Unforgettable Summer: Wild Crush, Book 1 (9 page)

Fighting the idiocy that came with drunkenness, Ty quashed his urges. Summer was with Penny and some other man, obviously a double-date situation. Besides, he was done trying to cajole Summer into satisfying both their needs.

He was totally and completely
done.

Chapter Five

How was it possible to be in perfectly decent company and still feel so alone?

It wasn’t the first time Summer had asked herself that question. Tonight, she’d thought the alcohol might help. She wasn’t a big drinker, not believing that a few empty giggles were worth the inevitable morning-after suffering, but tonight she’d imbibed more than usual.

It didn’t help her fit with the foursome any better. She’d never performed well in group situations, she was too quiet to stand out. She preferred to be by herself with a good book, or with one other person she truly liked.

Like Ty. Summer hated to admit it, but she did like him, despite his tendency to be annoying and arrogant. That was why it was damned bothersome, this fear of hers. She’d always liked him, she was intensely attracted to him, and she needed to have sex. A quick affair with Ty was the perfect solution, really. If only she could behave like an adult and not like an eighteen-year-old every time she got near him.

Darn it, Summer. Stop thinking about Ty.

“It’s okay you know,” said Greg Danvers, Summer’s perfectly nice, perfectly acceptable date.

“What do you mean?”

“I don’t mind that it’s not working between us.”

Summer flushed with embarrassment. Had her lack of interest been so obvious? “I’m sorry.” She propped her elbow on the bar and her chin into her hand. “I’m not very good at dating.”

“Don’t be sorry. I’m not really ready.” At Summer’s curious expression, Greg put his light beer back on the bar and elaborated. “I had a messy breakup last year and my brother’s been hassling me to get over it. The thing is, I don’t think I am ready to be over it.”

Summer blew a delicate raspberry. At least she hoped it was delicate. “People should mind their own business.”

“Yeah, well.” Greg gestured toward the other barstool where his brother sat, Penny practically in his lap. “They seem to be enjoying themselves. That’s something.”

Summer hoped this wasn’t another short fling that fizzled quickly, leaving Penny more depressed than ever. Summer lifted her glass of house white, a mysterious blend that was all the pub sold by the glass. With a wry twist of her lips, she toasted. “To true love.”

As she and Greg clinked glasses, Summer glanced beyond the man’s shoulder and saw Ty.

The glass halted halfway to her lips. He lounged against the pub wall, clutching a pool cue like it and the wall were the only things holding him up. A woman in a denim skirt grabbed another cue off a man Summer recognized as Aaron Sanderson and proceeded to bend over the pool table. As she lined up her shot, both men fairly craned their necks trying to improve their view of her backside.

Fury sizzled inside Summer. As usual, Ty Butler wasn’t nursing his wounds, crying in his wine the way Summer was. He knew how to move on faster than any person she knew.

“You should take lessons from that guy.” Summer gestured with her glass before downing three big gulps.

Greg turned to follow the line of her gaze. “Which one?”

“The one who moves faster than an express train.” Summer remembered all those years ago seeing Ty on a YouTube video, sporting a huge grin and a trophy. Out of nowhere some woman in a bikini kissed him—and he’d seemed to kiss back enthusiastically. She couldn’t believe he didn’t even remember that. “Doesn’t work with me?” Summer grumbled. “Any woman will do.”

Summer took another swallow from her glass, before Greg gently tried to extract it from her. “Maybe you’d better slow down on the wine.”

“I’m sick of being sensible. I’m sick of feeling responsible for everything. Why can’t I just do whatever I want and get away with it like other people?” Summer gestured in the general direction of the pool tables with her now empty hand. “Like him.”

“Okay, I think I’m starting to get the picture,” Greg drawled. “I wasn’t in with a chance, was I?”

“Poor Greg.” Summer pouted. “Poor me. I even feel responsible that you had a terrible time tonight. And now here I am, yammering about some other man I should be over. I should
really
be over him.”

