Welcome to Oceanside Surf: Rescuing the Bully (An Oceanside High Romance Book 2) Read online

  “And your clothes are washed and folded and put where they belong.” I look at him, he smiles and laughs.

  “Yup, all thanks to you.”

  “And don’t forget who makes sure your fridge is stocked up.”

  “You do. But don’t forget who pays for all of it.” He chuckles and pinches my ass.

  “Hey! Ouch!” I playfully slap his shoulder. “I’d pay half if you’d let me.”

  He smirks. “Okay. Fair enough, but who eats more than half?”

  We look to the beach and say, “Galecki.”

  We get out of the water as soon as Travis’ cock isn’t standing at attention. I pull my stuck bikini bottoms and slip them back into their appropriate nooks and crannies and we head back to the umbrella.

  “Took you long enough,” Annabelle says nodding to Galecki who’s laid out on a towel. “This one’s been hard-up for food.”

  Galecki pops his head up. “Who? Me? I told ya’ll I been fasting since seven last night.”

  “Fasting means no sugar!” John tosses a handful of sand on the small island which is Galecki’s belly.

  Galecki sits up with a grunt. “Hey! Now I gotta go wash off and get wet all over again!”

  “Good! You need a bath,” John says.

  Galecki mumbles something about John leaving him alone.

  “You two might be cousins but you could damn well be brothers,” I tell them.

  “Thankfully, we ain’t,” John says, picking up his unused towel and his lawn chair. “Unfortunately he still sticks to me like glue.”

  “Cousins? Really?” Annabelle asks, she’s got her towel and her three bottles of SPF in her arms.

  I slip my pink crocs on while everyone else gets into their flip flops and we trudge through sand as hot as a frying pan up to the condominium building.

  “This shit would burn us if we didn’t have flip flops on,” John says, squinting in the sunlight. “The beach is a treacherous and dangerous place. It’s why I stick to my computer desk.”

  “Don’t forget, Britt likes Crocs, not flip flops. She’s gotta be the odd woman out.” Annabelle snorts.

  I snap at her. “I wear flip flops sometimes so get off my back about it.” She’s always teasing me about how I have to wear Crocs. I’ve just grown to like them. I shake my head, snatching up my umbrella and folding it up. I tuck it under my arm and feel a wet and sandy slap against my ass cheek. I look down to see a big sand print in the shape of Travis’ hand on my ass. “Travis!”

  He only gives me his wicked grin, green eyes glinting in the sunlight bouncing off the sand. Somehow it makes him look like a well-muscled hunk of a devil with a halo.

  “Ugh. You are still such a bully sometimes Travis McDurn!” I swat the sand off my ass and follow my friends, keeping an eye on Travis and his bully antics.

  We head up the elevator to the fourteenth floor and once inside the condo I think about how much different a month has taken this place from dirty pizza box haven to a clean linen smell.

  I take a big whiff of the place and admire the ocean front view from the balcony. Everyone suddenly drops their sandy beach supplies on the floor near the door.

  “Excuse you. You know Travis’ mom would not like that,” I say to Annabelle. Her mom wouldn’t like it either, but at least she gets paid to do her own chores at her home. Sometimes I think she does shit just to get paid to clean it up.

  “Okay, house mother,” Annabelle teases and sticks out her tongue and heads into the kitchen. John and Galecki apologize and toss their stuff over onto the couch. I roll my eyes. I try not to blame John for his manners, he never really had a mom around, just his dad, Mr. Krutchins, and his immense wealth. Galecki was practically raised right along side him.

  Travis puts a big hand on my shoulder and kisses my cheek. “Babe, chill. It’s fine.”

  “Okay,” I slump my shoulders. I’m paranoid of taking what Travis felt was his, and turning it into a party pad.

  “Speaking of mothers…” Annabelle goes into the dining nook and sits at the table with a bowl of cereal. “How’s yours?”

  I grab a broom from the small linen closet and sweep up the sand at the front door. “Well, she’s working for Xerox headquarters and I’m supposed to see her for the holidays sometime.” I stop and lean on the broom handle, I see Galecki and John out on the balcony, Travis is in the bathroom. “Which reminds me I need to text her.” I finish sweeping up, put the broom away, and dump the sand in the trash.

