Off Base(45)

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“A sober Cullen never would have—”

He laughed roughly. “Oh, you’re going to blame what happened on the alcohol?” He snorted, draping his wrists over his knees. “That’s original, Huntley. The beer lowered my inhibitions? Really? I wouldn’t have touched you otherwise?” He rubbed at his lips, tasting her there. “You go ahead and tell yourself that if it makes you feel better.”

Her chest lifted on a sharp inhale, her full breasts pressing against the cotton of her blouse, and he suddenly regretted that he had not gotten her naked while he had the chance. He could have satisfied his curiosity after all these years.

It had always been there, buried beneath the surface. Sure, he treated her like she was one of the guys. Just another pal. It was the only way a friendship between them could work. But tonight he had crossed the line. It wasn’t irreparable, however. They hadn’t f*cked. Not even when she had quivered under him in surrender, her tight heat milking his fingers, her soft little sounds driving him wild and inviting him to take her.

He had stopped even though it killed him. Even though he had wanted to drive deep inside her until he couldn’t remember his own name. Until he forgot the guilt eating at him.

This was salvageable. He could forget what they had done, the way she felt. The way she tasted … like honey and butter on his tongue.

“What am I supposed to think, Cullen?” she demanded. “This was a difficult night for you. I was a welcome distraction. And combined with alcohol …” She shook her head, her mane of dark blonde hair tossing around her shoulders. “It explains a lot about what happened between us.”

He resisted insisting what happened between them had been coming from day one. Ever since Beck demanded he come and meet his sister and help her move in. He was screwed the minute she stepped outside her house. Dressed in blue jeans and a Georgia State University sweatshirt, she was your squeaky-clean girl next door. Her long blonde ponytail bounced as she jogged down the steps to greet them. He had hesitated behind Beck, taking in her makeup-free face.

When she turned those blue eyes on him he felt like someone punched him in the gut. She was sweet and innocent. A regular Girl Scout and yet all he could think about was getting her on all fours and taking her hard and fast and dirty. He was one sick bastard. His first glance at his friend’s sister and he wanted to ruin her, and tonight he had finally come close to doing that.

It dawned on him that she was giving him a way out. An excuse to pardon tonight’s actions. They could get beyond the fact that he had felt her up like she was some girl in the backseat of his high school Bronco and pretend this never happened.

A horn honked outside.

She bolted for the door. “I’ll see you at the ceremony tomorrow.”

He lunged after her, stalling her at the door with a hand on her arm. “I’ll walk you out.”

She opened her mouth like she wanted to protest, but he didn’t stick around to hear it. He opened the door and strode outside, heedless that he was barefoot. He released a sigh of relief at the sight of the driver. A harried-looking woman, not a day younger than sixty, sat behind the wheel. She jerked her chin at him in greeting.

He opened the door for Huntley, feeling safer knowing she was in the cab with the older female rather than some strange man.

She paused before ducking in. “See you tomorrow?”

He nodded. “Sure. Tomorrow. Thanks for babysitting me.”

She averted her gaze, nodding. “No problem. That’s what I’m here for.”

That’s what I’m here for. To babysit him? He swallowed a growl. She probably wasn’t talking about letting him feel her up.

His gaze crawled over her face and hot color suffused her cheeks. He knew she was remembering it all in that moment. His mouth on her, his fingers. His dick stirred. Hell. How were things ever supposed to go back to normal between them now when all he wanted to do was follow through on where his mouth and fingers had been?

Because there was no other choice. They were friends and he needed to make sure they stayed that way.

“See you tomorrow.” He nodded.

She slammed the door shut behind her and the car pulled away from the curb. He watched the taillights fade down the street and turn the corner.

He stared, peering unseeingly into the night for several moments before returning inside to his empty house. Empty bed.

Pulling the sheets up to his waist, he closed his eyes and tried to pretend like he couldn’t still smell her all around him. When he took himself in hand and started stroking, he told himself it was a simple release he was after and it had nothing to do with her specifically. He clung to that lie until the moment he climaxed and it was only her face in his mind.





Chapter Five




Huntley picked up Beck and took him to an early dinner. It was good to have a little time alone together. Even if it was hard to meet his gaze after last night, knowing what she had done with his best friend, knowing what she had allowed his best friend to do to her. Allowed? Hell, she had reveled in it.

“Mom wants you to come home,” he announced over his burger. “And everyone else does too.”

She nodded, finishing her juice in a long sip. “I know.”

And by everyone he meant everyone. They had aunts, uncles and cousins by the truckloads. Everyone also meant Jackson. Her ex kept up with her online and via text. He liked to call her between his breakups and remind her that once upon a time they had planned to spend their futures together and that even though he dumped her she was still in the running for his future wife. His coaxing voice had the opposite effect on her, however. A future with him meant she had to fit into his idea of what she should be. Jackson loved her as long as she placed him at the center of the universe. He never wanted her to work. He expected her to put him before everything and everyone.