Our Scorching Summer (Perks & Benefits #2)

by Kels Stone

For everyone with a hard exterior—it’s okay to let people in. Just because you have a tough outer shell doesn’t mean your insides aren’t gooey like a freshly baked cookie.

To all the lovers, Have you ever seen a heart run over by a semitruck? Neither had I until tonight. But there’s no point in letting some tire tracks veer me off my path.

1. No falling in love. Feelings make you weak. Stop showing those pesky inconveniences to someone who’s seen you naked.

2. Break their heart before they break yours. You don’t need a college degree to make sense of that one.

3. And most importantly, never give him head. He doesn’t deserve it.

Are my morals worth twenty dollars?

After getting all six feet of him into the recovery position, I spent the next five minutes debating how I’d plead in a court of law: Sorry, Your Honor, my pussy is so good, it kills men. Or what exactly I’d tell the paramedics if I were to call an ambulance: One minute he was in, and the next, well, you see.

“Well, dear, I know I don’t have to tell you, but being disappointed by men, especially ones who believe they’re smarter than you, is the unfortunate part of being a woman.”

How can someone abandon their life to play pretend in some fantasy world?

……this sounds like foreshadowing

“But if I can give you one piece of advice—if you ever settle down, find someone who puts you first. Or, at the very least, supports your dreams as much as their own.”

“Yeah, Eve, not going to happen.” “You never know.” A jovial singsong returns to her voice. “Oh, I know.”

Do you Lily?

Why else would my best friend’s soon-to-be brother-in-law show up at my bar? At seven o’clock on a Wednesday night?

Women frequently describe him as dreamy, drop-dead gorgeous, and irresistible. I’d be a fool to disagree.

The Navarro brothers share the same straight nose, full, bottom-heavy lips, and curly, chestnut-colored hair. Where Nico’s older brother, Luca, is the reincarnation of a Roman warrior with a stern stare only my best friend, Avery, can melt off his face, Nico doesn’t have a trace of grouchiness in his features. Instead, his mouth sits in a permanent toothy smile.

The words playful and nonchalant must’ve been assigned to him at birth for I’ve never heard a trace of seriousness in his voice in the time I’ve known him.

He has the kind of coveted appearance that makes it hard to tell whether he just rolled out of bed or if he spent hours fussing in the mirror. We’ve spent enough time together for me to know it’s the former. He’s generously handsome.

“How have you been, princesa?” He tips his head forward, and a loose curl tumbles onto his forehead. The nickname ripples the nerves up my neck. Princesa.

I earned that one during the first weekend we spent at Luca and Avery’s beach house in Montauk. Despite the teasing insinuation that I’m high-maintenance, I kind of like i...

I’m still a woman with eyes, and it’s as plain as day that there’s undeniable chemistry crackling around us like a hair dryer tossed in a full bath. Dangerous, maybe even deadly.

Nico is no stranger to the Mademoiselle’s trivia nights from the times he visited his brother in the city, but he’s never come to the bar alone. Come to think of it, we haven’t been alone in each other’s company before.

After having a guy faint inside of me, failing one of my classes, and getting fired, maybe I could use a little something to take the edge off. It’s what friends are for, right?

Seducing someone I want is second nature, but resisting them is absolute torture.

“Running away from my problems isn’t going to magically resolve them.” “Maybe not, but a little breathing room never hurt anyone. Think about it.”

Droplets of time collapse around us like the dusting of spring rain. We watch each other, peering through a silent stretch as if we’re both looking for something. Something we can’t have.

I use my palms to press off the bar, and just as my feet hit the ground, I stumble into Nico’s firm frame. “Oh.” One of his tattooed arms wraps around my waist, steadying me. “I got you.”

My face unglues from his chest, and I look up into his darkened gaze, thoughts racing between Get away from him and Why the fuck is there a storm of butterflies in my chest?

“I slipped,” I choke out through a small, drunken giggle. “Gotta be honest, I’ve missed that little laugh of yours.” Nico’s grip on me doesn’t loosen, and we stand pressed together for...

