Hearts at Seaside (Sweet with Heat: Seaside Summers #3)

Oh no you don’t. Jenna was not about to be teased with promises of erotic, sensual experiences and then thrown away for some blond bimbo. She pulled her shoulders back, inhaled deeply, and rose to her feet. “Excuse me a sec. I think I see someone from the library.” She stalked into the restaurant, then circled around to the back entrance to the hall that led to the restrooms. She didn’t even know what an erotic experience was, although bondage and other things came to mind.

She froze at the thought. No, she had to be wrong. Pete wasn’t like that. Sweet, docile Pete? Ha! The only thing docile about Pete was—oh geez. She couldn’t even pretend there was anything docile about him anymore. She forced her feet to carry her around the corner to the entrance of the restrooms. As if to prove her thoughts, Pete stood with his arms crossed over his chest, his biceps twitching, powerful legs planted like tree trunks, and his eyes locked on the blonde from the dance floor. He shifted his gaze and caught sight of Jenna. A coy grin slid north to his eyes. He touched the blonde’s arm, said something, nodded, then closed the gap between him and Jenna.

Jenna stumbled backward until her back hit the wall. Pete leaned a palm on the wall beside her head and bent down so they were eye to eye. Before he could say a word, Jenna’s thoughts burst from her lips.

“What are you doing?” She was breathing so hard her boobs rose like they were riding the swell of an ocean liner.

“You’re speaking to me?”

She narrowed her eyes. “Sheesh. You’re…” Making me hot and bothered, and confused. Wickedly confused.

He arched a brow, and she wanted to smack that amused look off his face, then plaster her lips to his.

“Jenna, if I have something you want, just tell me.”

Kiss him. Just press your lips to his and—“Ugh!” She pushed past him and stormed into the ladies’ room. “Something I want. Something I want?” She paced the floor, ignoring the looks from the blonde he’d been talking to and the two brunettes washing their hands at the sink. She grabbed a paper towel and wiped a bead of sweat from her brow.

“He has that effect on women.”

Jenna spun around and faced the blonde.

“Pete. I assume that’s who you’re talking about. The guy I was talking to who had a bead on you the minute he saw you?” She raked her eyes down Jenna’s body. “He’s a big tease, choosy as all get out.” She moved in closer, like she was Jenna’s best friend, and lowered her voice. “Only, I hear that when he’s not teasing, which apparently doesn’t happen as often as we might think, he’ll blow your mind.” She licked her lips. “And he’ll leave you begging for more.”

Holy cow. “Ha—have you…been with him?” I don’t want to know. Don’t tell me. Please don’t tell me.

“Pfft. Me?” Blondie laughed. “Don’t I wish. I’m not even close to being in his league.”

Jenna quickly assessed her: chesty, lean, pretty, but not overly made-up. Her hair fell to the middle of her back in lustrous waves, and she had legs that went on forever. If Blondie wasn’t in his league, Jenna wondered if she was even good enough to sit on the bleachers.





Chapter Six





JENNA BANGED ON Amy’s bedroom window. She had two bottles of Middle Sister wine in one arm and a roll of premade chocolate chip cookie dough in the front pocket of her hoodie. It was pitch-black in the development, as there were no streetlights, and Amy’s bedroom was on the side of her cottage. Jenna wasn’t tall enough to see in her window. She hung on Amy’s windowsill and called to her in a loud whisper.

“Ames! I need you!”

She heard Amy groan.

“Amy! Ames! Hurry! It’s cold out here.”

Amy’s face appeared in the window. Her blond hair was a tangled mess. They’d come back from the Beachcomber an hour and a half ago, and Jenna had tried to sleep, but every time she closed her eyes, she heard Pete’s promise.

“What’s wrong?”

“I can’t sleep.” Jenna bounced on her toes and held up a roll of cookie dough. “I brought goodies!”

Amy’s eyes widened. “Cookie dough? I’ll be right out, but I’m bringing my blanket.”

“Bring me one, too!”

Amy came outside in her flannel pajama pants and a hoodie with two blankets in her arms.

“Wanna get the girls?” Amy yawned.

“Yeah. Do you think it’s okay with Kurt and Caden?”

Amy shrugged. “When have they ever stopped us?” She grabbed Jenna’s arm and dragged her to Leanna’s window. “Give me a hand,” Amy whispered.

Jenna put the bottles and cookie dough on the ground and clasped her hands together so Amy could step in them and peek in the window. Amy tottered to the side.

“Whoa!”

“Shh,” Jenna chided. “Hang on to the windowsill.”

Pepper, Leanna’s dog, barked.

“Oh, no!” Jenna jumped back, sending Amy flat on her butt.

“Ow!” Amy rolled on top of Jenna and laughed.

“Pepper.” Kurt silenced the pup with one word. “Leanna, I think the girls need you.”

“Shoot, shoot, shoot.” Jenna covered her mouth. “We woke Kurt up!”

Kurt looked out the screen. “It’s okay. She’ll be out in a minute.”

Bella’s front door opened, and she came out in her nightie. “Jenna? Amy?” she whispered over her deck.

“Over here.” Amy waved.

“You’re going to wake Theresa!” Bella ran over in her bare feet, her arms crossed over her chest. She helped them up. Leanna joined them a minute later, wearing one of Kurt’s sweatshirts—and it looked like nothing else.

“What are you doing? It’s two in the morning,” Leanna said.

“Jenna couldn’t sleep,” Amy explained.

Jenna held up the cookie dough in one hand and the wine in the other. “I have goodies. Please, please, please don’t be mad.”

Leanna rolled her eyes. “Mad? Never. Where to?”

Jenna bit her lower lip, opened her eyes wide, and bobbed her head in the direction of the pool.

“Chunky-dunking? No, I’m too tired,” Bella said. Chunky-dunking was what they called skinny-dipping.

“Piggies only?” Jenna stuck out her toes and wiggled them.

Bella reached for a bottle of wine and cranked it open. “Okay, piggies only.”

At the pool, Jenna unlocked the gate as quietly as she was able, with Bella shushing her every three seconds.

“If Theresa hears you, we’re all in trouble,” Amy reminded her. The pool closed at eight o’clock, and swimming after dark was prohibited. They weren’t sure what would happen if Theresa really caught them, but they didn’t want to find out.

They tiptoed onto the pool deck and sat around the edge of the pool.

“It’s cold!” Amy said, pulling a blanket around her shoulders.

“Oh, it is not.” Bella’s legs dangled in the water. “Pass the cookie dough.”

Jenna tore open the cookie dough, ripped off a chunk, then passed the tube to Bella.

“Why couldn’t you sleep?” Bella asked. “Maybe because the sexual tension between you and Pete was so thick I was afraid it would swallow you whole, and poor Charlie didn’t seem to have a clue.” Bella stuffed cookie dough in her mouth and handed the tube to Leanna. “Besides, you haven’t given us one shred of detail about what’s going on, and if you don’t give it up soon, I’m going to let Leanna loose in your kitchen.”