by Nella Tyler
“It’s too late, Lance. Whatever you all said to her worked. She doesn’t want anything to do with me.”
“She won today, right?”
“Yeah,” I smiled, I couldn’t help it. I pictured her on top of that wave with that little self-satisfied smile on her face. It was an awesome sight.
“Then she’ll be at the party tonight, she has to be. They’ll be presenting her with her check.”
“Yeah, so?”
“So, we’ll go, and you’ll get her back.”
I was skeptical. “What if she doesn’t want me back?”
He shrugged. “Turn on that Spencer charm. Women drop like flies for it.”
“Not Summer. She doesn’t fall for my bullshit.”
Lance turned serious then as he said, “Then don’t bullshit her. Tell her how you feel. What do you really have to lose at this point?”
“You make a lot of sense. I guess it’s worth a shot.”
He curled his lip at me. “I guess? It’s worth a shot? Who are you? You’re Drake Spencer, man! You’re rich, you’re talented, and from what women tell me, you’re hot. Put that chin up, throw those shoulders back, and let’s go get your woman.”
I laughed at his stupidity, but I had to admit he had me pumped. “I’m going to shower, and I’ll meet you at the beach. Do not bring Sabrina or any other snobby bitches you find along the way.”
“Can I take a commoner home?”
“Get out.”
He laughed on his way out the door. “You’ve lost your sense of humor, bro.”
“Get out.” He left, and I got in the shower. He was right. I don’t have Summer now and if I put myself out there tonight and still don’t have her, what have I really lost? Laguna is less than a week away and if I get my sponsor, I’m off to Bali, maybe. I was pissed enough the day after the gala to finally tell my father that to his face once and for all. He had the audacity to tell me he would buy a house for my “little girlfriend” if I would leave the surfing alone. I actually told him to fuck off. I told him I didn’t want anything else from him. I told him I was going to Bali and I was taking Summer with me. He cancelled my credit card that same afternoon. I have one small account that I had put money in for a rainy day like this one and that would have to last until I got a sponsor or a job. I don’t even care if I make it to Bali. All I want is to be with Summer.
The beach was even more packed now than it had been during the contest earlier. I texted Lance as soon as I got there.
“Where are you?”
“Close to the bonfire.”
“Have you seen Summer?”
“Not yet, but there are a thousand bodies down here.”
“Okay, I’ll be there in a sec.”
“Don’t hurry; I have a commoner on the hook…”
I rolled my eyes and shoved the phone in my pocket. I could see the bonfire about a hundred feet in front of me. The stage was about fifty feet beyond that. A reggae band was playing, and the owner of Ruckus was standing off to the side, preparing to hand out the awards. I scanned the bodies between here and there looking for Summer. She’s so small and there are so many people, I’ll probably have to be right next to her before I do see her. I wished she had a phone.
“What are you doing here? Don’t ruin this for her.” I turned towards the voice. It was Summer’s “bodyguard.” I don’t remember his name.
“I’m not here to ruin anything for her.”
He stepped closer. He was about a head shorter than me and already knew full well that I could take him. I had to give him credit for the size of his balls. “She’s happy. She’s happier than I’ve ever seen her. Seeing you will only upset her.”
I thought about the way she smiled at me today when her eyes met mine across the beach. She hadn’t seemed upset to see me. “I’m not going to do anything to upset her. I just want to congratulate her.”
“I’ll tell her I saw you, and I’ll pass the message on.”
I almost laughed. There was no way that he was passing the message on to Summer. This guy wants her for himself. If he’s that worried about me seeing her, maybe it says something about what kind of chance I have. “Thanks, but I’d rather do it myself.”
“Listen to me, you rich son of a-”
“Careful what you call my mother.”
He started to say something else, but was interrupted by the sound of the man onstage asking for everyone’s attention. I ignored Summer’s little friend and walked towards the stage. As I got closer, the back of Kobe’s gnarly hair came into view. It had been over a week since I’d seen him. He had his arm around Summer’s other friend, Phoebe.
