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

  “We’ll just see about that,” is all he says as his eyes smile at me as he pops open his beer.

  As soon as Vance parked the boat at Chase’s dock, we said goodbye to the guys and headed up to our beach house to shower and change for dinner. We had a blast spending the afternoon with the boys, but a girl can only snack on beef jerky and chips for so long.

  We needed real food.

  I was craving seafood, and Tamara, Becca, and Nikki all agreed, so we went out to eat at Bubba’s Fish Shack. The food was amazing, and I loved the cute nautical theme the place had. Now, we’re heading to the boardwalk, because I want to get some salt water taffy. I had just bought a bag of the candy our first night here, but I already ate it all. That stuff is so addicting. I will be hitting the gym hard when I get back from vacation, or I won’t be fitting into my cheer uniform at the end of next month.

  “So you and Chase were flirting up a storm today,” Tamara says, poking me with her elbow and grinning at me. With her boyfriend thousands of miles away in Mexico, she has nothing else to do but focus on my love life…or lack thereof.

  “He’s cute and fun to be around.” I push open the door to the small gift shop and head straight for the salt water taffy display.

  “If I was single, I would be all over that man; plus, he races cars for a living. His hot factor went way up after he told you that today,” Nikki says as she fingers a display of key chains.

  “What about little Miss Becca over there? Why don’t you grill her about Parker? They were getting pretty flirty too.” My attempt to divert the conversation works, thank God. Tamara and Nikki start gushing over how sexy and funny Parker is, and how Becca should definitely not pass up the chance to spend a night with him.

  These girls are going to be driving us crazy by the time we head back to Georgia. They’ve only been separated from their boyfriends a few days, and already they’re trying to live vicariously through us. I’m sorry, but my vagina is not open for business for every good looking guy in Myrtle Beach.

  I will not be spending my summer banging random men.

  No, thank you.

  There’s only one guy I’d even consider breaking my dry spell with. The idea of hooking up with Chase has my girly parts tingling with excitement and screaming to finally get some real action. Becca, on the other hand, I don’t doubt will have a handful of numbers by the time we leave South Carolina.

  I begin filling a plastic bag with all of my favorite flavors, while the girls look at the souvenirs around the store. I spot a cute Myrtle Beach boyfriend-style tank that will be adorable over my bikini, so I decide to get that too. After we check out our items, we head back out to the boardwalk.

  We’re making our way down towards the I Love Sugar Oceanfront Stage, where a band is playing country music. One thing I love about summer is there are always fun outdoor concerts going on around here.

  “Let’s sit and listen to the concert for a little bit before we head back to the beach house,” I tell them as I find us a spot to sit.

  Spending the day out on the boat has tired us all out, so we’re skipping our earlier plan to go out dancing tonight and opting for our second choice: sitting on our deck, drinking our own mixed drinks, and relaxing. We’ll go out dancing tomorrow night. It’s the fourth of July, so there will be parties everywhere.

  Almost an hour later, the band is finishing up their last song, so we decide to head back to the beach house. As we’re making our way through the crowded boardwalk, I spot what looks like Chase, Vance, and Parker up ahead coming out of a restaurant. As we get closer, I see it is them, and it looks like they’re with a group of girls.

  Yup, they’re definitely not alone. I hate that I have a pang of jealousy hit me like a ton of bricks as I watch Chase rest his hand at the small of a girl’s back and whisper something into the brunette’s ear. I rub at the pain in my chest as my eyes take in the three gorgeous girls walking alongside them.

  “Hey! Isn’t that Chase and—?” Becca asks, pointing straight ahead at them; she doesn’t continue as she spots the girls they’re with.

  I let out a sigh and grab Becca’s arm, pushing it down. “Yes, it is…and as we can see, they have their hands full at the moment, so why don’t we just hurry up and find where I parked my car?”

  “Well, you sound just a tad bit jealous for someone claiming that her flirting earlier meant nothing,” Nikki says sarcastically as she continues to walk in their direction.

  Jesus Christ.

  “Where are you going?” I shout out to my three friends, who are now walking ahead of me. I can’t hide the slight sound of panic in my voice. I quicken my pace and catch up to them just as they’re saying hello to the guys.

