Her Forbidden Marine (Hearts Ablaze: Men in Uniform Book 2)

by Jameison, Makenna

  “Right. I’m lucky if I can figure out that much. Next time we’re meeting up with the other teachers for happy hour. We’ll bore you to tears with discussions of children’s books and kids’ cartoons.”

  “What do you teach?” Matt asked curiously.

  “Preschool. I can tell you more than you ever wanted to know about Dora the Explorer, Jake the Pirate….”

  Matt grinned despite himself, a memory from his childhood prodding at him. “Whatever happened to good old Sesame Street?”

  “Cable TV. A million channels, and a million different kids’ shows. You’ll see.”

  “That’s highly doubtful with my recent track record with women, ma’am.”

  “What do you mean? We just saw Blondie over there hitting on you,” Jason said, throwing a glance in her direction. The chick actually waved at him, and he chuckled.

  “Looks like she’s moved on to you,” Matt replied. “My loss.”

  Jason protectively wrapped his arm around Amy’s shoulders, and Matt watched as she relaxed comfortably into him. “I’m definitely unavailable. She’s just the type that’ll go after anything in a uniform.”

  “I know those all too well,” Matt agreed. He’d enjoyed the female attention when he was younger and attracting the co-eds at bars back in California. He’d go home with a pretty young thing every weekend—same as the rest of the guys. And during R&R? It had always been ‘the more women, the better’ as far as he and his buddies were concerned. They’d practically been a bunch of horny teenagers back then, let loose on all the available—and completely willing—college women. But he sure as hell wasn’t going back to that lifestyle now.

  “You guys are terrible,” Amy commented. “But if you really are looking to meet someone, Matt, I’ve got some single teacher friends. Maybe I could set you up sometime.”

  “Oh,” Matt replied, taken off guard. “Sure. Uh, maybe.”

  Amy laughed. “Don’t be overly enthusiastic. I won’t set you up unless you want me to. Jason said you just moved here, so I just thought you might want to meet someone new.”

  “Fair enough,” Matt replied easily.

  “Shall we make our way over to the bar?” Jason asked, eyeing the crowd surrounding the large, three-sided bar that took up almost half of the restaurant. Matt had to fight through hoards of people earlier to grab a beer, and if anything, it had grown even more crowded in the past ten minutes. Maybe he should’ve just grabbed a six-pack after he left base and headed home, he thought. But no, this was the new him, getting out and being all social on the weekends. Even if he wasn’t looking to meet a new woman, a few steps in the right direction couldn’t hurt. He’d have a couple of drinks with his buddies, check out the nightlife in his temporary hometown. The other single guys could have the ladies, but it wouldn’t hurt to look and not touch.

  “Yes, let’s grab a drink,” Amy said, slipping her hand into Jason’s. “This place is packed.”

  Matt watched the simple gesture and thought once again just how far away he was from having a serious relationship. Hell, it had been too long since he’d even been with a woman. “I could go for another beer,” he finally said.

  “That’s the spirit,” Jason replied, guiding Amy toward the bar. He glanced back over his shoulder at Matt. “I’ll even buy this round.”

  Chapter 3

  Becky walked into the crowded restaurant and scanned the warmly lit room, looking for Jade. It would be tough to spot her even if she had arrived on time for once—people were packed five-deep at the sleek bar, every table was full, and it was hard to even hear herself think over the thumping of music coursing through the speakers and loud conversations being carried on around her. She brushed a hand through her long brown hair, trying to smooth out the wind-blown look of it, and sighed. She’d only been back in her hometown for an hour, and already the place seemed suffocating. Catching a flight back to California was sounding better and better with every passing minute. She could be back in her apartment by morning, safe in her own bed—and her family and friends would be furious.

  No, it was for the best that she’d finally come home. She’d come straight from the airport to meet Jade after she’d picked up her rental car, not even stopping by her parents’ house first. She’d be spending most of her winter break with them, but she figured a night out first was well-deserved. The semester was over, it was the holiday season. Why not live it up a little as long as she was here? And let’s face it—sometimes a girl just needed her best friend.