“Hey, dude!” I slapped him on the back. Anyone else would have startled and jumped. Kobe turned around in that slow, laidback way he approaches everything.
“Spence! I thought you died, man.”
“And, you weren’t going to come to my funeral?”
Kobe laughed. “Nah, but I smoked a fat one in your honor.”
Shaking my head at Kobe, I turned and looked at Phoebe. “Hi, Phoebe, how are you?” She snuggled deeper into Kobe’s side and grinned.
“I’m good.” From the looks of her eyes, she was flying high on a “fat one” herself.
“Good. I’ll bet Summer is stoked.”
“I’ve never seen her so happy. Thank you for helping her.”
“It was my pleasure. Where is she?”
Phoebe looked around. “I’m not sure. They took her behind the stage and had her signing paperwork and stuff a while ago.”
“Ladies and gentlemen, I’d like to present to you our top three winners from this morning’s amateur surfing contest.” We fell silent and listened as the man called out the name of the third place winner. The guy about my age went up and was presented with a trophy and a check. The second place winner was a pretty little teenager. She didn’t look over fifteen or sixteen years old. When she got her trophy and check, it took a while for the rumble of the crowd to die down. Stupid drunk men were yelling up at her and making lewd comments.
Finally, he said, “The top winner of our competition will be presented with a ten-thousand dollar check, thanks to the generosity of my employers, Victor and Jeffrey Winters of Ruckus. Put your hands together for Miss Summer French, ladies and gentlemen.” The crowd roared with applause as Summer climbed up onto the stage. My pulse sped up as soon as I saw her. She was wearing her tank top and shorts, of course, and she had her long hair in a thick braid. The first thought in my head was of undoing that braid and running my fingers through that gorgeous hair…and from there I had a list.
Summer quietly thanked the man, took her check, and gave a little bow to the audience. She stepped to the back of the stage, and I went around that way so that I would be the first person she saw when she stepped off. She stopped dead in her tracks and just stared at me. I wasn’t sure if she was happy to see meor not.
“Hi.”
I got a little smile from her. “Hey. Thank you.”
“For what?”
“All the stuff you left for me this morning. That was really nice.”
“You deserved it.”
She rolled her eyes and finished stepping down off the stairs. “No, I really didn’t. I didn’t do anything to earn any of it. But I appreciate it and one of these days,” she held up the check and said, “I’m going to pay you back.”
“I don’t want your money, Summer.” I took a step towards her. She had that wild look in her eyes like she did the first time I met her. She was thinking about running. “I want you.”
I heard a little tremor in her voice as she said, “What do you want with me, Drake? I’m nothing but trouble for you. No one in your family will be happy about us being together. None of your friends, your sponsors-”
“I don’t care what any of them think,” I interrupted. “I don’t care if they’re happy or not. All I care about is you, Summer. You can go with me if I get a sponsor or I’ll stay here with you if I don’t. I can get a jo
b. Please don’t count me out because of what other people think.”
She held out her hand and said, “Walk with me, please.”
I took her hand and felt that jolt of electricity I feel every time I touch her. “What were your plans before you met me – your plans for your life?”
I breathed in a lungful of the fresh, salty air. I wondered what she wanted to hear and then I remembered that this was Summer. She only ever wanted to hear the truth. “I planned on winning in Laguna, getting the sponsorship, and going to Bali.”
“What are your plans now?”
“Being with you.”
She smiled and stopped walking. We were close to the water and away from everyone on the beach. In my mind, it was just her and I under the moon in the sand. “That’s sweet.”
“I’m not being sweet. I’m being honest. I can stay here or I can go, as long as you’re with me.”
“I’m eighteen years old. I don’t have an education or a job. I don’t have anything to offer you, Drake.”
