Page 14 of My Summer Fling

Me:I am, but I can’t remember the time. Just got in from the Myrtle Beach wedding. Can you remind me of the time so I don’t have to face the wrath of your sister?

“Mr. Harding!” I turn and look over to the front desk where a man wearing a suit and tie is calling my name.

“Yes?” I ask, making my way over to him.

“Sir,” he begins, patting his sweaty forehead with a handkerchief. “We’ve had a mix up. A very grave mix up.” He looks over at the younger kid standing next to him.

“What’s wrong?” I ask them, genuinely confused how anything this kid has done could involve me.

“We’ve overbooked the entire hotel. It seems it wasmaybea system error and not a human error—but that is yet to be known for sure. Anyway, sir, we double booked the room you’ve been staying in. And while you were gone these past few days, it appears we’ve checked someone else into your room.”

“Shit.” It comes out before I even realize it. I’m not sure where else I can stay. When I looked, there was absolutely nothing else on the island, and I refuse to stay any farther away from Millie.

“Shit, indeed,” he almost growls, looking back over to the cowering kid at his side.

I’m about to protest, because there must be a way we can work this out so I don’t have to find somewhere else to stay—but then my phone dings.

Teddy:Lol, 6:00 dude. Her house. Remember, it’s the decorator and the rental company for all the tables and chairs and shit we’ll need. She’s going to have her hands full.

I shoot back a quick text telling him I’ll be there. But, little does he know, I plan to stay there. Millie can’t shut me out if I’m under the same roof as her.

“It’s all good, man,” I say, smiling down at my phone as I thank Teddy for the info. “I have somewhere else I can stay. Thanks!”

“Of course! Again, I am so very sorry."

I can’t wait to see the look Millie gives me when I show up at her place, bags in hand, intending to stay with her for the rest of the summer. She can’t avoid me if I’m under the safe roof as her.

Millie’s place is just down the road, so within a few minutes, I’m pulling into her driveway at the back of her house. I carry all my shit around to the front porch and find Annie sitting on the steps. When she sees me, her ears immediately perk up, and she comes running to greet me.

“Annie?” I hear Millie call from inside. “Where are you running off to?”

When she opens to the door and sees me standing there with my suitcase and duffel bag, her face pales.

“What are you doing here?” she asks, her tone a bit worried. “And with all that…stuff.” She gestures toward me.

I carry all my stuff up the stairs and set everything down while Annie reprises her role of friendly watch dog on the steps. I step right up in Millie’s space and breathe her in while my fingers run through her wavy hair. God, I missed the scent of her.

“Well, someone has been avoiding me. And when Teddy texted me and told me that you had a meeting about wedding stuff this evening, I thought I should come confront you and call you a brat.” I smirk down at her hardened expression. There’s a lot of emotions swirling through those stormy-blue eyes, and I wonder which one she’ll land on.

“You don’t get to just show up here without any warning, Noah.”

Ah, anger.

“Too late, Spitfire.” I kiss her forehead and pick up my bags. “I’m also going to be crashing on your couch for the rest of the summer if that’s all right with you,” I call over my shoulder as I push through the door and drop my stuff in the living room.

“Excuse me?” she asks as she comes storming in behind me.

Fuck, her sassy attitude really gets me going.

“Oh, do you want me to sleep with you instead? I’d be happy to, baby girl.”

I start to carry my stuff back to her room, but she catches up to me, stepping in front of me and halting my progress. Her breathing is labored, and her face is flushed red with annoyance.

“You are sonotstaying with me for the rest of the summer.”

“Millie,” I half sigh and half groan. So stubborn. “The hotel had a system error. The entire place is overbooked. And while I was checked out for the few days I was in Myrtle Beach, someone else checked in. I don’t have anywhere else to go.”

“There will be plenty of hotels on the mainland.”

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