Love on a Summer Night (24 page)

“I said
I
didn’t like it. Deacon’s a cool guy. He might even like to hear about some of those stories.”

“It’s not that kind of book. I mean, their relationship will grow, and Vera likes sex, but my readership doesn’t like long sex scenes.” Now she was just babbling. Nerves were shoving useless bits of information out of her mouth and she couldn’t stop it.

Zander gave her a pointed look. He’d rolled onto his back and propped a second pillow behind his head. “Faith. Focus. I’m trying to suggest… you know. That
I
might like to hear some of
your
stories.”

Oh. She blushed and dropped her face into the blanket again.

She’d never get enough of the sound of his laugh, even when she was burning up inside because he saw inside her filthy head.
 

“So that’s a no to the video sexting?”

“It’s not a no,” she mumbled. Her breasts were already heavy and aching, responding to his voice and missing his touch. “It’s a…give me a minute.”

“Should I go first?”

She rolled onto her side and propped her tablet against the headboard. “Depends on what kind of stories you want to share.”

“Fictional ones, of course. Bedtime stories about a beautiful writer and the handsome soldier who inspired one of her characters.”

“Sounds like a cliché.”

He laughed. “Take your pants off.”

She did as she was told. “What kind of stories do you want me to tell you?”

“Did you do any experimenting in college?”

She laughed so hard she snorted. “I kissed a girl at a house party once. Maybe twice? Truth or dare was a popular game.”

“Where did you go to university?”

“Toronto. My dad was a professor, so I got free tuition.”

“And little did he know you were kissing girls…” Zander winked, then rubbed his lower lip with his thumb. “I can’t see all of you. Scoot back a bit.”

She moved so she was laying sideways on the bed, her bare legs curled up in front of her.
 
“How about you, any experimenting in the army?”

“No, but I can probably make up a shower story if you want to hear one.”

She shook her head. “You know what I want to know about? Your first time. Provided it was when you were a teenager and the person you lost your virginity to is now happily married and driving a minivan.”

He howled, then gave her a hooded, heavy look. “I think she is, actually. You really want to know about that?”

“How old were you?”

An adorable wince told her that yes, she wanted to know this. She wanted to know everything about him. “Fifteen.”

“Zander Minelli! How scandalous.”

“I went through puberty early. I already had chest hair. How old were you?”

“Seventeen. High school boyfriend. No clue where he is now.”

“He was the same age as you?”

She nodded. “Wait, your first time was with someone older?”

Another wince. “It was the summer between grade ten and grade eleven, and Dean and I snuck out to a bush party, mostly seniors heading off to college in the fall, some people back for the summer. All college-aged, anyway. And we were so sure we’d be caught and kicked out for being kids, but we’d both sprouted up that summer, and they thought we were older than we were…”

“Where did it…happen?”

“Front seat of a pickup truck. It didn’t last long.”

“Awwww. Poor teenage Zander.”

“The first time. I was ready to go again pretty soon, and she had a bunch of condoms—”

“Too much information!” But it wasn’t, really. That happened more than twenty years earlier, and Faith could picture that teenage kid, so eager to be a man. It was an important piece of the Zander puzzle. “And then you left for the army two years later?”

“Yeah. Crazy to think about how much I grew up in those few short years.”

“When did you first go overseas?”

He shook his head. “This is the wrong direction for this conversation to go.”

“But I want to know!”

“And I want to watch you get yourself off, then tuck you into bed so you can sleep well and wake up early and get more writing done.”

“I’m editing now. I don’t do that before dawn. Not a morning person, remember? I only get up that early for words because I need total quiet.”

“I’ll remember that.” He winked at her. “Okay, then I’ll just have to make up a bedtime story…”

— NINETEEN —

“I
’M not tired.”

“Tough. It’s a school night.”

“But Mom! I’m five now!”

Nineteen hours into his next year of life and Eric had decided to sprout an attitude. It was a good thing she thought he was cute. “You will be an absolute bear in the morning if your head isn’t on your pillow in ten minutes. And when you are a bear, I will point out that you had a choice to get enough rest and chose not to take it. Understand?”

“No.”

