Seduction of Summer

Chapter One: Bored with me

"Someone's boring me. I think it's me."

Dylan Thomas.

Rolling over onto my back, I sighed, hoping that lying away from the sun would block it from my eyes. The beginning of the New Year had brought decidedly hot weather to the bay. The over whelming heat had forced many inside, however it wasn't a rarity to see teenagers scattered across the beach sprawled on their backs or stomachs all year round. That's part of the rustic charm of Summer Bay, I thought to myself. Sighing again, I turned the volume on my IPod up, hoping to block out the background noises of perky teenagers and waves crashing erratically on the shore. I concentrated harder on the drums and bass behind the angst written lyrics of Linkin Park, closing my eyes, letting the music engulf me.

Welcome to my life of complete and utter boredom.

Moving here several years ago, when mum decided to marry that good for nothing Rhys Sutherland, Henry and I were taken out of our beloved boarding school, and brought to this place of complete dullness and tediousness. While the characters situated in the Bay grew on me, through some miracle I began to feel as though this place could be my home. However lately, I've felt the complete and utter boredom associated with Summer Bay. I needed something more, something exciting and thrilling, to really feel that rush I was craving.

Feeling a movement beside me, I looked up to see my best friend Cassie shifting onto her belly. Our friendship began on rocky ground, but grew steadily until now, when I feel as though I can trust her with all my secrets. Kinda like how I felt about Henry, but his departure over a year ago left me alone to deal with life. Some brother he is.

Cassie was mouthing something at me, so I took the head phone out of my ear, before saying, "Sorry, I couldn't hear you, what'd you say?"

"I said,' she began, 'What do you feel like doing tonight? Summer holidays don't last forever, so we better enjoy the freedom before hell resumes again" fixing her swimmer strap.

Her reference to the education centre formally known as High School was accurate, as the new Principle taking over for Hyde had introduced new, and rather extreme measures of ensuring our education was completed. Recently, he had developed a slight distaste for Cassie and I, and often found rather obscure reasons to be able to punish us with a multitude of detentions. I was forever thankful that Summer had arrived, taking away the pain of school, even if it was only for a few weeks.

I shrugged at her before I felt a shadow fall across the path of sunlight covering my body. I looked up, not surprised to find the lean figure of my boyfriend Lucas stand infront of me blocking the flow of the precious sunlight tanning my skin. His eyes, the most crystal blue, twinkled as he smiled his oh-so gorgeous smile down at me.

Now that was a sight I would never grow bored of, even if it were simply because of his good looks. Call me shallow or vain if you will… you would be too if he were your man.

Smiling back as I slowly admired him, I asked, "What do you suggest we do on our first night of freedom?"

He turned to look towards another figure with a sly smile on his face. Ric, blocking Cassie's sunlight, shortly smiled back at Lucas, before answering "We thought you girls would be wondering about how we were going to spend the first night away from school. So Lucas and I figured it all out, while you two lovely ladies were wasting away the day laying in the sun."

I pretended to be hurt, before sticking my tongue out at him. He mocked my gesture, before plonking himself down next to Cassie. Lucas followed Ric's action, sitting down next to me, before shoving me lightly, and claiming some of my towel for himself. I pushed him back, before settling myself against him, reveling in the feeling of his skin about mine.

"So,' I asked slowly, "what's this brilliant plan you two males have come up with?"

"Well,' Lucas started 'if we told you, it wouldn't be a surprise now would it?" he finished, wriggling his eyebrows at me. I sighed dramatically, as Cassie spoke.

"So, if you won't tell us, how do we know that we'll be able to go with you?"

"Fear not,' Ric said, as though he were a chivalrous knight "we've cleared everything with your mum' pointing at me, 'and Sally for you. I think it'll be good to give her some alone time with the Pippa's. We've done everything we can, but she just needed to grieve herself now." He finished slowly, slightly overcome with sadness.

We all sat together for some time, thinking about the implications of his last words. Flynn's death had rocked the bay to the core. He had meant a lot to the community, and we all had felt sorry for his death, but none more so than Ric, Cassie and Sally, his family. I'd done all I could during their time of need, being a supportive friend to both Ric and Cassie, however I feared it was Sally who needed the most support, even now, months after the death. Ric and Cassie had begun to move on, but the surprise the boys had in mind would probably be a good thing for everyone, to get our minds off a darker place.

Cassie spoke first, and broke the comfortable silence shared between four friends.

"So do Maddie and I need to do anything? I mean, you haven't even told us what to wear, and lord knows, we need our time to look simply stunning for this surprise."

The boys shared a tiny look of amusement, before Lucas spoke.

"Its semi-formal. Be ready by six. And when I say six, I mean SIX. Get that you two?' he said, looking between Cassie and I, who knew exactly what he was talking about.

So what if we took a while to get ready for dates. Honestly, what girl doesn't?

"Ric and I will take care of everything else." He finished.

