by Lily Danes
“The article said it could last up to three weeks. Probably at least ten days.”
Emma groaned and flopped onto her bed, then promptly winced as her afflicted back hit the mattress.
“You’ve washed the oil off?” Ruby headed into the bathroom to scrub her own hands with very hot water. Better to be safe.
“Hands, clothes, everything. As soon as I realized what was happening.”
“How long was the oil on you?”
“Several hours.” Emma winced. The longer the oil was on the skin, the more severe the reaction would be. “But it shouldn’t be contagious.”
“This is horrible.” Ruby found a clean towel and returned to the main room. “You won’t be able to do any of the contact sports. You won’t want to sit on a hard chair for arts and crafts. You can go to the lake, I suppose.”
Emma’s expression suggested Ruby had recently had a stroke. “Are you kidding? I can’t be seen in public like this. What if someone takes pictures? My career depends on me not being covered with pus-filled bumps and angry rashes. There isn’t enough concealer in the world to hide this.”
Ruby opened her mouth to protest, then promptly shut it. Maybe YouTube stars didn’t end up on TMZ, but they had devoted followers. Plus, Emma hoped to translate her success into bigger opportunities, and she wouldn’t risk that future for anything.
“I’m sure people would understand…” Ruby began.
Emma’s harsh look shut her down. “You went into hiding because a bunch of small-dicked industry misogynists confused talent with someone I want to fuck. You let them rule your life for the last year, so you don’t get to give me grief if I want to avoid cameras for a single week.”
Ruby’s jaw tightened. There was a lot missing from Emma’s version of the story, but she wouldn’t start a fight, not when her friend had good reason to be cranky.
“You want me to stay with you tonight?” Ruby tried to sound upbeat about the possibility.
Emma’s snort told her she wasn’t successful. “I take it today’s hike went well?”
Ruby sat on her bed and prepared to tell the whole story, but nothing came out. She knew exactly what Emma would say. She’d tell Ruby to have a bit of fun, that camp was the perfect time to hook up. The details of their interaction would be lost—the way Josh’s breath whispered across her throat, or the way his warm fingers clasped hers.
Instead, she smiled at her friend. “I’ve decided he’s my camp crush.” That, at least, was true. The only question was how they planned to spend their remaining days at camp.
Because after the way Josh kissed her, Ruby was certain kisses alone wouldn’t be enough.
6
Josh was born and raised in Briarsted. When it was time for college, he’d commuted to the state university at Albany so he could live at home. He’d planned to travel after graduation, but his dad’s health changed those plans. Instead of a summer working with Habitat for Humanity, Josh returned home to take over the hardware store.
It was the right choice. He believed that with all his heart. But it also meant he’d never been to a beach party.
Granted, a beach party in the Berkshires had nothing on Key West, but he gave Camp Firefly Falls full points for effort. Dozens of people were gathered near the lake. Most of the men wore board shorts, and several women were in bikinis. There was a whole lot of eye candy, but Josh barely noticed. He was too busy looking for one woman in particular.
He felt like an asshole in his jeans, but it hadn’t occurred to him to dress up.
If dress codes were enforced for the theme nights, he would definitely have to skip the toga party.
He needed more information about this whole camp crush thing. Did it involve finding a quiet spot where he could lick every inch of her skin beneath the night sky?
A figure stepped into the circle of people, wearing a simple tank dress. He caught glimpses of a green bikini underneath the loose top. The clothes were nothing fancy, but Josh’s mind froze on a single thought: Ruby was, easily, the most stunning woman there. Not just on the beach, but possibly in the state. The country.
That must be why it was called a crush. It was exactly how he felt. Flattened. Overwhelmed.
Then she smiled, and it was like his body sparked back to life. Josh hurried toward her, and Ruby’s expression grew more uncertain as he approached.
“None of that,” he whispered. “We agreed to this. No reason for doubts now.”
Her expression relaxed, a hint of humor returning to her eyes. “Are you saying a woman can’t change her mind?”
“Not at all. I’m saying you don’t want to.” Who was this cocky bastard who kept taking over when he talked to Ruby? Josh couldn’t remember the last time he felt this free. There was a lot to be said for a week without responsibilities.
She didn’t respond, but her tongue darted out to wet her lower lip.
He closed the distance between them to whisper in her ear. “Before tonight is over, I want to know what your skin tastes like when it’s covered in sweat. Maybe a few other parts, as well.”
Ruby inhaled sharply, but she didn’t move away. “This is going so fast.”
“Yes.” No point denying it.
“I’m that girl. You know, the one who waits until the third date.”
“Why?” He wasn’t challenging her. He was genuinely curious.
“Because I want to make sure they’re not a hit-it-and-quit-it type. And I want to get to know them first.”
“Because you want to know if they’re relationship material?”
She gave a silent nod.
“But that’s not even an issue for us, is it? I can’t leave Briarsted, and you’re heading to D.C. We can have those three dates if you want, but…”
“But we both know how this will end.”
Her tone was matter of fact, but he grew half hard at the thought. “If it helps, I promise I’ll respect you in the morning.”
