Kelly: Summers of Love: A Why Choose Contemporary Romance (Seasons of Love Book 2)

by Pepper Paris

  “I’m in love with four men. That means each one of you holds a special place in my heart. When I’m with you, you’re the only one in that moment. When we’re all together, I feel complete.”

  “Gee, Roxie. It’s just that I’m not really anything special, and I don’t see how you could ever really look at me in the same way as the others. They’ve always had other girls trying to date them, but nobody looks at me like that.”

  I cupped his face in my hands. “Jay, you are the sweetest and most sensitive guy of the group. Girls don’t see you because you’re hiding your amazing self behind others. I know you.”

  “What if down the road, I let you in and you decide that I can’t compete with the others because they’re around more with their jobs than I am?”

  “You do realize that I’ve hardly seen Wade because he’s all over the country, right?”

  “That’s just for now. He’ll settle down, and then you’ll all forget about me.”

  “Jay, I’m sitting on your bed for Thanksgiving vacation because I haven’t seen you and knew that you wouldn’t come home, so I came to you. Any relationship has to have work done on it to succeed. Do you want to be in a serious relationship with me?”

  “Roxie, I do, but I don’t want to get hurt down the road.” He looked about to cry.

  “Oh, you poor thing.” I pulled him into my arms, laying his head on my chest. “That’s the last thing I want to happen. You four are all I’ve got. You’re my family. If something crazy were to change our dynamic, we’ll always be friends first. Without friendship, there’s nothing for us to build our physical relationship on. I can’t promise that any of us won’t get hurt in some way. I don’t know the future, but I’m going to do my best to be there for you.”

  We sat there for a few minutes in silence, just enjoying each other’s presence.

  “Does that mean we can have sex without Kelly?” he asked, running his hand under my breast.

  I let out a laugh. “Duh. But I don’t want you to feel pressured. We can just sleep in the same bed without doing anything.”

  “Oh, I want to do stuff, I just didn’t think you’d want to with me.” Excitement laced his voice as he lifted his head up to meet my eyes in the soft lamplight.

  “I’m all yours,” I spoke quietly.

  Jay’s touch was so gentle as he met my lips with a sigh of contentment.

  After I’d given him permission, he seemed to have gained his confidence because he tugged at the bottom of my shirt, breaking our kiss only to lift the material over my head.

  He peppered kisses down my neck and snaked his arm around me to lower me to the mattress. His breath trailed downward as he slowly explored my body, making me tremble with anticipation.

  “Are you okay?” he whispered near my ear.

  I could barely nod as he continued to kiss me. I was torn, wanting him to hurry and get to the good part, but then I’d never had such a reaction to being covered in kisses.

  He nibbled on my nipple through my bra, and when I started to reach behind me to unhook it, he placed a hand on mine. “Don’t. Let me take care of you.”

  With a quick move, he placed my hands up to the spindles of the headboard. “Stay there,” he commanded, and I obeyed.

  Now that my hands weren’t distracting him, he pulled my pants off, leaving the panties in place. A few more nibbles and he propped my breast up, just enough that he could reach them freely with his teeth.

  “Jay,” I moaned as his fingers entered my throbbing lower lips.

  He scraped his teeth over each nipple, then licked them to cover any pain he’d caused as he eased his fingers in and out slowly.

  Gripping the headboard as the first wave started to rush over me, I tightened around his fingers at the intensity, bringing a smile to his face.

  “Good girl,” he complemented as I panted, trying to catch my breath.

  His fingers left me abruptly, and I felt empty as I basked in the afterglow, until I heard the plastic rip.

  Jay’s cock wasn’t the longest of the group’s, but his was certainly the thickest of them all, and only after preparing me would he be able to slide inside.

  “Was that okay?”

  “Yes. More, please,” I begged, knowing he’d saved the best for last.

  “If it hurts, you have to tell me, promise?” He searched my face for some sign that I wasn’t being honest.

  “Promise.” I would have crossed my fingers, but I was afraid to let go of the headboard.

  He lifted my legs up until the flats of my feet were on the mattress. With one finger, he moved my panties to the side as he plunged into my ready pussy. His thumb found my clit and started to rub it slowly as he pulled out, and then back in as far as he could.

  Even with all of the sex I’d had with the other guys, it hadn’t prepared me for the thickness of Jay’s cock. It stretched me in most marvelous way.

  Somehow, he sensed that I couldn’t take all of him yet, and he continued to work on getting all of the way inside.

  My nails dug into the spindles as I came so close, only to have him pull out again. Each time, his cock rubbed against the inside, touching my nerve endings, sending me higher as he pushed against them again on his way to the goal.

  Jay’s face was a mix of concentration and bliss as he worked to bring me to another orgasm.

  Without warning, he slid out and pushed inside, faster and harder, until we were both coming together in a moment of blinding stars. He had gripped my knees tightly, using them for leverage, leaving his own set of nail marks behind.

  “I’m not sure I can pull out with hurting you.” He grimaced as my body continued to clench around his cock with the aftershocks of his accomplishments.

  “Just rip the band aid off.”

