“Fifteen. But I’m not going—”

The rest of my sentence was swallowed into a kiss as Hunter planted his mouth over mine. Perhaps it was third time’s a charm, or perhaps I was aware that the elevator ride wouldn’t last very long and subconsciously didn’t want to waste even a second, but I didn’t bother to try to fight it. I opened for him, and my body melted into his the minute his eager tongue found mine. The electricity that had been zapping between us since the very first kiss ignited like a two-hundred-and-twenty-volt switch had been flipped on. Hunter gripped my wrists and held them behind my back, which only made my need to touch him even more desperate.

When the kiss broke, I was confused. My heart raced, my breaths were ragged and uneven, and the elevator doors I’d watched close were now open again. Apparently we’d risen fifteen floors, and I hadn’t felt a thing. Hunter knelt and picked his cell up from the floor. I’d dropped it without even realizing. That seemed to be a common thing when he kissed me—my ability to focus on anything other than the kiss disappeared.

He held out his phone and cleared his throat, although his voice was still hoarse when he spoke. “If you want me to be a gentleman and stay on this elevator, put your number in. Otherwise, we’re going to your room until you give it up.”

I collected myself and nodded, still unable to find my voice. Before that kiss, I’d had every intention of giving Hunter my phone number. What was the harm? He lived three-thousand miles away, and I was reasonably assured he wasn’t a serial killer. Plus, we now had an annual gift to coordinate for our sweet Caroline. But my still-racing heart reminded me that this was a man I should minimize contact with. There was no specific reason, yet I knew it was the right thing to do. It was like when someone throws a punch and you instinctively raise your hands to protect your face. Hunter’s kiss sent my body into self-protective mode. Smiling up at him and taking in his handsome face one last time, I punched seven digits into his phone and offered it back.

“You sure it’s the right number this time?”

I lied. “Yes.” Then I practically ran out of the elevator. “Goodnight, Hunter. Happy birthday. Take care of yourself.”

Chapter 10

Hunter

12 years ago

Nine hours on a bus that smells like urine. Happy birthday to me.

The last time I made the trip from Berkeley to UCLA, I’d been fucking miserable. The air conditioning had been crap during one of the worst heat waves to hit southern California in a decade. A month later, summer’s heat had cooled into fall, so at least the temperature wasn’t making the already bad smell into pungent hot piss. Still, next time I needed to get to the terminal earlier so I didn’t get stuck sitting next to the nasty bathroom.

The only good thing about this trip was that the seat next to me was empty. And I’d fully taken advantage, spreading my charcoal pencils and sketchpads all over the place. I was shading the angles of a drawing due Monday for my structural design class when my phone buzzed in my pocket. I smiled before even digging it out, knowing it was her.

The season might have cooled, but things were just getting heated with my very own Summer. After spending hours in the fountain together the afternoon we met, she’d had to take off—her parents were picking her up for a weekend back down in San Diego where they lived. We’d exchanged numbers, and I’d wound up texting her at two in the morning that night after having a few too many beers with my brother and his friends. Even my drunken texts that rambled on about how gorgeous she was didn’t scare her away. Over the next six weeks, we texted or talked a few times a day, yapping about all sorts of shit that I didn’t normally talk about. But recently, as my visit neared, our texts had taken a hot and heavy turn. We’d gone from talking about her stepfather being an asshole, my mom’s death, and our plans for the future, to what we wanted to do to each other when we were together again.

I typed in my password, and her new text popped up.

Summer: Truth or dare?

I smiled. Considering I was sitting on a bus, there wasn’t much of a choice. Plus, it seemed to be our thing. I always picked truth. Summer always picked dare.

Hunter: Truth.

Summer: Hmm…. Okay. Let me think of something good.

A few minutes later another text arrived.

Summer: What’s the grossest thing you’ve ever done with a girl?

I knew the answer without even needing to ponder, although I wasn’t sure she’d like to hear it. I typed back.

Hunter: Are you sure you want the truth on this one? What if it grosses you out?

Summer: Now I’m totally intrigued and need to know…

I chuckled. Okay, you asked for it.

Hunter: I sucked a girl’s toes once. I should add that she’d just gotten out of the shower, so they were clean.

Summer: Is that something you’re into?

Hunter: Not at all.

Summer: You just wanted to try it?

Hunter: No. She asked me to.

Summer: Hmmm…

What did that mean? Hmmm...

Hunter: Did I gross you out?

Summer: Not at all. Just the opposite. I think it’s sexy that you’ll do something you aren’t into just to please your partner.

I wanted to demonstrate my dedication to pleasing her in the worst way.

Hunter: Your turn. Truth or Dare?

She typed back immediately.

Summer: Dare.

I knew what I wanted. Hell, I had a stiff one growing in my pants from just the thought of what I wanted to dare her to do. But I didn’t want to be a dick and type send me a skin shot. So I went light, tossing the ball in her corner.

Hunter: Send me a sexy pic.

My phone went quiet after that for a good ten minutes. I’d started to get concerned that I might’ve upset her when it buzzed again.

Summer: Use your hands to shield your phone so no creepers on the bus see over your shoulder.

Fuck yeah.

A few seconds later, a picture flashed on my screen. Summer was completely naked, even if I didn’t get a full look at everything. She was kneeling to the side with her legs closed and had one arm positioned across her chest so it covered almost both her breasts, except she’d left her pointer and middle finger spread wide so her left nipple was on full display. As if that wasn’t the sexiest thing I’d ever seen, the face she made was the frosting on the cake. Her head was tilted down in a shy way, but her lips were parted in a pout as she looked up at the camera from under her thick lashes.

Fuck. She was every guy’s wet dream. Open, free spirited, face like an angel, and body like the devil. I stared at the picture so long, I hadn’t realized how much time went by until Summer texted again.

Summer: Say something. Was that too much? What are you sitting there thinking?

Hunter: You want the truth?

Summer: Of course.

Hunter: You’re fucking gorgeous. I’m wondering if I should slip into the piss-smelling bus bathroom to jerk off now or try to hang on until I get to my brother’s place.

Summer: LOL. Happy birthday, Hunter. Can’t wait to say it in person.

She probably thought I was kidding. I took a deep whiff in. God, this bus reeked. Jayce’s room, it is. Sorry, big bro. Which reminded me…Summer and I had talked about spending time together this weekend, but we hadn’t made any specific plans, and my brother wanted me to go to some party to meet a girl he was head over heels for.

Hunter: What are you doing tonight? My brother wants to take me to a party at one of his frat brother’s houses. Want to come along?

Summer: Hmmm. I promised a friend I’d stop by a party, too. It’s off campus. How about we each go make our appearances and meet up afterward back at the dorms?

Getting two parties over with at the same time so we could be alone sounded like a damn good plan to me.

Hunter: I’ll text you when I can escape.

Summer: Can’t wait to see you.

I spent the last hour of my bus ride memorizing every detail of Summer’s body as I stared at the picture she’d sent. There was something special about this girl—and it wasn’t just that she was better than a pinup. I even wanted Jayce to meet her, something I’d never given a shit about before. Neither one of us had ever brought a girl home to meet Mom. That thought made my heart heavy, knowing it would never happen now. But for some reason, Summer was different. We’d only spent four hours together in person, though we’d been talking for over a month. Yet I wanted her to meet the only real family I had left. Jayce would like her—hell, we had similar taste in girls.

Chapter 11

Natalia

Since I’d returned from California, I’d missed three Sunday night dinners at my mother’s house, and now I was late for a fourth because our train hadn’t budged in fifteen minutes.

“Why don’t we just take your car, or better yet, an Uber, out to Howard Beach like we always did when Dad came?”