Unforgettable Summer: Wild Crush, Book 1 (18 page)

He did that to her. Distracted the hell out of her and made her lose her train of thought. Ty smiled, the shit-eating grin he used to let an opponent know they were in big trouble. Clearly flustered, Summer finished her conversation in quick order and led her client out of the office.

At last she turned to face him. Ty let his gaze trail over her, taking in the smooth dark hair he loved so much, her unblemished skin, high cheekbones and tempting mouth. Her bottom lip was fuller than the top, unpainted and pink. The sight of it made Ty’s groin heat.

“Ty, is everything okay? You look kind of serious.”

“Do you know how beautiful you are?”

Apparently stunned by his abrupt question, Summer simply stared. “Um…”

“Honest question, Sum. Do you?”

Summer cleared her throat. “Sure,” she said, ducking her head as she walked past him, headed back to the reception counter.

Comprehension dawned that his question needed clarification. Ty shot a hand out to her arm, stilling her footsteps. “I mean, do you know that you
are
beautiful.”

She shifted on her feet. “Ty…”

It was like he’d thought, what Aaron’s careless words had made him see. Summer had no idea. She’d spent her life living in Jasmine’s shadow, Jasmine the outrageous one, the sexy dresser, the attention-getter. Aaron can’t have been the only person to think of Summer as
unremarkable.
Even he had been drawn to Jasmine first, only appreciating Summer’s sweet thoughtfulness and quiet beauty after he’d gotten to know her.

All that must have had an effect on her confidence.

“Ah, hell.” Ty drew her into his arms, fitting her head beneath his chin and holding her close. “I’m taking you out tonight.”

“Oh, are you now?”

Her dubious tone reminded him that he’d suggested it before, but more often than not he’d let his impatience rule and they’d ended up having sex and ordering takeaway. If Summer thought that was because he didn’t think she deserved flaunting, he was going to do his best to correct that misunderstanding.

“Yeah, I am. It’s my parents’ anniversary dinner.”

“I know. You told me. So obviously I can’t go with you.”

“Why not?”

“Dinner with your parents… it’s not a very good idea.”

Yesterday he might have agreed with her. He hadn’t asked her come to his parents’ anniversary dinner because it suggested a level of commitment that went beyond their tacit agreement that this affair was temporary. But now everything had changed. He’d seen the truth, that nothing felt more right than having Summer in his arms. He wasn’t going to spend a moment longer away from her than he had to.

“Come on. It’s at Munroe’s at Byron. It’ll be an excuse for us to wear our fancy pants. You’ll see that I can actually scrub up all right when I want to. And you know my parents—you’ve met them before, so it won’t be weird.”

“It might be. They don’t know we’re seeing each other.”

“They know I’m seeing someone. I haven’t spent a night at their house all week.”

“So they’ll know
everything.
” Summer groaned. “What will your mother think?”

“Probably that you could do better.”

She scowled at his quip. “She adores you, you idiot.”

“You know, the way you call me an idiot really turns me on.”

“That’s because you’re perverted.”

“Takes one to know one, sweetheart. Now say you’ll come tonight.”

She sighed. “Ty…”

He gave her shoulders a little shake. “Say it.”

“All right, all right. I’ll come.”

Ty figured his grin must be nearly splitting his cheeks. “Great. Now be a good girl and kiss me.”

Her lips twitched, and she looked at him through her lashes in that sweet, sexy Summer way. “Kissing you tends to turn me into a
bad
girl.”

“That’s bloody fantastic news.”

Ty swooped and captured her lips, making full, thorough contact. Summer twined her arms around his neck and pressed against him, right there in the reception area of her business. He felt the imprint of her hard nipples against his chest through her blouse and his shirt. Damn, she did have a naughty streak, one that was reserved only for him. Ty liked knowing that.

They only broke apart when the little bell jingled, announcing the arrival of another customer. Ty murmured, “My, you’re popular.”

“There’s a first time for everything.”

Her comment brought to mind the other night and how they’d playacted the first time they should have had. If Ty had anything to say about it, he’d have a lot more first times with Summer from here on in.

“I’ll pick you up an hour after you finish. There’s something I want to show you on the way.”

Fuzzy from their kiss now, Summer capitulated without protest. “Okay.”

“Okay.”

Ty left, tipping his head to the woman who’d just walked in and showing her a jaunty smile.

Later that evening, Summer glanced out the car window at the house Ty had pulled up in front of. Set on a hill behind the town, it was in one of Leyton’s Headland’s most established streets. A privacy wall draped with bright red bougainvillea shielded the simple white house from the others in the cul-de-sac. A For Sale sign was staked into the ground way out front, AJ Sanderson’s logo emblazoned across it in green and black.

Summer looked at Ty. “Are we visiting someone?”

“The place is empty.” Ty held up a set of keys. “But Aaron gave me these. I wanted you to take a quick look.”

He climbed out of the car before she could enquire further. Coming around to her side, he helped her out of the vehicle. He kept her hand in his as he led her down the pebbled driveway. When they reached the front door, he unlocked it and gestured for her to precede him through the opening.

Summer felt a bit like a princess being escorted into a castle as she hesitantly stepped over the threshold. She’d bought a new dress in a bold red-and-black floral pattern that made her feel pretty darn sexy, and Ty was decked out in a suit and a pressed white shirt open at the throat. Freshly shaven and smelling like quality cologne, he was so attractive it was heart-stopping. He had been very solicitous so far tonight too, which made Summer wonder what was going on.

Not that Ty didn’t have manners, but tonight he seemed to be taking more care to use them than usual. Now he’d brought her to this uninhabited house for reasons she couldn’t guess. Added to the case of nerves she was suffering at the prospect of being his date at a family celebration, Summer was beginning to feel downright jumpy.

