Break Me (The Summer Series) (7 page)

Seven

There was faint music in the
background and laughter filling the public beach as the girls approached. Gemma
couldn’t believe how antsy and thrilled she was to be seeing Abe, but as she
noticed him hurrying toward her from the distance, she knew she couldn’t deny
that it was exactly how she felt. “There’s my girl.” Abe laughed as he swept
Gemma up into a hug. She honestly hadn’t realized how much she would miss him. Her
quick trip shopping with Kate had turned into a daylong event, and by the time
they made it home, she was too exhausted to sneak out and see him. Being the
perfect gentleman, he didn’t complain at all. A part of her had hoped he might.
That slumber party he had alluded to before was becoming more and more
tempting.

“Yeah, yeah.” Kate rolled her eyes playfully. “Just
point me to anyone single and I’ll catch you all later.”

“Try Carter. He was dumped at the end of the
school year. He’s good and desperate.”

“Gee, thanks for the compliment.” Kate put her
hands on her hips and squared off with Abe.

“Well, it didn’t sound like you were looking
for a love connection.” Abe snorted.

Puckering her lips to the side, Kate thought
for a second. “Good point. Desperate is perfect. See you love birds later.”

“Want a drink or anything?” He pulled Gemma in
and put his lips to the spot where her neck met her shoulder. Everything in her
turned to Jell-O, and she reached her arms around his neck to keep from
collapsing.

“No.” She leaned her head to the side, allowing
him more access to her sensitive neck. “I think I need to keep my wits about me
tonight.”

“Probably a good idea. I guess I’ll do the same.”

“You’re welcome to drink. I trust you.” As soon
as the words left her lips, he tensed around her. They both knew what those
words meant. They knew what was held behind them. It mattered more than either
of them would admit that she trusted him completely.

“Come on.” He leaned forward and whispered in
her ear, “I want to dance with you . . . finally.” He stepped around her and
pulled her forward as he walked backwards and toward a group of dancers. “I had
to watch you from a distance the last time we were at one of these. I
need
to have you in my arms this time.” She shyly smiled up at him, remembering
feeling the exact same way.

“Sounds perfect.” She almost whispered the
words. Speaking with volume would require her to have a breath, and due to
their proximity and the intensity in his eyes, a breath just wasn’t currently
an option.

When he pulled her into his arms, she felt
every ridge of every muscle. The want in her was reaching levels she had never
experienced before, and now that no part of her was holding back, her
anticipation only grew for what was to come. She laid her head on his chest and
closed her eyes, loving that smell that only he had perfected. The music
transitioned to a faster song, and she knew she should logically pull away. Since
he wasn’t releasing her either, she embraced the extended moment they were
creating and let out a satisfied sigh. As she did, she heard him clear his
throat and pull his pelvis away from hers. She smirked at the power a simple
sigh had over him and kept her head down so he wouldn’t see how much she
enjoyed it.

“Cops,” someone yelled in the distance.

Abe grabbed her hand and started pulling her
toward the area of the beach that held most of the cars. “Did you drive?” He
asked her, looking over his shoulder.

“No.” She looked up at him nervously. “We
walked. Where’s Kate?” Gemma looked around frantically.

“Gemma,” Kate yelled from the side of a big
truck, “hurry your butt up. Emily and Ryan are going to give us a ride.”

Abe shrugged at her and ran toward the waiting
vehicle. Just then, thunder clapped in the air, scaring Gemma and making her
scream. “You okay,” he asked as they neared their waiting friends.

“Yeah, just anxious. It’s no big deal,” she
replied as she shivered in fear.

“You two jump in the bed. We’re out of room in
the cab.” Ryan yelled as he tossed a couple of blankets in the back for them to
sit on and under. It wasn’t cold, but the approaching rain had them all a
little nervous. “We’re going to the private beach. Since you called in sick,
I’m assuming it’s unguarded?”

“Yeah, just go over near Pete’s. No one ever
checks there.”

Gemma looked over at him with accusing eyes. “You
mean there is somewhere I could have gone and gotten away with it?”

“Shh.” He rubbed her back. “The anxiety has you
hearing things.”

“You jerk.” She laughed.

“A jerk who earned many nights of your
company.”

“Yes, yes, you did.” She smiled at him and
loved the spark she saw in his brown eyes. Ryan started the truck and peeled
out as he left the public lot.

