Summer Dreaming (Hot in the Hamptons Book 1) (10 page)

And why I would do the same for Sean. For myself. For the two of us.

I love him. That’s what it came down to. It was so simple. There was no choice to be made. There never had been. I love him and I didn’t want to live a life without him. I’d take each goodbye knowing each homecoming would be worth it all.

I may be a daddy’s girl but I was more like my mother than I’d thought. I could be strong like her. I now realized her strength was more powerful than any army’s. Still, to reveal one’s heart took a different kind of courage.

I had to tell him I wanted forever. “Sean, I—”

I heard the sirens before I saw the lights. Sean grabbed my phone and waved it in the air as a beacon for the ambulance that was racing down the beach to our location.

The EMTs jumped out and I released a reluctant Bonnie to them. Sean gave them a rundown as they immediately assessed the girl’s condition. Several ocean rescue trucks and a police SUV arrived on the scene seconds later. I stayed in the background as Sean repeated the information to someone who looked in charge. I recognized some of the other rescuers and Blake, who tossed a blanket over Sean’s shoulders. The respect and admiration they all had for him was clear from the way they hung on his every word.

The EMTs were preparing the girl for transport to the hospital for further evaluation when a man and woman raced down the walkway from the house next to Storme’s, shouting. “Bonnie! Bonnie!”

I directed them over to the ambulance just as they were about to shut the doors. “Bonnie. Oh, my God. What happened?”

“I just wanted to go swimming.” The girl’s big blue eyes filled with enough tears to flood the Hamptons.

As the girl’s parents hugged and scolded their daughter at the same time, I turned to Sean who watched the scene with a smile. If Sean and I hadn’t met, if we hadn’t made love on the beach tonight, if Sean hadn’t been skilled, if he hadn’t been brave, if the ocean had been any worse, they would have lost their child. So many ifs had to line up to save Bonnie. Life offered no guarantees. The only thing you could do was embrace life in the here and now.

Done with the authorities, Sean walked over to me. My heart cracked opened from the love filling into it. There was nothing left to do but share that love with him.

“He saved me.” The girl pointed to Sean.

The mother ran over and hugged him tight. “Thank you. Thank you.”

Sean nodded to me. “You should thank Kelsey, too.”

“Me? But I didn’t do anything.” I didn’t risk my life or perform CPR.

But the mother hugged me anyway. “Thank you, for saving our little Bonnie.” Then the mother got into the ambulance for the ride to the hospital.

The father shook his head. “She was mad at us for not letting her in the water today. I don’t know how she snuck out.” The father was still reeling from almost losing his daughter.

Sean poked his head into the ambulance. “Hey kiddo, no more swimming without a lifeguard present.”

“I won’t.”

“Promise?”

Bonnie smiled. “Promise.” She bestowed a kiss on his check. “Thank you.”

He leaned back out and her father shook Sean’s hand. “I don’t know how I’ll ever repay you.”

Sean touched his cheek where the little girl had kissed it. “Bonnie just did.”

Happy tears pooled in my eyes. I looked down to the sand, ashamed of how stupid I was with Sean after playing his practice victim when, fooling around, I had said the exact same words. The wind kicked up and a light rain began to mist as the ambulance drove off. Sean shared his blanket with me, slipping a corner around my shoulder then circling an arm around my waist. His body was still damp.

“We need to get you out of those wet shorts,” I said.

“I just bet you do.”

Looking around at the others gathered around us, my eyes widened with horror. “Sean! That’s not what I meant!”

But Sean and everyone else in hearing distance laughed. “I know you didn’t, babe.” He kissed the top of my head.

I felt the heat of a blush in my cheeks, but the joke seemed to lighten the mood so I laughed, too.

We walked back to the house huddled under the blanket to ward off the wind and rain in silence. My brain had enough inner chatter to drown out the sounds of the encroaching storm.

I knew I would have to be the one to break the rules. Sean would never break his vow and ask for more than what I’d offered at the beginning of the summer. He was too noble to do otherwise. Besides they were my rules to break.

I hoped he wanted our summer romance to be endless and forever like I did. Because I didn’t think I was strong enough to survive his rejection.

