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“I’ll put it on your tab,” Enzo joked.
“I can only imagine how high that tab is. It’s been going for the last ten years at least.”
“I’m waiting for you to make it big, then I’ll come collect.”
Marco laughed. “That’ll never happen.”
“There was a time when you’d never thought you’d get married and look at you now.”
“That’s true. I always thought you’d be the one to marry first and pop out a litter of kids.”
Enzo had, too. In no vision of his future did he imagine himself being single still. He wanted kids more than anything in the world, but there were days when he wondered if that dream would ever come to fruition. Or if he was destined to be alone, watching historical documentaries on his couch, the only company the ice, cold beer in his hand.
It was a sad sight.
Marco fished his hand into his pocket and retrieved his cell phone. “Never mind,” he said. “Aubrey is heading home early from her visit with her mom. I’m going to see my girl.”
Enzo only hoped that one day he would find that special someone who would have him excitedly rushing home just to see her.
Except maybe he did already find her and now he needed to wait for her to find him too.
***
The sun hadn’t even risen yet, and Enzo already felt like an idiot as he jogged down the beach in hopes of seeing Cami. He should’ve been sleeping, but the truth was, he hadn’t been sleeping much lately. Every time he closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep, Cami invaded his dreams, and while the dreams were pleasurable and even a bit wild, he always wound up waking up alone and frustrated. After that, it was impossible to fall back asleep.
He convinced himself getting his workout done early in the morning gave him more time for the rest of the day, but five in the morning was a little much. Still, there he was, jogging down the sandy shores, the sky barely lit by the start of the sunrise, hoping to bump into a woman who, for the most part, he found maddening. Between her blatant refusal to accept his help to her constant need to be in control of a situation, she could drive a man insane. Yet, he couldn’t seem to get enough.
He could have easily gone and got a cup of coffee like he’d been doing every day since Cami opened her coffee shop, but there was something about seeing her on the beach that he couldn’t dismiss. The tiny hot pink running shorts that barely covered her ass and molded to her thighs like a coat of paint, the black sports bra that showed off her entire midriff, dipping just low enough at the top to reveal two pert mounds…
Or it had nothing to do with the outfit. Maybe it was because they’d been the only two around for miles, and it felt like they were somehow no longer in Willow Cove, but in their own world together. Or maybe it was because this attraction he had for her kept growing by the day and made him feel like he had to keep it hidden from the rest of the world.
By not denying his attraction to Cami, there had been a sudden shift in his feelings, an irrefutable lure that had him throwing glances down the boardwalk in hopes of catching a glimpse of her.
His legs burned, his eyes hurt from lack of sleep, and it was time to go home. He took a moment to look out to the ocean, appreciating the vast beauty and the quiet stillness of the beach. Sometimes life got so busy; he forgot to allow himself a moment to take it all in.
It was so peaceful, and now he understood why Cami came here so early. With one last glance out to the ocean, he turned around and froze. Cami stood there, a tired smile on her face, her hair thrown up in a messy ponytail, and another pair of tiny shorts and sports bra covered her. This time they were navy blue with white accent bands.
“Hey,” he said, warmth spreading through his chest.
“I’m starting to think this is more than a coincidence.” She smiled and lit up the entire beach.
“Couldn’t sleep again,” he admitted, though it was only half the truth.
“I had the opposite problem. I overslept.” She ran two hands over her hair, smoothing it back and putting the definition in her arms on display.
“Your body probably needed it.”
“I don’t have time for my body to start taking over my mind.”
“Only you would get mad at yourself for needing sleep.”
She shrugged. “You know how it is. No rest for the weary.”
“You don’t want to burn yourself out either. It’s okay to take a day every now and again to do nothing.”
“Thanks for the advice, but I’ll be okay.” She pulled her leg up behind her, stretching her quads. His eyes lingered on the perfectly sculpted muscle, and he swallowed down the desire that rose inside him.
“Get your tire fixed? he blurted.
