Trashed & Treasured

3

Back in shallow water, my gasps were lost behind heavy breathing not of my own. The strong hold loosened, dropping me onto the sand where water and dry land met, before he collapsed beside me.

I looked to this man who had his back to me as he knelt with his head down and fists in the saturated sand. His white shirt clung to each and every curve of the muscles in his back that flexed as he pushed up and stood.

"What the hell were you doing?!" His voice was deep, yet smooth causing me to shiver despite the anger directed at me. Once the initial effects of his voice wore off, I frowned realizing he was actually waiting for an answer.

Wait...who the hell is he to be angry at me?

"What did it look like I was doing?!" I fired back with just as much venom, still huffing and puffing as my breathing returned to normal.

"Something incredibly stupid. Do you know where this beach leads? Did you not see the signs about sharks this time of year?" He continued his verbal assault with so much fury that I could've sworn the trees cowered from his tone.

Pissed off over the fact that this guy had interfered in my plans, then had the nerve to shout at me like I was some child, I jumped to my feet and faced him, dead set on giving him not just a piece of my mind, but the whole damn thing. As I saw his face for the first time, however, my heart did something unexpected.

Beat.

I was staring into the eyes of a God. Dark eyes that were slightly illuminated under the moonlight, matching perfectly with thick dark brows, and medium length hair that he pushed back out of his face.

I'd never seen a man with such perfect bone structure; angular, masculine, just absolutely perfect. I couldn't get over those eyes. Not when they were staring back at me saying so much, while he was saying nothing at all. It was nothing like when my eyes met with Cameron's for the first time. It felt pleasantly different. I felt like something in me wanted to know this guy or like I already did.

But how could that be? I would remembered such a delicious human if I'd seen him.

When I was able to look away, I couldn't help but drop my gaze to the imprint of chest and stomach through his drenched shirt, then down at the jeans that were hanging off of his hips. A God, indeed, but be that as it may, he still stood in my way of what I was after and no matter how drool worthy he was, he had to face my wrath.

Taking a threatening step toward him, my finger pushed into his stomach, "Do I look like I give a damn about any of that? Well I don't! I was TRYING to kill myself and you, Dipshit, ruined that! So, thank you! Thank you for being a fucking superhero when no one asked for your services!" I gave him one final shove before I stomped away kicking up sand that wasn't sticking to my wet feet and pants. I should have been grateful that he saved my worthless life, but how can I be happy about something I didn't want?

"Why?" He bellowed from behind me. That single word successfully brought me to a stop, yet I refused to turn and be trapped by those eyes. There was something about him. Something in the way he looked at me that made me want to fall into his arms and bare it all to him, but I wouldn't. There was way too much to explain and too little time I plan to spend in the company of this stranger.

"Because," I huffed a frustrated breath, "I can. My life is none of your damned business and I don't answer to you. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to play on the highway."

A firm hand gripped my left elbow then I felt myself being pulled in the other direction.

"What the hell?!" I shout, turning as quickly as I could to keep from falling over my own feet as he dragged me toward a modern looking beach house.