“No. I was in a turn-and-burn escape.” My hand went to my head again, dislodging my ball cap. I was still nervous. “This isn’t really my thing. I’m more of an introvert. There’s too much happenin’ here. I usually stick to myself.”
“I’m the same. Joy forced me here. Our family was having dinner together…” Dash stopped, shaking his head. Frustration laced his next words. “I didn’t want to come, but it was decided for me. It seems a lot is decided for me these days.”
Of course, I didn’t understand but I didn’t need to.
Our gazes locked. Not awkwardly. I never wanted to look away. Slowly, his smile tilted up. “I take it all back. I’m glad I followed along. It’s nice to meet you.”
A couple of quick assessments to this point.
For whatever reason, Beau gave off a skittish vibe. Did that only have to do with me? Or maybe a personality trait? Either way it complicated my desire to have a quick commitment for a long-lasting relationship. It also made it hard to throw down right here, right now, and make out with the guy.
Even under all this intense physical attraction, I instinctively knew he mattered more than sex. He needed me. Which was weird for me to consider. I was inherently a self-centered guy.
I couldn’t look away as I fisted my hands, itching to reach out and touch him. I needed to take my time. Go slow.
Clearly, confidence came easy to me, but as the stars aligned, I saw my future as more than just the baby son of the wealthy Jackson Richmond. Beau gave me a sense of purpose I didn’t understand. In what? Who knew? I’d figure it out as we went.
“Do you live around here?” I asked.
He shook his head and stuffed his fingers inside his front jeans pockets, stretching the material. I fixed my gaze on his eyes, instead of where they wanted to look. It didn’t come easy. “No.Well, yes, a few miles away. Maybe three, probably four, could be five.”
“You don’t drive?” I asked.
“I’m not old enough. Next year.”
“So you’re fifteen?” Which had to be the obvious answer. “I’ll be sixteen on July fourth.”
“Today’s my birthday so I have exactly a year to go before I drive.” Whatever held Beau at a distance, lightened in his grin. My heart stuttered, fluttering frantically around my chest. After having such a powerful reaction to a smile, I wasn’t sure I heard the rest of his explanation. “I guess this is my birthday party.”
I said the only thing that came to mind. “Happy Birthday. Good party, but it’s not as amazing as the party our country club puts on for me…”
His smile turned into a quiet chuckle, and I was utterly captivated.
“I don’t really want to be here. I can take you home now if you wanna go.”
Beau’s face read like an open book. The uncertainty was back. He glanced over his shoulder at the party, leaving me to stare shamelessly at his profile.
“Look, I’ve been getting a lot of attention lately. I think I should drive the back roads to your house. It’ll take us longer to get you home. If I get caught and give my dad any more bad press, I think he’ll disown me,” I said, trying for humor.
“I don’t wanna get you in trouble…”
I wasn’t going to allow him the out. “I’m kidding. My dad’s a good guy. My whole family’s pretty good. Like Joy, they play hard…” I stopped before anything negative tumbled from my lips.
Chae and I had cut him off from his escape in the darkened shadows of the trucks’ headlights. Since I’d noticed everything about him, my concentration zeroed in on the way his jewel-toned amber gaze flickered. The small gold flecks gave a natural depth. He was truly beautiful to me and clearly physically fit. He had to play a lot of sports, all the time.
“They play hard?” he asked.
“Yeah,” I finally said and let that be enough. I ducked my head then nodded toward the car. “I don’t think anyone’s paying attention to us. We could take off now.” I pivoted to walk toward Joy’s car. The panic my decision created wanted me to look over my shoulder to ensure Beau followed. I fought the urge as my head and my heart battled to the death inside me. What I should have done was to get behind him and push him to the car.
The forty or so feet I walked might have been the longest of my life. But if I dug deep, the connection between us held strong. Somehow, I knew he was following. Only at a much slower pace.
Surely, he fell somewhere under the LGBT umbrella.
My step stumbled.
I had zero indication that assumption was true. What if he was straight or even homophobic and offended by my attraction?
No, the world wasn’t that mean.