Flying faster than was safe down the highway,
they headed back toward the beach and the condo community where Gemma was
staying. Just as they neared their exit, thunder rolled in the distance,
causing Gemma to jump and bump into the side of Abe, who had somehow landed in
the spot beside her instead of across the bed. Her vow of patience and plan for
testing him, as well as her sanity, were getting called more and more into
question with every brush of his arm and smirk from those full, all-too-inviting
lips. When the first drop of rain fell, it hit her bare shoulder. Smiling, she
leaned her head back and welcomed the onslaught of drops that picked up in pace
until it was a downpour. It wasn’t a hard rain that would make riding in the
back of the truck miserable. It was the soft kind. The welcoming kind. This
rain was the reason people danced and sang. This rain was what first kisses
were made for, and with that dangerous thought, Gemma crawled to the middle of
the truck’s bed. Using the back window for support, she raised herself up on
her knees and welcomed the downpour and the second it took to put some space
between her and the man who would steal not only a first kiss but her heart. Pointing
her face to the sky, she laughed and drank the drops that made their way into
her mouth.

~*~

Abe

Abe sat back in awe, watching what
could only be described as perfection. How could someone make something like
getting rained on look so perfect? He had promised himself two weeks. He had
promised himself she would know that she trusted him. He had promised he would
never allow himself to hurt her. He couldn’t fail. How could he show her that,
no matter what, she mattered more than he did if he couldn’t even keep himself
in check this long. Knowing he would torture himself, he eased himself to his
knees and crawled over to face her. He used his finger to gently move the now
soaking hair from in front of her shoulder, where it was plastered to her shirt
and neck, to behind it. As he released the hair, he let his hand go to her
neck, cupping it, and then slide up to her cheek.

Gemma turned to Abe, shallow breaths escaping
in rapid succession at the feel of his calloused fingers massaging her neck and
head. He leaned forward, his breath warming her damp skin, and stared straight
into her eyes. “You are the most beautiful girl I have ever seen.” He drew her
slightly forward and leaned to her left ear. “Everything about you draws me in
and makes me want.” He pulled back just enough to lean to her other ear, their
noses barely brushing in the process. “I will never, ever, find someone I want
to cherish and keep as I do with you.” Startled, her eyes went wide. He didn’t
let her respond or question. Pulling her completely erect so there was no
protection from the wind and rain, he leaned fully into her, aligning them so
she could feel the erratic beat of his heart. “You are worth so much more than
you have ever known. I want you to see that because of me.” He kissed her
eyelid. “I will never, ever, fail you.” He kissed her other eyelid. “I will
always value you and fight for you.” He kissed her cheek. “I want you in ways
you couldn’t imagine, in places I won’t mention yet.” He kissed her other cheek,
and she couldn’t help but sway into him, yearning in ways she had never
experienced. “And I could never, ever, fail you as he did because, to me, you
will always be so much more than you understand.” He kissed her cheek as she
raised her hands and gripped his shirt between them, desperation and fear
evident in her eyes.

“Abe.” She moaned, and he had to grab the truck
to keep from doing something in the moment she may regret later. “I need . . .”
She groaned. “Just, kiss me, please.”

“Gem, I can’t. I promised us both I would . . .
we would take our time. I want to earn everything you give me, know for a fact
that we both want this, and allow you to see if this is headed where I’m hoping
it is.” Pain was so thick in his words he thought she would have laughed if she
didn’t ache for him just as bad.

“Abe, I get it. You mean it. You want me. I
want you. You aren’t going anywhere. But I swear if you don’t kiss me right now
I am going to explode and then come back together to take you out in the most
painful way imaginable.”

Abe fought with himself. She wasn’t laughing. She
was serious. She wanted this as much as he did, and damn it, he couldn’t hold
back anymore.

“Abe, plea—”

And he kissed her. He kissed her as he had
never kissed anyone, so desperate and hopeful at the same time. He craved her
and needed her to feel it as he had been for weeks. Their lips only parted long
enough for her to pull her hands out from between them and find the back of his
head, keeping him pinned to her lips. His hand left her cheek and made its way
down her front, causing her to jolt forward. Those fingers continued the
journey down her body and then around her back, grasping her and sliding her
forward on her knees, connecting them. Gemma moaned into his mouth and began to
pull him down, oblivious to the three people in the front of the truck.

“Gem”—he stopped their downward plummet and
pulled her up and along his body again—“we can’t.”

