Summer's Indiscretion (4 page)

Chapter Four

If they only knew the fantasies that were running through Summer’s mind and the way those thoughts affected her body. Their deep voices were barely audible as they talked to each other, and she imagined them undressing, their bare chests and abs revealed as they unbuttoned their dress shirts.

Her fingertips tingled as she imagined running them over a hard biceps or a trim hip. Her body pulsed with need, and she tried not to think about the last time she’d felt true, deep satisfaction with a man. Stopping to think about it, she realized she never had experienced either because if it had been true and deep it would’ve lasted.

She’d never been in a relationship that lasted more than a few months. It seemed that once the excitement and newness wore off, the guys she dated usually showed their true colors and lost their appeal or they turned out to be freaks.

Such was the case with her last boyfriend, Gary. The guy was married, as it turned out. He and his wife, Paulina, were looking for a “third.” She shivered, remembering the phone call she’d received from the wife, trying to persuade Summer to give them a “try.” Neither of them had been too put out that she’d sold all of the belongings he’d left at her house for a garage sale the month before. Paulina had called a couple of times since then, trying to persuade Summer to change her mind. Both times, Summer had assured her kindly that it wasn’t going to happen. Summer still wondered at Gary’s tactic, leaving so many of his things at her place. Perhaps he’d hoped that by being magnanimous about the loss of his possessions he could manipulate her into giving their threesome idea a try.

Summer laughed, recalling her conversation with the girls in the shop a few weeks before. The idea of sharing a man with another woman repulsed her, but being shared by two men was her ultimate fantasy. Now suddenly she was being presented with an opportunity to test drive that fantasy.

“You mind if we hang these in here, Summer?” Ace asked as he stood in the doorway, holding their clothing on several hangers. She hadn’t even heard him come in the room.

“Oh, sure! Right there.” She indicated a hook that hung over one of the French doors that led into the office. Ace stood in the doorway, dressed in blue jeans, work boots, and a faded denim shirt. The lightweight denim fabric was stretched flat over his well-defined pectoral muscles, and she made a decision. Why fight it? Teresa was up front, and what harm could a little cuddle do?

Ace watched her as she rose from her desk and walked over to him. She stood in front of him as he hung the garments up, and when he smiled at her, she slipped her arms around his waist and pressed close to him. His body was warm and hard, and when his arms closed around her, she felt caged in and safe. She let out a long sigh, and the unsettled feeling she’d had all morning dissipated a little. The muscles in his back were hard and well defined under her restless hands.

She remembered that Kemp was somewhere nearby, and a disturbing thought occurred to her. If the three of them progressed forward in a relationship they were going to draw serious fire like the rest of the girls had.

Already Joaquin and Angel were alternating taking Teresa to and from work, which had to be an inconvenience for them, but they didn’t want to take a chance with her safety.

Rachel didn’t have the challenge the others did because she worked odd hours doing the store’s books and website maintenance. She came and went as she pleased, and nobody had bothered her at her other job.

Grace was having a difficult time getting her men to allow her to leave the house alone at all. Summer couldn’t blame them after the second time Grace was followed closely on the way home by the same vehicle that had run her off the road a few weeks before. Her men were also taking turns bringing her to the shop. It might make them all happier to know that Ace and Kemp would be around.

“You okay, kitten?” Ace’s voice was soft and indulgent sounding as he stroked her back.

“I needed a hug. It’s been a while since someone held me. I just needed—I was…” Words failed her as his hands roamed.

Ace slid his palm up her back until his fingers sifted into her hair. At the base of her skull, he gripped her hair and tilted her head back. The feeling took her by surprise. He held her close, and a tremor went through her as she lost herself in his dark brown gaze. He stayed that way for a few seconds, just staring into her eyes, then looked down at her parted lips as he closed the small gap between them.

Oh, God.

His first touch was gentle, and he took his time caressing her lips with his own. He pressed his lips to hers, and she moaned quietly, coming up on her tiptoes to get closer to him. His arm around her and his hand in her hair grew tighter as he deepened the kiss until their lips were crushed together. Her heart pounded so hard, she was certain he could feel it against his chest.

