Summer Heat

by Sanders, Jill

  “Good, that could work.”

  “Okay, so . . .” Aiden glanced around. “What do I say if she wants to inspect it?”

  “Tell her no.”

  Aiden laughed. “You don’t know Elle that well.”

  “Sure, I . . .” He sighed. “Damn, you’re right. Okay, so we need to enlist her friends to help us keep her away.”

  Half an hour later, Liam sat next to Elle as Aiden explained about the damaged roof on the tree house.

  “Oh no!” Elle tried to stand up. “I want to . . .”

  “Nope,” Zoey broke in. “You’re supposed to be resting. Not climbing a ladder to look at a damaged roof.”

  Elle’s eyes narrowed at her friend.

  “I haven’t had the place inspected yet. We don’t even know if there was any structural damage,” Aiden added. “Until someone looks at it, no one is going up there.”

  Elle fell back against the sofa cushion.

  “Besides, we need you here. I need you to help me get everything ready for my meeting in the morning,” Hannah pointed out as she sat down with a laptop. “See, I still haven’t got all of this worked out yet.”

  By the look on Elle’s face, he knew they had avoided a disaster for one day.

  The following day, Aubrey sent him a 911 text.

  She’s dressed and wanting to go for a walk by the treehouse.

  He dropped everything and showed up at the apartment.

  “You’re up?” he asked, handing over a tray of brownies. “Isaac sent these over for you.”

  “Oh, how nice, but I was hoping to go for a walk,” she said, slipping on her tennis shoes.

  “I’m starved. Why don’t you sit here with me while I have some food?” He sat next to her and held out a brownie.

  “Okay,” she said between bites. “It’s just . . .” He leaned over and kissed her.

  “I’ve missed you and thought”—he waved at Aubrey behind his back to leave them alone—“we could be alone?”

  He smiled when the apartment door clicked shut.

  “Oh, okay.” She relaxed in his arms when he kissed her and instantly felt himself respond to her softness.

  He knew she was too weak to do too much physically, but he figured he could enjoy a little and maybe get her to relax enough to take a nap after.

  Hoisting her up, he carried her toward the hallway.

  “You do have a room here?” he asked, his lips running down her neck.

  “Yes, this one.” She motioned to the door.

  When he stepped in, he glanced around the small space quickly.

  “I haven’t changed it since I was sixteen,” she said, biting her bottom lip.

  “I like it,” he said, setting her down gently on the bed. She moved up on the mattress as he pulled off her shoes. “God, I’ve wanted you . . . I don’t want to hurt you.”

  “No.” She held her arms out, and he went easily into them. “You won’t.”

  He settled next to her, covering her soft mouth with his own.

  “What did you do to your hands?” she asked, pulling away slightly; she took his hand in hers and frowned down at his palms. He’d been running his fingers under her shirt, over her skin.

  He glanced down at his hands and noticed the new blisters from working on the tree house.

  “Benches,” he said. “Remember, I’m building some.” When he kissed her again, she relaxed and tugged his shirt off.

  “God, I just love the look of you.”

  “My turn.” He helped her remove the soft tank top she’d been wearing and then the rest of her clothing. “Perfection.” He ran his fingertips over her skin and smiled when she arched into his hands.

  “God, I need . . .” She tugged on his pants, causing him to laugh. “You.” She almost growled it out. “Liam, now, I need you.”

  “You’re too weak,” he argued. But she tugged his zipper down and gripped his shaft, causing his eyes to almost cross.

  “Elle.” Her name came out as a warning.

  “Liam, I need . . .”

  He didn’t let her say anything more; instead, he nudged her legs wide and covered her pussy with his mouth. She was too weak for too much physical activity, but he figured he could at least give her this.

  Using his mouth on her, he felt her building and knew that after, she’d rest and forget about taking a walk.

  He had never experienced anything as wonderful as Elle convulsing on the tip of his tongue. He doubted he’d ever taste anything as sweet as her. How could he ever live without the feel of her next to him?

  He finally realized he’d been fighting a battle he’d been destined to lose. He’d fallen hard and fast for Elle, which meant he could either run away, like his father and Owen tended to do, or he could face it head on and own up to it. Which meant telling Elle. More importantly, showing Elle. That tree house needed to get done. And soon.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

  Elle woke with a start. It took her a moment to realize that the absence of noise had woken her.

  “Damn it.” She groaned when she realized she had fallen asleep again. Her body was still vibrating from what Liam had done to her after dinner.

  It had been three days since she’d returned home, and so far, she hadn’t stepped foot outside the apartment once.

  Every time she pulled on her shoes, someone was there, convincing her to stay put. Or, Liam was there, wanting to please her until she drifted off in a state of after-sex slumber. Not that they had had full sex since she’d gotten sick. No, instead he’d just pleased her until she passed out.

  Not that she was complaining, but she really did want him even more now. Somehow, what he was doing to her had built up a need stronger than anything she’d ever felt before.

  She glanced around the darkened room and realized instantly that she was alone. What would it take for her to sneak out of her own apartment?

  Glancing at the small window, she frowned. It was still fully daylight out, which meant she’d been asleep for less than an hour.