Sean

K
elsey led me
back to the house and demanded I take a hot shower – without her. Was it punishment for the joke I’d made on the beach about her needing to get me out of my shorts? If so, it was a cruel punishment. The pulsing water jets washed the adrenaline I’d been feeding off of down the drain and I was crashing hard.

My muscles ached and before I fell asleep standing up, I got out and dried off. Kelsey had left the bedroom so I slipped on a robe she had left out on the bed. I’m guessing it belonged to Storme’s dad. Or perhaps rich people who owned houses like this kept robes handy for their guests. The bed alone looked like it belonged in a magazine.

The bed. My body wanted to sprawl out on top and sleep until morning, but not without Kelsey to warm me.

I walked down the staircase with the intention of hauling her back upstairs. She was in the kitchen wearing cute knickers pajama bottoms and a t-shirt with the word Georgia Peach emblazoned below a decal of the fruit. My mouth watered and not for the soup that wafted in the air.

Outside the storm raged. Wind, sand, and rain pelted the windows.

“Where are Storme and Leigh?”

Kelsey looked up. “Leigh had to run home for a family emergency and Storme is out enjoying one last night of freedom before her parents get back.”

I nodded. “Where are my clothes?”

“You won’t be needing them anytime soon.”

I arched an eyebrow.

“Meaning, that as soon as I get some soup into you, you’ll be sleeping.” She led me to the couch. She tucked a throw blanket around me and puffed a pillow behind my back. “I’ll be right back.”

She wasn’t kidding. A second later, she handed me a bowl of chicken soup. I’d rather have a shot of whiskey, but after taking a few sips I started to feel better.

Kelsey continued to fuss over me and I let her because after what had happened I knew she needed to. And I admit, I liked it. I had never seen this nurturing side of Kelsey before. Yeah, she was a hugger and liked to spoon but taking care of me outside of the bedroom? That was new.

And seeing how she’d mothered Bonnie had got me thinking about having children with Kelsey one day. I had no right going there, even in my head.

She had almost lost me to the sea tonight.
And you never told her that you love her.

Even though I couldn’t ask for us to stay together, she had the right to hear the words. And I couldn’t go away without saying them. I tried to put the soup mug down, but she grabbed it and did it for me. “I love you, Kelsey Mitchell.”

The widest smile appeared on her face. “I love you too, Sean.”

She loved me? My heart thundered. Great, she loved me, but I could never go against my vow and ask for more than this summer. Even if she wanted to stay together, it wouldn’t be fair to ask her to wait for me. “I’m sorry.”

Her brow furrowed. “What for?”

“Because it will make saying goodbye harder.”

Kelsey straddled my legs. The Georgia Peach right in my line of sight. With a finger, she tilted my head up so my gaze met hers. “But that’s just the thing, Sean. I can’t say goodbye to you. At least not the forever kind of goodbye.”

Did I drown for real and this was some afterlife joke?

Pushing at my shoulders, she said, “Did you hear me, Sean? I love you. And we are not breaking up when you leave.”

Before I agreed, hell, before I begged to stay together, I said, “I can’t ask that of you.” Not after what she’d gone through with her dad.

“Well, I’m not asking you to ask me, Sean Dempsey! I’m telling you how it’s going to be.” The amber fire in her eyes warmed me more than the hot shower or the soup ever could.

“Hell, you are a Marine’s daughter, through and through.” I hadn’t realized how strong she was until that moment.

“Damn straight.” Kelsey tugged on the lapels of the robe. “And I will make the best Marine girlfriend ever.”

Girlfriend?
She was more than that to me. I wanted more than that. Since Kelsey had thrown out the rulebook, I decided to risk it all. “You’d make the best Marine’s
bride
ever.”

Her eyes widened, the light shining in them enough to burn through the storm raging outside. “Are you proposing to me?”

I tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear. “Kelsey, will you marry me?”

She covered her mouth with both hands. Fuck, was she holding in a no?

Then she released her hands. “Yes!” She placed a big kiss on my mouth. “Yes!” Then another kiss. “Yes!”

Between the kisses and the way she rocked her hips on my lap, my cock was not registering the romance of the moment at all.

