Between nursing his own wounds, getting over the loss of his best friend, and trying to ignore the feelings for Becky that had slowly simmered beneath the surface all this time? He’d stayed the hell away. Maybe he hadn’t been there like his best friend had wanted, but didn’t not going after his girl count for something? Matt sighed as he tossed his phone down on his bedspread and headed for the bathroom. Becky was a graduate student, so since she’d returned home for the holidays, she was probably here on her winter break. That was, what, a couple of weeks? An entire month? The thought of having her so close and not seeing her was eating him up inside.
Matt stripped down to his boxers and after brushing his teeth, collapsed into a heap on his bed. Sleep was the only reprieve he’d had over the past year, and amazingly it usually came easily every night. Grueling workouts and early morning hours on base would do that to a guy. His mom would probably say he was burning the candle at both ends, but his father, a fellow Marine, would understand. Matt shifted in his bed and tried to relax, willing sleep to overtake him. What was usually easy seemed evasive tonight, as thoughts of a brunette with luscious curves and a vanilla scent wafting around her invaded his memories. Becky, he mumbled, before finally falling into a deep sleep.
***
Matt groaned as his alarm went off the next morning, and he fumbled with it for a moment before the incessant beeping stopped. Why had he set it for zero-dark-thirty on a Saturday again? Ugh. He sat up as he tried to shake off his deep slumber and suddenly memories of agreeing to an early morning run with Sam came crashing back to him. Why he agreed to it had him questioning his sanity. Then again, he wasn’t usually out so late the night before. He’d just been in the middle of the best dream, too, kissing a gorgeous woman who tasted of vanilla, his hands tracing the curves of her ass as he pulled her closer and closer….Awww hell. He’d been dreaming about Becky? For fuck’s sake.
He jumped up quicker than he thought possible a moment ago, shaking off the memory of his vivid dream, and walked over to his dresser to grab some running gear. Sam always showed up in shorts, even though it was winter. Being California born-and-bred, Matt was not about to jog around without pants in thirty-degree weather. Just because he was a Marine didn’t make him bat-shit crazy. And maybe a little pounding of the pavement this morning would keep his head on straight and his dick in line. He had no business dreaming about his buddy’s girl, and as soon as he got that shit straight in his head, the better off he’d be.
A few minutes later, Matt climbed into his black Charger, listening to the engine roar to life. It was a sweet ride, and now that he was stateside again and not deployed in the middle of nowhere, he intended to enjoy it all that he could. He’d be here a couple of years on his tour of duty and then probably deployed back to the desert again. Maybe his parents could garage this baby for him while he was gone. Once his twenty years in the Marines were up, he didn’t know what he’d do. His father had stayed in the Marines, eventually becoming a General, but Matt imagined eventually finding a defense contractor job for himself where his life didn’t revolve around PCSing and TDYing all the freaking time. All those companies up in Washington were always looking for former military. Why not him?
Someday, he thought as he backed out of the parking lot of his apartment building and took the road to the edge of town. He revved the engine, enjoying the feel of all that power under his control. He’d have to make sure he didn’t get a speeding ticket zipping around like this. Were cops even out this early? No one should be up at this ungodly hour on a Saturday, he thought with a groan. He’d rushed out so fast he didn’t even eat anything. He sure didn’t have time now, but hell if he hadn’t slept like a baby last night. That more than made up for the growling in his stomach.
Matt pulled into the parking lot down near the park where he and Sam usually ran. A paved trail traced alongside the river, which made it awesome for running most of the year but brutally cold in the winter as the wind blew off the water. He thought back to his early days in the Marines when they’d trained at Camp Pendleton. What he wouldn’t give for some California sunshine right about now.
“Shorts again, man?” Matt asked, eyeing Sam questioningly as he climbed out of his car, which he’d parked right next to Sam’s motorcycle.
“Hell yeah! Only way to do it.”
“That’s not how we West Coasters like it,” Matt ribbed him as the two took off running and fell into a steady rhythm.
“Yeah? You cry like a little girl or something when it’s cold?”
Matt guffawed as they ran along. “Something like that. I’d like to get your ass on a surfboard someday. Then we’ll see who’s laughing.”
“Do I look like a surfer dude to you? Nah, snowboarding is more my style. That’s what we gotta do this winter, man. Hit the slopes.”
“Snowboarding wouldn’t be so bad if it wasn’t for the damn cold.”
Sam laughed. “You are hopeless, Bro.”
Matt shrugged as they ran, the cold wind biting into him. He hadn’t worn nearly as many layers as he liked because he knew his body heat would warm him soon enough. He didn’t want to carry around an extra layer because they’d put in a good ten miles or so. Man if the beginning of their runs weren’t a killer though. His minded drifted back to saying goodnight to Becky last night. He sure as hell was warm enough then, and it had nothing to do with the winter coat he’d had on. Just seeing her had sent blood coursing through his veins. He was used to situational awareness from all his years of military training, always being aware of who and what was around him, but hell. He’d never been as aware of anything—or anyone—as much as Becky. It was enough to drive a man crazy. And he’d…what? Asked for her number last night? I mean, goddamnit, he was doing it for Brody, right? Just making sure she was okay. It had absolutely nothing to do with wanting to see her gazing up at him like she had last night.
