Free Forcing Gravity by Monica Alexander Page A

to him and leaned down to whisper in my ear. “For the record, you didn’t throw yourself at me, okay?”
    I met his eyes, and he nodded encouragingly, telling me I needed to believe him. I nodded, and he smiled at me before he pulled me back in for another hug.
    “I missed you, kid,” he said. “Do me a favor. Next time I call, call me back, okay?”
    “I will,” I promised , returning his hug , thankful we’d gotten the awkwardness out of our systems. I was glad to go back to being friends with him .
    ***
    Thirty minutes later, Ethan was happily surrounded by three girls who were flirting and gushing o ve r him , so I slipped away, eager to explore the rest of the house and leave him to his own devices. He had started to take me on a tour but was waylaid by a brunette co-ed and her two friend s who recognized him from one of the local surf competitions he’d won that summer in San Diego . I knew he could be occupied for a while, so I made myself scarce and continued touring the house on my own . I knew I’d be spending a good deal of time there, so I figured I’d better acquaint myself with the layout.
    Once I got u pstairs , I noticed there were three bedrooms. Garrett had already claimed one, one was a workout room, a nd I assumed the third was Ethan’s . It was already fully furnished, but Ethan hadn’t moved in any of his personal affects yet . The boys’ bedrooms were both at the back of the house and both had large decks overlooking the beach. I snuck outside onto the one off Ethan ’s room, eager to breathe in the fresh air and tangy scent of the ocean.
    I leaned against the balcony and took a deep breath. I loved how it was cool at night in L.A. At home the humidity was out of control this time of year, but not here. Even though it was dark, I could see the waves crashing on the beach and the itch to go surfing started to build. I hadn’t gone out that morning since the waves hadn’t been great, and I hoped they’d be better in the morning. Ethan had a surf competition in Laguna that we were going to, and the waves needed to be solid or they’d postpone it.
    “It’s a nice night, isn’t it,” someone said from the shadows, startling the shit out of me, and I jumped a mile. Th e person laughed and stepped into the light. “Sorry, I didn’t mean t o surprise you.”
    My heart stopped for jus t a second when I realized it was Jason Brady , and all I could do was gape at him .
    Throughout my life, because of who my mother was, I’d met tons of famous people, and it usually didn’t freak me out, but something in me started to go haywire when Jason stepped out of the shadows.
    His chiseled jaw looked even more angular in the low light, and his pink lips looked even fuller, providing a sexy contrast to his otherwise masculine features. A nd when he quirked a friendly smile at me, I noticed the dimple i n his left cheek pop out as his dark-lashed green eyes sparkled, making his overall look that much more adorable and heart-pounding and sensual all at once . It was like one giant contradiction in looks that could only ever work on him.
    It was no wonder women threw themselves at him and drooled over the GQ cover he’d graced and dreamed of what it might be like to kiss him. He was like walking sex, and having him standing not five feet from me was unnerving and exhilarating, and it did nothing except heighten my desire for things I ’d never experienced before.
    He ran a hand back through his dark hair and appraised me, a coy look on his face. My heart instantly stared pounding erratically in my chest, and I knew words would be lost if I tried to speak them . He was even more gorgeous at close range and taller than I’d thought – at least 6’2 – and that body. Jesus. I don’t think I’d ever consciously considered ripping someone’s shirt off their body before, but knowing what was hidden just beneath those layers made me think about just that .
    “What are you doing up here?” I asked