Beyond the Beach Read online

  2 Masen

  “W hen will you be back?” The gruff voice on the other end of the speaker asked with clear frustration.

  “I have a week here and then I’m off to Oahu for a couple of weeks,” Masen replied, staring at his frowning reflection in the mirror.

  “Dammit, when are you going to take your life seriously? I have spent years waiting for you to get this,” the gruff voice paused, and Masen could almost picture the veins in his father’s neck pulsing. “This hobby of yours out of your system but unfortunately it hasn’t.” Another pause ensued, and Masen could no longer hold his tongue.

  “This is not a hobby,” Masen stated with more bite than he intended.

  He gripped the edge of the dresser, shaking his head and trying to control his anger. When he looked at his reflection again, he could see that he was failing miserably. His father’s voice continued to berate him.

  “This is it, son, after this gig or whatever the hell you call it, you are coming home, and you are working for me. You have responsibilities that you have been neglecting and I expect you to start fulfilling them,” his father exclaimed angrily, right before hanging up.

  “Screw you,” Masen muttered as the dial tone echoed in the silent room.

  Masen ran his hands through his hair, pulling it all the way back, trying to imagine what he would look like with short hair, clean cut and business like. He struggled to picture it. Unfortunately for him, he may not have a choice in the matter. His father was accustomed to getting what he wanted and if he put his foot down, he could make it so that no one would hire him, unwilling to risk the wrath of Mr. Rodrigo Masen Pelletier. He sighed and dropped his hands, walking to the large picture window that overlooked the beach.

  “You need to get laid, Masen. Get some sweet thing to distract you and take your mind off of all this nonsense,” he said to himself before washing his hands over the stubble on his face.

  Masen glanced at his board near the door and walked over to it. He ran his hand along the smooth surface that he already waxed to perfection. His father underestimated the power the water had over him. Only on the water did he feel free, did he feel real. How could he give that up? With a heavy sigh, he headed to his bedroom to grab his beach towel before coming back to snatch his board.

  The minute he stepped out of his cabin, a smile spread across his face. The wind was blowing nicely, which would make for great conditions on the water. The water! It called to him, beckoning his embrace. He had a good feeling about today. Something special was going to happen. It was inevitable.

  ~*~

  Masen stepped out of his car and allowed his eyes to take in not only the ocean but the beach as well. He had been in Eleuthera for a week and had already gotten what he came here for. Now it was playtime. But, who would be his ‘playmate’ he wondered as he took in the beautiful women who lined the shore. Masen wasn’t necessarily picky about the type of girl he wanted. He had no preference as far as blonde, brunette, or red heads. He didn’t even care the nationality. He had been with most nationalities at one point or another. No, his criteria was more that they be a tourist seeking a good time just like him. He had made the mistake, many years ago, of getting involved with a local and it turned out poorly when it came time for Masen to leave, as her brothers were not keen on the relationship they had, feeling their sister had been used. This is what led to him developing his current regime.

  Anytime Masen traveled, which was often, he picked one girl to hang out with and, of course, have sex with while he was in town. It saved him any potential problems with one-night stands on islands that were way too small to get away with, and he was always assured a good time. He knew he wouldn’t be staying long, which served as the perfect exit strategy for him, as well as the girls, because they knew what they were getting themselves into right from the start. He never hid the fact that what they had together would by no means be anything more than an island fling. It was a plan that had worked successfully for several years.

  Not seeing anyone that immediately caught his attention, he turned to his convertible and tossed his shirt on the front seat before lifting his board out of the car and hoisting it under his arm. He rolled his shoulders and ran his free hand through his long, shaggy hair before turning back toward the beach and the waves that beckoned him.

  “First things first,” he said to himself with a shrug before heading in the direction of the shoreline.