“Since when is it ever that easy?” Greg extracted his wallet and put some money on the bar in front of Summer. “Take this in case you need it for a cab.”

“I have my own money.”

“Just take it.” Greg shoved it into her hand. “I’m the responsible type too.”

Summer smiled wryly. “You’re a very nice man, Greg Danvers.”

“Yeah, yeah, I’ve heard that before. I’m going to leave you and the two lovebirds.” He canted his head at his brother and Penny. “I don’t think I’m needed here. It was nice meeting you, Summer Campbell.”

Before he left he placed a quick kiss on her forehead, a sweet gesture that made Summer’s regret all the more acute. Why couldn’t she fall for some nice man like Greg, someone who’d respect her and be there for her? That’s what she needed in her life. Not hot hard sex with a ghost from her past who’d be gone again as soon as the wind changed direction.

Unfortunately, it had been hot hard sex with Ty Butler that she’d thought about all night while she should have been getting to know Greg. She’d thought about it when she’d gotten dressed in her sexiest black underwear, her breasts aching with the remembered sensation of Ty’s kneading and caressing hands. She’d thought about it when she’d impulsively dialed Jasmine’s mobile phone number, hoping to talk. Praying, in vain, for some sage sisterly advice.

Her call went to message bank, which Summer concluded was for the best. What could she have said anyway?
Hey, Jasmine, remember Ty, that boy we both fell in love with once upon a time? He’s back in town and wants to have a quick, meaningless fling. What would you think about that? Is there a statute of limitation on going after your sister’s ex?

She couldn’t imagine that conversation would have gone smoothly. Summer and Jasmine
never
spoke about Ty, as though they both sensed their fragile relationship couldn’t withstand the destructive subject matter.

Summer’s gaze strayed to the other side of the pub. Her breath caught when she saw Ty watching her, his expression grim. The woman was bent over the table again, right in Ty’s line of sight. But while his companion was copping an eyeful, Ty was staring across the pub at Summer as though he was pissed off about something.

He
was pissed off. What a jerk. Briefly checking that Penny was okay—she was still necking like crazy and happy to send Summer on her way—Summer squared her shoulders and headed for Ty. In her efforts to saunter like a cool, confident woman, she almost stumbled on her high heels.
Damn shoes.
The dress wasn’t helpful either, creeping up her thighs as she tried for long, smooth strides. She had to stop to tug the black material down.

She’d hoped to hide behind a couple swaying where there was no dance floor, but they moved aside and provided no cover. When she looked up, she found Ty staring at her. Here she’d been worried about exposing too much leg, not even realizing her bent-over pose gave him a direct view of her cleavage—such as it was. Furious once again, Summer straightened and stopped worrying about trying to perfect her walk. She strode toward him like a woman on a mission.

When she reached his side, she poked at his biceps with her finger.
Ouch.
“You son-of-a-bitch.”

Eyeing her sideways, Ty put a finger to his chest and raised an eyebrow. “Me?”

“Who else? Cop an eyeful of this bimbo’s backside, did you?”

Over the offended protest of the woman who was apparently
not
out of earshot, Ty fired back, “Have fun smooching with your preppy-looking friend over there?”

“He kissed me once. On the head.” Summer pointed to her forehead for emphasis. “That how you’re planning to end your lovely evening with Miss Miniskirt?”

“You should talk.” Ty sneered at the length of leg her dress exposed, something feral and lascivious in the survey. “You dress this nice for all your dates?”

“I hardly date. I don’t see the point.”

“Oh?” He queried with exaggerated boredom. “Why’s that?”

“Because you ruined me for other men!”

Summer clamped her lips together. She was too inebriated to be as embarrassed as she should be, but clear-headed enough to be thankful for that.
Ruined her for other men
. What was she thinking, admitting something like that?

She turned to leave, but Ty’s hand clamped over her arm. He whirled her back to face him. His gaze bore into hers, all pretense of disinterest gone. “What did you say?”

