Epilogue

Ryder

The virtual crowd on the game console roars through the surround sound system of my Pawley Island beach house. Dakota's out for the night, leaving Kaleb, Jayden, and me hanging out like a triad of misfits.

I'm lounging on the couch, the controller gripped tight in my hands. Kaleb's intensity matches mine from his throne in the recliner. His gray eyes are locked on the screen, his blond hair falling into his face as he concentrates.

"Fuck, Wolf," he mutters when my digital running back evades his defender with a juke. A smug grin tugs at my lips because, even in pixelated form, I'm dominating the ice—or football field, in this case.

"Better step up your game, Viking," I shoot back.

Beside me, Jayden is curled up like a cat, her eyes darting over the pages of some romance novel she picked up from Book the heroine is about to confess her undying love," Jayden sarcastically quips without looking up.

"Sorry to interrupt the epic romance," I say, not sorry at all. "But some of us are trying to make touchdowns here."

She just hums, her attention unwavering from the page.

"Yes!" Kaleb cheers, and I realize I've let my guard down, my avatar getting tackled hard on the screen.

"Shit," I say, refocusing.

"Next round at Sand Dunes is on you if I win this one," Kaleb says with a smirk.

"Nice try, but that defense is about as solid as tissue paper," I taunt, working overtime to outmaneuver his digital linebackers.

"Keep dreaming, Wolf," he retorts without looking away.

Then, in unison, our phones chime, and a strange premonition prickles at the back of my mind. I glance over at Kaleb; his furrowed brow reflects my own confusion.

"Pause it," I say, grabbing my phone from the coffee table. The message is cryptic, just an address and the letters ASAP. Nothing else.

I shoot a look at Kaleb. His jaw clenches as he reads his own mirrored message.

"It's my turn, Kaleb, I'll go." My voice cuts through the quiet. "Jayden, please get your shoes on. We've got to run an errand."

She looks up from her book, eyebrows knitting together in mild concern. Without question, she closes her novel, stands, and her feet slide into flip-flops.

After a few turns through Charleston, I stop my Jeep where the numbers on the mailbox match the ones that flashed across my phone screen. The place doesn't look like much. I cut the engine.

Jayden twists in her seat to face me. "So, this is it?" she asks, tucking a strand of red hair behind her ear.

"Looks like it," I grunt and peer at the building. There's nothing to indicate why Dakota would be here.

"Kinda mysterious, huh?"

"Hmph," I reply, my gaze still fixed on the dark windows of the building.

Then, like a scene straight out of a slapstick comedy, Dakota bursts out the door. He's a blur of skin and flailing clothing, his boxers clinging for dear life as he sprints across the parking lot. His pants, sweater, and shoes are clutched in his arms.

"Shit," I mutter under my breath, watching him weave through the parked cars with the agility of a man who's spent too many nights escaping awkward morning-afters.

"Dakota?" Jayden squeaks out, half-laughing, half-shocked by the spectacle before us. "Is he—"

"Yep," I confirm as Dakota makes a beeline for the Jeep. "Running scared in his underwear."

"Oh my God," she whispers. "That's one way to make an exit."

"Or avoid making an entrance," I say. With Dakota, you never know which side of the bedroom door you'll find him on.

"Talk about leaving nothing to the imagination," Jayden adds with a laugh.

I start the Jeep as Dakota slams the back door shut and sprawls across the seat. "Go, go, go!" he hollers.

I don't waste time asking questions after seeing Dakota's half-naked dash for freedom. My foot slams down on the accelerator, and we're peeling out of there like the devil himself is on our tail.

"Your timing is impeccable, as always," I say, throwing Dakota a glance in the rearview mirror. He just gins.

"Couldn't leave you guys bored on a Saturday night," he says with a chuckle.

Jayden is holding onto the oh-shit handle and laughing so hard.

I lean slightly towards Jayden over the console. "Watcha think? I bet there is a good story there," I say with a nod of my head to the back seat.

Before Jayden has a chance to answer, Dakota pops his head between the front seats. "Oh yeah, baby, there's a story alright," he says, leaning back and still trying to get dressed.

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WHAT'S NEXT FOR brITNEY'S STORIES WITHIN THE LOVE BEACH SERIES?

Book 1: Summer with a Player – Asher Gray

Book 2: Merry with a Hat Trick – Ryder Raines

Book 3: Spring Break with a Slap Shot – Dakota Miles

Book 4: Autumn Five Hole – Kaleb Jensen