Page 18 of The Summer Intern

As I caught up, I stopped on the dock, panting, and glared at Oliver, my mood souring."This is not what I pictured for my summer of fun and romance.I was thinking more along the lines of, I don't know, a hot, rugged lifeguard stranger rescuing me from the depths of the lake and sweeping me off my feet.Not being eaten alive by nature's tiny vampires."

"Hot, rugged lifeguard, huh?"

I was about to describe my ideal lifeguard when movement a little ways around the lakeshore caught my eye.Squinting against the sun's glare on the water, I spotted two familiar figures lounging at a picnic table."Hey, isn't that Sutton and Ben?"

Oliver followed my gaze."Yeah, looks like.And that's...oh!That's Aiden with them.My new boss.I’d better let him know we got in okay."Before I could ask who the fourth guy was, Oliver was already jogging towards the group."I'm gonna go say hi.Be right back!"

"Wait, what?Oliver!"I called after him, but he was already out of earshot."Don't leave me here alone with these bloodsucking fiends!"

As if on cue, a large butterfly fluttered directly into my face.I yelped, arms flailing as I tried to ward off the deceptively aggressive insect."Oh come on!Even the butterflies are out to get me?"

A deep voice to my left nearly made me jump out of my skin."You know butterflies are harmless, right?"

I whirled around, my heart pounding, and found myself face-to-muscled shoulders with… Holy shit.

He was possibly the hottest guy I'd ever laid eyes on.Shirtless, wearing only a pair of cargo shorts that hung low on his hips, he was leaning over one of the camp’s picnic tables doing something with a wrench.Wrenching?Was that what you called it?That didn't sound right.

My mouth went dry as my eyes traveled over his body.Intricate tattoos adorned his muscular arms, trailing down out of sight over his chest.He stood, turning to face me, and fuck me — were those pierced nipples?I couldn't tear my gaze away from his sculpted abs, the tantalizing v-line disappearing into his shorts, the light dusting of hair on his chest.

"You okay there?"His deep voice jolted me from my trance.

"I, uh..."I stammered, finally, regretfully, dragging my eyes up to his face.Clean-shaven, with a strong jawline, and...wait a minute.The man bun.Those startlingly blue eyes.That familiar quirk of his lips.Matt.

"Holy shit," I blurted out."When did you get so...I mean, where's your...fuck."

Matt's eyebrows shot up, amusement dancing in his eyes."Articulate as ever, I see."

I felt my face burn.Great.Not only was Matt apparently secretly hot as hell, but I'd just made a complete fool of myself.Again.

"Sorry," I managed."I just...wasn't expecting...this."I gestured vaguely at his entire...everything.

Matt's mouth ticked up in a half-smile as he reached out, his hand coming towards my face.I froze, my heart pounding.Was he going to touch me?But his fingers tilted upward, gently sweeping at my bangs.

"Nothing to worry about," he said softly."Little guy just likes your hair."

I blinked, confused, until I saw the delicate butterfly perched on his fingertip.It fluttered its wings before taking off.

"Oh," I breathed, still dazed from Matt's proximity.The scent of pine and sunscreen clung to him, making my head spin."Well, the new lavender color is dead sexy, so I get it."

Matt laughed, a rich, warm sound that made my insides melt."It suits you," he said, his eyes twinkling.

I cleared my throat, desperately grasping for something intelligent to say."So, uh, where'd your beard go?I didn’t recognize you at first.”

"Ah yes, the mysterious vanishing beard," Matt played along, stroking his smooth chin dramatically."I employed an ancient, arcane technique known as...shaving."

I snorted, rolling my eyes."Okay, smartass.But why?I thought the whole rugged mountain man look was your thing."

Matt shrugged, running a hand through his hair."I don’t really intentionally go for a specific look.”

“Oh, come on.You have a man bun!And there's always flannel!It's a cultivated look straight out of an REI catalog.”

Even his smirk was sexier.“Right, well, I'll keep that in mind if I want to take up modeling.It's just about practicality, though.I get itchy to shave the beard when it gets hot out.But now that I know it makes me look less rugged and outdoorsy, maybe I'll grow it back.”

“I didn’t say less rugged.The clean-shaven look is...working for you."

I couldn't decide where to look.My eyes kept darting between Matt's chiseled abs, his strong arms, and those goddamn pierced nipples.Holy shit.What else was pierced?My eyes dropped to his crotch and my imagination ran wild, and from the heat in my cheeks, I was pretty sure I was bright red.

Matt was talking, something about picnic tables, and then he rambled on to donated instruments for the music classroom, but I couldn't process a word.He turned back to the table, tightening a bolt with that clicky type wrench, and I watched, mesmerized, as his muscles flexed and rippled under sun-kissed skin.

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