What was the point in trying to deny it now? “I’ve never felt about anyone again the way I felt about you.” The way I
feel
, Summer thought, relieved she’d had the presence of mind to speak in the past tense. “Sexually speaking. And it’s really cramping my style.”

Ty’s chest rose and fell rapidly. His gaze didn’t waver, and his hand on her arm was a hot brand. Summer was trapped, but as had been the case this morning, her prevailing response was to be massively turned on.

When he at last spoke, Ty’s voice was raspy. “What do you expect me to do with that, Summer?”

Summer stepped closer, courting danger as she hadn’t done in a decade. She held his gaze. “I expect you to take advantage of the fact I’m too drunk to be responsible. Take me home, Ty, before I come to my senses.”

“Where do you live?”

The air outside the pub hit Ty in the face, sobering him enough that he realized he had no idea where he was going. He acknowledged also that he might have been close to ripping Summer’s arm out of its socket in his haste to act on her suggestion to take her home.

With effort, he loosened his grip on her small hand, tried to relax his muscles. Looking at her, he repeated more gently, “Where do you live?”

Summer appeared a little shell-shocked. By her own behavior or his, Ty could not say. Maybe the fresh air had had a sobering effect on her too. Ty prayed not. The last thing he wanted was for Summer to wise up and realize she was acting out of character.

But she didn’t take back what she’d said, gesturing with her hand in the general direction of west. “A few blocks that way.”

“A few? As in three or four?”

“Three and a half.”

Three and a half blocks. He wasn’t going to make it. Even the movement of her arm was sexy because it made that draping black material of her dress shift against her breasts. The spaghetti-thin straps gave away that she wasn’t wearing a bra—unless it was a barely there, strapless one. Ty didn’t know which possibility made him hotter.

Three and a half blocks. He wasn’t going to make it.

You’re not going to make it standing here with your dick in the wind.

Ty started up the street, all but dragging Summer with him. Her heels made hurried, clickety-clack sounds on the pavement as she struggled to match his pace. Her voice was breathless. “Slow down, will you?”

“No. You keep up,” Ty countered. “If I don’t get you alone soon, I’m going to end up with another ticket for indecent exposure on my record.”

“Another one?”

Ty smirked. “Is that a note of jealousy I hear in your voice?”

“Jealous of your fair-weather fuck buddies? Hardly.”

It was the first time Ty could ever remember hearing her swear, and he realized Summer was
really
pissed at him. For making her want something she didn’t want to want? Or for
ruining her for other men?
He couldn’t help the smile that spread at the memory of those words, even knowing he must look like a smug bastard. She wanted
him,
not that good-looking douchebag he’d seen her with, and there was something inherently satisfying in knowing he was her preference. First place was always an improvement on second, and it was a damn sight better than rotten cheese.

As they entered the apartment complex that Summer indicated as hers, Ty tugged on her hand until she faced him. “Is this really how you want to do this, Sum?”

“Do what?”

“I can have sex angry, if that’s how you like it. Do you?”

“I’ve never done it like that.” She averted her gaze quickly, searching in her little black evening bag for her keys. “I’ve never done it on the beach or against a wall. I’ve certainly never gotten indecent-exposure warnings or even a disapproving stare from anyone. Apparently I’m as boring as they come.”

Ty thought about how this woman had had him in a state of perpetual stimulation for most of past week and burst out laughing. Summer shot him a look, and in the illumination cast by a nearby street lamp, he saw her eyes were shiny.

The reality that she was close to tears killed the laughter in Ty’s throat. “Sum?”

She didn’t answer him. Whirling on her spike heel, she inserted a key into the lock on unit number two and pushed open the door. When she strode inside, Ty followed her. “Summer, talk to me.”

“I’m sick of talking!” She spun back to face him. Ty saw the sheen was still there in her dark eyes, but her expression was all fury and frustration. “I talk or think everything to death. I don’t want to think about this right now. I don’t want to weigh up the pros and cons because I know it’s all going to be con. But I don’t want to change my mind. I just want you to treat me like I’m one of your other girlfriends and do me.”