It didn’t seem to matter what date Beau and I devised. We could never find a way to be truly alone. His roommates were never gone. Those boys played video games like it was oxygen straight to their lungs. Nina and Candace were more unpredictable every day with their habits. I couldn’t count on them to stay out of the house. Beau knew so many people on campus, and with my small stage fame, it meant that in public we had to act as if we were strictly group partners on an experimental date. Our blog had also collected quite the following. Each week we had more and more comments from students sounding off on our Love Match theories. People were watching and waiting for our weekly updates, including Professor Garcia.

The colorfully clad professor began our class lecture. “All right. I know you are just itching to get your spring break started, just don’t forget that while you are in Panama City or Myrtle Beach that your reality shows are still on air.” The girl in the row below us groaned at the reminder. “I would like to point out a few of the projects I’ve noticed that are coming along nicely.”

I held my breath and avoided Beau’s face. I couldn’t look at him. It made me feel too guilty. Although, what had we really done since the Valentine’s pact? He had other classes he studied for, I was back in rehearsals, and we could never find a way to be together alone. That was until tonight. Spring break was the start of a full week of alone time. Beau. Me. An empty beach house.

“Maggie and Blair have just done an exceptional job so far this semester with their Lion’s Den project. Ladies, I wanted to let you know at the halfway point, your grasp of the class concept is phenomenal. Helping launch a new business in town is so original.” Professor Garcia clapped her hands in the air, just a few rows in front of the pair. “The other group I think everyone has noticed this semester is the dynamic duo of Beau and London. You two have really examined the theories of reality production and have challenged the notion of relationship theory—truly good work, you two.”

I didn’t mean to slide lower in my seat, but the praise from our professor brought sudden awareness to my partner and me. Beau seemed to take it in stride. His hat was on backward and he was cool as usual.

“Ok. That’s it for today and for the week. Be careful out there on the beaches. Sunscreen people! Don’t come back looking like tomatoes.” Professor Garcia laughed at her joke.

I looped my arms through my backpack straps, being careful not to stand too close to Beau as the class filtered out of the swinging doors. I caught a wink from him before I turned the corner to leave Manning Hall. In an hour’s time, I would be on the road, headed to Beau’s family beach house.

* * *

North Carolina beaches weren’t particularly warm in mid-March, but Beau told me the house had a hot tub on the deck so it was a good idea to pack a bathing suit. I had been giddy for two weeks over the invitation to go with him to Holden Beach. I assumed since it was our senior year that he probably had some crazy Cancun adventure planned with his roommates. It seemed that would make the top of his bucket list. He never told me what was on his calendar originally. I accepted the invitation with limited questions. He assured me his family would not be at the house. His mom was too busy working on a big insurance case and his father taught at the local high school. His spring break wouldn’t be until April. We had the whole house to ourselves.

Storm clouds hovered on the horizon. I saw a flash of lightning when I hit the peak of the bridge that careened onto the island named Holden Beach.

I pulled into the driveway, admiring the breathtaking house sprawling in front of me. Beau mentioned his mother was an attorney, but he never said anything about his family’s financial status. The house was unreal. His motorcycle was parked in the garage. I stepped out of the car and looked up at the towering three stories rising above me. The wind had picked up and my hair whipped in the breeze.

“Hey! You made it. Let me help you. I’ll be right down.” Beau leaned over the lowest balcony railing before jogging down the stairs.

I moved to the trunk and pulled out my backpack. My laptop was snugly crammed inside. With an entire week at the beach, I’m sure there was going to be plenty of time to work on the project. I thought I heard thunder cracking overhead.

Beau met me at the bottom of the stairs. I wasn’t sure if we should hug or kiss. Seeing him away from school was surreal. It was as if we were untethered from the world that had brought us together.

“I’ll take that.” He slipped the bag off my shoulder and reached for the suitcase in my hand. “Come on. I want to show you the house. Good thing you got here before the rain.” He surveyed the storm clouds on the horizon.

Eagerly, I followed him up the stairs, taking note of the cute ass leading me upward, one step at a time. He ushered me past a row of rocking chairs and into the house through a sliding glass door.

