CHAPTER 14

 

 

 

throw your kisses in the air,

light up the night sky,

break all their hearts,

and break mine twice

-Cristoforo Luca

 

 

 

TESSA

 

 

Yes, Kip had said not to wear anything that might malfunction.

However.

Tessa was always going to be Tessa, and malfunctions were often part of the game.

The game being her life.

It was a truth she’d accepted long ago and the people in her life were pretty good at dealing with it.

But maybe just this once she should have heeded Kip’s warning.

She rolled her lips inward as she fiddled with the string bikini straps at her neck and watched the group of people before her.

“What are you thinking?” Kip asked at her shoulder, his voice laced with controlled amusement.

“I’m thinking about the current zoning issues in Santa Barbara and how that might affect Spencer’s taco truck habit.”

No she wasn’t.

She was thinking about how incredibly graceful that woman looked being lifted into the air like she weighed nothing. The way her back bowed and her skin glowed in the sun.

This wasn’t the smooth, easy yoga of early mornings gone by.

No, this was circus yoga.

Kip’s hand touched her inner arm and slid down until their palms met. He curled his hand around hers and tugged toward an empty space on the beach.

She tried not to stare at the couples surrounding them as they stretched and reached simultaneously for the sky and one another.

“What, uh, what do you call this?” she asked quietly hoping no one else could hear her.

Kip squeezed her hand and let go. He smiled as he shook out the blanket he’d brought along and laid it on the sand.

“Acroyoga,” he said. “It’s a type of partner yoga.” He rested his hands on his hips and watched the other couples for a minute. He returned his eyes to her.

Even though he hadn’t asked anything, she could see the question on his face.

“This is really coupley,” she decided to point out.

His lips tugged up on one side. “Yeah.”

She ignored the way her heart panted at his response and scratched the side of her neck.

“I feel like I need to remind you of the time I fell down and almost killed you.”

His half-smile turned into a full one. “Oh, Peaches, you should know me well enough to know it takes more than that to nearly kill me.”

He didn’t wait for her reply before he took off his shirt and immediately pulled it over her head. It fell to mid-thigh on her.

And it smelled like him—happiness and sunshine.

It was all she could do not to shove her face into the fabric like she was on a laundry detergent commercial.

“Can you tie that so it doesn’t hang loose?” he asked.

She could. And did. Making a knot in the front of the shirt so it fit her more snugly. He didn’t have to explain what the purpose was. She got it immediately. She had chosen to wear a barely-there bikini top which would not withstand the mid-air poses she’d witnessed many of the people around her doing—flawlessly, she might add.

Thankfully she’d opted for her full-coverage bikini bottoms.

While she knew her ass was probably on a few local plastic surgeons inspo-boards in their office, she liked to keep the goods covered. If anyone was going to see her bare bottom they were going to be marrying her.

Which was why she wore boy short style bikini bottoms and always had.

That package was wrapped securely.

Even for acroyoga.

Her stomach dipped as she thought about Kip’s hands on her.

She sucked in a sharp breath as her eyes raked over him and his half-dressedness. Kip’s body was golden and tattooed and so forking lean. His muscles were long and elegant, so were his veins. They wrapped and twisted around his forearms and she licked her lips.

Yeah, weird, right?

But he was so yummy to behold.

She wanted to touch him.

But no, not yet. Not until she had a better understanding of where this was all going.

Which was probably why the thought of him having his hands on her gave her such a shiver. She wanted it. But she wasn’t sure her body (which was the equivalent of a walking natural disaster) could handle it without bursting into spontaneous flames.

Californians had to be careful of wild fires.

Wouldn’t it be irresponsible of her, as a citizen, to allow a flame such as Kip to touch her kindling.

Wait.

That analogy really got away from her.

And a whole lot dirtier than she’d expected.

“You good?” Kip asked, bending slightly to look her in the eye with curious concern.

She nodded.

Sure. She would have to be okay, wouldn’t she?

Besides, it was Kip. Even if she caught on fire, he’d probably do something heroic like carry her to the ocean to put her out.

Could a person’s brain swoon?

Because if so, that’s what Tessa’s had just done.

Yeah.

She was good. As long as it was with Kip, she would be good for a long while.

“Okay, so it’s all the same stuff we’ve done before. Except this time, you’ll do the poses in air as I hold you up.” Kip got down on the blanket as he explained.

