Chapter 6

Anna saw Summer come flying down the stairs, her face like a thundercloud. "Uh, oh, this can't be good," she muttered under her breath as she watched Summer head straight for the drinks table. Okay, Atwood, what the hell did you do? she thought. "Seth, go find Ryan and hurry." Seth took one look at Summer, recognized the signs of an impending blackout, and began pushing his way through the crowd looking for Ryan. He finally spotted him at the bottom of the stairs.

"Ryan, thank god. Where have you been, man? We've got trouble. Summer's chugging the margs," Seth explained worriedly. "You've got to help us get her out of here before something really bad happens."

"She can't be that drunk already. How many has she had?"

"I'm not sure but you know, Summer's not really much of a drinker, all appearances to the contrary."

"Yeah, and she only weighs like 90 lbs, so it will hit her pretty hard and fast." Ryan was starting to get a little worried himself by this point.

Seth spotted Anna making her way through the crowd in their direction. "Anna, hey, Anna, over here. I found him."

"Ryan, what the hell happened upstairs?" Anna demanded, although she felt she had a pretty good idea of what had transpired.

"Huh, something happened upstairs?" Seth asked in confusion then awareness suddenly dawned. "Come on, spill, man. And I want all the juicy details."

Anna elbowed him in the side and hissed, "Not now, Seth!"

"Nothing happened," Ryan muttered. When Anna gave him a skeptical look, he added sheepishly, "Well, almost nothing."

"Ummhmm," Anna said knowingly. "Summer caught you with Tiffany, didn't she?"

"Well, yeah, but nothing…we were just….Hell, I didn't have time to do anything!"

"Oh, great, we've got a pissed-off Summer chugging margaritas. This does not bode well," Seth concluded nervously.

"No shit, Cohen," Anna said while thinking furiously of a way to salvage her plan. "Listen, I'll get her outside. You guys meet me by the car."

A few minutes later, Anna escorted a tipsy Summer out of the house and over to where the guys were waiting by the Range Rover.

"Ryan, you drive Summer home in her car and we'll follow you in the Rover," Seth suggested while eyeing Summer nervously. She was glaring in Ryan's direction. Not for the first time did Seth thank his lucky stars he had chosen Anna. Summer had way too much vim and vigor for him.

"No, Seth, we can't take Summer home," Anna protested. "Her father's having a big dinner party tonight. That's why she was gonna spend the night with me."

"Well, what the hell are we supposed to do with her then?" Ryan said while maintaining a respectful distance from Summer. Okay, she might be little but he had the feeling she could really hurt him if she put her mind to it.

"Ryan, you take her to your house. Seth and I will follow you in a minute and then I'll take her home with me," Anna decided resolutely.

"What?! No, I really shouldn't…." Ryan stuttered. He really wanted to plead with them not to leave him alone with Summer. Either she was going to hurt him or he was going end up kissing her again. No good could come from either scenario.

"Oh, come on, Ryan, toughen up. And need I remind you that this is all your fault?" With that, Anna turned Summer around and pushed her into Ryan's unwilling arms. She and Seth quickly headed toward the house to get their coats and say their good-byes.

"My fault?! How the hell is this my fault!?" Ryan muttered but it was too late. The cowards had already fled the field.

Summer, suddenly remembering that she was still mad, took a swing at Ryan when he tried to head her toward the convertible. He ducked and avoided the blow with ease. She whirled around and almost lost her balance so Ryan scooped her up in his arms, carried her over to the car and dumped her unceremoniously in the passenger seat. He got in behind the wheel and reached over Summer to fasten her seatbelt, trying to ignore the fact that her skirt had ridden up high on her thighs and that his arm brushed against her breasts when he pulled the strap across her chest. He hurriedly started the car while Summer studiously ignored him and began playing with the radio while they drove the few blocks to the Cohen's. Come on, Atwood, he thought to himself. Just a few more minutes and this frustrating ordeal will be over. Summer will be on her way to Anna's house and you can take a really long cold shower.

When they finally reached the house, Ryan put his arm around Summer's waist and helped her walk up the steps to the pool house, while trying to ignore the feel of her soft skin against his hands. Summer had now progressed to the giggly stage of inebriation. Thank goodness Sandy and Kirsten were still out. There was no way he'd be able to logically explain having a drunken girl in his room.

As soon as they entered the pool house, he walked her over to the bed and pushed her down to sit on the edge of it while he walked back over and lowered the window shades. This place has got too many damn windows, he thought to himself and not for the first time. As he lowered the last one, he felt a small form mold against his back and slim arms entwined around his waist. Summer ran her hands up his stomach and sighed against him.

"Summer, what are you doing?"

"Oh, I think you know."

"Yeah, I do know but this is not such a good idea."

He felt her hands slide back down his abs and begin to pluck at the buckle on his belt. He could feel her breasts pressing against his back. "Oh, I think it's a great idea," she whispered, her breath warm and soft against his neck.

Ryan turned around in her arms, placed his hands firmly on her shoulders, and gently pushed her back until she was arm's length away.

"Summer, come on, you're drunk - it wouldn't be right."

"I'm not drunk, I'm just feeling gooood."

"Uh, huh," Ryan said warily.

"And you feel pretty good yourself," Summer said, giving him a slow and languid once over with her eyes. Before he could respond, she twirled around and exclaimed, "Oh, I know, let's dance."

Summer began slowly gyrating around the room to music that apparently only she could hear. Ryan dropped his head and shook it. Oh, lord, where the hell were Seth and Anna?