“This is the kitchen. Snacks in here. Drinks in the fridge. Help yourself to anything.” He breezed past a stainless steel refrigerator and the double doors that opened to the walk-in pantry. “TV over there.” He pointed to the couch and a sleek flat panel splayed across the longer wall in the open room.

This was evidently the NASCAR version of the house tour. I scarcely had time to get my bearings before he raced toward the hallway.

“Down here are all the bedrooms.” He wheeled my suitcase along the shiny pine floors. “I thought you might like this room.” He stepped aside to give me a clear view of the ocean.

The room was decorated completely in white. There was a set of French doors that opened to the ocean side of the deck. Beyond the breakers, I saw another streak of lightning. Thank goodness I had made the four-hour drive before the clouds unleashed the rain. I glanced around at the rest of my accommodations.

It was unavoidable. In the center of the room was a king size bed. An enormous bed. A bed that was screaming: I’m a bed.

My knees were like Jell-O and my stomach twisted in knots. But the good kind of knots—the ones that had me jumping out of my skin waiting for Beau to make the first move. Although, why was I waiting on him? I knew exactly what I wanted.

It was silly to think it was ingrained in my head that it would be too forward or would come across as too slutty to tell a guy what I wanted—that I wanted him. However, in all my other relationships, I never made the first move, especially not in bed. Something about Beau aroused a primal instinct I kept buried with my last boyfriend. Beau challenged me on so many levels, or maybe I was just that turned on by the thought of having nothing between us.

He turned and pointed to a closed door. “There’s a private bathroom right here. Towels are on the shelf. My mom stocks the guest cabinet with extra toothbrushes and stuff.” He hurried past the end of the bed and was moving toward the hallway. “Everything good?”

This was my chance. For the first time in a month, we were finally alone together. And not just any kind of alone—utterly alone in a beautiful house, secluded on a quiet beach. No Nina or Candace or Xbox-playing roommates. No gawking blog followers. No one.

“Beau?” One of his hands was on the door and he was headed in the direction of the kitchen. I couldn’t tell if he was excited to show me the house or nervous that I was there. It was kind of cute to see him shed some of his ultra-cool exterior.

“Hmm? What’s up?” He had both feet back in the bedroom.

I sat on the edge of the bed, taking my time to unzip each of my knee-high leather boots before setting them on the floor. I peeled the cardigan sweater I was wearing off one arm and then the other. I tossed it on the chair. This was the best come-hither look I had. I leaned back on the bed. Self-admittedly, I had perfected this pose as Maggie in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.

“Kiss me.”

I pushed myself to a place I had never gone, but I wanted him to stay. The fire burning under my skin wasn’t going to let this moment pass by without Beau knowing how I felt. I was willing to sacrifice any pride I had left to show him. It didn’t make any sense to let him walk out the door. I smiled as he crossed the room, closing in on me a step at a time. Mission accomplished.

He eased his athletic frame onto the bed. “Like this?”

Beau’s gaze was focused on my mouth. He studied the curves of my lips with his thumb, sending ripples through my body that surged in other places I wanted him to touch. I waited for him as the space between us became the boundary for our breath. He kissed the side of my cheek while his hand gripped the back of my neck, sending a moan from my throat.

“Yes,” was all I could manage to sound out as he pressed his lips into mine. I drank in his kiss, while the outside world and its stormy skies faded away. This was better than what I could have asked for. I loved how he tasted. I was sure more perfect lips did not exist. I reclined back, pulling Beau with me on the summer white quilt.

The house shook with a loud clap of thunder, and the lights flickered several times before the room was thrust into sudden darkness.

Beau shot up on both arms, hovering over me with his broad shoulders. “Shit. We just lost power.” I could tell he was contemplating leaving our compromising position for the more responsible house-sitting duties that had to be plaguing him.

The rain pelted the wooden deck outside the window, and I could hear the howling of the wind as it ripped around the corners of the house.

I had waited over a month for this moment and I wasn’t about to let him off the bed or out of my arms. I was finally right where I wanted to be. After the cat and mouse game we had been playing, a little power outage wasn’t going to stop the heat that was building between us. Lightning flashed through the glass door. A few kisses weren’t enough. I wanted so much more.