“Right. Easy.” Tessa shrugged, knowing this was not going to be easy at all.

“I’m not gonna drop you,” Kip said, trying to read her thoughts.

She arched her eyebrows in obvious disagreement but decided not to argue with words because, she had to face it, when it came to words, Kip was better at it that she was.

Also, it wasn’t the dropping she’d been thinking about. It had been his hands. On her. But now that he’d brought it up, the dropping thing could be a concern.

“Try to ignore everyone else,” he coached, that slight edge of amusement in his words again.

“If you wanted me to ignore the people, you could’ve brought me to a place where, say, there weren’t any,” she pointed out.

He licked his bottom lip into his mouth and bit down on his smile. “C’mere, goof.”

He reached for her hand and she gave it. Just like all those dumb girls on The Bachelor accepting their first rose.

Idiots.

And now she was one too—blindly grabbing hold of a beautiful man and hoping he wouldn’t let go.

“We’ll start small. I’ll be the base and you be the flyer.”

He guided her to stand before him where he had already removed his shoes and placed his feet flat on the ground.

“I’m going to put my feet on the front of your hips and I want you to lean forward in a standing plank with your arms up. We’ll do that a few times until you’re used to relying on me to support your weight.”

He went about doing what he’d described and Tessa did her best to follow instructions. The small movements were easy and she started to feel silly for being worried. Until he reached for her hands.

“This time I want you to push yourself off the ground with your heels and I’ll support you with my feet. Keep your arms straight and tighten your core.”

She did as he instructed and soon found her body in the air, parallel to his. Her only points to use for balance were her hands braced against his and the pressure of his feet on her hips. She glanced around at the other couples and her entire body began to tremble and shake.

“Tessa, look at me.”

Her eyes darted down to lock onto Kip.

“Breathe in slow, 1…2…3…4…and out, 1…2…3…4…good. Keep your eyes on me.”

She took in another breath and noticed the rise and fall of Kip’s chest with hers. Her body stabilized after another breath.

Kip smiled, the skin around his eyes crinkling. “I’m gonna set you down now.”

She nodded and didn’t fight the motion of being lowered. When she reached the ground, she sat down at his feet.

“This is about more than getting me to enjoy yoga, isn’t it?” she asked.

He sat up and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “It’s about that. But it’s also about trust and teamwork.”

She wanted to make a joke. Something to relieve the pressure building in her chest. But every funny thing slipped from her mind. And wasn’t that funny in its own way?

 

***

 

“Did you have fun today?” Kip asked.

Tessa smiled wistfully, eyes closed, the nearby ocean crashing in the distance.

“I did. Except for when you dropped me—”

She was interrupted when an ice cube landed on her chest. She laughed and brushed it aside.

“I didn’t drop you. You’re just a lot more uncoordinated than…” Kip’s voice trailed off and she opened one eye to see him finish with a head shake.

“I don’t know what you want from me,” she said. “I warned you. These things just happen.”

His lazy smile sent warm flutters through her insides.

After acroyoga Kip had produced a small cooler from the van and they’d walked down the shoreline for a picnic. He’d made small sandwiches and paired them with fresh berries. When they’d finished eating they’d lounged in the sun just visiting about nothing in particular.

Tessa was on her back on the blanket, soaking the rays into her tired muscles. Kip was angled toward her, propped up on one elbow. Every time she opened her eyes, he was already looking at her.

It did weird things inside her body. Warm, tingly things.

Also, he wasn’t wearing his beanie. His dark, thick hair was a mess of tangles and her fingers ached to run through it.

“Did you bring your list?” he asked quietly.

“Mmhm, she answered and waved her hand in the general direction of where she’d ditched her bag. “It’s in the front pocket.”

She listened to him move away and the rustling of her canvas bag. When he returned she peeked at him with one eye. He laid down on his stomach and opened the folded piece of paper.

“There are two lists here,” he observed out loud.

Tessa closed her eyes again. “Yep. One list is the expectations set forth by my parents. The second list is what I actually want. I compare them as I go and make sure I’m doing what I want. Sometimes what I want and what they want match up, but it’s nice to have the list so I can see it for myself.”

He grunted thoughtfully. “They wanted you to be a politician?” he asked with a snort.