“Yes, Abe, we can. Now. I don’t want to wait
anymore. I’ve wanted you. I don’t want to admit the moment I realized it
because it was far too soon. But I don’t just want you anymore. I need you.”

“Gem, this isn’t a no. This is me saying we
literally can’t.” He laughed at her desperate eyes. “We’re in the middle of a
storm, soaking wet, in the back of a pickup with our friends and your family
looking at us through the back window.”

He saw when realization set in, and Gemma
looked over his shoulder to find Kate staring wide-eyed and giving her a thumbs
up. Gemma buried her face in Abe’s chest and laughed. “Well, who’s the slut
now?” She groaned and shook her head at herself.

Abe squeezed her in a hug. “Still Kate. I’m
pretty sure I saw her hitting on Trent. Now I know for sure she’s desperate.”
They both laughed.

Just then the vehicle stopped, and the others
began to get out of the cab of the truck. Abe leaned forward and whispered in
her ear. “Any other time, in almost any other situation, you would be mine
right now.”

~*~

Gemma

Gemma shivered at his words, this man
just did things to her body, and so far, he had only used words.

“I’m assuming we’re back on for our two a.m.
meetings?” He smirked at her.

“You’re just lucky these other people are here.
We would be heading down the beach right now if they weren’t.”

“In what world am I lucky because of that?”
Gemma chuckled and, only when she finally started to relax, realized that at
some point they had not only stopped but so had the quick rainstorm. Now it was
just sticky and hot and that plus her frustration had her ready for home and a
shower.

“Hello? Are you two going to sit there and
whisper all night? We’re waiting.” Kate jumped up on the tire and put her head
right next to theirs. “So, seriously, how was it?” She mock whispered to Gemma.

“Go,” they both yelled as they stood and started
to climb out of the truck.

“Uh-oh, too much build up. It must have been
disappointing.”

“Kate,” Gemma yelled and started running after
her. The two girls took off down the beach as the other three watched on,
laughing along.

Eight

Everyone made their way to the end of
the shore and stood with their toes in the water. Ryan and Emily held hands and
whispered to each other while Kate leaned over and let the water run through
her fingers. Abe couldn’t take his eyes off of Gemma, and she seemed to be
having the same problem. He motioned with his head behind them, and she laughed
while mouthing the word ‘no’. He pouted, sticking his lower lip out, and she
laughed quietly while shaking her head. Taking advantage of everyone’s distraction
as well as the newly elevated level of their physical relationship, he stepped
behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist.

“I need more. Not more than you want to give
but I can’t be done with you, not yet.”

“I know.” She leaned her head back to rest it
on his shoulder while he ran his lips up and down her neck. “You’ll get it, I
promise, but I’m not going to walk off and leave my sister.”

“Later, after we take her home, meet me at our
spot.” Before she could answer, he turned her head and their lips met. He made
it fast, but it was no less sensual than anything he had done to her before; he
tasted her fast but with no less passion. When he pulled away, she simply
nodded her acquiescence and then backed into him a little further, resting
herself completely against him. “Good. But if you don’t separate yourself from
me a little, the waiting will not be an option, and I will have you over my
shoulder and in a cove before you have time to protest.”

