Page 58 of Collide
“She did.”
After our night out, it must have been pretty clear to Kayce that Summer wasn’t going home with him. That was why he decided to have his fun during pool. I couldn’t complain because my night ended with a kiss. Elementary or not, it was fucking electric.
Scanning the place, I spot Summer at one of the booths. She’s wearing those tight jeans that hug her ass, and her white top hangs off her shoulders. The ruffles along the neckline make her look like a fucking angel, and I have a strong urge to find a quiet corner where I can yank it down and have my mouth on her.
I snap out of the thought when I feel my blood rush to my groin, but I can’t quit looking at her. Having her inches from my lips and not kissing her that night heightened everything.
When Summer turns, looking as radiant as ever, her eyes meet mine and widen for a split second before she smiles then turns away. That surprises me because Summer’s been anything but nervous with me. Angry? Absolutely. Nervous? Never.
I excuse myself from the guys and head over to her, shaking my head. “That won’t work.”
Her eyes sweep over me. “What won’t work?”
“That smile.”
She crosses her arms “What’s wrong with a smile? It’s polite.”
“Not from you, and definitely not to me.”
She pulls her lip between her teeth to hide a smile. “Ah, so you like it when I’m rude to you?”
“Obviously.”
“Degradation kink?” She knocks a playful hand to my chest, and the touch zips through me, heading somewhere dangerously low.
“You’ll have to find out.”
She purses her lips. “Next time Kilner’s hocking a loogie, I’ll send him your way.”
“I’m cured.” I laugh. “This is incredible, by the way.”
Brown eyes sparkle. “Really? I can’t believe so many people showed. Last semester’s was a bust.”
“It’s all you. You need to start believing what you put out there matters.”
A blush tints her cheeks. “I’m glad you came.”
“Does this mean you forgive me?”
Her laugh fucks with something in my chest. “I forgave you the second you showed up at my door in your hockey gear.”
For my whole life the sound of my skates hitting the ice and the puck sliding into the net were the only things that brought me pure happiness. I was sure there would be no other sound or substance that could rival that feeling of euphoria. Except now, I feel like I’m an addict who got his first hit after years of sobriety. Summer’s light laughter fills my ears and drifts to a part of my brain that brands it to memory. Now, the thing that brings me peace, what I yearn for like a game-winning goal, is the sound of her laughter and the sight of her smile.
“Summer!” She turns to the volunteers beckoning her.
“I should check on them,” she says, glancing back.
A pang of disappointment hits, and I feel the urge to press her against my chest. It’s like the further she is from me, the more that string between us strains. My wish comes true when long, wavy hair twirls, and she lunges forward, tiptoeing to hook her arms around my neck. A rough sound of surprise escapes me, but I quickly recover and wrap my arms around her.
It’s a long hug, full of the smell of peaches and the feel of her perfect body pressed against mine. My arms tighten around her warm waist, and her breath hitches. Sooner than I hope, she pulls back an inch, lips so close to mine I can taste them. Her eyes draw me in with the force of an ocean wave.
“Save me a ride on the Ferris wheel?” she says.
The boyish excitement that surges through me is embarrassing. “Of course.”
19 | SUMMER
IS IT CHILDISH to feel excited over a carnival ride?
