CHAPTER 7

DISCLAIMER: I am in no way affiliated with the television show "The O.C." (especially after the restraining order was invoked).

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The next morning, Ryan was awakened from a really sexy dream about a certain petite brunette to the alarming sight of Seth's face looming over him. "Uggh, go away," he grumbled, burying his head under his pillow. He just needed a few more minutes with Summer. Oh, shit. Summer, he thought and jerked fully awake with a start.

"It's cool, man," Seth said. "I just wanted to tell you that the girls are gone and the 'rents are none the wiser."

Ryan fell back with a sigh of relief. At least a pissed off Kirsten and Sandy was one less problem he would have to deal with. He realized that today was Sunday so he wouldn't have to worry about seeing Summer at least until Monday morning. He needed some time to get some perspective and figure out what was going on and what exactly he was going to do about it.

Summer had awakened around noon to find herself lying on Anna's bed. What the hell?!, she thought. Vague memories of the previous night started to drift back into her consciousness. No, she didn't. Oh, yes she did. She remembered kissing Ryan, not once but twice and oh, my, gosh, had she really been topless the second time? She looked down at herself and saw that she was wearing a white wifebeater. Okay, this part I don't remember, she thought. She did, however, remember the feel of Ryan's mouth on her own and reached up to touch her lips. Damn, that boy could kiss. Her thoughts were interrupted when the door swung open and Anna entered bearing two cups of steaming hot coffee.

"Here, Summer, I've got a feeling you're going to need this."

As Summer sat up, her head started spinning and aching at the same time. "Ugh," she said, flopping back on her pillows.

"Oh, yeah, here's some aspirin, too. Hang-overs are a bitch, aren't they?"

Summer washed the pills down with a sip of her coffee and peered through one slitted eye at Anna who looked disgustingly fresh and perky. "Finish your coffee, Summer and then you can take a shower. It'll make you feel better. Here's some clothes you can borrow."

Summer staggered into the bathroom and began undressing. As she pulled Ryan's shirt off, she stopped for a moment and then held it to her nose. Yeah, it still smelled like him – a clean, soapy smell with a touch of something indefinable yet nice. There was also the faintest touch of her own perfume lingering on the material. She started to toss the shirt in the towel hamper but then stopped. For reasons she chose not to think about, she decided to take it home with her. She could wash it and wear it as a sleep shirt. Well, it was comfortable after all, even though it was kinda big on her.

Later that night, Ryan was crawling into bed when he discovered Summer's white halter-top lying under his top sheet. He held it up to his face and could still detect the faint, flowery smell of Summer's perfume on it. He started to toss it on the floor, then paused and decided to slip it under his pillow. That way, he'd be sure to remember where it was. Yeah, that's the reason.

Monday morning at school, Ryan was apprehensive about running into Summer but as the day progressed and there was no sign of her, he found that he was disappointed that they wouldn't be studying together later. Anna noticed him looking around hopefully at lunchtime and took pity on him. "Oh, Ryan, Summer decided to take a "sick" day today so I guess she won't be coming over to study with you this afternoon."

"Oh, uh….. Is she okay?" he asked worriedly.

"Oh, sure. I think she just needed another day to recover."

Ryan's afternoon was slow and incredibly boring without Summer there. He realized that he had actually come to enjoy the time they spent together. He put his laptop aside and pondered the last few weeks and especially the events of the previous weekend. He wasn't sure why he was so resistant to the idea of pursuing Summer for an actual relationship. He knew with certainty that he definitely wanted her but he also realized that he didn't just want a sexual relationship. Well, okay, he really, really wanted that and in a bad way but he also wanted her to be with him. As in being his….oh, god, just say it…..girlfriend. He admitted to himself that he found her interesting, intriguing, challenging, funny, smart, sassy, and underneath her hard exterior, essentially sweet natured. Ryan, more than anyone, understood the need to put up a hard exterior; it was easier to keep from getting hurt that way.

The entire next week at school, Ryan caught occasional glimpses of Summer in the hallway but never had an opportunity to speak to her. She always had an excuse for Anna to explain her absence from their lunch table. Ryan, however, knew that she was deliberately ignoring him. Well, so much for his plans to ask her out, he thought.

That Saturday evening, Ryan was alone in the pool house having finally convinced Seth and Anna that he really did not want to go to the movies with them. As soon as they left, he took a shower, put on his sweats and wifebeater, and tried to focus his concentration on his English Lit reading assignment. Thank goodness they were finally finished with Chick Lit for a while. Now, Hemingway was more his style. Manly men doing manly things. Unfortunately, his mind kept drifting to some manly things he would like to be doing with a certain very feminine young lady.