Ruby waved off his poor attempt at a joke. “Screw that. I need to respect myself in the morning.” Her gaze raked him from his eyes to his feet, and her smile eased into something more genuine. “I think you’re worth the risk.”
Josh indicated the party around them. “How committed are you to staying?”
She nodded at the buffet set up twenty feet from them. “I don’t know about the party, but I’m very committed to dinner and a margarita.”
Fair point. They should build up their strength. He placed his hand lightly on her back, urging her toward the table. Underneath her dress, he felt the clear outline of the bow holding her bikini top together. One pull and it would fall open.
You’re not a teenage boy, he reminded himself. He could make it through dinner without attempting to undress her.
The blood rushing to his cock disagreed.
Ruby picked up a plate, then hesitated, eyes wide. “I know they have a gourmet chef, but somehow I expected hot dogs and hamburgers at a beach party.”
Josh’s stomach rumbled as he surveyed the table. Small cards identified each plate, though he would have tried them all even without knowing what they were. Lime shrimp tacos, peach-lacquered chicken wings, warm potato salad with goat cheese and arugula, grilled corn coated with herb butter—all presented with those small touches that told him this was no average barbecue.
“I want one of everything,” he said.
Ruby nodded, but she looked uncertain. She grabbed a taco and a bit of salad.
Josh served himself until the white of the plate was hidden beneath his food. If he kept this up, he might have to send in an anonymous check to cover his meals for the week.
They claimed an empty picnic table, and he speared a coconut shrimp with his fork. “Need some food to soak up the alcohol.” He popped the morsel into his mouth. It tasted even better than it looked.
The margaritas came in a pint glass, though Josh hoped the place went light on the booze. If the night went as he hoped, they would both need to have full control of their f
aculties.
Ruby’s taco disappeared quickly, then she looked at her salad in dismay. “Even gourmet salad is still salad.”
“Go back and grab some wings. They’re amazing.” When she didn’t move, Josh thought he understood. “Do you have food restrictions? Or are you dieting?”
As soon as he said the words, Josh wanted to bite them back. No man should ever suggest a woman had weight to lose.
Ruby shifted, looking more uncomfortable than he’d ever seen her. “Don’t make me admit it.”
“Why?” Why are you dieting, he meant, but she answered another question.
“Because guys always talk about how they like girls who don’t pick at their food. Those same guys usually want to date skinny girls, so I’m pretty sure they’re idiots, but…”
Josh set down his fork and reached for her hands. He waited until she met his gaze before answering. “I want you to eat exactly as much food as you want, for whatever reason you want.”
It took a second, but her eyes softened like she believed him. He released her hands and pushed his plate to the middle of the table. “But I don’t want you hungry. Feel free to have some of mine.” She only hesitated a minute before taking a small bite of the potato salad.
“I don’t think of it as dieting, really.” He couldn’t tell if she was defensive. “I gained a lot of weight this year. I lost half of it already, and I’m trying to get back to where I was.”
Josh took another bite of shrimp to stop himself from protesting. It was her body, to do with as she wished.
Her lush, irresistible, perfectly curved body.
“Have you ever been out of shape?” she asked.
Josh glanced down at his stomach. “If I stopped exercising, it would probably happen. I stay pretty busy during the day.”
“What do you do?”
“I work retail.” He really didn’t want to talk about the hardware store. “Would I still be your camp crush if I had love handles?” he teased.
“Of course.” Her response was instant and indignant. “It might make things easier. You’d be less perfect.”
Josh choked on his drink. “Perfect?”
Ruby waved her hand at him. “Look at you. You’re all strong and manly, and you have those eyes.”
If she thought he was perfect, he really shouldn’t protest—especially since he only needed to keep up appearances for a short time. Still, he nodded at her margarita. “Tequila goggles already?”
She slipped another piece of food between her full lips. Josh shifted in his seat.
“Why me?” she asked.
“What do you mean?”
“What made you pick me? Out of all the girls here.” She gestured to the crowd behind them, and Josh realized he’d forgotten other people were even there. He was completely lost in the world they were creating, just the two of them. “You could be hooking up with a different woman every night.”
He leaned forward, wanting to be just a couple inches closer to her. “Because I know a good thing when I see it. Unlike me, you are perfect.”
She gave his half-empty drink a pointed look. He’d known girls to fish for compliments before, but he had no sense that was what she was doing. It didn’t even feel like insecurity. She was genuinely curious why he wanted her.
And God, did he want her. “First of all, there’s your hair. The way it looks black from a distance, but when I get close I can pick out strands of brown and even a bit of auburn. Your eyes, because they’re not just brown. In the light, they’re golden. And you look so damn sweet, but that mouth was made for sin.”
She didn’t appear to be breathing, but she shook it off. “I know I’m pretty. That was one of the reasons they signed—”
Ruby abruptly stopped talking, then took another bite of his food.
“If you know you’re pretty, why are you asking?”
She averted her gaze.
It took him longer than it probably should have. “Wait, seriously? Are you asking if I think you’re sexy?”
“No. I felt pretty clear evidence of that this afternoon.” She paused. “Okay, yes, I’m asking.”
