Dirty little Summer

The Wrong Introduction

Aurora's pov

"Now?" I wiped a mix of rain and lake water from my forehead.

"Yeah, he just got back. Come on."

I turned to follow her toward the main house, but as we walked around the pool deck, I took one last glance over my shoulder. Near the side entrance, a gorgeous brunette in a tight dress was wrapping her arm around Jack’s waist, leading him inside.

My stomach twisted unexpectedly. I frowned, nodding toward them. "Who's that?"

Anna glanced back and sighed. "Oh. That’s Linda. She’s the campus cheerleader and Jack's girlfriend, I suppose. They've been on and off for months."

A sudden wave of disgust hit me. Great. Another rich guy playing games with a cheerleader. I shook my head, clearing my mind of the image, and followed Anna through the grand glass doors of the estate.

The hallway was quiet, lit by soft golden wall sconces. Anna stopped in front of a pair of heavy mahogany doors.

"Wait here a second," she whispered, pushing one door open.

Through the crack, I could only see the back of a man sitting in a leather chair, his broad shoulders silhouetted against the dim light of the study.

A few seconds later, Anna slipped back out and closed the door quietly.

Her face fell. "Sorry, Rory. You’ll have to meet him tomorrow. He just got pulled into a sudden international call."

"It's fine," I said, a wave of exhaustion finally hitting me. "Honestly, I'm tired anyway."

"Go get some sleep. I'll see you in the morning."

I kissed Anna’s cheek, saying goodnight, and walked down the hall to the guest room. Unfortunately, it wasn't too far down from Jack’s bedroom.

As I reached my door, a muffled sound cut through the quiet hallway. I froze. It was a high, breathless moan, followed by the heavy thud of a headboard against the wall.

Linda.

A hot, uncomfortable flush spread across my skin. I hurried into my room, slamming the door shut, and threw myself onto the bed. I grabbed a pillow, pressing it hard against my ears to muffle the sounds from down the hall.

But it didn't stop my mind from racing. A sudden, violent throb pulsed between my thighs as an intrusive thought hit me—the vivid, shameless image of replacing Linda in that bed, with Jack's heavy hands pinning me down. I cursed under my breath and squeezed my eyes shut, forcing the thought away until sleep finally took over.

***

I woke up the next morning to sunlight stabbing directly through the curtains.

My head felt like someone had replaced my brain with a drumline, each beat a brutal reminder of last night’s vodka shots. For a few seconds, I just stared at the ceiling, trying to piece the world back together.

"Fantastic," I muttered, rolling out of bed. The room spun instantly, forcing me to catch myself against the dresser.

After a hot shower and enough black coffee to restart a small country, I finally felt human again. I sat on the edge of the bed and picked up my phone. It was already blowing up.

3 Missed Call.

I opened the texts.

Nick: We need to talk.

Nick: You're overreacting.

Nick: Can you please answer?

I snorted, a cold knot tightening in my chest, and locked the screen.

Not today, asshole.

Downstairs, the Jordan estate was blindingly bright. Staff moved quietly through the kitchen, and upbeat music drifted in from the patio. Anna was sitting at the marble island, eating fruit and scrolling through her phone. She looked up, her face lighting up.

"There she is. How's the hangover?"

"I've had worse," I said, sliding onto the stool next to her and grabbing a piece of melon.

"Rory, you jumped off a fifteen-foot dock in a thunderstorm."

"I stand by all my choices."

Anna grinned, leaning her chin on her hand. "I knew inviting you here was the right choice. Let the dirty summer begin, right?"

"Your judgment has always been questionable, but thank you."

By noon, the sun was blazing, turning the lake into a sheet of glittering gold. Anna had gone up to change, which meant I was currently walking down the long wooden dock alone, an iced drink in one hand and a bad attitude in the other.

"Smoking already?"

I turned sharply. Jack. Of course.

He was standing near the boat lift with his arms crossed over his chest. Dark sunglasses hid his eyes, but a smug smile was written all over his face. He was wearing low-slung board shorts, looking effortlessly built. Linda was nowhere to be seen.

Thank you God.

I took a slow drag from my cigarette. "Good afternoon to you too."

"You know those things will kill you."

"So will hockey."

