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But whoa It was beyond incredible I openly gawked

A sizzle worked its way over nized Kaidan’s SUV--the same one we’d driven cross-country in He was parked in front of aa bunch of other nice vehicles I parked and sat there a fewBlood thuh my ears

These are people you care about, Anna There’s no reason to be scared Just go in there and tell theized fro into the house, spanning the silent rooms I stepped from the car and shook out my arms It was hot here but not hu my backpack overaround the side of the house The ay led to an unlocked gate Even the outside walls of the house were covered with detail, perfectly placed stones, flowering vines, everything i waves and distant voices beca oose bumps The ay opened into an enor pool with a twisting waterslide, waterfall, diving area, and bungaloith an open canopy side and an enclosed changing area Down on the next levels were a skateboarding raame spot with setups for volleyball and horseshoes The surrounding landscape boasted exotic plants with thick, green leaves and bright blosso off peppery scents It was a hoe of the pool deck and my heart stilled Amid the waves and sand beloere at least a dozen boys One of them, shirtless, stood on his board in the surf for four solid seconds before being uprooted by the force of the water’swhile I watched Blake and another guy, wearing short-sleeved wet suits, sat on their surfboards farther back where the water was cal at Kai’s wipeout

Kaidan stood and shook out his hair, which was even longer than a few ave hied from the surf onto the sand and tossed his board down, then sat on it and watched while Blake ti wave, paddled out to it, stood, and rode the bend of water with perfection When theythat made Kaidan tackle him around the knees, and they wrestled while the others cheered Boys Seeing the fun, even from a distance, made me smile

Blake noticed me first He shielded his eyes and peered up, then elbowed Kaidan The three of us stared at one another through the distance, reeting

This was it

Leaving their boards on the shining sand, the whole group shuffled up the beach, taking a steep path of wooden steps that led to the house through jutting rocks I reminded myself to inhale, then exhale Inhale Exhale

Blake clie chairs before al His cold wetsuit was soaking, but I didn’t care He pulled away and gave a long whistle as he eyed ood"

"You, too," I said Blake’s hair was a couple of inches long, jet-black, and straight His round Filipino face was golden brown frolinted in his eyebrow

I cleared , tan California boys For a stunned moment all I could think was that Veronica would be in drool heaven I didn’t even have the nerve to look at all of them, and I wondered where Kaidan was in this pack of hotties

"Sweet," soe fest"

"Shut up, brah," Blake told hihed I never felt shy around people from school anymore, but under the scrutiny of a bunch of boys I didn’t knoas different I think Blake could tell

"Time for you all to head out so I can catch up with an old friend" He draped an arroaned, but one by one they said their good-byes, slapping hands and backs and stealing glances in ot the nerve to look around and found Kaidan nearby leaning against the railing, looking at the sea

I wanted to take a picture of hiish brown hair, dusted with a shiles of his face I worked up the nerve to walk over, standing at the railing a few feet froery

It was so peaceful So ro h the sand and into the surf, his hands on htless in his arined saltwater kisses

I blinked out of the daydreaed back over to us

"Where’s your boy?" Kaidan asked, his voice rough When he finally turned his face toward mine, his eyes hit me like a hammer and I couldn’t respond

"I’ainst ed your e and you’d have a pack of adopted orphans by now"

Blake let out a nervous laugh as if pretending Kaidan was joking, but I knew better My senses went hayith the sla Kope, Kaidan was not innocent in all this He’d hurt