“Of course not. Come on, upstairs.”

She’d just pushed herself up off the couch, where she’d been playing Plants vs. Zombies and pretending she wasn’t antsy about not having heard from Zander since the night before. And the last two nights, when they’d talked, he’d been…brief. Cryptic, even. And no video chat.

She was doing her best not to imagine why.

The ability to ask why and get a dozen evil, doomsday answers was a writer’s secret weapon—and a new girlfriend’s certain undoing.

As Eric whined again about putting away his Minecraft reference book, the one that he couldn’t even read yet, they heard a knock at the door.

Knock. Knock-knock
.
 

Her heart leapt into her throat. She knew that sound. Knew the fist that made that kind of forceful alert of presence. That fist—and the beautiful man to whom it belonged—was supposed to be in Alberta.

She flew to the front door, but so did Eric, and the little bugger was faster than her. She laughed as he slid in front of her and put his hand on the door knob first. “I’ve got it.”

Stepping back, she let him open the door for Zander.

God, he looked good. In person was so much different than on video chat. A billion times better, and yet already her heart ached because she knew he couldn’t be here for very long, so she greedily soaked up every detail. The stretched-out, faded black t-shirt that used to have lettering but now just looked
good
. The jeans. The boots. The leather jacket slung over his shoulder.

So focused she was on gobbling him up with her eyes that she almost forgot she was wearing rolled up sweat pants and a sports bra underneath an oversized tank top that said “Hakuna Masquata: It Means Nice Booty”.

Almost.

With a squeak, she stepped behind Eric, who wasn’t big enough to hide anything.

And it didn’t matter, because Zander gave them both a massive grin and swept them into his arms.

“Happy birthday, bud,” he said roughly.

“Can I stay up late because it’s my birthday?” Eric asked, earning himself a growl from her.

Zander laughed. “Seriously, dude? Don’t get me in trouble.”

“That’s a no?”

“Is it a school night?”

Eric wriggled out of Zander’s arms and jumped onto the staircase. “Maybe.”

“Go brush your teeth,” Faith said, then twisted to look at Zander’s profile. He was right there. So close she could kiss his cheek if Eric wasn’t paying attention. She turned her head back to her son. “Zander will read you a bedtime story.”

Like a shot, her kid disappeared, and Zander squeezed her close to his side. “Surprise.”

“No kidding. What are you doing here?”

“It’s Eric’s birthday.” Just like that. Like, of course he’d be here.

Of course he’d be here.
Her heart grew another size with the reminder.

Upstairs, the door between her mother’s apartment and the landing opened. “Faith, did I hear—Oh, hello, Zander.”

Faith hadn’t told her mother that they’d had a fight. She hadn’t told her that they’d made up, either. She’d been falling down on the sharing side of things, but she could scarcely believe she
had
Zander, let alone understand the details of
how
.

“Miriam,” he said with a hint of laughter in his voice. He still hadn’t let Faith go. This was well beyond a welcome back hug. He was just holding her now, and it felt wonderful.

“Is this another whirlwind visit?” her mom asked. God, the small talk. Faith couldn’t handle it, not when she wanted to hit a pause time button and climb him like a tree. Although she did want to know the answer to that question.

She patted Zander’s hand. He didn’t take the hint and let her go. “I should go and check on Eric,” she muttered.

“I’m fine!” her son yelled from upstairs.

“PJs!” she yelled back.

Zander kept talking to her mother like the yelling hadn’t happened. “Yes, I’ve got a three day leave pass before I head up to the Arctic for two weeks. I wish I’d been able to get here before bedtime.”

That was out the window, and Faith wasn’t complaining.

“It’s okay,” she whispered, nuzzling closer. Upstairs, her mother followed Eric into his room and starting helping him with his pyjamas. Faith took advantage of the moment of privacy and flung her arms around his neck. “You’re really here.”

“I am.” He grinned.

She returned the smile, suddenly giddy. “I love you, Zander. And I love that you’re here.”

When Eric came to get them, they were still embracing, and he slid between their bodies, getting in on the hug. Zander kissed Faith’s brow, then she stepped away, watching as he flipped Eric upside down and carried him back to bed by his ankles.