When she relaxed against him, he plundered her mouth, stroking her tongue with his. He tasted of coffee and mints and his own natural flavor, and she melted against his muscular frame as her pussy dampened with desire.

Finally, finally! Someone who knows how to kiss!

Her breasts felt like they swelled as he held her to him tightly, and she could feel his thickening erection against her abdomen. By the time he released her lips she was breathless and lightheaded. Fantasies of the two of them making love made her heart race. There was no doubt in her mind that he would be an incredible lover.

Ace looked up and around then pulled her farther into the office and crushed her lips with his again. “I’ve wanted to do that since last weekend, kitten.”

“What? Kiss me until I couldn’t breathe or feel my extremities anymore?”

Ace’s lips curved in a sexy grin and he said, “Yes. That and more.” He kissed her again, and she shuddered when his hand slowly trailed down to her ass and squeezed one cheek firmly. She took a deep breath when he allowed her to come up for air.

“Holy sm–smokes, Ace. Y–You can really kiss,” she mumbled as she caught her breath.

Kemp stepped in the office and hesitated. “Oh. Sorry to interrupt. Ace, I’m going to get started outside.” Summer’s cheeks tingled with heat, unsure how Kemp took catching them in an embrace. He didn’t pretend to not notice, but she blushed all the same.

Ace nodded and grinned at his partner. “I’ll be right there. Just getting another quick kiss from our kitten, first.”

Kemp, who was so very serious, winked at her and chuckled. “Just make sure you save some for me.” Instead of going back down the hall, he came closer, and her heart skipped a beat.
Does he want to kiss me, too? Right now?
Desperate for direction, Summer looked up at Ace.

Ace whispered, “It’s fine with me if you kiss him, Summer.”

“And it’s fine with me if you kiss him,” Kemp said, gesturing at Ace.

Ace released her, and she turned to Kemp, wishing she knew how to do this less awkwardly. Kemp seemed to sense how she felt and reached for her hand and drew her closer. He slipped her hand around his back and used the closer proximity to caress her jaw with his other hand. He smiled at her and said, “Your hazel eyes are beautiful.”

He tipped her chin up with a thumb and kissed her gently without preamble. His slow, gentle approach was appreciated as she wrapped her mind around the notion that she was being kissed by a man after just kissing his business partner. It all felt surreal but wonderful as he melded his lips to hers. She parted her lips when his tongue lightly flicked against them, and Summer slid her hands along his solid back muscles as he took the kiss slightly deeper, stroking her tongue with his. He tasted minty, but definitely different from Ace. She could imagine going to him after a hard day and letting him hold her and kiss her like this. His embrace was comforting and solid and felt so right.

Finally he released her lips and murmured, “That was every bit as sweet as I knew it would be.” He smooched her again and then groaned softly. “If I stay here I’m not going to get anything else done today. Can I have some more of those after we get done?”

“Yes,” she replied in a shaky voice.
That, and much more, handsome man.

Kemp chuckled at her monosyllabic response and said, “I’ll get started outside.” He kissed her nose, released her, and returned to work. Summer watched his ass appreciatively as he walked away. Kemp was clad in jeans and a tucked-in button-down shirt, and Summer had to admit he looked just as good dressed casually as he did in a suit.

She turned to find Ace watching her with bedroom eyes, and she knew she was a goner for these two men and quietly asked, “Have you ever done this sort of thing before?”

“The two of us? No. I have with someone else, but it was a very casual thing.”

“You mean a ménage a trois?”

“Yes. A friend and I dated a girl and shared her a few times. It was fun experimenting, but we knew it was temporary. What about you?”

Summer looked away from him and felt her cheeks warm up again. What would he think of her if she answered honestly?

“Yes. In college. A boyfriend and another friend.”

Ace must have seen her hesitation and asked, “Was it not what you expected?” She paused, and he added, “You can talk about it if you want, kitten. I think it’s fine that you experimented while you were in college. I wouldn’t judge you for that any more than I would expect you to judge me.”

Summer bit her bottom lip then said, “It was something my boyfriend wanted to try. I’d read a few erotic romances by that point and wanted to try it, too. We didn’t really know what we were doing, I guess. It…just wasn’t as fun as I thought it would be. Could we maybe talk about this when we’re totally alone?”

