“Since I turned eighteen. Richard and I agreed we both could use some privacy. Lucky for me, he had a guest house fully furnished.”
“What, to bring girls home?”
“Hey, he’s single, too. It just worked out better for us both to have some space.” He stops abruptly. “Do you want to go in?”
I glance over at the small cottage. It’s bigger than my camper, which adds allure since I’ve been confined to such small quarters for a couple of weeks. Again, the mood between us changes, no longer awkward but a different type of tension. Tense with a heavy coil of energy linking between us. I can still feel Pete’s lips on mine and I push past the lump in my throat to confess, “I kissed Pete on the sandbar.”
His expression doesn’t change but he says, “Okay.”
“I know about your pact—the no girlfriend pack.”
He watches me closely. “You’ve done your homework.”
“And I just…Anita thinks I need a summer of fun—to get past some drama I left back home.”
“Summer’s summer of fun,” he mumbles, but he’s not mad. He’s still with me, hanging on every word.
“I know things were going good between us and I didn’t want it to get awkward. Or to hide anything…”
“It’s okay, Summer. Pete’s my best friend. And you’re an incredibly sexy girl. I can’t blame him for making the first move.”
My stomach churns from his words.
“I uh…I really should get back.”
He doesn’t fight me and we walk back to the driveway. His hand never leaves mine, and when we reach the car he positions his body so his back is flat against the door, blocking me from leaving. “Thanks for the ride home,” he says. There’s a growing intensity in his eyes.
“You really don’t care that I kissed Pete?”
“Nope.”
“Is he going to care if I kiss you?”
He thinks for a moment and pulls out his phone. I watch, confused as he types out a message. After a quick second it vibrates and the exchange goes back and forth. When he finished he holds it up for me to see.
I hear you kissed Summer?
I did.
Mind if I give her a shot too?
That’s her choice not mine…
“So, Summer, seems like that kiss is up to you?” His lips twist into a smile. “But for the record, I’m all in.”
His hands reach for my hips but he’s taking too long, so I grab his shirt and move closer. The instant I do a slow, wide smile briefly appears before his expression turns serious and he kisses me.
My hands fly to the back of his head and tug him toward me, and I lift on my toes to reach him better. If my first kiss of the day was slow and sweet, this is the opposite, beyond what I’d hoped it would be. The feeling of his lips, his tongue, and his body against mine lights a fire and it spreads to the pit of my stomach down to the tips of my fingers. My encouragement makes him greedy and I feel his hips push back into mine and his day’s growth of stubble rubs against my chin. I don’t care. When we part, we’re both breathing a lot heavier than before.
“That was,” he starts, but I kiss him again, because I like kissing and well, I like him.
This leads to another round of his lips on mine, then he focuses on the sensitive skin behind my ear until his teeth scrape down my throat to my collarbone and I crumble into giggles under his touch. “Ticklish,” I say, and he starts laughing too and it’s enough to break the fire between us for the moment.
“Good to know,” he says, raising his eyebrows in fun while staring at my lips.
“Good night, Justin,” I tell him and get in the car before I change my mind and take him up on the offer to see his cottage.
* * *