Commitment: The Beauty in Between (A Beautiful Series Novella) by Lilliana Anderson Read Free Book Online Page B

and my man, spending some quality time
together.
    Since we moved to Surrey Hills, we’ve come to the beach a
fair few times, although David still isn’t interested in surfing. I think he’d
look really hot in a wetsuit, pulled down around his waist as he strolls along
the beach with a board under his arm. It gives me shivers just thinking about
it. But he’s adamant that surfing isn’t his thing.
    “You’re lucky I swim at the beach. There’s freakin’ blue
bottles, jelly fish and sharks to worry about close to shore. Why the hell
would I want to swim even further out to surf? God only knows what’s lurking
around out there.”
    His fear of ocean animals makes me laugh. He would take down
anyone or anything in his bid to protect me, but he’s scared of a blue bottle
sting. Instead, he’s happy to spend most of his day laying on a towel and
reading. He had to get a pair of reading glasses while we were still uni, so I
love it when he reads, especially on weekends when he hasn’t shaved. There’s
something about seeing him with his hair stylishly messy, his face scruffy and
a pair of glasses that is so appealing to me.
    “You should surf because it would mean that you were a definitely
going to get lucky once we got home - especially after I’ve sat around watching
you all day.”
    “Princess, you can’t keep your hands off me,” he grins, looking
at me over the top of his glasses. “I’m lucky all the time.”
    I laugh and flick him with some sand and he gives me a half
amused, half unimpressed look as it clings to the sun cream on his chest and
refuses to move.
    “Come and swim with me, I’ll wash it off for you,” I
suggest.  
    He raises his eyebrows and lets his eyes wander over my
bikini clad body. My body tingles under his gaze and I half think that maybe we
should go home and shower together instead.
    “David, Katrina. Hi,” a voice says from above us. I cover my
eyes against the sun and look up to see Elliot standing in front of us, clad in
a pair of board shorts and nothing else. His chest is still as defined as it
always was. He really looks like he belongs on the beach, or at least on a
billboard advertising it.
    Behind him is Paige who is wearing a simple black string
bikini that has little gold embellishments on the ends of the ties. With her curves,
she looks amazing in it. I can see her standing right next to him in that
billboard ad.
    Looking at her body, I feel like I’m all bones and hard
angles in my own royal blue Seafolly bikini, although I have to admit, this one
makes me look like I have curves. The bodice is ruched, and twists in the
middle to make you look a little fuller in the chest, and the bottoms are
topped with a little ruffle that kind of gives me hips. So I shake the tiny
insecurity away. I’m fine in my own skin.
    “Hi,” David and I say in unison. No one speaks for a beat
until I ask, “Where’s Grace?”
    “Oh she’s with my dad and his wife Erica,” Elliot tells us.
    “I think she might be taking her for hair extensions,” Paige
puts in. She’s smiling, so I wonder if perhaps she doesn’t hate me after all.
    “Seriously?” I say, crinkling my nose up.
    “No,” Elliot laughs. “She just spoils her rotten and Paige
likes to joke about it.”
    “Oh. Ok.” I laugh a little. It sounds forced. I don’t know
how to take Paige yet.
    “So, um, mum tells me she’s having a BBQ between your family
and ours at the beginning of December,” Elliot starts. “I was going to call you
and maybe say hi. Get the ball rolling on this ‘getting along’ thing. But we
saw you here and thought we’d come over instead.”
    We all kind of just nod and look at each other, not really
knowing what to say until David comes to everyone’s rescue.
    “Listen, we were just about to go and get an ice-cream or a
cold drink from across the street. You want to join us?” David says. I slide my
eyes over to him – no we weren’t.
    “Um. Sure, that’d be ok,” Elliot