Oh, I am one hundred percent sure Carson has heard all about Caleb and what he did to Baylee throughout the years. And I’m also sure he thinks Caleb is a total prick.
But he’s polite and says hello. I scramble off Caleb’s lap and he rises to his feet to go shake Carson’s hand, which I can tell shocks Baylee. I’m sure her expectations of Caleb are very low when it comes to manners, and I’m quietly proud of him for acting like such a gentleman.
“I heard you two were living together,” Baylee says. I can tell from the expression on her face that she’s dying to ask questions, but she won’t say anything since we kept our coffeeshop meeting to ourselves.
“With Eli as well,” I remind her. “We’re roommates.”
“Interesting,” she says, drawing the word out.
Caleb chooses that moment to sling his arm around my shoulders. I get the sense he’s staking a claim on me, and normally that kind of thing annoys the crap out of me, but for some reason, I’m okay with it. Okay with his claiming.
In fact, I tilt my head back, meet his gaze and smile at him like a lovesick idiot.
“How long are you here for, Bay?” Caleb asks and I try my best not to let the nickname bother me. It means nothing. He’s known her a long time. Way longer than me. And he’s known her intimately too.
Ugh. I sort of hate that, and I totally hate how I feel right now.
“We got here yesterday. We’ll head home tomorrow,” she answers, leaning her head against Carson’s shoulder briefly. He takes his opportunity and drops a quick kiss on her temple. “We’re staying at one of the hotels on the bluffs.”
“Nice,” Caleb says with a nod. “We just got here. Can only stay one night because of practice and work.”
“Where are you staying?” Carson asks.
“We’re camping in the dunes tonight. My dad let us borrow his truck,” Caleb answers.
“Your dad let you take his truck? I’m shocked,” Baylee says with a laugh.
I see green. I’m a jealous whore and I hate it.
“Yeah, same,” Caleb says with a chuckle, his fingers streaking up and down my arm.
“We just wandered over here to try the ice cream,” Carson says, his gaze going to the mostly empty cup in Caleb’s hand. “How was it?”
“Amazing,” I tell them. “The peach is my favorite.”
“We’ll definitely have to get some then,” Carson says as he starts toward the front door. “Nice officially meeting you both.”
“You too,” Caleb says and I smile.
“You guys have fun,” Baylee says, her gaze knowing as she follows Carson into the shop, her hand still clutched in his.
The moment they’re gone, Caleb tosses the cup into the nearby trash can. “You ready to go?”
I pull away from his hold and grab my bag with my succulent inside from the ground. “Let’s do it.”
We walk back to the truck, both of us quiet. Me muddling over Baylee and her intimate knowledge of Caleb. I am not what I would consider a jealous person. We all have history, pasts with other people, and that’s okay. I’m cool with it. I always have been before.
And I don’t have any issues with Baylee. She’s nice. When she was in deep with Caleb, I felt sorry for her. He took advantage of her and treated her like garbage a lot of the time, and I firmly believed she deserved someone better. It looks like she found her someone better in Carson. I’m happy for her, really, I am.
But I am also a jealous shrew who’s suddenly full of insecurities and worry over how Caleb is going to eventually treat me.
Is he going to give me the same treatment that he did Baylee? Hang out with me and fuck me constantly only to then pretend I don’t exist? I will be so pissed if he does that.
Worse?
I will be so freaking…
Hurt.
“You’re quiet,” he says as he hits the remote to unlock the truck. He follows me to the passenger side, opening the door for me like a gentleman. “Did it bother you just now, seeing Baylee?”
I climb into the truck, not saying a word, still thinking. I don’t want to say the wrong thing. I don’t want to be that woman who makes demands like, “I never want you to talk to your ex ever again!”
I would love to make that demand right now, in my irrational state, but deep down, I know that’s wrong. Unnecessary. I trust that Caleb isn’t interested in Baylee anymore. He’s totally into me.
But for how long? That’s the issue that’s niggling at me.
Caleb climbs into the truck and starts the engine, but doesn’t go anywhere. He turns to look at me, and I can feel his heavy gaze as I keep my head bent. The longer I go without saying anything, the more awkward this moment is going to be.
