The Pleasures of Summer Read online

  She knew that she had picked the right outfit when a shrill wolf whistle announced her arrival in the sitting room. Robert and Molly were playing Wii, the Australians had opened a couple of beers and Flynn was sitting apart from the others on an antique chair with a disapproving look on his face.

  ‘Mike, can I have a word please?’

  ‘No worries.’ He handed his beer to Gavin and hurried over. ‘What seems to be the problem?’

  ‘No problem.’ Summer whispered. ‘I just need you to do me a little favour.’

  Mike gave a low laugh. ‘Just name it, darling.’ He really was rather cute.

  Gavin cheered loudly when Molly scored and Summer seized her chance. ‘Come with me.’

  Grabbing his hand, she hurried down the hallway, past the office. There was a small sitting room at the back of the house that they used during the winter. It was cosier than the gigantic lounge. It would have to do. She pushed open the door and pulled him inside. When she reached for the light switch, Mike covered her hand with his and planted a quick kiss on her neck.

  ‘That couch is a bit small, if you’re thinking what I’m thinking. Why don’t we take this upstairs?’

  ‘Will you stop that?’ Summer giggled, trying to evade his searching hands.

  Mike ignored her protests and, lifting her up, he pressed her against the wall and moved in for a lingering kiss. She caught the scent of soap and hair gel. She had a vague recollection of kissing him outside the nightclub the night she had got so sloshed with Natasha and Maya. It had been a bad idea then and it was a worse one now. She didn’t need a hook-up; she needed him to distract Flynn. Grabbing a handful of his hair, she tugged hard. ‘I said, stop.’

  The door opened. ‘You have two seconds to put her down or you’ll be sitting on the sideline for the next couple of seasons.’

  From anyone else, the words would have sounded like an empty threat. Mike was an inch taller than Flynn and built like a house. But there was something about the expression on Flynn’s face that made Mike hesitate. Releasing her, he let her slide to the floor and raised his hands in mock surrender. ‘Sorry mate, I didn’t realize that she was taken.’

  ‘I am not …’ Summer began, but a warning gaze from Flynn made her close her mouth.

  Mike edged past him. ‘Catch you later.’

  Summer’s attempt to follow him was rudely interrupted when Flynn’s arm blocked the doorway. ‘Back inside, Summer. You and I need to have a little chat.’

  Flynn couldn’t believe it when he saw Summer dragging that Neanderthal out of the lounge and down the hallway. Was she out of her fucking mind? Here she was, under threat from lunatics, and she ignored every bit of common sense by going off with that hormone-driven meathead.

  He followed, his mood worsening with every step. What was particularly annoying was that he didn’t have a legitimate gripe. Summer O’Sullivan was in her own house, one that he had personally checked over for security. Only a special-ops team would get in without alerting him and he was pretty sure that was one threat Ms O’Sullivan didn’t have to worry about.

  It was her business who she kissed or caressed – or fucked, for that matter. He was the babysitter, she was the principal. It wasn’t as if he normally paid much attention to what his principals did, but this was different.

  Summer was the sort of brat who would get herself into trouble because she couldn’t help it. Apparently, his new client had a unique talent for pissing everyone off and driving men up the wall. First there was the flirting with Fielding and now he was going to have to listen to Chester groping her as well.

  But when he got to the sitting room and heard the sound of a struggle and Summer’s voice saying, ‘I said stop,’ Flynn lost his legendary cool.

  He slammed the door open and took in the sight of his principal pulling Chester back by his hair, while he tried to push one hand down her dress. It took every ounce of Flynn’s training and discipline not to rip the fucker’s head off his shoulders. At least the stupid bollix had enough sense to know when to cut his losses. After one good look at Flynn, he backed away, muttering apologies, and fled.

  Summer tried to follow him, but he put one arm across the doorway to stop her. He was going to put an end to this nonsense once and for all.

  She stood back and glared at him. ‘What do you think you’re doing? You have no right to stop me going wherever I want in my own house.’

  ‘Don’t you mean your father’s house?’

