Valiant (Wiccan Wars Series - Book 2)

2 - Irresistible

Amber leant back onto her beach-towel, watching the surfers wipe out. Kyle was out there somewhere; as were Michael and Nick, giving Zack a lesson. Titan was about a metre away from her on another towel, watching the waves as she did. His brow was furrowed and his eyes scanned the waves - presumably for Nick. He'd become increasingly attached to him since he'd died those few months ago, which Amber found adorable to say the least. Of course Nick had no idea, which is what made it all the more endearing. 

He sat up suddenly as a dark-haired boy overturned in a barrel. A moment later his head bobbed towards the shallows, and he pulled himself back onto the board. It was Zack, who then paddled himself out of the deep and into the shallows. Titan settled back down again and pulled his shades back over his eyes. Laughing inwardly, Amber returned her gaze to the sea.

A silhouette of a boy was approaching her, though with the sun behind him, she couldn't see his features. As he came closer, she saw that he had golden-blonde hair which hung above his broad shoulders, and he held himself in a supercilious way. He seeped arrogance and egotism, his vanity clear from his persistent smoothing of his sun-bleached hair. A bead of sweat hung on his brow, his bronzed skin glistening as the seawater streamed down his well-built chest. He thrust his board into the sand, and shook a few damp, blonde locks away from his face. Smirking, he started towards her.

"Hey beautiful, could you point me to the nearest board shop?" He said. He spoke in a strong English accent.

Amber nodded her head to the shack a little way up the beach. "Straight up there."

He tilted his head back and hoisted his board from the sand. "Thanks."

Amber watched him run up the beach, his toned back muscles contracting as he carried the surfboard under his arm. She was mesmerised by the way his body moved - each muscle toned to perfection; a well oiled machine. She looked back to the sea. Kyle was paddling back towards the beach, followed by Michael and Nick. Zack was already out of the water, shaking droplets from his hair. Summer had joined him, ruffling his wet locks fondly.

"Sure you don't want to come for a ride?" Kyle shouted at her, thrusting his board into the sand. 

She shook her head. "Water isn't my thing."

He paced over and took a seat on the towel, water dripping on her dry skin.

"Hey!" She cried, pushing him into the sand. "I'm over here for a reason. I don't like getting wet."

He grinned. "That's not what you said last night." He murmured in her ear. She suppressed a laugh and stood up, pulling on her floral sarong and waltzing through the sand and up the beach. She sat on the stone wall outside of the board shop and started to brush the dry sand from her bare feet. A moment later, Kyle took a seat next to her.

He flicked his legs over the wall so that he straddled it, and wrapped his arms around her waist. 

"Let's get out of here." He whispered into her ear.

"Maybe later. I want to go enjoy the sun a little longer." She pulled herself out of his arms and made her way into the surf store behind them. Kyle shrugged and jogged back to his board, removing it from the sand and galloping into the waves. 

Amber sighed as the wave of cool air hit her. She loved the sun, but being out in it all day was giving her a headache. She peered around the poorly-lit store. 

An array of surfboards lined the patterned walls. There were racks of tees, shorts, swimsuits and wetsuits scattered haphazardly around the small room. At a wooden counter, behind an old-looking cash register, stood a surfer with long, blonde dreadlocks. He was gazing around drowsily before he noticed her presence.