Dirty Summer 3 Read online

  Dirty Summer

  Episode 3

  Violet Paige

  Copyright © 2020 by Violet Paige

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  Contents

  Also by Violet Paige

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Keep in touch with Violet

  Also by Violet Paige

  Cold Love Hockey Series

  Cold As Puck

  Cold As Hell

  Cold As Ice

  Football Romance

  Turn Over

  Sidelined

  Dirty Play

  Double Score

  Royal Romance

  Tempting the Crown

  Risking the Crown

  Loving the Crown

  Billionaire Romance

  Don’t Go

  Not Husband Material

  Not Daddy Material

  The Dirtiest Deal

  The Hottest Deal

  Military Romance

  Don’t Tell

  Don’t Lie

  Don’t Promise

  Ranger’s Baby Surprise

  Delta’s Baby Surprise

  Sweet Satisfaction

  Suspense

  Resist

  Surrender

  Hart Pursuit Trilogy

  Damaged Hart

  Shattered Hart

  Stolen Hart

  One

  Maggie

  Maggie stopped mid-step on the winding journey to brace her left side against the exposed brick wall of the lighthouse. She needed a minute to regain her equilibrium. There were only about fifty steps to go, and she would reach the top of the 163-foot structure.

  She couldn’t wait to see the view, but she had started to feel shaky. Reid was a step in front of her, shining a flashlight down so they could see the black iron spiraling stairs leading up to the observation balcony. She had an excellent view of his khaki-clad firm ass and sculpted thigh and calf muscles as they made progress up the stairs.

  A few steps back, she had made the mistake of looking down at the same instant the flashlight beam illuminated a slat between the steps. She caught a glimpse of how far they had climbed. Maggie felt her palms grow clammy, and her knees started to shake when she saw the narrow steps that formed a tight corkscrew toward the bottom. The combination of the height coupled with the proximity to Reid made her heart thump in her chest until she was sure he could hear the pounding as well.

  A moment, just a moment. Almost there, she told herself while Reid continued onward. Darkness surrounded her. She rested her head against the cool wall, inhaled deeply, and let out a slow exhale like she learned in yoga class.

  “Maggie, you ok?” Reid asked. He turned and aimed the flashlight in her direction. Maggie didn’t want him to see her like this—grasping the wall as if her life depended on it.

  “Need to take a breather?” he asked. Reid touched her shoulder. “It’s all right. These are a lot of steps. Especially if you’re not used to this much cardio.”

  Great. He thinks I’m out of shape. Really unfortunate time for that long ago fear of heights to kick in. She couldn’t remember the last time she felt like this. Her girlhood phobia rushed back when she realized that the tiny guardrail soldered onto the iron steps was all that kept her from plunging to the concrete floor a hundred feet below.

  “Hey, I work out,” she said. Even in her flustered state, he was not going to get away with accusing her of being unfit. She’d run on the island every day since her arrival here and had the leg muscles to prove it. “I guess this would be a bad time to mention that I haven’t always gotten along so well with heights.”

  “You’re afraid of heights? Really?” he mocked. “And you didn’t think to mention this before we starting climbing?”

  She pressed against the wall with her eyes closed. She felt Reid brush away a few curls that had fallen across her forehead and covered her eyes. He touched her cheek.

  “Hey? I’m sorry,” he started. “Hey, Maggie? Open your eyes.”

  Just one more minute with the wall. She took in another deep yoga breath and exhaled. Her knees were still shaking, and now the smell of Reid’s mint aftershave mingled with wood shavings and a hint of that intoxicating salty sea smell prompted her knees to go weak again—this time for an entirely different reason.

  Reid’s hand caressed down to her neck, trailing past the tie of her halter top to her bare shoulder.

  “Please,” he pleaded. “Let go of the wall. Just for a minute.”

  He sounded as if he was going into full Coast Guard rescue mode now. Maggie felt him reach for her other shoulder, and edge her away from the wall and into his arms.

  Immediately, she felt safe as she buried her head in his chest, drinking in his scent once again and clutching his shirt for support.

  Maggie raised her head, and opened her left eye and then the right, registering the concerned look in his brown eyes.

  “Good. Now focus,” he said firmly. “Do you want to go back down? We can cut bait on this plan. I’ll make sure you get down safely.”

  “No!” she said, jolted back to her spirited self. “No! I’ll be fine once we get to the top. I’m always like this on roller coasters. I have a quick freak out moment and have to close my eyes, but then have so much fun. Please.”

  “I’m not so sure,” he said, toying with the tie at the back of her neck. “You’re still shaking.”

  “I promise, I’m ok,” she offered. To prove it, she let go of his shirt and looped her arms around his neck, looking into his eyes. “Let’s do this. I will die knowing I made it this far and didn’t go all the way to the top. I couldn’t admit that to Blair and Justyn.”

  “Ok, but one more of those weird breathing things from you, and I’m hauling your cute ass down those steps and back to the boat.” Reid shook his head. “Here’s the plan,” he continued, removing her arms from around his neck and pinning them to her sides.

