Chapter 22

~OCTOBER~

A week passed in a rush until it was Friday again.

I was in class, minding my own business when Jackson took the seat in front of me, straddled it, and faced me.

“Miller,” he said in his deep voice.

I was a bit surprised he was talking to me.

He knew I was Graham’s girlfriend. Graham made sure to show it during lunch last week when he kept grabbing my hand, smiling down at me, and kissing my cheek and neck. Jackson asked what was going on and Graham confessed everything.

Melissa eyed me with betrayal, then scolded me for not telling her sooner. I told her I had asked Graham to go slow and didn’t think he’d aired our relationship so soon.

Despite everything, Jackson had never talked to me. He had joked with Graham and teased him constantly, but never had directed a word to me. Only this week, he nodded at me when I sat down next to Graham. That was the extent of our relationship.

I was even surprised he didn’t call me something else like he did last time we were on a group project.

“Hey, Jackson,” I said, glancing up at him.

“We are heading to the beach tomorrow,” he announced, and my brows rose. “Want to come?” he offered upon seeing my reaction.

“Huh…” I was taken aback, even though I shouldn’t have been.

Graham inviting me to every plan was one thing; Jackson asking me was another. It felt like he wanted to involve me in the group, which flattered me. For a moment there, I thought the popular crowd would never agree with my relationship with Graham.

Then, an idea came to mind.

“Who’s going?” I asked, moving closer to my seat to the edge.

“Everyone,” Jackson said with a shrug.

I nodded. Even though the thought of spending an afternoon with Christy sounded far from entertaining, being with Graham eclipsed anything bad in this world. “Okay,” I agreed. “Can Melissa come?” It was the least I could do after hiding my relationship with Graham from her.

“Yeah.” He stood from the chair to move to his seat in the back. “Tell St. Claire to come. He won’t accept the invitation unless you are there.”

“Okay. I’ll ask him.”

“Great.” He smiled down at me. Did he actually like me? “See ya tomorrow.”

“Okay. Bye.”

I was left stupefied. This was my longest conversation with Jackson ever, and it didn’t go as badly as I’d imagined.

My lips twitched.

***

Graham accepted the invitation to the beach and drove us there. He grabbed my hand the entire ride.

The windows were rolled down to let the air and salt in. Soothing music played as we got closer to our destination. When we arrived, there were three other cars parked. It was early, meaning not many people were out yet.

“The guys are already here,” Graham announced as he unpacked our things from the back: beer and towels. He juggled all in one hand so he could take my other hand. I tried not to melt at the action, his desire to always touch me however he could. We walked hand in hand to the beach.

People were gathered in a circle with music playing loudly. Girls were on the towels in their bikinis, taking the sun. The guys were joking in the back, beers in hand.

“Girlie!” Melissa waved her hand from her spot on the sand.

I smiled when I spotted her. She was wearing a skimpy swimsuit, hoping to catch Oliver’s attention for sure. She was excited when I’d invited her, forgiving my lack of trust.

She rose from her spot next to Christy. Christy glared at my interlocked hands with Graham but ignored me.

Melissa walked to us and hugged me. “I hope you are taking good care of my best friend, Graham,” she joked.

Graham smiled and snaked an arm around my waist to pull me against his chest. “Absolutely.” He dropped a kiss on the top of my head.

Melissa winked at me. An excited grin curled on her face, far from subtle. At least, I was grateful she was on my side instead of Christy’s.

Graham moved toward the guys to drop the beers. Melissa crossed her arms over her chest, jutting out her breasts. “~I don’t like him~, my ass,” she muttered, watching Oliver greet my boyfriend. She continued to point it out, partially offended by not being informed before everyone else. However, her tone was more teasing than last time.

I curled my lips into a sheepish smile. “I swear, it came out of nowhere.”

Which was the truth. I had never thought of being interested in Graham St. Claire in a million years. I had eyes only for Jacob—but then things changed.

“You have to tell me the details,” Melissa said.

“Uh…” I hesitated because I didn’t know where to start. Should I tell her we kind of hooked up at the beginning of the school term?

“Sure,” I said, weakly.

Melissa looped our arms and we marched toward her spot on the sand. “I was a bit worried about Christy,” she mumbled. “I’m surprised she hasn’t done anything mean. Not that I would allow it, of course.”

I smiled, placated. I had doubted Melissa for a while there, but it was nice hearing her assurance, though something about her statement bothered me. Christy was sneaky. I wouldn’t put it past Christy to do something later. I didn’t trust her at all. It was clear from her glare that she wasn’t happy.

“Come and sunbathe with us. You need to work on that tanning for the cold months.”

I nodded, removing my clothes. I sensed eyes on me so when I turned around, I noticed Graham watching me with hungry eyes and barely paying any attention to the guys next to him. His stare trailed up as I removed more clothes and revealed more skin. My entire body heated up. I felt a throbbing low in my pelvis.

Feeling a bit emboldened by his reaction, I grabbed the tanning spray and walked to Graham.

“Mind putting some on my back?” I asked him innocently, turning around to give him my back.

Graham smirked and grabbed the bottle without a question. He spread the lotion across my shoulders, massaging me. Meanwhile, he leaned forward and whispered in my ear. “I like this confident Hazel.”

