Kisses and Other Necessities

《 kisses and flowers 》

Flora watched the navy polo shirt ride up Sean's torso. At first there was only a thin strip of tanned skin, but gradually the tan took over the navy as he pulled it off. It was only a few seconds, but she granted him the slow motion moment he deserved and played the whole thing in her mind oh-so-slowly.

Thank God for the beach. Thank God for summer. It was so good to be alive.

The four of them had relocated back to the beach where a tanning session was just starting. The ever-so-lovely J and J sat a few feet away, while Sean had taken the space beside her without hesitation. He sank down on the sand gracefully, setting his belongings right next to hers as if they were on a date.

Flora was almost hyperventilating. Luckily, years of strict dating training was embedded in her brain, and in a crisis like this her professional side took over. No need to freak out over a little bit of exposed college boy skin. She quickly checked that her legs were properly shaved.

They were. Her toenails were also nicely clipped. She wished she had put on her shimmer body balm, though. It gave her that I-just-came-back-from-the-Hamptons glow.

Sean tilted his face back, like he was enjoying the sun on his face. He closed his eyes for a brief moment. That relaxed, contented look was strangely endearing.

Flora slipped on her sunglasses. It made gawking easier.

She had always appreciated how he looked underneath his clothes, but he was on an entirely different level now. This buffer, broader, bronzed college version of him was ready for a Men's Health photo shoot. There were too many attractions she almost didn't know where her gaze should travel to first.

Hiding behind her shades, she allowed her eyes to run down the contours of his muscles, hungrily scanning him and recording the data, like going through her groceries with a handheld scanner.

Firm pecs, got it (these looked stone hard). Round biceps, yup. Sculpted shoulders, V-line abs, slim waist—check, check, and check. His flat stomach was accentuated by a dusting of fine hair, which ran from his navel until it sensually disappeared beneath the waistband of his shorts.

Flora was already very much into him with all of his clothing intact, but she wasn't going to deny this upgraded layout. She liked how he looked. Very much.

She ordered herself to come up with something witty, impressive, or at least cute to say, but after a few swallows, all her stupid mouth could blurt out was,

"Have you been working out much?"

What? She sounded like the cougar in one of the bad dramas she watched, who was always hitting on the young pool guy hired for the summer. Next she'd be offering him lemonade and inviting him to come inside, pun intended.

Sean opened his long-lashed eyes. "Yeah, I still go to the gym. I play basketball sometimes, too, but I'm not on the varsity team anymore." His tone was innocent, as if he didn't get what she was implying—you're freaking sexy—and they were only discussing their exercise routines. He smiled at her, a little playfully, and said, "Intramural basketball doesn't sound hot, does it?"

It does when it comes from your mouth.

He mentioned that he didn't have too much time for sports anymore and his main focus was on academics. Following the direction of this topic, she asked him what classes he was taking.

Dear God. Now she sounded like his mom. Next she should ask him if he drank enough water and ate his vegetables like a good boy.

As Sean started to count off the subjects, Microstructural Evolution in Materials and Mathematical Methods, for starters, Jake interrupted with a sigh.