Dirty Summer 2

by Violet Paige

  As the strobe of the lighthouse grew stronger and brighter, Justyn slowed the boat to a crawl, and Reid checked the ropes on the anchors. Justyn drove the boat straight onto the beach. Reid heaved the anchor ten feet beyond the boat’s stern and tied a strong latch to the bow.

  The beach was desolate. The hundreds of beachgoers who dotted the sandy shores during the day were back on the mainland at night. Except for the nocturnal wildlife in search of dinner, the area was deserted.

  “Maggie, you ready to climb?” Reid asked.

  “Climb to the top? I would love to!” She must have taken his lecture back at the creek to heart. Maggie managed not to squeal this time. “How are we going to get in? Isn’t it locked?”

  “Have you already forgotten my ultra cool Coast Guard status? I’m hurt, Maggie.” Reid feigned a dagger hitting his heart and laughed. “I know where the key is.”

  “Seriously? There is a hide-a-key?” Blair scoffed.

  “Yep. Every house has one.” Reid waited for Maggie to join him. “Come on, Maggie. We’ve got some winding stairs to tackle.”

  Maggie tossed her shoes on the bow of the boat and smiled at Reid’s outstretched hand. She looked back toward Justyn and Blair, who nodded for her to go ahead.

  Justyn watched Maggie and Reid traipse over the low-lying sand dunes and onto the boardwalk that encircled the black and white diamond-studded lighthouse.

  “Don’t ya wanna go?” Justyn tipped back a cold beer in his hand, trying his best to avoid eye contact with Blair. Her hair was drifting with the light winds, and he could see the dew on her skin resting on her chest.

  “I didn’t exactly plan on climbing to the top of a lighthouse in this dress.” Blair smiled in his direction. He noticed how careful she was to avoid the knotted bowlines as she stretched one leg over the side of the boat until her toes were firmly in the sand.

  “Most girls don’t wear dresses like that on boat rides, you know?”

  “I’m not most girls.”

  “I’ve noticed,” Justyn murmured under his breath.

  Blair passed him and walked in the opposite direction of the lighthouse.

  “Hey, where are you going?”

  “Why don’t you follow me for a change?” Arching one little finger at him, Blair beckoned him to follow her. She threw her head back, sashayed her hips from side to side, and walked away seductively.

  “Oh hell.” Justyn crumpled his beer can between his rough palms and tossed it toward the stern. “Blair, wait up.”

  He jogged after the sultry blonde, hoping he could turn her around, before she had him wondering which way was east.

  Blair trailed her toes in the warm waves, splashing in ripples around her ankles.

  “Why’d you run off like that?” He tracked behind her deliberate walk down the shoreline.

  Blair pointed her toe forward, pushed all her weight on the ball of her opposite foot, and twirled so that she was facing him. Justyn stopped in mid-stride when Blair’s foot grazed his leg. He watched the fabric of her dress flare higher around her thighs from the draft of her sudden swirl.

  “So, you wanna walk in the dark, or something?” Justyn shoved his hands in his pockets.

  “Or something.” Blair winked.

  His feet were anchored in the wet sand, and he stood affixed to the ground. Blair pulled on the bottom of his shirt and flattened the fabric under her palms as she weaved them over his hard chest. She smiled when his breath caught as she slid her hands around his neck. Gliding her frame against his, she pressed harder against his body, now locked in place on the beach.

  Justyn felt his resolve weaken as he looked into her eyes, surprised at how he managed to detect a sparkle despite the darkness. He was suddenly aware of her heart beating against his chest, the softness of her hands on his neck, and the scent of her shampoo floating around him. Like a boat drifting at sea, he couldn’t resist the tide pulling him toward the shore.

  “What the hell,” he muttered under his breath. He leaned down, taking her lips with a feverish fury.

  Blair moaned as he took his time exploring her mouth one heated breath at a time. Justyn’s arms encircled her waist until he grasped enough of her slender hips to hoist her legs around his middle. She hitched her legs around his waist, and returned every one of his kisses deeper than the last. Assured she was balanced on his torso, he let his hands roam lower until the hem of that little black dress was worked up enough to let him feel the smoothness of her skin. Grabbing hard, he cupped her bottom in his rough hands. Blair wrapped her legs tighter. Over the low hum of the wind, he let out a groan in Blair’s ear. His lips trailed to the side of her neck, where he playfully nipped on the tender spot.

  “Mmm, Blair. We need to move.” Justyn clasped her tiny waist between his hands to set her back on the sandy soil.