Summer wiped her damp palms on the fitted skirt of her dress. “What are we doing here, Ty?”

“I told you I’ve been looking at buying an investment property,” Ty said. “Aaron assures me this is a bargain.”

“You want to buy this place?” Summer looked around the sizeable living room, which was completely devoid of furniture, and the big, refurbished kitchen. “I thought you were talking about something smaller, like a unit in one of the new complexes.”

“That’s where I was looking at first and I suppose that makes sense.” Ty shrugged. “But I saw this place and liked the look of it. What do you think?”

Summer turned back to face him, her heels clicking on the hardwood floor. “You want my opinion?”

“Don’t look so surprised.” He showed her a slow, soft smile. “You’re smart, you have great taste and I’ve always cared what you thought.”

A little breathless from having received so many compliments all at once, Summer turned away, using the excuse of exploring the surroundings. Her footfalls echoed through the house as she glanced into its four bedrooms, all with bright airy windows, and a bathroom that had been refitted in modern black-and-white tile. The house was on the older side, but had been renovated to bring it up to date. Summer walked to the sliding glass doors that opened onto the expansive timber deck out back.

She gasped at what she saw. “Oh, Ty. You can see the ocean from here.”

Ty laughed. “Only just. That’s what Aaron calls in real-estate speak ‘beach glimpses’.”

“I’d be happy with a glimpse like this.” Summer slid open the door and stepped out into the evening air. The view of the Pacific was a strip of dark blue tinged with the deep orange of waning sunset. It was framed perfectly by two long-established palm trees, like a postcard. An easterly breeze came as though direct from the sea, ruffling Summer’s dress. “The deck makes this place.”

“So you like it?”

“I love it. You’ll find tenants for it easily. It’s perfect for a family.”

“That’s what I was thinking.”

She turned at the odd note in his voice. He was watching her closely, the shroud of falling twilight making it impossible to read his expression. Summer swallowed, her heart beating fast. “This place can’t be the cheapest available. Are you sure you want to spend this much?”

“It’s underpriced and it’ll only increase in value. Besides, I’ve put a bit away over the years.”

Summer had forgotten how much the prize money for winning a surf title could be. Ty had been surfing, and often winning, for a decade. Add the prize money to endorsements and there was a lot there for investments like this.

Summer blinked, finding herself reassessing him suddenly. “It’s only now occurred to me you must be loaded.”

He laughed. “Not enough for one of those monstrous places down on Endeavour Boulevard.” The street he mentioned was a block from the beach and lined with ultramodern minimansions which had, in Summer’s opinion, far too much plate glass to be charming. Ty nodded toward the house. “But this I can do.”

Summer was still trying to get her head around the idea of Ty being a relatively wealthy man. He never acted like he was, driving a fairly average vehicle and walking around in boardies most of the time. He never behaved like he was too important to talk to the man in the street, many of who tended to bail him up and want to chat in detail about his surfing exploits.

He’d seemed so far away all these years, like a movie star who’d ceased to be a real person in her mind. But this past week or two when he’d been back in Leyton’s Headland, he’d proven himself to be, at his core, the same easygoing, slightly devilish Ty she remembered. He was so centered, so sure of who he was. It was one of the things she loved most about him.

Sucking in a breath as that
word
tumbled through her brain, Summer stepped up to the balcony railing and gripped it with both hands. She breathed in air scented with salt and hibiscus in an effort to restore her equilibrium. Before she could manage the task, Ty came up behind her, putting a hand on her waist and making her heart thump even harder.

“Have I told you yet how hot you look in this dress?”

His words were husky, sexy. All it took was that particular tone of voice and the brush of his fingers to add arousal to the turmoil churning inside her. “Only about three or four times.” Summer tried for a light tone but figured the catch in her throat rendered the attempt an epic fail.

“Not enough then.” Ty’s hand trailed across her back, his fingers contacting skin exposed by the crossback design. “It looks new. Did you buy it special for me?”

There was no use denying it. Summer had been eyeing the garment in the boutique a few shops down from her clinic for weeks, but had figured she wouldn’t have anywhere to wear it. Tonight’s dinner had been her excuse to finally try it on, and when it fit her like a glove, its shape emphasizing her petite frame and showing off just enough skin to entice, Summer had thought,
Ty would love me in this.

Mutely, she nodded her answer. She’d worn her hair up in an elegant twist, and when Ty let out a breath, it fanned across the back of her neck, sending ripples of sensation all the way down her spine. When he placed a kiss against the same skin his breath had teased to life, Summer’s knees buckled.

He caught her up against him. His strong body was hot against her back, his arm secure around her waist. His hand rested mere inches beneath the curve of her breast, his fingers skimming the underside. Into her ear, he whispered, “I could fuck you like this. Right here, right now.”

Summer gasped, shock and lust mingling in the sound. She gripped the balcony railing tighter as Ty pressed his crotch against her ass, proving that he was primed and ready to act on his words. Then he raised his hand a little higher, until his fingers brushed her nipple through her dress.

“Ty.” She wasn’t sure if she was protesting or pleading. It was so easy for him to get her excited that it scared her. Yet after many long years of having only a passing interest in sex, her reawakened libido was like a new toy she couldn’t stop playing with. Part of her wanted him to do exactly as he’d said.

Her eyes flung open. They were on the back deck of a house that belonged to neither of them. Approaching night turned the sky to shades of purple and gray, and the yard was rimmed by foliage, giving a sense of privacy. But there were other houses, the occasional window in her line of view. If she could see those windows, someone behind them might be able to see her.

“It’s getting dark, no one can see,” he murmured, having apparently read her thoughts. He continued to draw lazy circles around her peaked flesh. “But you can pretend they can, if you want.”