  For an instant, she flinched, but she recovered herself. ‘When he’s not here, it’s my house and I’m in charge. You’re my bodyguard, not my father. You can’t tell me what to do.’ She put her hands on her hips and attempted to stare him down.

  He had to give her marks for courage – there were members of the SAS who had backed down from his glare – but her sheer pig-headedness flipped a switch in him. No matter how much he reminded himself that she was the principal, he couldn’t help seeing her as a woman. He just wasn’t sure if he wanted to fuck her or spank her. Or both.

  He locked his knees and shoved his hands into his pockets to keep from grabbing her, but the intensity of his desire to lay hands on her must have shown on his face. She sucked in a breath which made her breasts tremble – and which called attention to her outfit.

  ‘What the hell do you think you are wearing?’

  She looked down in surprise.

  How could she have forgotten putting on that excuse for an outfit, never mind got up the nerve to wear it in public? He remembered where he usually saw clothes like that, then slammed his mind shut on the thought.

  ‘This old thing?’ She tried to sound bored as she ran her hand over her hip, but the slight tremble in her fingers gave her away. ‘I had forgotten I put it on.’

  The silky top and skirt were conservative enough, but the corset pulling in her waist was the real thing. Steel-boned and rigid and difficult to lace up. It pulled her in so tightly that his hands itched to check if he really could make them meet around that impossibly tiny waist. She had a figure that could raise a sweat on a statue, but that corset did illegal things to her.

  ‘Liar,’ he growled, stepping closer to her. ‘No one puts on a corset by accident. Since I’m sure you weren’t trying to entice me, who does that leave?’

  Another subtle flinch. She was hiding something. ‘It’s not like that.’

  He ignored her protests. ‘If it was Chester, you changed your mind very quickly. And I’m betting it’s not the other gorilla, which leaves Fielding.’ Her breath hitched and he pounced. ‘Ah, so you’re making a move on your friend’s lover. Very edifying.’

  ‘No!’ The protest was immediate. ‘It’s not like that. I swear.’ Then she recovered herself. ‘Not that it’s any of your business what I do.’

  He moved closer. Summer held her ground, so that he could smell the subtle perfume she wore. From here, he could see the way every breath she took caused a fine quiver in her breasts. Her pink-glossed lips beckoned him.

  He leaned in closer. Her rapid breath fanned his face. ‘It is my business. Everything you do is my business. When you wear an outfit that’s designed to tempt every man here to strip it off you. When you go off on your own with a loser with two convictions for violence –’

  ‘What?’

  He gave her a nasty smile. ‘You didn’t know lover boy had beaten up two previous girlfriends?’

  ‘No.’ She was genuinely shaken.

  ‘No, you went off with him without knowing the most basic information, just because he looks good with his shirt off.’

  She opened her mouth to answer, but stopped. Whatever she had been about to say, she thought better of it. Flynn had a burning desire to know what she was thinking. But she recovered her aplomb. ‘At least he does look good with his shirt off. Tell me, are you jealous, surrounded by all those tall, gorgeous men? I haven’t seen you without your shirt yet. Are you afraid you’ll look bad in comparison?’

  He blinked, unable to believe his ears f
or a second. ‘You little shrew,’ he said with appreciation. ‘You have no idea how much you need to have your arse tanned.’

  There was a second of stunned shock, and the pupils of her eyes dilated, betraying her excitement. ‘You wouldn’t dare,’ she breathed. ‘I’m your client.’

  ‘And that’s the only thing which is stopping me putting you over my knee and teaching you a few things that you need to know.’ Somehow, he was so close to her that their lips were almost touching. He had to fight to keep from grabbing her. ‘But you won’t always be the principal. And I will remember.’

  She dragged in a shuddering breath and moved away from him, putting several feet between them. ‘I’ll have you fired.’

  Flynn laughed. ‘Try it. But remember what I said. I meant it.’ Then he made a half bow to her. ‘Shall we re-join the others? Or would you like me to consider your presence here an invitation?’

  She glared at him and marched out of the sitting room. ‘You’ll live to regret that,’ she told him over her shoulder.