“So, are you up for it or what?” Sam asked.
“Sorry, man, wasn’t paying attention. What was that?”
Sam burst out laughing. “I asked if you were up for hitting the town again tonight. I thought we’d head up to DC, maybe check out some bars there or in Arlington. There’s some sweet spots not too far from the Pentagon. Lots of hot chicks.”
“God, I don’t know,” Matt muttered noncommittally. Man, he’d gone out once with the guys from base and now they thought he’d be a regular with them. “Once in a weekend might be enough for me. I’m an old man now,” he joked.
“Shit, if that isn’t true, Beckett. It’s taken us months just to get you into one of the local bars,” he added with a laugh.
“What happened to your lady friend from last night? She’s not up for round two?”
“Oh, hell, she was mighty fine, a real wildcat in bed. But I’m not looking for a relationship right now. She wrote her number in lipstick on my bathroom mirror this morning though. Said to call her if I was ever lonely.”
“So she can go with you up to DC tonight,” Matt joked. “No chance of you being lonely then.”
“No way. That would be too much like a date, and I’m playing the field right now.”
“If you say so.”
“I know so. You haven’t been around women too much lately, have you? Calling them the next day, asking them out—that is a date my friend.”
The two continued running along the water, and Matt inwardly groaned. He was getting too old for those games.
Chapter 6
Becky awoke Sunday morning to the scent of bacon and coffee drifting through the air. She stretched and sleepily glanced around her childhood bedroom. Her parents hadn’t changed anything since she’d left, which felt both comforting and little surreal. I mean, just because she’d loved her fluffy pink pastel comforter and wrought iron twin bed as a teenager didn’t mean she still had the same tastes. A poster of a boy band popular years ago still adorned the walls, for heaven’s sake. Her older sister Melissa had moved out before her, so although Melissa’s room had been converted i
nto a sensible home office, Becky’s remained frozen in time. Maybe she should convince her parents to redecorate it, as long as she was all about moving forward with her life. She could even help while she was here on winter break, she mused.
She stood and stretched, tucking those plans aside for another day, and grabbed a soft robe before padding out to the kitchen. There was nothing like a lazy Sunday morning at home. Her sister was planning to come over to join her and their parents for brunch, although from the sound of the voices coming from the kitchen, everyone was ready except for her. Between her late night out with Jade on Friday and her family’s belated Christmas celebration yesterday, she hadn’t been getting much sleep. It was kind of ironic since she was on her winter break and should be relaxing for a change, not still pulling late nights. Her family had obviously taken pity on her and not woken her up this morning, even though breakfast was ready.
“Morning sleepyhead,” Melissa said as Becky walked into the kitchen. Melissa was dressed to the nines in a killer suit that hugged her curvy figure, and her long red hair was smooth and sleek. She wore towering black heels and looked more like she was headed to a business meeting than a family brunch.
Becky eyed her questioningly. “Morning. You’re in a good mood for this early hour.”
“You know it,” Melissa said. “Amy texted me earlier and said that Michael’s new girlfriend dumped his sorry ass.”
“Serves him right,” their father muttered, flipping pancakes over a griddle.
Melissa’s ex-fiancé Michael had called off their wedding last fall. Although Melissa had been inconsolable for a while, Becky was happy to see that she seemed to be moving on. She was certainly doing better letting go than Becky had, but the situations were entirely different. For a while there, Melissa had expected Michael to change his mind and come crawling back, but Becky secretly doubted that would ever happen. Still, it was nice to see her sister radiantly happy for a change, even if she was simply gloating over her ex’s troubles.
“Oh really?” Becky asked, snagging a piece of bacon from a plate on the table. “How does she know that?”
“Her boyfriend Jason works with him at Quantico.”
“Oh, right, of course. I didn’t think of that. I wonder if Matt knows him.”
“Probably,” Melissa said with a smirk. “Those two jerks are probably best buddies now.”
Becky laughed uncomfortably. “Come on, Brody wouldn’t have been friends with Matt if he was a jerk. I mean, true, we didn’t exactly become best friends, but he’s not that bad.”
“Yeah, he’d probably never call off his own wedding.”
“You’re much better off without Michael,” their mother assured Melissa. “It would have been much worse if you’d gone ahead with the wedding and broken up a year later. Divorce is certainly more difficult than cancelling wedding plans.”
“I suppose,” Melissa said with a shrug. “It serves him right that his new girlfriend broke up with him though. Karma is a bitch.”
“Maybe she was, too,” Becky pointed out with a grin.
Melissa broke into fits of laughter, while her mother eyed both of them disapprovingly. “What?” Becky asked innocently. “I’m just saying it’s a possibility.”
“Be nice, girls,” her mother commented.
“Is that why you’re all dressed up today?” Becky asked. “Celebrating the good news by looking hotter than sin?”