I fought back the smile, holding my hair up as he massaged me. It took an effort not to moan. His giant paws kneaded my muscles and brushed my body. They moved lower and lower each time. Graham made sure to apply it on my sides, touching the side of my boobs and lingering there. And when he reached my ass, he groped it, then pinched it.

“Want me to put lotion on the front too?” He’s smirking flirtingly too.

“It won’t be necessary.” I smiled back. “Thanks, Graham.”

I pecked his cheek quickly and jogged back to my towel, feeling his intense glare the entire time. I applied lotion to my front and accepted the offer of a beer from Melissa.

I started drinking, basking under the last few rays of the sun and the sound of the sea.

Melissa and I talked during our tanning session, stopping only when we had to flip to the other side. As the temperature rose, I got drowsy, wanting to sleep for a while.

I didn’t realize I’d dozed off until someone’s fingers ran up and down my spine.

“Let’s go into the water, baby.”

I groaned, wanting to sleep a bit more, however, Graham had other plans and gripped my waist and legs and hitched me up, throwing me over his shoulder. He carried me all the way to the water.

“Graham!” The movement startled me. “Wait!”

“Nah-ah, baby,” he protested. “You’ve been talking to Melissa all day and neglecting me. When it was ~you~ who invited ~me~. It’s my time now.”

I only managed to open my mouth when he grabbed my ass and launched us into the water. It was colder than expected. I squealed as the cool temperature wrapped my body.

Hands grabbed me under the water, tugging me down to a strong body. Once I reached the surface again, I splashed Graham.

He chuckled, tugging me to him. I wrapped my legs around him as he put his hands on my ass unnecessarily. I didn’t need the support, but he couldn’t keep his hands to himself.

“You seem to be having a good time,” he grinned. And he was right—I was having a good time, spending it with Melissa. We didn’t hang out as much these days, and I loved catching up with her.

“I’ve been sleeping, mostly,” I said.

“Tired?”

“Whose fault is that?” I narrowed my eyes at him. He’d been calling me every single night, making me talk until I didn’t know what I was saying. I had woken up mortified more times than I could count the next day. I couldn’t remember any embarrassing details, though Graham assured me I was a sweet sleeper who mumbled nonsense and breathed hard.

But didn’t snore yet.

~Annoying guy.~

“You should let me go to your place and sleep in your bed. Problem solved,” he joked. “I wouldn’t need to talk to you. Holding you would be enough.”

I bit my lip. The idea of sleeping wrapped in Graham’s gigantic body sounded heavenly. Really heavenly.

But my parents…

“That’s not happening, mister.” I shook my head, fighting back a chuckle.

“Then stay at my place,” he said, sounding more serious.

“What would I say to my parents? ‘Hey, Mom and Dad. I’m going to a sleepover at Graham’s place, but nothing is going to happen because he’s just a friend, remember?’” I asked rhetorically. “Of course not.”

“Boyfriend. You said you’d set your mom straight,” he sounded a little bit annoyed. “Also, if they aren’t against it, there’s nothing to lose.”

I frowned at him. “Of course they would be against it.”

“Have you asked them before?”

Like it was that simple. “No.”

Jacob was a complete gentleman who wouldn’t let me out of my house past curfew. And my parents knew he wanted to be a minister and intended on waiting until marriage.

Graham was a different story. Far too different. He liked to play with limits. And I believed my parents sensed the difference between them.

“Whose parents ~would~ be okay with it?”

Graham shrugged. “My father wouldn’t mind me going to your place, staying at your place, or you staying in my bed.”

He squeezed my ass and I writhed. The muscles in my thighs clenched.

“It’s not happening, Graham,” I managed to say.

“Tell me next time they are not at your place. I’ll be more than glad to hang out there. We can Netflix and Chill again. I know I’m looking forward to it.” His eyes darkened and his voice turned hoarse. The hairs on the back of my neck rose. My eyes lingered on his mouth.

“You really like the cheap dates?” I joked, though my body was feeling too hot.

“I really like spending time with you,” he confessed sincerely. “You can invite me to watch you study if you want. It would be fucking awesome.”

I chuckled, shaking my head. I couldn’t imagine such a scene. I would be too distracted by Graham and his bulging arms.

“Hell, even watching you read that World War II book sounds interesting,” he commented.

“I’m sure you’d like that. All the blood.”

He chuckled and my heart accelerated.

He kissed me. His tongue slipped into my mouth. He grabbed my head and tilted it to deepen the kiss even more. My nipples puckered against his chest.

My head had just started to get foggy when the guys hollered from the beach.

“Get a room, St. Claire,” Jackson shouted.

I put a hand on Graham’s chest, pushing him away, but he didn’t stop until a few seconds later, savoring my mouth.

He craned his neck and shouted back, “Fuck you, Jackson.”

Jackson smiled and shook his head.

Turning to me, Graham muttered while our noses brushed, “Maybe we should get one.”

I blushed despite the cold water. “Perhaps.”

Graham’s eyes glinted at the invitation, but he didn’t say anything. He dropped his mouth to kiss me again.

I melted gladly.