The Heart of Us (Love in Isolation 4)

I lift a brow. “We’re essentially popping your ocean cherry?”

“Something like that.” She gives me a toothy grin. “So take good care of me.”

“I will. We’re not doing white water takeoffs just yet.”

“See, sounds intimidating as hell.”

“I’m a good teacher. Patient. Good looking. And well experienced.”

She shakes her head, but her happy expression doesn’t falter.

“The goal is to activate your muscles so you’re warmed up when we get out there.” I make the swimming motions over the sand, and she does too. “You’ll want to practice paddling, putting your hands firmly on the deck, then lifting your chest to get to your feet. Let’s go through it a few times.”

I show her so she understands the movements. “Paddle, palms, lift, pop,” I say in a way that’s easy to understand. “Keep your feet shoulder-width apart when you finally stand.”

“It’s like a freakin’ burpee without the hop,” she tells me.

I chuckle. “Yeah, I guess it is. Never thought of it like that. Just remember the dominant foot goes behind you, and your front one should have the stringer going through the middle.” I point at the board to remind her. It can be a lot of information to take in at once, but Tatum practices until she’s got it down.

“Why are you smiling?” she asks, dusting off the sand that’s stuck to her body.

“Because I know a natural when I see one.”

“You’re the best hype squad ever,” she admits.

I place my hand on her shoulder and gently squeeze.

“I think we’re ready for the water.”

“Already?”

“Yep,” I say, picking up the board and walking toward it.

She steps in and stops when we’re at her calf. “How far are we going?”

“About ten more feet from where you are. Waist deep only.”

Her shoulders relax.

“For now,” I add with a wink and wave her toward me. “When you carry the board into the water, you’ll want to point the nose toward the wave and lift it so the wave travels under.”

“Got it,” she tells me, watching.

Beginners usually use the leg rope attached to the wood, but since I’m here, I won’t let it escape me so there’s no need. “The goal is for you to find the sweet spot. You’ll hop on and scoot your body around, making sure you’re not too far forward or back. It’s all about balancing, and after yesterday, we both know you’re good at that.”

“True.”

“Climb on,” I say, patting it. “I’ll hold it steady for you.”

She starts from the back, and I keep a tight grip so it doesn’t shoot out from under her. Thankfully, the water’s calm, something that makes learning less scary.

“Good job,” I praise. “Now when you’re too far forward, the nose sinks. When you’re too far back, the tail sinks and the nose pops up, making it difficult to stay on. So you’ll want to move around until it feels level. Each board is different so you have to find the right spot for you. When you’re positioned correctly, you’ll know.”

Her hair is wet and sticks to her forehead. Tatum almost instantly discovers the balance point. As I grip the side, I can’t help but stare at her beautiful ass. She doesn’t even try to pull down the material, and I wish I could revel in her. A part of me wonders if she likes me looking.

“How’s that?” I finally ask.

“Comfortable,” she says with a grin. “Is this where I should be?”

Her doe eyes meet mine, and I nod. “Yep, this is it. So now we’ll do what we practiced on the sand, but I want you to feel a wave without standing, and how it pushes you along.”

I glance behind me, seeing the perfect one coming. “Are you ready to paddle?”

She nods just as the fluffy white water heads toward us.

“Go,” I say, and Tatum starts moving her arms. The water catches her perfectly and pushes her along. I can hear her laughing as it nearly brings her to shore. She rolls off, smiling wide.

“That was amazing!” She stands and comes back to me with the board in hand.

“And you haven’t even started standing yet,” I say, and her excitement is contagious. I remember the first time I soared across the water and felt the same way.

“When you paddle, try to keep your legs together so you’ll have more control. Once the wave carries you, that’s when you know it’s time to stand.”

“I think I understand.”

“Want to go again? It’s best to ride some waves on your stomach a few times so you can get used to the feel of it. Once you’re comfortable, we’ll try the pop-up.”

She nods. “Sounds great. I’m so excited. This is actually fun.”

I turn and look at the oncoming waves. “Okay, take it. Hop on and start paddling.”

Tatum does exactly what I say. She’s zooming across the water fully enjoying herself, and it makes me so damn happy. I’ve never had a woman love being out here with me or even remotely pretend to enjoy it.