Summer Flame: A Steamy Romantic Comedy Beach Read (A Season's Detour, Book 1)

by Hayleigh Sol

  The hunk dragged his hands over his face and smiled wryly at me. “Definitely not as private as I remembered.”

  Chapter 19

  Deciding we’d best not risk getting arrested for indecent exposure or lewd conduct or whatever the charges would be, Luka and I kept our mouths and bodies to ourselves for the duration of the hike and picnic at Angel Falls.

  That wasn’t strictly true. He did hold my hand off and on throughout the afternoon. We chose a large, flat rock for lunch and he sat right next to me, resting his hand above my knee or trailing his fingers torturously up my inner thigh until he proclaimed my legs too great a temptation and relocated to face me instead.

  More than once, I dropped the thread of our conversation when he gave me that hungry look and I lost count of the number of times he adjusted the front of his shorts. The one time we were isolated enough to dare a kiss, it caught fire again so quickly I nearly chased down my fantasy of climbing him like a tree. I doubted he’d object since he’d already scooped me up and wrapped my legs around his waist.

  After that, we made the mature, responsible decision to back off. At least until we were truly alone. A time that couldn’t come fast enough for either of us.

  “Sooo, that was fun.” He did the guy equivalent of rolling his eyes at that, then opened the car door.

  I turned to face him with exaggerated doe eyes. “What should we do with the rest of the day?” I liked riling him up, enjoyed the confidence he inspired in me.

  Until he turned the tables. “I dunno. We could go for a boat ride‌…‌or a bike ride.”

  I knew what he was doing. The only ride I wanted didn’t involve a boat or a bike.

  “Hmm, if you have any cards back at camp, we could play a game.”

  Like the one we’re playing right now.

  My back was to him as I set my pack on the floorboard. His mouth was suddenly on my neck, placing warm kisses and little bites down my shoulder. I was a rocket, ready to go off at any second. Unintentionally‌—‌okay, maybe a small part of me intended it‌—‌I pushed my hips back into him. My reward was his sharp intake of air and his hands gripping my hips possessively.

  A car door slammed nearby and we were once again reminded that we were in public. His fingers flexed before he released me with a final kiss just under my ear. I couldn’t decide which of us was more frustrated at that moment.

  Even tie.

  Luka blasted the air conditioning‌—‌cooling off the car and its occupants‌—‌and fiddled with the radio. His movements were jerky, his jaw tight. I shifted to cross my legs, trying to relieve the pressure building between them. It didn’t help.

  We were nearing the campground and, aside from our playful teasing, no mention of plans for the evening‌—‌or how we both wanted it to end‌—‌had been made. Once he’d parked in front of his boat trailer, he walked me to my campsite, as had become our habit. His silence was unusual and my insecurities had me wondering if he was regretting our actions or if he was just as on‌–‌edge as I was.

  He took my hand and rubbed his thumb back and forth over mine, another habit of his and one that reassured me he wanted to be here. Instead of stopping at the edge of the site like he usually did, he guided us to the backside of the massive tent.

  And proceeded to kiss the holy hell out of me.

  This time, we managed not to shove our hands under each other’s clothes, but only just. There was no doubt in my mind that he wanted me every bit as much as I wanted him.

  I was half a heartbeat away from dragging him into the tent when he gradually eased back the fuel he’d been stoking the flames with; his kisses slowed, became more tender and less voracious. My heart sighed when he pressed his lips to the corner of my mouth, lingering. It trembled when he kissed my temple, tucked my head under his chin, and exhaled a long, shaky breath.

  “Holy fuck, Maya.” The words were quiet, almost reverent.

  I stood there, trying to find the power of speech again, while Lukasz held me and breathed. My brain and heart were in perfect harmony, intoning a battle hymn of bravery. I kissed his neck and pulled back as far as he allowed, which wasn’t far at all, to my delight.

  “I think I’ll head down to Miller’s for a shower but, after that, why don’t you come over tonight? I’ll make dinner this time.”

  He blew out another uneven breath. “Sounds great.”