Looks like I’m headed straight into mega awkward land. It can’t be helped.
“G, look at me,” he demands softly.
I lift my head, my gaze finding his. He doesn’t look upset or irritated, which is a point for me. No, he’s looking at me with those same horny eyes, though there’s another emotion sparking in them. One I don’t really recognize.
“I talk to Baylee and I feel nothing. Looking at her, seeing her with her new dude…I’m happy for her. She deserves a good guy, and I wasn’t good for her. I know that.” He reaches for me, his hand finding mine and interlocking our fingers. “Say something, babe. You’re killing me right now.”
I like it that he calls me babe. I’ve never been one for cheesy nicknames but the way he says it, the glint in his eyes…I love it. Way too much. “You scare me,” I admit.
He frowns, his fingers tightening around mine. “How so?”
A deep sigh escapes me and I hang my head. “You bailed on every woman you met relatively fast. But not Baylee. You held onto her for a long time, and took complete advantage of her too. I…I don’t want to end up like that. Like her.”
There. I said it. The words are out, hovering between us and ready to detonate. He could become defensive. Or freak out. I wouldn’t doubt a reaction like that coming from him. I’d even expect it.
“You won’t,” he says vehemently. I lift my head, noticing the gleam in his gaze. The firm set of his jaw. He almost appears angry, but not at me. “I respect you too damn much to do that to you. I swear.”
My resolve melts, as does my heart. “Really?”
He nods, leaning in so his face is in mine. “I’m consumed with you. How could I ignore you or forget you? You’re in the forefront of my mind, day and fucking night. I want to kiss you. I want to fuck you. I want to feel your mouth on my cock and I want to hear your laugh. I want to make you come. I want to talk to you. Spend time with you. I just—I want. You.”
Oh shit. My heart has now completely disintegrated at his passionate declaration. Like, it’s completely gone.
I smile, on the verge of tears. “Caleb.”
That’s all I can say. Just his name.
He smiles, and the look on his face is so tender, so sweet, tears do spring in the corner of my eyes. “Gracie,” he whispers.
Right before he kisses me.
Twenty-Three
Caleb
I am a happy man.
We’re sitting on the beach in front of the fire I just made, roasting hot dogs on one of those spear things my dad loaned us. Gracie is sitting right next to me, clad in sweatpants and a thick hoodie, the hood over her head because the wind whips her hair around in her eyes, driving her nuts.
It’s windy. Cold as fuck. Our hot dogs will probably be seasoned with ash and sand, but I don’t care.
I’m fucking thrilled to be out here, enjoying the sunset with my lady.
Oh fuck, I sound like a complete cornball, but it’s true.
She looks happy too. Despite the lack of protection from the elements beyond the tent we just put up, despite the wind and the chilly temperature and the dog that keeps trotting over from the family camped out not too far from us, Gracie is smiling. She’s having a great time, I can tell. She keeps laughing every time the dog nuzz
les her legs.
“He wants our hot dogs,” I tell her.
“I don’t blame him. But you can’t eat your own kind,” she croons to the dog as she rubs under his chin. He watches her with adoring eyes.
I feel you, bro, is what I want to tell the dog, but I keep my mouth shut.
“You do know that hot dogs aren’t actual…dog,” I tell her. She has to know this. She’s going to be teaching the youth of our future for the love of God.
“Of course I do. But why would a dog want to eat a hot dog?” She pets him as she stares into his eyes. “It should freak you out, puppy. Yes, it should.”
I turn the dogs over, glad to see they’re not too black. Dad would call burnt hot dogs Cajun style and Mom always thought that was so funny.
“Hot dogs are disgusting,” I tell Gracie.
“Yeah, they are,” she agrees.
“I don’t think about it too much though, when I eat them.”
“You can’t, or you won’t eat them ever again.” She grimaces.
“True that.” I pull them away from the fire and Gracie, at the ready, thrusts a paper plate toward me. I pluck the hot dogs from the spears and drop them on her paper plate, blowing on my fingers because those dogs are mega hot. “They’re done.”