  Was that someone from her high school waving at her from across the bar? Becky hesitantly waved back at the gorgeous blonde, eventually recognizing her as a girl who’d been a year ahead of her at her alma mater. She certainly was done up tonight, with tons of makeup and a tight red dress that was certain to attract lots of attention from the opposite sex. Becky glanced down at her own dark skinny jeans, sparkly camisole, and sweater. Pretty Plain Jane compared to what’s-her-name. What was her name? Callie? Hallie? Not that she kept in touch with many people aside from Jade. What was the point, really? College was over; high school was long over, and she was finishing her Ph.D. Yet somehow it didn’t matter that she was twenty-five years old, had been on her own for years, and had a burgeoning career that she was proud of. A couple of hours back in town and she felt like an insecure teenager all over again.

  Callie/Hallie was gesturing for her to come over and sit with them, but Becky waved her off. She wasn’t about to sit there and stroll down memory lane. She’d find Jade, have a few drinks, and then finally head over to her parents’ house. Hopefully they weren’t waiting up, but her mom had seemed understanding that Becky wanted to catch up with her best friend before coming home when they’d spoken on the phone earlier in the week about her plans. And despite her reluctance to return to her hometown, it would be good to see her family.

  “There you are!” a female voice suddenly rang out. Becky turned and saw blonde hair swinging through the air as her best friend, Jade, swooped in for a hug.

  “Jade! God, you look amazing!”

  Jade had obviously changed after work, as she was now dressed to kill in a slinky black dress and red stilettos. How on earth did she walk around in the snow in those things? And furthermore, why hadn’t Jade warned her that she was getting dressed to the nines tonight? She looked like a woman on the prowl, not someone who was just here to catch up with her best friend over a drink. Then again, Tap Room was about a million times trendier than it had been during her college days. She’d spent plenty of nights here on summer vacation and never gave a second thought to what she had on.

  “Thanks hun! I had to run home and change after a day at the salon. There was no way I was coloring and styling hair all day long in stilettos. You look pretty fab yourself.”

  “I look a little underdressed. Since when did this place become so trendy? I can’t believe how packed it is.”

  Jade laughed, throwing her dirty blonde hair back. “Trendy? You’ve obviously been leading the collegiate life for too long. Have you been slumming with the undergrads and attending frat parties or something?”

  “Right,” Becky said with a laugh. “Because every doctoral student loves to hang out with a bunch of horny eighteen-year-olds. It just looks different than I remembered. The rest of town is exactly the same.”

  “Yeah, they remodeled it last December….” Her voice trailed off, and Becky knew she was remembering what else had happened last year—namely that her fiancé had been killed in a roadside ambush and nothing had been the same ever since. Becky hadn’t come home for Christmas last year. But why dwell on the sadness of the past? She was here to actually move on and live her life. If that included returning home and facing family and friends who knew her sad story, then so be it.

  “It’s okay,” Becky said softly. “It’s not like I suddenly forgot everything that happened and you bringing it up reminded me,” she said with a shrug.

  “I’m sorry, hun. I’m just so glad you’re here! I wish I
’d known sooner that you’d be home this year. My family already booked that week-long ski trip, but I’m so glad we have a couple days to hang out first. And I’ll be back next weekend. You’re coming to my party right?”

  “Wouldn’t miss it. And I know, I wasn’t sure if I’d want to come home or not. But the semester was over, and I hadn’t been back since the accident, so here I am.”

  “What happened to that guy you were dating?”

  “Oh, God, didn’t I tell you? That fizzled out by our third date.”

  “That bad, huh?”

  “No chemistry. As in zero, zilch.”

  Jade grimaced and then flashed Becky a smile. “No worries. There are plenty of attractive men here tonight. Maybe you can find a tall, dark, and handsome stranger to take your mind off of the no-chemistry college boy.”

  Amy laughed. “He was a doctoral student like me. And he was a perfectly nice guy, there just wasn’t a spark. Anyway, want to grab a drink? I need one after that long flight.”

