Under the glow of the moon, she’s breathtaking, and I’m finding it difficult to look away. She’s playing with the ends of her long hair as it blows around her, stopping occasionally when a rustling sound moves through the air, loud enough that I hear it too. She doesn’t seem concerned, more intrigued as to what it could be. When she finally notices me, she jumps, her hand racing to her heart.
“You scared the shit out of me. We’re in the woods, for God’s sake.”
I cringe. “Sorry, I was taking a walk when I saw you. Thought I’d see if you want to join me, or I could walk you back.” I shrug.
“Okay,” she replies hesitantly, still frozen on the spot. “Nate said that the lake’s beautiful in the moonlight. Want to walk that way?” she says with a soft smile, taking the first step toward me.
Now that my eyes have completely adjusted, it’s easier to see in the distance. We make our way to the lake in silence, but it’s not uncomfortable. It’s cool out, and there’s a slight breeze. Even though Summer’s not close to me, I feel her shiver, and the need to wrap an arm around her is strong. You know, because I’m a nice guy.Bullshit.
I break the silence to redirect my thoughts. “Sorry about earlier. I know I should have told Gemma by now, but I just…I have no excuse.” I shrug and run a hand through my mussed hair.
“At least you can see the error of your ways.” She laughs. “I’ve actually enjoyed our role play to be honest.”
“Your boyfriend doesn’t mind?” I say and immediately cringe.What the hell was that?Summer laughs off my comment. We both know Logan’s not her boyfriend, so it was a stupid thing to say. If I had to guess, I’d say my brain thought that was a good way of finding out what they mean to each other.So, so wrong.
“Cory and Nate seem to be going well,” I say, not subtle in my need to move on.
“They’re perfect for each other!” she gushes, stunning me for a second and causing me to pause and look her way. I may not actually know Summer as well as I joke I do, but she’s no gusher. Before I can respond, she crinkles her perfectly formed nose, and the look can only be described as adorable.
“Does that face mean you don’t really mean what you just said?” I ask.
“No, I mean it. I’m just not sure where that reaction came from.” She swings her arms and moves ahead of me so I can no longer see her face.
“You’re happy for them?” I take a guess. She stops and turns back to me, a warm smile brightening her features.
“I am. Some people deserve all the happiness in the world.”
Interesting choice of words.“And some don’t?” I ask cautiously.
“Some don’t,” she confirms in a whisper, turning away. I want to ask more, but I don’t.
When we hit the sand, I follow Summer’s lead and remove my shoes. The gritty sand moves between my toes, and I immediately regret it, hating the feeling.Why did I agree to this walk again?
After removing what has to be the pointiest stick from under my foot, I look up to see the second reason I agreed to walk this way. Summer’s comment about the lake being beautiful did not do it justice. The clear night allows the stars to light up the sky, showcasing a spectacular view of the waterfall as it takes on the blue glow from the moonlight. The water splashing from the rocks causes the moon’s bright reflection to ripple with the waves, holding my attention.
When I look back to catch Summer’s reaction to the view, I’m rendered momentarily speechless. Her eyes are focused on the waterfall as she slowly removes her cardigan, leaving her in only a tank top and panties. With my mouth suddenly dry and my body frozen, I work hard to keep my thoughts from going where they shouldn’t. Because of this, it takes me longer than it should to realize her intentions.Shit!
“You’re insane; you’re going to freeze,” I rush to say. My words must break her spell because her eyes snap to mine before she takes off.
“Oh, don’t be such a pussy,” she yells, running toward the lake.
Double shit!If something happens to her because I’m a “pussy” as she put it, I’ll never forgive myself. I quickly strip my sweats off and run after her. Thankfully, I’m a lot faster and manage to catch up to her as her feet break the water.
Wrapping my arms around her waist from behind, I lift her up and swing her back toward the sand. She screams but laughs uncontrollably while thrashing against me.
“Ah, come on. We’ve skinny-dipped before, remember?” she jokes, but I hold firm.
“You’re no fun.” She laughs, wriggling as much as possible in the hope I’ll release my grip.Not happening.I grip tighter and walk farther from the shoreline. “Okay, fine. You win. I’ll stop.”
I turn her away from the lake and stand so that I’m between her and the water, in case she makes a run for it, and only then loosen my hold. She looks down at my briefs and raises an eyebrow, while holding back a smile. I’m lucky it’s dark because I’m sure they hide nothing.
Summer finally stands still for a moment, her chest rising and falling, windswept hair blowing across her face, and I’m mesmerized. She must sense my trance because she runs again.Shit!I laugh.
Jumping in front of her at the last second, I pull her into me, and we crash together. Our bodies connect from knee to chest, and it’s my turn to lose my breath.
I take a second to realize she’s no longer laughing. She’s so close that her breath warms my chin every time she exhales, which is more often than normal because of the energy she just expelled. Or maybe it’s our proximity, because my breaths are equally quick and shallow.
Looking down into her eyes, I see that she’s already looking up at me. It may be dark, but I can still make out flecks of blue mixed within her green eyes. The shining orbs make me think of sunshine over a grassy meadow, a new day or…summer.Huh, fitting.When did I even notice her eye color to begin with?