by A. C. Bextor
Trust me, it showed.
Counselors were assigned to color-coded groups of five kids each, but already Lacey was picking up the slack for her absentee brother. You know, Mr. Special Treatment himself. And maybe, just maybe, if Sebastian had been in attendance like he was supposed to have been, I wouldn't now be standing in the middle of a trail, dripping, having been the target of some bratty kid, a kid from Sebastian's group, incidentally.
I spun toward the main cabin, a spacious headquarters the counselors used as a meeting spot and a place to chill. I had a feeling Lacey would be there since I hadn't seen her in a while.
But my intentions were derailed when I heard a branch cracking off to my right.
Aha!
That's when I caught sight of the kid who had become the bane of my existence throughout the last thirty-six hours—Seth Darling.
The little brat ducked behind a clump of thick bushes, but he was giggling with entirely too much enthusiasm, leading me to conclude he was the lone water balloon assailant.
"Oh, please, let there be thorns in those bushes," I mumbled to myself as I trekked away.
Seth was part of the purple group of kids—the ones assigned to Sebastian, as established. But until Mr. Special Treatment deigned to grace us with his presence, the purple group would be working with Lacey's green group of kids. And that was just too many kids for Lacey to keep up with.
Hell, Seth was a handful all on his own.
Seth Darling—oh, how I'd grown to hate his ironic last name—was making me question why I had ever signed up for such misery. I was a quiet person, an introvert in many ways.
But that's all supposed to change, a little voice whispered. Otherwise, how will you ever lose your kissing virginity?
That's right, don't laugh. I, Brooks Happ, had never been kissed.
See, high school for me was about studying hard to get into college. I had no time for boys. I had crushes, sure, but I never had the nerve to pursue any of them. And it seemed the couple of guys who had been brave enough to ask me out just weren't my type. They were shy, like me, and I knew it'd taken all their courage to ask me out on a date. I foresaw awkwardness galore ahead of my nerdy suitors if I ever accepted. For both of us. So I always politely declined.
Truth was, I needed a more aggressive guy. This no-kissing drought had to end. I'd been secretly hoping there'd be a cute boy at this camp to remedy my untouched-lips status, but my options seemed severely limited.
Tim, the skater kid, was off-limits. I discovered yesterday that Lacey liked him as much as he liked her. So, yeah, no. And then there was Mike. Off-limits, as well. He was with Ginny, and they were so serious about each other that they'd invested in matching shirts. Remember? I sure did.
Ugh!
Aggravated by… well, just about everything, I walked my half-soaked ass the rest of the way to the main cabin, where I promptly marched up the creaky front steps. I was intent on finding Lacey. If I didn't talk to her soon, I'd cave and run home to Daddy.
I hadn't seen Lacey down by the lake earlier in the day, where Mike and Ginny were on lifeguard duty. She loved to swim, but she also loved to nap, so the most likely spot to find her was in the main cabin. She was probably chilling on one of the many comfy sofas spread out around the spacious open-front room.
Before stepping into the cabin, I tried to dry off. Reaching around to my back, I squeezed the excess water from my shirt. Then I readjusted my chestnut-brown ponytail and, finally, pushed the screen door open.
When I walked in the front room, though, I froze.
"Oh, my," I mouthed.
There was no sign of Lacey, but who cared? Standing next to an Adirondack chair in the corner was the hottest guy I'd ever seen. He was such a lovely creature that I felt the need to peruse him slowly … and carefully.
Starting at his bare feet, my eyes traveled up to his ripped-and-faded-jean-clad legs, and then continued onward and upward to find a perfectly chiseled set of tanned abs.
Finally, I reached his face.
A quick inventory was in order.
Strong jawline: Check.
Aquiline nose: Check.
Full lips: Check.
Edit: Full, highly kissable lips: Check, check, check.
Tousled brown hair: Check.
Penetrating blue eyes, eyes that were staring directly at me: Check.
Oh, wait. Those penetrating eyes were penetrating me as I nonchalantly ogled him.
Oops.