  I grab my phone off of the kitchen counter. I never take it down to the beach because it gets sand in every crevice, just like my ass. I send mom a text just saying, ‘hello’ and ‘I miss you.’ But we never really have conversations like we used to have, not since she did what she did to dad, and me.

  “I get why you get upset about the place getting dirty,” Annabelle continues after she’s munched two mouthfuls of cereal. “But that’s what vacation homes are for. It’s fine, anyway. I’ll clean up after myself, watch.” She slurps down the rest of her milk and tosses the bowl in the kitchen sink. “See?” The spoon clangs on the metal bottom.

  “Ugh, you’re so bad. How does your mom survive?”

  “She’s a maid, she lives to clean.” Annabelle gives a wave of her hand. “So are we out of here?” She whistles and John and Galecki come in off the balcony.

  “What’s up?” Galecki asks. “We leaving yet? I’m so hungry.”

  “Sure, but you guys head on out first,” Travis says. I look up at him, confused.

  Travis takes my hand and looks at Galecki and John. They seem to understand whatever man-speak he’s giving them by returning a brief head-nod.

  “Come on, Annabelle,” John says, nodding to the front door.

  “Hmm?” She asks absently while exploring the contents of the fridge one last time.

  “Let’s head over to Las Olas Boulevard,” Galecki adds.

  “Yes, sir,” she slams the fridge. “I could do for some vinegar splashed on some fries. Let’s go!” She grabs my hand and begins pulling me toward the door.

  “No they’re going to catch up later,” John says, opening the door and letting Galecki leave.

  “Oh…” she looks at me like she’s wondering what’s up. Then she looks at Travis. “Oh!” Her brows arch and she grabs onto John’s hand, letting him lead her out the door. “Britt, I’ll see you soon.” She winks at me. “Wait up, Galecki!”

  The door closes and Travis doesn’t waste any time as he pulls me into him, kissing me like he’s just as hungry as Galecki, and then he leads me down the small hallway to the bedroom. Inside, he closes the door.

  “Finally it’s just us,” he says with a sly smile.

  I strip off my bikini, then I grab his waistband. “Finally I get to do this,” and I strip off his wet trunks. He tosses me onto the bed and the bed springs screech under my weight.

  “I think you need a new bed in here.” I tell him.

  “It still does the job.”

  “Oh yeah, and what job is that?”

  “This,” he dives down between my legs, and Travis knows exactly what he’s doing with that tongue of his. I pull at his shoulders but he refuses to come up for air, or slide his body between my legs. I let him go and it’s not long before my legs writhe and wriggle and shudder with the last electric spasms of an intense orgasm. Then my whole body relaxes into the mattress.

  “I see…” I say between breaths. “What you mean about how this bed works.”

  “Until it collapses, then we’ll just have to wear out one of those Tempur-Pedics.”

  “I’d love that,” I take another deep inhale.

  “You okay?” he asks, coming up next to me, and lying on his side.

  “Psh, who wouldn’t be?” I say quietly. I close my eyes, enjoying how relaxed I feel. He begins trailing his fingertips lightly over my arm, my belly, my thighs.

  When I open them again I can see the light has dimmed outside, Travis is asleep, and when I look at my phone I see I have a
text from mom, and it’s been a few hours.

  “Shit.” I say to myself.

  Mom - Call me. I’d love to hear from you instead of just text messages!

  I’ve also got two missed calls from Annabelle and there’s a sudden knock at the front door. I turn over on my stomach and Travis moans and sits up. His hair sticking up from the back of his head, I can’t help but giggle at it. He looks like a skunk with its tail up.

  “I’ll get it. You stay here,” he tells me and leaves the bedroom.

  I try calling Annabelle and it’s on the third ring when I feel the weight of someone jump on me.

  “OW!” I shout. I feel thick curls of hair tumble over my back and arms wrap around me under the sheets.

  “Hey bitch!” Annabelle rolls off of me, laughing. “Did you forget about us while you were fucking like rabbits up here?”

