CHAPTER SEVEN
T hat kiss. That goddamn kiss. It was something else. Better than he’d imagined. And he’d imagined plenty. It had also gone from PG-13 to X-rated pretty damn quickly when Summer had pushed herself into the thigh he’d not so innocently placed between her legs.
Kissing her hadn’t been a part of the plan last night. He’d been finding it hard to leave her side ever since he’d found out about her scumbag ex, and he was hoping to talk to her more about how she was really doing. How that descended into truth or drink, he still didn’t know. But he couldn’t deny how happy he was. After that kiss, everything was now crystal clear. Summer was his.
She hadn’t come right out and told him how she felt, but that kiss said it all. The way she melted into him. Dragged her nails down his chest. Mewed into his mouth. It was all Teddy needed to take the next step. Operation Make Summer His. They’d wasted too much time already. Well, no more.
After knocking on Summer’s apartment door, he held his breath. He had no idea what to expect after last night. Was she going to retreat? Pretend nothing happened? Or was she going to throat-punch him for taking advantage of the situation? You never knew with Summer. It was part of her charm.
When the door did fly open, all rational thought went out the window. Her dirty blonde hair was down, and she was wearing some sort of clingy dress thing. The dark green an exact match for the flecks in her beautiful eyes. She’d paired the dress with flat black ankle boots. Jesus. She looked hot.
Screw going slow.
“Hi.” A corner of her mouth tipped up into a smile as she noticed his perusal of her. She knew exactly what she was doing to him.
He didn’t reply. Instead, he closed the distance between them and dipped his head. Hearing her breathing hitch made him feel ten feet tall. It also allowed for those pretty pink lips to part. And he was going to take full advantage. Again.
As soon as his lips touched hers, he felt the same jolt of electricity that had pulsed through his veins last night. She tasted of mint and coffee and something uniquely Summer. Something sweet and tangy enough to make his skin tingle.
She made that sexy sound again as her tongue tangled with his, and he swore he could feel his blood heat. His body was more than happy to spend the entire day there. Like this. Taking exactly what it wanted. Needed.
Unlike last night, his control faltered, and his hands began to wander, dragging down the sides of her sexy-as-hell dress. He memorized every curve his fingers dipped in and out of. They settled on her hips. His grip was firm as he pulled her flush against him. Enjoying the feel of the moan she made as he swallowed it down.
When Summer’s hands began to roam over him, he let out his own groan. She wasn’t gentle with her exploration. She grabbed his biceps and squeezed. Once she was satisfied, her fingers then went to his chest, where she ran her nails down his torso. It was like she was marking him as hers. And he damn well loved every second of it.
It was Summer who pulled away this time. He reluctantly released her lips and sucked in some much-needed air. They were both breathing hard. Teddy would go as far as to call it panting. He still managed a smile though. Especially when he got a look at her dazed expression and swollen red lips.
“Hi,” he belatedly greeted.
“Jesus Christ, Teddy, give a girl some warning before you kiss her like that,” Summer replied, still breathless.
Somehow, he felt his smile get wider. “What can I say? You bring out the beast in me.”
A blush crept over her cheeks. Now, this was a side he’d never seen before. Summer Willis shy? No freaking way. This was going to be fun.
“Come on, doll.” He took her hand and led her out the door. “It’s time to get this show on the road.”
***
I t would seem, Ivy’s little get-together was a couples’ thing. A fact he would’ve liked to have known before bringing Summer over. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to be a couple with her. Or hold her hand and pull her into his side, like the other men seemed to be doing with their women. He did. But he recognized that it was too soon. They’d shared a total of two kisses and had zero discussions. The last thing Teddy wanted to do was spook her. She was skittish enough already.
The usual gang was there when they’d arrived. Ivy and her fiancé, Ace. Ace’s best friend, Brady, and his wife, Alice. Alice’s sister, Lily, and her husband, Jake. And finally, Jake’s sister, Sam, and her husband, Duke. Couples. Everywhere.
They’d been at Moonrock for a few hours already. As soon as they’d arrived, Teddy, with the help of Ivy, gave Summer a tour of the ranch. Ivy and Ace were horse breeders and in the past year they had managed to triple their clients with the help of Ace’s brother. The success meant they’d finally been able to update the stables and give the main house a makeover. It was safe to say, it no longer looked like the house his grandparents had brought them both up in.
Lily and Alice had dragged Summer away over an hour ago, claiming they needed some girl time. Teddy didn’t mind. Mostly because she was still in his eye line, and the sight of Summer smiling and laughing was something he’d never get tired of looking at.
“You know, she’s not going to magically disappear if you take your eyes off of her?” Ivy came to his side and leaned against the same wall he was resting against.
“You sure about that?” Even as he spoke, his eyes remained fixed on Summer.
He heard his sister snort. “I take it something has happened between you two?”
“And why would you think that, sis?”
“Well, firstly, you can’t keep your eyes off her. Not that that’s anything new. But at least before today, you were pretty subtle about it. Now, you’re just blatantly staring at the poor woman. Not giving a damn if she or anyone else knows you’re doing it.” Ivy had a point. “Then there’s the tiny detail of you basically admitting to me that you were in love with her the other day.” He did no such thing. “Then all of a sudden you turn up with her. Here. And you’re looking at her like that.”
He turned to face Ivy, her hands were still flailing, and she was even more animated than usual.
“Something might’ve happened. But ...” He needed to tamper down the excitement he saw flare in his sister’s eyes. “It’s literally just happened. As in last night. We haven’t even had a chance to talk about it yet.”