And with that, he kissed me quickly on the cheek and stood up, motioning for Ric to do the same. After a quiet word with Cassie, he kissed her softly on the cheek, and looked longingly into her eyes for a few moments, before standing up and pushing Lucas, before half tackling him while they began walking away.

I eyed them, walking together, thinking back to how they quickly became friends when the Holden's moved to the bay. With next to nothing in common, they had become best friends, sharing most things.

Between the two, there was my first love, and my real love.

When Ric had come back to the bay, befriending him came as a natural instinct. He was lost and alone, and I was bored and wanting to find someone to take away the boredom. Ric was, well, he was Ric. Completely unlike any other person I had met. Daring and brave, being with him was exhilarating. But he saw the façade I had placed around myself when I moved to the bay. A shy, quiet, caring girl. He didn't want that. Cassie had arrived and she had been his equivalent. He'd fallen for the mysterious new girl in every possible way.

I couldn't help but think of that kiss we'd share, only momentarily after he had rescued me. It had meant something at the time. We'd both felt it. However I was guilt ridden at betraying Cassie, and had stopped any feeling there and then, and told Ric that it was simply a kiss between friends. He had agreed, and we had gone our separate ways. Them a couple, me a third wheel, until Lucas had come.

Lucas was quiet and unassuming, and so very intriguing. A complete opposite to the bad boy Ric, he wrote constantly in his journal, and never opened up to anyone. Colleen's play, the horror that it was, allowed me to spend time getting to know him which only further deepened by intrigue of him. The kiss changed everything. Sparks shot through my body, and I just wanted to be closer and closer to him. I still feel that need. Only more so.

Being seventeen and hormonal, sex is something that's always on my mind. I'm a female, and yet I admit it willingly. Ric and Cassie have had their tender moment, a few years ago. But Lucas and I? I can't help but wonder if something is holding him back. Sometimes, that adds to the boredom of this place.

All these thoughts filled my mind for some time, however I was pulled out of them by Cassie, shaking me.

"Maddie, we've gotta get ready soon. I have no idea what to wear. And I wanna look good."

"Do you wanna come to mine," I asked. "No one's home, so we can turn the music up full vol, and make a huge mess, and' I said quietly 'give Sally some time."

Cassie nodded absent-mindedly as if she were weighing up the options, the turned to me and smiled. She grabbed my hand and pulled me roughly from the ground.

"What are we waiting for?" She said, laughing.

Two hours, several thousand outfits, and many trials of make-up later, Cassie and I were admiring ourselves infront of the mirror, when we heard a loud knock on the door. "Show time" I grinned at her, as we stepped out of my room and walked into the living room. We were met with two grins, which quickly turned into gobsmacked faces when they saw our outfits.

Cassie, tall and tanned, had opted for a tight white dress, which hugged at her at all the right angles, and flowed to halfway down her thigh. Her hair was curled, in a high ponytail, with small tendrils framing her face, which was highlighted with natural make-up. Cassie definitely pulls off the 'I've just come from the beach but I'm so ready for a night of partying' look.

I had opted for a more 'clubbing' look. Not to be modest, but I looked stunning in my dark denim tight jeans, and black off the shoulder top. Hair out flowing freely, with dark smudged smoky eyes, I was so ready for a party. I was craving for a party. But that's not what the boys had in mind.

Both looking respectable in pinstripe shirts and baggy jeans, Cassie and I were offered kisses on the cheek, and roses, before being led out to Ric's car. Here however, is where the real surprises started. Despite the protests from Cassie and myself that, if they blindfolded us, our make-up and hair would be ruined, they managed to get us blindfolded and placed us in the backseat of the car. As Ric started the car, Lucas told us to be prepared, because we were in for a quite a long trip.

Cassie, ever the caring one, quickly checked with Ric to make sure Sally was okay with this, and asked if he was sure they shouldn't stay at home to take care of her. While their conversation flowed, I sat back into my own thoughts, quietly excited to an extreme about where the boys were actually taking us. For the first time in months, I had no control over where I was going, and what would happen once we got there. The adrenaline was pumping, as I began to think about the many places they could be taking us to, what could actually occur once we got there. Images of Luke and myself threaded themselves into my thoughts, and suddenly I was thinking of everything that I wanted to do with him, even better yet, what I wanted him to do to me. It seemed as if the boredom with the Bay, and even with myself was about to end, I thought, smiling to myself, and settling in for a long drive.

Finally, around an hour and a half later, I heard Ric slow down, and turn the car off. Two doors slammed, before another two opened. Cassie and I were led out, and I could hear naught but some rustling leaves in trees. Sighing, I imagined a serene setting, where Luke and I would sit and watch the stars, before he held me, and told me how much he loved me, and then… well… you get the idea.

Instead, as the blindfold was removed, Cassie and I were both shell shocked to the core.

"CAMPING!" We both screamed at once.

