Monica tried to contest, she’d lose her right to any money and properties that had been left to her; everything would revert back to the estate, which would all be divided amongst the three siblings.
The real joke had come when, after taking a look at her very handsome younger brother-in-law, Monica had decided to make a play for him. Kadian had no problem informing her that he neither wanted nor needed his brother’s leftovers, and he’d save his money for a hooker with more class.
Josinia had doubled over laughing when her uncle had told her what he’d said to Monica. It was the first time she had laughed in far too long. The three year stand-off had finally come to an end last week. Hence, the break she needed. Sighing deeply, she picked up a handful of sand and let it slide through her fingers.
“Mind if I join you?”
“Uh…Uh.,,” Josinia was tongue tied. Damn was he fine. That body was to die for. She lost her ability to form a complete thought as she ran her gaze up and over the sexy stranger. Standing at about six feet tall with his legs spread and his tanned six-pack abs on display, the stranger had a pair of the deepest, sexiest, slanted dark eyes. They were covered by long lashes and thick eyebrows. His hair was cut short, tapered along the sides, and spiked up top. He appeared to be in his late twenties—thirty tops—and Asian. Damn, this was one sexy dude. Jo’s eyes slid over his body again, stopping at the very impressive bulge in the front of his swimming trunks. Oh my damn, she thought, and drew in her breath as the bulge twitched a little right before her eyes. Josinia swallowed deeply and clenched her thighs together, hoping to stem off the flood of moisture that was pooling between her legs and, no doubt, staining her bikini bottom.
“I take it you like what you see,” Tek said.
Shaking herself, she looked up into the smiling eyes of the stranger and blushed.
“No need to blush. In fact, if you stand up, I’ll promise to give your body my full attention.” He smirked.
That smirk—Josinia knew that smirk. Oh God. It couldn’t be. Of all the people she’d run into again, it had to be someone she’d had a one-night stand with. Apparently he didn’t remember her. But then again, why would he? She wasn’t all that memorable.
“Not shy, are you?” Josinia said crisply.
“Not in the least. Since you’re not going to oblige me and stand up, do you mind if I sit next to you?”
“No, have a seat,” she murmured.
“I’m Tek,” he said, sitting down next to her and extending his hand.
“Josinia,” she responded as his long fingers curved intimately around her hand.