  Just wonderful.

  The three girls they’re with are already glaring at us, acting as if we’re overstepping by saying hello. It’s ridiculous. If anyone should be glaring, it’s me, seeing how I was the one with Chase all afternoon! But since we’re just neighbors and have maybe moved into the ‘friends’ category, I have no right to be jealous or territorial.

  Feelings suck. I liked it better when I was just fun Ashlynn—the Ashlynn I’ve been the last four months, not this jealous chick I’ve turned into in the last ten seconds.

  “What are you girls up to tonight? Stayin’ out of trouble?” Parker asks, eyeing the four of us. I can’t bear to look at Chase. It hurts too much seeing him flirting and all over this girl after he was the same way with me a few short hours ago.

  Becca overly sweetly answers him, all the while glaring at the girl standing next to him, “Nothing much. Heading to a club to find some guys to party with and buy us drinks. If all goes well, we’ll get into lots of trouble,” which is the total opposite of what we’re doing, but I love her and her lying ways, because the guys’ faces are priceless. She’s giving them a taste of their own medicine.

  I have to hold my breath and look down towards the beach to keep my composure and not burst out laughing.

  Chase clears his throat. “Ashlynn, you’re quiet tonight.”

  Folding my arms over my chest, hugging my gift bag to my breasts, I glance up at him, which is so not the right thing to do, because as soon as my eyes lock with his, I feel my knees go slightly weak. He looks downright delicious in a tight white t-shirt, dark stonewashed jeans, and flip-flops. His dirty blonde hair is slightly styled, and his crystal blue eyes are sparkling at me in the streetlights lining the boardwalk.

  Why does he have to be so damn gorgeous?

  “Oh, am I? Sorry, I’m just tired from the long day out on your boat, but it’s nothing a vodka and Red Bull can’t fix.” I force a fake smile while mentally slapping the glare off of Permanent Bitch Face beside him.

  “Well, we best be on our way. You guys have fun…and don’t do anything we wouldn’t do,” Tamara shouts over her shoulder as she spins on her heels and starts heading towards where my car is parked.

  I snicker at the look of anger that flashes across Chase’s face. He deserves to feel just as hurt and pissed off as I felt the second I spotted him with another girl only a few hours after spending the day with me. I’ll let him stew over the idea of me grinding on strange men while I go home and have a pity party by myself and enjoy a nice, tall glass of pink lemonade and Malibu Rum.

  I just need to drink until my thoughts shut the hell up, because right now, all I’m doing is torturing myself with thoughts of Chase and that girl.

  One thing I’ve learned over the last four months is that guys are all pigs, even the gorgeous ones who drive fast racecars and have the cutest dimpled smiles.

  WAKING UP WITH THE WRONG girl in your bed is a surefire way to start the day in a pissed off mood. Sure, this girl is easy on the eyes and a pretty decent lay, but she’s not Ashlynn.

  She’s the same girl I was hanging out with two nights ago. Her name is Sophie and she’s a hot Latina spitfire, but all I could think about was Ashlynn the entire time I was out with her last night. I feel like an asshole, because while I
was fucking Sophie, I was fantasizing about Ashlynn the entire time.

  To make matters worse, we ran into Ashlynn and her friends at the boardwalk last night. The pained look in her eyes as she saw me and Sophie together made me feel like someone had my heart in their fist and was squeezing it.

  I don’t understand what’s going on with me at all. I’ve known Ashlynn only three days now, and no matter what I do, she’s everywhere…imbedded in my head. Now, I’m pretty sure she thinks I’m the biggest asshole to walk the earth.

  I fucked up big time.

  I don’t even know why I called Sophie and her friends. When Ashlynn said her friends were going out to dinner, I should’ve asked if they wanted to get together afterwards, but I assumed since she spent the day with us out on the boat, they’d think we were being too desperate trying to spend every moment with them. I let my pride get in the way, and now look where I’m at—lying in bed buck-ass naked next to a girl I wish I’d never screwed.