  She tried to figure out the best way to escape. She’d attempted to sneak out the third-floor window once when she was fourteen. She’d gotten a broken arm for her efforts. She wasn’t willing to chance that again. Not now, when just showering still drained her of all energy.

  She pulled on her shorts and shirt, slipped on her shoes, and figured she could tiptoe out of the place if she had to.

  When she opened the bedroom door, she listened for a few moments before determining that she was either alone in the apartment, or whoever was in the living room was reading quietly.

  She sneaked down the hallway, peered across the corner, and noticed that the living area was empty. Glancing over to the kitchen, she was surprised to find that it too was empty.

  Not wanting to miss her chance, she rushed across the room and quickly stepped through the doorway.

  She took a deep breath and rested her back against the door; then she glanced down the stairs, trying to get a look at the main lobby.

  How was she going to get past Julie?

  Just then, she heard the phone ring downstairs and moved closer to get a better look.

  “Yes, I’ll go check to see that it printed. Give me a minute,” Julie said. Elle moved closer and watched Julie disappear into the small room that housed the printers off the back of the lobby desk area.

  She almost tripped and fell rushing down the stairs but managed to catch herself on the railing before she tumbled down the flight.

  She was around the corner and out of sight of the front desk before she could take another breath. Trying to relax, she counted her heartbeats until they settled down. Then she smiled as she made her way toward the back door. She stepped out into the evening air and took several deep breaths, enjoying the fresh air. The night was a standard sticky Florida night, but she loved it. Loved that there was already a bead of sweat building up between her shoulder blades.

  She’d never make it in prison, she thought as she started walking
down the pathway. What she wanted was a nice long walk, but she could already feel her energy draining, and since she desperately wanted to see the damage to her tree house, she made her way across the campgrounds on a mission.

  The sun was sinking lower in the sky, casting shadows everywhere, but the lights along the pathway kept her company. She was happily surprised when she didn’t bump into any guests along the way. She wasn’t fully ready to chat with anyone about her illness yet.

  Stopping at the base of the tree, she searched in the dying light for the rope for the stairs; finding it, she tugged on the rope.

  She knew that Aiden didn’t want her to go up yet, since he’d told her earlier that day that the inspector would be looking at the place tomorrow. But, she figured, she could stand on the landing and peer in the windows if she had to.

  It had been eating at her knowing that the place Joe had built especially for her had been destroyed.

  Would it be a total loss? She hoped not.

  She smiled at the sign that Liam had made for her that hung just outside the door. No matter what shape the tree house was in, she was determined to rebuild it.

  Turning around, she glanced over the water as the last light from the sun disappeared over the horizon. Glancing up, she watched a shooting star streak across the sky and smiled.

  Wishes. She’d made so many in her life. Some had come true; some she had forgotten. It took her a moment to weave a new wish in her mind, and she quickly closed her eyes and sent it up to the heavens silently.

  After turning back around, she braced herself for the worst and twisted the doorknob.

  What she hadn’t expected was a roomful of people screaming “Surprise!” at her.

  She squealed and covered her heart with her hands.

  “My god!” She glanced around the small space, packed with the people she cared the most about.

  Zoey and Dylan were there, holding on to one another, while Hannah, Scar, and Aubrey all smiled brightly and laughed. Aiden was there as well, sipping a beer as if he’d been dragged along for the ride.

  Her eyes moved around, and she noticed Liam walking toward her, a glass of champagne held out for her.

  “Welcome home,” he said, leaning in and kissing her.

  “What . . .” It was then that she actually looked around.

  “We knew the moment you were left alone in the apartment, you’d sneak out,” Hannah said as Elle looked around the space.

  “All we had to do then was set out the bread crumbs,” Zoey added.

  Everything had changed inside the small space. The walls were covered with warm wood paneling, making the entire place feel larger.

  The bed was missing from across the room; in its place was a corner-booth dining table. Soft cushions sat on the bench seats, with colored pillows for the backrest. The windows were new: they were longer and stronger and had built-in blinds. She could tell that they were the tinted windows she and Aiden had looked at before.

  A small white sofa sat facing the windows, with what looked like a long wooden homemade coffee table sitting in front of it with a massive wood bowl on top. Even the flooring was new, along with several area rugs that matched some of the beautiful new landscape paintings that hung on the walls.

  When she looked over at the bathroom area, she saw a new circle mirror that sat in front of a beautiful metal bowl sink. The old countertop had been replaced with warm wood countertops, and even the cabinets were new, in a dark shade of brown.

  The shower walls had been repainted a warmer color. She was a little shocked to see a huge bathtub where the kitchen table used to be, and a new small wall separated the bathroom space from the kitchen. Even the kitchen cabinets and countertops were new. She laughed at the full-size fridge that sat at the end of the small kitchen area.

  “You . . .” She frowned, her friends moving aside while she looked around. “Where’s the bed?”

  Liam chuckled, then motioned to a bookshelf. “Go on, pull it.”

  “The bookshelf?” She shook her head as she followed him over to the wall. The shelves were filled with her books. The ones from her room. How had he sneaked those out of her bedroom, and why hadn’t she noticed they were gone when she’d left earlier?

