Free Escalation Clause by Liz Crowe Page A

readjusting her panties that he had not even bothered to remove. “That was fabulous. Let’s dance some more then give it another go, hmm?”
    “Uh, no.” He wiped his face, zipped up and planted a brief kiss on her lips avoiding her attempts to make it more meaningful. “I need some air.” He walked out, immediate need sated but his brain burning for something more. For the woman he really wanted—Maureen.
    After about an hour on the back porch, nursing a beer and contemplating reality versus fantasy, he wandered back in, ignoring everything and everyone around him. It was well past midnight by now, and he had no real hope of sneaking out to see her. Tomorrow , he promised himself. Tomorrow they would talk and he would tell her once and for all that they couldn’t be together. Jack was right. The whole thing was bad on many levels, not the least of which was the fact that he was already mind-numbingly jealous about all the boys she’d be encountering once she started school. He groaned, sank onto the couch and put his hand over his eyes. He would put an end to it. Before he left for Colorado, and before it killed him.
    He drank another beer, flirted some, watched the group dissipate either back outside or into the various bedrooms. Noting Jack had still not emerged from his bedroom with the female tag team, Brandis got to his feet, wobbled a little and remembered he hadn’t eaten much that day. He focused in on his watch, saw it was nearly three in the morning, and decided to call it. His chest ached with the realization of where he could be right now, what he could likely be doing at that moment had things gone to plan.
    The concept that Mo was practically begging him to take her virginity made him uncomfortable, that was true. But the connection they’d made during the summer had done something to him, ignited lusty need, yes, but something more. But that something he had resisted, out of respect for Jack. And for Mo. She was smart, amazing, beautiful and incredible. She deserved more than just a bang and a disappearance, which was all he was currently offering. He had exactly ten days before he left for Colorado, had been so fucking psyched to finally fly—to get that much closer to his dream of being an officer in the Air Force. But, now…he shook his head. Now he wanted to stay where he was, be with her; never leave her side. That was just not going to happen.
    Jack was sauntering down the stairs as Brandis headed up, one of the girls on his back, the other following close behind. “My man,” his friend grinned at him. Brandis forced a smile, suddenly exhausted beyond belief.
    “I’m calling it, Jack. I’ll help clean tomorrow.”
    “You okay?” Jack stopped, and the girl slid off his back. He sent her on her way with a slap on her ass.
    “Yeah, tired. It’s all good.”
    Jack put a hand on his shoulder. “Listen, I didn’t mean to come off like such a dick over the Maureen thing.”
    Brandis shook his head, unwilling to talk about it anymore. “It’s fine. I didn’t go. I’m here. Now, I’m going to bed.” He turned, before the anger he felt towards his friend’s attitude got the best of him.
    His door was shut, which was odd, but he brushed his teeth, washed his face in the hall bathroom and opened it without really thinking too much about it. It was dark, but for a single candle. “Shit,” he grunted, tripping over his jeans as he shed them before leaning over the dresser to blow it out hoping whomever had used his room had not left a mess on his bed.
    “Brandis.” He whirled around, his heart pounding, and saw her. Mo sitting, naked best he could tell, but for one of his ROTC uniform shirts. He gulped, and slammed the door before Jack came back upstairs.
    “What the hell are you doing here?” He whispered, furious, but horny all over again at the sight of her sleek black curtain of hair falling over one tanned shoulder. And those deep blue eyes that had made him crush for years,