by Jill Sanders
His hands continued to run over her soft skin and hair. He’d helped her scrub the honey from her long locks when they’d first stepped under the water.
“Shower sex can be just as… slippery.” He smiled and was thankful he’d brought another condom into the shower with him.
“Are you ready for more?” she asked, her eyes going to his cock, which instantly jumped in response. “Wow.” She smiled.
“Sorry, I’ve been wanting you for a while,” he said between kisses.
“Don’t be sorry.” She wrapped her arms around his shoulders.
“I could spend a lifetime lost in your arms,” he said against her skin. He felt her stiffen slightly and kissed her until he felt her relax again.
Making slow love to her in the shower was even better than their sticky-quickie in the kitchen.
When they finally made it back to her bed, he was exhausted and knew that if he didn’t have to set an alarm for the morning, he could easily spend the following day with her wrapped around him.
Dressing the next morning was one of the hardest things he’d had to do. She busied herself getting ready and, after a few minutes, he could tell she was avoiding him.
To stop all the weirdness, he pulled her into his arms and kissed her until he felt her melt.
“This doesn’t have to be weird,” he told her. “I want to see you again tonight.”
“Okay,” she said with a smile. “Dinner…”
“I’m scheduled to help out all week. There’s the big party tonight then the reunion.” He knew he was already on the schedule for that. No matter what, he planned on spending as many of his nights with Scarlett as he could.
“Okay.” She wrapped her arms round his shoulders. “After dinner then.”
He nodded. “Think your sisters will make a big deal about us?”
She laughed. “For sure.”
He shrugged. “It doesn’t have to be weird.”
“No,” she agreed. “It doesn’t.” She kissed him. “Now, you’d better go before your late. You don’t want to piss off your boss so soon after sleeping with her.”
He chuckled but kissed her again until he felt her body heat. “I’ll see you later.”
For the first time in two years, he didn’t really want to go into work.
As he took the small group out on the calm bay in the kayaks, he couldn’t keep his mind from last night.
Even when the pretty blond guest went out of her way to flirt with him, his thoughts remained on his Sassy.
Flirting came with the job description, if you wanted to make tips, so he knew how to do it well. His heart had never really been in it, except with Scarlett.
He found Scarlett and her friends at lunchtime and sat next to her, rubbing knees with her under the table while everyone talked about the coming dinner party.
He didn’t know if everyone had caught on about them yet, but it was only a matter of time before they did. The fact that Scarlett hadn’t berated him for anything during lunch should have been the biggest clue of them all.
When he’d joked with the rest of the group about something, she’d been right there laughing with all of them instead of scowling at him like she had in the past.
No matter what her friends thought, he knew they respected him and Scarlett. After all, Zoey had been the one to encourage her sister to go see him. She had to know there was something between them.
Since his schedule was full that day, he only had a few minutes to hunt her down and kiss her behind the swimming pool pump house.
“I’m running late,” he told her before taking her in his arms and pulling her behind the small building.
“Your boss will understand.” She sighed and tried to hold onto him.
“Can’t.” He chuckled. “My boss’s sister will ream me when I don’t show up to help her set up for the volleyball game.” He glanced over his shoulder to see if Zoey was at the sand court yet.
“Tell her you got in a fight with me. She’ll believe it.” Scarlett smiled up at him.
“Do you think she knows yet?” he asked, resting his forehead against hers.
“She does now,” a voice said from directly behind him, causing him to cringe.
“I can explain.” He glanced over his shoulder and winced at the look Zoey was giving him.
“On your own time, buddy.” She gripped his arms and tugged him away from her sister.
Levi glanced back at Scarlett and mouthed, “I’m sorry,” to her as Zoey pulled him towards the courts.
“Think she bought it?” Zoey asked as soon as they were out of earshot.
His steps faltered. “You… you’re not mad?”
As an answer, Zoey doubled over with laughter.
“Oh, that was rich.” She pretended to wipe a tear from her eyes.
“Okay,” he said slowly.
“Please.” She waved him off and then handed him the volleyball flags and motioned for him to set them up around the sandy court. “Everyone knew the moment Scarlett walked into our breakfast meeting with a huge I-just-had-the-best-sex-of-my- life look on her face.”
He stilled, unsure what to say, which had Zoey laughing again. Then she shoved him on the shoulder.
“Set up the flags. People are starting to gather for the game.”
Glancing around, he realized there was a small crowd gathering. Rushing around the makeshift sand court, he set up the boundary flags and then took his place as referee as Zoey explained the rules of the game.
He was halfway through the game when he realized Scarlett was sitting at the pool bar, watching him.
The distraction caused him to miss a call, and one of the guests yelled at him. For the rest of the game, he tried to focus, even though he was highly aware she was watching him as she sipped an iced tea.
When the game was over, Zoey shoved him towards the bar area. “Go. I’ll take the next game since you can’t seem to focus.” She winked at him.
“Thanks. I owe you one,” he called over his shoulder. He jogged across the pool deck and stopped in front of Scarlett. He ran his eyes over her camp shirt and khaki shorts.
“Hey.” He smiled at her and took a sip of her tea.