I snaked my arms around his waist and gripped the small of his back. I might be tiny, but I didn’t want him to have any doubts about what I was willing to do to keep him entangled in this position.

“Stay,” I whispered. “Stay with me.”

His mouth found mine in the darkness and I raveled my legs around him. I caught my breath as he worked the buttons open on my shirt. His hands explored every inch of my exposed skin, and I couldn’t keep from moving under his touch, inching his fingers farther below my hips. I tugged the T-shirt over his head and let the backs of my nails trickle down his chest. His skin was hot and smooth under my fingertips. Even after my eyes adjusted to the lack of light, I closed them, trying to savor every touch and kiss. Each sensation Beau created with his fingers shot through me until I felt like a prisoner in my own skin. I wanted him to release me from the pressure building deep within.

He seemed to be enjoying making me squirm with want. A devilish look flashed across his eyes before his lips began dropping kisses across my stomach like falling raindrops. Starting at my navel, I felt the intense sensation of his mouth while he drew a heated line to the buttons on my jeans.

“London, are you ok?” he whispered to me so softly over the thunder.

I couldn’t think. I could only feel what he was doing to me, and it was amazing. We had never talked about having sex. I knew it was inevitable after the night we decided to make our fake relationship real. Every time he touched me, it felt like my body was drawn to him. This night was meant to happen. I had never wanted anyone or anything so much. Seriously, he couldn’t be trying to talk to me right now. I thought my body was saying it all without me having to utter a single word.

Then it hit me. I froze. What if I wasn’t doing enough?

Beau steadied himself on his arms. “London?” I saw the smoldering look in his eyes. Oh my God, he was hot.

“Yes?” I didn’t want him to stop. I reached for the zipper on his jeans and tugged it until it reached the base of the seam. This was no time for conversation.

He exhaled deeply as I slid my hand between the denim and his skin. “I want you. Don’t get me wrong, this is all I can think about, but I need to know you’re ok with us—with doing this.”

I shimmied out of my jeans, tossing them on the floor. “Does that answer your question? Beau, I want this too. I want to be close to you, like this.” That was kind of an understatement, but I didn’t think I could tell him all of my feelings, especially right now.

He smiled before kissing me so deeply I couldn’t remember ever being kissed before.

Taking my lead, Beau unbuckled his jeans, shoved them off his legs, and laughed when we heard them land somewhere in the dark.

Growling in my ear, he pushed my shirt farther down my arms. “Too. Many. Clothes.”

“Mmm…hmm.” I couldn’t agree with him more, reveling in how my skin felt pressed against his. He was so warm.

Nimbly, his fingers released the clasp on my bra, and he gradually tore the lacy lingerie from my breasts. As much as I wanted Beau, I loved that he wasn’t rushing me or us. He took his time exploring, touching, and driving me crazy beyond my limits.

His mischievous eyes softened as his hand slid down my hip and began peeling the lacy fabric down my legs. I bit my lower lip and nodded to him. “Yes.” I didn’t want anything else between us.

Breathless for him, I arched my back, surrendering the core of my body to the fullness of him I needed so desperately. His palms pressed into mine, taking my hands over my head. I clasped my fingers tightly around his grip. I didn’t know sex could be so sweet and hot all at the same time. I had never felt so connected to anyone in my life. Every move he made sent rushes of heat spiraling though my body. I held on tightly, aching with unyielding pleasure at each controlled rock of his hips. This was all I wanted—to be so close to him that I couldn’t feel anything but his heart beating, his breathing, and how much he wanted me.

* * *

“I guess you’re going to tell me I can’t put that on the blog this week.” Beau laughed with the sheet draped over his leg.

“Hey! Not funny.” I punched him in the side, and then launched into a full attack, nipping on his neck with my teeth until he begged me to stop. It hadn’t taken me long to find the spot that would send him over the edge.

“Ok. Ok. Unless you want me to keep you in this room all night and deprive you of all food and drink, you better stop.”

I collapsed next to him. “Now that you mention it, I am hungry.” I had no idea what time it was. The power still hadn’t returned, and neither one of us had managed to muster enough willpower to leave the bed. How many hours had we been lost in each other?

