by Anna del Mar
“Of course.” Seth hadn’t mentioned a word about it, but it made perfect sense to me. He practiced his own silent brand of philanthropy.
“Hey, Summer!” Seth motioned me over. “Stop making gooey eyes with Trevor and stick with me. I know the guy’s got game, but I wouldn’t want to lose you in this crowd.”
I took my leave from Trevor and made my way back to Seth. He encased me between his body and the rope, right in front of the stage. I spotted Alex and Gina among a gaggle of dark-haired Ericksons. I made a point to wave at Seth’s cousins.
“Will Astrid come?” I asked.
“Hell, no,” Seth said. “Not her kind of gig. She claims rock gives her migraines.”
Just then, Stuart and Jer made their way to us, eyes shimmering with excitement.
“Cool, yes?” Jer said.
“Super cool!” I said.
“I told you, Ericksons know how to party.”
“Oh, yeah.”
“Here comes the star of my show,” Stuart announced with a proud smile.
Ally made her way up the stage and grabbed the mike. “Hello, Alaska!”
The crowd greeted her back with a roar.
“Welcome, everybody,” she said. “Welcome especially to all the military service members and their families who are our honored guests tonight. Whether you’re on active duty, inactive, retired or reserve, we owe you big time. We love you!”
The crowd cheered.
“I want to give a shout-out to our wounded veterans tonight, who’ve given up so much for us,” Ally said. “Tonight, we celebrate you.”
“Thank you, thank you,” the crowd chanted.
Ally smiled and motioned with her hands to tone down the noise. “This concert is dedicated to the heroes in our lives. Yeah, you know who you are. There’s mine.” She pointed at the mosh pit and the spotlight fell on Seth.
The crowd cheered. “Seth, Seth, Seth.”
My jaw dropped. All those people. They knew Seth by name.
“The little twerp.” Seth shaded his face with his hand, shrinking from the spotlight. “What the hell does she know of real heroes?”
“But you are her hero.” I planted a kiss on his cheek. “Mine too.”
He actually groaned.
“On behalf of a grateful nation,” Ally shouted. “We thank you! And now, I give you...Battle Dragons!”
The stage went dark. The spotlights went crazy. Music blasted the air, together with alarms and a real flyby, ostensibly from the nearby air force base. A military ship lit up on the water, an amphibious assault vehicle that roared onto the beach and dropped the front gate to disgorge the members of the band, already strumming their guitars.
The crowd cheered. The band stormed the stage. The music blared, a mix of metal rock infused with a complex musicality. The lead singer belted out the first verse with a passion that echoed through my veins. Just as he went into the chorus, the stage unfolded and a full orchestra and a chamber choir emerged on elevated platforms. The crowd went insane.
“What do you think?” Ally joined us, flushed and excited, wearing a headset through which she monitored the show. “I expect we should raise a good chunk of change tonight.”
“Sis,” Jer said, “you rock.”
Seth hooked his arm over Ally’s shoulder and hugged her to his side. “Thanks for doing all of this for the guys.”
The acoustics in the outdoor theater were extraordinary. I knew the lyrics to every song and I sang at the top of my lungs. Confined to the small space between Seth’s arms, I danced to my heart’s content, swaying against him, enjoying the feel of his hands encasing my hips, the subtle grind of his groin against my ass.
I was surprised when people started to leap high above the crowd throughout the amphitheater. “What’s going on?”
“Blanket toss,” Seth said. “Want to check it out?”
He led me to the edge of one of the circles, where a bunch of people held a thick hide blanket, tossing a guy who leapt up and down as if he was on a trampoline.
“Wow,” I said. “He’s going high!”
“The Inupiat used to toss hunters on walrus-skin blankets like these to spot the whales in the water,” Seth explained. “They still use it to celebrate good whaling seasons. Want to give it a try?”
“Me? On that thing? Oh, I don’t know...”
