Page 87 of Teach Me Your Ways

She went back to instructing Felix, and I leaned in to Grady, close enough so no one else could hear. “That girl really lights up when it comes to s’mores.”

He smiled and nodded. “I wish she showed the same enthusiasm for my class.”

I pulled my marshmallow away from the fire and held it over to him. It was perfectly golden. “See? This is how it’s done.”

He raised an eyebrow, clearly unimpressed. “Yours is undercooked.”

“Undercooked?” I scoffed. “It’s perfect. And you know it.”

“It’s raw,” he countered, leaning closer to inspect it. “You don’t want it pale and squishy.”

“Squishy is good,” I argued, though I could feel my cheeks heating up under his scrutiny. “It’s gooey. That’s the whole point.”

“Well, I suppose gooey is fine,” he said, his voice low and teasing. And for some reason, I was certain he was thinking about sex.

I swallowed down the lump of lust in my throat. “You’re impossible.”

“And you’re stubborn,” he shot back, but there was a warmth in his eyes that made my stomach flip.

After several s’mores, Lina and Felix declared they were headed to bed. It would have been a good idea if Grady and I followed them into the dorms.

“See you in the morning,” Grady said to them without getting up.

“Night,” I called out.

After they were gone, it was just the two of us. It wasn’t awkward, but it wasn’t relaxed. There was always tension between us.

“Want to take a walk down to the dock?” Grady asked softly.

“Sure.”

We walked in silence down the sandy path toward the water, the sound of our footsteps muffled by the soft ground. The moon was nearly full, casting a silver path across the dark ocean that stretched endlessly toward the horizon. When we reached the dock, I kicked off my sandals and let my feet dangle over the edge, the cool water lapping at my toes.

Grady sat beside me, close enough that I could feel the heat radiating from his body. The silence between us was charged. We kept saying we weren’t going to do anything, but our libidos didn’t get the message. Our bodies recognized each other. It had to be the pheromones.

“You nervous about tomorrow?” he asked finally.

I considered lying, telling him I was fine, but something about the darkness and the gentle sound of waves made honesty feel safer. “A little. But more excited than nervous.”

He nodded, staring out at the water. “I’ve been thinking about what you said. About your mom, about not letting fear control your decisions.”

“And?”

“You were right.” He turned to look at me. “I was being overprotective. Not because I don’t think you’re capable, but because…” He trailed off, running a hand through his hair.

I waited, sensing he was struggling with something important.

“Because I care about you,” he said finally, his voice barely above a whisper. “More than I should. More than is smart or professional or safe.”

My heart hammered against my ribs. “Grady, we’ve talked about this.”

“I know we agreed to keep things professional and I am,” he said. “Mostly. I care about everyone that’s under my watch.”

I laughed softly. “Thank you for the concern. Does that mean I get to be concerned for you?”

He shrugged. “Sure.”

“Then we’ll be worried together.”