Nico grins down at me as though he can transcribe each of my thoughts. Is his mind racing the way mine is? Is he aware that a brief tip of his head forward or a slight rise on my tiptoes would cause our lips to touch?

“We already agreed that we shouldn’t.” His eyes track from my mouth to my gaze and back. “I know.” But as we break away, it’s hard to remember why.

Are we really at the age where my best friend is old enough to get married?

Yup

The love they share is its own language of wordless gazes and touches that linger longer than time allows. Every moment of yearning makes you want to drink it in.

But even pure emotions easily spoil when someone takes advantage of a feeling as selfless as love. Which is precisely why I keep my little stories tucked safely between the pages of my books.

“Do you believe you’ll ever fall in love?” Nico strips off his tuxedo jacket and throws it on a nearby chair. “I doubt I’ll ever be able to slow down for someone.” “Love’s not a race.” I take a sip of my champagne and look over at him. “I don’t think anyone who finds it tries to run away from home.”

“Mijo. ¿Por qué no puedes buscar una novia linda? Y que sea simpática. ¡Como ella!”

“I told my son he should date someone nice like you. Especially if you can keep him in check when he goes radio silent while he’s traveling.” “Oh, no, no.” I shake my head. “We’re definitely just friends.” I’m also definitely not one to take responsibility for a man. That’s not my job anymore.

There’s not a single person, animal, alien, or living thing that can deny it: Lily Rodin is absolutely fucking gorgeous.

I can’t figure out what happens to me when I see her. My heart’s rhythm becomes languid in my chest, each beat thudding slowly, and my throat dries.

The first time I met Lily two years ago, she spent half the night teasing me and the other half gushing about some guy. There was no denying that I wanted her, even if only for the sake of quenching an urge. However, according to my brother, life isn’t a bowl of cherries. Whatever the fuck that means.

Apparently, Lily and I were flirting the moment we laid eyes on each other. The familiar rush of rebellion had kicked in after Luca’s chat. I’d wanted to haul Lily to any room with a bed and make her moan my name like a prayer just to spite him.

Rodin and I are friends. Just friends. It’s not worth fucking up a good thing.

Sure…

“Beautiful,” I say. Lily turns, and her green eyes find their way to mine. Those heart-shaped red lips pull into a gorgeous smile. Fucking hell, she somehow gets prettier every time I see her up close. She glances back toward the ocean when I join her. “It is.” “I meant you.” The fire crackles.

“Truthfully, I don’t think I’ll ever have something like my brother and parents do. I’m not cut from the same cloth, y’know? They all talk of compromise like it’s some kind of otherworldly experience, but to me, it’s like surrendering myself.”

Felt

“And that’s why I like you, Nico—” “You like me, huh?” That earns me a push with her shoulder. “It’s because you’re honest with what you want and what you can or can’t have.”

If I were being honest, I’d tell her how much I want her and how annoyed I am...

“Reminds me, have you decided if you’re ready to take a risk this summer?” Lily blinks at me. “What risk?” “Extra plane ticket. Brazil. The summer of your life.” Sure, it’s a long shot that she’d ever agree to go with me, and maybe exchanging my first class ticket for two economy seats on a whim after visiting...

We’re inches from touching. A gust of wind would cause her to tumble into me—if the elements decided to play favorites.

“But you should take some kind of break. If I remember correctly, summer looks really good on you.” “Only summer?” I chuckle. “You, Lily, are the muse behind every season.”

There’s also the undiscovered possibility of what such close proximity could lead us to discover about each other.

Hey, universe. You’re obviously running through the motions here, and I already have everything I want, but if this isn’t entirely bogus, maybe cut Lily some slack? Okay. Thanks.

“I suppose I could find use for a servant.” Lily doesn’t pull away. Instead, she drops her arms and leans into me. The cool silk of her dress glides over my skin. Her breasts press against me, sending a rush of blood below my belt. “For you, princesa, I’d be on my knees, eternally at your service.”