“Summer, you have so much to offer. I wish you could see yourself through my eyes. You’re tough, and you’re smart, and you’re fucking gorgeous. I hate that you can’t see all of that about yourself. I hate that people have beat you down and taken that away from you. You’re amazing. I’m falling…” She was on her toes and had her little hand pressed to my lips before I could finish my sentence.
“Don’t!”
“I’m falling in love with you.” I spoke the words through her fingers. It’s not exactly the way I imagined I’d say that for the first time.
“I said don’t say it.” She pulled her hand away and started walking away. I followed her.
“Why? It’s the truth.”
“It’s fucked up, Drake. This money in my pocket is going to help me get a start on life, but I’m not under any delusion that any of that will be easy. This is not a good time to start a relationship that already has two strikes against it.”
I stopped her again, this time by taking hold of her shoulders and turning her to face me. “Do you want me, Summer?” She was looking down at her feet. I let go of one of her shoulders and used my hand to tip her face up towards mine. “Do you want me?”
She had tears in her eyes as she whispered, “Yes.” That was all I needed to hear. I picked her up, cradled her in my arms, and carried her out past all of the party-goers on the beach and back towards the lot where I parked my car. When we got there, I put her down on her feet and unlocked the door. I half expected her to run, but instead, she took hold of the door handle and pulled it open. She slipped inside and closed the door.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
SUMMER
I asked myself all the way to Drake’s apartment what the hell I was doing. I promised myself that I was going to stay away from him, but he was like a drug. One taste no matter how minor, and I need more. When we got there and he opened the door, I stepped inside and leaned against the wall while he closed and locked the door. He turned and leaned over me. He put his hands on either side and above my head, locking that sexy blue gaze onto mine. He hadn’t even touched me yet and I felt like my body was on fire from the inside out. When he looks at me like he is right now, the only word I can think of to describe it is raw.
He brought one of his hands down and pulled the elastic band out of my hair. He ran his thick fingers through it and shook it loose before picking a strand up and rubbing it between his fingers. I was so hot that I felt like I was melting. He let go of my hair and put two of his fingers over the pulse in my neck at the base of my throat, and then he ran them down into the hollow of my neck and further down my chest, pushing my shirt down as he went, but stopping before he made it to the swell of my breasts. I moaned and tipped my head back, and I felt like I was going to die if he didn’t kiss me. I rose up on my toes and put my arms around his neck, pulling him down towards me. He brought his head down and brushed his lips across mine, but a soft and sweet kiss was not what I needed. I shoved my tongue into his mouth like a wild woman and the kiss exploded into the kind of passion I was craving.
He put his hands in my hair and pulled at the roots, while his tongue played with mine. I was almost up off the floor so that I could reach his hair. I wanted to tangle my fingers in it. I wanted to pull his hair while I sucked on his tongue. He bent down further, and I got a handful of it and heard him growl. I caressed his scalp with my fingernails and slid them down the back of his neck, the entire time, sucking on his tongue, licking his lips, and wanting so much more.
He pulled back and looked at me with his sexy chest heaving. I was panting and gasping for breath myself, but I’d gladly suffocate in his arms. When he got his breathing under control, he grinned at me and took my hand. He led me to the bedroom and as soon as we got there, I started clawing at his shirt, trying to pull it off of him. He reached down and helped me, tossing it aside and baring that gorgeous chest. I pressed my palms into it and felt that hard muscle, simultaneously feeling a rush of moisture between my legs. He’s perfect and I still have no idea what he sees in me. I leaned in and smelled his skin before I ran my tongue down across his rock hard abs and along the top of his shorts. I could see his erection already pressing tight against it, trying to escape. I couldn’t wait to set it free.
I dropped to my knees, and one of my hands fumbled with his button and zipper, while I grasped a handful of his tight ass in the other. I got the zipper down and reached in to run my fingers across his hard cock, still clad in his shorts. I tried to slip my fingers inside of them, but he put both of his hands over mine and pulled me up to my feet.
