I rolled my eyes as Sarah dragged me to the college beach party. “Rafe’s going to be here,” she said, grinning.

Instant groan. Rafe. Sarah’s older brother. The same guy who used to tease me relentlessly as a kid—pulling my hair, stealing my snacks, making me want to disappear behind her. Why was I even friends with his sister again?

But college…college changes people.

I stepped onto the sand, drink in hand, and froze. There he was, leaning against the shoreline, the sun hitting his shoulders just right. My jaw literally dropped. Rafe Cameron. Greek-god shoulders. Arms that looked like they could crush coconuts. And that smirk—oh, that same infuriating smirk—but now it was…hot. Really hot.

I whispered to myself, stunned, “When did he get hot?”

Sarah tugged me along, oblivious to my internal meltdown. “Come on, let’s grab a spot near the fire,” she laughed. But I couldn’t take my eyes off him. He caught me staring, that old cocky glint in his eye, and smirked like he knew exactly what I was thinking.

“Hey,” he said, walking over, sand crunching beneath his feet. “Long time no see.”

“Uh…yeah,” I said, trying to act normal while my brain screamed, This is the same kid who used to—ugh, never mind. Focus.

“You look…different,” he added, and my stomach did a full flip. Different? Oh, no. Not like this. Not him.

I tried to laugh it off, but it came out shaky. “College…changes people,” I muttered.

He leaned a little closer, the sun glinting off his hair. “Clearly.” His smirk widened. “You gonna stare all night, or are we actually talking?”

And just like that, my childhood memory of a total pain-in-the-ass Rafe Cameron collided with this new…dangerously hot version.

I glanced at Sarah, who was busy chatting with someone else, and muttered under my breath, How did I not notice this before?