“Still do,” she grumbled. “Local politics only. They think the bigger stages should be reserved for men.”

“Um.” Kip stopped himself, but she heard the tone in his own word answer.

“Right now, they’re happy they can tell people I’m in the ‘medical field.’” She snorted and twisted her head and blocked the sun from her eyes so she could see him. “I’m a pharma rep. Like, no. Not the same thing.”

He smirked and returned his attention to the paper.

“I like your mission statement at the top. I never considered having a mission statement for life.”

Tessa smiled. She liked that part too.

“To live a life filled with adventure, poetry, and true love. And to be a person worthy of those things,” Kip read out loud.

It was a pretty cool mission statement.

“I see hot yoga has been black lined,” he said with a small chuckle. “Longboarding has a check. Ooh, surfing is on here.” He sent her a chin lift. “I can teach you that too.”

She covered her face with her arms. “Of course you can. You know how to do all the things.”

“Makeout during a thunderstorm, meet Double Blind Study, teach someone something, get a pilot’s license, see the Sydney Opera House at night, go glamping.” He stopped and she felt his eyes on her. “I can help you with a lot of these.”

“What about your list?” she asked, changing the subject. “When do I get to see it?”

“I don’t have it with me.” He folded up the paper before returning it to her bag. “But now that I’ve seen yours I think I need to reevaluate some of the things on mine.”

“Like what?”

He was quiet for a moment. “I don’t have a mission statement for one.”

She rolled her eyes even though he couldn’t see her.

“I’ve never been out of state,” he confessed softly. “I’ve never been farther than San Diego.”

Tessa dropped her arms away from her face so she could try to read his expression. It was lined with unspoken thoughts and his eyes were unfocused and pointed toward the sea.

When he didn’t offer anymore and several silent minutes had passed, Tessa reached for him. Her fingers grazed the octopus tattoo on his arm, and his eyes dropped to her hand.

“Tell me about this,” she said.

“Did you know,” he started, his tone brighter than before. “That octopus have three hearts?” He adjusted his long frame so he was propped on one elbow again, facing her.

“I did not,” she answered.

“One heart pumps blood throughout the body, and two pump blood to the gills. Also, they have blue blood because it’s primarily composed of copper instead of iron like ours.”

“That’s kind of amazing,” she said slowly and truthfully. What was also amazing was how Kip lit up when talking about the sea creature. “What else?”

“They have arms, not tentacles. Their arms each have their own type of brain, making them capable of doing many things at once without having to check in with the larger brain at its center. And their ink is used to help them get away from predators, like sharks.”

Tessa rolled onto her side, bringing her closer to him. She placed her hands in prayer position and use them as a pillow for her face. Kip brushed a strand of hair out of her eyes.

“The male dies shortly after mating and the female stops eating once she lays her eggs and she starves. As such, young octopuses learn nothing from their parents and are completely self-taught.”

Something about the way he said that sparked curiosity in Tessa, but she filed it away for later.

“They’re intelligent, elegant creatures. They live in every ocean and range in size and color.” Kip stopped there, as if realizing he’d been speaking more than he was used to and he blushed, looking away.

“You like them,” she stated.

“I do,” he agreed. “I always… I don’t know…related to them, I guess?”

“You use them in your poetry,” she said.

He held her gaze and nodded.

“I want to kiss you,” she said softly.

His mouth curved into a sweet smile and Tessa sighed.

He was perfect.

 

***

 

KIP

 

“Before I give you this promotion,” Clarke began the conversation, causing Kip’s heart rate to spike.

Promotion?

For what?

Showing up?

That didn’t seem quite right.

Not letting the store burn down while she was out of town?

Again, that seemed like a pretty basic responsibility.

She eased back in her office chair and tapped the eraser end of a pencil on the tip of her nose, the square cut diamond on her fourth finger glittering in the sunlight streaming in from her office window. It was the only piece of jewelry she wore these days. A simple statement, but one that couldn’t be missed.

Her turquoise eyes watched him carefully.

Too carefully, if he was being honest.

He mirrored her casual posture, relaxing into the sofa cushions across from her desk. Her mouth pulled into a smirk and for a moment she looked just like her brother.

Kip pushed down the wave of nostalgia that sprang up.

Parts of his life that would never come back.