“Ok. Dinner’s coming right up. I can’t starve you on your first night of spring break.” I watched as a shadowy-figured Beau hopped off the side of the bed and searched for his haphazardly thrown pants. It was a shame he had to put those back on.

I sat up in the massive bed, feeling chilled without Beau next to me. He was a natural heater. “Do you have any flashlights or candles? I can help you with dinner.”

“Wait right here. I know where my dad’s emergency supply drawer is.”

I searched the floor for the remnants of my clothes while Beau assessed the lighting situation. How did my bra end up under the bed? I had just had sex with Beau Anderson and it was pure and utter blissful, mind-blowing sex. I squealed as I jumped into my jeans. Everything felt so perfect and so right.

A few minutes later, Beau returned with a pair of flashlights. He handed one to me. “Right this way.”

I shuffled down the hall, my hand tightly tucked in the back pocket of his jeans. The heat wasn’t working with the power outage, but Beau was walking around the house shirtless, not that I was complaining.

We emerged into the great room. There was a fire crackling in the fireplace and candles flickered on the mantle and on the kitchen countertop.

“How did you do all this?” I walked over to the fire to warm up.

“Luckily, we have a gas stove and gas fireplace, so we can still cook and you won’t freeze tonight.” He winked at me and I melted. “How does stir fry chicken sound?”

At this point, I would eat a cardboard sandwich, I was so hungry. “Perfect.” I pulled a few pillows off the couch and laid them close to the fire. “You need any help?”

Beau looked surprisingly comfortable in the kitchen. I had never asked him about his culinary skills, but most guys in college stuck to Ramon noodles, pizza, and takeout food. I smiled, liking that he kept surprising me tonight.

“No. I’ve got this under control, but you can get the drinks. There’s wine and beer in the fridge.”

I opened the door to discover five bottles of wine chilling on the shelf. I looked at him. “Expecting a real spring break party?”

His grin turned sheepish. “Wanted to make sure I had my bases covered.”

I laughed. I guess I didn’t give him much of a chance to seduce me with the usual wine and dine ritual. We had been in the house all of ten minutes before I was begging him to rip my clothes off. I poured a tall glass of wine and handed him a beer.

“Cheers.”

He took the bottle. “To spring break.”

I reached on the tips of my toes, leaning toward him. He planted a rough kiss on my lips. “To spring break.”

* * *

I awoke the next morning on the living room floor cushioned by a makeshift bed Beau had created. The fire was still dancing among the constructed logs. The space next to me was empty. Sunlight streamed through the cathedral ceiling windows. I pulled the quilt against my bare skin and hugged my knees. If anyone had told me two months ago I would be spending my spring break in a secret location with Beau Anderson, I would have said he or she were insane.

We had managed to go from reluctant group partners to something I didn’t even have words to describe. All doubts I had about him and the chance I was taking with this charade evaporated the minute he kissed me. Last night was the most amazing night of my life.

“Hey. You’re awake.” Beau walked in through the sliding door. His earbuds were dangling around his shoulders. His T-shirt was soaked, and he had on shorts and running shoes.

“Hey.” I smiled, realizing I was the only one in the room completely naked. I could see my shirt hanging on the edge of the couch. “You went for a run?”

“Yeah. I didn’t want to wake you up. I’m going to go jump in the shower.” He darted through the living room and disappeared into the hall.

“Ok.”

What in the hell just happened? I crept to the couch to retrieve my shirt. Was that the same guy I stayed up with until dawn? I walked to the room Beau had designated as mine. The house felt warm, so the power must have returned sometime when we were sleeping. I turned the shower nozzle to hot and stood in front of the mirror while I waited for the water to warm up. Something didn’t seem right. Did he actually walk past me and just say ‘hey’ as if nothing happened? I was pissed. Stepping one leg in and then the other, I showered and prepared a speech for Beau.

One of the disadvantages to having long hair is the amount of time it takes to dry. Beau’s mom had a high-powered salon-style hairdryer stashed in the cabinet. But even with the professional settings, I still spent fifteen minutes drying my hair before I could resurface in the kitchen. It did give me ample time to rehearse my speech. It was going to go something like this: “If you think I’m just one more thing to check off your bucket list, then you’re wrong, Beau. You mean something to me. Last night meant something to me.” It was direct and short. I was going to stand up for myself, but still let him know I meant every breath of last night.