  “Definitely. And as a bonus, one of the bartenders that works here is super hot.”

  Becky laughed as the girls moved forward, dodging waitresses making their way to the tables and happy hour revelers animatedly talking. It felt good to be here with her friend, even if she wasn’t exactly looking to meet someone. It almost felt like old times. A male pair of eyes watched her as they passed a full table and Becky flushed despite herself. How long had it been since she’d really looked at another man? The ill-fated dates with her fellow student earlier this year barely counted, that was for sure.

  “Ohhh, a table is opening up!” Jade said, grasping her elbow. “Get me a martini, okay? I’m going to snag us a seat.”

  Becky watched as Jade hurried off, nearly bumping into a Marine of the tall, dark, and handsome variety. He was still in uniform, undoubtedly stationed at nearby Quantico. Becky watched as he walked after Jade, apparently seeing something he liked. No doubt Jade would love that. Becky sighed, turning back toward the bar. Nothing like having guys all over town to remind her of—humph!

  She collided into the very solid, very muscular chest of someone male. His warmth and masculine scent enveloped her, all clean soap, spice, and something else distinctively male. Her hands flew to his chest as she regained her balance, feeling the wall of solid muscle beneath his shirt. Warmth surged through her at their closeness, bringing alive feelings of attraction that she hadn’t felt in a long time. This man towered above her, but for some reason she felt nothing but safe and secure as her body pressed up intimately against his. An odd sense of déjà vu washed over her at their close encounter, and startled, she looked up. Her eyes traced over a strong jaw, five-o-clock shadow, chiseled features, and finally met a pair of dark brown eyes that looked completely stunned to see her. They narrowed slightly as Brody’s best friend, Matt Beckett, quickly jumped back from her like he’d been burned. Becky stared at him in confusion—both in disbelief at seeing him here and because of the abrupt way he’d immediately pulled away.

  “Becky,” he ground out, his voice gruff and deep. He held himself stiffly, his large frame taught and tense as if he were ready to bolt at any moment. His jaw ticked as he gazed down at her. If he was any more wound up, Becky thought, he’d probably implode right here in the middle of the restaurant.

  “Matt?” she asked in disbelief as her heart pounded in her chest. “What—what are you doing here?” She looked around confusedly, as if the people around them would somehow explain Matt’s appearance on the other side of the country, here in her hometown. Was he here to see her? Impossible. In the past, they’d barely spoken when they were in the same room together. And if he wanted to talk about Brody, calling her when they were both in California would have been more logical than flying all the way across the country. But what were the chances…?

  “I’m stationed at Quantico now,” he said briefly, without a trace of warmth.

  God, was Matt always this big and intimidating? The man was made of nothing but solid muscle and towered over her much smaller frame. She could feel the warmth and heat radiating off of him, even from here, and could still smell the spicy cologne he had on. Both shock at seeing him and an unexpected attraction to his pure masculinity competed within her. She wanted to step closer, to soak in all that warmth and strength. To go back to a moment ago when her hands were on his chest and his heart was beating beneath her fingertips. But that was completely crazy. Matt was Brody’s buddy, and he sure had never been friendly toward her. True, when she’d seen Matt at the funeral, he’d been just about the only thing keeping her from completely shattering apart. But aside from that one moment where he’d let a softer side show, he was always polite but cool around her. Since those guys were deployed half the time, it hadn’t mattered that she and Matt had barely gotten to know one another. She’d always been glad Brody had a close friend for their long deployments. If she and Matt weren’t going to be friends, too, so be it. She certainly hadn’t needed his blessing to date Brody.

  “Quantico. Right. Well, I’m home for the holidays….” She trailed off. His deep chocolate brown eyes were hard as they studied her and seemed full of secrets—secrets that he would never tell her, of course. Why he’d never liked her, what had happened during the ambush, how a man so cool and calm could be best friends with the more easygoing Brody.

  “That’s right, you’re from Virginia. How’ve you been?” he asked. His jaw ticked, as if he wanted to say something more, and his dark eyes gave nothing away. In about ten more second he’d be giving her the brush-off. Just like he always did.

