Chapter 14
Summer
Dylan had been a total dipshit tonight. Dipshit or dipstick? I shook my head. It didn’t matter what the right word was. He hadn’t picked me, and I wasn’t about to sit at home on a Friday night.
Why was he the only one that could go out? Since he graduated last December, our steadily growing relationship took a small hit when he had to move back to his parents’ house until he found a job. His parents lived in a small town back in Georgia near the beach. It was an adjustment for both of us.
I went from having him right at my fingertips to planning our dates out a week in advance and having to make sure he had a place to stay each time he made the drive.
Then, when I graduated a few months after him, he found a job back in the area and moved into a small apartment only fifteen minutes from my house, but with the new job came new friends, and those friends were all single.
Naturally, they all acted like college frat boys at twenty-four, which meant I wasn’t invited to join the boys at whatever bar they picked tonight.
I tried to be accepting at first, tried to understand that he needed to fit in at the new job to secure his position, but after being told that Fridays are for the boys, I’d had enough. Dylan wasn’t single. He had me, and it was high time he started acting like it.
Pacing my room, I first called Maddi. She was always up for a fun time. She answered on the first ring. “What’s wrong?” she whispered.
“Why are you whispering?”
“At the movies, remember?” I had forgotten about that.
“Sorry. Forgot. Call me later.”
“Love ya.” She hung up quickly, and I glanced at my favorites list. My brother Charlie had just started college a few months ago. He enrolled at the same one as me, but unlike me, he had joined one of the frats, so his weekends were spent at either a football game or a party.
I didn’t want to go out alone. There was nothing worse than arriving at the club alone.
Dialing his number next, I waited for his response. “What’s up, Sis?” he answered right before I hit his voicemail.
“Have plans tonight?” I asked, hoping he didn’t.
“Yeah; I’m on my way to a tailgate. Why? Do you need me?” he whispered the last part into the phone so his obnoxious frat brothers wouldn’t hear.
“No,” I resisted the urge to sigh. “It’s alright. Have fun.” I sunk down to the ground. This wasn’t going as planned.
“Don’t pull that crap with me,” Charlie snapped. “What’s going on?”
“Just looking for someone to come out with me – nothing wrong. No need to act like my older brother, Charles. Last time I checked, I’m supposed to protect you.” He laughed, the rich sound warming my heart.
He had grown into such a good man. I was so incredibly proud of him every day.
“Right – like I’m supposed to believe that you could ever protect me. Go out with Mads. Didn’t she just break up with her last boyfriend?”
“On a Tinder date with the next one,” I laughed because we both knew that girl hated being alone.
“She doesn’t waste time now, does she? Look – I can meet you at After in maybe two or three hours. I have to show my face at this party.”
“Don’t worry,” I said, shaking my head though I knew he couldn’t see me. “I’ll call one of my friends or something. Have fun. Don’t drink too much.”
“Summer,” he hesitated, “I don’t want you going out alone. You know the type of crowd After attracts. I don’t want my sister getting drunk alone and getting taken advantage of.” He was no longer playful. His full-on protection mode had been activated.
“I promise I’ll be careful.” I hung up before he could object and rose to my feet. Dylan was sure going to regret choosing the boys over me… again.
An hour and a half later, I was waiting in the long line to get into After. I stayed busy scrolling through social media on my phone, checking my surroundings every few minutes, and people watching.
I felt overdressed in my short, bodycon dress. The material clung to my skin like a latex glove, leaving very little to the imagination, but compared to the other girls who either had their breasts on display or a little bit of ass cheek hanging out, I was modestly dressed.
I balanced carefully on my thin heel, wishing I had worn wedges. I hadn’t expected to wait in such a long line. The last time I came with Mads, we were in line for maybe five minutes, but it had already been twenty. I guess the club was busy tonight.
Eventually, I made it to the front of the line and flashed my ID, got a smiley face stamp on my wrist, and strode into the dark, raging club. Strobe lights flashed across the room, and the music was blaring so loud that I couldn’t hear myself think.
This was exactly what I needed.
Waiting for my turn at the bar, I ordered my first drink, second, and then third, before I finally had enough confidence to dance in a corner of the room.
My watch vibrated with a call, and I saw Maddi’s name flash across the screen. I dashed to the bathroom and answered my phone. “Hey!”
“What’s all the noise? Where are you?” she demanded, sounding slightly worried.
“I’m at After. Dylan ditched me again for the freaking boys. So now I’m here drinking and dancing. Wanna come?” I asked her, hoping she would be up for it.
She heaved an apologetic sigh, and my mood plummeted a little. “I can’t. We’re going to dinner now. Who are you with?”
“Charlie,” I lied. “He ditched his frat party to keep me safe.” I knew she would leave her date to come be with me, and I didn’t want that – not when she had been so excited this morning about it.
“I was worried you were alone,” she said, sounding relieved. If only you knew just how alone I truly was, Mads. “Don’t drink too much. Don’t forget we have an appointment at the spa tomorrow.”
“I’m not,” I assured her. “Have fun. Be safe. Love you.” I ended the call before she could reply and left the bathroom. I started dancing again, but it didn’t take long for my head to start feeling heavy as I moved my body to the beat of a song. I didn’t stop. Hell, I didn’t even know what I was doing. I was just letting the rhythm take control.
I closed my eyes and swayed, enjoying the stress leaving my head for just a moment, letting the little critical voice in my head flit away.
I lived in the moment.
When a large hand wrapped around my waist, pulling me into a hard, sweaty chest, my eyes flew open, and I whirled around.
A young guy with a cocky grin tugged at me again. I shook my head, my hands coming up to stop my body from pressing against his. “No. Please stop.” My voice was basically muted though compared to the deafening music.