  He dragged his attention away from the illegal things the corset did to her arse and grinned. ‘Well, one of us will.’

  5

  Summer and Robert swam side by side, stroke for stroke, and for once Flynn wasn’t around to interrupt. Robert was a good swimmer, strong and graceful. His skin was completely smooth, at least everything that wasn’t covered by his black Speedo trunks. There wasn’t a hair anywhere on his body that she could see. Molly had said he waxed.

  She couldn’t imagine Flynn doing that. From the little she had seen of him, his body hair was dark and a little dangerous. Summer shook the thought out of her head. One almost-kiss from him and she was obsessing about a bodyguard. Summer reached the end of the pool and turned. She really needed to burn off some energy. Kicking hard, she struck out for the other end and Robert was surprised when she passed him, beating him by several metres.

  She heaved herself out of the pool and sat gasping on the edge.

  Robert’s head popped out of the water. ‘That’s some frustration you’ve built up. Are you always like this?’

  ‘Not usually. I’ve been a bit on edge lately,’ she admitted.

  His eyes crinkled with laughter as if she had cracked a joke. ‘I know something that will cure that.’

  ‘You do?’ She had been wondering how to raise the subject of the club, but it looked as if Robert was taking matters into his own hands.

  ‘Yes. You have no idea of how effectively a touch of pain can relieve stress.’ Robert drew his finger along the length of her forearm. His touch was hot against her skin. There was something mesmerizing about it. She didn’t try to pull away, but slowly slipped back into the pool.

  ‘Good girl,’ Robert crooned approvingly. ‘I’m sure we can take care of you at the club.’

  ‘Take care of me.’ She repeated his words like an idiot.

  ‘Of course, that’s what a good Dom would do. Would you like that, Summer? Someone to take care of you. Someone who was utterly focused on you, on your needs and desires.’

  Despite the coolness of the water, Summer flushed. Would she like that? No one had taken care of her since her mum died. Her dad showered her with gifts and money but was always too busy to give her the attention that she craved. Sure, there was fame – or infamy, depending on which gossip column she appeared in – but it wasn’t the same as being cared for.

  ‘Molly seems happy,’ she offered, ‘but I’m not sure if I’d be into that sort of thing. In public, I mean.’

  ‘I understand your concerns. Noir is full of people who value their privacy and we work hard to protect them. That’s why the club is careful about who they admit as members. We don’t want any nasty gossip. Do we?’

  ‘No, I –’

  The French doors opened and Flynn appeared, carrying two cups of coffee. His mouth tightened when he saw Robert’s hand on her arm. Summer swallowed hard. Flynn’s expression was openly challenging, but Robert didn’t move away. It was as if a battle had been declared and each side was waiting for the other to make the first move.

  ‘Is that coffee I smell?’ Robert asked, breaking the silence.

  Flynn raised his cup and smiled. ‘Yes. I just brewed some. Yours is in the kitchen.’

  Robert laughed and, releasing her arm, he pushed away from the side of the pool, moving through the water in a slow backstroke. He got out of the water and, picking up his robe, he headed for the kitchen.

  Trying to ignore the quaking in the pit of her stomach, Summer climbed out of the pool. Flynn strolled towards her with the easy grace of a panther, looking for all the world as if he was going to pounce on her, rather than deliver a cup of coffee. His eyes raked her from head to toe, taking in her stylish one-piece, sending a shiver down her spine.

  She quickly wrapped her towel around herself. Flynn watched as she dried off, making her feel more self-conscious than ever. What was wrong with her? He hadn’t actually kissed her. She dragged a comb through her tangled hair before accepting the cup and taking a sip of her coffee.

  ‘He seems very attentive,’ Flynn said. She caught the disapproval in his tone. If she didn’t know better, she would have mistaken it for jealousy.

  ‘Robert?’ she asked innocently.

  ‘Just how well do you know him?’

  ‘I …’ there was no point in lying. Flynn could probably find out anyway. ‘We’ve only met briefly once before, but I’ve known Molly since college.’