“Promise?” She winked up
at
him but stepped forward, removing her backside from his front. A
part of her wondered where this side of her had come from, but she knew she was
only lying to herself. She had never been a prude. She was never afraid of sex.
She was afraid to trust, and as soon as Abe had gained that trust, Gemma had
been ready for him. Hell, if she were honest with herself, she would admit that
she’d have given in before the trust was there. There was just something about
him, something that drew her in from the beginning and had her wondering if
there was any way she would be able to let go.

~~~

Hours later Gemma made her way down
the beach and kept her eyes peeled for Abe. He was supposed to have been
waiting for her just down the road from her house, but he hadn’t been there. They
had been apart for two hours, and she already ached for him. She knew it was
only going to get worse as they took things to the next level, and she couldn’t
make herself care. Slightly annoyed that he still wasn’t in sight, she kicked a
rock as she rounded the corner that brought her to the first entrance to the
public beach. As she closed the gate behind herself, she turned and her eyes
rounded in surprise. “Abe”—she took a few steps closer so they could hear each
other better—“what is this?”

He smiled as he walked up to meet her. “I
remember you saying that if it was possible to sleep in a hammock out here you
would.”

She quickly took the last couple of steps that
separated them and jumped, wrapping her arms around his neck. “It’s perfect. You
are so perfect.” She smiled as he wrapped one arm around her waist and pulled
her knees up with the other, carrying her to the hammock.

“As you’ve seen the past couple nights, we have
about two hours before they show up at the bakery. We won’t do anything you
don’t want to do. We won’t go any further than you want to go. But, Gemma, I’m
begging you, please just let me kiss you a little more tonight.” He lowered her
on to the hammock and then eased himself up beside her. They rolled toward the
middle, facing one another.

“How can I tell you to stop when you haven’t
started?”

“Good point.” He placed his hand on her thigh
and started working it up her leg. She immediately reached down and stopped his
progress.

“I’m sorry.” She winced as he quickly pulled
back.

“Stop,” he whispered as he pulled her chin up
so she would look into his eyes. “Don’t apologize.”

“But I acted all tough and then you touch me
and—”

“And I should have known better than to push it
so far so soon.” He rolled so he was back on his side and pulled her head onto
his chest. “I’ll do anything for you, Gem. And that includes taking our time so
I can prove to you that I’m in this thing.”

“And what if that means you’re waiting on me
until our wedding night?” It dawned on her what she had said, and she
considered rolling out of the hammock and running for it until he spoke.

“One, just the fact that you can think of us
and a wedding day shows how much you’re already starting to trust me. Two, if
that’s the case, then I take my wife to bed and discover her like millions of
men have done before me.” He gently kissed the top of her head and the word “swoon”
flashed through her mind. “You, Gemma Andrews, are worth the wait.”

~~~

“Good morning.” Kate stood over a
bleary-eyed Gemma and smiled mischievously.

“What?” Gemma moaned.

“I need coffee, and from what I understand,
your lover boy is busy for the time being. Take me to that shop you always go
to.”

“What about your morning run?” Gemma asked as
she rolled away from Kate.

“I get a day off every week.” Kate rolled Gemma
onto her back. “Now get up and come on. I want to do something today. I’m so
sick of being bored.”

“Bored?” Gemma asked as she sat up and threw
her covers off. “You’re gone all day every day, and we just spent an entire day
shopping. How could you possibly be bored?”

“I’m at the beach by myself or with my baby
brother every day. How is that exciting? Now that you like me I want to do
stuff.
Please
?”