Suddenly, the stranger was gone, and a strong body was standing between us. “That’s my girlfriend you’re fondling, mate.”
I knew that voice.
I knew that sexy lilt, the slight drawl, the rich, deep baritone that only belonged to Colton Michaels.
He was here.
And he was standing between me and a creepy, handsy guy. I took in his dark jeans and black button-up that molded to his shoulders, showcasing every glorious muscle, his whole body vibrating with anger.
Hold on. Did he just say girlfriend?
I definitely had too much to drink.
Colton turned to look down at me, anger and concern melting together in his shining, green eyes. They didn’t move from my own. His gaze never wavered as it burned into me with the sheer intensity of a man possessed.
“What are you doing here, Summer?” The voice that I had grown to love over the last year lashed out at me like a whip, and I took an instinctive step back from him.
What was I doing here? What the hell was he doing here when he had a fiancée?
“What are you doing here, Colt?” I fired right back. I slipped up and called him by the nickname only Mads and I had discussed, but he didn’t seem to notice. He just grabbed my arm, his hot fingers sinking into the sweaty skin of my arm, yanking me across the dance floor. I stumbled behind him, my head spinning from everything that just happened. We finally came to a stop at a booth, and I slid right in, greedily reaching for the glass of water. I gulped the cool liquid down, hoping to clear some of the fog from my brain.
Colton was asking me questions, but I couldn’t think. This was all too much.
“Where’s Devin?” he asked, and the anger I had been trying to push down flared right back up. Colton couldn’t even remember the name of my boyfriend.
“Dylan,” I snapped at him. “His name is D-y-l-a-n.” I slowly spelled it out, each letter coming out a little more slurred than the last. I really needed more water.
“Well, where is he?” I shrugged because honestly, Colton didn’t need to know. I didn’t answer to him. Colton wasn’t mine.
As I inspected his gorgeous face, my tongue became loose, and I told him everything he didn’t deserve to know. Those unnerving eyes swept over me, igniting a fire within that I didn’t know how to control. When he looked at me like that, all I wanted to do was lean over and kiss him senselessly.
Another guy suddenly walked over, and naturally, to get a rise out of Colton, I started to flirt with who I come to know of as his best friend.
When Eric ordered more drinks for the table starting with shots, I knew I shouldn’t have been throwing them back like they were water, but I didn’t want to appear weak. I wanted to prove to Colton that I was all woman. I wasn’t a kid anymore.
After the fourth one, I leaned on Colton’s shoulder, the whole room spinning. I was pretty sure that I’d had enough.
“I’m going to take you home,” Colton finally announced, signaling his friend to stop. Erik nodded before focusing on the girl who was just as wasted as me except she was all over him, kissing his cheek, sucking on his ear. I cringed and looked away, fighting a sudden wave of nausea.
Colton ordered us an Uber and asked for my address. I gave him Charlie’s apartment on campus. My parents would absolutely kill me if I came home wasted like this with Colton, nonetheless. We were off-limits to each other because of stupid company policy.
“I need to call my brother and let him know I’m coming.” My lips felt thick as I pushed the words through. Colton shook his head and grabbed the phone from me, pressing it to his ear.
He had a quick conversation with my brother that I tried and failed to understand before we hopped into the Uber, and he buckled me in.
“You really shouldn’t go out drinking alone,” Colton finally muttered, his arm across the top of the chairs, just barely brushing my head.
“I was with you – my co-worker.” I leaned my head back, wanting to feel his arm.
“What if I hadn’t stopped that guy, Summer?”
I groaned in annoyance. “You’re killing my buzz, Colt.”
“Nice little nickname, darlin’.” He moved his arm, placing his hand down on the seat between us. His fingers were so close to brushing my leg, and I couldn’t stop hoping he would.
“Don’t make fun of me,” I mumbled, trying to remember why I was mad at him again.
“Can’t help it. It’s just too easy sometimes.” His other hand brushed a piece of my hair away from my face, his fingers whispering across my cheekbone.
I wished he would just touch me already. This game wasn’t fun anymore, and I was tired of playing it.
I wanted to be his.
“What has your eyes burning up? You angry with me?” He doesn’t know the half of it.
“I am mad at you,” I stuck a finger against his firm chest. So solid. So strong.
“And why would that be? Because I saved you from a creep tonight?” Can he get over that already?
“No! Because I like you!” I yelled. I instantly slapped my hands over my mouth in shock, my eyes bugging out of my head.
I did not just say that.
The driver turned the music up in the car, and I looked away from Colton, embarrassment igniting across my cheeks and entire body.
“I like you, too.” He grabbed my face with both of his warm hands, making me look at him. With only the moonlight lighting up his face, I could barely see the desire in his eyes, but it was there, and it was for me.
“I shouldn’t do this, but I can’t keep fighting the pull, darlin’,” he huskily breathed, his southern accent becoming more prominent. He closed the distance between us, his lips tentatively brushing against mine before pressing down more firmly.
My eyes fluttered closed, and sparks flew through my mind. I thought I was going to combust like a firework from all the excitement coursing through me.
His fingers sank into my hair, gripping me harder. His lips were rough and demanding against mine, unlike any of my previous boyfriends.
But this wasn’t a boy kissing me.
This was a hot-blooded man.
And he knew exactly what he was doing.
His hot tongue slid against my bottom lip, and my mouth fell open on a moan, I fisted his shirt with both of my hands, wanting to climb onto his lap, to be impossibly closer.
Colton Michaels was kissing me like I was the last woman on the planet, and I kissed him right back because, for me, he truly was the only man on the planet.