  “Oh God! Do you always have to be such a cunt?” I stretch my limbs and rub my back where her elbow or something dug into me.

  “Well, you’ve officially missed a good night.”

  “Did I though?” I give Annabelle the Evil Eye. “Did I?”

  “Whatever, just shove it in my face why don’t you.”

  “No. You’d love that too much.” I tease.

  “Look we got to go, it’s already almost 8. Mom won’t like me home late, and there’s no way I can leave you here. Slut.”

  I sigh, thinking about how I’d love to just go back to enjoying the feel of Travis’ hands on me again. “Slut? Ugh, all right if you say so. Now get out!”

  Annabelle leaves me to dress and when I’m comfortably in a pair of shorts and one of Travis’ white tee shirts, I head out to the kitchen where Galecki and John are excitedly telling Travis about the last few hours.

  “It was crazy!” Galecki says and spreads his arms out. “The fish these guys caught off the Las Olas bridge was humongous!”

  I don’t know about many other girls but I know I’m not someone who’s into fishing so I tune out while I grab my things and give Travis a quick kiss goodbye, knowing he’ll snatch me back into his arms and complain about me leaving.

  He does just that and as he’s holding me, Galecki and John whine about our incessant public displays of affection. “Oh shove it,” I snap at them, quickly whipping my hair behind me so they get a good look at my face, “In case you don’t know this expression is telling you to shut up.”

  “Shove it was good enough.” John says with a nod.

  “They’re just jealous they don’t have girlfriends,” Annabelle says and picks up my purse with my things. “Come on. Let’s go. If I don’t drive you home your dad won’t like it that you’ve been with a boy all by yourself.”

  “As if he’d know you weren’t chaperoning.” I say.

  “Yeah right, parents aren’t that dumb. He’s got my mom for intel, remember?”

  Travis puts his arm around my waist and tucks his face into my neck for a quick kiss. “Text me when you get home.” His breath rushes against my neck and I hate leaving him.

  “I will,” I say, “It’s only fifteen minutes away.”

  “Still.”

  I sigh. “All right.” I don’t know why he gets like this, he acts like something could possibly happen to me in such a short period. “See you guys later. Don’t get into any trouble.”

  “We won’t. We’re just gonna hang out for a little while. Just the guys.”

  “Bye, Boob.” I wave at him, his eyes roll and John and Galecki laugh as I close the door behind me.

  Annabelle drives me home and drops me off. I grab my purse and tell her, “Seeya in the morning, right?”

  “What? Travis isn’t picking you up?”

  “He’s got soccer practice very early.”

  “Oh, yeah, Carlos does too. I hope I get to see him. But he just hasn’t been all that available lately.”

  I lean against the hood, tilting my head to look at her, “Hm. Well, don’t think too hard on it. I’m sure he’s just got to make enough money to take your expensive ass out to places.”

  “Yeah, okay.” She says with a yawn. It makes me yawn too, damnit.

  “Okay, see ya in the morning,” I shut the door and slip my purse strap over my shoulder.

  Annabelle’s car lurches down the driveway and I start heading towards the front stoop as I hear Old Yellow almost sputter out. I stop and turn to watch her for a second, thinking it’s about to finally die, but it gathers strength from somewhere inside its struggling old engine and powers onward, disappearing as she turns at the end of my street. I chuckle to myself and head up the steps.

  I open the front door and see dad with his hands resting on his hips, his chef apron on, and looking at me like he is not happy.

  “We need to talk.”

  “Talk?”

  “Yeah, please,” he gestures toward the kitchen. I follow him through the hall and when I reach the kitchen I notice that whatever it is, he’s been stewing about it. Literally, he’s got a pot of something on the oven and he asks me to sit down at the counter. I do, setting my purse down, and I cross my hands in my lap and sit back in the chair, prepared for whatever’s about to come next.

  Chapter Two

  Dad holds a wooden spoon up to my lips. It’s full of steaming broth.

  “Taste this,” “I want your advice because I’m thinking of starting a line of my own recipes and food products under my company, Chef’s Up.”

