Summer Nights

by Sanders, Jill

  He laughed. “And the Youngs?”

  She cringed. “Don’t even go there.”

  When he stopped chuckling, he glanced over at her. “Did you find out anything more from Elle about our father?”

  The mood in the car changed instantly.

  “No, she keeps putting me off. But I can tell,” she added quickly, “that she’s working on getting answers. When Elle puts her mind to something, she tends to stick to it until she has all the answers.” She reached over and touched his arm. “She’s working on it: you can trust that.” His chin dipped slightly, and then he shifted.

  “What do you want to do? We’ve got two whole days to ourselves.”

  She leaned back in the seat. “I’m going to sleep in tomorrow morning. Anything beyond that is a bonus.”

  He chuckled. “So, no early-morning sunrises on the beach? Or a sunset dinner?” He reached over to take her hand as they hit the main highway—the conversation with his brothers all but forgotten.

  “Now, that I can go for,” she agreed. “How far is it to your place?”

  He glanced over at her. “About an hour. I thought we’d stop at that little place in town for some of those bagels again.”

  “Hooked, aren’t you?”

  “They must put something in them. Do you know, I’ve dreamed about having another one since that first time?”

  She giggled. “I know what you mean—I swear, every summer we came back to camp, I’d gain at least five pounds.”

  “You should figure out how to get them to the guests. I bet your repeat-customer list would grow.”

  Once they arrived, they sat on the back patio, which looked out over Pelican Bay. Even though it was windy, they enjoyed the hot bagel sandwiches and coffee by huddling together out of the wind.

  When they hit the road again, he asked her how things were progressing with her father’s lawyer.

  “Some of the money has been transferred over to a joint account that was opened for Scar and me.” She glanced down at her phone. “Whenever I log in to the bank, the amount is scary. I’ve never had this much money before. Not that we won’t utilize it. There are at least a dozen more cabins we want to build.” She set her phone down just as it chimed.

  He looked over at it. “Problems with the camp already? We’ve been gone less than half an hour.”

  “No, she wants me to ask you something, but it can wait.” She set her phone down again.

  “Why not now? We’re stuck in traffic,” he said, causing her to glance ahead, where she noticed all the brake lights ahead of them. “You know how it is: tourist season year round.” She was silent for a while. “I’ll start. Dylan . . .” The high-pitched sound was nothing like Zoey’s, but still, she smiled. “Elle wants to know . . .” He gestured for her to finish. She laughed, taking the edge off the situation.

  “Dylan, Elle wants to know if you’ve heard from your father.”

  His smile fell. “No. Did you find out if she ever met with him?” Zoey shook her head. “No, she didn’t meet with him, or no, you didn’t find out?”

  “No, she didn’t meet with him. She didn’t even know he wanted to meet. He called her and asked, but after she told him she was busy with the camp . . . she forgot about it. He never contacted her again.”

  “Is there anything else you’ve found out?” She went quiet again. “Are you supposed to keep it from me?”

  “No, I’m just trying to figure out how to tell you.”

  He felt his stomach roll. “Is it about Elle and my father’s relationship?” Zoey nodded her head and closed her eyes. “They were having an affair, right?”

  Zoey jerked her head toward him, then burst out laughing. She held her stomach while she bent over with hysterics. “Oh my god, that’s the funniest thing I’ve heard all year.”

  “What’s so funny?” He frowned over at her as the traffic started moving again.

  “Elle sleeping with . . .” She wiped a tear from her eye. “First of all, I’m pretty sure Elle has only slept with one man before.”

  “What?” He glanced over at her. “No way.”

  Zoey nodded. “Yeah, we’re all pretty sure she was the last to break that . . .” Zoey made a hand movement that had him cringing. “Sorry. I know men can be squeamish about that sort of thing. Besides, your father must be in his . . . what? Late forties?”

  He thought about it and then nodded. “So? He’s dated younger women ever since our mother died.”