Before I could end my sentence, Seth picked me up and tossed me into the recently vacated blanket. The blanket holders heaved in unison, launching me in the air. Up I went, arms and legs flailing, squealing like a madwoman. For a brief moment, I soared above the crowd, only to plummet like a stone, crash on my bum, and bounce again. By the third bounce, I knew enough to stay upright. By the fourth bounce, I was actually enjoying myself, laughing like a little girl, trying to do somersaults in the air.
The thrill. I felt alive. For the first time since my dad’s death, joy gushed through me like a long-awaited flood. I forgot all about having to find Tammy. I forgot about Louise, my duties and responsibilities at work and at home. I forgot about my mother’s murder and the attempt on me. I felt happy, carefree, hopeful. True, the star-studded sky and the powerful music helped me soar high into the Alaskan night, but it was Seth’s smile, waiting for me at the bottom of every bounce, that thrilled me beyond belief.
Just when I thought that this grand night couldn’t get any better, the spotlights illuminated the sea and I spied a spout breaking through the water’s surface.
“Whale,” I shouted and pointed. “Over there. Whale!”
The whale breached in the water, adding its primal majesty to the awesome spectacle that was Alaska. The crowd roared as one. Behind the stage, the ocean exploded with the impact. The blanket holders turned to watch. I fell a long way onto a slack blanket, but Seth was there. He caught me in his arms and set me on my feet.
“Spotting a first whale brings blessings for the season,” he said, face flushed with excitement. “Good?”
“Extraordinary.”
I threw my arms around his neck, dove for his mouth and kissed him. I rocketed up to the sky without the need for the walrus-hide blanket. I was sleepwalking while awake, caught in an extraordinary dream and unwilling to wake. As if on cue, the band began to play my all-time favorite song, “Slave to My Dreams.” I couldn’t stop kissing Seth.
“Get a room,” someone called out playfully nearby.
“Oh, God,” I muttered when I came up for breath.
“I know what you mean.” Seth grabbed my hand. “The hell with it.”
He led me under the rope. A mere look was all he needed for security to let us through. I thought we were going backstage, but instead of going upstairs, Seth ducked below the stage, where I followed blindly.
I stumbled in the dim space, surrounded by scaffolding, tripping over tangles of wires and cables. I dodged the metal braces that held the stage, which hovered dangerously close to the top of Seth’s head. The scent of trampled seaweed and sea salt enveloped my senses, combined with a heady whiff of pot. Someone had used this hideout before us.
It was loud down here, deafening in fact, but as Seth crushed me against his body, the sounds of the music enfolded us in an acoustic cocoon, lending us a sense of intimacy. It was a totally false one, but in my current state of lust, I didn’t care. I clung to Seth, devouring his mouth, exploring the shape of his body with eager hands, engaging him in a slow, grinding dance.
Seth braced himself against a metal column and cupped my ass. I lifted one foot on a pylon and dug the other one in the sand to give him berth. He angled between my legs and pressed me against his groin. The pleasure of that rasping contact left me breathless. The thrill of doing this, now, here, was an aphrodisiac.
I was so aroused that I couldn’t think. There was a lot of freedom in not thinking. Intense an
d all-consuming need freed me from my mind’s bondage. All of my body’s resources were committed to fulfilling the primal craving aching and throbbing between my thighs. Seth’s hands found all kinds of ways around my clothing, diving beneath my coat, dipping into my jeans, stealing into my bra and raking over my rigid nipples.
My hips curled in and out of his hands. My crotch rubbed hard against his jeans, riding his erection’s wooden path. He felt so good! My own jeans contributed to the friction. The seam pressed against my clit. My sex smarted and chafed and yet I didn’t want to stop. I rasped against him like a match on sandpaper.
It didn’t take more than a song, maybe two. I cried out so loud, the whole of Alaska must have heard me coming. Seth roared in my ear. His fingers dug into my flesh. Pleasure struck us in unison, drove us to our knees and left us both shaking and sucking for breath.