Melissa laughed. “Open house at noon. I’m hoping to impress my clients and make a sale. So let’s get this brunch going, because I need to head out soon to put up some extra signs. And maybe do a teensy-tiny bit of gloating,” she added with a wink.
***
After Melissa headed off to her open house, Becky wandered back to her bedroom. She pulled some clothes from her suitcase, trying to decide what to wear. She hadn’t unpacked yet because after the weekend at her parents’ house, she was planning to crash in Melissa’s guest room for the rest of her trip. It was great being home and all, but she couldn’t imagine spending her entire break under the watchful eye of her parents. They’d already seemed concerned when she arrived home so late Friday night (technically early Saturday morning), so she couldn’t imagine how an entire month home would go. Not that she’d planned a bunch of late nights or anything, but living with Melissa would prove easier than staying with them. And of course she’d be over to visit plenty.
Grabbing her phone from the charger, she realized that she had a missed call and message from a number she didn’t recognize. That’s odd, she thought, checking her voicemail. Most likely it was a wrong number, although it had a California area code, so maybe someone from school had needed to get a hold of her? Hopefully everything was okay. She clicked the button for speakerphone to listen to the message and took off her robe and pajamas, slipping into a bra and panties. She jumped in shock as Matt’s deep voice came over the phone and grabbed her robe to cover herself, which was completely ridiculous, because he’d left her a message and couldn’t actually see her.
Shaking, she picked up her phone and took it off speaker, holding it up to her ear.
“Hi Becky, this is Matt,” his deep voice gruffly ground out. “I thought maybe we could talk sometime this week. I’m headed to Norfolk for a few days, but I’ll be back on Friday.” He cleared his throat. “Give me a call when you get a chance. Let me know if Friday works for you. Bye, Becky.”
The sound of his deep voice saying her name sent heat coiling through her, spiraling down from her stomach right to her very core. God, what was wrong with her? She took a deep breath, collapsing back onto her bed as she held her hands up to her flushed cheeks. Something about the memory of Matt towering over her at her car last night, all muscle, all male, and the sound of his voice over the phone while she stood there in her bra and panties was sending her into some sort of crazed state. She hadn’t felt attracted to anyone in a very long time, and now Matt of all people was the guy she couldn’t get out of her mind? She was certain that last night he’d been about ten seconds away from kissing her. She wondered what it would feel like to have his large hands running over her, cupping and caressing her breasts, trailing lower as they slid over her stomach and reached inside her panties. Which were now completely soaked. Her own hands had absently traced over her body as she imagined Matt touching her. God, what would he think if he knew she was lying here in her underwear thinking about him? How completely embarrassing.
Her own fingers dipped lower in her panties and slowly slipped through her wet folds, lightly caressing until they reached her throbbing clit. She reached up with her other hand, cupping her breast, as she teased and toyed with herself. A moment later she was gasping, gently swirling her fingers over her sensitive bud. Matt would probably slip his thick fingers inside of her, thrusting them in and out. No doubt he knew how to pleasure a woman. He never seemed to be without female attention. She increased the speed of her hand’s motions, bringing herself higher and higher. She imagined Matt touching her, pleasuring her, his large body crawling atop her own, and she detonated, biting her lip to keep from screaming his name.
As she slowly floated back down to earth, a flush settling over her cheeks, she glanced around in a daze. That had been the most intense orgasm she’d had in ages. If just thinking about being with Matt had brought about that response in her, what would the real flesh and blood man do to her? Not that they’d ever spend a night together. He didn’t even like her. But just imagining him pleasuring her might be enough to get her through a few cold nights.
Chapter 7
Matt ducked into the coffee shop on Main Street later that evening. Thank God he’d gotten his run in this morning, because it was sleeting out now. There was no way he’d be out running in this mess, and treadmills weren’t how he liked to get his miles in. He brushed snowy slush off his shoulders, watching the wet stuff fall to the floor. No wonder the coffee shop had a gigantic rubber mat right inside their front door. The weather around here in the winter was all too u
npredictable. It had been sunny and decent—if not cold—earlier in the day. He walked up to the counter noticing that he was alone in the coffee shop, save for an older couple seated at a table, and ordered a large black coffee to-go. His early morning runs didn’t usually bother him, but he hadn’t been sleeping well ever since Becky reappeared in his life Friday night. No, scratch that—he’d slept like a baby once sleep had eventually overtaken him, but he’d tossed and turned for hours before falling asleep the past two nights, his thoughts on Becky.
Imagining her in his bed had nearly driven him crazy with desire last night. How he wanted to lose himself in her for a little while, to let her light and warmth comfort him, make him feel alive. How he wanted to enjoy the pleasure of her body and release the sexual tension that had been building inside of him since he’d bumped into her Friday night. He’d held his thick erection in the shower this morning, his hand a poor substitute for the woman he desired. After he’d come, he was very nearly hard all over again, wanting to have her. And the worst of it? These lust-driven thoughts racing through his mind weren’t anything new—he’d wanted her for years. So he’d run every damn time he’d seen her.
Her Forbidden Marine (Hearts Ablaze: Men in Uniform Book 2) Page 4