Chapter 30 #3
The pushy lady keeps touching him and leaning over the chair as far as she can, and Nick keeps moving so her hand drops away.
When she tries to get up and sit on his lap, he quickly stands up so she can’t.
Now he’s surrounded by all three of them, and I’ve had enough of her aggressiveness.
“I’ll be right back,” I tell the guys as Seb chuckles.
“Defend his honor, Sunshine. We’re right behind you in case you need backup,” he says.
I roll my eyes despite Seb not being able to see me, and I make eye contact with Nick as I get close.
He smirks at me, but the woman must think the smirk is for her because she presses the length of her body against Nick and runs her hand up his leg.
I step up and grab her wrist, yanking her arm behind her back.
“Did no one ever tell you the meaning of the word no?”
She shrieks like a banshee. Damn, she could cause hearing damage. “Get your hands off me, you bitch. Do you know who I am?”
“Nope. No idea and don’t care. He said no earlier today at the water’s edge, and I’ve watched him say no several times tonight.
Consent is a real thing, and you don’t have it.
Now, I’m going to let your hand go, and I suggest you find somewhere else to be.
Away from my friend.” I let her go and step back a few paces, hoping she realizes she will not get what she wants from Nick.
Instead, she spins around and charges me.
I step towards her and crouch, flipping her over me so she lands on her back in the sand, and place my foot lightly on her stomach. “Are you done now?” I ask.
She shrieks again, but doesn’t get up. Her friends are just standing to the side, watching us. I feel the guys surrounding me as Nick flings an arm over my shoulder.
“Lissie,” Alex says. I look up and see he’s joined us with the guys he was talking to. “Up to your usual antics already, I see. Did you really think it would work on one of my friends?”
“I don’t know what you mean, Alex,” she says, then looks at me. “You’ll be hearing from my lawyer, bitch. You have no idea who you’ve messed with tonight.”
I shrug, removing my foot as Alex says, “I would advise against that, Lissie. She has more money than you do, and Mr. MacLeod.”
The woman pales at his remark and scrambles to her feet.
She looks around at the crowd, patting her hair before dusting off.
She sticks her nose in the air and struts off with her friends.
The crowd disperses as I shake my head. Nick guides me back to our seats as Alex joins us.
“What was that all about?” I ask. Alex tells me Lissie is from one of the richest families in Charleston.
She’s engaged but comes home every summer and picks a local to be her summer fling, willing or not.
She’s cried wolf on several who didn’t want her and had daddy sue them for assault.
He knows about two of her victims whose reputations were destroyed, causing them to lose their jobs or scholarships.
“Her poor fiancé,” I say as I lean over to see Nick. “Is that why you weren’t shoving her away?” I ask.
Nick nods before taking a sip of beer. “Thanks, Shortie.”
“Unbelievable,” I mutter. “There’s too many delusional people with money around here,” I say.
The guys chuckle and nod in agreement. “Alex, am I gonna have another court case to attend?”
“No. I do not believe so,” he smiles. “You have saved Nick a summer of unwanted attention, though.”
“Most guys over 18 will want to thank you for putting the huntress in her place,” a guy says.
I look up to see the guy Alex was talking to smiling down at me. “Summer, this is Peter,” Alex informs me. “His family owns a house on the beach down here.”
“Just call me Pete,” he smiles. “So, are you uber-rich or just new money? Cause I haven’t found a match yet my parents approve of.”
I scrunch up my nose at him. “That statement is probably why you’re alone,” I reply. My guys laugh, and even a few of his friends chuckle.
He looks over at Alex, but he just shrugs at him, so he leaves quietly with his friends.
We go back to relaxing and discussing the possibility of camping this summer.
I'm asked to dance twice by strangers, but decline. The guys get offers as well, but say no. Hot chick from school shows up a while later and sits down on the sand beside Nick. He answers her questions, but as usual, Nick isn’t very talkative.
She leaves and comes back with two beers and tries to sit on his lap, but Nick won’t let her this time. She seems upset and storms off.
