Sexy Summer Flings Page 2

  The night the boys left for basic, Hunter had gone to the Grizzly. The first thing he’d noticed was a gorgeous brunette sitting on the bar, tossing back a shot. There’d been any number of men around her, but when she’d locked eyes with Hunter from across the room, there had been a pull between them. He couldn’t deny that.

  But he didn’t approach her, not until he had about four whiskeys in him.

  He’d pushed his way in next to her, and when she’d smiled brilliantly at him, he’d held out his hand. “Hunter.”

  “I know who you are.”

  Her voice had a teasing lilt to it that he really liked. “Oh, yeah? Wish I could say the same.”

  “I’m Penny.” She squeezed his hand. “It’s nice to meet you, Dr. Gracin.”

  “Word does get around.”

  “Only because my brothers won’t shut up about you. Wes and Cal Davis?”

  If he’d been in his right mind, he would have walked away right then. But he couldn’t get away from her pretty blue eyes and those adorable freckles. “Buy you a drink?”

  “I’d love that.”

  Of course, it hadn’t taken too many more before she’d asked him back to her place. The walk they’d taken there had been filled with laughter and banter. By the time they got to her front porch, he’d been aching to kiss her.

  When he finally did, the kiss consumed them so thoroughly that it spilled into the house. He’d had his shirt off in seconds and stood over her, staring down at her beautiful body clad only in a lacy bra and panties…

  And he’d froze.

  To this day, he didn’t know if it had been the way the moonlight had come through the window, making her look so young, or if it was the voice of reason shouting in the back of his head. Hooking up with a young woman in a new town was probably not the most mature thing. And since he’d become some sort of role model for her brothers, he needed to back away.

  He’d covered Penny with a blanket, and sat on the edge of the bed with his back to her, taking a deep, shaky breath.

  “I’m sorry, I can’t.”

  He’d expected her to be pissed and throw his ass out, but instead, she’d sat silently next to him, until finally she said, “Well, I guess if we aren’t going to do this, I should probably make us some coffee.”

  Hunter smiled, remembering the awkward exchange that followed, but the next day, when he was sober and thinking clearly, he realized he’d done the right thing. As attractive as Penny was, he was looking for more than a fling. And that was all she could give him.

  Five years later, he was still looking.

  Because, if he was honest with himself, the pretty bartender with the true-blue eyes kept stepping in his line of vision. She cast a shadow on every other woman in the room.

  Vince refilled Hunter’s glass of whiskey without being asked. Maybe he looked like he needed to tie one on.

  Downing his drink, he reminded himself that Penny wasn’t for him. That they were better off as friends.

  Jax’s voice snapped him out of his heavy thoughts. “Yo, man. I keep losing you tonight. What’s up?”

  Hunter shrugged his shoulders, shooting his friend a sheepish grin. “Just spacing out. You know how it is.”

  Hunter figured Jax would assume he was talking about their shared military experience and was relieved when Jax nodded. “I hear ya. Although I do have to warn you, I might not be here the next time you space out. There is this sexy redhead in the corner who is giving me the eye.”

  Hunter chuckled good-naturedly. Jax was in no hurry to settle down, unlike Hunter, and enjoyed the benefits of being a good-looking doctor in a tourist town.

  “Go nuts, man,” Hunter said.

  “You know how I do.” Jax got up from the table with a wink and headed across the bar.

  Alone, Hunter held up his glass, but Vince was busy handling a couple of young guys in board shorts and ball caps.

  His gaze strayed down to Penny, who was filling up a pitcher. He figured if he stared at her long enough, he was bound to get her attention.

  Plus, I like the view.

  “What are you drinking there, Doc?”

  Hunter looked up at Winter Matthews, one of his favorite nurses. Out of her scrubs and in a floral sundress, with her brown hair done in a simple, sleek style, she looked really good.

  “Hey, Winter. I like the new do. And this,” he said, raising his glass, “is a whiskey.”

  She slid into Jax’s empty seat, her pert nose wrinkled. “Doesn’t that burn a hole in your esophagus?”

