Actually, he wouldn’t. Hell, it was almost as bad as her being here with a guy because now he’d have all sorts of erotic girl-on-girl images in his head starring Summer Montgomery. Yup, he was definitely being punished for something he did in a former life.
Without a word, Summer turned and walked back to the tepee. Ethan had no choice but to follow. He felt sick to his stomach as he scrambled to figure out how he was going to graciously meet this mystery female and then explain everything to Zach. Hey, Zach. Things went great. As it turned out, Summer wasn’t away with a boyfriend; apparently she’s decided to give up on men and is now spending the weekend with her new girlfriend. Yeah, that’s going to go over well. There was no doubt the messenger was definitely going to be shot.
He almost wished someone would shoot him right now.
Walking into the tepee, he was momentarily distracted by the space. To say it was tall would be an understatement, but that wasn’t the most impressive thing about it. In the center of the space was a large private hot spring, with a king-sized pallet on one side and a small sitting area on the other. It was rustic, for sure, but incredibly inventive. As outlandish as Summer was known to be, this place seemed a little too far-out even for her.
When he finally returned his attention to her, she was sitting on the corner of the bed. Now there was an image that was bound to mess with him more than all of the others. Ethan cleared his throat and tried to sound more in control than he had moments ago. “So? Where is she?”
“You’re looking at her.”
Brows furrowed, Ethan looked from the bed, to Summer, and back again before scanning the room. “Excuse me?”
“I said you’re looking at her. Come closer.”
This was both everything he ever wanted and feared all rolled into one. Summer beckoning him toward a bed? He was about to weep with gratitude. Then he remembered why he was here. Summer. Zach. The mystery guest. There was no one on the bed beside her. What was she playing at? All he saw was Summer and some sort of lump beside her. A pillow? A sweater? He took another step forward. What the…?
“Ethan, I’d like you to meet Maylene. My dog.” At the sound of her name, the tiny dog lifted her head. “She’s a pug and she’s only three months old.” Summer turned and scratched the puppy behind the ears before leaning down and kissing her. “Say hello to Ethan,” she said in a voice most people normally reserved for talking to babies.
“So you made a reservation for you…and your dog?” he asked, confusion lacing his tone.
Summer nodded. “No one said I was going away with a man, did they?”
Now he felt like an idiot. All Gabriella had said was Summer had made reservations for herself and a guest. He and Zach had jumped the gun on who they thought the guest was. Running a hand through his dark hair, he looked at Summer with a lopsided grin. “I guess you must be feeling pretty smug right about now.”
“You would be correct.”
There was no way to make a graceful exit, so Ethan just decided to own the blunder and be on his way. “Okay; we screwed up. I’m sure we’ll all get a big laugh out of this when we get back.” Summer stood and began walking toward him even as he was walking backward toward the exit. “So…um, I’ll tell Zach you’re fine and he has nothing to worry about. And you have a…a…dog. When…when did you get her?” he asked, struggling for something to say that wouldn’t make him sound as foolish as he felt.
“About two weeks ago,” she said simply. “I was feeling a little homesick and lonely, and it was obvious my brother was tired of entertaining me, so I decided to get a dog. I did a little research, found a breeder, and when I went, I took one look at her and knew she was meant for me.”
I know the feeling, he thought. “Well, that’s…that’s great. She seems…cute.” For crying out loud, Ethan. You had better social skills when you were thirteen! “I’m sorry for busting in on you like this. We really were just concerned about you.”
“We?” she asked with just a hint of playfulness.
“Yeah. We. I…I hope you have a good weekend, Summer. I’ll see you when we get back.”
“Ethan?” she called out to him as he turned to walk away. He turned around and faced her again. “I don’t have a good feeling about this. I know Zach thinks I’m just being ridiculous, but I’m not. His leg isn’t healed all the way yet. He’s being stubborn and impulsive. I know I’m not a doctor, but I am a trained yoga instructor, and I know a lot more about the human body than Zach thinks.”
“Look, I agree with you,” Ethan admitted. “I think he’s being hasty too. But because the climbing season is so short, Zach’s afraid that if he doesn’t do this climb now, he’s going to have to wait another year before he has the opportunity.”
“That’s the stupidest reason in the world to go on a climb like this! He’s not ready for it physically. And besides that, the weather isn’t very predictable…well…things can go wrong in the blink of an eye. Please. I really don’t want you to go.” Both her eyes and her voice were pleading with him.
“Me?” he asked gruffly.
Summer blushed. “Well, you and Zach. It’s too dangerous.” She walked up to him and placed one small hand on his arm. “Promise me you won’t go, that you’ll talk to Zach and convince him to postpone the climb. I know it will be another year before he can do it and he’s been planning this for a long time, but it’s just not safe for him.”
In the twenty years they had known one another, they had never touched, not even in the most casual of manners. The feel of her hand on him had Ethan teetering on the edge of control. He looked down at her hand and then to her face. Her dark eyes looked up at him filled with worry, and he slowly felt himself drowning in them. It was sensory overload and he wasn’t sure he’d be able to survive it.