As the night wears on, the crowd thins, and I can see a second bonfire further down the beach.
More older people show up that appear to be in college.
A few guys from the MMA training center find Nick, and Alex steps away to talk to a different group of people.
Seb and E are in conversation with some basketball teammates, so I ask Bay if he wants to go for a walk. He smiles and agrees.
We walk along the damp soil towards the next bonfire.
Between the fires, houses, and the moon, it’s fairly bright out.
We say little, but Bay offers me his hand, and I take it.
I notice a few couples making out once we’re past the second fire, and we hear several moans coming from further down the beach.
We’ve been walking for a while already. “Maybe we should turn around,” I say.
Bay nods as we walk back towards Alex’s house.
It has to be close to an hour when we get back.
Seb and E are dancing with a group by the fire.
I don’t see Alex, but Nick is in the same spot.
“Sunshine, come dance,” Seb hollers. I look over at Bay, who nods, so we join them.
I take turns dancing with my three guys.
Some girls seem put out I’m there, but I don’t really care.
My guys surround me, and we just have fun.
E gets my attention while Seb is twirling me around and points towards Nick.
He’s surrounded by college girls pawing at him.
“Are they lawsuits too?” I ask. E shakes his head no, so I shrug, ready to ignore it, but Nick makes eye contact with me and crooks his finger, beckoning me over.
I roll my eyes, but go to him. “You beckoned?” I say, raising an eyebrow.
He just pulls me down to sit on his lap and takes a sip of beer.
Some girls actually pout, but they move on when they see I’m not leaving.
When the last one walks off, I turn so I can see Nick’s face.
“Want to explain why I had to sit on your lap? You’re a big boy. You can tell them to get lost,” I say.
“I did. They didn’t listen.”
“So get up and leave,” I reply.
“I didn’t want to move.”
“I’m rolling my eyes so hard I bet the guys can hear it,” I deadpan. Nick chuckles as I yawn. “What did you do last summer without me?” I ask.
“Didn’t mind it last summer,” he replies.
I wonder if he minds it this summer because of me. Probably wishful thinking, but it makes me feel happy inside at the possibility. I yawn again, and Nick encourages me to rest my head on his chest, so I get comfy and do. “Rest Shortie. I’ve got you.”
I partially wake sometime later, my head resting on a warm, solid chest. The scent of leather permeates my nose. Squinting through one eye, I see familiar tattoos. Nick. I hear the voices of my guys, but don’t register what they’re saying, then I’m back asleep.
I wake again when I’m being carried upstairs. “Nick?” I question.
“We’re home, Shortie,” he tells me.
I blink my dry eyes as Nick walks into my room and sets me on the bed. “I need to pee,” I mumble, getting back up. E is coming out of the bathroom and smiles at me. “Goodnight, Summer,” he says.
“Night E,” I reply, stumbling past him. I realize I need to wash my feet and step into the shower.
“Hey now, what’cha doing, Sunshine?” Seb asks, coming into the bathroom. I guess I didn’t close the door.
“I need to wash my feet, Hurry,” I reply through a big yawn.
“Okay,” he nods, coming over and grabbing the handheld. He turns on the water and bends down to wash my feet and lower legs for me. “There ya go, Sunshine, all clean,” he says, grabbing a towel to dry my feet for me.
“Thanks, Hurry,” I reply as he picks me up and takes me back to my room, setting me on the bed. He kisses my head, telling me he’s grabbing a quick shower.
I lie on the bed, dozing until I feel someone get in on the far side.
Cracking an eye open, I see a freshly showered Nick getting under the covers.
I realize I haven’t peed yet, so I slip my feet into my slippers and go back out to the hall.
I remember to close the door and finally pee and brush my teeth.
Opening the patio door, I get under the covers.
I’m starting to wake up now, which sucks.
Nick has my laptop open when I look over at him.
He raises a brow, so I scoot up against him, and he turns on a movie for us. I fall asleep before it ends, as usual.