I charged down the hall expecting to find him in the kitchen. Instead, the room was empty and his laptop was open on the kitchen bar.

“Beau?” I called down the hall. No answer.

Ok, I was seriously getting mad. He had ditched me with no explanation. Because of him, I had fabricated two spring break stories. I lied to my friends and told them I needed to visit my grandparents before my big California move. I also lied to my parents and told them I was going with Nina and Candace to Charleston. Lying to the important people in my life wasn’t my first choice, but it seemed like the only way I could be with Beau. Now I wasn’t so sure I had made the right decision.

Then I saw the open screen on his computer. I didn’t mean to snoop, but it was staring right at me. I perched on the closest barstool. Beau’s Facebook page was open and nothing I read made any sense. Unbelievable.

“Hey.” Beau stepped through the sliding doors and raised a paper bag in his hand. “I got us some donuts.”

I turned toward him, not knowing what to say.

“You don’t like donuts?” he asked. I could tell he was confused.

I attempted a smile, but I was failing miserably. Donuts didn’t seem like the solution to the sour feeling I had.

“I promise I wasn’t trying to be nosey, but you left your Facebook page open and I saw the posts.” I was embarrassed he had caught me with his laptop, but more upset about what I had read.

“I didn’t want you to see that.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

He placed the donuts on the counter and sat next to me. “It’s not a big deal.”

“You were supposed to be in Belize this week, and you don’t think that isn’t a big deal?”

I could tell he was nervous, something I rarely saw in Beau. “Don’t make a thing out of it, London.”

“It kind of is a thing already. You canceled your spring break trip with your roommates, and they are posting all kinds of pictures and tagging you in them just to get to you. You weren’t going to tell me about Belize?”

“No. I was kind of hoping to keep it to myself.” He looked worried.

“I don’t know what to say.” I wasn’t sure which kind of guilt was worse—the lying kind or this. It seemed to be pelting me from all angles.

“Can we not talk about it?” Beau hopped up and rummaged through the donut bag, extricating a gooey pastry smothered in chocolate. He took a bite.

I didn’t want to make things any worse. His mood this morning had shifted since last night and I understood why. His asshole friends were giving him a hard time about the trip. Right now, he had to regret not going. He could be snorkeling and partying with his best friends in a vacation paradise instead of cooped up with me while we hid out from the world’s prying eyes.

“Can you still make it? Can you meet them down there?”

“What?”

“I didn’t mean for you to cancel your trip. You should go. It’s senior spring break. You still have the entire week. The guys aren’t going to let you forget it, if you don’t go.”

“Girl, you are crazy.” He slammed the screen on his laptop and pushed the computer away from us. “I guess I’ve been kind of a jerk this morning. Sorry. I shouldn’t have let them get to me like that, but it doesn’t mean I want to change my plans. This is definitely where I want to be.”

His lips tasted like chocolate. I felt my body give in to him as his arms encircled my waist. This felt so much better.

I pushed away. I still needed convincing. “You sure? It’s ok with me; I totally understand.”

“London, shut up and kiss me.”

* * *

Beau tapped the button on the garage door opener, and the heavy door retracted, blinding me with sunlight.

“Pick one.” He pointed to the two four-wheelers parked in the five-car garage of the beach house.

“I’ve never ridden one of these before.” I was starting to wonder if Beau was familiar with vehicles that had doors. He had a bike, a motorcycle, and a pair of four-wheelers.

“Really?”

“Really. I’ll probably crash. Can I just ride with you?”

“How about a lesson? By the end of the week, you’ll be riding solo.” He handed a helmet to me.

I placed it over my head. So much for twenty minutes of hair styling. Beau mounted the ATV and I positioned myself behind him. He revved the engine and we rolled out of the garage toward the beach path closest to the house. I noticed a sign posted between the dunes. I read the notice: No vehicles on the beach. Emergency personnel only. Beau clearly ignored the sign as we climbed over the wooden walkway and raced straight toward the ocean.