Ace grinned at her. “Of course, kitten. I’ll want all the details later.”

Oh hell.
She shouldn’t have told him anything. Now she’d have to tell him the whole humiliating story.

Showing his intuitive side again, Ace said, “Don’t worry, kitten. I just want to make sure we don’t repeat the same mistakes. I’m going to work now. We’ll try to stay out of your way and work around you. And don’t forget to call the sheriff.”

Summer smiled, thinking this was going to be one interesting day, especially if Ace and Kemp were inside when there were customers filling the store.

With her body still tingling, she returned to her desk chair and picked up her phone. She entered the number, and a few seconds later the man himself answered.

* * * *

Kemp adjusted the wall bracket on the surveillance camera that he’d just installed in the large main room of the boutique. He was currently up a twelve-foot ladder near the vaulted ceiling. Ace was on the back porch replacing the old doorknob and installing a new deadbolt lock.

Hushed conversations were going on at the sales counter and near the jewelry counter as both Summer and Teresa helped customers. Twice, Summer had looked up and caught him as he watched her move around the shop. She’d smiled at him both times and had even blown a kiss to him. Knowing how those lips felt against his had him wishing for another chance to be alone with her.

Summer was just finishing with a customer at the register when a man wearing a county law enforcement uniform walked in. Kemp watched the tall, rather young-looking man as he slipped his sunglasses off and removed his cowboy hat. He nodded and smiled to Summer and the other ladies. The man noticed the ladder and looked upward until he made eye contact with Kemp. Noting the surveillance camera in his hand, the uniformed officer nodded in apparent satisfaction.

The young man’s face looked vaguely familiar. Northup. His name was Northup, and he’d been a Tarkett County Sheriff’s deputy when Kemp had worked his end of the Reese McCoy case for Eli Wolf. Nice enough guy. Polite and efficient when he’d spoken with him.

Summer held out her hand to shake his. “Sheriff Northup. Thank you for coming by in person. You could’ve sent a deputy to take my report. I didn’t mean to make you come down here yourself.”

Kemp listened to the conversation with idle curiosity as he worked. Or perhaps not so idle, as he noticed the way Northup eyed Summer. Summer’s cheeks were rosier than usual as she said, “Why don’t you come with me to the office and I can give you my statement there?”

Kemp thought he saw more than just detached interest on the sheriff’s face. The look in his eyes as he glanced up at Kemp verified it. Northup was there because he
wanted
to be there.

Kemp installed the camera, consulted his checklist, and moved to the installation of the camera over the staircase landing pointing toward the back door. Installing that one put Kemp in closer proximity to the office door so he could hear some of what was being said. He just wanted to watch over Summer. He wasn’t in the hallway because he was jealous.

Summer gave Northup a basic rundown of what had happened, sharing the same set of facts with him that she had with them earlier. She laughed at something he said when she was finished, and then Kemp had to strain to hear the Sheriff’s softly spoken words. Summer’s reply was equally hard to hear, and Kemp wanted to growl in frustration. Ace had already moved on from replacing the locks on the back door, so he was not there to hear what was being said to Summer, either.

Northup’s words were indistinguishable, but his tone of voice was easy enough to discern. Kemp checked his watch and climbed down from the ladder after making sure the camera was installed securely and racked his brain as he strode the few steps to her office doorway and knocked on the jamb.

Think, think!

“Darlin’, I need to make a run to the hardware store. I’m going to get lunch for us as well. Would you like me to pick something up for you, too?”

She glanced at the clock, which read ten thirty, and said, “No, but thank you, Kemp. I brought my lunch with me this morning.” It was a little early for lunch but the best excuse he’d been able to come up with.

“Okay. I’ll be back in a few minutes. You sure you don’t want anything?” He leaned forward and kissed the corner of her mouth. Summer’s eyebrows drew together in the briefest of frowns as Northup’s gaze turned to him, and Kemp had a momentary sense of impending doom.

What did I just do?

She gave him a smile that didn’t reach her expressive eyes and said, “Will you bring me back an iced coffee,
dumplin
’?” She placed slight emphasis on the endearment, and Kemp felt like she’d just called him a dickhead.