“Do you want me to be polite or give the sexist man answer and objectify you?”
“Objectify me, please.” She sounded intrigued.
“Last night wasn’t the first time I saw you.”
Ruby’s brow drew together. “Were you at the bar?”
“I hung back at first, because I was trying to be cool,” he admitted. “I’d just worked up the nerve to talk to you when you left. I couldn’t take my eyes off you as you walked away. Your ass made me miss my shot.”
“You’re joking.”
“Ask Max. He witnessed it. You have the most delicious ass I’ve ever seen. Didn’t you notice how often I walked a step behind you on the hike?”
“Maybe a little.”
Josh leaned further across the table and pitched his voice low. “You know what I was thinking while you walked? How much I wanted to rip those shorts down your legs and run my hands over you. I wanted to squeeze your warm skin, let your soft flesh fill my hands. I wanted to bite both cheeks until I left marks.”
“You know I’m a sure thing, right? You don’t need the hard sell.”
“Something’s hard right now, sweetheart, but it’s not the sell.”
Josh started as something rubbed against his shin. She’d removed her flip-flop and stretched her leg under the table.
His breath caught as she worked her way up his calf, then slid her foot along his thighs. He grabbed it, but not before she brushed his erection.
Ruby’s lips curled, not so much a smile as a promise. “Let’s get out of here.”
7
They moved out of the ring of light cast by the party and began strolling along the lake. As soon as they started walking, Josh took her hand.
He’d done the same thing on the hike, but this time she wanted to pull away. It was a sweet gesture, the sort of thing a boyfriend would do, and she didn’t want her emotions getting confused. Soon, they would go their separate ways, and she had no plans to do so with an aching heart.
When Josh’s fingers threaded through hers, it felt like Josh truly liked her.
She’d already known he was gorgeous, sexy, and a little rough around the edges in the way she liked. She hadn’t expected him to also be so sweet.
They could have fun. They could enjoy each other’s company. That was it. It had taken too long to recover from the disaster with her record company. She couldn’t risk another heartbreak, not yet.
Knowing all this, she still clasped her fingers around his, unwilling to stop touching him.
Their conversation at dinner replayed in her mind. She hadn’t planned to discuss her weight. It was one of those taboo subjects on a date, the sort of thing that made a woman appear insecure.
Ruby hated being like this, filled with doubt about a body she once understood so well. It was unfamiliar, in the same way her softer stomach and more generous ass were. She didn’t dislike it, not really. When she looked in the mirror, she saw a young version of her mother looking back, and Ruby knew her mother was beautiful. It was the rest of the world that disagreed about how big her butt should be.
But Josh didn’t have any problem at all with her generous ass. Too bad he hadn’t worked at Babylon Records. Her second album might be on the charts right now.
“That’s nice.”
“Huh?”
“The song you’re humming. That’s really nice.”
Her cheeks flamed. She hadn’t even noticed.
“What is it?”
“No idea. Maybe something I heard at the party.” It was a lie. The melody replayed in her mind, something new and unexpected. It was how songs usually came to her, a couple of notes appearing at random moments, insisting she turn them into a song.
Ruby forced them aside. Up ahead, she spotted the canoes bobbing in the lake. “Late-night ride?”
In the moonlight, she caught a glimmer of
a smile. “If you’re offering…” She hip-bumped him in protest.
Josh hesitated. “We’re not supposed to take them out after sunset.”
“You went swimming last night, and you weren’t supposed to do that, either.”
“That was before. If we get caught and Max isn’t there to run interference, they may realize I’m not supposed to be here. I’m not cutting short my time with you, not for something so stupid.”
Damn. The man was saying and doing more sweet things in one night than her last boyfriend did in three months.
“If we get caught, I’ll just stay at your place for the rest of the week.” She meant the words to be teasing, but Ruby wanted to bite them back as soon as they were out. Guys tended to dislike it when women invited themselves to move in, even in jest.
Josh’s lips thinned, and the stab of regret sharpened. “That would be too much like reality.” He said it like it was a bad thing, and she couldn’t argue.
She forced a dramatic sigh. “So no rule-breaking? Our sordid affair just became far more respectable.”
“I have an idea.” Josh spun her around to walk back the way they came. The party was crowded, but several people were splintering off into small groups.
“We better claim our spot before someone else does.” He pulled on her hand, and when he picked up the pace, she matched him. They waved at a couple playing on the giant swings, but they didn’t slow down.
“That looks like fun,” she admitted.
“It does.” Josh glanced at the zip lines, and his expression grew wary. “The swings do, at least.”
“Want to play tomorrow?”
He turned to her, his smile back in place. “It’s a date.”
Giddiness rushed through her, and she did her best to tamp it down. “Where are we going?”
“I saw this on the map.” He pointed at a large swathe of well-maintained grass just ahead.
She grinned. “We’re sneaking onto a golf course? It’s like I’m back in high school.”
“What kind of high-schooler were you?”
“Not the bad girl.” She hadn’t been the good girl, either. She’d been the girl who would rather stay home and master a new chord than go to a party or study. “But I heard about them.”