“Yay.” We’re sitting on low beach chairs that make it easy for us to grab everything on the ground. She picks up the bag of hot dog buns and opens them. “You’re really going to eat three?”
“Nah, I thought I’d make you an extra one just in case. If we don’t eat it, I’ll give it to our new friend.” I wave at the dog, who is currently trotting back over to his family’s campsite. He’ll be back though, once he sees us actually eating.
“Someday I want a dog,” she says, her gaze wistful as she watches him. “My mom is allergic so we could never have them growing up. She’d always sneeze.”
“Dogs are cool,” I say, trying to ignore the pang in my chest that’s making me feel sad for her. I loved growing up with pets. Dogs are the best, though cats are okay too. I don’t love them as much as Tony, who currently owns one, but I can appreciate them.
“They are.” Gracie’s made a makeshift kitchen area for us at our campsite, and she grabs a plastic fork and sticks it in one of the hot dogs, dropping it into a bun. She does the same for the second one before handing me the plate. “Ketchup and mustard are right here for you, sir.”
Smiling, I take the plate, liking how light and easy she’s keeping everything right now. The entire day has been pretty great, minus seeing Baylee.
Not that it was a bad experience, but it filled Gracie with insecurities, and she’s not what I would consider an insecure person at all. For me, seeing Baylee for the first time in a while made me realize I don’t feel anything for her beyond fondness. With a little bit of a friendship connection. I treated her badly, and I’m grateful she doesn’t hate me for it.
We’ve known each other a long time, Baylee and me. But what we shared is done and firmly in the past. I’m over her.
Completely.
Who I’m not currently over is the gorgeous woman sitting right next to me who’s squirting a thick layer of mustard on her hot dog with intense concentration. Her eyes are practically crossed and her tongue is sticking out between her lips.
She’s adorable.
“You like mustard?” I ask, just before I shove a third of my hot dog into my mouth.
“Love it,” she says, setting the mustard down before she takes a dainty bite. “It’s delicious.”
She says this with her mouth full. Again, adorable.
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
g her lips sticky sweet before I kiss her. She laughs and does the same thing to me, and fuck me standing, this is some major foreplay shit. I can’t stop thinking about getting her into that tent and having my way with her.
But this is fun too. Sitting outside, enjoying the cold weather and the fire. The entire beach is dotted with people doing the same thing, some of them camping in trailers or motor homes. If we had more time, I’d suggest renting an ATV tomorrow and take her for a ride in the dunes.
I used to drive like a bat out of hell in those dunes though, so I’d probably scare the shit out of her.
We eventually pack up the rest of our stuff and I put the fire out as best as I can. We walk over to a nearby bathroom to take care of our nightly rituals and then we’re back at the tent, ready for bedtime.
“What time is it?” she asks me.
I’ve barely looked at my phone today. I’ve noticed she hasn’t either. “Almost nine-thirty,” I say after I check the screen.
Her mouth drops open. “That’s early.”
“Oh, I’m not suggesting we go to sleep yet,” I tell her, raising my brows. “But we can definitely go to bed.”
“It’s going to be cold.” She shivers extra hard for emphasis.
“I’ll keep you warm.”
“We’re going to snuggle in the sleeping bag?” she asks hopefully.
“Hell yeah, babe. Get your ass in there.” I give said ass a light slap, making her squeal as she darts into the tent. I follow in after her, setting the lantern on the ground before I turn to zip the flaps closed.
The tent is actually pretty nice. A newer one I don’t remember using before, so Dad must’ve bought it after I moved out. We can both stand in it—well, I hunch my shoulders a little bit but not as much as usual. It’s big enough for us to move around in, and it’s pretty damn secure, even with that ocean wind howling outside. I brought a couple of pillows and sleeping bags and some extra blankets to layer on the ground since it’s going to be pretty hard.
If Gracie wants to sleep on top of me, I’m good with that.
“Let’s make the bed,” she suggests and I help her, following her lead. Girls always know how to make things cozy, and this one is no exception. By the time we’re finished, there’s a layer of blankets beneath the sleeping bags along with the pillows and it appears pretty damn comfy.
The Junior (College Years Book 3) Page 21