8. The Ride, Dasham

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.

As I got closer to the car, I reached for the key fob, pushing the button as I pulled it from my pocket. The unlocking mechanism snicked on the driver's side door, and I hit it again to unlatch all the locks. Once I'd opened my side, while on the verge of sitting, I finally ventured a look in Beau's direction.

He was still a good distance away, maybe twenty steps or so behind me, but I counted it as a win that he was still walking toward the car. I dropped down in the seat and reached to turn off the interior overhead lights then pushed the headlights button off before I started the car. I kept watch on him with every step he took.

I read about the intensity of love at first sight. When you see someone from across a space and every instinct connected you to them. I didn't doubt such a thing happened but never considered I'd be on the receiving end.

Suddenly, I experienced a deep sense of vulnerability. At the same time, a comforting warmth spread through me. I brought my other leg inside the car and shut the door. I needed the minute alone to try to gain perspective.

The worry of driving without a license no longer mattered. Let the consequences fall where they may. I'd drive anywhere as long as Beau was in the seat next to me.

So much for taking it slow.

The passenger door opened, and he took a seat, shutting him inside. My head swam with his scent, all guy mixed with a spicy, clean cologne. I held my tongue that wanted to confess how much I dug the way he smelled and started the engine, putting the gear shift in reverse. I needed to put distance between us and the party.

"Where do you live, and how familiar are you with the back roads?" I asked. "Can you get us there?"

"Probably," he said. "I've spent summers here for most of my life, but that isn't sayin' a whole lot."

In the silence, my body soaked up the rich tenor of his voice. Beau felt like home. A place I needed to be… Stop.

"This is my first time in Sea Springs," I said. "Joy has a GPS in the glove box if we need it."

Beau didn't reply as the car bounced down the trail, hitting each deep rut and oversized rock in the way. After we took the first of two turns that hid the field from the road, I flipped on the headlights. "The only rule given to us about the party was to turn the headlights off and not draw any unwanted attention. Think we accomplished it or will I have some angry cowboys after me?"

The trail came to an end, having me drive the last leg through a field. The night was much darker out here than I was used to. I couldn't see too far in front of me, requiring the lights to guide my way.

Beau gave a huff and reached for his seatbelt. "If you're really the son of the owner of Richmond Resorts, turning your headlights on is the least of your problems."

The reply held warmth and humor.

"I figured my problem might be more the plaid walking shorts I'm wearing in a sea of Wranglers and cowboy boots. I know it sounds crazy, but I do blend in well in many parts of the world." As I said the last few words, I turned to waggle my brows.

The stare we did so well held again. My glance shifted between him and the field as I navigated the car onto the frontage road. It sure appeared that he blushed. I'd never known anyone to be shy about anything.

"So you live around here now?" I asked.

"I guess so."

I waited but nothing more was said. He now stared out the passenger side window, seemingly ignoring me.

"What does I guess mean?" I finally asked.

It took a few seconds more before Beau answered. "I'm from Mobile, Alabama, but my mom's from here. My grandparents have a B I liked to talk and needed him to tell me everything. "Am I headed in the right direction?"

It took a second, but he finally let go of his direct stare outside the passenger window and looked around. "No, sorry. I live the other way. Do you know where Sea Springs Bed his body visibly relaxing. He dropped his arms from his chest. All good signs we'd turned the conversation around. "Yeah, that bike I was on that I wrecked in front of you."

"Oh no." Seriously on the no . I kept landing us in bad dialog after bad dialog. "Did it get messed up?"

"It's fine. I get roughed up more in a game," he said and turned toward me again. "But I did a badass somersault over the handlebars. The brushes stopped my fall. I nailed it. Makes me think I should have a career in stunt work." Beau was clearly making fun of himself, yet he said it with hints of pride. For me, if I had received a single scratch, I'd have to be checked out in the emergency room. "I also got a cell phone."

He reached into his back pocket and pulled out a new Nokia. "My dad always thought I was too young for a phone. Apparently, my mom doesn't. That's the cool thing about divorce, I guess."

"Well, happy birthday." It gave me a chance to look at him again, if only for a few seconds. I sensed we may have had a breakthrough and moved on from the awkwardness.

"Thanks. Take the next exit. There'll be all residential roads from here."

I did as instructed, feeling far better about the trip as I left the highway. The speed limit shifted to thirty miles an hour once we were back on the frontage road. Now all I had to do was find a way to keep Beau in the car for as long as I could.