  “Only the first time. You wanna try it?”

  “Sure. I’m down to try new things.”

  Finally, Penny noticed them, but when she came over, she didn’t give him her normal, welcoming smile. “Another whiskey?”

  “Two, please. Penny, you know Winter, right?”

  “I grew up here. I know everyone.”

  Hunter was blown away by her hostility, and Winter looked at him with wide eyes as Penny went to grab the whiskey bottle from the shelf.

  “What the hell did you do to her?”

  Hunter had a feeling he could guess, but he didn’t want to admit it. He wasn’t going to tell Winter about his reaction to the way Penny had called him Dad, or that he’d almost, for just a split second, thought about kissing her.

  So instead, he settled on the answer that didn’t make his stomach drop to the floor.

  “I have no idea.”

  Chapter 4

  Trent Bush sat back in his chair, sipping on his beer as he watched Penny move behind the bar. Damn, she was hot, especially when she was threatening him. He didn’t know why, but poking at her was too much fun and a major turn-on, especially when her blue eyes turned all smoky.

  His gaze shifted to Hunter Gracin. Doctor. Handsome. Clueless. If Hunter didn’t know that Penny was completely into him, then he was the only one. Trent learned a lot from just observing the people in Bear Mountain, and one of Penny’s best qualities was that she didn’t hide her emotions well.

  And right now, she might as well be fuming.

  Dr. Dreamy was chatting up some brunette, but Trent caught him glancing toward Penny a couple times during the conversation. Regardless of whatever was going on there, neither one of them was acting on it.

  The question was: If Penny wasn’t dating the good doctor, and she was available, then why wouldn’t she give Trent the time of day?

  He knew he wasn’t perfect boyfriend material, but he could show her a damn good time. Help loosen her up. She was wound tight, and he couldn’t figure out why. He’d heard stories from the other guys about the Wild Davises. It seemed that Penny and her brothers used to get into all kinds of scrapes, but since the twins had left for the military, Penny must have started to live her life on the down low.

  “Hey, Trent, you want to play?” his buddy Lance asked, holding out a pool cue.

  Trent set his beer glass on the table and stood up. “Naw, I’m good. Thanks, though.”

  He headed toward the opposite end of the bar from where the doc was sitting, and leaned his forearms on the cool, shiny wood. He waited for Penny to head in his direction, smirking as her expression changed from mild annoyance to a dark scowl.

  “You have a full pitcher of beer, so what do you want? I’m busy, if you can’t tell.”

  “I want an order of chicken wings…and your phone number.”

  Penny snorted. “I’ll get you the wings, but as for my number, you can kiss my ass.”

  “I’m trying to get there.”

  Penny huffed and placed her hands on the bar, leaning toward him. “Geez, does this actually work for you? All this charm and cuteness? Do the girls just fall over themselves to give you their panties?”

  “No, but I don’t normally have to work this hard to convince a woman to give me a chance.” Penny scoffed, but Trent wasn’t ready to give up. “I was thinking we should go out, only once, and if you don’t have a good time, I’ll never bother you again.” Trent nodded down the ba
r to where Hunter was staring at them. “Besides, the best way to get his attention is to introduce a little friendly competition.”

  “Him who?” Penny asked.

  Trent scoffed. “No need to play dumb, kitten. You haven’t taken your eyes off the doc since the moment he walked in.”

  “I told you there is nothing going on between me and Hunter—”

  “Then there’s no reason why you can’t say yes.”

  “Maybe I don’t like you.”

  “Now, we both know that’s not true.” He leaned closer, grinning when she didn’t step back. “Come on, kitten. You know you wanna play with me.”

  Penny bent her head until they were a few inches apart. “You’re ridiculous.”

  “But you’re interested.” He kissed her cheek before she could jerk back, and when she did, she was blushing.

  “Knock it off.”

  “Not until you go out with me. I promise, it is exactly what you need. A little fun to turn that frown upside down.”

  “I have fun.”

  “Prove it.”

  With another huff, she walked away, but Trent had a feeling she was coming around to him.