  He stepped to the side and edged behind her. He wrapped his right arm around her and held the flashlight in his left hand. “I’m going to walk behind you. You take the first step, and take your time. Don’t look right and don’t look down. Just look ahead.”

  “Ok,” Maggie said, steeling herself before taking the first step. “I can do this.”

  “Eyes on the prize. The top is right around the corner. I’ve got you,” Reid said, wrapping his arm a little more tightly and brushing her hip with his hand.

  Maggie nodded and trudged onward, focusing on the flashlight beam shining on the black steps. Reid’s steadying embrace felt secure.

  In less than three minutes, they made it to a wooden landing, where Reid released her from the tight half-hug and fished in his pocket for the key.

  Maggie giggled. “The double secret Coast Guard key again?” she asked as he reached behind her, inserting the old steel key into the lock and turning until they heard the releasing click.

  Reid grabbed Maggie’s left hand and pushed the door open with his right.

  “We’re here,” he announced, leading her to the balcony that wrapped around the lighthouse and was positioned one level below the central hub where the lens rotated, flashing its powerful beam into the sea every fifteen seconds.

  The wind whipped Maggie’s hair away from her face. She was immediately hit with the salty air, and tiny droplets of the night’s humidity hit her face. T
he light shining above her coupled with the natural moonbeams allowed her to see the banks stretching out across the sound miles away.

  “Look! You can see the point,” she said, motioning to the right. She tugged him behind her as she almost skipped toward the railing, straining to take in the sights. “And the bell buoy. I can see its green light out there.”

  He chuckled. “Slow down there, tiger. I guess the height fright is gone, huh?”

  “It’s beautiful. Everything I imagined sitting across the water over there on the Buttonses’ pier, looking up at this light,” she said. “Actually more. Where’s Beaufort? I feel like we can see clear to the mainland.”

  “You can,” he said, guiding her to the left. He looped an arm around her waist again. “Just don’t spring over the side.”

  Reid reached his left hand over her shoulder and pointed. “See that yellow light? That’s the water tower. And the next one? That’s Morehead City. But you’re missing the real sights looking over here.”

  Reid guided Maggie to the left, and they circled around until they were almost behind where they had emerged from the door.

  “The ocean side,” he said, positioning himself behind her again, circling his arms around her waist. “See the boardwalk down there? And the waves pounding against the shore? This is where the surfers hang out all year. And if you look up, it’s the best seat in the house for the stars.”

  Maggie followed his gaze up to the night’s sky, where the stars twinkled, and she was amazed at how they shown in the coastal sky.

  “Where’s the Big Dipper?” Maggie asked, struggling to remember what she learned two years ago standing atop the planetarium in astronomy class.

  “Right there,” Reid said, tilting her head a tad to the right. His hand grazed her neck and fiddled with the tie again before moving to her shoulder.

  Maggie leaned into Reid’s touch, willing him to keep massaging her shoulder. The circles he was drawing on her skin were driving her insane. She forgot about the surfers, the beautiful view, and the stars. All she could hear was the crashing waves and the quiet sound of him breathing.

  She wanted to know what he was thinking. He was cuddled up to her, and he had pretty much carried her all the way to the top. Surely, something was going to happen. She was definitely ready for him to make a move, judging by the butterflies taking flight in her abdomen. What had she said to Blair before the last cruise? No entanglements. Summer fun. Well, now was the time to put that plan into motion and hold up her end of the pact.

  She turned so she was facing Reid and looked into his eyes. She looped her arms around his neck and tilted her head toward his.

  “Reid?” she asked, her voice shaking. “Thanks for, you know. Thanks for bringing me up here,” she managed to finish.

  His hands were at her bare back, stroking before bringing her face closer to his. Her blue eyes grew bigger, and then fluttered closed as she angled her lips toward his. Reid’s mouth was firm, but gentle when their lips met. Parting her lips for him, Maggie moaned as his tongue stroked hers.

  Every nerve ending in Maggie’s body jolted to life the deeper the kiss became. It lit her from within like the 2,000-watt light that was spinning above them. She moved her hands down to his chest, feeling the taut muscles through the thin fabric of his T-shirt.

  Reid meandered his kiss from her lips to her jawline before working his way to the sensitive spot on her neck below her ear. This was undoubtedly the hottest kiss of her life, and she wanted this feeling to go on. Like the view from the lighthouse, this feeling was beyond her wildest imagination.

  For at least the third time in the last half hour, she felt her knees go weak, and she needed air. She wanted to press deeper into Reid, but she also needed to catch her breath. This was the kiss she had wanted for days, but never planned on it growing so intense this quickly, or stirring up so many feelings. As if survival instinct kicked in, she broke away and took a step that was an arm’s length from Reid. Immediately, she regretted it and wanted to be back in his warm embrace.

  “You ok?” he asked breathlessly.

