My hackles rose, imagining the woman I spent the night with going out with some smug doctor who wore too-tight scrubs and had dimples. Was he the type of guy who tried to buy her affection by taking her out on his yacht, or flying her to Paris for a long weekend? Was she the type of woman who would swoon over material things like that?
I stared at my knight, pinned between Cam’s rook and a pawn, wondering what I had to offer a woman who had a doctor after her. Summer didn’t seem to be the kind of person only looking for a quick release—not after the horror story I’d heard about the ex—but what did I really know?
“No, she didn’t mention any doctor.” My jaw clenched as I focused on my breathing, curiously dreading if he’d say more. First traveling and now other guys?
I didn’t want to let on how much that sentence bothered me, so I vented my frustration with a few colorful words as my knight was captured and moved to the growing number of black pieces resting beside Cam.
“Yeah. I guess they met for coffee or something. Not that I got much more than a butt-out from Summer.”
I shook my head, letting the tension in my chest fade with his lighthearted remark.
“Still, though. He’s a doctor. Like I said, you always want more for your kids than you had. With her ex still sniffing around after her inheritance and self-respect, thinking he has aright to any part of her life, it’s nice to know she has a chance to find someone better.”
Someone better.
His words grated on my soul like nails on a chalkboard, and I closed my eyes, dropping my head to my chest and no longer giving two shits about our game. Even if I wasn’t losing spectacularly, it wouldn’t have made a difference. I couldn’t tell if he honestly thought I wasn’t good enough for Summer or was just making conversation while we waited. Neither option made me feel good, and when he said checkmate, I gladly laid down my king and stood, adjusting my tie and wondering if the top button was necessary.
“Good game, son. Next time, we’ll go over strategy.”
“Strategy?” I said, hoping my scoff wasn’t as loud as it sounded in my ears. “Wouldn’t you rather assist the doctor with his chess strategy?”
Cam chuckled as he reset the board, then stood and stepped toward me. I towered over him, but the fire reflecting in his eyes made me feel six centimeters tall. “Oh, you’ve got it bad, don’t you? I think the doctor does as well, so be prepared for a little healthy competition.”
My eyes jerked from a scuff on my shoe I couldn’t buff out to Cam, not able to pick up what he was throwing my way, while wondering if there was a kernel of truth within his baited comment.
“I’m not lying about the doctor. But I also know my daughter is one hell of a woman. If she chooses you, you better be damn sure you deserve her.”
This conversation—fuck—this entire situation had gone from a half-formed idea when I’d been sex-drunk, to me questioning the very fundamentals of my personality. Summer Winston had crashed into my life, stronger than the fiercest hurricane, andwith every passing second, it became clearer that I wanted to be swept up in her storm.
I swallowed, opening my mouth to say something marginally intelligent to Cam, when the soft click of heels on hardwood stole my breath.
A vision.
There were no other words to describe Summer as she walked down the stairs and turned toward us. Her navy dress clung to her curves and nipped at her waist, amplifying her figure. Shoes had never really been on my radar. Sure, heels looked good, and those strappy things some women wore in the summer made me give them a second glance, but nothing could have prepared me for the way Summer’s legs looked in her heels.
I allowed myself a moment of self-indulgent lust as my eyes traced her slender calves to her knees and onward past her curvy thighs, remembering how they’d felt wrapped around my waist. I gulped, my mouth suddenly dry, as she tilted her head and smiled, looking at me from under her lashes.
Dinner at a frou-frou fancy French restaurant now seemed like the dumbest idea I’d ever had. Right along with diving headfirst into the shallow end of a pool and going cave diving with aggressive sharks.
But this wasn’t the type of dress that should be hidden away as I canceled our reservation and hightailed it back to my house with the sole purpose of getting her in my bed. No, this was a dress for the world to savor. She deserved to be taken out and shown off. To drink fancy wine and eat food we couldn’t pronounce before strolling down Market Street toward the Cooper River. We’d stop at a hole-in-the-wall bar with high-top tables, and she’d sip a martini while I drank Scotch with one giant ice cube.
Then, when the streetlights burned low, and the only sound on the cobblestone walkway was our shoes, I’d lean close andwhisper in her ear, asking if she was ready for our night to end. Depending on her answer, I’d—
“What are you two talking about down here?” Summer asked, propping a hand on her hip.
“Nothing, sweetheart. Just beating another member of the Hansen family at chess.”
“Oh, is that all? Well, I sure am glad you taught me modesty, because you seem pretty smug from where I’m standing.” Summer’s smile lit up her face as she turned to me and winked before striding past the both of us and grabbing a small purse from the end table by the couch.
Picking my jaw up from the floor and willing my libido down, I followed, reaching out to clasp her hand. She stilled as my thumb traced over her pulse point. I desperately wanted to tug her close and press a kiss to the inside of her wrist, but I abstained, not wanting to piss off Cam.
“You’re beautiful,” I croaked, my voice cracking like a twelve-year-old boy.
“Oh, thank you. I hope we’re not walking too far tonight. It’s been a while since I’ve worn heels this high.”
I glanced at her shoes again, then back to her face, realizing how the smoky color of her makeup brought out her eyes. I’d noticed they were brown, but I hadn’t noticed the flecks of honey auburn within them, making each one look like a miniature galaxy.
Smiling, I gave her hand a squeeze, then released it gently. “I was thinking we’d take a walk after dinner. Why don’t you grab a pair of sneakers and we’ll bring them along, just in case?”
