Toby

I go to follow Cara and her grandmother into the kitchen, but before I get far, Ben throws his arm over my shoulders and redirects me to the side porch.

“Let’s have a beer,” he says, like I have any choice in the matter.

I give him a bland look and accept the bottle he offers. “I was going to have tea with your Nana.”

“This won’t take long.”

“Elana’s already threatened to take a hit out on me should I hurt Cara, which I won’t.”

He shrugs. “Sure, that’s one way to do it. I’d rather murder you with my own two hands.”

“She’d knee-cap you for saying that, you know.” I give my best friend a patient grin.

He takes a long pull of his beer and glowers at me. “Of course I do. And I’m also happy for her, if you make her happy.”

“I think I do. She makes me ridiculously happy, by the way.”

“Of course she does.” He shakes his head. “I never should have left you alone with her in that restaurant.”

I laugh. “I swear to God, that night was the first night I looked at her like that. But honestly, I think I’ve always loved her a little. She’s so damn smart, and fearless, and adventurous.”

He gives me a reluctant half-smile. “She is all of those things. Don’t, uh…” He scrubs a hand over his jaw. “Don’t try to hang on to her too tight, you know?”

“I know. Wherever she wants to fly, I’ll follow. I’ve always had a bit of the wanderlust in me, too.”

“I guess you have.” He laughs. “Couldn’t convince you to set up shop in New York, could we?”

“Tech is in California.”

“Geography doesn’t matter anymore, though.”

I look at him carefully. “Cara’s not moving back to New York, either.”

He nods, his dark eyes both sad and proud at the same time. “I know.” He hesitates. “You’ll really follow her wherever she wants to go?”

“To the ends of the earth.”

He holds out his beer and I clink my bottle against it. “Then welcome to the family, my brother.”

* * *

Jake and his brand-new fiancée, Jana, arrive just before dinner.

Elana sweeps all the women into the living room, flicking a wrist at her brother. “Ben, you’re in charge of getting dinner on the table. Please?”

Ben laughs. “I love how you add that question at the end, like there’s even a chance you’d let me say no.”

“We have weddings to discuss,” she says regally.

“Fair enough.” He leads us into the kitchen, where Elana has a binder detailing every meal.

I run my finger over the careful notes for tonight. “Your sister is a force of nature.”

“I know. She’s thinking about running for office, too.”

“Jesus.” I laugh.

Jake leans back against the counter and crosses his arms. “I’ll donate.”

“Well, yeah, of course, count me in. And Marcus will help with her environmental platform, of course. But doesn’t she have enough on her plate?”

Ben just lifts his hands in the air. “What my sisters want, my sisters get. That’s all I worry about.”

Jake laughs and thumps me on the shoulder. “And his little sister wants you, huh?”

“We already did this. You missed the threats on my life. We’re all good now.” I’ve got a sloppy, stupid-happy grin on my face, and I don’t care.

“You could have told me it was Cara who you eloped with when we were texting earlier.”

“We’d just arrived. I was busy defending my honor to her older siblings.”

Jake glances around toward the living room. “What do you want to bet they have my wedding all planned out by the time Ben gets the steaks grilled?”

“No doubt. Have you guys picked a date?”

“We’re thinking Thanksgiving. It’s our one-year anniversary, give or take, and winter dates may be easier to come by in the city. Although we could follow your lead and just elope.”

I keep silent, because it’s none of their business that Cara and I haven’t just done anything.

We’ve begun something, though. And when the time is right, we’ll finish it in our own way.

* * *

The next morning, we both wake up while the house is still quiet. Gray light filters through the window. “If we hustle down to the beach, we could probably catch the sunrise,” Cara whispers, her eyes sparkling. “We’ve never shared one of those.”

“Have we shared a sunset?” I ask as I pull on jeans and toss her a hoodie.

“Three of them. Well, two that we could see, and then, uh…” She blushes. “It was dusk when we went for that walk in Brooklyn.”

I drop my gaze to her mouth. Our first kiss. And then we both gamely tried to walk away, even though it changed everything. “I remember.” I glance back at her eyes. “But the other two?”