My cheeks flamed. Shit. I had hoped this fine specimen wouldn't notice my perusal, or my blushing. But the smirk on his face and the glint in his eyes told me otherwise.
Damn.
"Um, I—I… uh…." I trailed off.
The gorgeous guy laughed melodically.
"Are you Brooks?" he asked in a voice that did funny things to my insides.
"Um, yeah, that would be me."
The mystery guy was leaning with one hand on top of the chair, and I couldn't help but notice how his arm muscles rippled enticingly when he shifted his weight from one foot to the other.
"I'm Sebastian," he said, in that damn velvety voice.
"Oh, hell, wait… Sebastian Kain?"
He cocked his head, curious, but I ignored him.
Damn. How could I not have realized this dude was Lacey's brother? Mr. Special Treatment himself was standing directly in front of me, in the flesh.
Oh, and what flesh it was. No wonder this guy received special treatment. How could anyone deny him anything? Hell, Shirley the stern camp director probably had a secret crush on him.
I chastised myself for having jumped to conclusions before meeting him. I was so certain I'd dislike him.
But, God, dislike him? Perish the thought. I was in love with him. Okay, not "in love." That was silly. But I certainly was in lust. No doubt about that.
Regaining my composure—well, sort of—I said, "Uh, I was actually looking for Lacey. Do you know where she is?"
Sebastian smirked. He knew something regarding his sister's whereabouts.
"What?" I suddenly wanted to know. "Where is she?"
A little uncertain now himself, he said, "Uh, I think her and what's-his-name… Tim?" I nodded. "I think they're, er, taking some time to, shall we say, get to know each other better."
"Huh?"
"They're a little indisposed at the moment."
He raised a brow, and I got it. "Oh…oh-h-h..."
Were Lacey and Tim down at the girls' cabin? The one Lacey, Ginny, and I shared. Or had they chosen to "get to know each other better" in the boys' cabin—the one Tim and Mike shared.
Of course, Sebastian would be assigned to that cabin now, too. Probably how he'd obtained his intel on Lacey and Tim's whereabouts.
Well, one thing for sure. I had no desire to return to my cabin and walk in on Lacey and Tim, indisposed as they were.
I also, however, sure as hell had no intention of marching down to the lake to hang with a bunch of screaming kids.
Problem was, I didn't think standing there like an idiot in front of Sebastian Kain was a good option, either.
Still, he sure was nice to look at.
But I needed to play it cool.
I surveyed him from under my lashes. He'd never suspect me of ogling him now, right?
It was hard to believe he was my age. He had the composure and confidence of someone older, at least in their midtwenties. Not to mention his incredible, Adonis-like looks. It was just too unnerving, and only a matter of time before I made a complete and utter fool of myself.
Conclusion: It was time to leave.
I figured I could always take a stroll through one of the many trails that meandered through the dense forest covering the campgrounds.
Yeah, that sounded like a good plan.
I turned to leave, tossing out over my shoulder, "Well, see ya. Be sure to tell Lacey I was looking for her. That is, if you see her anytime soon—"
Sebastian cut me off with this gem: "Why are you so
wet, Brooks?"
My eyes widened. I was rattled by the thought Sebastian Kain might have somehow figured out exactly what kind of effect he was having on me.
Then I remembered the water balloon, and my wet—though not soaking anymore—clothing.
I spun around to face him.
A smile played at his lips.
Sebastian had fully intended for me to notice his insinuation. And that compelled me to show him how wrong he was. After all, I wasn't that easy. Hell, I wasn't easy at all.
In a calm tone, I stated, "One of the campers, Seth, nailed me with a water balloon. That's why my clothes—not me—are wet."
Sebastian laughed. I didn't get the impression he was laughing at me, however. It seemed he genuinely found the whole situation amusing.
"Seth is certainly a handful," he agreed. "I hope my sister has been keeping him under control."
I thought about all the obnoxious things Seth had done to make my job as a counselor miserable. "Um, kind of," I replied. "But not really."
Sebastian, probably realizing I had some stories to tell, sighed. "What has the little delinquent done now?"
