Summer's Landing (A Loving Summer Standalone Novel Series): Loving Summer Spinoff (Loving Summer Series Book 9) by Kailin Gow Page B

know that whole Christian Grey bad boy BDSM thing. If he
wasn’t so handsome and so filthy rich, I wonder if women would find a guy like
him attractive?”
    “I
would just go for the BDSM thing,” Rachel said mischievously. “Done it, and
well, it’s not for everyone, but it is something I would try again.”
    I
looked over at Luis, who was almost at our table.
    Rachel
smiled and said, “The guy’s more surprising than you think.”
    “Look
who’s here?” Nat said, arriving to our table and coming over to me. “Drew.”
    I
had a hard time facing him. Looking into his eyes as though nothing’s
different.
    “Hi
Summer,” Drew said coming over to me. He was the Drew I knew who was friendly
and cordial to everyone. Not the Drew who would say my name with a hint of
affection and sometimes awe. “You look nice in that dress.”
    “Thank
you,” I said smiling, as I would to anyone who just complimented me.
    “Isn’t
it nice to see Nat back in town again?” Drew asked. “He travels a lot for work.
You must miss him.”
    I
nodded. “I do.”
    The
old Drew would’ve leaned in and whispered, “I can make you feel less lonely,
Summer. I could make you forget everything when you’re with me.”
    Instead,
this Drew said, “Better spend as much time as you can with him. That guy…he
can’t stop talking about you. Summer this. Summer that. You have him wrapped
all around your fingers, don’t you, Summer? It’s what you wanted since
childhood, and your crush on him.”
    I
thought this would be the time Drew started remembering about his childhood
crush on me, but he said, “I’ll be seeing you again, Summer. I have to go sit
down now. They’re serving the first course. Swallow tail nest soup.
Delicious.”  He walked away and sat down in the chair next to Luis and Nat.
    Rachel,
who sat next to Luis, and next to me, nudged me. “What did Drew say?”
    “He
said I should spend as much time with Nat as possible, and that Nat couldn’t
stop talking about me to him.”
    “Oh,”
Rachel said. “Still no memory of you with him.” She sounded disappointed.
    “Might
need something more drastic than just seeing me here,” I said.
    “Right,”
Rachel said, reaching down with her hand, underneath the table.
    Luis
suddenly looked over at Rachel, and turned to her. He leaned in and whispered
something in her ears. Rachel laughed and said, “Luis! That tickles.”
    “So,
Luis,” Nat said looking pointedly at Rachel. “How long have you and Rachel been
together? It came as a surprise you two were dating.”
    Rachel
was taking a sip of water, but started choking.
    Luis
took his linen napkin and reached over to gently wipe Rachel’s lips. “Are you
alright, Baby?” he asked her.
    “Um
hmmm,” Rachel nodded.
    “Good
Baby,” Luis took Rachel’s hand and started playing with it with his before
kissing her on the knuckles. “I don’t want anything to happen to you on my
watch, especially choking.” He laughed, and so did Rachel.
    “I’m
glad you’re taking good care of her and protecting her on your watch,” Nat
said. “Perhaps too good of a care?”
    “Oh
Nat,” Rachel said. “Luis and I hit it off right away. We found we shared a lot
in common, and well, now we’re together.”
    Rachel
turned to Luis and kissed him on his lips. Luis grabbed Rachel, and kissed her
back.
    Drew
and Nat looked at Luis skeptically as any older brother would when meeting
their baby sister’s boyfriend for the first time.
    “We
hope to be together for a long time like you and Summer,” Luis said to Nat.
    Nat
looked at me and smiled before reaching over to take my hand and kissing my
knuckles. It felt rehearsed. I smiled prettily going along with the ruse.
    Nat
moved closer and then wrapped his arms around me before kissing me fully on my
mouth. “Keeping a relationship strong this long, well, it takes a lot of loving
and pleasing,” he said, kissing me slowly and softly again. “It takes getting
know what pleases