Just for the Summer (Chasing Carolina #0.5) Read online

  Shrugging, I adjust the cooler and give the girls my best melt-your-bikini-bottoms-right-the-hell-off smile. “If y’all have other plans, that’s cool. Maybe next—” My words get cut off when the brunette with the short haircut lying beside blondie interrupts me.

  “We’ll go. We planned on exploring Myrtle Beach today, but we can just do it later. Right, girls?” she asks, glancing around at the other three while standing and brushing the sand from her legs.

  “Sure. Y’all look nice enough, but if we end up chopped up and fed to the fishes, you can’t say I didn’t warn you,” Blondie says, giving me a sly grin, and then looking at her friends as she shakes her towel off and stuffs it back into her bag.

  I let out a low chuckle. Did she really just say she thinks we could be serial killers?

  Wow.

  Vance bursts out laughing beside me. “Y’all are crazy. Believe me—we’re not psycho serial killers. You’re in safe hands.”

  Blondie folds her arms across her chest, making her boobs practically beg to be groped. I have to think of dead puppies to avoid my board shorts from turning into a fucking tent in front of everyone.

  “That’s what I imagine all crazy killers say before they lure girls away with them.” She burst out laughing before saying between giggles, “I’m just kidding. I’m only bustin’ your balls. Do we need to bring anything?”

  Feeling the urge to be close to her, feel her, and breathe her sweet, fruity scent that’s tickling my senses as the warm ocean breeze blows past us, I shove the cooler into Vance’s hands and take the bag of snacks from him. He lets out a loud groan and glares at me.

  Holding the bag up with one hand, I wave it in front of her as I drape my free arm over her shoulder. “We have enough food and drinks for everyone. The only thing y’all need to bring is yourselves.”

  “Well, what are we waiting for?” Blondie’s little brunette friend asks as she runs around and hooks her arm through Parker’s. She gives him the biggest smile as he leads her towards my boat, the rest of us following.

  It dawns on me as we’re loading the boat up that we probably should introduce ourselves.

  “I’m Chase, which by now I think you’ve figured out thanks to my friends,” I say, reaching my hand out and shaking the girls’ hands.

  One by one, they shake my hand and tell me their names. The bubbly brunette is Becca, the tall one with curves in all the right places, black curly hair, and milk chocolate skin is Tamara, the quiet one who’s about the same height and size as blondie, with hair just a shade darker than hers is Nikki, and finally, the gorgeous one whose face has been burned into my subconscious is Ashlynn.

  Even her name is hot.

  “So how old are you ladies? We want to make sure we’re not going to be spending the day with a boatful of jail bait,” I ask, folding my arms across my chest and sliding my gaze over the four of them.

  They all glance at each other before Ashlynn answers, “We’re all nineteen. We just finished our sophomore year at the University of Georgia.”

  All four girls raise their arms in the air and cheer, “Go dawgs!” before giggling and staring back up at us. I assume it’s because they’re waiting for us to tell them how old we are.

  “I’m twenty-two and just graduated from the University of North Carolina. Go Tar Heels,” I say sarcastically as my lips curl up in the corners at the look of amusement in their eyes.

  “Ladies, remember my name, because I bet by the end of the day one of you will be screaming it. I’m Parker; I’m twenty-one and unfortunately, I have one more year of college left. All of us are proud Tar Heels,” he says, sliding in beside Becca and eyeing Vance and me.

  He is seriously the biggest idiot I know. I just shake my head and chuckle at his brazenness before sitting down and starting the boat.

  “Wow, Parker. Seriously? That cliché of a line? I expected more from a guy as hot as you,” Becca tells him, leaning against his arm and tracing her fingers down his chest.

  He flashes a shit-eating grin down at her before sprawling his arms out along the leather seats. “Darlin’, with looks like this, I can make any cliché sound like an original.”

  Vance, grabbing a can of beer and popping it open, takes a drink before sitting down on the seat across from mine. “Don’t mind Parker. I think he ate one too many paint chips when he was a kid.” He gives the girls a slight wave. “By the way, I’m Vance. I’m the only normal one between these two goofballs. I’m twenty-two also, and I just graduated right alongside my boy Chase here in May.”