  Slipping out of bed, I quietly get dressed and head downstairs, trying my best not to wake her. I need to piss so damn bad, but don’t want to risk flushing the toilet and waking her up. I need some time to clear my head before I deal with her.

  Everyone’s still asleep from the looks of things, which is good, because I don’t feel like talking to anyone right now. After drinking a cup of coffee and eating a bagel, I slip on my Nikes and strap my iPod to my bicep.

  Since Sophie is still asleep, I’ll use my free time to go for a run. Running always helps me relieve stress…that, or driving over two hundred miles per hour around a racetrack, but since I can’t do that right now, running it is.

  The beach is already filling up with people. It’s just a little after ten, so it’s mainly a few parents with their kids sitting by the water. I pop my earbuds in and turn up the music as loud as it will go. Glancing around, I don’t see Ashlynn or her friends anywhere, which makes me feel disappointed and relieved, all at the same time.

  I am completely fucked up right now. I don’t know if I’m fucking coming or going at the moment. Shaking my thoughts from my head, I start jogging down the beach, warming my body up before I shift into a full-on sprint. By the time I turn around and start heading back towards my beach house, I’m drenched in sweat, my lungs are aching along with my legs, and I feel a hundred times better.

  That is until my eyes land on Ashlynn and her friend Nikki, who’re in nothing but sports bras and mesh shorts jogging towards me. Believe me—Ashlynn looks as gorgeous as ever, and seeing her causes my heart to race even faster, but what has me seeing red is the dude jogging beside Ashlynn in nothing but basketball shorts.

  She’s smiling up at him the same way she was with me yesterday. I hate that I’m fucking jealous right now. I have a naked chick in my bed, but here I am pissed the hell off, because Ashlynn is jogging with some guy who looks like he just climbed out of a Tiger Beat magazine my little sister reads. All those boy band looking guys make me want to punch something, especially when they are near a girl I want.

  I pull my ear buds out just as Ashlynn says hi to me.

  “Chase, hey.” She gives me half a smile. Nothing like the one she was just giving this jack off. Nikki is glaring up at me from beside Ashlynn.

  Just great.

  I love how things can change so quickly in the matter of twenty-four hours.

  “Hey. It looks like we all had the same idea today.” I’m jogging in place as I try to keep myself busy. If I don’t, I may just knock this dude out. He is standing closer to Ashlynn now that they’ve all stopped running and are standing in front of me.

  “Yup, it’s a perfect day for a run, since it’s not so muggy this morning. After all the junk I ate yesterday…” her voice tappers off as she stops herself from mentioning our afternoon on the boat. It kills me that she doesn’t want to talk about our day together. I don’t know if it’s because of me, or the guy standing next to her. “I really needed to burn off some calories,” she says, shifting nervously on her feet.

  Nikki just continues to stare at me, not saying a single word.

  “So, did you have fun last night?” I ask, looking from her to Nikki, and then settling my eyes back on Ashlynn again.

  She gives me a confused look before recognition shines in her eyes. “Ooh, last night. Right, the clubbing…yeah, we had a blast. How was your evening?” Her question has a hint of sarcasm to it. I know for a fact now she is pissed off because of Sophie.

  I rub at the back of my neck nervously. I hate that she makes me nervous. I never get nervous around chicks. I’m always relaxed, and can easily flirt my way out of anything. But with Ashlynn, I can barely think straight.

  “It was okay. Not as memorable as I imagine your night was,” I clip out. I won’t even bother trying to hide the anger boiling inside me right now. Just the thought of her and this asshole together has me wanting to pummel him to the ground and make him eat a mouthful of fucking sand.

  The sun is scorching hot, beating down on me, and the sound of the waves crashing against the shore is torture. I want to rip my shoes off and dive into the ocean, partly because I’m sweating my ass off from running, but the other part of me wants to drown myself. I mean—look at her. I am the world’s biggest idiot.

  Her tits look even nicer today in her sports bra. I have the urge to grab her, toss her over my shoulder, and drag her to her room so I can lick every inch of those beautiful boobs.

  What can I say? I’m a breast man. Sure, I love a nice ass, but it’s the tits that get me every time.