He made a sharp turn as we reached the shoreline and increased our speed. He maneuvered us along the sand, dodging the waves as they crept closer to the wheels. I clutched his chest with every quick jerk of the vehicle.

Beau wasn’t kidding about how desolate the beach would be this week. We didn’t pass a single person on the beach, only hungry seagulls. Cautiously, I pulled my hands from his chest and raised my hands in the air. I didn’t care if the gulls were laughing at me. The sun on my face, the wind racing past us, and Beau pressed against my chest was all I could feel, and it was amazing.

* * *

Besides chocolate, wine, and tickets to Broadway, I was learning the quickest way to my heart was anything Beau-related. That included fishing—something I had never done before spring break.

“So you think we can actually catch something?” I looked doubtingly at the pole Beau had buried in the sand between my feet.

He was busy setting up a line for his fishing pole. I admired how he knew exactly what type of lure to tie on the end of the line. I had no idea what any of those sticky fluorescent gadgets were that he retrieved from his tackle box.

“Movie star, movie star. Don’t you know by now that I’m only going to do something if it’s fun?” He was smiling brightly and I loved how it looked on him.

The waves pounded and the surf rolled to the legs of our chairs. I couldn’t believe how sunny it was. My sunglasses were anchored atop my nose and I had to break out a bottle of sunscreen. Professor Garcia would have been proud of me. We might not be having a Belize-style spring break, but it was sunny, warm, and we were sitting on a deserted beach together.

“What am I supposed to do if I hook something?” I stretched my toes out into the sand and started making a tunnel for the tide to pass through.

“I’ll help you. Don’t worry.” Beau stripped his T-shirt off his toned arms and hung it on the back of his chair. I watched as he reached into the cooler for a beer. “This is pretty awesome, you know that?”

I smiled as I took one of the icy Coronas from him. “Yep. It is.” I shoved a lime into the bottle and took a sip. “So, how long have you been coming to this beach?” I scanned the empty horizon and the rows of vacant houses.

“Not that long really. My mom bought the house when I was in high school. She thought it would help us do more family things.” Beau used air quotes and I heard a tint of sarcasm at the word family.

“So, I take it, it didn’t really work?”

Beau pulled on the rod, testing its place in the sand. His eyes followed the line until it disappeared past the breakers. “No. She has a lot of great ideas, but when all you do is work, you can’t really see the ideas through. She’s never here. It’s usually just my dad and me, or sometimes my friends. It’s a sweet house. I’ve had some cool parties here. I guess that’s the bonus of her never being here—just like this week.”

“I’m sorry, Beau. That’s too bad. I’m sure she doesn’t mean to work all the time.” I thought about my parents and how they were constantly working and devoted to their business.

“It’s no big deal.” Beau quickly changed subjects. He didn’t seem comfortable talking about his mother anymore. “You never told me what your friends are doing over spring break.”

Not wanting to press the issue, I rattled off my roommates’ plans. “Candace and Pearce have some kind of trip planned, of course. Pearce surprised her with tickets to the Bahamas. Nina was going to visit her cousins in Miami and, as she put it, have an ‘epic shopping trip.’ She asked me to go with her, but I didn’t want to disappoint my grandparents.” I giggled.

I did feel bad about lying to my friends, but I loved every minute I had with Beau and it seemed worth a tiny white lie to find this kind of happiness.

“You don’t regret it? The grandparent story?” He lowered his sunglasses to look at me.

“Honestly? No. I have had the best week with you.” I smiled and took another sip of the beer. “And I’m fishing.” I laughed.

“Hey! You’ve got one.” Beau jumped from his seat.

“What?” I was starting to feel relaxed from the sun and the beer.

He pointed to my rod, which was now bending with sudden force toward the ocean. “London, reel it in!” He was excited.

Shit. I didn’t think we’d actually catch anything. I grabbed the handle on the rod and began cranking the reel. The line was tight and I could feel whatever was on the other end fighting my every movement.

“You’ve got this.” Beau’s arms wrapped around mine, and his body formed a support so that I could lean into him and continue to reel in the fish.

I tugged, pulled, and cranked until finally I saw a sliver of something sparkling break over the waves.