"Fair point."

I hated that I almost smiled. Jack stepped closer, suddenly, my phone buzzed in my hand. Then it buzzed again.

Jack glanced down at the screen. "Persistent."

"It's nothing."

Another buzz. Jack raised an eyebrow, stepping into my space until I could feel the heat radiating off his skin. "That doesn't look like nothing."

I let out a harsh sigh. "It's Nick. My ex-boyfriend."

I looked up at him, but his jaw had already tightened. "What did he do?" he asked quietly.

"He cheated. Graduation night. He didn't even try to hide it."

Jack went completely still. "He's an idiot."

I laughed softly, trying to shake off the sudden weight in the air. "You don't even know him."

"Yes, I do. He recently joined my team." He said it with a touch of bitterness in his voice.

My phone buzzed again. I immediately swiped to decline the call.

Jack watched my fingers move. "Feel better?"

"No."

"Try blocking him."

"I enjoy the satisfaction of ignoring him."

That finally earned a laugh from him.

For a second, he didn't feel like Anna's intimidating older brother. He just felt... normal. Which was infinitely more dangerous.

"You know," Jack said, leaning his weight against the wooden railing, "Daniel's probably trying to get you banned from the beach club right now."

I groaned, burying my face in my hands. "Please don't remind me."

"Coach definitely heard about the bottle smashing."

"Coach?" I frowned. "Daniel plays hockey?"

"Unfortunately. His family practically funds half our university program." Jack smirked, though there was a bite to it. "So he's rich, annoying, and untouchable. That's the short version."

"And you're the captain who has to deal with him?"

Jack looked mildly offended, tilting his head down to look at me over his sunglasses. "You say that like it's surprising."

"It is."

I grinned, and his eyes narrowed, locking onto mine. For a long, breathless second, neither of us looked away.

But the moment was abruptly shattered by a sharp, high-pitched voice echoing down from the manicured lawns.

"Oh, Damian! There you are!"

I turned, my heart skipping a beat. A woman in an incredibly expensive designer sundress was marching down the stone pathway toward the private lakeside deck.

"Who is that?" I asked, watching her wave a manicured hand toward the seating area.

"Victoria," Jack muttered, his tone dripping with absolute annoyance. "The neighbor from down the shore. She’s been trying to flirt her way into my dad's bank account for the last six months. She constantly drops by uninvited."

"Does it work?"

"Not even close," Jack said with a cold laugh. "He doesn't even look at her. She’s wasting her time."

"Rory! Jack!" Anna’s voice cut through the air as she jogged down the dock, wearing a bright bikini. She caught my arm, her eyes wide with excitement.

"Dad is finally free. Victoria is trying to corner him, but he told the staff to bring us over. Come on, he’s been waiting all day to meet you."

My stomach dropped into a bottomless pit.

"Go ahead," Jack said, his voice dropping low as his eyes lingered on me one last time. "I'll see you guys up there."

Anna didn't give me a choice. She grabbed my wrist and started dragging me past the pool, through the lush outdoor lounge, and straight toward the private lakeside deck.

As we rounded the hedge, I saw Victoria laughing loudly at her own joke, leaning over a wide, stone patio table.

But my eyes didn't stay on her. They fell on the man sitting in the shade of the grand patio umbrella.

He had one long arm stretched carelessly across the back of his chair, a crystal glass of whiskey held loosely in his fingers. He looked relaxed, powerful, and completely uninterested in the woman hovering over him.

Then, he heard our footsteps. He looked up.

Dark, piercing eyes locked directly onto mine.

Sharp, devastatingly handsome features. A jawline I knew by heart. The exact same heavy, dominant presence that had pinned me to a mattress less than forty–eight hours ago.

Recognition slammed into both of us.

The air rushed out of my lungs. The sunlight, the lake, the sound of the wind, everything stopped. My entire world shattered into a million pieces.

It was him. The Stranger from the hotel.

"Dad," Anna said brightly, completely oblivious to the sudden, suffocating silence. "Dad, this is my best friend, Aurora."

Damian didn't look away. His dark eyes narrowed, a dangerous, unreadable spark flaring in them as his gaze slowly traced my face, acknowledging the terror in my stare.

And all I could think was: f**k.