Sexy Summer Flings

Penny’s smile transformed into a scowl as Trent leaned against the wall next to her, his wide shoulders blocking her view of the door. She was tall, just shy of five ten, but Trent had a good head on her. Alone in the dim light, she noticed.

“I came out here to be alone.”

That boyish grin flashed. “I know. But being alone is never a good thing.”

“I disagree. Sometimes being alone gives a person a chance to think.”

“What do you need to think about?”

God, he was persistent. “About all the ways I could hurt you?”

“Now, now, I come to you under a white flag of peace. You looked upset back there and I thought you could use a shoulder to cry on.” He tapped his muscular left shoulder with a grin. “Right here.”

Penny could feel her cheeks burning. It must have been obvious that Trish had gotten to her, because even Trent had noticed. Crap.

“I’m not crying anywhere. I was pissed off, but I’m fine now.”

“Aw, are you pissed because your boyfriend was flirting with Trish the Dish?” he asked.

Penny made a face. “Ugh, do not call her that. And no, Hunter Gracin is not my boyfriend.”

One of Trent’s dark eyebrows went up, as if he didn’t believe her. “Really? Because whenever he’s around, you ignore every other available guy.”

“If you’re talking about yourself, well, you don’t count.”

“And why the hell not?”

Taken aback by the anger in his voice, Penny stammered a bit. “You…well, you…crap, Trent, you flirt with anything that has boobs.”

“So? I like boobs.”

“Exactly.”

Trent laughed, shaking his head. “Why so serious? You know what you need? A night to let loose and forget about Dr. McBoring.”

Penny felt her lips twitch, fighting the smile. “Did you seriously execute a very bad Grey’s Anatomy reference?”

“Hey, just because I am a guy does not mean I don’t appreciate the finer things in life.”

“Like all the hot chick doctors on the show?” she deadpanned.

“See, you know me so well, it’s like we’ve been married fifty years.”

“You are a ridiculous human being. You know that, right?”

Suddenly, the back door opened and Hunter stepped out. Spotting them together, his face seemed to darken briefly, but Penny thought it must have been a trick of the yellow light.

After nodding at Trent, Hunter turned to her. “Vince needs your help.”

Penny slipped her phone back into her pocket, and patted Trent’s shoulder as she passed. “Have a good night.”

Before she had the chance to escape, Trent grabbed her hand and kissed the back of it, winking. “It could have been.”

Penny rolled her eyes, but as she disengaged her hand from his, she laughed softly. “Incorrigible.”

“You know you love me.”

“I really don’t,” she said.

She walked by Hunter, who shut the door behind them without bothering to wait for Trent.

“What’s going on with you two?” Hunter asked.

Penny stopped and turned to face him. “Nothing at all. Why?”

“He’s in here all the time—”

“So are you.”

“Yeah, but I get the feeling he’s here to see you.”

And you aren’t.

The thought made Penny’s heart sink.

“If he is, it’s only because he sees me as a challenge since he hasn’t banged me yet.” Folding her arms over her chest, she added, “Besides, what does it matter to you if he is? Is there something wrong with a guy being interested in me?”

“Of course not. I just don’t think he’s the kind of influence you need in your life.”

“Gee, thanks, Dad, but I don’t need a lecture on who I should hang out with.”

Hunter stepped toward her, and the heat of his body, combined with the spicy scent of his cologne, made her sway. His blue eyes blazed down at her as she struggled to catch her breath.

“I am not your father. But I care about you. Don’t you get that?”

Penny’s heart beat a rapid tempo in her chest as she nodded, her gaze straying down to those full lips.

When his hand came up to cup her cheek, she was rooted to the floor with shock.

“You don’t have to get snarky every time someone says something nice to you, especially me.”

Penny licked her lips, waiting. Was this it? Had he finally realized that he wanted her as much as she wanted him?

But as her eyes started to flutter to a close, he pulled away.

“I should let you get back, or Vince might decide to spike my drink with rat poison.”