  The girls all grab waters and get situated at the front of the boat, lying out to tan. I can’t complain about the view. Four drop-dead-gorgeous girls tanning in scraps of fabric is exactly how I like spending my day, but my eyes are only focused on one of them. Ashlynn looks downright sinful in her tiny black and neon animal print bikini. Her bottoms barely cover her, and I have to fight the urge to smack her tight round ass that is lying in front of me, just taunting me with every passing second.

  After an hour of driving the boat for Parker and Vance to take turns wakeboarding, Parker offers to steer the boat so I can get out on the water. The girls said they want to go tubing, but not until they’ve gotten hot enough from sunbathing.

  I, for one, can’t wait to see Ashlynn drenched in salt water, with droplets teasing their way down that body of hers.

  Zipping up my life vest, I grab my board and sit on the back of the boat to strap my feet in. The girls have all shifted, so they’re now facing the back of the boat, watching as I get ready to drop myself into the water.

  I don’t know why, but I’m nervous as shit about Ashlynn watching me wakeboard. I jump into the water and grip the handle that’s tied to the back of my boat and signal Parker, letting him know I’m ready.

  Within seconds, he’s hauling ass across the water and I’m flying over the waves coming from the back of the boat. The entire time, I keep my eyes locked with Ashlynn’s. I can’t stop smiling as she cheers from the boat every time I do a flip in the air.

  After twenty minutes, my arms are sore and I’m in need of a beer, so I slide my hand across my throat, signaling for Parker to stop the boat.

  “You gotta teach me how to do that sometime,” Ashlynn says as she sits with her feet dangling over the edge, watching me pull myself out of the water.

  Ashlynn, Nikki, and Becca are at the back of the boat now, waiting to get in the tube. Tamara made it very clear she was no way in hell getting her hair wet. Normally with chicks, we have them ride two at a time so there’s enough weight on the large tube, and suddenly I have the urge to get back in the water, but this time with Ashlynn beside me in the tube.

  “Anytime you want to learn, just let me know. I’d be more than happy to give you some lessons.” Climbing up beside her, I sit on the edge of the boat and start to remove my board and vest. I can feel her eyes on me. This girl has my head spinning by just sitting a few inches away from me.

  “Thanks, Chase. I will definitely take you up on that offer before we head back to Georgia.”

  Turning, I shake my head, whipping water around, and then I slide my hands through my soaking wet hair while I gaze down at Ashlynn, who’s staring up at me with her mouth hanging slightly open as her eyes skim over my face and down my torso. I’ve never been so grateful for all of the hours I spend in the gym than I am right now. Desire is igniting in her eyes, and I dart my tongue out, slowly licking the salty water from my lips.

  I notice her breathing hitch as her eyes focus on my lips. I know exactly what she’s thinking, because I am thinking it too. Plus, the flush of her cheeks and chest lets me know she’s thinking about either kissing me or what it’d feel like to have my tongue between her thighs, tasting her sweet little pussy hiding beneath her tiny bikini bottoms.

  Hearing her mention going back to Georgia makes my head spin. When is she leaving? How long do I have to try and win this girl over?

  “So how long are y’all staying in Myrtle Beach?” I a
sk, setting the wakeboard down beside me.

  She nibbles on her lip as she looks out to the ocean before turning her bright blue eyes back to me. “Just for the month. We rented the beach house for July.” Her voice is soft and sweet, and makes every inch of my body ache to be closer to her. “How long are you guys staying?” she asks, her eyes sparkling in the sunlight, making my chest ache.

  I feel like I’m under a fucking trance or something every time I’m near this girl. Normally, it’s the girl falling all over me, not the other way around, especially coming from the family I do. Back home, every girl is clawing and scraping to go out with me. Being the grandson of Arnold Kenzington and the son of Hank Kenzington has helped me get laid since I was fifteen. My family is like royalty back in North Carolina, and throughout the entire racing nation.

