Damn, I had to open my big mouth and now she’s annoyed. I can tell by the rigid set of her jaw. Grace’s teeth are clamped tightly together, holding in the harsh words she wants to say.

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have made light of what you told me. And I do think you’re worth waiting for. I hope that I’ve somewhat proven it already and I’ll continue to do so.”

“It’s okay. I’m probably overreacting, but it’s a sensitive subject for me. My ex made a huge deal about it and apparently I’m still bothered.”

“Let’s talk about something else. Something that doesn’t get you fired up.” I smile.

“I think you should share how old you were when you lost your virginity.”

“Are you sure you want to know?”

“Yeah, why not? I told you.”

“I was fourteen.”

“Fourteen,” she yells. “How old was the girl?”

“She was seventeen and my best friend’s older cousin. She was staying with his family for the summer.”

“Did you start it or did she?”

“I was staying in one of their guest rooms and she climbed into my bed. Her hand grabbing my dick made it pretty clear it wasn’t an accident.”

“Oh, jeez. What did you do?”

“I laid back and let her have her way with me. She was hot and I wasn’t about to stop her.” She rolls her eyes. “What? Do you really think any horny fourteen year old boy would refuse that opportunity?”

“Probably not.” She looks unconvinced despite her answer.

“Trust me, they wouldn’t.”

I pick up the trash leftover from my sandwiches and the empty beer bottles and put them in a plastic bag. Grace hands me the empty containers from her salad and veggies plus the leftover hummus and pita chips. I shove them all into my backpack and place it to the side on the deck. Rising to my feet, I stretch my arms over my head and tip my neck from side to side. I’m sore from the game. I took some hard hits from some big boys.

“Are you ready to go?” Grace stands and shivers as a cool breeze wafts over us.

“No. I’m just a little stiff from the game. I was thinking we could move to the chairs now if you don’t mind.” Bending over, I pick up the blanket and usher her over to the adirondack chairs. Catching her hand as I lower to the seat, I pull her down on my lap. “Sit with me. I’ll keep you warm.” Grace relaxes with her back to my chest and her head tucked under my chin. I cover her with the blanket and she murmurs, “Thank you.”

Her sweet scent infiltrates each inhale I take as I rest my cheek against her long, soft tresses. My arms wrap around her waist, banding her close to me. Holding her is amazing and I never want to let her go. Maybe we can sleep here, stay in this chair for as long as possible. Right now there’s nothing but the two of us. No bills, no schoolwork, no father with unrealistic expectations.

Silently, we stare at the darkening sky, the water soothingly lapping against the dock. Neither of us feel compelled to speak and break the charm of this moment. I don’t know if I’ve ever felt so content as I am right now, with Grace, watching the sky change from swirls of pinks and purples to orangey golds at the horizon. Geese fly overhead, scattering black shapes against the brightness of the sunset.

Our breaths sync naturally in a duet, drawing in and flowing out simultaneously. She wiggles around, cuddling into me and my teeth clench when my dick reacts. I place a hand on her hip to still her motion and growl in her ear, “Red, stop wiggling around, you’re killing me.” She freezes in place, rigid with tension. I wish I hadn’t said anything. I don’t want her to be uncomfortable. “Relax. You didn’t do anything wrong. I’m just trying to keep this PG-13 and it’s not easy.” I press a kiss to the top of her head and the tautness leaves her frame. Pliant and comfortable once more, she rests her hands on top of mine.

“I don’t know what it is about the water, but it’s so relaxing for me,” Grace shares.

“I feel the same. I can practically feel the stress leave my body whenever I’m near it.”

She tips her head back on my chest, peering up at me. “Yes, me too.” She smiles and I kiss her forehead.

“Good, I’m glad. You work too hard for someone your age.”

“I like being useful and helpful. My dad has a lot on his mind and if I can take some of that away, then I want to.”

“He’s not sick is he?”

“No, nothing like that. Business has been slow for a while and he’s concerned. That’s why we’re doing the extended hours. If it helps, then we may increase the number of days. And so far it’s been a success. We’re hoping it continues.”

