Bondi Beach Boys Read Free

to the front doors. Her low wedge heels landed on the paved walkway with a thudding rhythm that matched her heartbeat.
    She was nervous. A lot rode on landing this client. Piper thought the job she’d done on their web redesign had turned out good—no, brilliant. Probably her best work to date. But that was subjective, and ultimately it came down to the client’s happiness. Two wide steps led to the massive front doors. Her reflection bounced back at her, and once again she ran a hand over her skirt, her blouse, and finally the length of her hair. Her dead-straight locks were simple and manageable; Pip had never been a high-maintenance kind of girl. Growing up with three older brothers had seen to that.
    Standing tall, she gripped her portfolio in one hand, her palm sweating around the leather strap. Piper took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Now or never. Reaching out, she pushed the intercom button and heard the musical doorbell echo behind those smooth glass panels. She tried not to fidget, but her feet shuffled on the tile stoop anyway. Her breathing came in short, shallow bursts and Pip wondered if she might hyperventilate right there at the door.
    She needn’t have been concerned—her shortness of breath was nothing compared to the complete lack of it when the doors swung open to reveal none other than her golden Bondi Beach Boy. She stared at him, her mouth gaping open, and thought perhaps she was dreaming. Maybe she’d fallen asleep on her lumpy, second-hand couch at home and hadn’t even left for her business meeting yet. Spellbound, she could only look. Her eyes felt huge, and she could feel them drying up as her lids refused to drop.
    They stood there, held in some kind of trance, his facial expression reminding her of when one of her brothers had punched another in the stomach.
    “Melted chocolate.”
    His words made no sense. “What?”
    “The color of your eyes. Soft and warm, like melted Cadbury chocolate.”
    “Excuse me?” Piper struggled to follow the conversation, if that’s what it could be called.
    “Sam, what the hell are you…”
    And there he is, Beach Boy number two.
    What little air had been left in her lungs was sucked out. Standing in front of her were both her Bondi Beach Boys. From a distance, they were gorgeous. Up close they were devastating. Her body tingled and her vision had sparkly little stars dancing around. Passing out on their front step suddenly seemed a definite possibility. She swayed forward, but before she face planted on the tile beneath her feet, strong arms wrapped around her shoulders and dragged her into the house.
    “Christ!”
    “Get her inside. It’s too damn hot out there.”
    “Are you alright?”
    “Bring her into the office. I’ll grab some water.”
    Piper heard the doors close behind her with a whoosh, heard the words of concern, but couldn’t decipher them. Her heart thudded against her ribs and the beat of her blood pounded in her ears, each thump a solid whack to her nervous system. She’d never fainted in her life and couldn’t believe she was going to do it now when she’d come to pitch a job. Golden Boy slid an arm around her back and his other behind her knees. A squeak of protest left her throat as he hoisted her against his hard chest and walked deeper into the house.
    Giving in to the comforting warmth of the arms surrounding her, she rested her head on his shoulder and let him carry her away. Her eyelids drifted down, and Piper thought it ironic that now they worked when she wanted desperately to see everything around her. He placed her in a butter-soft leather chair, the cushion under her butt cupping her curves in its supple grip. One of them pushed a glass of water in front of her face and pried her portfolio bag from her hand. Someone wiggled Piper’s purse, still draped over her shoulder, out of the way too.
    “Drink some water.”
    She raised her eyelids and stared at the man crouched at her feet, his dark hair standing