Fits of laughter were heard coming from the boys, who thought themselves unbelievably funny. However when they both noticed the icy glares being shot at them, the abruptly stopped, and walked towards us.

"Awww baby,' Ric said to Cassie, pulling her close, while she resisted 'I thought it'd be good to get out of the bay for a few days. We both need the time away, and this way, we get to spend a couple of nights by ourselves, with just the bush and…." He trailed off, looking suggestively at her. Cassie's resolve melted under this look, and I wondered how she could even begin to forgive him for pulling such a stunt.

A well-timed cough came from Luke's direction, as he smiled all knowingly at them. "I'll just get Maddie's stuff then, and we'll be off to our tent, and leave you two love birds alone then" he smiled and pulled a bag out of the trunk.

"Yea, cya" Ric said distractedly before pulling Cassie closer towards him.

Luke tried to grab my arm, but I was still fuming at him, so I walked ahead in the direction he had pointed, ignoring his sigh.

I was angry. I mean, I'm a city girl. Not a country or bush girl. I can't survive out here. Deciding to let Luke know this as soon as we were out of earshot, I stopped rapidly and spun to face him. Not anticipating this, Luke almost bowled me over, but luckily caught me in his arms, pulling me into a standing position, our bodies only inches away from one another. Feeling the body heat radiating almost made me forget how angry I was with him.

Almost.

"Camping Luke?" I whispered harshly, "Camping? Honestly, what on earth were you thinking? The number of times I've told you that I HATE the bush since we've been together. The number of times I've complained about the Bay because it doesn't have its own shopping mall. The number of times I've told you about how much I can't wait for University, because together we could move to the city. Whose bright idea was camping, anyway? Bet it was Ric's, because he knew Cassie would warm up to the idea quicker, because they would get alone time to do their dirty deeds." I finished dramatically, feeling all the anger subside after the final sentence. I was simply jealous. I wanted more. And Luke needed to know that this is how I'm feeling.

Luke was studying my face intently, as if to analyse whether my outburst was finally over. Under his controlled scrutiny I felt myself begin to blush. Over the year, I had often wondered what it would be like to see myself through his eyes. He always watched me as if I was the only person in the world, and when we were alone, this feeling multiplied. The tension built, until I did the only thing to break it. I lunged at him, my mouth connecting forcefully with his. Wrapping my arms around his neck, playing with the hair at its base, I felt Luke strengthen his grip around my hips, and pull me as close to him as possible, as if trying to mold our bodies into one. I ran my tongue over his lips, asking for more access. His response? He himself deepened the kiss, his tongue sliding into my mouth. We dueled with our tongue's, neither of us willing to give in.

Over the year, this war had raged on and on. Numerous battles were won on both sides, however the war would continue until one of us finally gave in to temptations.

And at this stage in my life, temptation was knocking on my door.

Deciding that, now was a better time than any to push things further along, I wriggled in his arms, pushing all the most sensual parts of my anatomy against Luke's most sensitive. In doing so, I was rewarded when a small grown escaped his lips. Trying once more, I felt Luke break the kiss, and step away, looking me deep in the eyes.

How long we stared at each other, I know not.

He was summing up the full consequences of my actions in his head, making pro and con lists automatically, taking into consideration we were miles away from any parental supervision, and meters away from any other living soul.

I was looking at the way his hair was all messy from where my hands had been, how utterly sexy his 'just kissed' lips are, and imagining the feel of his body against mine. Trying to keep myself under control, I closed my eyes and took a few calm breaths before opening them again, not trusting myself to jump Luke right there and then.

Luke took my hand slowly, and led me over to the tent that had been set up earlier that day. Inside were two sleeping bags, two pillows, and two bags that looked to be packed with clothing that would last us a good few days.

I took the bags as a good sign, that, even if Luke was a bit reluctant to begin with, I had some amount of time to work with it, as it looked as if we were going to be there for a couple of days. I moved towards him, to begin the kissing again, but he stopped me at arms length and asked me quietly "What's going on Tilly?"

Damn.

He called me Tilly. Luke only calls me Tilly when he's being serious. Okay so he's serious a lot of the time. But he picked up on this. Exhaling, I take his hand in mine.

"It's complicated Luke. And long. And more than a couple of minutes worth of discussing.' I said, pausing here for dramatic effect, before deciding to change tactics. 'I think what I need right now, is a nice massage from my ever so sweet and adorable boyfriend, and a good nights sleep." I trailed off, pulling him gently into the tent and giving him a light kiss, before lying down and motioning for him to begin his work. His gentle frown changed to a small smile as he began to work his arms along my tense back.

Biting back small moans of pleasure that were threatening, I resigned to the fact this was simply spending quiet time with my boyfriend.

Oh how I wish things would change.

Little did I know, the wheels were already in motion.

AN: Sorry for any grammer/spelling errors, I spell check and double spell check, but they still happen. I'm jinxed with the bad speller curse.