Chapter 18
I’ve been roped into a beach cleanup, one of the worst places on Earth—with all the sand and the wind and the people.
But I said yes to attending because Everly looked so damn cute when he asked me, peering down at me as his cock softened inside of my ass. I was basically coerced into saying yes to this. I would have probably died if I said no.
“Come on, look alive,” Everly says, nudging me softly.
I really need to not reach out and hold his hand. Students are here and so is the department chair. I need to behave and keep my hands to myself.
It’s hard though when your boyfriend looks delicious.
And so does his ass. I kind of want to eat it behind that big beach umbrella over there. Not that I would. This is not a picnic. We’re here to work.
As someone gives instructions, I fold my arms across my chest, trying to look less like a scowling mongrel and more like a happy professor who loves his job.
Fact. I do love my job.
I do not love this.
I stare down the long shoreline and see a bit of driftwood perched in the sand, a woman’s gardening hat sitting on top. Hm, why’s the wood wearing a hat? What does it mean? Is this symbolic?
I don’t know. I don’t know if I want to know.
“The seagulls are going to poop on me,” I grumble, and Everly turns to look at me.
“Aw, I bet they won’t. I come to the beach a lot and have never been pooped on.”
He spoke too soon though because a moment later, a bird lands a fat one right on his shirt. He opens his mouth in shock and then laughs.
“Well, fuck.”
“Yes, they’re angry air missiles, shitting and stealing food. Combine that with the sand and the wind, this is basically hell.”
“You’re a biology professor. You’re supposed to love the beach and all creatures.”
“I’m not a marine biologist. I just like the way organisms work. Behind a microscope. This is not my jam. There’s a reason I quit being the biology club advisor.”
I use my tongs to pick up a used condom and frown. “And neither is this. Have you gotten your recent Hep B vaccine? I really need you to reassure me right now.”
Just as Everly opens his mouth to respond, I feel something wet land on my arm. I stare down at the white poop saturating my skin and nearly peel it off to escape this.
“There is bird shit on my arm, Everly.”
He’s grinning, a snort escaping his parted lips.
“Oh my god.”
“They’re out to get me. Things with wings should not exist.”
Everly’s eyes are watering and he’s trying like hell not to start rolling around on the ground. If he touches the sand and it gets in his hair, he’s sleeping on the balcony. I refuse to have miniscule dead fossils in my bed.
Refuse.
I’m not a caveman.
“Seems they like us. Maybe they’re marking us in some way.”
“No, they hate that we’re here,” I say and then blow a raspberry at them. They squawk in response, and I threaten them with a discarded plastic cup.
“I’ll leave this for you to choke on, you fucks!” I hiss and then take a deep breath, not wanting anyone to think I’m serious. As much as I hate these winged devils, I don’t really want them to consume plastic. It is very sad what’s happened to the beach, and I am impressed that Everly spends his free time out here picking up trash.
But I honestly would rather be buried deep in his ass or kissing him than standing out here, getting pooped on.
This is not sexy at all.
“Let me get you something to wipe that off with,” Everly says and as he strides off, I can’t help but gaze at his ass. It’s hard not to. It’s basically a national treasure at this point. They should display it in the Louvre.
I’d sure as hell pay to stare at it.
I hear snickers and turn to look at some students who’ve been watching me. My eyebrows lower, and I glower at them.
“Do you need something?” I ask, and they quickly glance away, whispering to themselves.
I really need to keep my eyes to myself.
Just as I think that, Everly appears with a wipe and helps me mop the shit up. When he finishes, Dr. Brown makes an appearance, clapping me on the shoulder.
“Nice of you to show up, Dr. Sinclair.”
I wince and nod. “Anything for the environment. I love the beach.”
Dr. Brown grins at me, and I know he knows I’m lying. It’s no secret that I don’t like sand or waves or the gulls.
“Seems so,” Dr. Brown says and then eyes Everly. “And you even brought your TA?”
His eyes swivel across Everly, taking him in, and I nod. “Yes. He’s been very helpful this year.”
Very helpful in finding my prostate and making me cum hands-free.
And also being sweet and buying me flowers and holding me while I fall asleep.
“Yes, well he is a bright and shining star.”
That he is, especially when he’s moaning my name, but I choke that thought down. I do not need to accidentally let that slip from my lips. No siree.
“Alright, well, I’ll let you get back to collecting trash, and I’ll see you after.”
“Can’t wait,” I mumble and then turn back to the task at hand.
And I really do focus, for a long while. I fill up an entire trash bag, all while getting sand in my shoes. The entire time, I don’t look at Everly, but then I make the mistake of doing it and regret it. Because now I want to kiss him. I want to lick his face and then his ass.
I want to do all the things to him.
But of course I can’t do that. Dr. Brown is here and a whole bunch of students. I absolutely cannot.
Even if he is my boyfriend.
And even if I really, really want to.
“Mr. Winslow,” I say lowly, trying to play it cool. It’s hard to do when I’m overheating though, and my dick is poking into the plastic bag I’m holding in front of me.
