CHAPTER 1
Peyton
I didn’t think I’d be here. After planning, organizing, and begging, I still didn’t think my parents would go for it. Yes, I’m legally an adult, but I’m also the baby of three girls, and even though my older sisters weren’t wild and crazy, my dad is still overprotective. Lucky for me, my middle sister, Parker, was coming to Florida to surprise her Major League boyfriend, Holden, and she helped me convince our parents, well, just Dad, really, to let me come with her. The time just happened to coincide with my spring break.
Luck is finally on my side.
My sister is off doing her thing, and I’m sitting here on the beach doing mine. In case you’re wondering, my “thing” is absolutely nothing unless you want to count soaking up the Florida sun with my best friend, Karina.
This is only the second day of our five-day trip, and after the drama with Holden and Parker yesterday, it’s good to relax and know that they’re good. I talked to her last night and again this morning, and everything is all right with them. I stayed in Karina’s room to give them some privacy. We have a two-bedroom suite, but nobody wants to hear them making out. Especially me.
“I love the beach,” Karina says from her spot next to me.
“Me too, but I also love the mountains,” I tell her. We both live in Tennessee, and while it’s nice to escape to the ocean from time to time, the mountains will always be home to me.
“Too bad we can’t have the best of both worlds,” Karina muses.
“Yeah, but then we wouldn’t have weeks like this.” A visit to the beach to soak up the sun is definitely something to look forward to.
“Fair point.” She laughs.
“Hey, did you decide if you’re going to go through with parasailing?” I ask.
“Are you going to do it with me?”
“Nope.”
“Come on, Peyton. Live a little.”
“I’m not going to fly over shark-infested waters with nothing but a kite and some string holding me in the air.”
“Chicken.”
“I’ll own that,” I tell her. “My feet are perfectly fine being buried in the sand.” My best friend is laughing her ass off, but that’s okay with me. She’s the crazy one who wants to feed herself to the sharks. She can laugh all she wants.
“Are you even going to get into the water while we’re here?”
“I swam in the pool yesterday.”
“I mean the ocean.” She points at the waves that are crashing on the shore.
“We were in the water before we sat down.”
“No. Our feet caught the waves on the shoreline. I mean, really go in, waist deep if not farther, and swim.”
“I don’t swim with fish,” I remind her.
Before she can reply, a “Heads-up!” is called out, and the next thing I know, a Frisbee is landing at my feet. I go to reach for it, to give it back to the owner, but a shadow falls over me. I look up, up, and up to see the most gorgeous man I’ve ever laid eyes on. He has shaggy brown hair and a smile that rivals the Florida sun.
“Sorry about that,” he says, reaching for the Frisbee.
“N-No problem,” I stutter. Thankfully, we’re outside in the sun, and he can’t tell that the pink hue to my cheeks is from embarrassment and not the weather.
“I’m Griffin,” he says, offering me his hand that’s not holding the Frisbee.
“Peyton,” I say, sliding my hand into his larger, rough, calloused one.
“Yo! Throw it back!” a male voice calls out.
“Allow me.” Karina holds her hand out for the Frisbee, and Griffin hands it off without question.
I watch as she climbs to her feet and soars the Frisbee back to the group of guys that I’m assuming are Griffin’s friends. “She’s competitive.”
“So are we.” He grins, and the dimple in his cheek winks at me. “You wanna go for a swim?”
“Thank you, but I’m okay here. You can go back to your game.” I smile at him to let him know I’m not being a bitch. At least, I hope I don’t come off that way.
“Nah, looks like I’ve been replaced.” He nods to where Karina has now joined his friends. He moves to stretch out on the corner of the blanket I’m lying on. He’s on his side, facing me, his head propped up on his elbow. “So, Peyton, tell me about you.”
“There’s not much to know, really.”
He reaches out and tucks a stray hair that the wind has loosened from my ponytail behind my ear. “I doubt that. Come on, give me something.”
A swarm of butterflies releases in my belly when he turns that smile on me. “Fine, but you have to do the same.”
“Deal.”
“I’m here on spring break.” I stop there and give him a pointed look.
“Come on now. You have to give me more than that.”
“This is a group effort,” I tease.
“I live here, but we’re on spring break as well.” He waits for me to offer more, but I’m tight-lipped. It’s his turn to start. “I’m local to this area. I’m just a Florida resident coming to hang out at the beach for spring break.”
“Nice. Karina and I both live in Tennessee. Nashville,” I add.
“How long are you here?” he asks.
“Just five days. We’re on day number two.” I hold up two fingers and curse myself for being so awkward. I can’t seem to help it. He’s drop-dead gorgeous, and that smile keeps me from thinking straight.
He nods. “Well, it’s a good thing our Frisbee crashed into you. There is no one better than a local to show you the sights. And by local, I mean me.” He points at his chest. “Just in case you were wondering.”
“So, let me get this straight. You want to spend your spring break showing me your hometown? That doesn’t sound like the full college experience to me.”
“Who says I’m in college?”
“You’re on spring break.”
He laughs. “Fine, you’ve got me there, but to answer your question, hell yes, I do.”
“I don’t want to abandon Karina.” It’s a lame excuse, but I have to at least attempt to ward off his advances, right? I can’t seem too eager.
“She can come too. Besides”—he glances over his shoulder—“it looks like she’s already getting along with my friends.”
I look down at my bikini-clad body and then back at Griffin. He, too, is looking at my bikini-clad body. My body heats, and I move my legs to ward off the desire that just a single look from him causes. “I’m going to need to change,” I tell him.
His eyes pop to mine. “Or not.” He grins.
“Let me talk to Karina.” I move to stand, and he hops to his feet with catlike reflexes and throws his arm over my shoulders.
“Hey, fellas!” he calls out as we make our way across the sand to our friends. “How about some sightseeing with these lovely ladies?” He points at me with the hand that’s not holding me to him and then at Karina.
“I’m in,” Karina announces. Her wide eyes find mine. I know that look. She’s surprised I’m standing here with Griffin’s arm around my shoulders. I step out from his hold, and he lets me. I immediately miss his heat, but I stay where I am. I’m usually very reserved around guys because I never know if they’re hitting on me because of my family or for me. I mean, come on. My dad was a major leaguer, my brother-in-law is a major leaguer, and my other sister is also dating a major leaguer. My family is pretty well known, which makes it hard for me to date.