Flirting with Fire: A Summer Camp Swingers novel

“Hey, it’s me,” I said. “I hope you had a good day. Ours was fun. Allie and the girls came over and spent the day. They’re going to spend the night, too.” I kept my voice deliberately neutral, but Christy would hear the excitement in what I didn’t say.

Allie herself smirked.

I replied with a quick grin and finished the voicemail, “Give me a call when you get this. I love you. Tell Laurie I love her too. Talk to you soon. Bye.”

I ended the call just in time, mere moments before the Jötnar thundered down the stairs. Four girls burst into the kitchen instead of giants. I was tempted to look for Thor behind them, but they wouldn’t understand. I heard my mother’s laughter, yet again, Someday you’ll understand.

I sighed. Maybe Hobbes had meant children instead of life? They too were nasty, brutish, and short.

Emily pulled up short. Lately she’d been paying attention to other people’s thoughts—their expressions, at least—although she dismissed mine in true eleven-year-old fashion.

“Can we watch a movie while we eat our ice cream?”

Susie piped up, “Harry Potter. The one me an’ Carly like.”

“Carly and I,” Madison said.

Emily’s eyes narrowed, but Susie beat her to the punch.

“That’s what I meant,” she replied breezily.

“Then why—?”

“Of course!” Emily said. “It’s out in the pool house.”

“Why can’t they watch it there?” Madison complained. “Then we can watch something grown-up here.”

Emily gave her an “eat shit and die” look.

(My little frog princess was actually a basilisk in disguise. I blamed her uncle Rich. He had an entire repertoire of scathing looks, and he’d probably taught her when I wasn’t around. Yeah, that’s the ticket—it was all Rich’s fault.)

Madison scowled and looked away.

“I’ll go get it,” Emily said. “Come on, Mols.” She and the dog left through the patio door.

Madison looked a question at her mother, who replied with a raised eyebrow, Well, what did you expect?

Spike woofed, and Buck sank to his haunches. They both looked at me, like I was going to explain what had just happened.

“Sorry, guys… humans. Speaking of which—”

Susie panicked and started looking for an escape.

“Ah-ah, not so fast,” I said. “Nice try, though.”

“Ugh! Do I have to?”

“I’m afraid so. It’s your job.”

“But what about our ice cream? It’ll melt.”

“It will if you keep arguing.” I gave her a dad look, with expectant eyebrows and everything.

“Ugh, fine.”

Carly didn’t know what we were talking about, but she understood chore-avoidance when she heard it.

“Can I help?”

“Yeah, I suppose,” Susie sighed. “Come on.”

They headed toward the alcove where we kept the dogs’ food and water bowls. Spike and Buck knew what that meant, and they scrambled to catch up.

Allie gave me a look that was a cross between “aww” and “I want you.”

Madison, of course, picked that moment to speak up. “What should I do?”

Allie blushed, and I had to look away to hide my amusement.

“What?” Madison said uncertainly.

“Why don’t you take the ice cream into the living room,” I replied.

She frowned but went along with it. “Spoons and napkins, too?”

“Yes, please. And maybe some pillows and blankets.” All of my girls were like their mother, who became chilled around bedtime. Emily suffered more than the others, probably because her metabolism was on overdrive the rest of the time.

“You know where everything is,” I added to Madison, who nodded and ran off.

“Dear God,” Allie sighed, “that was close.”

“No kidding. I thought you were gonna jump me.”

“No, that comes later.”

* * *

Allie and I decided to change out of street clothes and into something more comfortable. She met me outside the master bedroom.

“Great minds think alike,” I chuckled.

“Horny ones, for sure.”

She wore a white crochet cover-up that only reached to mid-thigh. She hadn’t worn a bra—her nipples were obvious—and I was fairly sure she was bottomless too.

“Nice,” I said.

“Thank you.” She sized me up. I’d gone for a beach look too, with a white linen shirt and a loose pair of drawstring pants. “You look like the cover of one of my books.”

I snorted a laugh. She edited romances.

“My hair isn’t long enough,” I said, “my jawline isn’t chiseled, and my five o’clock shadow isn’t even a suggestion. Besides, I’m too short.”

“Now who’s obsessing about their body? I happen to like your height, although you’re right about the rest.”

“What? You aren’t supposed to agree,” I laughed.

“Okay. Then I think you look awesome.”

“Much better. Thank you.”

“Especially in this general area.” She gestured at my chest but then glanced lower. “Knowing you… Commando?”

“Of course. And you?”

She gave me a smoldering look and raised the hem of her shirt. Sure enough, she was bare down there. I was about to move in when the walls vibrated with sound from the living room.

“They never let us forget,” Allie sighed, “do they?”

“That we’re parents? Kinda makes you wonder how ours managed it. Without killing us, I mean.”

“Speak for yourself. I was a perfect child.”

“Uh-huh.”

“I was,” she insisted. “I didn’t go wild till later.”