Summer Nights by Christin Lovell Page A

cared.
    A couple blocks away, I pulled over on
the side of the road, too jittery to continue. I called Stella. She
called 911 and met them at the scene. She talked me through
everything, kept me sane amidst the chaos. If it wasn’t for her, I
never would have filed charges against my father, and I would have
probably returned by now, hoping that the next family dinner would
end on a better note.
    Absently, I rubbed my wounds. They’d
removed three thick shards of glass that bit into my scalp; the
wound required forty-two stitches. I was lucky they were tucked
away beyond my hairline.
    Stella pulled my arm away from my head.
“Stop. I know most of them have dissolved, but still. I don’t need
you splitting something open in a foreign country. Plus, my Spanish
would probably have you in Labor & Delivery rather than the
ER.”
    I chuckled. “Yeah, it probably
would.”
    “You deserve happiness, Summer, even if
it’s just for a couple nights with a sexy Latin hunk.”
    “Alright. If he comes by, I’ll answer
the door,” I reluctantly conceded.
    “Uh huh. I’ll call you later for a
progress report.”
    I rolled my eyes. “Fine.”
    A knock sounded at the door. Stella
squealed silently, her hips shaking in her delight. She stopped for
a moment, primping herself, before opening the door.
    Ramon stood with a bountiful bouquet of
exotic flowers tightly grasped in one hand. He’d cleaned up too
having freshly showered and shaved. He even trimmed a good inch off
his mohawk. He was dressed in khaki cargo shorts that hung
perfectly on him and a white button up shirt with the sleeves
rolled up and the top buttons open; its thin fabric left little to
the imagination.
    Stella lit up at the sight of him. I
didn’t miss the twinkle in her eyes or her delicate gasp when she
noticed the flowers. She was smitten. Despite her earlier claim,
this was a man I could definitely see her flying the distance for
occasionally.
    I cheerfully waved them off,
encouraging them to have a good time. Stella reminded me to do the
same, winking as she strutted down the corridor on Ramon’s
arm.

Chapter 7
    I quickly showered and dressed. I was
just about to do my make-up when a knock sounded at the door. My
stomach fluttered about as I made my way towards it. I took a deep
breath, my hand shaking on the knob. Slowly, I opened the
door.
    Cruz stood in fresh camo cargo shorts,
an extra tight, black Lacoste polo shirt and crisp white sneakers.
What stood out though was the absence of his hair.
    “Uh, hi.” The words came out breathy,
my body warming at the sight of him.
    “Hola, mi
reina .” His eyes grazed up and down my
body.
    A wave of self-conscious discomfort
rolled through me. I slid further back behind the door.
    “Did you just join the
army?”
    He chuckled, his face lighting up.
“No.”
    I looked at his cargos again, then back
up to his freshly shaved head. Only a few centimeters of each hair
remained. Admittedly, with his unshaven face, he was too sexy for
words.
    We stared at each other. I knew I
looked like a deer caught in headlights. Stella had warned me of
his drop-in, but I’d imagined myself a bit more prepared before he
arrived.
    “Are you going to invite me in or am I
going to have to barge in on my own?”
    “Oh.” I glanced back at the space.
Stella’s bed was covered in clothes, her luggage still lying open
at the foot of it. Though mine was clean, it wasn’t the cleanliness
I was concerned about. Even as I stood there, I wanted to pull him
into me and kiss the breath out of him, but I resisted. I couldn’t
help but wonder if the door was my protector, and I was afraid to
find out.
    “Fine.” He slid past me into the room.
He closed the door and pressed my back against it, his mouth
eagerly seeking mine.
    His lips were strong in their assault,
his tongue skating beyond my lips to taste me. I sucked his tongue,
savoring his taste. He was a delicious entrée that I couldn’t get
enough of. He angled my head,