Summer Nights

by Rachel Van Dyken

  I was about to kiss her when she pulled back. “You’ve always been mine, and I want you to know I’m going to do better. From here on out, I’m going to look at myself that way, the way you’re looking at me right now, as if I don’t have black on my soul, as if I’m deserving when I know I’m not. I hate you. I love you. Forever and always, Marlo.”

  I devoured her next words as we treaded water under the moonlight, our limbs tangling within each other’s.

  And then she pulled back. “What was the date anyway?”

  “Doesn’t matter.” I tried kissing her again.

  She pulled back. “Marlo.”

  “Picnic under the stars,” I answered. “Which we can do after we swim, after I taste you again, and after I take you at least three more times and get to see you come to life. And after that I want to dance, I want to dance under the moon and shout at the top of my lungs, I want to own you and brand you, and then I want to set you free just so I can chase you again. I love you, Ray.”

  Tears welled in her eyes as I pulled her in for a kiss.

  This. This was the best kind of love.

  Painful.

  Aching.

  Beautiful.

  Scarred.

  I WAS AFRAID to trust the moment as Marlo wrapped his arms around me, crushed me to his chest, and kissed my damp hair. In a tangle of arms and legs, we laid across blankets and towels.

  Food gone.

  Clothes still discarded.

  We watched the moon and the stars.

  And we breathed each other in.

  I was afraid my voice would shatter this emotional silence as he ran his knuckles down my sides and breathed in and out, slowly, contentedly like he always knew it would be like this and was just waiting for me to get the memo.

  “I miss fighting with you,” he said in a low raspy voice that did insane things to my insides, making my stomach flutter and my heart beat a little faster.

  “I’m stubborn,” I said with a sigh. “There will always be a fight. Take, for example, the musical — the leads you picked suck.”

  “That, I actually agree with you on, but they’re the only ones who know how to do the complicated moves and sing at the same time without bursting into tears or shitting themselves.”

  I smiled against his chest. “Romantic.”

  Marlo leaned up on his elbows causing me to look at him. “I’m not sure how things are going to go over during the final show. We have agents, managers, producers — important people coming to scout. What if it’s horrible?”

  I gave him a soft smile. “Then it won’t be because of the choreography but because of your horrible casting?”

  He glared. “You’re asking to be dunked aren’t you?”

  “Why Marlo, I think I’ve waited since my freshman year of high school for you to jump naked into the water with me and take me down.”

  He bit down on his bottom lip then cupped my chin and whispered, “I’d fucking run if I were you.”

  Maybe it was the predatory way he said it.

  The gleam in his eyes.

  The hungry promise that it would be both good and bad if he caught me.

  I jumped from his arms and stumbled down the beach, I could hear his footsteps behind me as I dove into the water and surfaced only to see him gone.

  He wasn’t on the beach.

  And I couldn’t see his body in the dark water.

  I frowned and swam in a circle. “Marlo?”

  Nothing.

  Panic rose in my chest. “Marlo? This isn’t funny!”

  “Really?” he said from behind me like he’d been there the whole time. “Because there’s nothing better than seeing a beautiful woman search for you with that sort of look in her eyes, like the reward of finding you will be so much better than you could possibly imagine.”

  I smacked him in the chest and tried to shove him down.

  He just gripped my wrists with his hands and swam me back toward the dock then pinned me against the wood. “Does this mean I get to live out my high school fantasies?”

  “You didn’t already?” I teased.

  He just shook his head and dove under the water.

  I frowned. What? He wanted to dive for? Holy— “MARLO!”

  He used my hips as an anchor as his tongue swirled around my core, sucked me in along with the water like he could survive off of my body alone.

  I wasn’t sure whether to be concerned he was going to drown or just let him — the pleasure was so intense I was having trouble not squirming against his mouth.

  He surfaced slowly, panting. “I’ve always wondered what you would taste like under water, had vivid fantasies of taking you against the pool wall and then—” He grinned. “Let’s go back to your cabin.”

  “My cabin?” I narrowed my eyes, my legs shook with unclenched desire. “What for?”

  He just shrugged. “Follow me and find out, besides it’s late, nobody’s up, just wrap yourself in a towel and sprint.”

  With that, he was swimming toward the shore, and then his golden naked body was walking toward the towels and blankets, he hurriedly stuffed the blankets in the giant beach bag then grabbed a towel and wrapped it low around his hips.

  I stared at him, slack jawed.

  How was it possible to look that good after hours of conversation, food, sex, swimming? It was nearing midnight, and he looked like he’d just taken a quick jog and was invigorated by the water, whereas I probably looked bloated, exhausted, and haggard.

  Every muscle stood at attention — along with everything else.

  I tried not to stare too long, but it was nearly impossible; he was huge, warm, mine.

  “You’re staring again,” he said huskily, crossing his arms.

  “I like big things?” I offered.

  He just licked his lips and looked down like he was embarrassment. “Yeah that’s not helping the situation, and if I do see a camper on my way back to your cabin I’m going to have a lot of explaining to do. Mainly, why am I so turned on by the phrase, ‘Hi, Director Marlo’?”

