“And where exactly might that be?” she questioned tersely. Her nose wrinkled into a snarl. “Cause we sure as hell aren’t in California.”
“You’re safe.” A mocking smile of assurance touched his lips. “And you should be damn thankful.”
“Thankful?” Her eyes narrowed bolstering a hearty dose of distain. “What did you do to me?”
The humor lingering at the corners of his mouth, bolted. “What did I do to you? You should really try talking a little nicer to me, Carrie Ann.”
“Just because you paid some absurd amount of money for a date…which by the way that was complete bullshit…that doesn’t give you the right to just just…take me! You act like you own me! Like we’re together!”
“Possession is nine tenths of the law.”
The mere idea of him possessing her flooded her with a bizarre unpredicted rush of arousal. The visceral response infuriated her. She threw back her shoulders, propelling her girls upward, sassily casting her hands in front of her breasts in a throw-down manner. “You are not possessing any of this!”
His gaze didn’t move from hers. “We’ll see about that.”
“Like hell we will.” Thrusting her palm forward, she demanded, “Give me the car keys. I want out of here.”
Bruising shadows hollowed the thin skin beneath Summer’s eyes. His patience was wearing thin through the cracks in his raised voice, “The keys? You want the keys?”
Surprised by his agitation, her eyes fluttered in reply. She couldn’t manage a single word.
He cut toward her and she stumbled back a half step. Summer’s amber eyes beaded and jaw set taut, clearly insulted that she would be apprehensive of him. Softening his stance, for a millisecond, he took her by the arm, abruptly pulling her toward the window. “I hope you have a pilot’s license.”
A small, but sleek, aircraft sat at the end of a long runway not too far from the cabin. Its gold and white body glistened in the pouring rain. Her thwarted confidence sank a little lower as a dozen more unanswered questions began to pile up higher than her mind could process. Worries and concerns mounted, crossing the line into terrified, making her feel helpless. Deserted was not a place her mind liked to visit, especially when it came to Summer. It sparked a nasty attitude deep inside her sub-conscious, flipping a bitch switch that rarely raised its ugly head.
“You’re fucking kidding me, right?”
“Nope!” Aggravation lay just beneath the surface of his fine clothing. She could feel tremors rolling off him in waves.
“This is bordering on kidnapping, Summer!”
“I beg to differ. I was thinking it bordered more along the lines of…hero status.”
“Hero status my ass!” Deafening shrieks shot from her mouth like an archer’s arrow, piercing him straight in the chest. “You can beg all you want, but it’s still not happening. I want to go home. Now!”
“Well, this storm front is supposed to last for a week, so you might as well settle in.” His tone cut deep at the edges.
“A week?” she shouted.
“You wanted to come with me.”
“No way in hell am I staying here with you for a week.”
“Oh for Christ’s sake, Red. Calm your tits.”
“Excuse me?”
“You know what? You’re excused,” he growled through blade thin lips. All pretense of calm vanished. Every ounce of composure fled the building. His eyes narrowed into a hard squint. “Get out!”
Her mouth fell open with a loud gasp. Appalled by the direct command, her face screwed into a severe case of pissed off.
“I mean it, Carrie Ann. Don’t fucking come back in here till you can at least talk decent to me.” Anger spiked, painting his cheeks crimson. He jutted an index finger in her face. “I just endured the longest night of my fucking life for too many reasons to list. Go! Try coming back when you can be a little more civil…and not to mention grateful!”
His voice was cold, flat and furious, chilling her to the bone. Ever muscle in her body quaked. She planted her feet to the floor, huffily crossing one arm over the other. Summer, looking every bit as angry, matching her tenacity with equal resolve. He gripped her upper arm, forcefully escorting her to the door in a heated rush.
She squirmed and twisted attempting to jerk free, but his hold was unyielding. “What the…”
Summer swung to door open with a loud bang and shoved her beyond the threshold. “Come find me when you calm down.”
Daggers shot from her eyes. He responded with a cold hard stare of his own. Giving a quick snap of her head, she angled her chin upward in defiance and stormed toward the cabin.