  “Younger, younger?” Zoey asked.

  “Candice, his last girlfriend of almost a year, was twenty-four.” He sighed. “Actually, before she started dating Dad, I thought . . .” He stopped when he realized what he was about to admit.

  “What? That she was hot for you?” Zoey asked and reached over for his hand. “I’m sorry.”

  He shrugged. “Dad found out a year later she was after the family money, and since he’s the head of the family business . . .” He shrugged again. “You probably know how that feels: Bridgette was a lot younger than your father.”

  “Yeah.” She looked out the window as he turned toward his place. “It’s kind of creepy.”

  He nodded. “Owen had the hardest time with it. She was actually the same age as he was.”

  “Why do men do that?” she asked as he pulled into his complex. “I can see a few years’ difference, but more than a dozen, and . . . what do they even have in common?”

  He pulled the car into the parking garage next to his own, in his designated second parking spot, then turned toward her. “Well, we haven’t talked music or movies yet.” He reached over and ran a hand down her hair, enjoying the softness of it and the way she leaned into his touch. “Favorite band?” he asked.

  “What if I said Def Leppard?” she asked.

  “I’d ask you to marry me,” he joked. “I’m an Ozzy fan myself.”

  She smiled. “I’ve been known to enjoy a good Black Sabbath song occasionally.”

  He took her hand up to his lips and kissed her knuckles.

  She reached for the door handle and got out of the car. “Where are we?”

  “My place, remember?” He pulled their bags out of the car.

  “I mean, where? I didn’t even pay attention as you drove.” She glanced around.

  “The Sanctuary in Santa Rosa.” He took her hand and walked toward the elevators. “I have a condo here—a three-bedroom place that overlooks the gulf.”

  “How long have you lived here?” she asked.

  “Two years,” he admitted as the elevator moved upward. “We all jumped ship when Dad brought home Candice.”

  “I don’t blame you.” She followed him out of the elevator.

  “Nice pools.” As they walked toward his door, they could also see the white, sandy beaches of the gulf in the distance.

  “I haven’t really gotten to enjoy the pools much lately.” They walked down the long walkway until they reached the end. “My place.” He punched in his code and opened the door, then quickly reset his alarm inside. He set the bags down on the floor and motioned for her to look around.

  “I would tell you to pick your room, but know this”—he stopped her from walking past him into the place—“whatever room you choose, I’ll be joining you in bed.” He leaned down and kissed her: something he’d been wanting to do since they had left that morning. She melted against him, wrapping her arms around his neck and holding on to him as the kiss turned deeper. Finally, she pulled away; her eyes had turned soft.

  “If not, I’d come and look for you.” She kissed him back, then stepped away. “I want to see the place.”

  He followed her into the condo. It was a standard setup: two bedrooms in front with two small bathrooms, a long curved hallway to the kitchen, and a living room; the master bedroom was off the back of the place with a killer view and a bathroom in the middle.

  “They have two-story places, but I liked this one.” He leaned against the kitchen bar. He had paid to have it professionally decorated after
the whole Amelia incident. He’d had zero talent with choosing anything other than a large-screen television, which hung over the fireplace. But the designer he’d picked had done a great job. The place was cozy and actually looked like a man lived there.

  “I like it.” She wandered through the room. “Best view ever. What about my favorite indoor sport this time?” She nodded to his opened bedroom door.

  He laughed as his hands moved down her sides and rested on her hips. “You read my mind.”

  He kissed her again as, this time, she nudged him backward toward the bedroom.

  Just getting her naked again was like seeing her for the first time. Their clothes hit the floor, and he took a moment to run his eyes over her soft skin, followed by his fingertips, then his mouth as soft, low moans continued to escape her.

  Her fingers dug into him, pulling, holding, taking what she wanted as he tried to give her everything while getting what he wanted. He had to admit: since the last night they had been together in the cabin, he’d dreamed about being with her again. He wanted to take his time, to enjoy it, but the way she was moving under him had his hands and his body rushing it.