  He jerked backwards, landing on his butt with a groan.

  “Rox, I can’t believe we just did that.” After taking a moment to recover, he made his way to the restroom for something to clean up with.

  I unclenched my fingers from the headboard as all of the euphoria started to wear off. “I’m going to be so sore tomorrow,” I groaned, stretching my legs out.

  Jay rushed back to my side with a warm, wet towel. “Did I hurt you?”

  “No, babe. It was so intense that I didn’t register any pain. You’re just really large.” I grinned at his cock rubbing up against the bed next to my leg. “My body will have to get used to having you inside it more often.”

  I pulled him down for a kiss before I let him return to the bathroom. I leaned over to pick up my shirt, groaning as my muscles protested.

  “Aw, Rox, I’m sorry,” Jay apologized. “What can I do?”

  He’d pulled his boxers and shirt on as he hurried to my side.

  “Unhook my bra, please.” I smiled sweetly at his confused look. “I won’t be comfortable sleeping with it on.”

  “Oh, yeah.” He fumbled to work the hooks, unable to resist running his hands over my now free breast.

  “As much as I’d like a second round, I think we should save that for in the morning.” I raised my arms and slid my shirt over my head. “I could use some serious cuddle time with you, though. That might be what I’ve missed the most about you being gone, you were always my cuddler.”

  With a sigh of regret, he caressed my breast one last time before helping me under the covers. “They’re just the perfect size for holding in your hands.”

  I waited until he’d gotten in bed and turned out the lights before sticking my ass against his cock. My hand felt around and I brought his arm over me, letting it rest on my breast.

  “There, is that better?” I asked with a giggle.

  “I think I’m in heaven.”

  “Night, Jay. Thank you.”

  “Night, Roxie,” he mumbled into my neck as he snuggled closer.

  Our Thanksgiving trip might not have been what we’d planned, but it had turned out so much better than I could have imagined.

  Jay completed our circle, and wa
s the missing piece I hadn’t realized was missing.

  “Roxie, do you think my stuff will be okay here over spring break? I don’t want to take it to Wade’s and then back next week.”

  “Do you trust your roommate?”

  “Yeah, he’s a stoner, but I don’t have anything that he could try to sell for weed, so I think it will be okay.”

  “Then you should be fine.”

  My phone rang.

  “It’s the hospital back home,” I whispered as I pressed the button to answer.

  “Yes?”

  “Is this Roxie Berry?”

  “It is.”

  “I’m calling to inform you that your Aunt Saundra has been admitted to the hospital. You’re on the information sheets as the primary contact with power of attorney to make medical decisions for her. How soon can you get to the hospital?”

  “Um, I was headed to town in a few minutes. It’s an hour and half drive with no traffic.” I looked at Kelly frantically. “Don’t leave,” I mouthed to him.

  “I suggest that you get here as quickly as possible. The woman who came in with her has been sedated and is unavailable for questions.”

  “All right. I’m on my way.” I hung up the phone, dazed.

  “My aunt’s in the hospital and they had to sedate my mom. I’ve got to go.” I hugged him as I raced to the car.

  Chapter Eight

  Kelly

  Kelly: Roxie’s mom and aunt are in the hospital. No deets yet. I have to be at the camp in just a few hours. Can one of you check in on her?

  Wade: That’s horrible. Yeah, I’ll give her a few hours and then call her.

  Carter: I’ll call Sophia and see if she can meet Roxie up there.

  Jay: Good idea. She’ll have to make lots of decisions, and Sophia, can make sure they aren’t emotion based.

  Kelly: Should I cancel camp? Roxie really needs one of us there for her.

  Wade: Let’s see how things are when she gets there. It might not be serious, and then you would have skipped out on the kids for no reason.

  Jay: I haven’t been home in forever. I can get a few days leave if I need to as well.

  Kelly: You guys are the best.

  Carter: Go to camp, Kelly. I’ll call you when I know something.

  Jay: Please do.

  Camp Wack-A-Nut was what I had expected, but instead of it being a theme camp, it was all about the kids. The staff was supposed to arrive on Friday night, and the campers would join us on Monday.

  When one of my coworkers mentioned that they still needed counselors for the day camp over spring break, I was all in.

  Roxie had been thrilled that I wanted to work with the kids.

  I, on the other hand, was a little nervous. I’d been having fun with the kids I’d met at the after-school camp, but this was going to be a little different.

  We were having a retreat, and the first two days to get everything out and cleaned up for the spring season at the camp.

  Football training camp was nothing like this camp. Everyone was friendly and trying to help each other while joking around. In each camp, there was always the resident asshole, but most just ignored them and moved on.

  “Kevin, ready for your first team of campers on Monday?” Andrew asked as we went to put our stuff in the counselors’ cabin for the weekend.

  “Not at all. Which team do I have?”

  “The green team, Giraffes. They’re the sixth graders, so you’ll need to make sure they shower every day.” Andrew laughed at my expression.

  “Why wouldn’t they shower on their own?”

  “Because they’re boys in junior high who don’t care if they smell. We do since their poor mothers don’t need to be in the cars with them until pickup time.”