“I’m glad he’s okay, and if I can do anything to help out please let me know.”

“Thanks. That’s really sweet of you to offer.”

“Hey, I’m a sweet guy.”

“Yeah, a sweet brute.” I slide my hand over to poke her side with my fingertips and she giggles.

“Are you making fun of me?” I continue tickling her.

“No,” she shrieks. “I’m only repeating what you said.”

My hand moves back to rest over her stomach. “Okay, I had to be sure.”

“What’s the age difference between you and Brady?”

“He’s four years older than me. Why?”

“Just wondering. You guys seem close from what you’ve told me.”

“Yeah, we are. He could resent me for coming along after him and feel like I stole his father away, but he doesn’t.”

“He seems really sweet. Is he a brute too?”

“Nah, Brady’s Brady. He’s an original. He might be the nicest person I know. He’s had my back more times than I can count.”

“Harlow’s great too. I’ve only seen her a few times, but she’s so welcoming to be around. Look how she asked Amelia and I if we wanted to grab dinner last week.”

“I’m glad Brady found her. He’s settled down a lot since they’ve been together.”

“Do you think he’d ever cheat on her?”

“No. Why would you ask that?”

“I don’t know. He’s a good looking guy and he’s got his own talk radio show. Women probably throw themselves at him.”

“It wouldn’t matter if they locked him in a room full of naked women. Nothing would happen. He loves Harlow too much to fuck that up. What’s the real reason you’re asking about this? Are you worried I have a cheating gene or something?”

“No, not necessarily.”

“Look, if I wanted someone else I’d have never asked you out.”

“You might not realize you want them yet.”

“So, I’m going to meet some girl I’ve never seen before and immediately forget about you, the girl I’m crazy about?”

“You’re crazy about me?” She tips her head back, peering up at me.

“Yes, I am.”

She smiles. “I’m kinda crazy about you too.”

I grin. “I know.”

“How do you know?”

“I’ve always known, but you wouldn’t admit it to yourself.”

“And what were you going to do if I never did?”

“I wasn’t going to give up on you if that’s what you’re wondering. Defeat is not in my vocabulary.”

“I’m glad you didn’t think I was more work than I’m worth.”

“Red, I think I’ve proven I’m willing to do whatever I need to when it comes to you.”

She shakes her head. “I still don’t get what your fascination with me is.”

“Why shouldn’t I be enamored with you?”

“I’m so different from the girls I’ve seen you with.”

“You haven’t seen me with anyone. You’ve seen girls around me and that’s different.”

“Yeah, I guess, but I’m definitely not your type.”

“How can you say that when I’m holding you in my arms? Do you think this is normal behavior for me?”

“No, probably not.”

“No, definitely not,” I retort. Inhaling her vanilla scent calms me down and I know it’s time to change the subject. She’s going to realize the truth the more time we spend together. “Can I take you out for coffee on Monday after class? I’ll even throw in a lumpy brown muffin.”

“You make it sound so appealing, how can I refuse?” she giggles.

“Can I have your phone number, please?”

“You don’t have it already? What kind of player are you?”

“A retired one. I wanted to get it from you.”

“Aww, that’s sweet. Give me your phone and I’ll send it to you.” Is this a test? I shift her weight on my lap and reach in my pocket. Typing in the code, I hold it up in front of her. Grace hesitantly reaches out as if she’s startled that I’d hand it over so easily. Does she think there are naked pics in my texts or something? Raking my teeth over my bottom lip, I fight the smile battling to break free as I watch her tentatively navigate her way through sending herself a msg.

She hands me back my phone. “All set. Now I have your number too.”

“Are you going to use it?”

“Probably not.”

“Why wouldn’t you? I’m going to call and text you.”

“And when you do I’ll answer.”

“So, I have to be the one reaching out?”

“Not always. What can I say? I’m old fashioned that way.”

“You’ve never called a guy?”

“I had a boyfriend for three years, of course I did.”