  I burst out laughing and swam to shore, then grabbed the towel from his outstretched hand.

  I loved how he stared at me.

  Like I was perfect even though I knew I wasn’t.

  Like he wanted to taste me even though he already had.

  I wondered if this was what it felt like to be accepted, to be loved despite all the reasons and reservations the person doing the loving should have.

  It just simply… was.

  Marlo was already making his way up the trail, grabbing the picnic basket and looking over his shoulder. “You coming?”

  “Not yet.” I angled my head and wiggled my eyebrows suggestively.

  Fire flared in his eyes. “Yeah, you’re going to pay for that comment.”

  “You won’t hear me complain, though I may toss in a scream or two for your benefit.” I winked.

  He groaned and adjusted himself. “If I see any campers I’m telling them you seduced me and drugged me.”

  “I’d just own up to it,” I said in a sing-song voice as I followed him up the trail.

  He laughed as I joined him. And off we went, half jogging, half walking back to my cabin in the dark.

  I couldn’t wipe the grin from my face. I felt so free, and physically I was, since I had clothes bunched up in one hand while I held the towel to my body with the other.

  My legs burned as I chased after him.

  He was at the front door of the cabin before I even made it to the bottom stairs, and when I finally made it to the door, it was just in time to see Marlo drop his towel.

  With a laugh, I followed suit.

  He wiped his face with his hands. “You’re too damn beautiful, it hurts my eyes.”

  “Are you complaining?”

  “Absolutely.” He grabbed me by the elbow and leaned down, meeting my mouth halfway, devouring my words, my breaths, my groans as he wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me against his length. I could
feel the heat of him pressed against my soft skin.

  My heart pulsed with it.

  My body demanded more.

  The connection we’d had in high school was on fire, out of control, it was impossible to stop — and I never wanted it to go away.

  I raked my fingernails down his back as he parted my lips with his tongue, sucking me dry, entering me so completely and with such a raw hunger that it was almost hard to kiss him back.

  I’d seen every side of him — or so I thought.

  Until now.

  Without another word, he turned me around. “Hands on the bed.”

  My eyebrows shot up as I did what he said and looked over my shoulder. “What’s this now? Lawn boy has some kink?”

  He pressed his erection to my ass and then leaned over and whispered in my ear. “I’m sorry, are you complaining?”

  I gulped. God, he felt good. Everywhere. I couldn’t even find my voice as my body ached for his.

  He ran a smooth hand down my ass. “Yeah that’s what I thought.”

  My skin broke out into goose bumps as he nudged my legs apart.

  I let out a gasp when I felt hard heat tease my entrance. Thighs quivering, I waited for him to do something.

  He did nothing.

  I looked over my shoulder.

  “That’s it,” he said giving me a satisfied grin. “Watch.”

  He was inside me in one fluid thrust and I was arching my back against him trying not to come apart with each movement inside me.

  “Don’t stop!” Was that my voice? The one begging? Whimpering?

  “Can’t.” He heaved. I had to grip the sheets and part of the mattress to keep from slamming into the closest wall. I clenched myself tightly around him, I squeezed my eyes closed, and I lost all control and awareness. All I had was him, all I needed was him.

  His love.

  His body.

  His words.

  “Ray—” He drove inside me one last time. I stayed in the same position, my body well and completely rocked as tiny little pulses exploded all around me.

  “We’re staying like this forever.”

  He chuckled. “Then we have some explaining to do with both parents and campers, not to mention the staff.”

  “Let them see.” I yawned.

  He drew away from me then.

  I was dead on my feet.

  He lugged a shirt over my head and then I felt the towel wipe down my legs, around every sensitive area before I was being tucked into bed.

  He followed, lying down behind me, pulling me into his arms, kissing the back of my neck and whispering promises against my skin, I fell asleep to him saying. “Best first date ever.”

  “Last.” I felt the words move across my lips. “Last first date.”

  “Last,” he agreed.

  I smiled as sleep took over.

  THREE MORE WEEKS of torture.

  Three more weeks where I lived and died by the fucking musical.

  There wasn’t enough time in the day to steal Ray away, to touch her, make her feel special, and I was so damn terrified that she’d feel like it was a competition, my job and responsibilities verses hers.

  I hated it.

  I hated all of it.

  “Run away with me?” I whispered under my clipboard and giving Ray a pleading look as the leads yet again decided it would be a great idea to mess up the most pivotal part of the entire musical.

  Everyone groaned, and a few cast members heaved frustrated sighs or walked in circles.

  It wasn’t that they couldn’t do it; it was just that they both said they were feeling sick, which meant they were forgetting lines.

  And we had everyone arriving in the morning for the final performance.

  Ray gave me a stern look. “We can’t just abandon them, look at them.”

  As if on cue, our Johnny tripped over his own feet and then started swaying and gave the crowd, mainly the staffers, a funny stare before puking all over himself.

  I jumped to my feet. “Bryan!”

  An odd look crossed Sara’s face, and then she puked on Bryan.

  So now, the stage had some funky looking puke from both our leads, and both wore guilty expressions on their faces.

  Shit.

  “Can we get some mops?” I called. “You guys okay?”