"Ha!" I laughed. "Where do I start?"
I saw something in Sebastian then that made me think he kind of liked the little imp, Seth Darling. Perhaps he knew him from last year. But this was good. It gave me hope that now that Sebastian was here, Seth would be on his best behavior.
Sebastian gestured to one of the larger sofas. "Do you want to sit down and talk about it?"
"Okay, yeah, sure." I walked over to the sofa and collapsed onto a mushy cushion.
After Sebastian was situated next to me, I told him how, in addition to the water balloon incident, Seth had managed to "accidentally" leave a palette of paints on a chair he knew I'd be sitting down on.
"That was yesterday," I clarified, "during indoor activities."
I went on to detail how Seth had thrown a rather large spider on me, as well.
Sebastian listened intently as I finished telling him of my not-so-fun adventures with Seth the monster. Er, I mean, Seth the kid.
"He probably thinks you're pretty and has a crush on you," Sebastian stated matter-of-factly.
Lacey had said the same thing, but for some reason, it sounded completely different coming from her brother's mouth.
For a brief moment, I wondered if Sebastian was referring to someone other than Seth. Say, someone like himself. But then I quickly remembered that although I was okay-looking, I would never be Sebastian Kain's type.
I was shy, he was outgoing.
I was unsure of myself, he was not.
What it came right down to was Sebastian and I were polar opposites.
"No," I said at last, "I think Seth just flat-out hates me."
Sebastian peered over at me intently, so much so that I scooted a few inches away. "Dude," I mumbled.
He seemed undeterred. He moved closer still, closing the small gap between us in no time.
My reticence lifted, and I sat completely still. I found myself suddenly lost in the cornflower-blue depths of Sebastian's eyes.
Oh, he was pretty.
"I'm sure he doesn't hate you," Sebastian said quietly.
I opened my mouth to respond, but couldn't think of a single thing to say.
Suddenly, life screamed at me to take a chance. A new town, this silly little camp… This was it, my time to shine.
Slowly, I lifted my hand and placed it on Sebastian's bare chest.
He raised a brow, but I stayed on course.
His skin is so warm and smooth.
Where was this me coming from? I had no clue, but I rolled with it, knowing it probably wouldn't last.
When I trailed my hand lower—just an inch, pervs, nothing crazy—Sebastian drew in a sharp breath.
He leaned his face closer to mine, and I closed my eyes and listened to the sound of the blood rushing in my ears and Sebastian's warm breaths as his lips brushed lightly over mine.
This is it! I'm going to experience my first kiss! Being bold for once in my life is paying off.
Sebastian wrapped an arm around my waist and yanked me closer to him.
Ooh, a man who knows what he wants.
Just as our lips were about to lock, everything went to hell in a handbasket. The front door swung open, and a girl's voice exclaimed, "Oh, shit. Sorry, bro."
"Lacey." Sebastian jumped back and sighed.
"Wait." Surprise of her own crept into Lacey's voice. "Is that Brooks with you on the couch?"
Sebastian and I scooted farther away from one another.
I was silently cursing Lacey for stopping what surely would have been a first kiss to remember. I mean, come on, people. Sebastian Kain? You could tell from his confidence that the guy was going to be a first-rate kisser.
Hell, I'd waited long enough to be kissed. I wanted the best. I deserved the best.
"Dammit, Lacey," Sebastian muttered under his breath. "Your timing always sucks."
"When did you get here?" Lacey asked her brother. "And what exactly are you doing on the couch with Brooks?"
The accusing tone of Lacey's voice, not to mention the narrowing of her eyes, had me questioning if maybe Sebastian was a player. After all, her ire wasn't directed at me in the slightest. It was focused solely on her brother.
All at once, I felt self-conscious. I was back to being the girl I was trying to put behind me.
Folding my arms across my chest, I gave Sebastian a questioning look, one that hopefully conveyed: Yeah, what exactly are you doing with Brooks? Er, I mean me?
Sebastian stood, but not before rolling his eyes when he saw the damning expression on my face. I supposed I wasn't as intimidating as I liked to think I was.