The crowd cheered the end of the song at the same time that my body hailed a mind-blowing orgasm. I couldn’t believe my staggering, newfound capability for sexual pleasure. It was Seth. He was like an accelerant to my fires. Together we were an explosion waiting to happen.
I kissed his mouth, his neck, the spot pulsing with his powerful heartbeats. I basked in his enthralling scent, spent male, come and sexual sweat. He gathered me on his lap and held me as if I were a part of him, his arm, his leg, his heart, as if he’d never let me go. We clung to each other for a long time, trying to catch our breaths. For all I knew, we were the only two people remaining in the world.
“Hell, Summer.” He planted a kiss on my lips. “I think we made fire.”
I was pretty sure I’d felt the flames.
Eventually, reluctantly, his arms loosened about me. “I guess we should get back out there. I don’t want you to miss the grand finale.”
“Didn’t we just have one of those?” I said. “Wait, do you mean grander than that?”
The smile he gave me ignited me all over again. “Not that grand.”
He planted another kiss on my lips then helped me rise to my feet in spite of my wobbly knees. We straightened our clothes as best we could. Together, we stole out from beneath the stage and back to our roped section, grinning at each other like fools, partners in naughty crimes.
The world streamed before my eyes like a high-definition movie. My overly stimulated body resonated with every single note. The light dazzled my eyes. For a girl who had shunned sex most of her life, it had been a day of sex and excess, and yet I couldn’t regret it. My body savored Seth’s essence. My sex quickened with the memories. My heart drummed in tune with my body’s song. For once, my soul felt whole.
Back behind the rope, Seth put his arms around me and held me through this other grand finale. I leaned against him as we watched the fireworks light up the night. I craned my neck to glance up at him, feeling as close and intimate as I’d ever felt to another human being. Eyes wide, lips turned up at the ends, he looked happy.
The concert came to an end with an explosion of light and music. When the glorious sounds ceased and the band took a final bow, after the spotlights dimmed and the crowd began to disperse, we lingered behind. We held hands and talked with Seth’s friends along with Ally, Stuart, and Jer, enjoying the concert’s resounding success.
I waited while Seth talked to some of his crew. I couldn’t help but notice that a few of his cousins hovered nearby in an isolated little group, as if contemplating approaching him. A little part of me empathized with their hesitation, since I still remembered keenly how intimidating Seth had been when I first met him on that frozen stretch of Alaskan road. As more of Seth’s crew came over, he lingered greeting them. The cousins wavered. It looked like they were getting ready to leave. I knew the rule, the strict division between the Erickson factions, but, hey, I wasn’t technically an Erickson and I didn’t want to let the opportunity go to waste.
I took a deep breath, mumbled a little prayer and sauntered over to the group. It took some courage, but I introduced myself and struck up a conversation with some of the girls. They were a little leery of me at first, but after we got talking, I found out that they were curious about me and interested in anything I had to say about Seth. So I said a lot and all of it was true.
And then, something incredible happened. Seth came over and joined me. He actually engaged his cousins in conversation, asked them about their lives and even joked a little with them, reminiscing about their youth. One of the women actually asked him about what had happened at Star Lake. Seth told his side of the story and, as he answered other questions, began to share with them his vision for the company’s future. His cousins listened. And boy, he was good. I was so proud of him. I melted into the background and enjoyed the magical moment when Seth lowered his drawbridge and allowed his family into his mind’s formidable fortress.
Alex noticed. I watched him from the corner of my eye. His face set into a grim expression as more of his own brothers and sisters gravitated toward Seth. Never one to be upstaged, he countered Seth’s move by approaching the folks from Seth’s New Mission Program. One thing I’d learned during my brief time in Alaska was the people here relished strong views and the right to express them. Alex might have been born in Alaska, but he hadn’t learned that lesson yet. He offered his hand to my new friend, Trevor, but Trevor’s fingers tightened around his chair’s wheels as he refused to shake with Alex.
Alex’s face flushed a deep shade of crimson. “What’s your problem? Don’t you know who am I? Don’t you want to meet one of the Ericksons that supports your little program?”