“I don’t want to hear about other guys,” I grit. “I expect to receive at least one text from you tomorrow.”

“Then so do I,” she counters. Her eyes gleam with the challenge.

“And you will. In fact you’ll get more than one. You might get so many you’ll regret giving me your number.”

“Maybe I already do,” she jests.

Gripping her hips, I turn her sideways in my lap. “Do you know how hot it makes me when you get all sassy and spirited?”

“No.”

“I guess I better show you.” Cupping the back of her head I hold her in place. Seizing her lips, my tongue ravages her sweet mouth. She moans and I lift her to straddle my lap, her knees falling to either side of my thighs. My fingers grip her hip through the denim, digging in and urging her to rock against my hard cock. Her hips roll into me like an exotic dancer giving me the lap dance of my life. Every grind of her pussy on my dick brings excruciating pleasure. I can’t wait to be buried inside her. I know we’re going to be phenomenal together. But not yet. I need to put the brakes on this before I lose my grip. I’m seconds away from lying her down on the blanket and claiming her as mine once and for all.

I pull away and her lips cling. She doesn’t want this to end any more than I do. “Grace,” I husk, inhaling raggedly. “We need to stop. I don’t want to rush you.” I cup her cheeks in my palms. “You’re worth the wait.” I press one more soft kiss to her swollen lips. “I might die from sexual frustration, but I can think of worse ways to go.” Setting Grace on her feet, I rise to my own. “Come on. Let’s get you home so you can get a good night’s sleep.”

My phone beeps with a text while I lie in bed and prolong the inevitable necessity of getting up and beginning my day. I set my alarm fifteen minutes early so I have time to think about how much it sucks that I need to hit the gym. I’m working my first banquet at the Chestnut Country Club at noon so I need to get a workout in this morning.

Plucking my phone from the black nightstand, I glance at the screen and smile. I have a message from my favorite person.

Grace: Good morning. How are you on this fine Sunday?

Me: I’m great now. How about you?

I type in my reply and press the send key. Propping myself up on another pillow, I get comfortable as I wait for her to get back to me.

Grace: No complaints here. I had a great time last night. Thank you, again.

Me: Does that surprise you? And you don’t need to thank me.

Grace: No, I figured we’d have fun, but where you brought me was definitely a pleasant surprise.

Me: I like to think outside the box. I’ll try to come up with something even better for our next date.

Grace: I thought we were having coffee tomorrow morning? Does that count as date number two?

Me: The first time we had coffee was date number one. The party you came to was date number two and last night was date number three. You know what that means?

Grace: That tomorrow is date number four?

I laugh at her answer. I find her wit as attractive as her physical beauty.

Me: You know what the three dates rule is, right? Sex on the third date.

Grace: Of course I know.

Me: Well, we’ve already surpassed it. Pretty good, right?

Grace: I’m not patting you on the back because you’re taking care of it for me.

Me: You should. I’ve been exercising mad restraint. Last night I wanted to lay you down on the blanket and have my way with you.

Grace: Are you trying to get me to sext? I’m not going there. At least not yet.

I smile at her reply and think about how much I’d enjoy sexting with her and wonder when she’ll be willing to.

Me: Damn, throw me a bone, woman. Work with me. I’m dying here.

Grace: Don’t be a drama king. No guy ever died from an erection.

Me: Tell that to my dick. It feels like I might, and if I do my death will be on your conscience.

Grace: I’m willing to risk it.

Me: Way to gamble with my life.

Grace: #dramaking #notattractive

Me: Okay, okay. I’m joking. What are you doing today?

Grace: I went for a run and now I’m walking back to my dorm. I’m about to grab a coffee and a bite to eat from the cafeteria.

Me: I have to get up and get to the gym. I’ll talk to you later. Thanks for texting me. You made my day.

Grace: I’m glad. Enjoy your workout. Talk later.

Me: Bye, Red.

Scrolling through our texts, I smile at our banter. I can’t wait to see her tomorrow. Dropping the phone on the mattress, I groan and roll out of bed. Time to get my ass in gear.