She would have banged her head against the wall if he wasn’t standing there watching her. Stupid. Did she actually think that Hunter Gracin was going to kiss her in the back alley of the Grizzly? That he was going to confess his undying love for her?

Pushing past him without saying more, she fought back tears. Hunter had had years to express interest in her, yet he’d always kept her at arm’s length.

Well, except for that one night years ago. That had been a fluke. An anomaly.

Since she’d always been responsible for her younger brothers and for her dad whenever he had one of his spells, she’d taken that night as her one chance to be young and wild. And that night, when they’d both been way too drunk, she’d almost hooked up with Hunter.

It was glorious, but apparently, it wasn’t meant to be.

Penny pushed that memory back into the locked box in the most secret part of her heart. She cleared her throat as she approached the crowded bar, turning her focus on an eager patron and away from Hunter.

“What can I get you?”

Hunter Gracin didn’t need to be at work the next day, so he planned on using his night off to hang out…and maybe flirt a little.

But his gaze kept straying back to Penny, who was chatting up a couple at the bar. Her dark hair was pulled back from her pretty face in a long ponytail. Even from down the bar, he could see the freckles over her nose and cheeks—the same freckles he remembered counting as he’d kissed them.

Shooting back his whiskey, he closed his eyes. He shouldn’t think about that night, especially since he had told himself to forget about Penny. He wanted to settle down. Have kids. You didn’t do that with a twenty-six-year-old party animal.

But that night, he hadn’t been thinking of anything but the way she’d tasted. Like strawberries and a hint of tequila.

He’d moved to Bear Mountain five years ago, and Penny’s brothers, Wes and Cal, had come by the hospital on his very first day. They’d asked for him because they wanted to know about his time in the military, since they’d just enlisted.

Hunter had struck up a friendship with them, and they became the little brothers he’d never had. Hunter was the youngest in his family, and Lord knows he was a lot kinder to Wes and Cal than his own brothers were to him.

The night the boys left for basic, Hunter had gone to the Grizzly. The first thing he’d noticed was a gorgeous brunette sitting on the bar, tossing back a shot. There’d been any number of men around her, but when she’d locked eyes with Hunter from across the room, there had been a pull between them. He couldn’t deny that.

But he didn’t approach her, not until he had about four whiskeys in him.

He’d pushed his way in next to her, and when she’d smiled brilliantly at him, he’d held out his hand. “Hunter.”

“I know who you are.”

Her voice had a teasing lilt to it that he really liked. “Oh, yeah? Wish I could say the same.”

“I’m Penny.” She squeezed his hand. “It’s nice to meet you, Dr. Gracin.”

“Word does get around.”

“Only because my brothers won’t shut up about you. Wes and Cal Davis?”

If he’d been in his right mind, he would have walked away right then. But he couldn’t get away from her pretty blue eyes and those adorable freckles. “Buy you a drink?”

“I’d love that.”

Of course, it hadn’t taken too many more before she’d asked him back to her place. The walk they’d taken there had been filled with laughter and banter. By the time they got to her front porch, he’d been aching to kiss her.

When he finally did, the kiss consumed them so thoroughly that it spilled into the house. He’d had his shirt off in seconds and stood over her, staring down at her beautiful body clad only in a lacy bra and panties…

And he’d froze.

To this day, he didn’t know if it had been the way the moonlight had come through the window, making her look so young, or if it was the voice of reason shouting in the back of his head. Hooking up with a young woman in a new town was probably not the most mature thing. And since he’d become some sort of role model for her brothers, he needed to back away.

He’d covered Penny with a blanket, and sat on the edge of the bed with his back to her, taking a deep, shaky breath.

“I’m sorry, I can’t.”

He’d expected her to be pissed and throw his ass out, but instead, she’d sat silently next to him, until finally she said, “Well, I guess if we aren’t going to do this, I should probably make us some coffee.”

Hunter smiled, remembering the awkward exchange that followed, but the next day, when he was sober and thinking clearly, he realized he’d done the right thing. As attractive as Penny was, he was looking for more than a fling. And that was all she could give him.

Five years later, he was still looking.