  He brushed his mouth over her breasts as he slipped into her. She arched for him, wrapping her legs around his hips, holding him hostage until he started to move, slowly. Her nails dug into his shoulders as her hips begged him to move inside her.

  He tried to take his time, enjoy as much of her as he could, but when she circled her hips slightly, he couldn’t stop himself from meeting her demands. When he felt her building, demanding more from him, he knew that when she fell, he wouldn’t be far behind her.

  When she gripped his shoulders and cried out his name, he realized he was lost. He lay there, listening to her heart settle as he tried to figure out what his next steps were. How did he go about telling someone he loved her?

  This time as he lay there, holding her in his arms, he questioned everything.

  Did he love her? Hell yes. The answer was almost immediate. He’d never told a woman those words before, had never felt it before. Nowhere near it, actually. He’d avoided real intimacy all his life.

  She was unlike anyone he’d ever been with before. She was strong and independent and knew what she wanted out of life. She was kind and patient with others. Not to mention the way she treated her friends. The love he saw in her eyes when she talked to her mother was something he had been instantly jealous of.

  “I can hear you thinking.” Zoey chuckled after a moment.

  He leaned up and kissed her again. “I’m thinking about putting on swim shorts and hitting the pool.” He smiled. “Then coming up here, grabbing some lunch, and doing this again. Maybe a few more times. Then we’ll take a nap before we find someplace to watch the sunset and have dinner.”

  “Sounds wonderful.” She nudged him to move with a smile, then rolled off the bed herself and beelined to his bathroom.

  “My god,” she said from behind the shut door. “This is an amazing bathroom.”

  He chuckled and walked over to pull out his swim trunks. He walked to the front hallway and brought back her bag just as she opened the door. She was wrapped in a towel and smiled when she noticed him holding up her bag. She kissed him and grabbed the bag from him.

  “I’ll be just a minute,” she said as she shut the door again.

  He glanced around and decided to check his phone messages. He picked up his cell, which he’d heard buzz a few times while they’d been busy, and listened to the messages.

  There were a few text reminders from Joel. One he assumed was a sales call, since the person had hung up. But the last call was from his father, which almost made him drop his phone.

  He called Owen and played the message for him.

  “Dylan, it’s Dad. I know I left things tangled for you boys, but I just want you to know that I’m okay. Well, I’ll see you soon. Bye.” There was a pause. “I love you boys.”

  “What the hell?” Owen said over the phone.

  “Yeah.” Dylan sighed and ran his hands through his hair. “No Hey, I’m alive or where he was, just ‘I left things in a mess.’”

  “What’s up with the ‘I love you boys’?” Owen asked.

  “You don’t think he’s sick, do you?” Dylan asked, running his hands through his hair.

  “No, we checked with his doctor,” Owen answered. “His last checkup was earlier this year, and he had a clean bill of health.”

  Dylan relaxed. “Then what the hell . . .” He heard a chair move and glanced over to see Zoey watching him. He’d totally forgotten that she was there. She was sitting at the kitchen bar, sipping a glass of water, waiting patiently for him.

  “Ah, hey, I’ve got to go. We’ll talk later.” He hung up before his brother could respond. “Sorry.”

  “It’s okay. I’m glad you’ve heard from your father.” He realized she had probably been sitting there listening to them the entire time.

  “Yeah. I’m never having teenagers,” he joked, “if this is what it feels like.”

  “It’s funny.” She stood up and walked over to him. “We chose to open the camp back up to adults because we thought, ‘Hey, adults are easier than chasing after a bunch of other people’s kids, right?’” She waited, and he nodded. “But after seeing the aftermath of three orgies, running into the Youngs banging around every corner, and finding a bunch of used condoms and spent joints around the camp’s grounds, I’m beginning to think kids would have been easier.”

  He chuckled and pulled her close. “What do you say we grab some beer and food and head down to the pool to relax?”

