June 20, 2021, marks the first day of summer, but don’t tell that to Ariel Winter. From the way the 23-year-old actress looked on Friday (Feb. 26), she had already skipped Spring and was in full-on beach mode. Ariel, in a sharp blue-and-white tie-dye bikini, took in some sun and sand while walking the shoreline in Santa Barbara. In the photos – which you can see here – Ariel is enjoying her best life, and she has her best man, boyfriend Luke Benward, by her side.
Ariel kept on a loose floral kimono to ward off the late-February chill (though temperatures are in the high 60’s F, it’s still winter after all.) She also got a bit ‘cheeky’ while skipping stones in the waves, her bikini riding high to show off her backside. During the fun trip, Ariel wrapped her arms around Luke in a sweet moment of PDA. Later, she was seen reading a copy of Abigail Dean’s bestseller, Girl A, while lounging on a beach chair.
Ariel and Luke’s beach trip comes nearly a month after he took her on a romantic picnic in honor of her 23 rd birthday. “A birthday picnic for my bunny:))))),” Luke captioned an Instagram photo of him planting a kiss on Ariel’s lips, their picnic spread out underneath an overcast sky. “I love you so much. You are so life giving and such a beautiful soul. The world needs what you have to offer, and so do I [heart emoji] another year around the sun with you, and it feels so good :) happy birthday, buns. I love you.” He also shared a picture of him goofing off in front of the camera.
Luke and Ariel have been a couple since December 2019. The two have endured the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020 together. They were “going strong, and they’ve definitely discussed their future together,” a source shared with HollywoodLife EXCLUSIVELY in July. Ariel “sees long-term potential” with Luke, which means spending the rest of her life with him. Marriage, according to the insider, “been a topic of discussion.” At the time, Luke’s youngest sister, Gracie, had just gotten engaged, and Luke – like any good big brother – didn’t want to steal her thunder by proposing. “So, [there are] doubts Luke would be popping the question anytime soon,” shared the insider, but judging by this beach trip, Ariel is having the time of her life without a ring.
