Summer on Main Street

by Crista McHugh

  Images of her lips wrapped around his dick while she took him in her mouth raced through his mind, and the ache in his balls doubled. He bit back another groan. At this rate, he’d be coming before she ever laid hands on him.

  She wrapped her hands around his shaft and rubbed her thumb over the tip. For such a soft touch, it sent shock waves of pleasure rippling through him. “What do you say to that, Hunter?”

  He squeezed his eyes shut and nodded. God, the woman knew how to rub him the right way.

  But just as he was beginning to lose himself in the ecstasy of her touch, the door to her bedroom banged open.

  Both Chelsea and Lisa shrieked at the same time, and his erection vanished. Playtime was officially over.

  Chelsea yanked the covers up over her chest. “Haven’t you ever heard of knocking?”

  Lisa stared at them with wide eyes and red cheeks. “I’m sorry,” she managed to get out.

  “Can you at least give us a minute to get decent?” Chelsea asked.

  Thank goodness she managed to keep her head about her because right now, he was still trying to catch his breath and fight a case of blue balls.

  “Bubba never came home last night.” Lisa’s voice wavered with the worry that matched the expression on her face.

  “He’s in my room,” Hunter managed to get out through clenched teeth.

  “Bubba was so drunk last night, we didn’t want him to wake you, so Hunter gave up his room,” Chelsea added.

  And moved into her bed for the best night of sex he’d ever experienced.

  Chelsea pointed to the bedroom across the hall. “Now can you please shut the door and let us get dressed?”

  “Oh, okay.” Lisa’s cheeks continued to burn red as she stepped back and pulled the door closed behind her.

  Chelsea buried her face in her palms. “That was awkward.”

  “Yeah.” He pulled her hands down and placed a kiss on the tip of her nose. “But if I had to be caught tangled in the sheets with anyone, I’m glad it was you.”

  The embarrassment faded, leaving behind a glow that made him hope that she was finally seeing him as something more than a conceited prick. “Same here.”

  She glanced over at the alarm clock on the nightstand, and her body tensed. “Shit! It’s almost ten.”

  “And?”

  “Lisa’s bridal brunch is at 10:30.” She tossed the covers aside. “I have like ten minutes to get ready.”

  He lay on his side, enjoying the sight of her naked body as she raced around the room to gather her things. He could watch her all day, especially like this. “Any chance you could call it off?”

  “Can’t.” She wrapped a towel around her torso and grabbed her bag full of bathroom things. “Bridesmaid’s duties and all.”

  He caught her arm and pulled her back into bed for one more searing kiss. “Then we’ll have to fulfill that rain check sometime in the future.”

  He left it open ended on purpose. If she could only give him tonight, he’d take it. But if she was willing to consider many more nights once he moved to Durham, he’d thank his lucky stars.

  “Behave and maybe I will.” But her flirtatious smile told him she was more than open to the idea.

  Chelsea ran down the hall to the guest bathroom, and the sound of the shower reverberated through the wall. He’d have to wait for her to finish before he could get his. His schedule wasn’t nearly as packed as hers, anyway. The only things he had to do were get Bubba sobered up and slip into a suit for the wedding at six.

  Oh, and get more condoms, he mentally added as he looked at the rumpled sheets.

  He pulled his clothes back on and ventured across the hallway to his room.

  Bubba sat on the edge of the bed, his palms pressed against his temples. “Holy shit, how much did I drink?”

  “I lost count after you and Uncle Ev started doing shots.” Hunter opened up the bottle of the electrolyte solution. “Here, have a sip of this.”

  Bubba followed the instruction, only to cough and spray out the sip he’d taken. “What are you trying to do? Poison me?”

  “It will get you over your hangover faster.” He tapped the plastic bottle. “Small sips.”

  “This stuff is awful,” Bubba said after taking another sip and looking a little green.

  “Then maybe you’ll learn not to drink yourself stupid.” Hunter leaned against the wall and watched his friend slowly consume the clear liquid.

  “No more. I’m going to be sick.” Bubba handed him the bottle back, minus about a quarter of its contents.