The thunderous boom of the door slamming behind her nearly jolted her out of her shoes. Carrie Ann stomped off, punishing the ground beneath her feet. Puddles of water splashed in her wake, soaking her jeans from the knees down.
The sound of rain falling on the roof echoed in the forest and the smell of wet earth surrounded her labored breathing. Cool points of rain struck her face. She heard the door swing open, but she picked up her pace refusing to turn back.
“And don’t go wandering off!” Apprehension vibrated his harsh warning. “I mean it, Carrie Ann! There’s bears up here! Don’t go past the tree line!”
A blur of yellow brushed her left side, nudging her palm with a wet nose.
“Do you hear me?”
Never breaking stride, she thrust her hand straight above her head, flipping him a one fingered signal of I got it.
“Aspen, c’mere girl,” he called.
Carrie Ann glanced down at her fury friend. Droplets of water repelled from her golden blond fur as she bopped alongside her. Aspen tentatively took a quick look back at the barn, but remained by her side. She heard Summer mutter traitor before shutting the door.
Rain slipped through the air in a delicate threadbare curtain. The dampness brought relief to the inferno brewing inside. Making her way past the cabin, puddles sloshed beneath her feet. A dark void shrouded her memory, but Carrie Ann was too stubborn and too angry to notice the sickening feeling free falling somewhere beneath her ribcage.
She paused to palm the wetness from her face, peering out over the vast meadow and beyond. Hidden mountains and trees turned emerald green from the storm cradled by the gorge. Every direction she turned, the majestic beauty stretched as far as the thunder clouds would allow. Lush, tall grass and colorful flowers of golden, lavender and blue, bent over, weighed down by the summer showers. The sheer enormity breathtaking.
Carrie Ann wasn’t sure how long she stood, breathing in the calm tranquility. She was soaked to the bone. Droplets fell from her nose and hair and her sweater sagged from saturation. Aspen turned circles, tail in mouth, floundering into a stumble. The pup gave a quick shiver the length of her body, shedding excess water.
Rain fell harder now. The sound amplified into a pounding fury on the red tin roof. She scooped up Aspen, holding her close to her chest for warmth, which earned her several puppy kisses as she jogged back to the cabin.
Kicking out of her boots at the back door, she headed straight for the shower, puppy in tow. After a long hot shower, she towel dried both their hair and fell into bed. Exhaustion forced her mind to settle.
*
Summer’s voice pulled her from a deep sleep. “You need to eat.”
A dull light broke through the blackness consuming her room. Lifting her head from the pillow, a tall wide silhouette took up most of the doorway. Carrie Ann jolted upright, momentarily lost in the darkness. She’d totally lost track of time and where she was. “Summer?”
“Yes, it’s me.” He pushed the door open a bit wider, illuminating her bed from the light in the hallway. “Come on, you need to eat something.”
“Wait. I’m…I’m not dressed. I’ll be out in a minute,” she said pulling the cover higher. Aspen half leaped, half tumbled, down from the bed dashing through the open door.
“I’ve already seen you naked,” he stated matter-of-factly. The tend
er sensual hum in his tone made every hormone in her body sizzle. “And I really don’t want my dog sleeping in bed with you.”
Carrie Ann groaned. The last thing she needed was another mutiny from down below or a scolding. “Whatever. It’s not like I’m trying to—”
“Let me try this again. Red,” he drew out her name mockingly. “Can you please keep Aspen off the bed and couches? I’m training her to sleep in her own dog bed. I know she’s adorable, but in a few months she’ll be full grown. Now, if you insist, throw some clothes on and come eat.”
A grin flicked at the corners of her mouth. She totally softened. God, sometimes he knew exactly how to handle her. “Okay.”