“You haven’t ever taken a vacation. Did you know that?” she asked.

Kip shrugged one shoulder and tipped his head towards the window that faced the ocean, the Huntington Beach pier in the distance.

“And where is better than here?”

He wasn’t fooling her.

“Are you happy, Kip?” she asked seriously but also gently.

He swallowed as he thought about all the paths life had taken to get him to this point, and while he’d always strived for grateful, he’d never considered happy as something sustainable.

Happiness moved around for people. For some it was a piece of chocolate cake or a nice glass of wine. Some people defined happiness by their level of success in relationships or their career.

Or sushi on the beach with a girl who made his heart smile.

Was he happy?

“I am happy,” he declared easily, taking himself by surprise.

Clarke’s soft smile belied the spark in her eyes. “Are you happy in your job?”

What had started as helping out his friends in a seaside surf shop a few days a week had turned into a fulltime job. Unexpected, but not unwelcome.

“You mentioned a promotion?” he asked slyly as his answer.

Clarke sighed and a touch of sadness graced her smile. “Mike asked me to take the year off and go with him. And I said yes.”

“You’re leaving us?” Kip asked in surprise.

Clarke had worked on the Mothership since its inception.

She used to intern at a competing surf company and Shane had poached her. She ran the West Coast operations, became VP of Operations, and grew Soaring Bird to sizes no one expected.

Well, Shane probably expected it. But the rest of them? Notsomuch.

When Kip thought about Huntington Beach, he pictured Clarke. She’d been the face of his hometown for as long as he could remember. She embodied the energy and soul of Surf City.

“Love makes you do the whacky,” she said with a light laugh. “I miss him. Being apart used to be easy since the both of us were used to being on our own. But when he asked if I’d come with him for a year, I didn’t even have to think about it. I know he’d do the same for me. I think that’s what makes it right.”

Kip imagined being married to a rock star couldn’t be easy. Clarke made it look effortless and even glamorous as she flew in and out of SoCal to join him on tour, while successfully running Soaring Bird. It made sense that eventually she’d tire of the back and forth.

“When?” he asked.

“In a few months.” Her eyes slid to the calendar on the wall. “I want to make sure the fall launch goes smoothly.” She returned her gaze to him. “I want you to take over for me.”

“What’s that now?” Kip asked, thinking he’d misheard.

“Unless you don’t want it,” she added. “You were sort of forced into the job and I never expected any of you to stick around. But here we are. You’re a natural leader with excellent instincts. Your colleagues respect you and more than that, they’re inspired by you.”

Kip’s head swam with the unexpected compliments. While being a leader hadn’t felt natural to him, he’d also never backed away from the role.

Vice President of operations. Him. The dude who hadn’t even worn real shoes in a week.

That was a title that held more career in it than he had ever planned for. If he didn’t know anything about the company, it would be a flat no. But seeing as he knew both it and the creator in all ways except biblically, it wasn’t such an easy choice.

“Think about it.” Clarke eyed him. “Don’t make a decision for a few days. Maybe take some time off and really consider if this is something that you want.”

Her words repeated in his head again and again throughout the day.

Could he work at Soaring Bird the rest of his life?

Yeah, easily.

He loved his job—the people, the customers, location, perks—there really was no down side.

“I need a favor.”

Kip looked up to see Adam leaning into his face like he’d been trying to get his attention. Kip hadn’t even noticed he’d arrive.

“What kind of favor?” Kip asked, sliding the last pair of sunglasses into the case and locking it.

“The kind where I will owe you big.”

Kip blinked at him.

Hm.

Adam didn’t ask for favors. But his nervous energy made Kip suspect this wasn’t a normal favor.

“I need details before I agree to anything.”

Adam followed Kip to the back of the store and into the warehouse section.

“I would usually ask Steve for this, but he’s out of town or something.”

“Yeah, surfing adventure around the world. It was in his last newsletter.”

“Whatever,” Adam waved it off. “I’m supposed to be taking Jessica to the family cabin to celebrate our one year anniversary next weekend and I need you to come with.”

Kip stopped moving boxes off the loading pallet and stuck his hands on his hips.

“You want me,” he paused and Adam nodded, “to join you on an anniversary trip with your girlfriend.”

“Well, I’m thinking about breaking up with her.”