Fucked up good this time, dude.

The sheriff broke the awkward silence with a congenial tone. “Well, Summer. I appreciate you giving it some thought, anyway. You let me know if you need anything at all, okay?”

Summer turned her gaze to the sheriff after giving Kemp a silent look that dared him to spend another second in her office in an attempt to wait for the sheriff to leave first. It was official. His ass was grass. Kemp went in search of Ace to let him know he was leaving.

He found Ace on the front porch, caulking around a wall-mounted camera bracket.

“I think I need to get out of Summer’s hair for a little bit. I’m going to the hardware store and then picking us up some lunch.”

“What happened?” Ace said, the barest hint of amusement showing in his eyes.

“Let’s just say the kitten may want to lay her claws into my hide. I’m going to give her a chance to finish with the sheriff and cool down a bit. I won’t be gone long.”

The sheriff was still inside as Kemp backed out of the parking spot and drove into Morehead. He couldn’t believe he’d pulled that stupid-ass move without thinking it over more thoroughly.

He’d felt territorial when Northup had followed her into the back of the shop as comfortably as though he’d done it before.
Of course
he had. They’d had trouble recently, and he no doubt had been in to take her statement previously.

Kemp hadn’t enjoyed the jealousy that had prompted him to act without thinking. That was unlike him. Earlier that morning, Summer had him laughing and smiling, which had honestly felt a little weird to him. He’d even caught a funny look from Ace over it. Being around Summer made him feel…warm, as ridiculous as that sounded. Her bubbly personality made him feel less stiff and serious. She made him want to have a little fun. It was sad that it felt foreign to him to want that. Maybe he’d been on a crusade to right wrongs so long that he no longer knew how it felt to relax.

Kemp had never been big on outward displays of emotion. The seriousness of their job at times demanded that from him.

Very often they dealt with the underbelly of society, and the need to be serious was also bred into Kemp by his background. An abusive father who gave him the back of his hand at the first sign of weakness or defiance had also ingrained his naturally stoic countenance in him. It had paid to learn to hide his feelings and always maintain control.

He knew what he’d done the moment he’d pressed his lips to the corner of her mouth. Laying it on her like that without her permission was nothing short of marking his territory for the other man’s benefit.

She had every right to be pissed off at him. That kiss hadn’t been for her benefit, but for his. Solely for his own pride’s sake.

He picked up what he needed, got them a takeout lunch and her iced coffee, with extra sweetener and creamer on the side. He figured she could make it just the way she wanted it and hopefully be a little pleased with him for making the effort. He hurried back to the shop, knowing an apology was in order.

Ace met him on the porch. “I don’t know what you did, man, but she is
pissed
. I wouldn’t go in there if I were you.”

“Hell. Did she tell you what I did?”

“No. Not much anyway. She has a store full of customers right now,” he said, indicating the full parking lot. “She told me she doesn’t want to talk to you.
At all
.”

“Shit.”

Ace chuckled and said, “She’s got some spirit. Little sparks were practically shooting from her pretty hazel eyes.”

With a disappointed but resigned sigh Kemp said, “I’ll give her some time.” He handed Ace her iced coffee to give to her.

“Yeah, why don’t you work out here and I’ll finish inside for today. Give her a chance to cool off and think it over. She’s not the unforgiving type.” With a grin, Ace added, “Maybe I can put in a good word for you. What happened?”

Kemp told him, and Ace groaned, shaking his head. “That’s not like you, Kemp. Not thinking things through.”

“I know. She’s got me all wound up. I was jealous. You should’ve seen the way that guy was looking at her.”

Ace went inside to deliver her beverage and finish the camera install and the other items on Kemp’s checklist. Summer’s little boutique was evidently very popular with the local women. Over the course of the next few hours, customers came and went until the number of cars in the parking lot steadily dwindled to none.

Kemp finished his work as the sun slipped behind the tall trees in the wooded area beside the shop. While he’d been upstairs he’d noticed that several different kinds of wildflowers graced the overgrown landscape next door. A privacy fence ran the full length of the property on that side of the shop, but the area near the road wasn’t fenced off, so he decided to get creative in his “sucking up.” He picked her a huge bouquet of wildflowers and assorted colorful greenery.