  As he began making the trek across the sand, he noticed several women looking his way. This wasn’t unusual for Masen. He always drew attention, usually without even trying. He was an avid surfer, mountain climber, and all-around adventurer. He strayed as far away from his family as he possibly could. He never wanted to be tied to them in any way, although, his name ensured that he always would be linked to them. He offered a few smiles to some of the women who he happened to make eye contact with, but so far none of them piqued his interest other than for a quick roll in the sand, but Masen didn’t want that. He wanted someone he could spend the next five days with before flying to Hawaii. As he continued to stroll toward the shore, he slowed as his eyes caught sight of long chestnut hair with auburn highlights. It blew around her, which caused a smile to form on his face. She had a body that nearly stopped him in his tracks. This girl had her hands on her hips, accentuating her backside, which was a vision to behold. Not to mention her long legs that seemed to go on for days.

  “Hmm, interest duly piqued,” he mumbled with an appreciative nod.

  “Hey, Masen, you going to The Pit tonight?”

  Masen turned to see Cory standing beside him. Cory was a fellow surfer whom he met when he arrived a week ago. He had learned that Cory and several other surfers had been here for most of the summer already, trying to prepare for a competition that would be happening later this month. They had rented a cabin not far from where Masen was currently staying and had befriended him immediately. It turned out that they had surfed many of the same beaches.

  “Yeah, most likely,” Masen answered with a slight nod. He turned to the water and then back to Cory. “You been out yet?” Masen asked, motioning towards the waves.

  “Hell yeah,” Cory answered enthusiastically. “It’s clean, man. I’m going back as soon as I get me some grub.”

  Masen nodded and looked to the ocean. “I’ll catch ya later then,” he said, waving Cory off.

  “See ya later, man.”

  The conditions looked good. There was very little offshore wind, so the wave energy would be optimal for him. He made a cursory glance at the woman with the killer backside and then got down to business, jogging the rest of the way to shore. The water was cold against his skin as he began to paddle out into the swell. The foam continued to jump up and kiss his face. He brushed it off and rose on his board. His eyes were drawn toward the shore where he noticed that the woman from the beach was now looking in his direction.

  “I’ll be damned,” he said with a smile.

  He couldn’t see what her face looked like from his current distance, but he could most definitely distinguish the outline of her body, quickly coming to the conclusion that it seemed as if her front side was just as exquisite as her backside. Her head dropped slightly but he wasn’t focused on that. No, he was checking out this girl’s exceptional body. She had a small waist and flat stomach and from what he could tell from his position on his board, perfect breasts. They were just the right size for him to enjoy and he was willing to bet that they were real as well. Spending a lot of time on beaches, he learned to differentiate fake from real very quickly. Unlike some of his peers, he always preferred the real thing, even if that meant a smaller cup size. He closed his eyes for a moment and could almost imagine what this girl’s breasts would feel like.

  “Quit thinking about boobs!” He scolded himself with a shake of his head.

  He ran his hands through his hair and got into position. As the wave took him, he made a decision. This girl would be it, she would be the one he spent the rest of the week with. She just didn’t know it yet.

  3 Plan in Motion

  “Zoe,” he muttered, his lips hovering above hers.

  Her heart raced while her breath came out in short, uneven gasps. The hot sand scratched and tickled her skin, but Zoe didn’t mind as his lips finally made contact with hers. Her hands draped around his neck, pulling his body closer and feeling his wet skin against hers, his arousal evident.

  “Z oe, what do you think of this one?” Summer asked, startling Zoe out of her daydream.

  Blinking several times, Zoe tried to get her bearings. Rising from her lawn chair, she stared out across the patio, toward the walking path that led to the beach. Breathing in deeply, she tried in vain to erase her wanton thoughts of the unknown surfer, thoughts that were causing her skin to flush with desire. Feeling as if she were being watched, Zoe turned and noticed that Summer was now eyeing her suspiciously. Pushing her hair behind her ear, Zoe gave her friend the once over, checking out the ensemble she had picked out. It was a mint green skirt with matching stiletto heels and what Zoe liked to call an easy access blouse. She chuckled as she was unfortunately aware that Ethan’s favorite color was mint green. Summer was ensuring that he wouldn’t be able to take his eyes off her.