“Dinners out west. When I was in school.” Her cheeks stay pink. “You have excellent taste in restaurants with amazing views.”

“And even better company.” I reach for her and she takes my hand. Quietly, we sneak downstairs and out the back door.

The sun has broken the horizon to the east, and we walk down the beach in that direction, watching it slowly climb into the sky, bringing with it a bloom of color.

“I didn’t have a crush on you back then,” Cara says quietly. “It wasn’t like that. It was just nice. That’s why I remember those dinners.”

“And the views helped.”

She laughs. “Sure. Yes. But you’ve always seen me.”

I squeeze her hand in mine and rub my thumb against her skin. “It was easy to see you. I’ve always liked you. Before I loved you. Before it would have been appropriate to love you. I don’t remember the restaurants we went to or the views, but I remember everything we talked about. Your ideas, your assignments, your frustrations.”

She slides her fingers out of mine and twirls away, jogging down to the water. I chase her, and she dodges and weaves up and down the beach until I catch her. My arms slide around her waist as she throws her hands in the air, and I spin us both.

“You’ve always been the most beautiful girl in the world to me,” I admit. “Even when I was firmly in protective older friend mode. And if you’d come on to me, I don’t know that I would have been able to say no.”

“Then it’s for the best I only saw you as a mentor back then, right?”

Heat crawls through my chest. “Yes.”

“But not now,” she says on a breath, her lips twisting in a shy, happy smile. “You said I should wait for someone who lights me up inside. You do.”

My attention keeps snagging on her soft, pink mouth. It did back then, too. Secrets I kept from myself, apparently. “I also said you should wait for a kid to get down on one knee, and I forgot to do that part.”

“I forced your hand a bit.”

“It’s never too late.” I kiss her as I set her back down, then I lower myself to one knee. I take her hand, with my ring already on it, and I gaze up at her. “Cara, will you marry me? For real?”

“Yes,” she breathes. “Although everyone already thinks we did.”

We did in all the ways that matter. “Let’s keep the same date. Marry me next year.”

“Just make it official?”

“Secretly so.” I sit back on the sand and tug her down. She straddles my lap, and I kiss her knuckles before turning her hand over and kissing her open palm. “We can do it sooner if you want.”

She shakes her head. “I love the idea of doing it next year.”

“Might be the perfect time, right before you move on to your next adventure.”

Her eyes soften. “I might not go far.”

“No.” I catch her chin gently between my fingers. “Cara, go as far as you want. Fly like the wind. Please. I’ll follow.” I exhale roughly. “I told Ben you—we—wouldn’t move back to New York City. He already knows you need adventure. He challenged me to not hold you back from that. And I never would. But I need it, too. I’ve spent the last thirteen years in California. And it’s been amazing. But I’m ready to do something new, too.”

She leans in and brushes her lips against mine. Her eyelids flutter shut as she takes my mouth, and I let her consume me.

This is going to be our life for the next year. Stolen moments. A honeymoon in fragments.

By the time she finishes her degree in Toronto, I’ll find a way to take the next step together, so we have more time.

My thoughts scatter as she works her way under the hem of my shirt and slides her fingers over my flexing abs. Awareness prickles on my skin, sparking deeper, more primal wants.

She breathes against my mouth as she glances between us, and her hand moves lower. Heat surges through me as she tentatively strokes my dick through my jeans. My cock immediately thickens for her, and she gives a soft, pleased murmur.

Of course I’m following her back to her place for a few days after this family vacation. We need more time to explore and discover each other.

I’m not that experienced. We’re making up for a lot of lost time.

I catch her wrist before she gets my fly undone. “Whoa. Maybe let’s head back to the house.”

“Right.” She kisses me again, smiling as she teases her tongue against mine. “In a minute.”

“In a minute, I’ll be coming all over your hand.” I fist my other hand in her hair and tug gently. “And I’d rather be deep inside you when I do that, wouldn’t you?”

Her pupils dilate as she nods. “Uh-huh.”