Her son beamed the entire way.

Zander ended up reading both bedtime stories, and he didn’t come to her room until Eric had passed out cold.

“Sorry I kept him up late, I meant to get here earlier, but my flight was delayed…”

She waved him off. “You’re just in charge of getting him up in the morning. I recommend pancakes.”

“Deal.” He settled on her bed, watching her get ready for bed. She’d traded her ratty sweats for the silky scraps of nothing she’d bought just for him, and her skin started to warm under his appreciative stare. She picked up her hair brush and pulled out her ponytail. “Can I do that for you?”

She joined him on the bed, feet dangling over the edge, and he carefully brushed her hair. Each long stroke tugged gently on her scalp, and on the third pass, she groaned in pleasure. Behind her, he shifted, and when her hair hung loose and shiny around her shoulders, he gathered it together and twisted it to the side.

His hands pressed against her skin. Warm, a little rough, and ever so caring. He rubbed his thumbs down her back, between her shoulder blades, then squeezed her shoulders and rubbed up her neck. Again and again he repeated the massage until she was boneless. Then he tugged her back against him and just held her.

It was blissfully domestic.

“Seventy-two hours, eh?” she whispered.

“This time.”

“Every time, it seems.” She didn’t mean it to sound like that, with that edge of snark that was really fuelled by fear.

But it did, and Zander didn’t miss it. “So?”

“Nothing.”

“No, you said it. Let’s talk about it.”

She sighed. This wasn’t how she wanted to spend even a second of his limited time. “I’m just being silly.”

“Then be silly out loud.”

“Um….” She took a deep breath. “Are you sure you’re this guy?”

“What guy?”

“Domesticated and tethered to one place.”

“Ahhh.” He shrugged. “I’m not sure where you got the idea that I’m filled with burning wanderlust. That’s not all that I am.”

“For now? Anymore? Because when I met you—no, stop giving me that look.” Her back was to him, but she could picture the look he must be giving her. He chuckled, telling her she was right. “I’m not picking a fight, I’m just…it’s hard to wrap my head around the idea that this—“ She gestured around her bedroom, but meaning her entire house and town “—could ever be enough for you.”

“You need to stop telling me what kind of guy I am.” He said it gently enough, but it still scratched like a burr.

“You need to stop pretending that you aren’t exactly that kind of guy! You already feel the itch, right? You’ve been back three times in four months. Don’t tell me you wouldn’t rather be exploring some far-flung corner of the world instead of being obligated to come here.”

“Obligated? Babe, I promise you that’s not the word I’d use to describe how I feel right now.” He wrapped himself more tightly around her, his jaw twitching as he brought their cheeks together. He waited a beat, then whispered, “How about you stop pretending you wouldn’t rather come with me?”

She had good reasons. “Eric has school. I have to work.”

“And wanderlust is what vacations are for. I’ve worked hard for twenty years and I’m looking at starting a new company. I get not being able to drop everything. You think I don’t respect that about you? I’ll never try to tell you to work less. You work as much as you
want
. But there are other things you want, too.”

Heat radiated off his body, seeping into her, carrying with it the confidence he felt. Was he right? She wanted so much more, it was true. But she’d lived that way once before. Greg had, too. She’d learned the hardest way possible that being an adult meant giving up the right to indulge all the wants of the human spirit.

Especially the wants that tugged one away from safety and security.

“Zander, I can’t—”

“I know.” He turned her enough to cup her cheek and he circled his thumb at the corner of her mouth while his dark eyes searched her face. “You’re not there yet. Hear me say this: I don’t need to take off on an adventure until you are by my side.”

“But—“

“And yeah, it might not ever be your bag again.” He lifted one eyebrow and gave her a bossy look that made her quiver all over. “You and Eric are more than enough adventure for me, right here in this little house. I will take all of my leave passes and mark them as destination Tobermory and Pine Harbour in advance if that would prove it to you.”

“What if you just marked them as Tobermory?” Her heart was fluttering a mile a minute, but
yes
, this felt like the right step. “Would it be crazy to ask you to move in here when you come back?”