  “I think so,” she offered. “That was ... well ... that was—”

  “I know,” he said, stepping toward her, closing the gap between them, and shaking his head. She thought he was going to lean down and kiss her again, but he grabbed her hand and pulled her toward the access door. “It’s a long way down, and we need to take it slow ... unlike the last few minutes. C’mon, let’s go find Blair and Justyn.”

  Two

  Maggie

  “Riesling or pinot?” Maggie called over her shoulder as she opened the refrigerator door.

  She had finished a long, hot shower after an afternoon of sand dollar hunting. Now it was time to settle down on the front porch swing with Blair for a glass of wine and some all-important girl talk before they got ready for tonight’s party on Shirley Lane.

  “Hmm, I’m craving something a tad crisp,” Blair responded from the porch. “Crack open that new pinot grigio.”

  “Two glasses of pinot coming right up,” Maggie said, inserting the corkscrew and turning. She poured the wine in two antique-cut crystal glasses, adjusted the belt of her terry cloth robe, and headed to join Blair on the porch. A breeze from the sound blew, causing the wind chimes to clatter faintly. “Here you go.”

  “Mmm,” said Blair, taking her glass from Maggie and a then helping herself to a sip of the gold liquid. “Hint of a pear finish, just like the label promised. Now that drinks are out of the way, let’s dish. We haven’t had the chance to discuss last night yet. I want to know what happened on top of that lighthouse. I know something did. I could tell by the look on your face when you got back to the boat, and you’ve been avoiding me all day. Spill it, G.”

  It was true, well at least the part about them not having a chance to talk. It was well after 2 a.m. when they arrived home from the night cruise to the lighthouse, and neither had been in the mood to chat. Blair huffed upstairs, all but slamming the door behind her, before Justyn’s truck had reached the end of the driveway.

  Maggie was lost in her thoughts, trying to make sense of that amazing kiss on top of Cape Lookout and wondering why Reid seemed to drift away from her as soon as it was over. The two barely said six words to each other on the ride back to the island. He simply squeezed her shoulder as a good-bye before she climbed into Justyn’s truck.

  Maggie hadn’t purposely been avoiding Blair. Both girls slept in, and after breakfast, Blair darted off on a run. She must have needed to work off the lingering frustration from whatever happened during the late-night encounter with Justyn.

  “I’m so confused,” Maggie whined. “Last night was amazing.” She took another sip of wine. “We kissed. Then, well. It was like he completely shut me out.”

  “Whoa, whoa, whoa,” Blair said, sticking out her right hand and grabbing her friend’s left wrist. “Details. I need details. How was it? Was it as hot as you thought it would be? I mean, he’s totally adorable. And taking you to the top of the lighthouse? Please. That was such a scheme to get you alone.”

  “You think so?” Maggie asked, her cheeks coloring.

  Blair shot her friend a look that said you’ve got to be kidding me, and shook her head.

  “Ok, you’re right. He was absolutely the sweetest,” Maggie said, recalling the climb to the beacon’s top balcony. “I had one of my height freak outs right before we got to the top, and he talked me through it and almost carried me the rest of the way. From the minute we touched, I could feel something between us. It was almost—I don’t really know how to describe it—electric? Or it was like I could reach out and touch whatever it was. I’m babbling.”

  “No, go on,” Blair said. “I think I understand. Like a tangible connection that you can reach out and feel.”

  “Exactly,” Maggie agreed. “I could feel it in the air. I mean, we were touching the entire time. The kiss was—I can’t even … It was more incredible than I had imagined. I have never, truly, Bl
air, never had a boy kiss me like that. Then there was this moment where it was almost too much. My heart was racing, and I couldn’t breathe. I just needed a moment to get some air and find myself again.”

  “Uh-oh,” Blair interjected. “You like him. You really like Reid. Can you do this pact you came up with? I’m not so sure about your ability to stick with the plan.”

  “Well, I don’t think there’s anything to entangle anymore,” Maggie responded. “After I pulled away, he just shut down. We went down to find you and Justyn, and there was nothing else. He barely talked to me on the way home.”

  “I don’t know, G. Maybe he felt the same thing. Maybe he was overwhelmed too. Guys have a tough time dealing with feelings like that.”

  “Well, he seemed fine to me. He was still cracking jokes and teasing me before we left the lighthouse, but he wasn’t touching me or as sweet as he had been before,” Maggie said. “Anyway, enough about me. What happened with you and Justyn? I saw how you stomped upstairs last night. There is no way he was able to resist your little black dress.”

  Blair rolled her eyes and took another swig of wine.

  “What did he do this time?” She reached for the bottle that she had put in an ice bucket on the end table beside the wicker rocker. Maggie topped off both girls’ glasses. “Don’t tell me I was the only one to get a kiss.”

  “Oh, he kissed me,” Blair offered. “And it was actually worth the wait, as much as I hate to admit it. Sounds like both of these boys got the amazing kisser gene. However, he broke it off as soon as it got heated. What the hell is that about? What guy do you know doesn’t want to get to second base?”

  Maggie almost spit out her wine as she dissolved into a fit of giggles. “Blair, a baseball analogy? Really?. Didn’t he make all-conference in college?”