  “I wouldn’t say no to some beer and food, if you have it.” She smiled up at him.

  “I had the place stocked before we arrived. There should be plenty of food.” He opened a cupboard, and indeed, there was enough food to last them a few days stacked neatly inside. They made and packed turkey sandwiches and drinks for the pool in a small cooler he had. Then they headed down to the pool, both with beach towels draped over their shoulders.

  He enjoyed spending the next couple of hours by the pool—at one point, he believed she’d fallen asleep lying in the sun.

  When they finally decided to head back up to the condo, she let him slowly peel the tiny bikini off her and pull her into the shower.

  He could tell she melted a little bit inside as he made love to her under the warm spray. Enjoying the feeling of the relaxed motions, he took his time pleasing her until he felt her legs grow weak. He wondered if he could ever get tired of touching her, of being with her.

  He carried her out of the shower and then took his time drying her skin and kissing her as she lay out on his bed. Then he pulled the comforter over them, and they grabbed an hour-long nap wrapped in each other’s arms.

  When he woke, it was to the smell of her hair and skin, which had him instantly hard. His hands, on their own accord, moved over her soft skin as his body grew even harder. Her body was pressed up against his; the softness almost undid him completely. There was no way he was going to be able to sleep without her next to him again. No way he wanted to go one more night without feeling her body when he woke up each day.

  Now, all he had to do was persuade her to stay with him.

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  Zoey woke slowly as strong hands moved over her body, exciting her. Her entire being vibrated as fingertips traced her nipples slowly, causing them to ache and peak. When a finger brushed her pussy, she moaned and slid her legs farther apart, wanting. When it dipped into her, her eyes fluttered open finally. Her eyes locked with Dylan’s as he watched her before leaning down and brushing his lips against hers.

  “More?” he asked, his deep voice causing her body to vibrate further. She nodded, burrowing her fingers into his hair so she could hold him to her. Kissing him even deeper as desire slammed into her.

  His fingers moved inside her as she wrapped her leg around him and reached for him. She found him hard and enjoyed the way he jumped as she touched him. The
sounds he made as she stroked him were music to her ears.

  “More?” she asked with a smile.

  “God, yes,” he groaned out as he shifted, pulling her beside him.

  “This was a great idea,” she whispered as they continued to move together.

  “Great idea,” he agreed as he kissed down the column of her neck. When he took her nipple into his mouth, she arched and lost hold of him, gripping the sheets instead.

  He trailed kisses down her ribs and over her belly; he took a moment to dip his tongue into her belly button before moving farther down. As he settled his mouth over her pussy, she cried out at the feeling of his tongue against her heated skin. Her legs fell open with his fingers resting on her thighs.

  “My god, I could eat you out every day for the rest of my life,” he said against her skin.

  “Please . . .” She knew what she was begging for—release. “I need . . .”

  She heard him chuckle; then his mouth returned to her, along with his fingers.

  Lights burst behind her eyes, and she felt herself falling faster than she had ever gone before. She gripped the sheets; somewhere in the back of her mind, she wanted to deny what she was feeling, but by the time Dylan was sliding into her, tears were rolling down her cheeks, and she knew it was too late. She had fallen in love with him.

  He stilled, looking down at her, then leaned in and gently kissed the tears away. “For me?” he asked.

  She shook her head and reached up to wipe them away, feeling stupid. “I’m just . . . happy.” She finished by grabbing his tight ass and forcing him to continue moving above her. “Don’t stop.” She smiled up at him as she bit the inside of her lips to hold in the words that she feared would burst out.

  She would have thought that it was impossible for him to build her up again so fast, but she felt the growing need, and this time when she spiked, she felt him join her.

  “I think we need another shower,” he mumbled into her hair, causing her to chuckle.

  “If we do, we may have to take separate ones; otherwise we’ll just end up back here.” She was running her hands over his shoulders. “God, I love these.” She squeezed lightly as she tried to keep things from turning deeper.