  “Here,” he said, taking her hand and laying it on the edge of the bookshelf. “Pull.”

  She did and soon had the bookshelf opening out smoothly. She held her breath as she stepped into a whole different room.

  A massive king-size bed rested on a raised platform in the middle of the room, flanked by two large windows. A beautiful wood dresser sat on the wall not filled with windows.

  “You . . . built a new room?” She shook her head. “How?” She turned back to him. “You did this while I was sick?”

  He smiled. “We did it.” He motioned to her friends. “With a little more help.”

  She glanced around again, then noticed a huge painting of a stork that hung above the bed. Her eye was instantly drawn to the creature and the signature in the corner.

  She stepped away and moved closer. “Yours?”

  He nodded. “I thought it was time I stopped hiding it and let someone else enjoy my stuff.”

  “It’s beautiful.” The painting was full of bright colors, the stork full of life.

  Then he motioned to a framed sketch hanging over the dining table.

  “I . . . did one special piece for you. I’m hoping someday to have enough time to paint it, but for now . . .”

  She walked over and saw the five Wildflowers at the tender age of ten smiling back at her. Tears rolled down her cheeks at the innocence in each of their eyes.

  Her friends walked over to her and wrapped their arms around her.

  “I love you all,” she whispered.

  “You deserve a place of your own,” Zoey said. “Just like you’ve given us.” She moved back over and took Dylan’s hand.

  “I can’t believe you did all this.” She turned to her friends. “Thank you, everyone. It’s more . . .” She felt her eyes water again. “I . . .”

  She walked around and quickly hugged everyone once more.

  “Do you like it?” he asked, taking her in his arms as tears flowed down her cheeks.

  “It’s more than I . . .” She started to repeat her words but then closed her eyes and felt the tears rolling down her face and wiped them with the back of her hand. “Thank you. Everyone.”

  “The upstairs balcony is fixed as well,” Aiden said. “There are new stairs . . .” He motioned toward the sliding glass door with the empty beer he’d been holding in his hands. “Head on up.”

  She stepped out on the balcony and wiped more tears away. She glanced up at the new aluminum staircase that led around two trees and up to the rooftop.

  When she stepped up, she found a table sitting in the middle of the space. Candles burned in glass jars; a large vase of flowers sat in the middle of the table. Overhead, hanging string lights made the entire space glow, giving it a magical feeling.

  Two silver-covered platters rested on the table, with a bottle of champagne chilling next to them.

  “This is all so . . .” She turned to see Liam standing there, smiling at her. “Amazing.”

  “I hope you don’t mind, but I know we didn’t get to eat earlier.” His smile turned almost wicked. She remembered what he’d done to her earlier that afternoon when he’d shown up at the apartment claiming to be there for dinner. Her smile grew and matched his.

  “Your fault,” she broke in.

  “And well worth it,” he added, taking her hand in his and walking her over to sit at the table. He pulled out her chair and held it for her. “I had Isaac whip us up something special and thought we could enjoy it up here.”

  “Everyone . . .” She glanced back toward the stairs as she sat down.

  “They’ve all taken the hint and gone home.” He sat down across from her. She watched him pull out the bottle of champagne and fill up her glass.

  “How did you get this all
done so quickly?” she asked after taking a sip. The bubbles made her smile even more. She was concerned her face was going to be permanently stuck like this. No wish she ever could have come up with could have been this amazing.

  “We called in a few favors. And help.” He shrugged and reached over to pull off the cover of the food.

  A huge juicy steak, along with Isaac’s twice-baked potatoes and fresh veggies, filled the plate. She felt her stomach growl.

  “We have a bedroom.” She smiled and held up her glass.

  He lifted his and tapped it against hers. “We have a home, for now.”

  She felt her heart skip. “Yes, we do have a home.” She leaned in and set her glass down. “We will need a new sign.”

  His eyebrows shot up. “We will?”

  “Sure. It’s no longer just Elle’s Hiding Spot.” She glanced around. “It’s Elle and Liam’s Tree House.”

  “It’s a good thing you know someone who’s good with his hands.”

  She laughed. “Yes, it is,” she said, cutting into her steak.

  His smile slipped a little. “So, this is okay, then?”

  “What?” she asked between bites.

  “You, me, here?” He shook his head. “My brothers are going to keep looking, trying to find something more about where Dad went, but for now, I’m going to stay right here, if that’s okay with you?”

  “Yes,” she answered almost too quickly. Then she suddenly felt stupid. “I mean, that is, if you want . . .”

  “Elle.” He reached over and took her hand in his. “I’ve wanted to be with you since the first time I saw you looking down at me through the windows.” He smiled. “The first time I saw you fall on that pretty little ass of yours.”

  She laughed. “I tripped.”

  “Right.” He laughed with her.

  “You tend to do that to me,” she said, picking up her glass and hoping the champagne would help soothe the emotions that were boiling inside her.

  “What?” he asked, his eyes glued to hers.

  “Make my knees feel like rubber,” she said.

  His smile warmed her heart. “I couldn’t even begin to describe what it is you do to me,” he said softly.