  “Not bad. We’ll give you some more after some coffee.”

  Bubba only needed a little help making it to the kitchen table. The coffee had just finished brewing when the ladies dashed through the room. Lisa paused long enough to place a kiss on her soon-to-be husband’s forehead and say, “I hope to God you’re in better shape by this afternoon.”

  “I will be, honey.” Bubba gave her a weak smile. “And if I’m not?”

  “Then I’m going to smack J.T. for getting you in this state.”

  Chelsea caught his eye and shook her head, her body shaking with silent laughter.

  Hunter would’ve done the same if he wasn’t the one charged with sobering him up. It was a Herculean task, but he’d give it his best shot.

  “We’ll see y’all later,” Lisa said with a wave.

  As the car drove off, Bubba lifted his head and squinted one eye. “So what was all the yelling this morning about?”

  “Don’t ask.” His balls still ached from the memory. He poured two cups of coffee and joined Bubba at the table.

  “I am going to ask ’cause I have a pretty good idea what got them gals all riled up.” His grin widened, and signs of the good ol’ Bubba started reappearing. “Did you and Chelsea have a little sleepover?”

  Hunter lifted his cup and gave Bubba a matching grin. “You know I never kiss and tell.”

  Bubba slapped his thigh and started to laugh, only to end up wincing. He fumbled for his cup. “Damn, I need more coffee.”

  Hunter waited until his friend had finished the first cup before adding, “Thanks.”

  “Anytime.”

  ***

  Chelsea waited until they were off the gravel road before attempting to put her eyeliner on in the car.

  “So, how was he?”

  Lisa’s question startled her, and a silvery line streaked onto her upper cheek. Chelsea cursed and grabbed a tissue from her purse to clean it up. “Cut right to the point, don’t you?”

  Her friend shrugged. “You seemed to have this nice glow about you, so…”

  Chelsea tried to smother her smile, but it was no use. She was quickly falling head over heels for Hunter. Hell, she’d been contemplating some risky behavior before Lisa interrupted them.

  But then doubt tinged her happy thoughts. What if this was just a fling? What if Hunter had already gotten what he wanted from her? Did he want to continue things once he moved to North Carolina? She shifted in the passenger seat and tried to think of a way to casually bring it up later today.

  They pulled up to a sunny yellow Victorian home with a sign that read, “Honey Bee B&B.” Cars lined the driveway and the street, and Chelsea cursed under her breath. They were late.

  Lisa, though, combed her fingers through her hair one more time and smoothed her skirt. “Ready?”

  Chelsea checked the minimal makeup she’d managed to put on in the car. At least it didn’t look like a three-year-old had applied it. “I suppose.”

  Lisa entered the home with an air of serenity about her. Chelsea never would’ve guessed she was a bride a few hours away from her wedding.

  Alex, on the other hand, was a picture of pure panic. Her pale face made her scant freckles stand out, and her wide brown eyes spoke of pure fear. She grabbed Chelsea by the arm and dragged her off into the corner. “You’ve got to help me. I have no idea what to do.”

  Years of convention planning took over, and Chelsea said in a c
alm voice, “Take a deep breath and tell me what needs to be done.”

  As Alex listed all the things that hadn’t gone to plan so far this morning, Chelsea’s head started to throb. Jesus, didn’t she know anything about throwing a party? Finally, she cut Alex off. “Okay, let’s change the plans. You take care of Lisa and make sure she’s enjoying this brunch. I’ll talk to Miss Martha and get everything back on track.”

  “Deal.” Alex gave her a grateful smile and dashed off to find Lisa.

  Chelsea ran through the to-do list and decided to start with the kitchen. A frazzled woman with snow-white hair fretted over a cookie sheet with mini-quiches when she walked in.

  “Oh, thank heavens!” she exclaimed when she spotted Chelsea. “Someone to help.”

  Chelsea grabbed an apron and tied it around her dress. “What happened?”

  “My girl called in sick, so it’s just me trying to do all this.”

  Chelsea surveyed the scene. A dozen different appetizers lay on the counters in various stages of preparation. “Do you want to cook or serve, Miss Martha?”

