The Junior (College Years 3)

Shit, I’ve got it so bad for this girl. Worse than I ever have. Like, ever.

We eat and talk. The dog wanders back over—his name is Buddy—and I feed him half of the spare hot dog. He eats it in one gulp, making Gracie laugh, and it sounds so good. Her joyous laughter carrying on the wind, making everything inside of me rise up. Lighten.

This feels so damn easy between us. Maybe before it was always so difficult because we were fighting whatever it was growing between us. Now we’re not fighting it anymore. We truly got to know each other and it’s not just about sex between us.

We’re having fun.

We polish off our dinner and we clean up, putting everything in a small trash bag I brought, stashing the rest of the food in my ice chest. Once that’s finished, I grab Gracie by the waist and pull her into me. I’m already settled in my chair, her back nestled to my front and she yelps, struggling a little like she wants to escape, but she’s full of shit.

I know she wants to sit with me.

“You want to watch the sunset?” I ask her, my mouth right at her ear. Though it feels more like I’m talking into her hoodie.

She nods, a little smile curling her lips. “Are you getting romantic on me, Caleb?”

“I’ve always been a romantic, G.” I kiss her cheek and she rubs her butt against me, making my dick perk up.

“Uh huh.” She leans her weight into my chest and I let her, wrapping my arms around her tight, the two of us staring at the ocean as the sun slowly sinks into it. The occasional car passes by, disrupting our view, but it’s no biggie. I’m not even really paying attention to nature’s show anymore.

I’m too busy concentrating on how good this woman feels in my arms.

This sort of one night getaway thing isn’t my usual style. I don’t do this. I’ve never done this. Not even with Baylee. Definitely not with any other female. If I travel anywhere, it’s with my friends. Used to be with my family.

Being out here, camping on the beach like this, reminds me of growing up. Of hanging out with my parents and my older sister and our dogs. Of running around on the beach, trying to fly a kite with my dad and building sand castles with my mom. Watching the dogs chase after the receding water, biting at the lingering foam. Of finding sand dollars and broken shells—one time I found a pair of Ray Ban sunglasses washed up on the shore. I was twelve and rocked those things for years, thinking I looked cool as hell.

Until I lost them one summer at the beach. Sure hope another kid found them and is wearing them.

Bringing Gracie here feels like I’m sharing a piece of myself with her. A glimpse of my past. I’ve made a lot of memories on this very beach—in this area. Good times were had here.

I plan on having a very good time tonight with Gracie still, especially once we cozy up together in the sleeping bag.

“It’s so peaceful out here,” Gracie murmurs, her voice almost carried away by the breeze. “I love the sound of the ocean.”

“It’s nice, huh.” I rest my chin on her shoulder, breathing in her delectable scent. She feels good in my arms. Like she belongs.

“Thank you for bringing me here. It was just the getaway I needed before all the real shit starts,” she says with a sigh.

“I needed the getaway too. Even for twenty-four hours, we all need to escape sometimes,” I say.

She angles her face so she can look at me, her eyes gold and green in the waning sunlight. “You are full of surprises, you know that?”

“It keeps you guessing.” I dip my head and kiss her. She parts her lips, her tongue seeking mine and we kiss like this for long minutes.

Until I hear a dog bark and feel a long, warm tongue lick on the back of my calf.

“Buddy,” I groan against Gracie’s lips, making her laugh. “You’re blowing my chances here, bro.”

Gracie pulls away from me, reaching for the dog so she can pet him. “You’re not ruining anything,” she tells the dog. “Caleb should know by now I’m a sure thing.”

Her gaze is sly, as is her smile. Seeing her look like that fills me with longing.

Anticipation.

We’re getting naked on the beach tonight.

That’ll be a first.

We sit by the fire long after the sun sets. I turn on the battery-operated lantern so I can see what I’m doing as I slip a couple of marshmallows on the stick and roast them over the fire. I feed one to Gracie, gettin