  “Are you going to a club?”

  Summer rolled her eyes as she flipped her off. “No, smart ass, we’re going to a restaurant, but I want to be prepared for anything.”

  Zoe grinned and nodded before approaching her. Summer gazed upon her curiously just as Zoe let her finger slip into the crease of Summer’s shirt and laughed as the top button popped open, easy access, baby. She arched her brow at her friend who stepped back, fixing her shirt, and then proceeded to stick her tongue out.

  “Is that what you’re wea
ring?” Summer asked disapprovingly.

  Zoe looked down at her ensemble, which consisted of jean shorts and a baggy t-shirt. “What’s wrong with it?”

  “Oh, Zoe, what am I going to do with you?” Summer asked, shaking her head. She had no sense of style, or how to flaunt the curves that she had been blessed with. “Come on,” she said taking her friends hand.

  “Wonderful!” Zoe thought aloud.

  She followed her friend into the bedroom area and to the pile of discarded clothes. Summer blissfully started moving items around, humming softly to herself as she selected a blouse and then wandered over to Zoe’s neatly stacked clothes trying to decide what the least offensive garment might be. Settling on a pair of skinny jeans, she snatched them up before perusing through Zoe’s unmentionables.

  “Did you not bring any sexy lingerie?” Summer asked in a huff.

  Zoe couldn’t contain the snort that emerged. “Why the hell would I do that?”

  Summer shook her head and narrowed her eyes. She couldn’t believe the resistance that she was getting from her. Did Zoe not see that she was trying to help her? Zoe was one of the nicest people on the planet but her hard core, anti-relationship, anti-men stance was not going to help her have fun on the island. Isn’t that what they were here for? With a frustrated and exaggerated sigh, she shoved the clothes at her friend.

  “Here, change. Now!”

  “Yes, ma’am,” Zoe said in mock salute to the fashion dictator before her.

  Summer once again flipped her off before pivoting and exiting the room. Zoe glanced at the clothes in her hand and frowned, tossing them back on the bed. She let her shorts drop to the floor and then pulled off her shirt. With her hands on her hips, she stood in her underwear, a pair of white boy shorts and a black bra, taking in her reflection in the mirror. She was never one to dress sexy, not even when she was in a relationship. She was more a ‘take me as I am or no way at all’ kind of gal. She didn’t feel like what she had on was so unattractive. She shrugged her shoulders and reluctantly reached for the Summer approved outfit for this evening.

  “Well, I guess I better go do my hair and makeup before the head of the fashion police sends me to the stockade for some sort of style violation I’m committing,” she said to her mirrored self.

  Zoe grinned as she snatched her makeup bag off the dresser. It never took her long to get ready for anything. She didn’t believe in wearing a lot of make up or really dolling herself up for anyone. She usually wore only base and a small amount of blush and mascara, but, since she was ‘going out’ she decided to kick it up a notch and dipped into her plum eye shadow, adding some eyeliner and breaking out the velvet rose lipstick. She was reluctant to do anything with her hair so instead just brushed it out and applied some hair spray to hold that messed up, fly away look that she generally liked. Once she felt she was duly ready to pass inspection, she headed over to check on her best friend, still slightly annoyed that she was being forced to get ‘made up’ for no one in particular.

  Summer continued to primp and prod as she prepared for the evening. She and Ethan had visited for a long time at the beach and when it was time for him to go he had invited her out so that they could finish their conversation. This was Summer’s opportunity and she was leaving nothing to chance. She had convinced Zoe, albeit reluctantly, to go out for the evening as well, therefore leaving their shared room open and available should she and Ethan choose to make it an early evening. She glanced in the mirror to see Zoe standing in the doorway with her arms crossed.