  ‘And she doesn’t mind you flirting with her boyfriend?’

  ‘We were just talking.’

  ‘Like you were talking to Chester last night?’

  She was tempted to snap back at him, but there was no point. Flynn’s opinion of her was obvious. He thought she was a shameless flirt. Maybe that was why he had challenged her last night. She had been foolish to think that it had been anything else.

  Summer tried to sound flippant. ‘What’s the matter? Afraid of a little competition?’

  His eyes narrowed. ‘I’ll do whatever is necessary to get the job done.’

  ‘Great. We’re having an archery contest later. Let’s see how competitive you are then.’

  Grabbing her robe, she hurried into the house. As she passed the sitting room, she heard Maya laughing. At least someone was having a good time. She opened the door and was just about to wish her good morning when the laughter was suddenly silenced.

  Summer backed out of the room quietly, trying not to disturb the kissing couple. Maya and Gavin? How had she missed that one? Gavin broke the kiss and stroked Maya’s face tenderly. Her friend hadn’t hooked up with anyone in months. She couldn’t wait to tell Natasha.

  Racing up the stairs two at a time, she hurried to the guest room and pushed open the door. ‘Natasha, you’ll never guess …’

  The rest of the words froze in her throat. Her friend was still sleeping, but she wasn’t alone and Summer recognized that particular mop of blond hair. She wished she had pulled it harder when she’d had the chance the previous night. Mike bloody Chester. He hadn’t wasted much time. She wasn’t sure if she was jealous or relieved.

  Back in her room she showered quickly and riffled through her wardrobe. This was turning into the weekend from hell. The humiliation of it. Her first house party and everyone had paired off except her. She could just imagine the knowing smirk on Flynn’s face when he realized.

  Summer heard a truck coming up the drive and she pulled back the curtains. The entertainment had arrived. ‘Mircat Archery’ had brought everything they needed for an afternoon of archery including an expert to tutor them. It was expensive but luckily her dad didn’t bother looking at her credit card bill. He wouldn’t spend time with her, but he paid her Visa bill each month without a quibble.

  Gavin and Mike had boasted about how good they were at sports and the girls loved a chance to dress up. She pulled out a silk dress she had bought when she was in the Far East. It was pretty and feminine and floated about her ankles. The perfect thing to cheer
herself up on a less than perfect day. When she had organized the party, she had visions of herself wandering around like a princess. Now, she would be more like the ugly sister.

  She hung around her room for as long as was decently possible, pretending that she was catching up on emails. Outside, she could hear the sound of hammering from the lawn. They were obviously setting up the targets. She was just being silly. She couldn’t mope about here any longer. It was time to face her friends.

  Preparations for the party had already started. A bare-chested Gavin had unearthed the barbecue from one of the storerooms and was busy cleaning it. ‘Hey, Summer,’ Gavin shouted. ‘We’re going to cook you some real food for a change. Mike and Natasha have gone to the village for steaks and more beer.’

  ‘Great.’ She tried to sound enthusiastic.

  Maya arrived with an ice-cold can of beer. Sneaking up behind him, she pressed it against Gavin’s back. The Australian roared with surprise before he turned to revenge himself on his attacker. Maya fled, squealing. She was no match for Gavin’s speed or his flying tackle. The pair ended up in the pool, sending water flying everywhere. Maya made her way to the surface, spluttering and laughing at the same time.

  Gavin caught her in his arms and gave her a hungry kiss. ‘You are going to pay for that.’

  Summer wasn’t jealous of Maya; she had no interest in Gavin, but she envied that they were together and that they appeared to be happy. Like she had been? She shook away the memory. Adam Bayliss had no place in her life now.

  ‘Penny for them?’

  She hadn’t heard Flynn arrive. The man defined the word stealth. ‘My thoughts? I doubt if they’re worth that much.’

  ‘What’s the matter? Are you annoyed that you’ve lost your admirers?’ He watched with amusement as Maya wriggled from Gavin’s hold and tried unsuccessfully to swim away. Gavin was after her in an instant and the pair disappeared beneath the water.