“Summer,” he began carefully, “I know you’re worried. This is a little out of our usual scope of adventure, but your brother and I have trained really hard for this. I know that Zach isn’t in his usual top shape with his leg and all, but he’s managed to get a doctor’s approval and talked to the expedition company about it. The guides are fine with the medical reports and confident that the weather won’t be an issue. They’re the experts and we have to trust them. You should trust them too.”
“Even experienced climbers get lost or hurt or even killed on climbs like this,” she said somberly. “I’m begging you, Ethan, as a friend. Please reconsider.”
“Is that why you took off without telling anyone?” he asked. “So that Zach would have to come after you and you could make him postpone his trip?” He hated even asking the question but knew that he desperately needed her answer.
“No,” she said without hesitation. “I left because I couldn’t bear to watch the two of you leave. If anything happens…” She broke off as the first tear fell. “Dammit,” she muttered and turned away, but Ethan surprisingly turned her around and forced her to look up at him.
“Hey,” he said, holding her chin. “Nothing is going to happen. We’re going to go, we’re going to be ridiculously cold, and we’re going to feel like we’re standing on top of the world, take some pictures, and come home. When we get back, you’re going to wish we were away longer.”
Summer shook her head fiercely. “No. He shouldn’t be doing this, Ethan. Zach is going to hurt himself and possibly others because he’s not ready for something of this level. Don’t go on this climb. Please,” she cried.
Right now he wanted to give her exactly what she wanted; hell, he’d agree to anything if it meant she’d stop crying. “Summer.” Her name came out as a plea and before he could stop himself, he pulled her into his embrace. “Please don’t cry.”
“Then promise me you won’t go,” she cried into his shirt. “I’ve never asked anything of you, Ethan. Please. Please do this for me. If you don’t go, Zach won’t go, and I’ll know that you’re both safe.”
“I ca
n’t do that, princess,” he said softly, using the nickname he had always called her when they were kids. She looked up at him, her eyes shining. “Everything is set. We can’t back out because you think something might go wrong. There’s a chance that we could get hurt at any given time, Summer. We all take risks every day. There are no guarantees in this life. Sometimes, you have to take a risk.”
Summer continued to stare up at him as he spoke. Ethan’s right, she thought. There were no guarantees. She had taken many risks in her life, not like climbing one of the tallest mountains in the world, but to her, they were huge. Could she possibly do that again?
“Most people go through life too scared to take a risk,” he continued. “I don’t want to have any regrets and neither does Zach. We committed to this and we’re going to see it through. Tell me that you understand. Would you be able to live with yourself if you never took any risks?”
She seemed to instantly sober up. Her eyes became clearer, and she shifted against him. “You’re right, Ethan,” she said quietly. “Everyone needs to take risks.”
He nodded, seemingly happy that he had comforted her and that she finally seemed to come to accept what he and Zach were going to do. “Exactly. I’m glad you agree.”
“Oh, I do,” she said right before she stood up on her toes, wrapped her arms around Ethan’s neck, and pressed her lips to his. Summer felt a moment of panic when Ethan seemed to stiffen against her, but then in an instant, everything changed. His arms banded around her, pulling her as close as she could possibly get against him. He was warm and solid and everything she had ever imagined he would be.
In her wildest dreams, she had never imagined Ethan Reed kissing her like this. Summer had hoped to surprise him with her kiss and then have a perfectly pleasant experience to remember. But this? What was happening right now? Pleasant didn’t even begin to describe it. Ethan kissed her like his life depended on it. His tongue lightly traced her lower lip and when she dared to open up for him, he swept inside and completely took control. She may have whimpered; she may have moaned. All Summer knew at that moment was that never in her life had she been kissed like this, had never felt like this. Needy, anxious, and yes, completely and utterly turned on. Wow.
Everything in Ethan honed in on the woman in his arms. A man could only take so much temptation. Besides, Summer had kissed him first, so he felt like he wasn’t doing anything wrong. How could kissing her be wrong when everything about it felt so incredibly right? She fit perfectly in his arms; her lips felt incredibly soft against his. And the way her curvy little body fit against his? Well, perfect didn’t even begin to describe it.
Summer raked her fingers through Ethan’s dark hair, and before she could question what she was about to do, she did her best to pull him back toward the bed. If he was going to give an entire speech on the importance of taking risks, then he should be prepared to follow through. For too many years she had wanted to take this particular risk, but there had never been the time or the opportunity. It was as if heaven itself had dropped Ethan Reed in her lap today. All that was missing was a big red bow around him. She smiled at the image.
It didn’t take much prompting to get Ethan to move, and once the back of Summer’s legs hit the bed, Ethan gently guided her down until she was on her back. He was stretched out beside her and still he didn’t break the kiss. Oh my, she thought as his hands suddenly got in on the action. Gently, one large hand caressed her from knee to hip to rib cage to cheek. Summer wanted to push his hands a little back in the opposite direction. Luckily, Ethan seemed to read her mind and slowly, ever so slowly, he began the journey back down, until he cupped one breast in his hand and gently kneaded it.