“Hey.” She smiled.
“Got a break?”
“I do.” She tilted her head and glanced over towards the game. “Do you?”
“Your sister thinks I’m too distracted to referee.” He ran a finger up her arm. He felt her vibrate under his touch and smiled.
“You are. The last call was clearly out, yet you gave them the point,” she teased.
“Oh?” He moved closer and wrapped an arm around her narrow waist. “We could stand here and debate my skills at referring a volleyball game, or…”
She gripped his shirt and pulled him towards the pathway as he chuckled. “Where are you taking me?” he asked when she turned off the pathway into thicker trees and brush.
“Somewhere we can be alone.”
He hadn’t expected her to drag him into a small storage shed where they stored some of the used sports equipment.
“Sorry,” she said when she bumped up against him as she shut the door behind her. “I thought this was bigger than it is.” She looked around. “And cleaner.” She frowned.
He chuckled as he pulled her closer to him. “You won’t hear me complaining.” Kissing her in the cool, dark storage shed was just as thrilling as kissing her last night. He felt his entire body heat at her slightest touch.
The shed was beyond dirty, so he tried to keep the mood light, but the longer they spent in the small space, the more he wanted her.
“How soon can we cut out of the dinner party tonight?” he asked against her ear. Their breathing was labored, and he would have to take a very long walk or an extremely cold shower in order to be seen anywhere in public.
“Not soon enough,” she answered as she glanced down at her watch. “I have to go get ready soon.” She rested her forehead against his chest. “Tell me you’re going to be we
aring your tux tonight?”
“It’s required. Why?”
She sighed before she answered. “I’ve dreamed of pulling it off you.” She glanced up at him shyly.
“Really?”
“It’s a fetish. My James Bond fantasy.” She smiled.
He chuckled. “Okay, two can play at this. I’ve always liked you in that little red dress. The one with the straps in the back.” He ran his hands over her shoulders.
“Noted. I guess I’ll see you tonight.” Then she lifted on her toes and kissed him once more before leaving him in the dark shed.
What was he supposed to do now? Stand in here until his dick went back down. Hell, he could still taste her on his lips, which meant that unless he did something drastic, there was zero possibility of him being on time for dinner.
Stepping out into the daylight, he glanced around. Finding himself alone, he figured his best bet was to head towards the small private beach area and take a short swim in the cool water. That way he could kill two birds with one stone—get clean and allow his desire to dissipate.
He was so focused on getting to the edge of the water that he didn’t spot the blond woman stepping out of the water.
“Oh,” she gasped, her hand sliding over his chest, telling him instantly that she’d maneuvered it so they would bump into one another.
“Sorry.” He started to skirt around her, but her nails dug into his arms, holding him in place.
“Levi?” The woman’s tone turned excited. “Is that you?” She did a little gasp and he could tell instantly it was fake.
“Sorry,” he said again, focused on the goal of getting in the water before he embarrassed himself.
“It’s me.” She giggled. “Jenny Carpenter, well, Baker now.” She held up her hand showcasing a massive diamond.
Shit, Levi thought. Two weeks ago, he wouldn’t have known who the woman was. And if Scarlett hadn’t reminded him of all the hell that she’d put Scarlett and her Wildflowers through all those summers ago, he would have tried to be friendly with her, since she was a guest. Now here she was, practically plastered to his body, and with his raging boner still going strong thanks to his time with Scarlett.
He took hold of the woman’s shoulders and forced her back a step. “I’m sorry.” He shook his head, deciding it was best to play dumb.
She slapped him playfully on his shoulder. “Of course you remember me. All that crazy fun we used to get into here on the campgrounds.” She didn’t give him a chance to respond and just kept talking. “When I heard this place had opened back up, well, I just knew Robert and I had to come take a look at it.” She glanced around as if realizing she’d forgotten her husband. “He’s around here somewhere. Anyway, I heard from Stephany that you were working here and was wondering when I’d bump into you.” Her eyes ran up and down him. By this point, he’d lost the last proof of his desire for Scarlett, thankfully.
“I’m sorry, Jenny, I have work…” He started to turn back towards the main buildings of the camp, since he no longer needed the dunk in the cool water. But she was still gripping his shoulders, holding him still.
“Someone told me that you are still single.” She smiled and moved closer to him. “I just can’t imagine why some woman hasn’t gobbled you up yet.” She purred the last.
“You heard wrong,” he said, setting her aside before she could rope him into anything else. “Now, I have to get back to work.” He turned and left the beach. He didn’t have to look back to know that she was pouting at his back and watching him closely.
Steering towards the dining hall before he went to shower and change for the dinner hour, he found Aubrey putting the finishing touches on the dinner decorations.
“Red alert,” he said, stopping next to her. “Jenny Carpenter, now Baker, is on the premises.”
“What?” The glass candleholder she was setting on the table slipped from her hands and crashed to the table. Thankfully, it didn’t break. “Seriously?” Aubrey recovered and glanced around. “How did you…” Her eyes narrowed. “I’ll warn the others.” She turned to go, then stopped and glanced back at him. “You’d better be on your best behavior tonight.”
