Page 41 of My Summer Girl

His face darkens—a blush, I think. I reach up for his cheek, unable to actually touch it. He then touches mine in return. We keep magnetizing toward each other. I’m drawn to him and maybe it’s this Solera place, but finding ways to touch him seems easy.

“Hmm. Is this a Cupid thing? Gallivanting in areas where others can see you naked?” With his grumpy tone, I almost wonder if he’s jealous. But that’s absurd, right?

“Maybe.” I pout. “But I want to feel the sky cry for me and dance where its tears trace my skin. What’s wrong with that?”

He doesn’t make a noise, but his jaw tics. Hauling me over his shoulder, I pat his back. “Really! What are you doing?”

“Gotta go find you some rain. Make you happy.”

“Put me down!” I holler, squirming as he holds me by his flattened palm on my ass. He doesn’t grope or smack it, but part of me wants him to.

“Sassy little thing, you know that? You want to go get naked for all to see, and what am I supposed to do with that, hmm?” His voice is darker, possessive, wavering on desperate. “Maybe I want to protect you.”

“Why would you care? We’ve just met!” The exasperation in my tone has him pulling me back to my feet. His palm still nestles against me, but higher.

“I like to see you smile, little sweet. Makes your cute dimples show. I want to bite them.”

Heat flickers in his eyes as a blush rises up my throat and onto my cheeks. “I don’t know what to say.”

“Just say you’ll let me help you with your list, because seeing you smile makes me happy.”

First Vex offers, and now Raevar—a complete stranger. Who else do I add to my help-Dulce-have-a-successful-fuck-it list? Uncertainty fills me, but that’s the whole point of my list... to enjoy the summer and do as many things as I can.

“On two conditions,” I murmur, raising an eyebrow to seem more serious. He bites his lip as if he’s holding in his laughter, and while I want to bite him in response, I behave.

“Name your conditions,” he challenges me, crossing his arms over his chest.

“One, you have to promise to help me get home. Vex—even though you don’t know whom I speak of—is really important to me. They are probably super stressed that I’m gone and disappeared during our performance.”

Before he can interrupt and ask me what performance and other unnecessary questions, I gesture to my mouth and make a zipper motion.

“Two.” I hold up two fingers. “You have to accept my humanly list without being a butthead about it and help me find more monsterly items to add to it. Deal?”

He narrows his eyes, letting out a huff. “If you insist, little sweet. But know that you’re in Solera. The home of Mother Solera. She has many hidden secrets within her realm, and she’ll want you to explore them.”

“As ominous as that sounds,” I muse, wondering if he’s joking or just that dedicated, “I’m willing to go outside of my comfort zone because I’m literally desperate to try new things before my time is up.”

“You can stay here forever, you know. Summer never ends in Solera.”

“It does out there.” I point to the sky, not knowing which direction I’m indicating toward, exactly, but wanting to make a point.

“Whatever you say. If you want to head toward the castle to our one and only queen, it’s this way.” He grips my hand and lightly tugs toward the way he initially dragged me.

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THIS REALM IS DIFFERENT. It’s like it bleeds sunshine.

Raevar has explained some of their customs, that there’s a castle with a pretty queen he wants me to meet, and that there’s a summer event happening soon.

“A queen?” I prod after he finishes telling me her name. Nope. I’m definitely in the wrong realm. Even though we’ve already covered this information, this is just further confirmation.

He nods emphatically like that’s the simplest thing to understand.

“You see, queens aren’t normal in Cupid hierarchy.”

His eyes scan me from head to toe, determined to understand the differences in our customs. They’re browner than the brown earth beneath my feet.

“Then your realm must lack order. It doesn’t make sense to not have someone to rule.”

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