“There it is! Beau, there really is a fish!” Hurriedly, I spun the handle, bringing the fish to the shore.

“Well, you are officially a fisherman.” He held up the fish for me to examine. It flopped wildly in midair.

“Don’t you mean fisherwoman?”

He laughed. “I guess so.” He unclipped the fish from the lure and carried it to our empty cooler. “Now, just catch a few more for us and we’ll have dinner.”

“We’re going to eat them?” I may have signed up for fishing on the beach all day, but cooking our victims wasn’t on my agenda.

“Of course we’re going to eat them. They’re blue fish—best eaten the day they’re caught. Don’t worry. I’ll do all the work.” He began re-baiting my line and tossed it out to sea for another try.

I smiled as I watched his arms glistening in the sun. He stepped back from the poles. “You ok with that plan?” he asked.

I realized right then that if Beau could turn slimy, stinky fishing into something fun, that I was in far deeper than I had ever planned.

“Yes.” I smiled. “I’ll do the catching and you do the cooking. And you do the unhooking and baiting part too.”

Playfully, he scooped me into his arms.

“Hey, I’m not a fish.” The skin on his chest felt warm from the sun and I tasted a hint of salt on his lips as he kissed me. He gripped my thighs, tugging me closer to him. I sighed. My heart was definitely falling for this boy—one spring break kiss at a time.

* * *

I wasn’t sure how ten days passed so quickly. Last Thursday night felt like a lifetime ago. During the course of the week, we had ordered take out from all the island restaurants that were open, combed the beach for every shell possible, watched an entire season of The Walking Dead, learned we were evenly matched at poker, soaked in the hot tub until we looked like raisins, tuned in for Love Match, watched the entire ACC basketball tournament, and my favorite, discovered shower sex was our best achievement of the week.

I closed the trunk after Beau lowered in my suitcase.

“You’re all set. I’m going to go run through the house one more time before I leave and make sure everything is turned off. I’ll probably pass you on the road.” He winked.

“Back to reality, huh?”

“Or is it?” He mocked and I could tell he was trying to make me laugh.

“Beau, how are we going to do this when we get back to Chapel Hill?” Just the thought of leaving the beach house and the week we had behind was creating panic. My palms felt sweaty. Couldn’t we lock ourselves inside? I was certain I could survive without any doses of the outside world. All I needed was Beau.

“We’re going to figure it out. We’ve got a date tomorrow night to watch Love Match, right?”

“I can’t tomorrow night. Rehearsals start up for the new play. See, this is already complicated?”

“Hold on. It’s not complicated. Change of plans, that’s all. We’ll figure it out. Be careful going home. I’ll call you later.” Before I could protest and trap him into a more detailed discussion, he kissed me on the forehead and ushered me into my car.

I backed out of the driveway and watched Beau climbing the stairs two at a time. I exhaled. This was going to work. He said we’d figure it out. I blasted the radio and pointed my car toward Chapel Hill.

Twenty minutes into the drive, my phone buzzed. I pressed the button on my steering wheel. “Miss me?” I used my lowest, huskiest voice.

“Yeah, I do, but wow, not like that.” Nina was giggling on the other end of the phone. “Is that how you talk to your grandpa?” She was laughing hysterically.

Shit. “Oh, hey, Nina. I knew it was you—just messing with you.”

“Liar.”

Did she know where I had been shacking up for ten days?

“So, how are the grandparents? You had to have the most boring spring break in the history of spring breaks. I can’t wait to see you! When are you getting back?”

Relieved but also filled with regret, I spoke into the car’s mic. “Everyone’s good. It wasn’t that boring.” An image of a shirtless and shower-soaked Beau flashed through my mind. “Um. I’m on the road now, so you’ll see me soon.”

“Good. I can’t believe we didn’t talk all week. It was as if we were in a time warp or something. Have you heard from Candace?”

I hadn’t heard from anyone. “No. Didn’t she say she and Pearce were flying back from the Bahamas tonight?”

“I can’t keep track of their schedule anymore. Be careful. See you for dinner.”

“Bye.”

I disconnected the call and focused on the road ahead of me. All I wanted to do was to tell Nina about the incredible week I had spent with Beau, but we had pinned ourselves into a corner.