Liam
She smiled. She smiled and I knew right in that moment that I would do anything to keep it on her face. Pines might be up in heaven cursing my name, but I was down here on earth looking at a perfect little angel right in front of me that he had kept a secret. I get it. I'm not exactly the guy you want to introduce your sister to, but he had to know that once I got a look at her, I'd be gone. Bro code would be violated big time.
"You don't have to come with me. I'm sure there are people you want to see and stuff you need to take care of too." Her smile faltered for a minute, but she pulled it together again.
"Not a chance. All I need to do is get out of these Blues before I melt. After that, I'm all yours. I'll see my family when we get back from California," or whenever. I'd have the rest of my life to see them. Juliet was like a nervous kitten. If I didn't gain her trust, she would run right back out of my life. I already knew that she wouldn't be a quick dip situation. Of course I was thinking of her in that way too, how could I not? She was gorgeous and I just got home from being overseas. She was one of those girls that you knew turned heads everywhere she went, but had no idea the effect she was having on the men around her. I just didn't want her to be anything quick. I could tell once I got even a little taste, I'd be lost to an addiction of her.
She seemed unsure at first, shifting around in her heels and looking into my eyes before making any decision. "You'd do that for me? I wouldn't be able to repay you."
"You don't need to repay me. Pines was a good friend of mine. He'd do it for me." I immediately thought of him meeting my sister and instantly understood why he'd kept our two worlds separated. Pines and I were great wingmen for each other. There wasn't a girl in a bar we couldn't eventually get to come home with us. From town to town as we were drug across the states for boot camp, school and finally our permanent duty station, we managed to hit the bars and have a lot of good old-fashioned fun. We were Marines after all.
"I guess I just need to go back to my house and explain it all to my mom." Her lip tucked back under her teeth as she worried it between them.
"Is the entire pack of mourners going to your house?" I asked, feeling her dread from where I was standing. I hated that part of death. When you lost someone you loved, but then had to spend the raw hours after the funeral comforting strangers and acquaintances. I always wanted everyone to go the fuck home.
"I think so." She sighed and shook her head. "I want them all to go home." We were going to get along just fine.
"Look, I'm with Garver and a few other Marines, but I can tell them I'm catching a ride with someone. We can go sit somewhere and let the crowd have time to leave. If you don't mind your mom being there without you." I offered.
"My mom knows this isn't my thing. She loves when people pull together to support you—that's all her, not me. I took my own car here so that I wouldn't be trapped. She probably isn't expecting me until later tonight anyway." She reached inside her bra in a move that completely captured my attention. Her small fingers slid along the smooth skin of her breast as it spilled slightly from the neckline of her blue dress. She hadn't meant for it to be sexy, but the heat of the Texas sun and the tension building between us made the energy snap and crackle. When her fingers emerged from the place my dreams in the future would be built upon, she dangled a small key fob in front of me.
"Is there anything else in there I should see?" I teased.
"Pervert. Seven letter word." She smirked, dropping her hand and putting it on her hip.
"No, sweetheart. Lust and male only have four each. Where are you parked? I'll meet you there if the guys don't try to remove my dick for even thinking I'm getting in a car and going anywhere with Pines' younger sister." I adjusted my cover, lifting it slightly and letting in fresh air. It wasn't much cooler, but at least there was a little relief.
"I'm in the parking lot behind the chapel. White Toyota." She grinned and pointed to the small chapel in the distance. Between us and the lot there were at least three small hills and forty or so grave markers. I couldn't chance her tumbling again. The last time nearly gave me a heart attack. I extended an elbow and she took it. It was a tradition not all females were familiar with, but anyone who had known a Marine would know it was the proper way of walking a woman somewhere while in uniform.
"I don't want you falling again. I'll walk you to the driveway and then meet you back over there if I'm still able to walk after giving the boys a heads-up." Her body brushed up against mine as we started walking and my skin heated where we touched. Pines was smart. I wasn't going to be able to think around his sister, let alone fight the urge to feel her against me. If she was really against getting to know a Marine, this road trip was going to be a lesson in torture. At the end of the day, I'd do anything for a fellow Marine, even if that meant keeping my hands to myself and making sure his tags got to his father.
When we finally reached the road, I could see Garver standing with the other Marines as they smoked. Unlike them, he had his arms folded across his chest and was staring at me as I escorted Juliet to the edge of the grass. I kept my eyes on him as I told her, "I'll see you in just a minute." Garver took a step in my direction. I dropped my eyes back to hers, "Go now, before you hear any of this." I smiled and she returned it. Before she stepped into the road she looked down the way towards Garver and offered a small wave.
I took a big deep breath and headed over to where they were standing. "Don't be an asshole," Garver said immediately. "We are leaving here right now. We're going back to the hotel, packing our trash and leaving this town. Don't do that to her. I won't fucking wait for you if that's your plan. She's grieving you asshole. If you think your dick can fix that, you're either stupid or a fucking narcissist." He was pissed, and instead of it making me mad, I appreciated it. I knew that he'd be acting the same way if this was my funeral and some other jarhead was trying to move in on my sister. Only I wasn't trying to have sex with Juliet. I was helping her do something for Pines. Now, if we found each other irresistible along the way—I wasn't going to share that thought with Garver.
"I get it. You're protecting his sister. You don't have to. We're both adults. Pines was my friend too. I'm not going to deny that she's smoking hot, but this isn't just about my dick. She promised Pines she'd deliver his tags to their father in California." Garver immediately looked over my shoulder to check that she was in fact alone. He shook his head.
"She's going to go to California by herself? She's barely fucking legal." He cursed.
"No, she's going with me." His gaze drifted back to mine. He stared at me for a minute, but I wouldn't look away. I was doing the right thing, even if there definitely was a little devil on my shoulder reminding me of all the wrong things I also wanted to be doing with her. I could get her to California and back safe. Garver knew that. He finally nodded his head.
"Fine, but if you fucking touch her Smith," he threatened and didn't need to finish it. I knew what would happen if these guys thought I'd messed with her or hurt her in anyway. We looked out for each other's family like they were our own. Sisters were just a delicate, tricky limb, on the family tree when it came to hormones and our twenty something male brains.
He turned to the guys, "Put those out. We've got to go." He reached into the car and handed me the card key to the small hotel we were staying. "We're going back to get our trash and then heading to the airport. We all have places we want to be. Drop the key at the front desk on your way out. The room is paid for until tomorrow morning." I took the key from him and nodded my head. "I have to turn in the car. Will you have a way out of here?"
"Pines' truck is in her garage." He shook his head at my words.
"He knew one of us would take her." He smiled a little, "Bet that fucker hoped it was me." He reached his hand out and I put mine in it for a shake. We did a one-armed man hug and then took a step back. "See you in a few, brother."
"Be safe." I told him. He might have hesitated before he'd met Bailey, but we both knew that on some level he was happy I could take care of this final request for Pines so he could get home to his new bride.
"Always," he answered just before they all climbed into the car.