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“So…surfboards?”
Mal’s eyes flicker toward me for a brief second, a hint of amusement in them. “Thought it was time you learned.”
I stare at him, gaping. “I was clear that I’ve never surfed before, right?”
“You’d also never fucked before.”
My face explodes with heat. Mal just grins.
“Why now?” I ask softly, watching his profile as he drives, the moonlight casting shadows across his face.
Mal’s hand slides off the gearshift, his fingers brushing mine briefly. “Because I want to.”
There’s something in his tone that makes me stop questioning. Maybe this is what I need.
And maybe Mal knows that better than I do.
Honjohama Beach,two hours from Kyoto, is empty, the waves crashing softly against the shore. Silvery moonlight glistens over the rolling waves and the sand, and I can’t help but feel a sense of awe at the beauty of it all. The darkness makes everything feel a little more dangerous, a little more thrilling.
Clouds ripple across the moon as Mal grabs the surfboards, and I follow him toward the water, kicking off my shoes and letting my feet sink into the cool, wet sand. The sound of the ocean fills the air, a steady, rhythmic pulse that matches the thrum of my heart.
“You’ll want this.”
Mal hands me a black long-sleeved wetsuit with the bottom part cut to shorts, along with a simple black bikini. I bite my lip, heat teasing my cheeks as he strips down to nothing and pulls on a swimsuit and a men’s wetsuit in the same style as mine.
“If you need help ripping your clothes off, just ask.”
I blush, realizing I’ve been openly staring at him. I pull off my clothes, feeling the heat of his gaze on me as I slip on the bikini and wriggle into the wetsuit.
“We’ll see how long we have,” Mal growls, turning to glance up at the sky over the water. Dark clouds are rolling in, and the surf is definitely getting higher. “We might have a storm rolling in.”
I swallow uneasily, tension knotting in my stomach.
“I don’t know…” I murmur, looking out over the franklyterrifyingblack water.
“You can.”
I shiver as I glance at him. “Hmm?”
“You can do this. We’ll practice standing up on the board in the sand first. Then we’ll head out.”
He hands me one of the boards. “Ready?”
I nod. Honestly, I’m not sure if I am. But something about being here with Mal makes me want to push past that fear, to throw caution to the wind and just…live.
Memento Vivere.
We spend about an hour on the sand first, Mal showing me how to slide from a lying position to a standing one in one motion. The trick is, you’ve gotta do this while balancing on water, and a wave is carrying you toward the shore.
Even on the sand, I suck at first. But after about a million tries, I start to suck at itless. Another million tries after that, I think I’ve got the hang of it.
Mal walks with me toward the water, the cool waves lapping at our feet. The moon hangs low in the sky, its silvery glow making the water look almost ethereal, though definitely spooky, too.
I shiver. “Are their sharks out here?”
Mal grins. “Only one way to find out.”
Well, fuck.
