The hand he had resting at the base of my throat tightened slightly, making my eyes widen. Huck lifted his mouth from mine and dropped a kiss on the smooth surface of the scar on my cheek. I told him time and time again that the spot was mostly numb, but that didn’t stop him from always pausing to pay a bit of attention to it. It was kind of like he was trying to kiss the boo-boo away the way he had when we were little kids. Like he was trying to kiss away all the bad memories and the years of bad choices etched into that tiny spot on my face.
I pushed his clothing out of the way as he kissed his way down the side of my neck, pausing to nip at the place where my pulse was fluttering erratically under my skin. The bite was a bit harder than it had to be, and I knew it was going to leave a mark. It didn’t surprise me. Huck had been more and more aggressive the closer it came to the day he had to leave. I had little love bites and bruises in the shape of his fingers littered across my skin. Most were only visible when I was completely naked, but there were a few embarrassing ones that couldn’t be hidden. I was pretty sure it was his way of staking his claim, of letting anyone who dared get too close know I was already spoken for. That kind of highhandedness should rub me the wrong way, but I was also feeling my possessive side rear its ugly head knowing he was about to be going to a new school full of new people, all of whom at least shared the same interest in the law as he did. If we hadn’t been to hell and back together, jealousy would eat me alive at the thought of all the new girls who were going to be in his world.
It was a good thing we were fated to be together. I had zero doubts anyone who crossed his path would ever mean as much to him as I did. Our journey was from friends, to enemies, to lovers. We’d been everything to each other, and no one else could ever say that.
Huck lifted his head as he skipped his fingertips across my collarbone, moving to the strap of my tank top, and slowly slid it down my shoulder. His heated gaze skimmed over the curve of my breast, and his lips lifted into a satisfied grin.
“You’re a quick learner when the subject is something you’re deeply invested in.” He grunted out a low, pleased sound when my hand found the rigid length that was pressing between us. He always pulsed excitedly in my palm, and I was still blown away by how soft and hard he was at the same time.
I gazed up at him, surprised that I could still form coherent thought considering his mouth was now moving over the tight, aching point on the tip of my breast. I felt the tug right between my legs and shifted restlessly beneath him.
“Maybe that has more to do with the student than the teacher.” I was always eager to learn when it came to him. His lessons always felt like something I would carry throughout my lifetime. “I’m always shooting a perfect score when we’re together. And I don’t mind having to go the extra mile for extra credit.”
Huck laughed lightly and switched his attention to my other breast. As sad as I was to say goodbye, this way was so much better than the rushed, angry words he’d thrown at me when he left as a teenager. Back then, our parting lingered in my mind like a bad dream. Now, I would feel him and remember his touch and kiss each time I moved.
“Just keep following my lead, Ollie. I won’t lead you astray.” His raspy voice drifted across my overly sensitive skin as his hands moved to strip the rest of my clothing out of his way.
I arched against him and whispered, “I’d follow you to the ends of the Earth and back, Huck.” It was the truth. One I could only ever give to him. No matter how far off the beaten path I might wander, Huck was always the home I returned to.
Just like Goldilocks, who was lost and alone until she stumbled upon an unlikely refuge deep in the dark woods, I magically found the place where I fit in perfectly.
That spot was right next to Huck, no matter how near or far he happened to be.
The End
Keep reading for a preview of Fortunate Son, a next-generation Marked Men novel, featuring Rule’s son and Jet’s daughter. Coming very soon!
Fortunate Son
Prologue
“I don’t think we’re a good match.”
The softly spoken words echoed in my head for hours.
It wasn’t like the breakup came out of nowhere. The girl I loved with every fiber of my being had been acting strange and distant for weeks. I’d known her my entire life. We grew up together and had been the best of friends before we fell in love. I knew her almost as well as I knew myself, and I could tell something between us was off, but I refused to believe the end of what we had was near.
I told myself she was just stressed out and worried about the fact we were going to different colleges. Young love was already unreliable and tricky to navigate. When you added the hurdle of a long distance to the mix, it seemed almost destined to fail. I tried to reassure her everything would be fine; after all, I was older than her and had already been in college a year. Nothing changed between us while I waited not so patiently for her to finish high school. I foolishly thought she would apply and get accepted to my school so we could stay together. It never occurred to me that she was only going to apply to schools out-of-state. I was unaware that for years she’d had her heart set on leaving not only me but also our hometown. When she finally came clean and let me know she was moving to California in the fall, I was stunned but optimistic that our relationship would survive. After all, she was my first love. I was willing to sacrifice whatever it took to keep her in my life.
Aston didn’t feel the same.
I felt blindsided by both the breakup and the revelation that she was always planning to move halfway across the country. Suddenly the adorable little girl who grew up following my every step, and who had effortlessly stolen my heart with her sweet, cheerful, innocent demeanor seemed like a total stranger who never cared about me the way I cared about her.
It was easy enough to argue with her when she said we weren’t a good match.
It was impossible to fight against her when she told me she wasn’t happy being with me and needed a change.
I wanted to tell her we just needed some time apart. I had faith in my ability to change her mind and prove to her that we belonged together. But the look in her eyes when she ended things was definite. This wasn’t a rash decision on her part. It was something she had clearly given a lot of thought to and her mind was made up.
She didn’t want to be with me anymore, and I was left adrift and discombobulated.
I didn’t have a lot of experience with heartbreak.
I was the kind of guy who typically got what I wanted and excelled at whatever I put my mind to. I graduated at the top of my class in high school. Got into my first choice college and was in the starting line up my first college football game. My parents had a wall full of trophies and accolades I’d earned over the years. They were always proud of what I’d accomplished, even though they had never pushed me to be perfect. All they wanted was for me to be happy, so they supported me regardless of how hard I pushed myself.
I was popular and well-liked among my peers, and as one of the oldest members of my tight-knit inner circle of relatives and longtime family friends who were all about the same age, I was often the voice of reason and most responsible member of the group. I never had a problem getting close to members of the opposite sex, but there was only one I wanted to call mine.