Summer Heat (Cruel Summer #1)(16)

He lifted his hands into the air and jogged away.

And I was left sitting there listening to the music pumping from the dance studio. Imagining my hands on her, her hands on me.

Yeah, day two.

And already I felt out of control.

I ignored the arousal I felt for her.

That’s all it was.

Chemical.

Any guy would feel ready to rip her clothes off after having her ass kiss his body that way.

I cleared my throat and made my way to the script writing group.

Brax had everyone in a circle. They were brainstorming ideas of what we could do for the camp production.

We had done Hamlet last year.

A few requested the Twelfth Night.

I listened as Brax wrote everything down then instructed the campers to write out character descriptions. He was a natural. Teens loved him. He didn’t need me babysitting him.

I gave him a little wave and left.

I repeated the same process the entire day, checking in with every class to make sure we had no issues. It was my job to make sure things ran smoothly. To make sure the campers were happy and the staff felt like they were a part of something important.

I was almost late to the staff bonfire because of all the check ins I had done. It was the first staff event of the summer. A way for us to bond outside of the actual camp-run activities.

I hated that my eyes roamed over the group of people in a greedy search for Ray.

And when I came up empty.

I was pissed.

Livid, actually.

“Brax,” I yelled him over.

He jogged toward me and stopped. “What’s up?”

“Ray. Where is she?”

He shrugged. “I think Jackson said she went back to her cabin or something.”

I grit my teeth. “The bonfire’s mandatory.”

Brax gave me a look of complete amusement all at my expense. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you so irritated with another human. Normally you’re all about no yelling, no bullying, world peace. The sooner you sleep with her the better.”

“I still can’t decide why that sounds offensive when you say it out loud,” I muttered.

“It sounds less offensive when you think it, and you know you are thinking it, you can’t stop thinking about it, and I’m sure your little dance number didn’t help things.” He chuckled.

I shot him a dark look. “How did you find out about that?”

He shoved his hands in his pockets, “Really, bro? By the time I had those students this afternoon the story had gone from a very magical moment between you two, to Ray pregnant with your twins.”

“Fuck.” I wiped my hand down my face. “Just what I need.”

“Kids?”

“Rumors,” I clarified. “And the dance was…” I didn’t deny I could still feel her body between my hands. “We’re getting off track. She doesn’t get preferential treatment just because she’s pretty. I’ll be right back. Hold the fort down.”

“Yes sir.” He smirked.

I rolled my eyes and focused on the path leading back up to the cabins. She was pretty. She was rich.

She was spoiled.

And I wasn’t going to stand for it no matter how good she used to taste or how bad I wanted to taste her again.





IT WAS STUPID.

Stupid that I was staring at the cat calendar in my shaking hands. Stupid that I was crying.

They forgot again.

As soon as I knew Marlo was on the war path toward another class, I ran into the main lodge and swiped my phone to double check. Maybe they left a voice mail?

I would have even been fine with a text.

Nothing.

I wanted to blame them so badly, but a part of me had always blamed myself, maybe because whenever my mom looked at me, I knew she saw him too. We’d had the same nose.

Funny, how my nose is a reason that my parents can’t be bothered with me, can’t be bothered to look at me or even celebrate my twenty-second birthday with me.

I wiped a tear under my eye and tried to think about something happy something that would make the tears ago away. I was already late for the staff campfire. I needed a distraction in a huge way and I figured at least being with other people was healthier than staring at the stupid cat calendar.

At least I now had three uses for it. Decorations. Pet. Birthday present.

Something loud banged on my door.

I jumped up, dropping the cat calendar on the bed like a hot potato and almost screamed when the knock came again. “Ray? I know you’re in there.”

“Marlo?” I took a few steps toward the door and jerked it open. He was bracing his massive body against the frame, his eyes were wild, his breaths came out in short gasps like he sprinted all the way there passing several hills on the way. “What’s wrong?”

“What’s. Wrong.” He repeated in that condescending rasp. My body shivered while my mind wanted to fight. “What’s wrong is you’re pushing me too far, that’s what’s wrong.”

“I’m pushing you…” I narrowed my eyes. “How exactly?”

“Do you play dumb on purpose? Do people fall for this bullshit? Really I’d like to know.”

I normally had my armor on.

Every day was war wasn’t it?