  “I can sympathize with that after being on a bus with football guys who hadn’t gotten to the showers yet.” I wrinkled my nose in disgust.

  “Be glad that you have them outside for most of the day, and they go into the lake at some point.”

  “Thanks for the heads up.”

  “You’ll get the hang of it. They always give newbies a hard time. Making it to the end of the week puts you at expert camper status. If you need help with anything, don’t hesitate to holler.” Andrew dropped his bag on a bed as he turned to leave.

  “I’m sure there’s a target on my back that says ‘newbie, pick on me.’”

  My phone hadn’t rang since I’d gotten out into the woods, and I needed to know what was going on with Roxie’s family.

  “Is there a phone I can use? My girlfriend’s aunt is in the hospital, and I’m waiting for an update. Mine doesn’t seem to have any signal.”

  “Oh yeah, we go back to the old ways of phone with wires for camp. We don’t let the kids use them unless it’s an emergency, but we have access to them whenever we need them. Come on, I’ll show you.”

  “Thanks.”

  The camp office had a phone on the desk.

  “I’ll head on over to the dining room to give you some privacy.”

  Distracted, I pulled out my phone to get Carter’s number.

  It was ringing, but I wasn’t sure he would answer because it wasn’t one of our numbers.

  “Come on, pick up,” I muttered, wanting to pace, but the cord would only reach the edge of the desk.

  “Hello?” Carter sounded hesitant.

  “It’s me, Kelly. I’m at the camp and my phone has no reception.”

  “Ah, got it. Sophia was at the hospital when Roxie’s aunt was admitted. Her mom was throwing a huge fit and fainted, so they admitted her as well.”

  “That sucks. Do they know what’s wrong with her?”

  “Her aunt has heart problems and this time, they don’t think they can get her to wake up. She’s on vents and life support, but there’s been no brain activity. If that continues, they’ll ask Roxie to make a decision if she wants to pull the plug.”

  “Roxie will hate having to decide something like that. What’s wrong with her mom?”

  “I wish she could be the one to tell you, but her mom has cancer. She doesn’t want treatment, so our girl is going to need our support because you know she’ll want to be there for her.”

  “Save this number in your phone, and if something goes wrong, please make sure to call me.”

  “Will do.”

  I hung up and stood there for a second, thinking through this horrible news. Carter was right, Roxie was going to need us by her side and I was stuck at this camp.

  While there wasn’t anything I could do for her right now, I still needed to eat to keep up my strength. Who was I kidding? Food was always on my agenda.

  We’d been at camp with the kids for almost three days when I got called to the office.

  “Your friend Carter called about half an hour ago and wanted you to call him back as soon as possible. Sorry, it’s been a long day. Johnny broke his arm and I’ve been dealing with his mother and the doctor’s office about insurance.”

  “Sad to hear about Johnny’s arm. He’ll be back with a cast and become just as good at using one arm as he is with two.”

  “Sounds like the voice of experience,” Hildy laughed.

  “Yep, I’d love to tell you the story, but I really need to call him back.”

  “Oh, sure. I’ll just step out for a minute.”

  I gave her a tight smile and waited until she was out of hearing to call him back.

  “Carter, what’s wrong?”

  “I’m trying to get a flight so I can be there with Roxie while all of this is going on. I think both Wade and Jay are going to be able to fly in as well.”

  “Oh, good.”

  “I’ll be able to be there on Sunday. I’ll call or text and see if anyone needs a ride.”

  “Sounds great. I’ll see you then.”

  “Is everything okay?” Hildy leaned against the doorframe, making sure that I could see the lace of her bra.

  “Yeah, my girlfriend’s aunt is in the hospital.” I walked away before
I could say anything I would regret.

  That night in bed, I laid there looking at the ceiling, listening to the peaceful sounds outside the camp.

  I thought about my life and where it was leading. I knew that my grace period was almost over, and things would change when school was out. The money I’d transferred from my parents would help out, but I felt dirty using it when I knew they disagreed.

  The kids had been great so far, and I really enjoyed working with them, but I wasn’t ready to settle down and become a teacher. I wanted to travel and get out to explore before I settled down to get old in the same town I’d grown up in.

  Life was brief, and I was starting to look at it in a whole new way. When I got back to school, I was going to look into options that could help me pay for school, or give me the opportunity do something I really wanted to do.

  I had an idea, but it wouldn’t go over well with Roxie. I just hoped I could convince one of the other guys to stay for the summer while they were here for support.

  Chapter Nine

  Roxie

  I wasn’t normally the one to break the speed limit or race through traffic, but since I’d received that phone call, I could only think of all the what-ifs as I tried to get there as fast as I could.

  Not having called them since Christmas, I was feeling really guilty. I couldn’t do anything about it now, but I vowed to do better in the future.

  Even though school had gotten out for college students, it would still be another week or two before the younger students were out for the break. There was almost no traffic on the roads, and I made the two-hour drive in just an hour and a half.

  Familiar with the hospital, I parked and headed in to see what the status of my family was.

  “Can you tell me where Saundra or Vicky Berry are at?”