“I know who you are.” Trevor spat on the ground. “I haven’t forgotten what you tried to do last week. I also know the Ericksons that matter. You’re not one of them.”
“The hell with you,” Alex said. “I can have you thrown out in no time. Who do you think you are talking to me like that?”
“He’s Seth’s VIP guest.” I stepped in. “Why don’t you move on, Alex?”
Alex sneered. “An imported slut like you wants to tell me what to do while standing on Erickson property?”
Trevor grumbled. “You shouldn’t call a lady names if you’re aiming for a punch-free night.”
Alex snapped. “Shut up, wheels. She’s no lady and what are you gonna do, trample me with your wheelchair?”
Seth was suddenly there, standing next to me. “What’s the problem here?”
“No problem.” I exchanged a pleading look with Trevor, who immediately understood the need to avoid trouble.
“Just waiting for my ride,” Trevor said.
“You need to upgrade your taste in friends,” Alex said. “Between this moron and that slut, you’re surrounded by freaks.”
Seth’s body uncoiled with the speed of a viper. He lunged at Alex. Hand around his throat, he slammed him against the stage. I got in between the men, pried Seth’s fingers one by one from Alex’s neck and, planting my hands on Seth’s chest, pushed back with all I had.
It was like trying to move a mountain. Trevor helped, wedging his chair between the men. People around us took notice. Jer and Stuart rushed to help me hold Seth back.
“What’s going on?” Jer asked.
“Your hothead brother is itching for a fight.” Alex fingered his neck and straightened his collar with an angry tug. “When you hang out with crap, you get splashed.”
Seth rumbled. “I’m warning you.”
“Come on, Seth,” I said. “Let’s go home.”
“Run away, little boy,” Alex taunted. “Hide behind your girlfriend just as you’ve always hidden behind Grandma’s skirt.”
“Is that what this is about?” Seth said.
“I don’t need propping up,” Alex said. “And I don’t need the support of an old wrinkled crone to do my job.”
This time it took more of us to hold Seth back.
“This is what he wants,” I said. “He wa
nts to provoke you, ruin your evening and show everybody that you’re short-tempered and violent. Don’t give him the satisfaction.”
“Yeah, Seth, go home,” Alex said. “Take your whore with you, see if she can squeeze more Erickson money out of your inert little dick. After all, there aren’t too many whores willing to put up with a half-grilled coward who killed half his crew.”
Alex had called me names. He’d insulted me in every possible way. He’d even messed with Trevor, someone he had no business irking. But it was his cruelty toward Seth that set me off. Before my mind registered, I was on Alex and my fist collided with his jawbone.
He staggered backward, stunned. “What the fuck?”
I stared at my fist, throbbing with pain. “Ow.”
“You bitch!” Alex charged at me, face twisted with rage.
One moment Seth was standing behind me, held back by Stuart, Jer, Trevor, and several others. The next moment, a dark shadow flew at the edge of my peripheral vision, all of the guys sprawled on the ground, and Seth pounded on Alex with lethal efficiency.
Stuart and Jer tried to stop the fight, but Alex’s brothers got in the way. The fighting expanded. The guys of Seth’s squadron jumped into the fray along with his friends from the program. Within seconds, most people who’d lingered in the mosh pit were fighting, even if most of them didn’t know why.
And that’s how the best night of my life went to hell.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Robert arrived at the sitting room, carrying another silver bucket full of ice. He assessed our sorry lot and shook his head. “I can’t believe that you were willing to put the mistress through this,” he said somberly. “I might have expected this sort of behavior from others, but not from you. The troopers had to be called. The troopers!”
As he exited the room, his countenance left no doubt that he was disappointed in all of us. No wonder. Seth sprawled on the couch, pressing an ice bag to his eye. Jer leaned over a mirror, disinfecting the gash on his forehead. Ally iced Stuart’s shoulder, while Stuart examined my hand. I opened and closed my fist for him. I was pretty sure none of my knuckles were broken, but boy, they hurt.