  Blair pouted at him and wickedly ran her fingernails against his smooth stomach.

  “Girl, what are you doing? You’re killing me.” He swooped down to kiss her again, fully on the mouth. “Look. They made it to the top. Let’s at least get out of the line of sight.”

  He pointed to two tiny shadow specks perched high above on the platform. He grabbed Blair by the hand and led her back to the spot on the beach where the skiff was anchored to the sand and the shore.

  Justyn boarded the boat and reached into the cooler to pull out two drinks. He noticed she took a deep breath of salty air before accepting the beer in his hand. Ice beer was exactly what they both needed.

  “Why don’t we hang here ‘til those two get back?” Justyn settled into the bow, so he could face the boardwalk leading from the lighthouse.

  Blair edged to the seat next to him. “Ok. I’ve had enough walking for one night.” She cracked the seal of the beer and sipped on the bitter ale.

  “I guess you’re not a beer girl?” Justyn laughed at the grimace on her face.

  “No, not really. More of a wine and fruity drink kind of girl.”

  He wasn’t surprised. “Sorry, I don’t really stock up on that stuff.”

  Justyn looked at her sitting next to him on the small skiff. From the first minute they met at Shirley and Henry’s clambake, he knew she was beautiful and sexy. Who could ignore those come-hither eyes, those long legs and arms, and tight ass? Still, he didn’t expect her to kiss back like that. Yes, cold beer was good. Maybe it would cool things down.

  “Have you ever thought about living anywhere else besides this island? I mean, you can’t be content to stay here your whole life, can you?” she asked, resting her beer between her hands.

  Justyn smiled in the dark. This girl was bold. “Is that more of a comment about me, or are you asking me a question?” She wasn’t the first summer girl to pry into his plans.

  “Uh, that’s a real question. How long do you plan on staying here?” She tried to catch a flyaway strand of hair and tuck it behind her ear.

  “To tell you the truth, I don’t plan on ever leaving the island. Reid and I have our own business we’re trying to get off the ground. There aren’t too many places in the world where I can work, build boats, and see them sailing in the same waters I sail in too. Do you know how awesome it is to see our boats out there?” Justyn let his eyes drift past Blair to the water’s horizon. “It’s the best damn feeling there is. I’m not leaving; there’s no reason to.”

  “But what about traveling and seeing new places? There’s a big world out there, Justyn Strait.”

  “Not everybody has to do the same thing, Carolina girl. Look, I went to college—best four years of my life—now I’m doing what I love. I like building boats. It’s what I’m good at. What about you? What is your big plan?”

  “Dallas.” Blair sipped the beer.

  “And you think that’s where your happiness is? Huh.”

  “I worked hard to get that job. Yes, I’m going to Dallas and I might be starting as the little fish in a big pond, but that market is huge and I’ll keep working my way up. I’m excited about going. I’ve worked
for four years to get a job like that.”

  “Well, it sounds like you have it all figured out. Congratulations.” Justyn tipped his beer back and felt the smoothness of the liquid slide down his throat.

  “What’s that supposed to mean? Are you mocking me? Aren’t you the one who just said we don’t all have to do the same thing? At least I’m going to travel and see the world, not just hunker down in some false safety zone.” She stood and marched to the side of the beached vessel.

  “Safety zone? What’s your problem? Sorry my life here is so beneath your big college girl dreams.” Justyn felt his pulse rising. Why was he letting her get to him again tonight?

  “I’m going to find Maggie. It’s late.”

  “I’m not chasing after you again.”

  Blair stopped and whipped toward him faster than the wind. “What is that supposed to mean?” Her eyes glared through the humid air.

  “You know what it means.” He stepped off the boat. “I’m not chasing you again. You made your point.”

  Blair’s hands flew to her hips. “What point?”

  In a swift motion, he reached under her tilted chin and held her face between his finger and thumb. Her chest heaved with angry breaths. Before she could swat his hand from her face, he leaned down and planted his warm lips on her mouth.

  Justyn felt every tense and angry coil wound in her relax a little more with each possessive touch of his lips. Reaching up on the tips of her toes, she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back with total abandon.

  “You have to know what you do to me. The stunt with that dress—I know what you’re up to, Carolina girl.”

  Blair batted her eyes at him in the moonlight. “I’m not up to anything, except maybe this.” She twisted her fingers through his hair and pulled his mouth to hers.

  Justyn groaned. Yep, he was right. She was trouble.

  Don’t miss episode 3 of Dirty Summer!

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