He reached for my shirt and pulled it up over my head. While I finished pulling it off, he cupped one of my breasts in each of his hands. My nipples hardened against the fabric of my bikini that was pressed into his palms. I moaned again involuntarily. My body ached for him. He let go of one of my breasts and reached back to untie my bikini top. He let it fall off and as soon as he saw my bare breasts, he flexed his hips and ground himself into me. He cupped my breasts again, this time running his fingers across my hard, bare nipples. He squeezed and pinched them, making my moans get louder and my need for him more urgent.
With another sexy growl, he moved me over to the bed and pushed me down onto it on my back. I lay there trying to breathe while he took off my shorts and underwear. He sucked in a breath when I was naked – I love the way he wants me. I don’t understand it, but I love it. He leaned down and kissed my lips again before he dragged his mouth down across my chin and down my neck. I love the way his lips feel. I love the way he tastes me. I want to live in a place where only this feeling exists.
He arched back when I reached for his shorts again. I whined in frustration and felt him grin into the swell of my breast. He opened his mouth wider and sucked one completely into his mouth. He sucked hard and then used his tongue to lick wildly at my hard nipple. He drove me insane on that side before switching to the other. I was writhing across the bed, holding onto his hair and pressing him into my chest. I felt his hand slide down over my belly and his fingers skim lightly across my mound. My pussy ached for him to touch it. I arched my back up off the bed as he slid a finger into my tunnel. I could actually hear how wet I was and my walls clamped down on his finger like a vice. He pulled his face up and looked at mine as he slid a second finger into me. I opened my legs as wide as I could and whimpered and groaned while he worked them in and out, plunging them in deeply over and over, again and again.
I felt like I was on the verge of losing my mind or spontaneously combusting when he finally pulled them out and stripped off his shorts and underwear. He reached down and lifted me up, repositioning me in the middle of the bed. My mouth watered for a taste when I saw the veins in his erection throbbing.
He got onto the bed on his knees and before he could stop me, I sat up and leaned in, letting my tongue lick around the outside of his head and take the bead of moisture off the tip. His taste is intoxicating. I got up on my knees and with my mouth at
the level of his nipples; I sucked one into my mouth while I pumped his cock in my hand. He groaned and shivered. He let me play for several seconds before moving my hand again and pulling me up tightly against him. He shoved his tongue back into my mouth, deep and hard, and while we kissed, he lifted me up further and lined my opening up with his cock. He slid me down on it slowly and I felt him filling me up and throbbing inside of me. I gripped onto his shoulders and cried out his name as another wave of heat surged through my veins.
I rocked back and forth and lifted myself up and down, doing my best to match each one of his powerful thrusts. I was no expert at this, but I was definitely getting better. I looked up at his face and if the look of ecstasy there was any indication, he was enjoying it as much as I was. I bounced harder and he moved faster, and my body jerked and jolted repeatedly with each one of his delicious thrusts. I was lost in the feelings he was creating inside of me and I never wanted to be found.
He startled me by lifting my butt with one arm and flipping me back onto the bed. He was suddenly on top of me with his tongue in my ear. I lifted my butt up and tried to get him back inside of me. His mouth trailed down from my ear to my neck, and he sucked a piece of it in between his lips and teeth. He was teasing me, torturing me, denying me what he knew that I wanted – and I loved it. My entire life, I’d hated being told what to do. I hated men who thought they could control me. But part of my incredible attraction to Drake is his dominance. I want him to be in charge. I want him to take me to places that I’ve never been…and never bring me back.
He flipped and turned me. He lifted me and held me down, taking me from every conceivable position and in every orifice. He would slam into me for a while until I came screaming and scratching like a wildcat and then he’d slow down and rock me like a baby while I calmed down. I was like a woman possessed. Every time I thought I couldn’t take any more, he would take me again. He kissed and sucked and licked and nibbled my entire body. I was practically a puddle of smouldering liquid by the time I felt him harden and swell inside of me and let himself go. After he milked himself into me, every last drop, he collapsed down and laid his head on my chest while he calmed himself down.