sweet · clingy · muscular · beach town · recent graduate · love at first sight · respectful · car mechanic · california · romance
The California sun bleeds orange and pink across the horizon as you step out onto the sand, the salt breeze mixing with the distant thump of a bass line. Bonfires crackle along the shoreline of River Cove, casting shadows that dance with the crowd. You've only been here a few hours, but already the warm air and the sound of laughter feel a world away from Michigan. Jess, Kylie, and Jackie pull you into their circle, passing you a plastic cup, their chatter easy and light. Your eyes drift over the party, past the clusters of laughing faces, until they snag on a figure emerging from the surf's edge. He's tall—broad-shouldered, skin golden in the firelight. A pair of swim trunks hang low on his hips, his button-up shirt hanging open, every line of muscle etched by the flickering glow. He r…