  “It’s my kitchen.” The older woman lifted her chin like she dared Chelsea to try and take over her domain.

  “Then I’ll start serving.” She took the cookie sheet from Martha and placed the warm quiches on a silver tray. “Do you have the champagne out?”

  “Three bottles on ice out there.” The older woman started cutting cheddar biscuits out of the rolled dough on the counter. “There’s more in the refrigerator.”

  Chelsea stepped out into the main room filled with well-dressed ladies holding champagne flutes and casually chattering away, but the minute they spotted her, they descended on the tray like a flock of vultures and picked it clean.

  She looked from the empty tray to the empty bottles in the ice bucket and gritted her teeth. This was not the way she’d planned on spending her morning.

  The bridal brunch settled into a series of back-and-forth trips to the kitchen for Chelsea. By the time Martha had finished preparing the last dish, the guests had gone through two cases of champagne, and an air of giddiness filled the room. Chelsea uncorked the last two bottles and felt a tap on her arm.

  Miss Martha took the bottles from her. “Go and enjoy a little bit of the party, dear.”

  Chelsea’s stomach grumbled, but she managed a weak smile for the B&B owner. “Are you sure?”

  “Yes, I can handle it from here.” Martha filled a flute with champagne and handed it to Chelsea. “Thank you so much for helping me out.”

  Chelsea found a plate and gathered what little food was left on it. What she wouldn’t give for a big, juicy hamburger right now. Then she smoothed her hair back into place and attempted to mingle with the guests.

  The room was a mix of locals and sorority sisters. Chelsea took a moment to catch up with old friends as she worked the room, making her way back to where Alex stood guard next to Lisa by the fireplace. She’d almost made it there when one of her sorority sisters, Kayla Jenson, intercepted her.

  “Chelsea, sweetie, how are you?” she asked in a saccharine voice.

  She fixed a smile on her face. “Doing great. You?”

  “Couldn’t be better.” She swept her arm toward Lisa and wobbled in her high heels, revealing that this wasn’t her first glass of champagne. “I heard you got paired up with Hunter McLemore for the wedding.”

  Her heart jumped. How much had Lisa told the guests about finding them together this morning? “He’s one of Bubba’s groomsmen.”

  “I still remember when he threw you into the pool on graduation night.”

  “Who could forget it?” Chelsea replied, trying to get out of this conversation as quickly as possible.

  “Well, up until that moment, I could’ve sworn he was sweet on you.”

  Chelsea started and licked her dry lips. “What are you talking about?”

  Kayla laughed a little too loudly to be genuine. “You didn’t know what he did to keep you in our sorority?”

  “No.” But she was all ears now.

  Kayla snickered and emptied her glass before answering. “Well, when that scandal with your daddy broke, Jennifer Morris called a secret meeting to decide whether or not to kick you out of the sorority. Of course, when the time came to vote on the matter a few days later, she called it off. Seems Hunter’s momma had been a member of our chapter and made a sizable donation. Of course, she’s a member of the Raleigh Youngs, and they’re loaded. I’ll bet the farm he had a hand in it.”

  The room started spinning. Had Hunter come to her rescue once again without her realizing it? Chelsea stumbled back and into a steadying arm. She turned around to find Lisa standing behind her with an apologetic smile.

  “Kayla, you don’t mind if I steal my bridesmaid away from you?” Lisa asked. “We have to get to the salon to get our hair done.”

  Chelsea’s hands trembled as Lisa led her out of the still-crowded room and got back to the car. Once the engine roared to life, she asked in a small voice, “Did you know about that?”

  Lisa remained quiet for a moment, leaning on the steering wheel, but not putting the car in drive. “Yes, I knew. About all of it.”

  “Why didn’t you tell me?”

  Her friend turned and raised both brows. “Would you have wanted to know that Jennifer was planning on kicking you out all because of something your father did?”

  Chelsea shook her head. Her life had been chaotic enough then. Knowing the then-president of her sorority was planning on ousting her would’ve only added to her distress. “And that part about Hunter?”

