I stepped out of the car and gazed across the beautiful Pacific Ocean, deeply inhaling the fresh, salt air, then turned to smile into the eyes of my best friend, Rafael.

His blue eyes danced with the beauty of the water spreading below us and he laughed like a child at his first glimpse of the beach. "Like it, Rafe?" "Love it." He answered, a soft note of reverence in his voice. Ever since Rafael was a kid, he'd always had an obsession with the ocean.

The last trip we'd taken before his parents' divorce had been to Sanibel Island. We were seven at the time and I smiled at the recollection of the both of us running down the beach, chasing the sand pipers and gulls.

He filled his tiny pockets with wet, sandy shells and fell asleep the first night with a conch shell in his arms and sand dollars under his pillow. At graduation, we promised each other that this year, after our first year of college, we'd road trip it out to Cali. And so, here we were.

"Let's go down to the water." We shucked off our shirts and shoes and complained all the way down the broken rock path until we had our toes in the soft sand and the surf rushing over our ankles. Soft feet and all, we chased each other until he shoved me into the water and the lifeguard blew his whistle, angrily waving his fluorescent orange flag in our direction.

With a sheepish grin on his face, Rafael fished me out of the water and we tramped over to the tiny lifeguard hut, arms around each other as we laughed happily. "What the hell is wrong with you people?" Rafael and I looked at each other with silly grins on our faces, then turned back to him. "Nothing.

What's wrong with you?" "Rafe ... " I loved my friend dearly but he had always had a mercurial streak and it was showing now. The guard leaped over the guardrail, whipping off his sunglasses in anger, stopping in his tracks when he got closer to us. It was lust at first sight and I sighed in recognition. Rafael was the most handsome young man I'd ever seen in my life and his half-Catalan, half-Sicilian looks had always gotten him noticed.

The fact that he was gay didn't make matters any different; he never lacked for suitors which was probably why he never looked at me. The bronze-bodied lifeguard stuck out his hand with a huge smile, crinkling the zinc oxide on his broad nose. "I'm Kent. New in town?" "Just visiting." I supplied, hoping to break the spell but Rafael and Kent's hands remained locked. "I'm Chad and this is my friend, Rafael."

"Rafe." Rafael corrected me and I stood, stupefied at the change of events. We'd only been in town for twenty minutes and Rafael had already hooked up. This promised to be the most miserable summer of my life. Rafael and Kent began a mutual admiration society and I headed back down to the water, tracing designs in the packed sand and forcing my tears back. It was hopeless.

I knew that now. The work I'd put into planning a perfect summer for us was for naught. "Hey, why'd you leave?" I hastily wiped my tearing eyes and tried to gather myself as I bent to pick up a shell. "Conversation was boring." Rafael put his arm around my shoulders and smiled. "He's a hunk, isn't he?" "If you say so."

Rafael stared at me for a moment, then poked me in merriment. "We've been invited to a party tonight." "We?" "Yes, fool. Kent's roommate is having a party and he invited us." "Us?" "Chad, what's wrong with you? Do you think I'd go without you?" I shrugged. "You know what they say. Two's company ... " "Yeah, and three's a threesome." I laughed at that and he gave me a hug.

"Now, come on, let's get to the bungalow so we can pretty ourselves up."

* * * * *

The rest of the summer went pretty much like that. Rafael got a job at a local pizza joint near the beach where he could see Kent every day, much to my dismay. I concentrated on the summer marine biology course that I'd pre-arranged to attend and was happy to get straight As. We'd usually meet up at the Scalawag, a local watering hole near the house and drink ourselves silly. Of course, we'd never be alone.

Kent and/or some of his other playmates would join us and Rafael would hold court. Our last night in town, after too many bellinis and no attention, I decided to return to the house to spend the remaining time, sulking over Rafael. When I got there, the sight of our dark house was so disheartening that I collapsed in a sobbing heap on the front steps. Little did I know, Rafael had followed me home.

"Chad? Chad, what's wrong?" "Nothing." I wiped my eyes and sniffled, trying to stand and get away. I didn't want him to see me like this. "I'm fine." "No, you're not. Let me help you." "You've helped me enough!" I screamed and he just stared at me, clearly baffled. "All summer long, you've helped me remember how ordinary I was, how out of your league I was and how I had a snowball's chance in hell of ever having you!" "Chad ... " "No, just leave me alone, Rafe. Go join Chad.

I'm sure he's just waiting to drop and spread for you." "But I don't want Chad." He rubbed the tip of his finger across my trembling bottom lip. "I've tried everything possible to make you want me. I thought that if I made you jealous, you'd finally see that I loved you." His admission and the alcohol running through my veins opened the flood gates and I started sobbing again, this time, wrapped in his arms.

"Why didn't you just tell me?" "Right. How do I tell the captain of the lacrosse team that his best friend is in love with him?" Then he kissed me. I swallowed sobs and kissed him back for all I was worth, hoping that he could read the deepest feelings in my heart in the way my tongue caressed the inside of his mouth. He trembled this time, his soft hands cupping my face, gentling me like a wild animal and I calmed myself, mentally dismissing my desperation and frustration.

With that release came a flood of confidence and I broke the kiss, nuzzling his cheek. "Let's take this inside, Chad." Rafael's hot breath fanned my flames with his whisper. "I don't want to share this with anyone." My heart swelled in my chest and I followed him inside the house, letting him lead me into his bedroom. We kicked off our shoes and laid down on the bed, gazing at each other.

I knew what I was seeing but I wondered what he saw. Did he see a 6' 1" guy with unruly curls, a pug nose and silvery burned skin that stretched from my neck to my pubes? I knew the answer when he unbuttoned my shirt and kissed the exposed flesh.

I fought the urge to cry, instead focusing on the throb in my pants and the exquisitely soft feel of his lips on my skin. I pulled up onto our knees and let my hands roam then, trying not to think about the others who had sampled this pleasure before me and pulled his shirt off, targeting the two flat coffee-colored disks. Rafael arched in my hands and I took the opportunity to rub every inch of his beautiful torso. I pulled him to me and licked one of his nipples, making him cry out in my arms.

"Fuck, that feels good." He groaned as I licked again, sucking on the tiny bead and driving him crazy with lust. I stripped off my shirt and rubbed my chest against his, not realizing that the rough texture of my burned skin would bring pleasure to him. He moved back and forth, from side to side with a look of absolute bliss on his face, rubbing against me.

Our mouths locked again and I grabbed his head, thrusting my tongue into his mouth. "Please," He moaned. "Please fuck me." I pushed him back and pulled his shorts down, quickly following with mine. Our bodies against each other were almost too much and I had to think about something else to keep from cumming.

Dump trucks, light bulbs, singing birds ... he pulled my mouth back down to his and we were back in business. While I'd been thinking my way out of an orgasm, he'd lubed himself up and was now ready for me. I pushed into him, rejoicing as I felt his sphincter give way and he grimaced, his body tightening.

We moved together, slowly at first, then with more intensity, our mouths locked together. He sucked on my tongue, making tingles skip up and down my spine and my cock flexed in his hole, making his jump against our bellies. I couldn't hold it. I knew it was going to be short but I hadn't imagined this short.

With a deep grunt, I exploded inside him, calling his name and painting his anal cavity with my cum. He yelped and I felt his warm juice spurting between us, coating our stomachs. I held him against me, cuddling his smaller body to mine and sighing in delight. I fell asleep with his whispered words echoing in my ears, "Don't make me wait all summer to cum again."