“Then take one last look at the sunrise.”

* * *

She’s still giggling when I press her into the thankfully private shower in her tiny bedroom.

“Turn on the water,” I tell her as I shove my jeans down my legs.

She points back to the bedroom. “Condoms.”

“Plural?”

“Just in case.” She catches her lower lip between her teeth, and I sprint to my bag. I’ll bring the whole damn box. Just in case.

The shower stall is full of steam when I get back. As I step inside, Cara plasters herself to me, and we go from zero to sixty just like that.

I push her against the slick tiles and spread my legs wide, holding her perched just above my eager erection. He can wait a damn minute. I cup her breast and roll my thumb over her nipple.

“You wanted to do this on the beach?” I ask her, licking away a line of water droplets from her neck.

“Not this. Just a little touching.”

I squeeze, kneading her soft flesh. “I’m touching.”

“Toby…” She groans and rolls her hips. “Please.”

I grin. “Not that fast. We’ll have to be social all day. I want to get my fill of you and your sweet touches now.” I rock against her. We’ll fuck soon enough. Slow and hard and fast, too, at the end. But first, she was teasing me. I want more of that. I set her down, then step back, leaning against the other wall.

I spread my arms wide. “Touch away.”

Her face lights up and she reaches for me. My abs first, just like on the beach. Then lower, tracing her fingertips through the grooves in front of my hips. My muscles bunch and tighten under her attention, and she drifts to her knees.

Oh, yes.

So far, the only blow jobs she’s given me have been in bed, with her on top and in control.

But I love her kneeling in front of me. It satisfies something heady and primal deep inside me—even though of course, she’s still in charge here, too.

She blinks up at me, her eyes bright and wide as she wraps her fingers around my cock. “Just touch?”

I swallow hard. “Your choice.”

She slides her tongue around the head, and I thunk my skull back against the tile. All awareness in my body has converged on my rock-hard erection and the delicate licks she’s laying on it. Soft, velvet teases.

My balls tighten up, and my throbbing tip slicks with pre-come. Before I can tell her to lick that up, she wraps her mouth around the entire head and pulls gently as she begins to stroke me.

Up, suck. Down, lick. In between each stroke, a wide-eyed, pleased glance up at me.

Fuck yeah, I’m pleased too. “You’re so good at that,” I murmur, pushing a wet strand of hair off her cheek. “Take me a little deeper. That’s my girl. God, Cara, yes. Your mouth. Ah…”

I pump my hips gently as she swallows more of my length, bringing her lips all the way to her fingers. In and out. Tight and hot and perfect.

When she pulls off with a slurp, I lurch from the loss. But she returns immediately with a condom, and I watch through lust-hazed eyes as she rolls it down my length.

Then I lift her up again and press her back against the wall, my legs pushing her thighs open. I stroke through her folds, testing that she’s ready for me. I find her wet, slick, hot.

We’re both breathing hard as I push up, spearing into her and stretching her pussy wide.

Her breathy moan as I bottom out inside her makes me crazy.

“So good,” she whispers, and that’s even better. “How is this so good?”

Because love. Because friendship. Because kismet and chemistry and fearless promises.

Promise me you won’t marry some random guy. I didn’t have any right to make that demand, but I’m so damn glad I did.

“Only with you,” I growl, thrusting into her again. She wraps her wet limbs around my body as I surge us together. Her breasts mash against my chest, her mouth latches onto my neck, and I lose myself to the swirl of the best sex of my life.

When she comes, it’s a long, sustained, rippling orgasm that demands my own climax. Her body milks me with almost endless spasms, until I sag against her and my softened erection slips out of her.

My heart pounds as I hold her against me.

She looks up at me and everything stops. It’s just the two of us in this moment. I can feel myself smiling at her, tender and soft. See the light in her eyes as she returns the expression.

“A sunrise and shower sex,” she says softly. “Not bad for our one-week anniversary.”

I catch her mouth with mine and kiss her swollen lips before reaching past her to turn off the water. “And the day is still young.”