  “Parker is here until the end of July, and then he’s heading back to Charlotte. Vance and I are staying all summer. We’ll probably make our way to Charlotte after Labor Day. My dad owns the beach house we’re staying in, so I’m just here until I get bored and decide to head home and dive into the family business.”

  She narrows her eyes as I mention working for my dad. I take it she doesn’t know who I am, since she hasn’t asked about my family at all. It’s a rarity to not get spotted by one of Pop’s or Dad’s fans, especially down south, where NASCAR is all everyone talks about.

  “What does your dad do?” she asks as she props her arms behind her, holding her body up while basking in the warm sun beating down on us.

  For a moment, I contemplate not telling her the truth. I’d like to think my name and money will have nothing to do with me getting her into my bed, but there’s no guarantee. I don’t want to risk lying to her and then have Parker or Vance say something. I’d end up looking like a lying asshole and ruin any chance I have to hook up with her.

  “My grandpa is the owner of Kenzington Motorsports in Charlotte. My father is being groomed to take over the family business, and he races for Pop’s team. I’m going to start racing in the Nationwide series fulltime starting in February. I was in a few races this spring and absolutely loved it, so I can’t wait to start racing full-time. I’ve grown up with racing my entire life. I guess you could say it’s in my blood.”

  “That’s awesome. I think it’s great you’re following your dreams, and being able to work alongside your family is pretty freaking cool.”

  Climbing to my feet, I jump back into the boat and head over to the cooler to grab myself another beer. “You want one?” I ask her, holding one up.

  She shakes her head and makes a face of distaste. I can’t help but laugh. She looks adorable with her nose scrunched up like that. “I’ll just take another bottle of water,” she says.

  As I’m grabbing her a water, Vance tosses the tube over the back of the boat. “We’ll go first!” Nikki shouts, hopping up from the seats that wrap around the back of the speedboat and grabbing Becca’s arm.

  “I’ll drive,” I tell Parker, clapping him on the back before opening my beer.

  “Can I drive too?” Ashlynn asks, her voice like kryptonite to me. How the hell can I tell her no?

  “Sure, you can sit on my lap and help me drive,” I tease, bouncing my eyebrows up and down at her and giving her a cocky grin.

  She shakes her head and takes a sip of her water. “You’re such a pig.”

  She says that, but the smile on her face lets me know she is loving the idea of sitting on my lap. But if anything pops up while she’s driving, she can’t blame me. She’s freaking beautiful.

  I CANNOT BELIEVE HOW TODAY is turning out. First off, I cannot believe we’re on Chase’s boat with him and his seriously hot friends. I also can’t believe I actually willingly sat on Chase’s lap and drove his speedboat, while my friends rode on a tube flying over huge waves! I could barely concentrate as I steered the boat while his arms wrapped around my body.

  He had to repeat himself more than once as he was explaining everything to me about handling a boat. I was too distracted by his hard-on pressing into my thigh, causing my entire body to burn from the inside out.

  Chase pretended as if everything was normal, joking with his friends and Tamara; all the while, I could barely form a single sentence, because all I could think about was what it’d be like to spend the night with him.

  What is wrong with me? This isn’t me. I’m the girl who’d had the same boyfriend since freshman year, and I haven’t had sex since I dumped his cheating ass. Four months is a really long time to go without sex. It isn’t the greatest thing having to achieve an orgasm with toys, but it sure beats not getting any kind of release.

  I blush as I think about last night, when I got myself off picturing Chase the entire time. I am so going to hell. This man crawled into my head two days ago, and ever since, I can’t get him out. Maybe if I give in to the attraction I am feeling for him, it’ll help me stop obsessing over the idea of sleeping with him.

  I’m only here for twenty-eight more days. It could be fun and a great story to reminisce about when we return to college…my hot summer fling with a racecar driver. How many girls can say that?

  Is it weird I find him a million times hotter now that I know he races? There’s just something about a guy doing two hundred miles per hour around a racetrack that gets my girly parts lighting up.

  “It’s not safe for you to ride on the tube by yourself, especially since you look like you weigh maybe a hundred pounds soaking wet. So if you want, I can ride with you, or you can ask one of your friends,” Chase says, stepping up beside me now. I can’t ignore the fluttering in my stomach as he takes another step closer to me.