  Lisa’s lips pressed into a thin line. “You’d have to ask him about that.”

  “And my job in Raleigh? Do you think he had a hand in that, too?”

  Lisa shifted the car into drive. “You’d have to ask him about that, too.”

  Chelsea curled her hands into fists to keep from shouting at her best friend. All this time, Lisa had known, and she’d never mentioned anything about it. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

  “Because it wasn’t my place to.” The stubborn tone of Lisa’s reply told her she wouldn’t say anything more about it, leaving Chelsea with more questions than answers as they drove to the salon.

  What else had Hunter done for her without her knowledge? And more importantly, why?

  Chapter Ten

  Bubba snapped his arm out to the side, smacking J.T. under the ribs with his elbow and slapping Hunter in the gut like he was trying to hold them back. “Hot damn,” the groom said softly, his voice matching the amazement in his face, “have you ever seen a more beautiful woman?”

  While he had to agree Lisa made a beautiful bride as she walked down the aisle on her daddy’s arm, Hunter only had eyes for the woman who’d walked down the very same aisle a moment before. The sapphire blue dress made Chelsea’s eyes sparkle, and her blond hair gleamed like polished gold under the light of the tiki torches and the setting sun. She’d given him a shy smile that made his chest tighten, and he couldn’t help but steal one more glance at her before Lisa took her place in front of the preacher.

  Lightning bugs drifted in from the woods during the ceremony, adding a touch of magic to the scene. Bubba and Lisa both choked up as they read their vows, but when it came time for them to share their first kiss as husband and wife, Bubba displayed his usual comedic flare. He tossed Lisa over his shoulder and said to the crowd, “If y’all will excuse us, I’m going to take my wife someplace private so I can kiss her in a way that might not be considered proper by some folks.”

  The guests all laughed, and Bubba set her back down to give her a somewhat tame kiss.

  After the applause, they dashed down the aisle, followed by Alex and J.T.

  Hunter waited for Chelsea to take his arm before doing the same. Tears glistened in the corners of her eyes, but he couldn’t tell if they were from joy or laughter.

  They posed for photos over the next half hour while country music blasted over the speakers he’d helped set up ear
lier today. The scents of smoked pork and chicken wafted on the warm summer breeze, and peals of laughter drifted over from the guests. Everyone seemed to be having a good time so far.

  Everyone except him. Hunter was counting down the minutes until he was free to pull Chelsea aside and steal a kiss or two from her and maybe find out where she wanted to go from there.

  A little voice of fear had whispered doubts in the back of his mind all day. Maybe she was just playing him. Maybe she’d just slept with him out of pity. Maybe she wasn’t impressed with his performance. Each uncertainty doubled his anxiety and ate away at the confidence he’d worked so hard to build in the past week. By the time they finished with the photos, he found himself in the same tongue-tied state he’d spent most of college in.

  Luckily, he didn’t have to trip over his words in front of her. She approached him and said, “Care to take a little walk with me?”

  “Scared the skunk will come after you again?” he teased, feeling more relaxed with her than ever.

  She giggled, and the tension in his shoulders eased. Perhaps his fears were unfounded, but he wouldn’t know for sure until he came out and asked her.

  Once she’d dropped her bouquet off at the table, he took her hand and led toward the dock. A flashlight app on his phone provided enough light to guide them past the barricade of tiki torches, but when they got far enough away from the party to not worry about someone overhearing them, she stopped and turned to him.

  “Did you get your mother to donate a bunch of money to my sorority to keep them from voting me out?”

  Her point-blank question caught him by surprise, and sweat prickled the back of his neck. For six years, he’d managed to keep that a secret. He’d seen she was a natural-born leader, and thanks to his mother’s donation, Chelsea had been able to stay in her sorority and later become the president of the university’s Panhellenic Council. All he’d done was put out a rival fire that threatened to snuff Chelsea’s out. “What are you talking about?”

  “Kayla Jenson mentioned it to me this morning, and I need to know.” She closed the space between them until the floral scent of her perfume filled his nostrils and made him remember how it had clung to her sheets this morning.