  “You’re joking? That’s what the big news is? Christ dad! I thought I was in trouble.”

  His eyebrows arch up. “For what? Is there something I should know about?”

  I shake my head. “Not at all.”

  He leans across the counter. “Good. Now come on, it’s not going to burn you, it’s cooled down some,” he reaches the end of the wooden spoon toward me.

  Well, I guess it could be worse, I could actually be in trouble for something. Here goes. I let the tip of the spoon touch my mouth, flick my tongue out, taste it, smack my lips together and grimace.

  Just as I thought.

  It just got worse.

  “Dad—” It takes a second to catch my breath. “That’s really—spicy.” My voice is raspy and I cough and clear my throat. “Water!”

  Dad rushes to the cupboard and grabs a glass and fills it up, then slides it across the counter to me. I drink as much of it down until my throat isn’t on fire.

  “Hmm…I thought the lemon juice would neutralize the cayenne,” he says, more to himself than to me.

  I suck in a breath of what now feels like cool air. “Okay, I’m going to grab a bottle of water in case my mouth bleeds out.” I get out of my chair and grab a bottle out of the fridge. “I’m heading upstairs.”

  “Ok honey, I may need another taste test later!”

  “Call Katy!” I suggest as I head up the stairs. I’m sure his girlfriend, Annabelle’s mom, would love to tell him it tastes fabulous while she’s dying for water.

  I head into my bedroom and I pull out my phone from my pocket and text Travis. I shut the door behind me and pray and hope dad doesn’t call me downstairs to taste more of his new recipe anytime soon.

  Brittney - I’m home. Almost thought I was in trouble. Thankfully dad just wants to sell soup made of Gasoline.

  Travis - Doesn’t sound like something I’d be thankful for.

  Brittney - I’m not. I’m still weighing the pros and cons of being in actual trouble versus drinking his new soup recipe.

  Travis - Well, I’m glad you survived. I was waiting to hear from you. I’m glad you’re home. Tell your dad goodnight for me.

  I huff at the screen. He’s such a paranoid freak-a-zoid.

  Brittney - Yeah, sure! That’ll happen while I’m already in bed. I’m not sticking my head out of my bedroom in case dad has his soup spoon ready for me.

  Travis - Already in bed? John and Galecki dragged me back to his dad’s and forced me to play Fortnite, But I gave up. John is a pro and he made me look like a moron. So I’m about to head
home.

  I laugh to myself that Travis would play video games. He’s so much more of an outdoors kind of guy. I can tell he loves the beach, it’s almost like it’s a part of him. I still don’t get why he seems so against the idea of surfing.

  My thumbs hover over the screen, I’m debating on asking about it again. But I think it can wait. Instead I push it to the back of my mind and say something I know he’ll love.

  Brittney - I’m sure they forced you, and you don’t need anyone else helping you to look like a moron.

  My phone lights up, ringing, and it’s Travis. Before I can even greet him he asks in a smooth but tired voice, “I thought we agreed we wouldn’t bludgeon each other with insults?”

  “Um, did we agree to that? Or did you?”

  “Whoa, now.” He says and then I hear him yawn.

  “I don’t recall signing anything,” I argue. I hear the sound of the truck start up and I ask, “You aren’t going to fall asleep are you? Not driving home.”

  “No. I’m just tired. So much sun, waves, and swimming makes a guy tired.”

  “I think that will make anybody tired.”

  “True.”

  “I wish I was curling up in bed with you.”

  “Go ask your dad.”

  “Not a chance!” I turn over on my stomach, flipping my legs up behind me and curling my toes up. I pick at my comforter and imagine him laying right here next to me. “He’ll send me right back to bed, or worse.”

  “Worse?”

  “Yeah, he’ll make me try more of his soup. He’s a great cook when he’s following someone else’s recipes, don’t get me wrong. But when he tries to create his own—Egh!”

  Travis laughs, and the phone blinks out and comes back on. “You there?” He asks.

  “Yeah. What happened?”

  “Bluetooth switched over. You’re on the radio speakers now.”

  “Should I sing you something soft and slow?”

  “No. You’ll definitely put me to sleep.”