Gemma was hit with guilt yet again. She had
officially lost count. All this time she assumed Kate was here living it up and
making the most of her time, but Gemma was starting to see that these long
summers weren’t just long for her.

~~~

“There you are.” Abe smiled as Gemma
walked toward him with only the assistance of the light from the moon.

“Hey,” she called out. “Sorry I’m running late.
I swear Kate stays up later each night.”

“She’s probably just doing it to mess with us.”

“You sure give her a lot of credit.” Gemma
smiled as she finally reached him and he pulled her into an embrace.

“I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again.
That girl sees things. She knows what’s up.”

“If you say so, Mr. North.”

“I do.” He nuzzled her neck. “And don’t call me
that. I feel like you’re talking to my dad.”

“Ew, gross.” She laughed.

“Subject change, then?” He smiled down at her
as he started to walk.

“Please.” Just then he nodded in the distance,
and she turned to look in the direction he was now smiling. “Seriously? Again
with the hammock? How do you get it here?”

“I have my ways of making you happy.” He
winked.

“Yes,” she said, more to herself than him, “you
certainly do.”

He pulled her to a stop, chuckling to himself
before letting her in on the joke. “Are you wearing your bikini again?”

“Oh,” she looked down nervously at the straps
that stuck out underneath her tank top. “Yeah. We were meeting at the beach so
I just thought . . .” she let her sentence trail off.

“I’ve never seen you in a bikini.” He smiled,
looking suddenly like a kid who’d won a prize.

An hour later they were snug on the hammock as
he kissed her. “Gem, I seriously don’t know why I’m getting this summer with
you, but I could not be more grateful.”

“I just can’t believe that between all my
summers here and Dockside Coffee we haven’t met before, to be honest.” She
leaned back looking pensive and then continued, “Is it weird that I’m kind of
glad this is our first summer?”

He studied her, making sure she didn’t take his
words the wrong way before he answered. “No, I think there is a time and place
for everything and this summer was our time. And this beach, it will always be our
place.” He smiled to reassure her that he wasn’t offended by the question.

He started to kiss her slowly after that. It
was as if he was praising her understanding of his words and their situation.
He didn’t dive in, consuming her or overwhelming her, but was clearly building
to something. The hand that she had deflected before now made its way to her
middle with no interference. “Gem,” he whispered as he continued to kiss her
but now with urgency, “please tell me if I go too far.”

“I will.” She panted with desire. “Please don’t
stop yet.” She shocked herself, not with the words but with the ferocity with
which she said them.

“Noted,” he whispered before he let his lips
trail down her neck. “Off,” he commanded gruffly before sitting up and helping
her out of her tank top.

“Same,” she replied as she ran her fingers over
his abs, helping him remove the annoying piece of cloth. As they found their
way back together, he rolled so he was on top of her. The hammock, not being
designed as a bed for activity, couldn’t handle the aggressive motion, and they
flipped to the left, falling with a thud to the sand. Gemma happened to end up
on top and she looked down, searching Abe’s face for signs of injury. “Are you
okay?”

“Yeah.” He grunted. “It’s easier this way, anyway.”

She smiled down at him as she sat up. “Yes, it
is.”

Gemma had the thought that it was time to take
the next step. Her hands, almost of their own accord, began to rise to the
strings that held her bikini in place. Abe, knowing her as he did, reached up
and stopped her. “What?” She worried her lip as she looked down at him, scared
she had done too much or worse, that he realized he didn’t like what he saw.
Nerves she had been able to disregard or fight started to creep to the surface.
Images of him walking away without a backward glance began to creep into her
mind. She prepared to get up and hurry away, mentally reminding herself it was
dark enough that she didn’t even need to find her shirt first. Just as she
started to stand, he rolled them over so he was on top of her. Staring into her
eyes, there was a softness she hadn’t expected in the moment. The gentle shake
of his head was all the reassurance she needed.

He smiled down at her as he lowered his lips to
her collar bone and sucked her skin, goose bumps erupting all over as electric
shots were going off and her brain grasped what he was explaining with his
actions. “You are so gorgeous.” He lifted his lips and then looked into her
eyes. “So perfect,” he whispered.

She looked down and ached with want for more
but knew that, for tonight, she needed to be done. It was clear by her
insecurities, by her fears, and by her desperate need to run only moments
before that the trust she needed to further a relationship with this man still
eluded her. She wanted it. She craved it. And yet, she knew that it still
wasn’t the right time. Too much too soon would ruin a good thing. As she let
out an exhausted breath, slightly pushing against Abe, knowing he would get the
hint, he release
d
a long and tortured sigh of his own.
Collapsing next to her in the sand.

Minutes later, after they had regained their
breaths, he rolled to face her. “Well, that was an insanely crazy idea.” He
laughed as they both stared down at the sand sticking to their bodies. “Care to
take a dip, my lady?”

“I’m pretty sure, based on what we just did in
the middle of a public beach that I’m not much of a lady.”

Laughing, he leaned over and gently kissed her
lips. “Whatever you are it’s exactly what I want.” He reached over and pulled
her up. She followed a step behind him as they headed into the sea, replacing
sand with salt but indifferent to anything besides each other. Minutes and more
than one kissing break later, they were dressed and on the hammock again,
falling asleep in each other’s arms. Gemma was well aware that she had gone
from like to trust to something close to love in an infinitesimal amount of
time.

~~~

“Walk of shame, walk of shame,” Kate
yelled as Gemma crawled through the window around five in the morning.

“Shhh,” she whispered as she fell through the
window in surprise. “What the hell are you doing awake?” She stood and fixed
her top, rubbing the elbow that had just connected with the windowsill.

“Waiting on you, you slut.” Kate giggled and
clapped her hands together.

“Oh, shut up.” Gemma laughed as she started
getting her stuff together to take a shower.

“Well . . .?” Kate bounced up and down on her
bed.

“Ugh, we didn’t have sex.” Gemma started out of
the room and toward the bathroom.

“Not what I’m asking and you know it.” Kate brought
her hands together and puckered out her lower lip.

“I’m not giving you details.” Gemma groaned.

“Please.” Kate pouted a little more, “I may as
well be staying at a nunnery this summer. I need something!”

“Fine!” Gemma rolled her eyes and turned to face
her sister before heading into the bathroom. “The way that man kisses should be
illegal. His lips on my neck could melt an iceberg. He is so dang perfect it’s
borderline painful.”