She pulled away. “Wait, you’re not going to try to talk me out of going to Europe, are you?”

“Wouldn’t dream of it. Just don’t go falling for some sweet talking Euro douche bag.”

“Not a chance. I like my men the way I like my cars.”

“How’s that?”

“All-American and all muscle.” She rocked her hips again. “And I do believe I’m being saluted by some American muscle right now.”

“Hey, I thought I was supposed to get some sleep,” I teased.

“Your cock is not cooperating. It’s wide awake.”

“Maybe, it needs you to
hum
it a lullaby.”

A half smile tilted on her face. “Why Sean, how almost poetic of you.”

“You mouth is poetry in motion.” I threaded my fingers through her hair, urging her head down so her lips met mine in a scorching kiss that matched the storm’s fury outside and my wild raging heart within.

Kelsey pulled away. “When?” she asked in a breathless whisper.

“When what?” My brain was currently in my pants.

She nudged my shoulder. “The wedding? When do you want to get married?”

“Tomorrow?”

“Men.” She rolled her eyes. “I may not need a fancy wedding but I do need more than a day. My family has to travel, I need a dress—”

“Shh.” I placed my finger to the lips I so desperately wanted back on mine. “Just as long as you’re officially mine before I leave.”

She smiled, her eyes full of warmth and desire. She pushed my finger away. “And after Storme’s wedding. I don’t want to take away from her day.”

“Great.” I nodded, ready to agree to most anything. “Now can we get back to kissing?”

Kelsey answered in the best way possible. Without a word.

The End

Thank you for taking the time to read Summer Dreaming. If you enjoyed it, please consider telling your friends or posting a short review. Word of mouth is an author’s best friend and much appreciated.

And don’t forget to check out the rest of the Hot in the Hamptons series with Summer Temptation by Wendy S. Marcus and Summer Sins by Jennifer Probst!

Keep the burn going with the next 2 books in the Hot in the Hamptons series…

By Wendy S. Marcus

Meet Leigh DeGray…

After graduating college with honors and landing the job of my dreams in New York City, I’m off to The Hamptons to spend the summer with my two best friends. My life seems perfect, right? It’s not. Because I have a secret that may make the future I’d planned so carefully completely fall apart. A hot summer romance is the absolute last thing I’m looking for. Until I meet a man who tempts me like no other and shows me a hot summer romance is exactly what I need.

Meet Nick Kenzy…

After two years of working my ass off as a Wall Street analyst, I’m out of a job, with no warning, no thank you, and no severance. Am I angry? You’re damn right I am. So when I head to the Hamptons for the weekend to spend time with my granddad, I plan to regroup and relax before I return to the city to hit the job search hard. I don’t need any distractions. Until I meet Leigh. And suddenly, a summer temptation makes me question everything…

And

Summer Sins

by Jennifer Probst

Summer fun before my wedding…

I have one goal this summer. Hang with my besties for some much needed sun, sand, and relaxation while I put the final touches on my idyllic wedding. I didn’t count on meeting a smart-mouthed, bad boy biker whose gaze burns hotter than a beach bonfire. I never planned to lose myself, body and soul, and question my entire future. Now, I have to make a choice that’s tearing me apart, and could shatter the lives of the two men I love…

Turns into summer sins….

I have one goal this summer. CHILL. Do nothing. Nada. I need simple before I have to head into Manhattan to take on a high powered position on Wall Street. I didn’t count on a dark haired, inky-eyed spitfire who’d spin my world upside down, or make me burn for things I never thought I wanted. I vowed to make her my summer fling, but had no idea she was claimed by another. And now that she possessed not only my body but my soul, the stakes are too high for me to lose her…

Liz Matis is a mild mannered accountant by day and romance author by night. Married 29 years she believes in happily-ever-after!

Fun Fact: Liz read her first romance at the age of fifteen and soon after wrote her first romances starring her friends and their latest crushes!

Fun Fact 2: Liz kept an inspiration board for Summer Dreaming on Pinterest. Check it out here:
www.pinterest.com/lizmatis

Website:

www.lizmatis.com

Blog:

www.taoofliz.blogspot.com