After slipping into a pair of black leggings and a powder blue V-neck T, she splashed some cold water on her face and made her way to the kitchen. Summer stood in front of the stove, barefoot, in a fresh white t-shirt and ancient black sweatpants sporting his red and yellow USC logo. The distinctive sizzle and smell of a fat juicy hamburger made her mouth water. Or at least that’s what she told herself, standing there holding her breath, examining the well exercised muscles of his back, flexing beneath the cotton fabric as he worked. The look of him, so relaxed and comfortable, tapped into some of her deepest most genuine memories. Though his wide shoulders still narrowed at the waist, his lean physique had filled out handsomely, seasoned with maturity. They young man she’d known so many years ago had become a man. And time had been very, very good to him.
Carrie Ann quietly cleared her throat.
He turned, blessing her with a potent dose of charisma wrapped into a warm soft smile. Summer walked toward her, ambling around the end of the kitchen island. She inconspicuously drew a breath of air through her nose, reveling in the fresh clean scent of male as he reached for a stool behind her, encouraging her to sit.
“Are you hungry?”
She gnawed on her lip, giving a small nod. A feeling of utter awkwardness married with an old acquainted comfort, easing her nerves a bit.
He took his time wandering over her face, registering her mood. Stepping back into the kitchen, he flipped the switch on a sleek chrome blender. The high-spinning powerful motor devoured its contents, blending them into a vibrant green smoothie.
“I see you still love to blend,” she half shouted over the loud noise. The puppy, already immune to the racket, barely lifted her head from her dog bed sitting in the corner.
“Some things never change.” His whiskey-rich eyes held to her features. “Like you. Sitting in my kitchen with no make-up and your hair all wavy. You haven’t changed a bit.”
Avoiding an oncoming compliment, she interrupted with a turned up nose, “What’s in that?”
“This is for hangovers, so I’m not sure it will help. But it certainly can’t hurt.” He poured the creamy concoction into a glass.
Slow to understand, a skeptical frown stretched across her face.
“Spinach, coconut milk, banana, pineapple, and honey.”
The effects of the night before still ravaged her body. Despite the color, she gladly raised the glass to her lips, hoping for any relief to the thumping at her temples and hint of nausea swirling in her stomach. The cold sweetness drew a yummy hum from her throat.
Warily, he watched her with a slightly glazed expression. “Do you want to try talking about last night again?”
There was nowhere to hide. Putting off the conversation would only delay the inevitable, not to mention the large black hole in her timeline was driving her crazy. Her eyes drifted to the grey grout filling the cracks between the square slate tiles covering the counter. She gave a small one-shoulder shrug.
“I’ll take that as a yes. What were you drinking last night?”
Feeling the penetration of his stare, she squared her shoulders and met his gaze. Being inundated with a profusion of embarrassment triggered a restrained insolence in her tone. “I only remember having two flutes of champagne. Not including whatever you must’ve given me.”
“I gave you water and a shoulder to lean on…” A flash of smug complacency. “And hips to grind against. I also made sure you didn’t fall on your ass when you dropped it low.”
Carrie Ann gasped in disbelief.
Summer lifted his hands, pumping his open palms toward the ceiling. “Boom, boom, shake, shake, drop—”
She shot him an outraged glance. Insinuation coated her voice, “I did not boom boom! Water my ass. What did you give me? Tequila? You know damn well I can’t drink that stuff!”
A thin smirk straightened the curve from his lips. Both brows lifted with absolute resolve, stealing any doubt she had remaining.
“I was trying to sober you up.”
“Yeah. I bet you were. That way you wouldn’t feel guilty luring me into your plane. Hijacking me to the middle of nowhere. Just because you dropped a cool million—”
“Oh yeah, that’s what I did,” his voice thickened, agitation gathered force. “You ought to be thanking me right now, Carrie Ann. Who knows where the fuck you would’ve wound up if I hadn’t been there.”
“What the hell is that supposed to mean?”
“You don’t remember anything, do you?” He said through clenched teeth. “Tell me the last thing you remember.”
A break in the rain left the cabin quiet except the sounds of their labored breathing. Rising anger broke across the bridge of his nose and cheeks, turning them crimson. Summer was livid, but the resentment wasn’t meant for her.
“The last thing I remember was being at the auction. I was on the dance floor.”
“With me or with him? That guy…Jason?”