"Oh, Chino," he heard Summer coo seductively. Looking up, he discovered that she had climbed up on his bed and was swaying provocatively. He found himself unable to move from his spot and was hypnotized at the sight of her hips rocking from side to side. Her short skirt barely reached the top of her thighs. Ryan had a sudden, almost overwhelming, desire to run his hands up her smooth, toned legs and underneath that short little skirt. He shook his head again and tried to remember that he was supposed to be a gentleman and a gentleman never took advantage of a lady. Yeah, right.

Summer crooked her finger at him and crooned, "Come here, baby.'

"Uh, Summer, you need to get down before you fall down."

"Well, you're going to have to come here and get me down, big boy."

Ryan found himself walking toward her, enthralled by her sensuous movements. As he neared the edge of the bed, he tried desperately to reason with himself. Unfortunately, all the blood left his brain for parts south as Summer reached up to her neck and around to the small of her back and simultaneously undid both of the shoestring ties of her halter-top. Ryan froze. The most perfect pair of breasts he'd ever seen were right in front of him. They were full, round, and luscious. Hell, they were even prettier than Jenny Montoya's. An internal struggle broke out in Ryan's now hormonally-befuddled brain:

I can't do this, she's drunk.

Oh, yes you can. She's hot and she wants you. What's to stop you?

Just my conscience.

Go for it. You know you want to.

No, I can't. I mean, I want to but…..

Quit kidding yourself, Atwood. You've got the hots for her.

Oh damn, I really, really want to but I can't take advantage of her. She's not that kind of a girl.

Who cares, man? You haven't had any in a long time and now you've got a beautiful, half-naked girl dancing on your bed.

G.P.R.A.

As Ryan reached the side of the bed, Summer leaned down and placed her hands on his shoulders. Her breasts were swaying right in his line of vision. She slowly lowered herself to her knees so that they were eye to eye. Wrapping her slim arms around his neck and pressing herself up against him, she looked at him with heavy-lidded eyes and whispered softly, "Kiss me again, Chino."

And kiss her he did. He moved his lips over hers slowly and languidly while running his hands up her naked back. He pressed her hard against him and all thoughts of chivalry flew out of his head. He wanted to be inside of her so badly that it hurt, literally. Summer was moaning into his mouth and he was starting to push her back onto the bed when a persistent knocking on the pool house door finally intruded into his thoughts. Oh, shit, oh, crap, oh, damn it to hell. Summer was oblivious to the sound of knocking and Anna and Seth's voices asking to be let in. When he broke off the kiss, she groaned in frustration then sat back on her heels, pouting at him prettily.

Ryan looked around the room desperately trying to find Summer's top. Hell, the damn thing was the size of a handkerchief and was nowhere to be found. In full panic mode now, Ryan heard the doorknob rattle loudly and, with no other options, grabbed one of his wifebeaters that was lying under the pillow.

"Summer, put this on – quick!"

"No, baby, come on, let's take your shirt off now," Summer whispered seductively while trying to pull him back onto the bed with her.

"Summer, please."

"Ryan, are you okay in there?" Seth entreated through the door while trying to peer through the shades. "What's going on? Where's Summer?"

Ryan grabbed the wifebeater and slipped it over Summer's head. "Come on now, let's get your arms in. There you go, that's a good girl. Now the other one. Okay…Uh, Summer, let go for a minute. Seth and Anna are here."

"Ummm, I like your shirt, Chino. It's soft and comfy and it smells like you."

Ryan ran to open the door upon which Seth was now loudly hammering. Before unlocking it, he turned back to see that Summer had fallen backward on the bed. He had to admit she looked pretty damn good wearing his undershirt.

He yanked the door open and Seth almost fell in, he had been leaning so close trying to hear what was going on. Seth peered over his shoulder and saw Summer sprawled on Ryan's bed.

"Ryan, dude, she's wearing your shirt!" Seth exclaimed in awe. "What happened!?"

"Ryan, what did you do?" Anna scolded fiercely. "She's drunk. How could you?"

"I didn't." Ryan felt that this was not a complete lie. The ache in his groin reminded him that he certainly didn't.

"Uh, huh. You men are all alike," Anna said with disgust while striding over to the bed. "Summer, are you okay?"

Summer tossed fretfully away from Anna's hand tugging on her shoulder. "Lea..me alone, 'kay, Ryan? I'm sleepy now." With that she curled up on her side and was out like a light.

"Oh, great. Now what are we gonna do?" Ryan knew what he wanted to do but doubted seriously that Anna would approve.

"Ryan, I think you've done more than enough for one night. Seth, you and Ryan go sleep in your room and I'll stay here with Summer tonight. Just let me call my parents to let them know."

Later that night, Seth was having trouble getting to sleep. The sight of Summer lying on Ryan's bed wearing his wifebeater and with her skirt riding up her shapely legs didn't help matters.

"Ryan, hey, Ryan, are you asleep? Yeah, I can't sleep either. So how was it, man?"

"Nothing happened, Seth," Ryan answered wearily from his air mattress on the floor.

"Oh, come on. I'm not the innocent waif I was when we first met. No way am I believing that nothing happened."

"We kissed, okay?"

"That's it?" Seth said with disappointment. He was really hoping for some details. Mostly so that he could incorporate them into his own routine with Anna. "So what kind of kiss was it?"

"Just a kiss, okay? My lips, Summer's lips, a kiss,"

"Was there tongue?"

"I'm not answering that. Now go to sleep, Seth."

Ryan turned over and punched at his pillow. How the hell was he supposed to sleep after all that? It was definitely going to be a long night.