  She came back and said, dismissively, “I put your order in. We’ll bring it out when it’s ready.”

  “Have you ever been skinny-dipping?”

  Her face went slack, her eyes practically bugging out of her head. “What?”

  “There is this little swimming hole I found, and I was thinking maybe we could take advantage of it during the next full moon.”

  Penny put her hand on the bar once more and smiled. “The only way you’re getting me out of my clothes is if you light them on fire.”

  “Kinky. But see, I wouldn’t want to hurt an inch of that beautiful, delicate skin.”

  “On that note, I’m getting back to work.”

  Trent raised his voice as she went to the other side of the bar. “Don’t you walk away from me, Penelope Davis! I am pregnant with your child.”

  The crowd laughed as Penny glared at him, but he saw the little twitch at the corner of her mouth. She could deny it all she wanted, but she liked him.

  And that was something he could work with.

  Chapter 5

  Saturday afternoon, Penny stood in front of her Tacoma, beating on the green metal hood with her fists.

  “Stupid piece of shit!”

  The whole day had been like that, though. She’d had trouble sleeping last night after she’d written responding e-mails to both job offers the day before. Both of them wanted to interview her in person. That wouldn’t be hard to manage for the Yellowstone job, but she was going to have to get on a plane for San Diego. God, she hated to fly. And that explained why she’d gotten home from work last night, gone straight to bed, and ended up dreaming about being on a crashing plane. After waking up in a panic, she tossed and turned for the rest of the night, and finally gave up on sleep to watch Supergirl on Netflix.

  And then in the morning, she slept through her alarm. She’d gone to grab her laundry out of the dryer, only to realize it was still wet. Either she had forgotten to turn it on, or her cat, Bart, had bumped the Off button when he jumped up to eat on top of the dryer. Regardless, the only thing she had left in her closet were dresses and skirts, none of which were appropriate for a crowded bar.

  She’d settled on her jean skirt and a low-cut tank top, anyway. It may have been degrading, but during peak tourist season, showing a bit more skin got her better tips.

  However, it was one thing to drive to work in her outfit, but walk the two miles to work? People were going to think she was a hooker. Not that hookers frequented Bear Mountain…but still.

  Hiking her purse strap over her shoulder, she started moving, her black combat boots eating up the gravel road. A car full of idiots drove by, yelling and catcalling, and she flipped them the bird.

  After a minute, she started to sweat. It was only eighty-five degrees, but her black tank was absorbing the heat like a sponge and her thick ponytail rested on the back of her neck like a wet mop.

  A black SUV pulled over in front of her, and she stopped, waiting for the driver to get out. She prayed it was someone she knew and not a creepy stranger. If he tried anything, she would break his balls with her steel toes.

  Hunter stepped out of the driver side. His expression was thunderous. “What in the hell are you doing?”

  Immediately on the defensive, her hands slammed down on her hips. “Knitting a sweater. What does it look like? My truck wouldn’t start so I’m walking.”

  “Why didn’t you call someone for a ride?” His gaze raked over her from head to toe. “There is no way you can walk home tonight after work in that.”

  Penny stiffened. “There you go, acting as though you can tell me what to do again.”

  Hunter sighed heavily, shoving his hands in his hair. “I’m not telling you what to do. I’m saying that this town is packed with a bunch of strangers. It isn’t safe for you to walk home at two thirty in the morning while the drunk tourists are roaming the streets.”

  Penny’s first inclination was to make some smart-ass comment, but she thought about what he’d said to her about being nice. She didn’t need to be snarky all the time, especially when someone was trying to help her.

  And despite his rather abrasive way of handling it, Hunter was looking out for her. He cared that she was safe.

  He took a deep breath and then held his hand out before she came up with something nasty to say. “Let me start over. Can I just give you a ride? Please?”

  Okay, so it was kind of nice to see him concerned. Slipping her hand in his, she smiled. “Thanks. That would be nice. It’s hot out here.”

  He led her to the passenger side of his car, her heart thudding at the little zing that ran through her body in reaction to his grip on her arm.

