Summer's Desire Vol. 1 (Complete)

Part 2: Chapter 11

Chapter 11

I wake to the sound of a husky voice. "Rise and shine, Sunny! Come on, sleepyhead, we have to get ready for school."

Without moving and without opening my eyes, I take a few seconds to assess everything.

I'm lying on Seth, plastered to him from head to toe, and I'm feeling hot all over. My face is resting on his hard chest, my left arm is at his waist, my right to his side. Both his arms are curled around me. Our legs are entangled.

I remember that I'm wearing a T-shirt and plain cotton panties. Conversely—given all the warm, chiseled areas that I'm touching—it's safe to say that he's only wearing his boxer shorts. It's also safe to say, judging by the impressive erection digging into my belly, that Seth is built to size all over.

Intellectually I know that his arousal has nothing to do with me personally, that it's just an instinctive morning reaction. But my traitorous body is impervious to the voice of reason. Instead, it is melting, burning, wanting. I barely stop myself from grinding against Seth.

Placing both my palms on his chest for support, I raise myself and meet his fathomless blue eyes. My mouth curves into its brightest smile.

"Good morning!" I almost chirp, I'm so happy.

What a view to which to wake up in the morning! I could almost believe he's an angel and I've died and gone to heaven—if it weren't for the fire blazing in his gaze. There's nothing angelic about his eyes. They're wicked, hot, and completely focused on me.

My breath catches in my throat. Could it be possible... that he wants me too? For an electrifying second, I let myself consider it... before reality comes crashing in and douses me with cold practicality. Really, how deluded can I get? Seth can never want someone like me. I'm so far below his league it's not even funny.

Yeah, I'm pretty enough, I guess; and as long as I don't lose more weight (and thus turn into a total bag of bones), I have an okay body. But I'm no great beauty by any means. Plus I'm a total geek. Whereas the girls he's reputed to go for are like Jessica—confident and sophisticated, with the look of a model: expensive haircut, perfect makeup, sexy clothes that showcase all their assets, high-heeled hundred-dollars shoes. Not a (currently) borderline scrawny girl who wears no makeup and puts her hair up in ugly buns. Who goes around wearing threadbare, overlarge clothes and cheap sneakers. A girl who's wearing granny panties in his bed, for crying out loud!

Fortunately, Seth chooses that moment to break into my increasingly hysterical musings. "You slept well, didn't you? You didn't wake up during the night." His voice is deep, and soothing to me in ways I could never even begin to describe.

My sleep last night wasn't just good, it was fabulous. The last time I slept so well was the last time I slept in Seth's arms, more than five years ago. Still, I tease him, "How do you know I didn't wake up?"

"I would've known if you had," he states confidently, and I believe him. He would have known if I'd had trouble sleeping. But that's a moot point since I always enjoy undisturbed sleep when I'm in his arms. He chases all my nightmares away—always has.

Overcome with gratitude, I need to share at least this much with him. "Last night was the first time since I came back to Rockford that I've slept through the night. Thank you." I raise myself on my arms and kiss him softly on the cheek. My lips tingle where they touch his skin.

I draw back and make to get off of him, but his arms tighten around me. I look at him and am surprised at the emotions flashing in his eyes. Anger, regret, pain. A need so deep it shakes me for I don't understand it, even as my entire body pulses in instinctive response.