“Okay ...” Ivy replied slowly, “I take it you made your move and kissed her or something?”
God, she was nosy.
That was enough sharing for today. Time to change the subject. “How about we stop talking about my love life and you tell me when exactly that fiancé of yours is gonna make an honest woman out of you?”
He grinned as Ivy slapped him on the arm and growled. “Bloody caveman. You’re more obsessed about us setting a date than I am! It’s the twenty-first century, bro, I’m not about to be exiled if I’m not married and with child within the year.”
“What’s this I hear about you being married and with child?” Ace boomed from behind her. He wasted no time wrapping his arms around Ivy’s waist and dragging her back into his chest.
Teddy was used to their public displays of affection. All the couples there were the same. Sickeningly happy. He just wished he had the right to pull Summer into his arms whenever he felt like it.
One day. I just need to be patient.
“Teddy was asking, again , if we’ve set a date for the wedding,” Ivy informed Ace as she leaned her head back and rested it against him.
Ace chuckled, the mottled skin on one side of his face creasing as his smile widened. As a former marine, Ace had been a victim of a nasty car bomb, which had not only ended his career in the military but had also left him with burns covering the left side of his upper body and face. Teddy hardly noticed the burns anymore on his soon-to-be brother-in-law. It wasn’t like Teddy didn’t have his own scars. His time as a POW left him with more than he could count. But unlike Ace, they were all safely hidden under his clothes.
“Hey, don’t look at me, man.” Ace laughed. “If it was up to me, we would’ve made it official the day I proposed. Your sister is the one taking her sweet ass time setting a date.”
“Getting cold feet, sis?” Teddy grinned.
“Hey!” Ace protested.
“No!” Ivy quickly reassured her fiancé. “It’s just the idea of planning a wedding makes me want to go and lie down in a dark room.”
“Then let’s go down to the courthouse? Or we could elope ... fly to Vegas like Jake and Lily did?”
“Who’s eloping?” Summer’s sweet voice called out as she strolled toward Teddy.
Without thinking, he instinctively pulled her into his side. It wasn’t until after his hand was flexing on her hip that he realized what he’d just done. In front of Ivy and Ace. Fortunately, Summer either hadn’t noticed or didn’t mind. He was hoping for the latter.
“Ace wants to be married like yesterday, while the thought of planning a wedding makes Ivy want to hurl,” Teddy explained.
“I can help!” Summer excitedly did a little hop. “I’m not exactly a wedding planner, but I managed a load of events while I was working at the agency. I’m thinking a romantic backyard ceremony right here at Moonrock. Surrounded by close family and friends. What do you think? Nailed it, right?”
Her enthusiasm was clearly contagious because seconds later Ivy was jumping up and down with her.
“Oh my God, that sounds perfect,” his sister beamed. “You’d really do that? Help me, I mean? I have no idea where to start and not a lot of time if this one over here has his way.”
Teddy tuned out the conversation after that and enjoyed the sight of an excited Summer as she began listing off ideas. He knew Summer, as an only child, had always seen Ivy as the little sister she never had. They’d always got along as kids, but there was something special about seeing them get close as adults too.
***
F our hours later, Teddy was hovering outside Summer’s front door. The afternoon had consisted of them both stuffing themselves silly with an obscene number of burgers and hotdogs while Summer and the rest of the women talked wedding plans.
After she’d allowed him to hold her to his side, Teddy had taken it one step further and taken hold of her hand as they left. Even once they’d arrived back at Mickey’s, she hadn’t protested when he’d laced his fingers through hers as they walked through the bar and upstairs. Even though they had reached her door, Teddy still hadn’t let go.
As they stood quietly outside her apartment, it was obvious that they were both just as nervous. Teddy watched in fascination as a flush started to creep up Summer’s neck. He would never get tired of seeing this shy side of her.
“Uh, do you wanna come inside?”
Yes. “No.” One look at the hurt flashing across her face had Teddy rushing to explain. “I mean, I do. Of course I do. But that control I was talking about not having last night hasn’t magically appeared. And that sexy as fuck dress you’re wearing is not helping. If I go inside, I’m gonna kiss you. And if I kiss you, I’m gonna wanna touch you. And if I touch you, I’m gonna—”
“Okay,” Summer cut him off with a smile, “I get it.”
“I really hope you do, doll, ’cause I don’t want you to think for one second that I’m not desperate to go through that door with you.” Satisfied she understood what he was saying, he continued. “I know we didn’t get a chance to talk about what’s going on between us ... but I’m gonna lay it out for you. I like you. I liked you when we were kids and I like you now that we’re not. And going by the sounds you made while my tongue was inside of you, I think you like me too.” That flush had now progressed into a full-blown blush. “I wanna see where this thing between us can go. So ... tomorrow night, I wanna take you out. On a date. What do you say?”
“Okay.”
“Okay?”
“Yes, Teddy, okay. I’ll go out with you.”
That was easier than he thought. “Thank God.” He let out a heavy breath. “Seven good for you?”
“Seven is good for me. Where are we going? So I know what to wear.”
“Dress casual. Jeans or something.”
Once she nodded her agreement, he dropped his head and lightly brushed his lips against hers. It was a chaste, closed-mouth kiss. He hadn’t been joking when he said he wouldn’t be able to control himself. After a whole day with her, seeing her laugh, touching her waist, holding her hand, he was hanging on by a thread. He needed to go home and sort himself out before he embarrassed himself.
“Sweet dreams, dollface.”