He let out a low laugh—it was for real. “You’re not doing anything wrong, believe me. But…” He looked around them, at the rock. “Now?”

“Yes, please.”

Again, he laughed. Laughed. “Here?”

“Here.”

His entire body reacted to the thought, so apparently he was on board with the here and now.

“Just the once,” she clarified.

“To be wild and crazy.”

She smiled. “That’s right. And no falling. No messy emotions. Promise me.”

“No falling. No messy emotions.” He was so ready, his board shorts had gotten restricting, but he hesitated. “Brooke. What if that doesn’t work?”

“Well, of course it’ll work. We’ll take our clothes off and lie on them, and then—”

He interrupted with a smile. “Trust me, I know how to do that part. I meant, what if once isn’t enough? What if we still go up in flames when we look at each other at work? What if afterward, someone gets hurt?”

“Won’t happen,” she said so firmly that he was momentarily stymied by the fact that she was so sure she wouldn’t want him again. “You just promised me no falling,” she said. “I promise it right back. I’ll be leaving town before I can start worrying about any sort of meaningful relationship.”

True, all true, but…

“Besides, I’m not exactly the type to ignite any sort of wild passion, so—”

“Whoa.” He was still reeling from her certainty that she would get him out of her system so easily. “What?”

She lifted a shoulder. “I’m awfully buttoned-up, Zach. Ask anyone.”

“I’m asking you.”

“It’s years ingrained. Far too long a story to tell you now, but—”

“Give me the CliffsNotes version, then.” This he had to hear. Not the type to ignite wild passion? Was she serious?

“I just put the prospect of sex on the table,” she said. “And you want to talk? See? Proof right there that I don’t ignite passion.”

“Oh, don’t worry. We’re going to have sex on the table. Or on the rock.” He smiled when just the words brought a blush to her cheeks. “But first I want to hear the long Brooke story.”

“Really?”

She sounded so surprised that it squeezed his heart. Had no one ever bothered to try to get beneath her skin? “Really.”

“Well…you already know I came here from back East.”

“Boston. And before that, Florida.”

“You remembered.”

“I’m a good listener.”

“And a good cook. And a surfer. And—”

“This is about you,” he reminded her.

“But see, that’s my point, Zach. I’m not good at a bunch of things like you are. I’ve never had the time to be. Before college, I lived in South Carolina. Before that, New York. Before that, Virginia. Before that…so many other places I can’t even remember them all.”

“Because your mom liked to move around a lot after your father died.”