Summer fumbled to clasp her bra, and I kept a steadying hand on her waist, shielding her body from view. Addison stood directly in front of Summer, providing an additional shield against prying eyes, and I was grateful she at least understood the need to minimize the embarrassment.
Of all places, why did I choose a fucking parking lot to kiss her? Now, my brothers would be relentless with unwanted advice, and Summer would suffer comments and questions she shouldn’t have to answer.
“You good, babe?” Addison reached out and touched Summer’s shoulder as she adjusted her shirt, tugging it the rest of the way down before turning.
Even in the dark lot, I could see her heated cheeks and the blossom of a bruise on her neck. Selfishly, my inner caveman growled in triumph that I’d left her so disheveled.
Summer nodded to Addison, then slowly raised her head to gaze at me, drawing her bottom lip between her teeth. I smirked, dropping my hand from hers and placing it on her waist so we could turn to my brother and face the music.
“Yeah, Addy. I’m great,” she answered before putting one hand over her mouth and burying her face into my chest.
“Oh, I’m sure you’re more than great right about now. Unless we interrupted you a minute too soon,” Jenna said as Mark tilted his head, thankfully staying silent.
Fuck.My dick ached, but I could handle that later. It was Summer that concerned me. Her body trembled in my arms, but with the damn barrier of our clothes, and without my fingers between her legs, I wasn’t sure she’d finished. If I was uncomfortable, she would have to be downright irritated.
“We didn’t mean to interrupt,” Addison exclaimed, waving her hand. “But you’d been gone for a hot minute, and we didn’t want you to leave without making sure you were fine and giving you back your purse.”
“Thanks for looking out for me,” she said, turning her head so it still rested on my chest.
“You got it, babe.” She handed Summer her purse and waved, walking back to Simon, who stood further away with Magnum and Miller.
“We’re going to take off too,” Mark said, rubbing the back of his neck and trying to burn a hole in my forehead with the strength of his scowl.
Jenna stepped closer and Summer pulled away to give her a hug. Jenna whispered something in her ear that made Summer giggle. The sound of her laughter made me want to ensure she did it every day.
“I’ll text you tomorrow,” Jenna said, reaching out to grab Mark’s hand.
“Sounds good. Thanks again for the invite.” Summer stepped to the left, putting distance between us, but I wasn’t having that.
I moved behind her, wrapping my arms around her waist. When she didn’t pull back, and instead, rested her head on my chest, I closed my eyes and breathed deep.
“Anytime.”
Summer waved goodbye then opened her purse, taking out her keys and unlocking her car. I opened the driver’s side door for her as she turned, tossing her purse on the seat and then resting her hands on my chest.
“Where does this leave us?” she whispered, making me lean down to hear.
“Where do you want it to leave us?” I said, flipping the question around to save myself from pathetically begging to be near her.
“I—I don’t know, Maverick. When we talk, we argue. I’m barely divorced and you—” She paused, closed her eyes, and reached forward, placing her hand on my cheek.
I leaned into her touch, nuzzling her hand while I waited for the inevitable rejection.
“For as well as this works between us, you love your wife.”
I sucked in a lungful of air, biting the inside of my cheek until I tasted blood. What could I say to that? I wanted to stay faithful to her memory, but the feelings that had cropped up over these last weeks were now impossible to ignore.
“I could never come between something like that.” Her chin dropped to her chest, and she stepped around me, putting the open car door between us.
“So that’s it?” I said, scrubbing a hand over my face. “You don’t know anything about me, Summer, and you shouldn’t try to understand something that doesn’t concern you.”
“Listen—” she said, placing one hand over mine and rubbing her thumb along my palm. Her touch was electric, but a thrum of anger burst open in my chest with her words.
How dare she use Autumn as an excuse.
How dare she act like she knowsanythingabout my past.
How dare she meddle in things that were none of her business.