“Yes, Dr. Sinclair?” Everly replies.
“I think there is a large mountain of trash behind that umbrella over there.”
“Yeah?” he asks, craning his neck to the right.
“It’s quite large. I saw a sea turtle meander over to it. Had a straw up its nose.”
“Oh shit,” he says and sets everything down and strides purposefully toward that umbrella that’s sticking out at an angle from the sand.
I’m going to hell. Sorry turtles and straw lovers everywhere. But really, can you blame me? I just need a taste. Just a little taste to get me through this hell.
“I don’t see a turtle, Silas,” Everly says, his eyes wide as his head swivels side to side.
“There’s no turtle. Unless you count the one in my pants.”
Everly’s lips twitch up. “Why, Dr. Sinclair, is there a turtle in your pants?”
“You’ll have to find out,” I say lowly and then take a step toward him. No one can see us behind here. This umbrella is as big as the state of Maine. I have approximately one minute to get what I need.
I pull Everly into me and kiss him roughly, my tongue sneaking into his mouth.
He groans as I grind my hips up against him, feeling his cock lengthen down his thigh as I do so.
“I can’t wait to get off this godforsaken beach and fuck you,” I whisper, and Everly groans into my mouth once more.
“Why are you so hot, so irresistible?”
“God made me this way, just so I could tempt you.”
I groan because he’s right. If there is a god, he made Everly just for me.
As my tongue slips into his mouth once more, I hear a gasp and then a sigh. I quickly pull away from Everly, my entire body heating.
Oh my god.
Someone saw us.
I peel my eyelids open and crane my neck to the side.
“Dr. Sinclair, Everly,” Dr. Brown says, and I feel my stomach drop to my feet.
Oh hell. My department chair just saw me kissing and grinding up against my TA. I’m done for. I may as well walk right into the sea at this point. It’s over.
“Excuse me. There was something on his tongue,” I lie.
Yes, my tongue was on his. Nothing more, nothing less.
Dr. Brown arches an eyebrow at me, and I glance away.
“It was very dire indeed. A biological emergency.”
Dr. Brown’s other eyebrow rises. At this point, he’s going to levitate off the ground if I keep lying to him.
“Seems like quite the hazard. Are you alright, Everly?” Dr. Brown asks, probably wondering if I was sexually harassing him. Of course it looks like I was. He’s a student, my TA. I should be ashamed of myself.
I’m three percent ashamed of myself. For getting caught.
“I’m fine. Great even. Dr. Sinclair was super helpful.”
Dr. Brown does not seem appeased, and fuck, I need to leave before I end up in the sand hyperventilating. I may end up inhaling those itty bitty little bits of fossils and garnering a new, unheard of disease. I may have my eyeballs plucked out by the seagulls.
I can’t stay here.
“Well then. Excuse me,” I say and then push past Dr. Brown and the crowd of students, who are gathering to see what all the commotion is. I walk without looking back until I reach my car.
With fumbling fingers, I manage to unlock the damnable thing and slip inside, breathing deeply through my nose.
I will not panic.
I will not.
There are worse things that could happen. Much worse.
Like my dick could fall off. Or Everly could die.
Yes, far worse than losing my job.
Oh fuck, I’m going to lose my job.
A knock on the window has me glancing up, and I see Everly standing there, his gaze drawn, his lips turned down in a worried frown.
“Open up,” he says, his voice muffled behind the glass.
Reluctantly, I unlock the door and let him slide into the passenger side.
He closes the door and we sit in silence, nothing but the sound of my panicked breathing hitting my eardrums.
“I’m sorry about that,” he finally says, and I shake my head, swallowing roughly.
“It’s my fault. I should have known better than to do that at the beach.”
“No, it’s mine. I shouldn’t have believed you about the turtle.”
It’s so fucking ridiculous that I can’t help but snort a laugh.
“Not my finest excuse.”
“Yeah. Fucking fuck. If I had known what a liar you were, then I wouldn’t have let you kiss me like that.”
I sigh and rub at my eyes.
“God, Everly. I don’t know what to do.”
Everly shifts in his seat, and I can feel his eyes on me. “Are we gonna break up?”
I whip my head toward him, my chest constricting. “What?”
“I mean, are you going to break up with me now?”
I wheeze slightly. No way in hell do I want to do that. “Do you think we should?”
He shrugs, biting his lip and turning away slightly. “I mean, I’d get it if you wanted to. I don’t want you to lose your job for me.”
Doesn’t he know? Doesn’t he know he’s worth more than that?
“No.”
He’s silent, his breath sucked in, holding it, waiting.
“No. I won’t lose you too.”
“You sure?” he whispers, and I nod.
“I’ve never been more sure of anything in my entire life.”
I’m nervous, a jittery anxious thing when I make my way onto campus on Monday. I spent the weekend in Everly’s arms, fucking him, holding him, letting him console me. We talked through all the possibilities of what may happen and what we’d do if it came down to the worst possible thing.