“We danced?” she croaked. Her head moved slowly back and forth, indicating uncertainty. “Wait, I remember seeing you. You were standing under a tree.”
“Christ, Carrie Ann. That’s the last thing you remember?”
Uneasiness mounted. She could only nod.
“I debated on whether or not I should step in and stop you from making an ass out of yourself. You wrapped yourself around him, grinding on him…”
“I didn’t. There’s no way I would do that. Especially at the auction…or with Jason.” Another round of humiliation scorched her face.
“Boy-wonder was thoroughly enjoying the show. The way you moved against him made it perfectly clear you didn’t want anything to do with me, but you kept smiling at me the whole time.” He threw his hands wide, stretching the cotton fabric over his cut abdomen and chest. “Fuck, you pissed me off. I didn’t know if I should rip his head off or leave. Do you have any idea how infuriated I was watching you throw that shit in my face?”
A vision of his tongue shoved down his co-star’s throat and her naked breasts pressed against him brought clear elucidation. Even after a decade, seeing him with another woman was still…gut wrenching.
“Please tell me you didn’t get into a fight with him?
A comical smile seasoned with a hint of arrogance tipped his lips. “I didn’t have to. You came to me.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, you literally left him standing alone in the middle of I’m Not the Only One and walked over to me. I’m not sure if walk would be the right terminology. Slink might be a better definition. You had some serious sultry swagger going on, Red.”
Her fingers came to her lips, hiding her baffled incomprehension.
“You apologized to him when he came after you. Sort of.” Summer snickered. “Telling him with a few pats on the hand, I’ve got no spark, Jason. Zilch! Nothing.”
“Oh, dear God. Please tell me I didn’t really say that to him.”
“Yes. Yes you did. Then you looked me up and down like you were going to eat me alive and said ‘Big spark!’” His fingers burst open in stiff points as he made a theatrical sound of a massive explosion. “If I hadn’t felt so fucking flattered…I might’ve damn near felt violated.”
“Oh, God.”
“Trust me, Red, that’s the least of your actions from the last twenty-four hours you s
hould be embarrassed about”
“Fuck. Fuckity-fuck,” slipped from her mouth in a horrified whisper. Sick feelings of panic and dread swam in her stomach.
Summer traced his fingers over the shell of her ear. “You afraid?”
Those two small words sent a deep shiver up her spine. Her pulse rocketed, keeping rhythm with the rain now falling on the tin roof. Tiny muscles near her nose twitched and contorted from the mounting emotions threatening to spill. In a daze of confusion, she felt the smooth warm flesh of his palm cup her jaw. The pad of his thumb ghosted over the crest of her cheek smearing the wetness.
“Are you afraid you had sex with me?”
Her chest rapidly lifted and lowered. A thousand questions gathered like dimples on a golf ball, stuck in the confines of her constricting throat. A slickness of tears blurred her vision, trickling into the crease between her cheek and his palm. Summer brought his face inches from hers. He cradled her face making another pass at the tears leaking from her eyes.
Tears she swore she’d never shed in front of him again.
Ever.
Carrie Ann drew in a shaky breath, pulling back a bit from his solid form to put some much needed distance between them. She nodded in a slow despondent circle, indicating overwhelming confusion.
A responsive look of empathy clouded his eyes…right before they glimmered with mischief. “Don’t worry that beautiful mind of yours, Red. I turned you down.”
Summer released her jaw, eyes locked on her reaction as he took a step back. Oddly enough, she had to add the blow of rejection to the ever growing list of emotions shredding her gut. And it stung.
“We didn’t…”
“Have sex?” He interceded, saving her from her own discomfiture.
“Why am I sore all over?” She rolled her shoulder gingerly, loosening the tension.
“Whoop, whoop.” Summer raised his hands ceiling, giving them a quick pump. “As for the rest of your body…well…you gave it a workout.”
Scorching heat flooded her cheeks turning them scarlet. She blinked repeatedly wrestling with her sub-conscious. He maneuvered his way through the kitchen flipping burgers onto two readied plates and forking spears of asparagus beside it.
A Taste of Summer Page 9