Sizzling Summer Nights

“Hey, look at that,” she said, pointing to the western sky. “Are those stars in the shape of a W, or is it my imagination?”

“That’s Cassiopeia,” he said, without enthusiasm.

“Not your favorite, huh?”

“I wouldn’t kick her out of bed,” he said, and grinned when Hannah twisted around to give him a look. “We see Cassiopeia all year long from here. Now, if it was October or November, the bottom of the W would point to Andromeda.”

“What about that one?”

His cheek close to hers, he followed her gaze. “That’s Cygnus. We can only see it during the summer.”

“It looks like a kite.”

“According to mythology it’s supposed to be the form of a swan that Zeus used to seduce women.”

“Okay, you need quite an imagination to come up with that description,” Hannah muttered, trying to not get too distracted by the feel of Seth’s cheek pressed against hers. “What about the W? What’s the story behind that one?”

“Queen Cassiopeia sitting on her throne combing her hair. Her claim that she was more beautiful than the gods pissed off Poseidon, so he put her in the sky as punishment.”

Hannah grinned. “Those touchy Greeks.” She moved, just to see him better. “I doubt you were trying to impress me, but wow anyway.”

He smiled and went for a kiss. Their lips almost met, but not quite. The slightly different position wasn’t any better.

“Okay, this isn’t working,” he said. “You mind scooting down a couple feet?”

She didn’t need to think about it. She just slid her butt to the edge of the blanket. Seth pulled the opposite end up, draping it over her shoulders as he settled beside her.

“How’s that?” he asked, keeping his arm around her.

“Perfect.” She smiled at him and he pressed his lips to her mouth.

The sudden kiss startled her at first, but then she kissed him back. His arm tightened around her shoulders as his tongue swept past her lips and probed her mouth. He wasn’t in a hurry, but that didn’t make the kiss less intense. With his free hand he cupped her jaw as they explored each other, her breasts aching for his touch.

She lifted a hand to his chest and felt the swell of muscle under her palm. His heart pounded as hard and fast as her own. Shifting to give herself more freedom of movement, she nearly forced him back flat onto the blanket.

The kiss broke. Laughing and out of breath, she barely had the strength to help hold him upright. Not that she was doing anything more than clutching his shoulder.

“What are you doing?” Seth asked, also laughing.

“I’m not sure.”

He used an elbow to brace himself and she landed, half sprawled across his body, her breasts squashed against his chest.

She wasn’t too upset with the awkward move, though. Their new position had its upside. “Did I bruise you for life?”

“They should fade in a week or so.”

“Sorry. I was actually trying to prevent this from happening,” she said, and realized that righting herself would go a long way toward reinforcing that claim. Grudgingly she started lifting herself off him.

Seth stopped her. “The ground isn’t too bad if you want to try lying back.”

“Or you make a pretty decent body pillow.”

“Sure, feel free to use me.”

Grinning, Hannah moved her arm and unintentionally brushed his erection.

He hissed through gritted teeth. “Yeah, sitting is probably better.”

“I didn’t do that on purpose,” Hannah said, her breathy voice sounding strange to her ears.

“I know.”

She didn’t even try to hide her disappointment when he sat upright. Instead she almost gave in to the urge to cup him, make sure he knew it was no accident. But that wouldn’t be cool. She’d never had sex with a guy the same day she met him and she’d already decided making out would be enough for tonight.

The stars seemed to be multiplying, each one trying to outshine the others. Barely covering a yawn in time, she felt his hand close gently on the nape of her neck.

“Tired?” he asked.

“A little.”

“I should’ve taken you straight to the Sundance.”

Hannah gaped at him. “No way. And miss this?”

“Don’t worry. In a week you’ll see your fill of stars.”

“That’s not what I meant,” she said, and felt the pressure at her nape become a gentle massage.

They leaned into a soft kiss. Hannah laughed when they both angled their heads the same way.

Seth didn’t. He cupped her face with one hand and deepened the kiss, their tongues touching and stroking each other. His hand moved to her neckline, and he toyed with the fabric before dipping his fingers just underneath, just enough to tease.

She trembled when his mouth left hers and his lips blazed a damp path down the side of her neck.

Gently, he touched her jaw, then trailed his fingertips down her throat over her knit top and lingered between her breasts. The inside of his wrist grazed her hardened nipple.

Hannah held her breath. The tiny movement caused a slight thrust of her breasts. She waited, wondering if he’d slip his hand under her shirt.

The temptation was there. She could feel his tension, his indecision, his restraint. Damn, she wished she could see his face. But it was impossible with the way they were sitting. Although she could see his straining fly just fine.

She laid a hand on his thigh, about midway between his knee and groin. And then she inched higher, stopping short of his erection. His free hand went to the back of her head and he held her still while he kissed her.

Oh, God, she wanted to touch him so badly. But she didn’t dare. His mouth was hot and hungry, his skin feverish, his warm rugged scent surrounded her. It was all going to her head. Stepping just one toe over the line would be all it took. They wouldn’t stop. And there would be no do-overs. She wasn’t sure it mattered.

Seth was waiting for her to make the next move, she realized. She’d set the tone and he could’ve taken over from there, but he wanted her to call that final shot. While she appreciated his thoughtfulness, she almost wished he’d just gone for it.

A cool breeze seemed to come out of nowhere, nipping at her, making her shiver. She rubbed her bare arms. Removing her hand from his thigh killed the mood.