  Bold, Maya. Time to be bold.

  “And I hope you’ll stay for breakfast.”

  A grin flashed, then his mouth pressed to mine in a promise of what was to come. “Sounds better than great.”

  Shaving my legs in a campground token‌–‌operated shower in preparation for sexy naked time with a smokin’‌–‌hot man transported me back to the last time I’d done this. For the same guy I was desperate to get my hands on now. Life’s funny that way.

  Of course, last time, I had a vague understanding of the basic mechanics of sex and my primary focus was on making sure we got the condom on right and tight. Health class and my plans for the future were enough to scare me into avoiding teen pregnancy at all costs. This time, I was much more interested in being in the moment with Luka.

  Sure, I picked up a box of Trojans at the store on the off chance my partner hadn’t done so, but the purchase wasn’t as fear‌–‌motivated as it might’ve been for younger Maya. I’d never understood accidental pregnancy, anyway. People who spoke dramatically about getting carried away, a passion so intense they didn’t even think about bagging that banana were full of it. No sexual encounter was powerful enough to make a woman not notice a foreign object was entering a small, relatively unyielding, part of her body.

  And what about the morning‌–‌after pill? It was called “Plan B” for a reason, people. As in, you screwed up Plan A to use birth control but, hey, your entire life doesn’t have to change forever from that one reckless mistake you made with the guy you thought was so hot and funny from the bar last night but now realize is a total tool with horrendous morning breath.

  Luka and I had gone to the showers together and there was something so erotic about imaging him naked in the nearby men’s facilities, getting ready for tonight while I did the same. Stroking a hand over my calf to check its post‌–‌shave smoothness conjured an image of his hands moving over my legs later. I wondered if he was thinking of me as he soaped up, speculated on whether or not he was fighting the urge to release some tension in the shower as I was. I hoped he was saving it all for me.

  When I exited the building, Luka was waiting for me. He must’ve shaven, too, and he looked so handsome I walked right up to him and planted my lips on his. I sensed a moment of surprise before he deepened the kiss. My tastebuds registered that, like me, he’d brushed his teeth, something I found completely charming. Until his skilled tongue and lips and teeth made me forget all about his sweet side.

  Willpower I didn’t know I possessed helped me separate myself from him; unknowingly, I’d wrapped both arms and a leg around him like a koala. I read somewhere that the marsupials sleep around twenty hours a day, the remainder of their time spent eating and mating. Sounded like an excellent life plan to me.

  Back in camp, I started the dinner I’d planned and tried to focus on the task at hand. Really, I did.

  But when Luka stood behind me at the camp stove, settled his hands on my hips, and started dropping kisses on my neck, food was the farthest thing from my mind. My head lolled back on his shoulder, giving him better access, which he took full advantage of.

  “Maya, you are so damn sexy. I want you so bad, sweetheart.” He swallowed hard. “I don’t think I can wait until after dinner.”

  He nibbled my earlobe, those warm hands of his burning a path from my hips to the sizzling skin under my shirt. My eyes rolled back in my head and my knees felt weak. “What dinner?”

  A soft chuckle and his arm reached around me to turn off the burner as I turned to attack his face with my mouth. By the time we managed to stumble our way to the tent
, his shirt was off and clenched in my hands. Which made it infuriatingly difficult to explore the ridges and planes of his torso with my greedy fingers. My thumbs dug into his sides and he flinched.

  “Little ticklish there.”

  God, could the man get any more adorable?

  But now was not the time for thoughts of his cuteness. Not when he took charge of my lips again, grabbing my ass to yank me closer.

  Feeling his hard body flush up against mine was awesome, but it prevented further clothing removal and that was something I simply couldn’t stand for. Working my hands between us, I started tugging at the button on his shorts. The little plastic bastard wasn’t cooperating and I growled in frustration.

  “Jesus, you are the hottest woman I’ve ever known.” Whether his mumbled, breathless admission were true or not, it felt true. I was no longer a frazzled, gastrointestinally challenged, insecure insomniac. I was a fireball ready to explode if I didn’t get this man’s hands all over me. Right the fuck now.