He held on to me for dear life the entire time, almost as if what happens on Monday could ruin things for us.
But I won’t let it.
I fucking won’t.
Everly is the best thing to ever happen to me. We can make this work, whatever happens.
I straighten my tie as I make my way to Dr. Brown’s office for a meeting to discuss what he saw this weekend. His e-mail sent that evening was curt and short, and I honestly have no idea what to expect.
I was caught with a student, my TA. This won’t end well.
My shaking fist raps against the door, and I wait.
Everything is sweating—my pits, my nose, my knees.
“Come in,” Dr. Brown says, and I do, stepping into his office and shutting the door behind me.
Dr. Brown looks serious and regal behind his desk, his hands folded tightly as I lower myself into a leather chair.
“Dr. Sinclair,” he says with a nod of his head. He’s lost all respect for me. I can see it in his eyes, in the way he won’t meet my gaze. He doesn’t even smile.
“Good morning,” I reply and feel my sweaty palms slide against each other as I try to maintain my composure.
“Seems we have something to discuss, as per my email.”
I nod and swallow, my throat clicking loudly in the silent room.
“I’m sorry,” I croak. “I didn’t mean for it to happen.”
Dr. Brown leans back in his chair, it creaks under his weight. “I’d assumed as much. You’ve been nothing but professional the entire time we’ve worked together. Almost too much.”
“I’ve always tried to be.”
“But you slipped up.”
I sigh and run a hand down my face. “He’s irresistible. I blame him entirely.”
Dr. Brown chuckles, and I peer up at him, watching as he smiles.
“I could see that at the beach. The way he looked at you as well. I spoke to him, you know, just to make sure it was consensual. He said it was. Took the blame entirely.”
“Yes, well…” I don’t know what to say, so I just let my words trail off into nothing. It was his fault entirely. Him and that delicious ass.
“You’re probably wondering what we need to do about this.”
“Yes. I’m assuming I’m going to be let go.”
Dr. Brown is silent for a moment, his mouth slightly parted. “No, Dr. Sinclair. No need for that.”
My world stutters and pauses. “What?”
“No need for that. You’re not fired. Absolutely not. You’re a tenured professor and a damn fine one too. No, we won’t say anything about this. Everly is almost graduated. He has a month left. You two will just keep whatever it is between you two and will save any public displays of affection for home.”
I shift in my seat anxiously, almost unsure if I’m hearing things correctly.
“What?”
“Do I need to repeat it?”
I shake my head. “No. No. I heard you. I can absolutely do that. We can do that. No problem.”
“Please do. I don’t want this coming back to bite me in the ass.”
I shake my head so hard, my brain rattles in my skull. “It won’t. I promise.”
Dr. Brown meets my gaze finally, and I see his eyes soften. “Can I be honest with you? I haven’t seen you this happy in years.”
I feel my eyes sting and grow wet. “I haven’t been.”
“Then I’m glad we’ve decided on this. Life is short, Silas. You have to make the best of it.”
I nod, my throat clicking.
“I do. And I will. I promise that what happened at the beach won’t happen again.”
“Be sure of it,” he says with a nod.
He reaches across his desk, and I shake his hand.
“You deserve to be happy. Enjoy it.”
When I leave his office, I feel my steps grow lighter, almost buoyant. And by the time I arrive home, I’m floating on clouds of air.
“You didn’t message me!” Everly nearly shouts when I make my way into our house.
Yes, ours. It’s his and mine now.
Everything about this is ours.
I’ve decided this and refuse to change my mind.
“What happened?” he asks, almost running into me as he grabs on to my arms and shakes me slightly. “It’s bad, isn’t it? It’s bad. I took the blame. I told Dr. Brown everything. It was my fault. All of it.”
I stare into his eyes, and my lips crack open in a wide smile.
“Oh god, you’ve lost it. Why are you smiling?” Everly nearly cries. He looks distraught. “Fine. You know what? I’ll go down to Dr. Brown and tell him we’ve broken up. It’s fine. We can just break up for a month and then we can get back together. You are not losing your job for me. It’s decided.”
“Everly,” I begin, but he’s pacing now, looking almost frantic. His hands are in his hair, tugging it, making it stick up in all directions.
“I mean, I might die because I won’t survive not fucking you, or talking to you, or seeing you every day, but maybe we could just say we’re broken up and keep spending the night together.”
“Everly!” I nearly shout, and he stops moving.
“What?”
“It’s fine. Dr. Brown said it’s fine. We just need to keep it here and private. All PDA needs to stop until you graduate.”
He lets out a long breath and nods. “Oh. Oh, okay. I can so do that. I can.”
I let out a relieved laugh and then rub my hand across my mouth. “Yeah. It’s going to be fine.”
Everly nods, letting out a long breath. “Fine. It’s going to be fine.”
He blinks and then grins and rushes toward me, picking me up and carrying me to the bedroom. “Fuck yes. Let’s celebrate.”