  “Oh, uh, fine,” she finally replied. Well, wasn’t she articulate today? They both knew she hadn’t been fine, would never be “fine” again in a certain sense. Maybe he wouldn’t be either.

  “It’s good to see you,” he finally said in a low voice, not moving as he stared down at her. Matt was standing so rigidly in front of her, it was hard to believe he meant that at all. He’s lost someone, too, Becky reminded herself. He saw Brody die right in front of him.

  “Right, you too,” she replied softly.

  “Hey, Beckett, what’s up?” a burly guy in uniform called out in a deep voice, walking up to them. The man was as tall as Matt, well over six feet, but darker-skinned and even more muscular, if that was possible. He had a huge smile on his face and grinned as he looked back and forth between Becky and Matt. “You picking up chicks, or what?” he asked, winking at Becky.

  “No, we’re just—” Becky started but cut herself off. What were they, anyway? Certainly not friends. Not really.

  “You probably need to get back to your friends,” Matt said, effectively ending their brief encounter.

  Becky hesitated as she looked at him, confusion and hurt flashing through her eyes. Well, why would he want to catch up with her anyway now that his own friend was here? And besides, it was Friday night. They were here to pick up some women, as evidenced by his friend’s comment. Who was she to stand around cramping their style?

  “Right, I should go,” Becky said hurriedly. “My friend got a table already.”

  “Right,” Matt replied, his voice deep. “See you around.”

  “See you,” she said, turning around and quickly walking toward Jade, feeling slightly flustered. Well, that was that. She’d said goodbye to Brody last year and said goodbye to his best friend tonight. She’d always imagined if she and Matt had talked, she’d gain a small sense of closure over what had happened. Maybe he had heard Brody’s last words or could tell her something, anything, that could bring her some semblance of peace. To make her feel like it was okay to move on and leave that part of her life behind. All he’d given her tonight was the brush-off.

  She was halfway to Jade when she realized she still hadn’t gotten their drinks.

  Chapter 4

  “Dude, that was harsh!” Lieutenant Sam Chapman said, eyeing Matt like he was crazy. “Why’d you blow her off like that?”

  “I didn’t—I don’t know,” Matt said gruf
fly, shaking his head. He’d completely frozen up when she’d bumped into him—her soft curves brushing up against his body, those full breasts pressing into his chest. He was hard in all the places she was soft, and hell—her body had molded so perfectly to his. If that wasn’t enough, her sweet vanilla scent had overwhelmed him. He’d always had a hard time concentrating when she was around, just being in the same room together. But with her that close, pressed against his body, practically in his arms? It was like a fire had ignited inside of him, and it was all he could do to restrain himself from pulling her tightly against his chest and never letting go.

  His mind flashed back to Brody’s funeral last year. He’d held Becky close, then—the one and only time he’d dared to touch her. She’d practically collapsed in a fit of tears during the service. He’d pulled her close, his own heart tearing apart from the pain of losing his friend and from watching the woman he’d been slowly falling for suffer as well. The feelings were unrequited though—they were feelings she’d never return and ones he had no business having in the first place. But how the hell was he supposed to know that all those years ago when he and Brody had spotted Becky and her friends at a California bar that she’d pick Brody? He wasn’t quick enough to talk to her first, so Brody had. Brody had flirted with her, and she’d flirted right back. It’s not like he expected for them to eventually fall in love or for him to slowly, yet surely, fall as well.

  Becky would never know. He kept his distance to keep himself in check and they’d all managed just fine. Her showing up in the town of his new assignment didn’t change that. Sure, maybe it made things a little more difficult for the moment, but it’s not like he was required to spend time with her. Maybe they’d see each other around, maybe they wouldn’t. She’d eventually go back to California and that was that. Problem solved.

  “Whatever, man,” Sam said with a laugh. “If she’s not your type, maybe I can go buy her a drink. Nurse her wounds a little after the cold shoulder you gave her,” he added with a grin.