  Luka manfully took over the job of removing his shorts and I whipped my tank top off. We crashed together again and sank to our knees on the bed.

  Which was an air mattress. A fully inflated one that pitched us off like a wave had rolled underneath it. Laughing hilariously together, we crawled our way back to the instrument of our toppling.

  Lying on our sides prevented another overthrow but the mattress was uncomfortably narrow for two adults. Every time I shifted, it felt like I was going to roll off the edge. “I don’t remember this being so difficult the last time we did this.”

  Luka’s hand stroked my side. “Personally, I think I was too nervous to notice anything but the gorgeous girl I was getting naked with. And these beautiful, deep blue eyes.” He placed a kiss next to one of my eyes, which I’d never thought were beautiful, but loved that he did.

  “You were nervous? I couldn’t tell.”

  He nodded, his hand rubbing up and down my back. “I was probably trying to play it cool; inside, I’m sure I was yelling, “yippee!”

  I laughed and kissed his cheek. “Me too.”

  His expression turned more thoughtful and his head tilted as his eyes scanned my features. “You know, I still feel that way, being here with you like this.”

  Jeez, this guy always knew the right thing to say.

  Any second‌–‌guessing or nervousness about my body compared to the last time he’d seen all of it melted under the warmth of his comment and the heat in his eyes. My arm moved over his shoulder, my fingers into his soft hair, and I kissed him with carefree abandon.

  Our remaining clothes were shed. Time seemed to alternately sprint and drag out while we touched and tasted. The narrow mattress was no longer an issue as Luka moved over me, into me. My body rose to meet his and I was reminded of the magic I’d felt with him long ago. He’d picked up considerable skills in the years between and, as my climax rushed toward me, I was more alive than I’d ever been.

  Chapter 20

  “Okay, so next time we’re trying this in my tent‌…‌or maybe we should push two mattresses together?”

  A thrill ran through me at hearing Luka wanted a next time. He stared down in contempt at the bedding, sleeping bag drunkenly hanging half off the air mattress, until his expression switched to one that betrayed his engineering brain was working out a solution to our problem. One hand rested on a hip as the other tapped at his chin thoughtfully. Clad in only boxer‌–‌briefs, his sculpted body was outlined by the morning sun peeking through the mesh windows. I enjoyed watching his sexy nerd impression as I dressed. Again.

  We’d managed to eat dinner last night after another round of air‌–‌mattress mambo, then come back to the tent for more naked time. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d had sex three times in one night‌—‌once more this morning, if I wanted to keep the count accurate‌—‌and I was sore, but in all the best ways. I was also feeling incredibly relaxed.

  Who knew? All I needed was a good shagging.

  Actually, my best friends had called it when they’d been pushing for me to take this trip and enjoy a little vacation hookup on the side. Those little brats sure knew me well.

  Luka joined me at the picnic table for breakfast, each of us taking turns sending secret smiles at the other. The morning‌–‌after wasn’t something we’d been able to share last time. Back then, he’d held me for a while, we’d kissed, then I’d scurried back to my own campsite before his family returned from watching the fireworks or mine noticed I was missing.

  It was a shame, I now realized. Luka gave good afterglow.

  “There’s a question I’ve been wanting to ask you for years and, even though I suspect I know the answer, I have to hear it from you.”

  Interesting. He looked so serious suddenly, it made me a bit nervous. “Okay‌…‌”

  “That first time, when we were seventeen, you didn’t actually‌…‌feel the earth move, did you?”

  “Oh, um‌…‌it was wonderful, really. The perfect first time.”

  He nodded in understanding. “But we didn’t get you there. I mean, I didn’t.”

  I rested a hand on his, wanting him to know this wasn’t a big deal. “It’s okay, Lukasz; it was your first time, too.” My bolstering smile turned playfully wicked. “You more than made up for it last night. And this morning.”

  “Yeah? It sounded like you had a good time.” His customary grin was back.

  “Hmm, seems to me I wasn’t the only one.”