A tentative knock sounded on the pool house door. "Come on in," he said, figuring that Anna and Seth had decided to cancel the movie and stick around and annoy him some more.

Summer stepped hesitantly through the door, looking uncharacteristically nervous.

"Summer, hey, what, uh, what's going on?" Ryan rose cautiously from the bed careful to stay out of range in case she was pissed off.

"Listen, Chino, I just wanted to apologize for last week. You know, getting wasted and all and I was just wondering…."

Ryan quirked an eyebrow in his most infuriating manner but refused to help her out by explaining what had transpired the previous weekend.

Summer started pacing nervously, twisting and wringing her hands, and keeping her eyes glued to the floor while babbling in a manner to put Seth to shame. "It's just that, you know, I'm not sure exactly what happened….I mean, I kind of remember what happened but I'm a little hazy on some of the details. I know we didn't well, you know, but something…. I just don't know how I ended up in your shirt. Omigod, I didn't barf on myself or anything, did I? Cause that would be totally disgusting and gross and you must think I'm like a total loser or something and I'm really just, well, you know….I mean, I don't want you to think that I do this kind of thing often…I mean, I have the occasional drink but I don't usually get like that, it's just that you make me feel all…."

Summer's pacing and ranting was halted when she felt herself run smack dab into a hard muscled chest. Ryan placed his hands on her shoulders and interrupted her free association rambling to softly say, "Summer, stop. It's okay. You just got a little tipsy and took your shirt off."

"What?! Omigod," Summer flushed bright pink and dropped her face in her hands, completely mortified.

She felt warm, strong hands cup her face and tilt her head back so that she was forced to look up into the softest blue eyes she'd ever seen. Ryan's face was inches from her own and his intense look made her legs suddenly feel weak and trembly.

"God, Chino, I'm so embarrassed," she said, suddenly unable to meet his gaze.

"Don't be," he whispered huskily, leaning his head even closer to her. His mouth was now inches from her own and she could feel an almost magnetic heat emanating from him. She felt a tingle start in her toes and move upwards. Ryan's gaze had moved from her eyes to her lips and she thought that if he didn't kiss her that instant she would most certainly melt into a puddle of unfulfilled sexual longing. Just when she thought she couldn't handle the tension one second longer without screaming, he slid his hand to the back of her neck and pulled her into a kiss. Her arms were caught between their bodies, her hands pressed against his hard chest. Summer felt engulfed and overwhelmed as the entire focus of her being centered on her mouth and the warmth of Ryan's lips and tongue. With her head spinning, she finally pushed against his chest and gasped for air when their mouths parted.

Summer extricated herself from Ryan's arms and turned to walk away from him. Ryan was breathing heavily himself and was just about to hit something out of overwhelming frustration when he saw Summer walk over to the magnificently ugly lamp by the door and turn it off. She slowly walked back toward him, took him by the hand, and led him over to the neatly made bed. Summer pushed against him until he fell backward on the bed, pulling her along with him so that she was lying on top of him. She sat up, straddling his waist, and began to slowly unbutton her shirt, all the while keeping her gaze on his face. Ryan's hooded eyes were locked on her body and she heard his sharp intake of breath as she eased her shirt off of her arms and reached around her back to unclasp her black satin bra.

As Summer let it slip off of her arms and saw Ryan's eyes focus intently on her breasts, she felt her power as a woman for the first time in her life and this newly discovered power served to fuel her desire even more. Summer leaned down to kiss him and then whispered softly in his ear, "I want you, Chino. Now."

Before she could process what was happening, Summer found herself lying on her back with Ryan holding himself over her. He had neatly flipped her over and pinned her to the bed with his body. Damn, that was sexy, she thought, and maybe just a little bit too practiced. Ryan looked from her eyes to her mouth to her breasts and then back to her eyes. "Say my name," he said huskily before leaning in to kiss her again.

When he pulled back, Summer gazed up at him with unfocused eyes and softly murmured, "Whatever you say, Ryan, whatever you say."

FINIS

AN: Sorry this took so long for me to finish. Thanks to BonnieD for giving me a much needed kick in the pants. I discovered that writing (hopefully) sexy scenes is incredibly difficult. I wrote and re-wrote and then re-wrote again until finally I just had to post what I had because it was driving me crazy. My hat is off to all fanfic writers who can write the sexy stuff and there are several who do it very well, including the talented above-noted ass kicker.