At that point, he moved his mouth from hers and let it follow the path of his hand. Summer arched beside him, pushing herself further into his hand, and almost cried out when he replaced that hand with his mouth. His name came out on a sigh, and with just a little bit of twisting, she had him on top of her. The puppy let out a whine at being disturbed and jumped down to her makeshift bed on the floor.
Ethan could not believe his good fortune; having Summer wrapped so intimately around him was better than anything he had ever fantasized about. The feel of her curves beneath his hands, the softness of her skin, and the soft purrs of delight she made when he discovered new places to touch her had him ready to take things to a place he never thought he’d get the opportunity to go to.
Everything was perfect: her response to him, the way they fit together, the setting… Ethan couldn’t ask for more. A vibration in his pocket stopped him cold. At first he thought it was just his body’s response to Summer, but then he realized it was his phone, and he quickly jumped off her and rolled to the other side of the bed as he pulled the phone from his pocket and cursed.
Zach.
Dammit.
He was torn between what to do: answer the phone and completely kill the moment or ignore it and roll Summer back under him to finish what they started. “You better answer that,” she said softly at his side, and Ethan didn’t have to face her to know disappointment was written all over her face. With nothing else to do, he touched the screen and accepted the call.
“Yeah.”
“Well? Did you find her? I heard you took the jet. Is everything all right?”
“Everything is fine. Summer is fine. She’s here at a hot springs resort for the weekend.”
“Who’s the guy? Do I need to fly down there too?”
Ethan let out a mirthless laugh. “No, you don’t need to fly down here. She isn’t here with a guy.”
“What? But Gabriella said—”
“She said ‘guest.’ You and I just took that to mean a guy.”
“I don’t get it. Then who’s there with her?”
“Maylene,” he said as a small smile crossed his face with a glance at the tiny sleeping dog.
“Maylene? Who the hell is Maylene? She’s not…? I mean, Summer’s not…?”
“Relax, Zach. Maylene is her new puppy. A pug. Pretty damn cute, if you ask me.”
“Seriously? My sister got a dog?” Zach cursed. “She’s barely able to take care of herself and now she thinks she’s responsible enough to take care of a dog? A puppy, no less! With my luck, she’ll get tired of it and I’ll be stuck with the damn thing!”
“What the hell is the matter with you?” Ethan finally snapped. “I don’t know why you suddenly think all kinds of crap gets dumped in your lap and it all comes from your sister, but it’s bullshit!” Standing, Ethan strode from the tepee and away from Summer’s soft gasp of surprise. When he was a safe distance away, he spoke again. “Ever since she showed up here, you’ve had it out for her, and you’ve been blaming her for every little thing that’s gone wrong. You and I both know it’s not the case, so what is your problem?”
Zach was silent for a long moment. “First Gabriella argued with me and now you. And both times because of Summer. Tell me again how I’m wrong?”
Ethan wanted to growl with frustration. “Fine, in those two instances, yes, but all the rest? No way. Summer is very different from you, but that doesn’t make her the enemy. It’s time you stopped treating her like it.”
“She won’t settle on a career, she won’t settle into a place to live, she takes these ridiculous jobs and—”
“And what? She’s doing all of the things she always dreamed of? How is that different from the way you keep trying out all of these extreme sports? The way I see it, she may be going from job to job, and some of them seem a little out of the ordinary, but none of them are life-threatening like what you’re doing.”
“Whose side are you on?” Zach said with deadly calm.
“It’s not about sides, dammit, and I’m tired of having to choose one! The two of you are more alike than you realize. She’s the female version of you, only with less of a death wish! You need to back off a little bit and think about tha
t.”
“She’s a pain, Ethan. She’s trying to tell me not to go on this climb, and why? Because she thinks my leg isn’t strong enough! She even accused me of paying the doctor to give me the clearance letter. Is that logical to you?”
“So? You tell her every day not to do far less dangerous things—don’t join the gym unless it’s your gym, don’t go to the Chinese place on Fifth because you don’t like it, don’t buy a car unless you pick it out… Is that logical to you? You try to micromanage her entire life. She’s asking you not to do one thing—one thing!—and you’re acting as if she’s committing some sort of mortal sin. You may not believe it, but she is concerned about your well-being.”
Zach sighed. “I never thought of it that way. It’s just…she’s so young and to me she seems irresponsible. I mean, take today for instance: She just up and took off without telling anyone!”
“She removed herself from an upsetting environment. There’s a difference.”
“Why are you defending her so much?” Zach asked suspiciously. “You’ve never defended her like this.”
Crap. “I’m only playing mediator here,” he said, trying to sound diplomatic. “You’re my friend and she’s my friend, and I’m trying to make this difficult situation a little less…volatile. You need to have a clear head to go on this trip, and she needs to know you’re going to be okay.” Ethan looked over his shoulder and saw Summer standing in the makeshift doorway of the tepee. He smiled. He wanted to go to her, hold her, kiss her…but he needed to finish dealing with her brother first.
“I will. Nothing’s going to happen, right? I know there’s a slight possibility that my leg will give me problems, but I think I know my own body better than she does. I promise to sit and talk with her when we get back.”
“Good,” Ethan said with a sigh of relief.
“Speaking of which, when are you heading back?”
Meant for You Page 4