  “When did you get this car?” she asked.

  “Last week.” He released her hand and opened the door on the passenger’s side.

  “It’s nice.”

  He shut the door without saying anything, and she leaned her head back, letting the air-conditioning cool her skin. When he hopped in, she sighed.

  “This feels amazing. My truck hasn’t had AC in over a year.”

  “Why don’t you get it fixed?”

  “Because not all of us make over a hundo thundo a year.”

  Hunter pulled out onto the road, scoffing. “You work all the time. You should be able to afford basic car maintenance.”

  “Not when you bury a parent,” she said, softly.

  She thought she saw him wince out of the corner of her eye. “I’m sorry. I know it was hard losing your dad.”

  Penny didn’t want to tell him that her dad had been gone long before he’d had his heart attack. It seemed as though after her mom died, he’d gone to work at night and come home to sleep the day away. He didn’t care what his kids were doing, or what kind of trouble they got into. Penny had tried to keep her brothers out of any real danger, but they’d still gotten a reputation.

  But Penny had worked hard in school and gotten good grades. She couldn’t go away to college and leave her brothers, so she’d taken online courses while she worked to pay for them. When her brothers had decided to enlist, it had just been her and her dad. She’d made meals for him and kept the house clean; but otherwise, they’d been like strangers, hardly seeing each other.

  When he’d died, he’d left the house to her, but between the medical deductibles and the funeral costs, she’d had to sell anything and everything of value. She was still trying to get out of the hole he left behind.

  Hunter’s hand covered hers, drawing her out of her thoughts.

  “I am sorry for giving you a hard time about your car.”

  “It’s okay. I should get it fixed. Or trade it in for something more reliable.”

  Hunter cleared his throat. “Speaking of reliable…the offer still stands for me to tell that Trent guy to take a hike.”

  Penny smil
ed, enjoying the feel of his hand still on hers. “I told you I could handle Trent.”

  “Yeah, but guys like him will use their charm to wear a girl down. Then they break her heart. You deserve better.”

  I deserve you.

  Suddenly, she was angry with him. Who was he to act so concerned about who she dated, when he had to know that she only wanted him?

  When he pulled into the parking lot of the Grizzly, Penny got out, and stood in the door of his SUV, staring at him. Finally mustering up her nerve, she said, “Hunter, if you really want a say in who I date, then you should ask me out yourself.”

  Chapter 6

  “Son of a bitch.”

  Hunter jerked his hand back, holding his throbbing fingers he’d just slammed in the car door. He hated that he’d been so distracted today, thanks to Penny’s parting suggestion. It was all he’d been able to think about, but he could never make it happen. She was too young, too irresponsible. She couldn’t even take care of her truck; she definitely wasn’t ready to settle down.

  Enrique Suarez, one of the intake nurses, pushed into the room. “We’ve got incoming, Dr. Gracin. Three ambulances en route. The victim’s car rolled down the hill four times before it was stopped by a tree.”

  “Coming.” Hunter dropped his hand, flexing his fingers as he followed Enrique down into the pit.

  The doors opened and Hunter gritted his teeth as Trent, in full fireman gear, came in, pulling a gurney.

  “Twenty-two-year-old male with a tree limb embedded in his thigh.”

  Hunter jerked his gaze to the man’s leg and sure enough, a bloody branch stuck out of the exposed flesh.

  He put his personal feelings aside and jumped into action. “Does it go all the way through?”

  “Yeah, damn thing went through the car, and into his leg. Can’t tell if it hit his femoral artery though,” Trent said.

  “What’s his name?”

  “Jeff.”

  Hunter nodded, and leaned over the man, whose wide, fearful eyes met Hunter’s.

  “Jeff, I’m Dr. Gracin. We’ve got you.”

  Hunter started barking orders, and Trent disappeared in the chaos as they prepped Jeff for surgery. Luckily, the branch had missed the femoral artery by an inch, and Hunter was able to repair his leg without any surgical complications. The poor guy was going to be stuck in bed for a while, but otherwise, he’d recover.