“Yeah,” Kip nodded, his eyebrows raised. “That sounds like the best idea you’ve ever had.”

Adam rolled his eyes at Kip’s sarcasm.

“We’ve just been fighting a lot and I realized it’s not working out. But she’s been looking forward to this trip, so I want to wait to end it until after—like a week or so. But I’m afraid that if it’s just the two of us, I’ll do something stupid and ruin the whole trip for her.”

“And having me there is your least stupid idea?” Kip asked.

Adam gesticulated in exasperation. “You’d bring a date, obviously.”

“Obviously,” Kip repeated, incredulous.

“I just think that if there’s another couple there, we won’t, you know…”

“Talk about your issues?”

“Exactly!” Adam nodded enthusiastically. “You get it!”

“Not even a little.” Kip shook his head, both disappointed and confused by his friend. “Where are you taking her?”

“Yosemite. The family cabin near Wowona.”

Huh.

Well that was interesting.

He hadn’t revisited the idea of going on a road trip with Tessa since the night all the secrets had come out. To tell the truth, he was kind of afraid to bring it up again. What if she had changed her mind now that she knew more about him.

Except that seemed silly. And it didn’t fit with what he knew about her as a person.

But now they weren’t just friends spending time together and getting to know each other. They were dancing on the edge of love and a real relationship, and asking her to go away with him for a weekend might be pushing things too fast.

For both of them.

Yosemite was on his list of places he wanted to go. And Clarke’s earlier urging that he take a vacation echoed in his mind.

Was it too soon to ask Tessa to go away for a weekend?

That was a huge step in any relationship, but it seemed especially huge for them.

“Let me see if I can get the time off, okay?” Kip turned around to return to his task. He’d text Tessa on his break and see what she thought about it.

Two arms wrapped around him from behind as Adam tackle-hugged him.

“You’re the best.”

“Don’t make this weird, dude.”

“Right.” Adam let him go and started walking backwards. “Let me know as soon as you can.”

 

***

 

TESSA

 

The email notification pinged and Tessa rolled her eyes from the other side of her office. It was reflexive more than anything else.

The email could have been totally benign and insignificant.

But her gut told her otherwise.

She sat down in her fabulous chair—her butt instantly comforted—and slid the cursor over the email app.

“How about you just do your job for once, Wendy,” she muttered under her breath.

All day long she and Wendy had been fighting via email. It was getting obnoxious and Tessa was over it.

In the past, she probably would have just done the shit Wendy had asked her to do and been bitter about it later. But she was done staying late to catch up on Wendy’s paperwork so Wendy could go home and take her “mental health” bubble bath.

Yes, Tessa was paid hourly. But she didn’t get to collect on the extra commission involved in the accounts she was filing on Wendy’s behalf.

Ugh.

Wendy.

Tessa’s phone lit up on her desk with a new text message. She was already smiling before she even opened it, that’s how dopey Kip made her feel.

She read the text a few times to make sure it said what she thought it said.

Kip wanted to go away with her for a weekend?

Well, with a group it sounded like. But still, a weekend trip.

Did that mean sexy times?

Because that was a conversation they hadn’t had.

Yet.

Sexy times with Kip sounded…

Tessa jumped when her phone rang in her hand.

Mom.

Cool.

“Hey, mom.”

“I only have a moment, I’m just walking into my hair appointment.”

Then why call, Tessa thought wryly.

“I was hoping you’d be able to make it for dinner next weekend. We’re having some new members of the club over and I’d love for you to meet them. Also, if you could wear that black Julien MacDonald?”

Tessa cleared her throat. “Actually, I have plans with Kip that weekend.” And thank God for that, she added silently.

Her mother made a strangled sound on the other end of the line. “Kip?”

Oh crap.

Before she could respond, her mom kept going.

“John and Marsha Carter’s son? I had no idea you two were dating! How exciting! Let’s do dinner tomorrow then. Bring Kip.”

“Um, okay.” Tessa found herself winded and confused. Agreeing seemed the easiest way out of this perplexing moment.

It worked because her mom spit out some more instructions before hanging up.

Tessa sent a reply to Kip in the affirmative. As long as he agreed to dinner at her parents tomorrow.

She set the phone aside and answered Wendy’s last passive- aggressive email with a flat-out refusal to do any more work for her.

She was worth more than that.