Free Meant for You by Samantha Chase

her voice, Maylene perked up and rose from her bed on the floor. With a quick shake and stretch, she jumped up beside Summer and began to bounce around her. “I wish I had her energy.”
    Ethan chuckled. “Don’t we all.” He thought it would be awkward, the whole morning-after thing, but as Summer rose gloriously naked from the bed, it seemed like the most natural thing in the world. “Let me,” he said and walked over to get the dog’s leash and got her hooked up. “We’ll be right back.” Honestly, the last thing he needed to be doing was taking her dog for a walk; he needed to leave and get to the airport. So what was he doing this for?
    â€œBecause you’re trying to drag out the inevitable,” he muttered to himself once outside the tepee. He knew he had to leave; he just didn’t want to.
    The dog skipped along the grounds, happy to be outside. Ethan wished he felt that way. The weather was a little cooler than he’d expected, and Ethan was glad for his jacket. When the dog needed to stop and sniff practically every blade of grass, Ethan grew impatient. “Let’s go, dog,” he said firmly, and then could have kicked himself when her big, sad eyes looked back at him. “Sorry.”
    He was seriously losing it. He was a man’s man; he did extreme sports, for crying out loud, and here he was apologizing to a five-pound dog because he wanted to go back inside a tepee where it was warm.
    Yup, seriously losing it.
    Finally, the dog did what she had to do and, with a jaunty little hop, headed back in the direction of her waiting mistress. Ethan knew exactly how she felt; he wanted to be back there too.
    Summer was waiting for them in bed. She got up to fill the dog bowl, and once Maylene was off her leash and happily eating, Summer turned her attention to Ethan. “Thank you for taking her out. You didn’t have to.”
    â€œI was dressed,” he said, taking a step closer to her.
    â€œWell, it was very sweet of you and I appreciate it.” As she stepped closer, Summer wrapped her arms around Ethan’s shoulders and smiled up into his face. “Good morning,” she said softly.
    â€œGood morning,” he responded right before lowering his head to hers and kissing her the way he had been aching to do. In the back of his mind, Ethan knew it was wrong; it would have been better to make a clean break and not indulge in this again. The night was over and so was…everything. He needed to leave, to take the memory of last night and be thankful they had it. But her lips were so soft, her body so yielding…
    Summer was the one who pulled back first. “If we keep this up, you’ll miss your flight.”
    His gaze was intense as he looked down at her. “I’m the only passenger. They’ll wait.” Wait…what was he saying? What was he doing? For crying out loud, she was giving him the nudge he needed and he wasn’t taking it. Get it together, Reed! he chided himself. With a growl, his hands reached up and anchored themselves in her long, blond hair and tightened their grip as he gave her one last fierce kiss. It wasn’t fair. In a perfect world, this kiss would signify a temporary good-bye. He’d see her again, be able to make love to her again as soon as he got back from Denali.
    But this? This was a last kiss. One that signified an ending. They wouldn’t get another chance. There would be no reunion when he got back. Pouring everything he had into it, Ethan heard Summer whimper with her own need. If she asked him not to go, if she simply asked him to stay, Ethan was certain he’d cave. The plane would leave later, and he would have another couple of hours with her to get him through a lifetime.
    But she didn’t ask.
    When he lifted his head, their breathing was ragged. Summer’s eyes were glazed with passion, and he was sorely tempted to scoop her up into his arms, walk