Rachel Wolf turned the sign on the door and rehung it with the “Closed” side visible. She grinned at Kemp as she walked to the steps and said, “Flowers. Nice touch. Good luck, Whittie. She’s pretty pissed.”

Kemp smiled at Rachel’s use of the nickname she’d dubbed him with over the last couple of years. Through Eli she’d discovered the vengeance he’d taken on her behalf with Reese McCoy.

The man had hurt Rachel and abused her trust before dumping her when she was barely out on her own, going to college. After helping Ace find the guy, they’d let Eli have a little revenge, and then Kemp had taken it upon himself to fit the guy with custom-tailored duct tape underwear. Sick bastards like McCoy walked around free while the victims they tallied up suffered the repercussions for years. It fueled Kemp’s passion to help people feel safe and secure, and it felt good to deal out a little retribution on occasion.

Rachel patted his shoulder and said, “Summer is very forgiving, but get ready to ‘get your grovel on.’ She said she was coming out to talk to you in a few minutes.”

Rachel leaned forward and kissed his cheek then went on her way. At first, Kemp had been reluctant for Ace’s friends to know of his involvement in their cases. He preferred to stay in the background while Ace, social butterfly that he was, became a part of their little group. When Rachel had found out about his revenge on McCoy, she’d singlehandedly pulled him into the group whether he liked it or not. He tried unsuccessfully to hide a smile.

That’s how Summer found him, smiling like an idiot as he sat on the top step fiddling with the bouquet of flowers. He schooled his grin quickly and looked up at her in apology as she sauntered out onto the porch. With rosy color high in her cheeks and determination in her eyes, she was
some
kind of gorgeous.

Even though she’d had the hell scared out of her earlier in the day, she still looked ready to take on the world. Her skirt fluttered daintily around her knees as she moved, and he salivated at the way her matching top skimmed her hips and torso.

He wished that he’d had something to wrap the flower stems with as he held out the big bouquet to her. Surely she couldn’t stay mad at him long holding the flowers he’d picked in her hands. She looked at them and held the flowers to her face, sniffing, then patted some of the flowers gently before turning her eyes back to him. Nope. It was obvious from her serious expression that he had more work to do.

His hands itched to hold her close. He could imagine sliding his hands up from her hips to her smooth abdomen then cupping the undersides of her lush breasts. He stifled a groan as his dick hardened in need. His gaze slid over her satiny cleavage to her delicate collarbone and throat. Her chin was set implacably, and she frowned at him. Her eyes spoke volumes, and he knew Rachel was right. It was time to “get his grovel on.”

“I’m sorry. I know I’m an ass. I—”

“Let’s talk about me for a minute, Kemp.” Her voice was low and calm, but he detected a tremble to it. The note of fragility made his heart sick that he’d already done something to hurt her feelings. “I’m not a piece of territory you can mark, like a tomcat pissing on a tire.”

That imagery hurt, but she hit the nail on the head with it. “I’m so sorry.”

“I never gave you permission to act like I was
yours
.”

“You’re right.”

“I don’t even know where this relationship is going and already you’re getting territorial. You haven’t made a single move to indicate what you want, but you’re already warning men away from me.”

By this point she was standing in front of him, her slim, high-heeled feet and ankles within easy reach. He brushed the fingertips of one hand over her instep and wrapped his hand around her ankle. He smiled up at her when she gasped but didn’t move out of his reach.

“I want you, Summer. That’s all I need to know or can express right now. I’m sorry I hurt your feelings.”

His cock stiffened further as she bit her full lower lip. He slid his hand slowly up the back of her calf and felt a telltale tremble in the muscle.

“Did he ask you out?” His voice felt gravelly in his throat.

“Y–Yes. He asked me out a couple of days ago, and last week, too. I’m not attracted to him.”

A slow smile crossed his face at her admission. “A pretty boy like him? I would think most women would go for the model-type good looks he has.”

“I’m not attracted to young, pretty-boy types. He’s very nice, but he’s not the type of man I want.” She crossed her arms and then dropped them, evidently noting that the action pressed her breasts up into her neckline. He suppressed a chuckle that she was making him “work for it.”