  “I think I’m sick.” Bryan groaned and clutched his stomach.

  “You dick!” Sara roared. “You swore!”

  “Am I missing something?” I threw my hands in the air. “What did you swear?”

  “He swore he wasn’t sick when I told him he had a fever yesterday, so of course I slept with him!”

  My eyebrows shot up. “That’s your natural conclusion when someone with a fever says they aren’t sick?”

  Sara glared. “Never mind. The point is—” She covered her mouth with her hands and then ran off the stage.

  Bryan must have felt sick again too, because he followed suit. I heard more puking and then yelling.

  “We’re fucked,” Jackson announced to everyone.

  “No we’re not!” I shot him a warning glare. “We’ll just…” I eyed a wide-eyed Ray. “We’ll do it.”

  “We?” Jackson repeated. “Sorry man, I haven’t stretched.”

  “Me and Ray.” I nodded to her. “We’ll practice all night if we need to.”

  “That what kids are calling it these days?” Brax said under his breath while Jen sighed and looked between both me and Ray like she hoped we could pull it off.

  I groaned into my hands. “Everyone take ten while we figure this out. No going to bed unless I say so. You go to bed, you’re off the cast, are we clear?”

  My announcement was met with a shit ton of complaints, “I’m hungry…”

  “He’s a monster…”

  “…I’m exhausted.”

  I didn’t care.

  Because I was director this year, and I would not fail.

  I couldn’t.

  Ray walked up to me and grabbed my hand. “Does the lawn boy need saving from the rich spoiled princess?”

  I smirked. “Yeah, I think he does.”

  “Good.” She nudged me. “Because I’ve always wanted to save you — maybe even more than you wanted to save me.”

  I frowned. “What makes you think I needed saving?”

  “The look in your eyes every day I didn’t do it,” she said softly.

  I captured her mouth between my lips. I tasted her. I kept her there. Kept us there in that moment as we touched foreheads. “I love you.”

  “I love you too,” she said simply. “So let’s kick ass.”

  “Just like that, no stage fright?”

  “Just don’t drop me, and I think I’ll be okay.” Her smile sparkled.

  It was like she was a new person.

  And selfishly, I hoped that she was looking at herself differently because of me, because of what we’d been through, because of what our relationship meant to one another.

  “I promise.” And I meant it.

  “Yeah, I know you do.”

  “All right!” Jackson clapped his hands. “The puke’s cleaned up, it smells like bleach and last night’s pizza, let’s go from the last dance sequence right into the song.”

  I clenched my teeth, not used to getting ordered around.

  Jackson flashed me a smile then held out his hand.

  With a scowl, I handed him my clipboard and whistle.

  “Feels so good…” He closed his eyes and sucked in a long, slow breath, like he was ready to have an orgasm, and then held up one hand. “Almost there… ahhhh yeah, there it is.”

  “Never using that whistle again,” Ray said under her breath.

  “Nope,” I agreed.

  “Places!” Jackson blew the whistle. I grabbed Ray’s hands, kissed the backs of them, and winked.

  “We’ve got this,” she said as she took a deep breath.

  “Maybe you’ll get an agent,” I offered, hoping that would at least put the excitement
back in her eyes. Instead, you’d think I just snuffed out every light ever lit behind them. “Ray?”

  That damn forced smile. “It’s nothing.”

  “Nothing—”

  “Marlo! Listen to orders as good as you give them!” Jackson blew the damn whistle again, and I was escorted stage right while she went to stage left.

  We would have that conversation.

  Even if it killed me.

  I wanted nothing between us but skin.

  No room for secrets, only us.

  “ALL RIGHT, GET some sleep!” Jackson called out at around four a.m. I was ready to strangle him, murder him, drown him, but I couldn’t move my body, so I tried killing him with telepathy.

  And when that didn’t work, I glared.

  “She having a stroke?” Jackson whispered to Jen.

  I flipped him off. My hand didn’t reach eye level, still counted though, right?

  Jen tossed me a water bottle, and I batted it out of the air; that’s how tired I was. The water bottle went sailing toward Marlo’s head, but he ducked just in time for it to hit Brax in the stomach.

  Brax looked down and sighed. “Do you guys have a vendetta against me ever since the unicorn incident? Because if I remember correctly, I was victimized!”

  “Drunk.” Jackson grinned. “You were drunk.” He looked around the empty outdoor auditorium and then pulled a flask from his pocket. “Speaking of…”

  “It’s four a.m.!” I screeched.

  He held it closer.

  “Yeah, okay,” I took it, unscrewed the top, took a long swig, then handed it to Marlo, who had just sat down.

  “Candy?” Jackson tossed me a pack of gummy bears.

  I scrunched up my nose. “Candy sounds horrible.”

  Marlo made a strangled noise next to me.

  “What?”

  He just rolled his eyes. “That’s not normal candy.”

  “Bullshit!” Jackson laughed. “It’s the only kind.”

  Jen smacked him in the chest. “Stop trying to get everyone high just so you can find sick entertainment in it.”

  “Jackson!” I threw the bag back at him.

  “What!” He lifted his hands into the air. “I remember a day not so long ago when this one came into my cabin and begged me to get him high.”