  “No kidding. I thought I was gonna die that third time. Then, I figured, eh, who cares? I’ve lived a full life. This truly is the ultimate way to go.”

  We laughed together and finished our meal, flirting between bites.

  “What should we do today? Probably best to give ourselves a hiking break. Want to take the boat down to Alex’s beach?”

  Again, I forced my face to hide how happy I was that he wasn’t acting as if last night was just a one‌–‌and‌–‌done thing. “You mean Pop’s beach?” I couldn’t resist sassing him, I was in too good a mood.

  “That too.”

  Separating long enough for teeth brushing and other morning ablutions, we prepared the boat and a lunch. Cruising down the lake with the wind in my hair and the sun on my face, I wished I could bottle this feeling and keep it with me forever. I’d take it out and breathe it in whenever work overwhelmed me or Tiffany gave me attitude or the balance in the bank dwindled to scary low status.

  “Hey, no frowny face allowed on this boat.” I hadn’t realized I was frowning until Luka pointed it out. “Come over here and drive the boat. That’ll bring back the smile I love.”

  Did he just say he loves something about me? Do not get ahead of yourself here, Maya. People say they love things all the time. Doesn’t mean a thing.

  Heck, I loved chocolate. Didn’t mean I wanted to make it my boyfriend and eventually marry it. Although‌…‌if that were an option, I wouldn’t immediately say no. Chocolate and I did have a long‌–‌standing love affair; I was very committed.

  Driving the boat was pretty straightforward and, once I’d gotten a feel for the steering, I opened up the throttle. The sudden increase in speed made Luka stagger a few steps before he grabbed onto the back of my seat. I looked over my shoulder to make sure he was okay and not mad at me. He only laughed and shook his head at my daredevil ways. I opened her up some more.

  When the beach was in sight, we both agreed Luka should take over navigating the rocks close to shore. He maneuvered the boat as skillfully as always and we swam our raft the rest of the way. I was surprised, and more than a little disappointed, to see a family of five already there. This was our beach and I didn’t want to share it. Not this morning. There wasn’t another boat so I guessed they’d driven and walked down from the road. Few people seemed to know about that route; too bad they did.

  We exchanged hellos with the group and, on unspoken agreement, Luka and I skirted around them to a cove on the right. There wasn’t as much s
andy real estate here as the main beach but we put our towels down right next to each other and didn’t mind the proximity at all.

  “I can’t believe how decadent it feels to be away from work on a weekday. I feel downright naughty.” With a laugh, I turned to my side, facing Luka, who looked pretty relaxed himself. “If we were in Napa, and this was a normal work day, what would you be doing right now?”

  His closed eyes cracked open to reveal a hint of confusion. “Um, I’d be wondering what I was doing in Napa, I guess.”

  “Oh, do you not work there? You don’t have a long commute, do you? That’s the worst.” Having done plenty of kill‌–‌me‌–‌now freeway crawls in Southern California throughout my lifetime, I’d deliberately chosen an office space and apartment within biking distance of each other. The environmental benefits were, of course, equally motivating.

  “Maya, I don’t live in Napa anymore. Not since I went to college. I thought we’d talked about this already.”

  I scoured the memory banks but couldn’t recall if he’d mentioned where he was based when we’d talked about my own company.

  Luka rolled to face me, eyes wide open now as he watched me being clueless. He leaned forward and kissed me; it was brief but I liked how comfortable he was with casual affection. “Babe, I wouldn’t have started anything with you if it had no chance of going anywhere. We did that once before. It sucked.”

  I still wasn’t getting it.

  “I live in Newport Beach now. I’m, like, thirty minutes away from you. Well, on a good day.” He chuckled over the reality of traffic while I absorbed the shock.

  Ohmygod, ohmygod, ohmygod. Did Lukasz, the object of my youthful fantasies and proven sex‌–‌god of my current vacation fling just tell me he’s no longer seven freakin’ hours away from me?

  And did he really say he wanted our mind‌–‌blowing vacation sex to be more than that?