“You said.”
“Did I tell you how exotic Reading is too?”
“Something like that. But having the beach on your doorstep is pretty exotic in my book. It’s one of the reasons I caved when Ella’s mum said she was moving here whether I liked it or not.”
“That was nice of her.”
Cole shrugged. “She doesn’t owe me anything.”
“Bad break up?”
“Nah. We were never together.”
I forced myself not to focus my curiosity on the last part of the conversation and tripped back to the middle. “Have you seen any of the beaches yet? Fistral’s good for waves, but it’s a dump. We don’t go there. Crantock’s probably best for kids. I’m headed there now if you wanna check it out?”
Cole frowned, and I felt like a fool. Maybe I’d have been better off fixating on Cole’s relationship with the mother of his child than asking him to jump in Joe’s shitty van with me and—
“Toby?”
“Hmm?”
I refocused to find Cole staring at me, his frown replaced by amusement that made his eyes glitter. “Sorry. What?”
Cole laughed. “I said, seeing as my class got cancelled, yeah, I’d love to if you’ve got room for a stray, but you weren’t listening. Something on your mind?”
Someone, more like, but I wasn’t about to tell Cole that. I rolled my eyes and jerked my head at the passenger door. “Get in.”
* * *
Cole
I’d been catching glimpses of Toby around the farm all day long, but I hadn’t expected to be alone with him until tomorrow, so my brain wasn’t ready for being cooped up in a banged-up V-dub with him. Not that I was complaining, but still. I was fast learning that watching him do just about anything made me horny, even something so simple as manoeuvring the van down the narrow lanes to the beach.
He had the most amazing profile. My fingers itched to tuck a lock of his wayward dark hair behind his ear so I could see him better, and he shot me a knowing grin as if he knew I was struggling not to touch him. But I knew that wasn’t true. If our short friendship had taught me anything, it was that Toby had zero clue how attractive he was.He’s so adorable.
More than that. He was fucking beautiful. Perhaps by the time I’d taught him how incredible sex could feel, he’d be halfway to believing it.
“You’re a quiet man.”
“Hmm?” I turned to Toby to find him looking at the road again and cursed myself for missing a split second of his deep gaze. “Quiet, you say? Yeah... I guess. London is noisy enough without me being loud.”
“You’re not in London.”
“Yeah, well. I’m not much of a shouter.”
Toby threw me another soft smile. “That was kind of my point, but okay.”
I rolled my eyes a little and focused on the road. The surface was starting to turn sandy, but I couldn’t see the ocean. “Is this a tourist beach? Or a place locals go?”
“Both. It’s got a few food vans and toilets by the main car park, but it’s quiet enough that Joe can come here without punching anyone.”
“Does he do that a lot?”
Toby laughed. “Not as much since Harry tamed him.”
He turned off the sandy lane onto a single-track road that was even narrower. A little way in, another surf van was coming the other way. Toby reversed around the sharp bends like a pro, and my attraction to him laid down new roots. “You’re so capable. I’d have crashed into that tree.”
“You’re a bad driver?”