Sebastian strode over to his sister. He leaned down and kissed the top of her teal-streaked hair, which looked particularly disheveled. From her being indisposed with Tim and all, I suspected.
"I got here a couple of hours ago," Sebastian said to Lacey. "I was getting ready to head down to the lake when I met Brooks here."
He motioned to me, and Lacey snickered. "Yeah, you two certainly looked like you were having quite a first meeting."
Okay, enough of this. I needed to pull Lacey aside so I could ask her if her brother was some kind of a womanizing jerk. I needed to know before I allowed myself to like him for another second.
I couldn't do anything right then, though, but shift in my seat. I was becoming increasingly uncomfortable due to the moisture in my shorts. Sad to say I could no longer be sure how much of that moisture was from being water ballooned… or from being Sebastian Kain-ed.
I was so gone, and the guy hadn't even kissed me yet.
As I wiggled around on the sofa like a bug on its back, Sebastian and Lacey forgot about me.
"I was planning on dropping my stuff off at the boys' cabin," Sebastian told his sister. "But then I saw you and Tim"—he coughed—"and it didn't look like a good time to hail you down."
Lacey's cheeks reddened and she slapped Sebastian's arm. "You could have at least made your presence known, Sebastian."
"I wasn't sticking around to chat, not with you two lovebirds. I decided to come over to the main cabin instead." Sebastian paused and added, "In fact, I checked around and I think I'll just stay here for the rest of camp."
"What?" Lacey frowned. "You're planning on sleeping here at the main cabin?"
Sebastian nodded. "Yeah, why not? There's a nice bedroom upstairs, a couple actually, and no one is using any of them."
Is that so, Sebastian?
My gaze traveled to a staircase I assumed led to these nice bedrooms. I thought about how much nicer a nice bedroom would look with Sebastian in it. An image of a tanned, naked Sebastian lying on one of those single-sized camp beds, the kind with the really squeaky springs, came to mind.
Just as I was imagining myself crawling atop him, springs squeaking under our weight, Lacey interrupted my daydream. "What do you think about that idea, Brooks?"
"Sebastian said both upstairs bedrooms are open. Do you want to stay in one?"
I knew Lacey wanted me to say yes, since doing so would allow her to sneak Tim into the girls' cabin any time she wanted. Hell, Ginny would probably move into the boys' cabin with Mike.
Yeah, it was looking like I was the linchpin in her plan. Don't think I couldn't see the benefits in it for me, though.
I pondered the idea of sleeping in a bedroom near Sebastian's, and let's just say it took all of about three seconds for me to say, "Sure. When should I get my stuff?"
Sebastian stifled a snicker, but I swear his eyes lit up when I agreed to the move.
"Now would be a good time," Lacey said. "The kids are still down at the lake."
Sebastian jumped in. "Do you have anything heavy you need help with?"
As tempting as it was, envisioning Sebastian's straining muscles as he engaged in manual labor, I needed some alone time with Lacey. How else was I supposed to get the lowdown on her brother? Forget about my need an hour ago to have her talk me out of leaving. I was staying, sister. You bet your ass I was staying.
I declined Sebastian's generous offer, explaining I had only clothes, makeup, and other girl stuff to move. He nodded understandingly as Lacey and I said good-bye and left.
As we meandered along the trail that led to our cabin, I could feel Lacey's eyes on me. "What?" I asked, innocently.
Stepping over an exposed tree root, she said, "Don't hold out on me, Brooks. You like my brother, don't you?"
I blew out a breath. "Yes," I admitted. "I guess it was kind of obvious when you walked in on us, yeah?"
Lacey chuckled. "Very obvious, and I have to say I was surprised. You seem so shy around guys. But then again, Sebastian does have a way with all the ladies."
My in!
"You know," I began. "I was a bit worried when I saw the look on your face. Is Sebastian a player?"
Lacey laughed and shook her head. "Sebastian's not a player at all, Brooks. You needn't worry." She paused. "I mean, Sebastian does well with the ladies and all, but he's still a great guy."
I breathed a sigh of relief.