  Ashlynn notices me staring at her rack and folds her arms, trying to shield them, which only pushes them up higher. Fuck. I’m getting hard. I need to get the hell out of here.

  Justin Timberlake’s lookalike beside her clears his throat, snapping my eyes back up to theirs. “Ashlynn, I’m going to keep running. Are ya joining me, or are ya going to catch up after?” I can hear the distaste in his voice as he slides his eyes from her to me. Of course he’s fuckin’ British…because girls always gotta fall for a guy with a foreign accent.

  Ashlynn reaches out and grabs my forearm. The moment her hands touches my skin, my dick jumps and my heart races. This girl has my body on overdrive every time she’s around me.

  “It was nice seeing you, Chase. I better get going.” Her voice is so soft and sweet, but it isn’t sweet enough to mask the hint of sadness in her words.

  It only makes me feel like an ever bigger asshole.

  The rest of the day was uneventful. Sophie and her friends hung around and we ended up drinking beers, listening to music, and hanging out at my house all day. I had full intentions of getting her to leave as soon as I got back from my run, but when I got back to the house, she was awake and in the kitchen with Parker, Vance, and her two friends eating breakfast. Parker let me know he asked them all to stay and party, and then join us down at the boardwalk for the fireworks show before heading to Broadway Louie’s.

  I feel bad, because Sophie is gorgeous and really sweet, but she’s not Ashlynn. Every passing second, I feel like an even bigger dickhead, so my only option is to get shit-faced and try not to think about anything at all.

  It’s now a little after eleven at night and we’re all down at the boardwalk. I have a good buzz going on from all the drinking I did at dinner. Sophie was all over me, groping my dick through my cargo shorts under the booth’s table. She kept whispering in my ear that she wanted me to take her into the family bathroom and fuck her. Normally I would, but tonight, I’m just not feeling up to it.

  She got pissed off, of course, and is now giving me the silent treatment. I already have Ashlynn and her friends pissed off at me, so what’s one more girl?

  The fireworks show is finished and we’re getting ready to head to Broadway Louie’s for a huge Fourth of July party going on there tonight.

  I hate to admit it, but I’ve been trying to spot Ashlynn all night. What can I say? I’m a glutton for punishment. I think that’s the reason I’ve been distant wi
th Sophie tonight. I have this tiny hope there’s still a chance I can fix this. I suck when it comes to women’s feelings. Sure, I can flirt my way into their panties, but that’s as far as I can go.

  I can’t ignore the pull I have to this girl. I will find a way to make it up to her and get us back to where we were yesterday before I fucked it all up.

  I called for a cab as soon as the fireworks ended, so we’re heading out to the street. We’re all too drunk to try and drive, so I’m leaving my truck in the parking garage down the street until tomorrow.

  Pulling up to Louie’s, we immediately hear music blasting out through the open windows upstairs. It reminds me of the French Quarter in New Orleans, with the black iron balcony wrapping around the building. There are people on the balcony, singing and shouting down to everyone below on the streets.

  Thankfully, since it’s almost eleven-thirty, the place is kid-free. Sophie wraps her arm around mine as we make our way inside. “Can we go into Club Boca? I want to go dancing,” Sophie asks me, tugging on my arm.

  There’s a private night club here, but it has a strict dress code, and I will not be able to get in with cargo shorts, my Americana muscle tank, and flip-flops.

  “You and your friends can go to the club, but I’m just going to stay up here and play a few games of pool. Plus, I can’t get in dressed like this anyways,” I tell her, pinching my shirt.

  Rolling her eyes, Sophie tugs on my arm again. “Come on, Chase. They all know who you are down here. They’d be stupid to not let you in. Please? Come dance with me.” She pouts up at me, batting her long, fake eyelashes.

  I don’t get why girls glue on big, fake eyelashes. I just about had a heart attack one morning, waking up to one of them stuck to my arm. I thought it was a damn spider. I never screamed so loud in my damn life. It wasn’t my proudest moment screeching like a fucking girl, but let’s be honest—anyone who wakes up and thinks there’s a spider on their arm is going to scream their head off.