  “Zoe, come on, girl, don’t look at me like that.” Zoe didn’t change her stance. If anything, she became more determined. “You know what you need?” Summer asked teasingly.

  Zoe snorted. “Please enlighten me, oh wise one.”

  Summer rolled her eyes dramatically. “You need to get laid. How long’s it been?” Zoe scrunched her eyes and Summer pointed at her. “See, it’s been so long you don’t even remember.” She turned back to the mirror to finish applying her makeup. “Perhaps if you actually tried having sex it would be easier to write about it,” she finished nonchalantly.

  Zoe loosened her stance, dropping her arms and leaning against the doorway. She wasn’t sure what was wrong with her. She had mentioned to Summer a month ago that she felt stuck in relation to her novel. She thought that the content of her story was good, the plot, the characters, all of it except the most important piece, the romance, basically the sex. She had been stopped at the intimacy. It wasn’t that she was naïve, far from it, but she had never had that just looking at him makes my body want to explode experience. And looking back to her last relationship did not help with the motivation.

  “Maybe you could see it like that one old movie we watched a couple of weeks ago,” Summer offered, applying her eyeliner.

  Zoe glanced her way, having been brought out of her thoughts. What is she talking about now? Zoe thought as she arched her brow in confusion.

  Summer grinned. “How Stella Got Her Groove Back. Didn’t she go to Jamaica or something, hooked up with some hot island stud,” Summer said with a wag of her brows.

  “For Christ’s sake, Summer, that woman was like in her forties going through a divorce. Is that what my love life equates to nowadays?” Zoe asked louder than she had intended.

  Summer shrugged. “I’m just saying. You need to open yourself up to really experiencing the island. It’s not like we will ever be coming back or will ever see anyone again.” She smirked. “What happens in the Bahamas stays in the Bahamas.”

  “That’s Vegas, ya weirdo,” Zoe said, unable to contain her smile.

  “Same principle applies.”

  Zoe shook her head and stepped away from the door. “I’m heading out, have fun tonight.”

  “You too,” Zoe heard from the other room. “And get lucky!” Summer added with a boisterous laugh.

  Zoe walked out of their room giggling and shaking her head. She loved Summer and her zest for living life to the fullest, but she never saw it as a lifestyle she could fully embrace. She was much too serious for that. She walked along the pathway outside their room toward the main lobby. It was a nice night and, without realizing it, she found herself looking toward the pathway to the beach a couple of times. For what, she wasn’t sure. She supposed maybe on a subconscious level she was waiting for the surfer to stride up and whisk her away like they did in those romance novels on all the shelves of the bookstores. She looked to the ground, kicking a small pebble out of the way.

  “Jesus, Zoe, calm the hell down,” she mumbled to herself as she stepped into the foyer of the main lobby.

  Her eyes moved around the room. Surfer’s Ridge was a nice place to stay, not very fancy, but it was close to the beach, which was a perk. She could see an older woman talking to a couple in their mid-forties. No, she didn’t want to go anywhere that she was directing them to. It was bad enough that Summer equated her love life to a woman in her forties, she didn’t want to make it a reality. She scanned further and saw a younger man, early twenties, if that, scrolling on his iPhone. Zoe smiled and approached him. She figured if she was going to go out then she might as well go somewhere unique and different. She had always found that the younger employees knew where the hot spots were, whereas the concierges often directed people to the tried and true tourist destinations. Not that that was a bad thing, mind you, but Zoe was not interested in the mainstream. She wanted something a bit off the beaten path so that she could do as Summer had told her and experience the island. She could at least take her advice on that.

  “Ma’am,” the young man said with a bright smile.

  The boy was clean cut and deeply tanned so she knew he likely spent a lot of time outside. She imagined him riding a wave or hang-gliding off a cliff. There was something about him that screamed I need to be outside doing something versus standing behind a stupid desk. She liked him immediately.