He would have chuckled, just knowing that Scarlett had been pissed at him all these years because Jenny had been conniving, but instead he nodded. Still, he had hoped that the rest of the Wildflowers would have some trust in him after all these years. He couldn’t explain it, but knowing they didn’t stung.
“Trust me, it’s not me you have to worry about.” He almost growled it as he stormed out of the room.
Chapter Fifteen
“I don’t know what I did to piss him off,” Aubrey was telling Scarlett as they got ready for dinner, “but I’ve never seen him so mad before.”
“I don’t think he was mad at you.” She bit her bottom lip, remembering how he’d found out that Jenny had tricked Scarlett into thinking there had been something between the two of them.
She’d confided in her friends what Levi had told her, and they had all agreed that they believed his version of the story.
“No?” Aubrey turned so that Scarlett could zip up her dress.
“No.” She sighed. Since tonight was another ball, they each would be wearing the long evening dresses Elle had picked out for them last year.
She had really wanted to wear the short sexy red dress with the thin straps in the back for Levi that night, but she pulled on a long flowing red dress with the thin straps instead.
He had his tux he had to wear, and she had her own uniform. If she’d shown up in the shorter dress, Elle would have never let her live it down.
Aubrey’s pale pink dress was almost identical to Scarlett’s red one along and the rest of the Wildflower’s dresses. Elle wore her signature silver, and Hannah wore blue while Zoey often wore black.
She liked that the five of them always coordinated their outfits for big events. It kept her from destroying her closet to find something each time they had to dress up. The other day, she’d gone through five different outfits just to spend the day at the beach with Levi.
“So, you and Levi, you’re getting serious?” Aubrey asked, zipping Scarlett’s dress up.
“We just spent the weekend together,” she admitted, happy that her face was turned away from her friend so she couldn’t see the fear in her eyes.
“You know we all love him,” Aubrey finished up. “He’s the right man for you. The two of you have been dancing around this for… well, forever.” She chuckled.
Scarlett’s eyes narrowed. “What about you and Aiden?” she asked, and Aubrey’s face flushed before she turned around.
“The man doesn’t know I exist.” She shrugged and finished putting on her lipstick.
“Bull.” Scarlett took the lipstick from her and applied some on her own lips. “He practically falls over his feet each time you walk by.”
“No, he doesn’t.” Aubrey looked shocked.
“You should make a move.” Scarlett smiled. “If he’s too shy…”
“He is not shy,” Aubrey started. “Busy, I believe is the word you are looking for. He not only oversees the cabins on the camp, but now he’s heading up Owen’s housing project. Not to mention trying to finish up Dylan and your sister’s house before their wedding this fall.”
“Right.” Scarlett smiled. “Less than two months away.” She tried to hide her sadness. But Aubrey, being the good friend she was, heard it and took Scarlett’s shoulders until they were eye to eye.
“Dylan won’t hurt her. Something tells me that all the Costa brothers are life-longers. God knows they aren’t cheaters.” She chuckled. “No one would dare cross a Wildflower.” Aubrey smiled. “Now, we’re going to be late for dinner, and we want to show Jenny Carpenter up.”
“Right.” Scarlett’s smile grew as she looked at the pair of them in the mirror. “We are definitely hotter.”
“Damn right we are.” Aubrey laughed and slapped Scarlett on the butt. “Now, let’s go.”
&n
bsp; Stepping into the dining hall, it was hard not to scan the crowded place for her arch nemesis. So, she focused on greeting guests and being helpful, showing everyone to their assigned tables and telling them where the bathrooms were.
When they had opened the camp back up, one thing they had all agreed on was that each evening needed to be unique for their guests. They had set up a schedule so that, each night of the month, dinner was centered around a different theme.
Tonight’s theme was “A Night of Fancy,” which meant most guests were dressed in their finest. Of course, there were those stragglers that wandered in still in their normal attire. All were welcomed as long as they had changed out of their beachwear.
If guests didn’t want a fancier dinner, they were welcomed to eat from the same menu outside at the pool dining area.
In the last two years, the guests had confirmed their love for the dinner themes.
During the holidays, they had everything from costume parties to masked balls. The dinners during the holidays were some of the busiest, with almost all of the guests getting into the spirit.
Less than fifteen minutes later, Jenny Carpenter strolled through the front door on the arm of a silver haired heavy-set man. The fact that the man could have easily been Jenny’s grandfather caused Scarlett to do a double take.
Was this really her husband? Scarlett ran her eyes over Jenny. The woman looked the same. Exactly the same. It was as if she hadn’t aged a day in eight years. Then Scarlett realized that Jenny still looked like a teenager—unsophisticated, unrefined.
One thing Scarlett had prided herself on since she and her friends had opened the camp was that they had learned how to showcase class in everything they wore. Even their camp uniforms.
Jenny was wearing a white dress that was two sizes too small for her body. Her blond hair was curled and flowing over her shoulders, showcasing what was obviously a new pair of breasts.
Scarlett knew plenty of women who had gotten breast augmentation, and most of the time she admired the jobs. But Jenny’s were straight up stripper tits. Large fake double D’s that didn’t fit her tiny body frame, just like everything else she wore.