  My body is screaming for him to touch it. I want him to wrap his arms around me and pull me against him so I can feel his warm skin, but instead, he grips the railing and watches as Parker and Vance help Becca and Nikki back into the boat.

  I don’t even need to think about my answer. “You can go with me.”

  Becca and Nikki even suggested I ride with him on the tube while we were tanning earlier, and Tamara had made it clear she wasn’t getting in the water, so I needed another tubing partner. They can read me better than anyone, and they can see I’m crushing on Chase.

  It’s as if I’m standing here with a neon sign on my forehead that says ‘I like Chase’ from the way they’re smiling at me as they spot us standing together. They’ve been begging me to get back out there and date, or even just have random hook-ups, but that isn’t me. I’ve only had two boyfriends my entire life, and both times, I’ve only had sex with them because I was in a committed relationship. I don’t even know if I’m capable of meaningless sex.

  “Here’s a vest,” Nikki says, unzipping hers and handing it off to me. I quickly put it on and relish in the cool, wet fabric on my skin. It’s easily a hundred degrees out right now, and then adding the heat coming off of Chase as he stands just a few centimeters away from me, it feels as if I’m being scorched.

  Climbing onto the tube, I lie on my stomach and grip the handle in front of me. Chase is lying beside me, holding onto his, and our arms are touching. I swear a jolt of electricity travels from where our arms connect, straight to my chest, making my heart beat a little faster.

  “You ready?” he asks as he raises his arm up to signal to Vance, who’s now driving the boat.

  I nod my head yes and croak out, “Yup,” giving him a weak smile. I don’t know why I’m so damn nervous.

  Within seconds, Vance is speeding up, slowly increasing the speed and causing us to bounce around on the tube. I find myself loosening up and laughing with every wave we hit. Every once in a while, I glance over at Chase, and every time I do, he’s gives me the sexiest smirk, sending bees buzzing in the pit of my stomach.

  Just as Vance begins to turn the boat to the right, we hit a wave and it flips the tube, sending us flying into the water. I let out a loud scream and hold my breath just as I splash into the water, sinking a few feet before popping up. I mistakenly lick my lips and start ga
gging on the salt water; I’ll never get used to that taste.

  Chase is already swimming towards the now stopped boat. He lets out a loud chuckle as he watches me gag on salt water. “What? It tastes so freaking nasty!” I yell at him across the water, but fail at keeping a straight face. Now I’m laughing at myself along with him.

  “Need a boost?” he asks as I grip the metal ladder, trying to get my foot up to the first rung.

  The idea of his hands on me is enough reason for me to answer, “Sure.” Holding the ladder, I lift my foot up again and let out a loud squeal as I feel two large hands cup my ass and push me up into the air. My mind goes blank as my body tries to process the feeling of Chase’s hands on my ass.

  “You’re all set. You can climb into the boat now,” Chase tells me, letting out another laugh. I can hear the amusement in his voice; he knows what he’s doing.

  I turn, glance down at him, and glare. “Really? I think we just skipped first base, jumped straight to second, and I am pretty sure you were pretty close to third just now.” I bite back a smile as I turn back around and climb out, taking extra care to shake my ass in his face as I get back into the boat.

  He jumps over the edge and flops down onto the leather wraparound seats, watching me as I remove my life vest. He removes his and tosses it onto the floor of the boat and then sits back, resting his right ankle on his left knee.

  “If you’re that upset about skipping first, I can rectify that right now.” He slowly licks his lips and my eyes instantly fall to his full, very kissable lips.

  Crap, this man has me all over the place. I get butterflies just thinking about kissing him. I can still feel his hands on my ass. I think he may have branded my butt as his within the few seconds he had his hands on it.

  Everyone’s laughing at us, finding our bantering entertaining. I grab a bottle of water out of the cooler and grab Chase another beer, and then join him on the seats in the back of the boat. “The only thing that’ll be touching your lips is this beer can,” I tell him matter-of-factly as I hand it to him and get comfortable beside him.