Page 10 of Accidental Abduction

“She’s twenty-five, Hudson. Charley’s not a little girl anymore. Neither is Hazel, for that matter.” My eyes widened when I noticed his gaze focused on my little sister across the room.

“Are you fucking kidding me? Stop staring at my baby sister like that.” His eyes lingered on Hazel and Charley standing by the door to the kitchen. I still couldn’t make out what Charley had on because my sister was blocking my view of what her best friend was wearing.

“Like what? I was just looking across the room,” he said, smirking at me. He knew how protective I was of Hazel. And I didn’t like the way his face softened while he gazed at her.

“Don’t even fucking think about it. She’s too young for you.”

“Six years is hardly an age gap,” he laughed, and then held up his palms in supplication when I glared in his direction. “I’m just saying. How is the four years between you and Viv any different than the six between Hazel and I?”

“Let’s get this fucking straight, there is no Hazel and you. And I didn’t know Viv when she was in middle school. Charley is just like a…” While she was gorgeous and I wished I had half of her self-confidence, I’d never let myself think about Charley as anything other than Hazel’s best friend.

“I know you’re not this blind. Charley is a fucking smoke show, and you know it. I’ve seen you watching her from behind the bar. You’re attracted to her.”

Was I? I know sometimes I found myself watching her across the crowded bar, but I was just making sure she had the floor handled. She was a force to be reckoned with, but she was still smaller than half the men who hung out in the bar. Watching them hit on her made my protective instincts flare.

“Attraction doesn’t have to be acted on. Despite your track record,” I teased, but he just rolled his eyes.

“You know I’m right. Open your eyes, man. There are plenty of women who’d love to take Viv’s place and won’t treat you like an accessory.”

“What does that mean? Charley isn’t interested in me. So why are we even talking about her?”

He leaned against the bar, blocking my line of sight to the two girls…women, on the other side of the room. “Keep your eyes open to new possibilities. I know Viv was comfortable, and you thought you loved her. But if she’s pushing you away because she’s not getting what she needs from the relationship, maybe you need to let go.”

“I do love her,” I responded weakly, continuing to stare over his shoulder at the blonde standing next to my sister.

Didn’t I?

“Why don’t you gochange?” Hazel took the black roll of crepe paper from my hands. I’d been hanging streamers in all the doorways for decoration. Charley and Hazel had been busy decorating the tables and walls. I’d been trying to focus on the plan in my head and not watching them. “Unless you’re wearing that.”

“What’s wrong with this?” I asked, looking down at the black, long-sleeved shirt with a glow in the dark skull I’d thrown on this afternoon before heading to the bar. It was what I’d worn every Halloween for the last few years.

“It’s a costume party. You did get a costume, right?”

There was a backpack sitting on my desk with the costume I’d planned on throwing on before the party started. While part of me thought it’d be a good idea to dress up as the comic book villain Viv had wanted me to be, I’d changed my mind when I’d stopped by the costume shop close to campus. Thankfully, they had what I needed to pull off my plan for tonight.

Knowing Hazel wouldn’t approve of my plans to win my ex back, I just shrugged. “I was thinking maybe I’d cover the bar if we get busy later. I don’t need a costume to pour drinks.”

“Don’t even fucking think about it. You’ve been pulling extra shifts to have tonight off. Enjoy yourself. Charley and I are on for the initial rush, and then we’ll change into our costumes later. You’ve gotta step out from behind that bar sometimes.”

“I can pitch in on both expo and the bar if you guys just want to change now and take the night off. We’ve handled busy nights with less staff before.”

My sister forcibly grabbed me by the shoulders and pushed me toward the back office, growling. “I love you but get a fucking life.”

I wanted to scold my sister for cursing, like I had been for a decade, but maybe she was right.

Reid had gone backto his shop for a bit before he needed to be back for the party, so I snuck into the office, pulling out the payroll paperwork I needed to have done for next week. If tonight went how I hoped it would, I’d be busy for the next few days.

“Hey, Hud,” a voice sang from the doorway, and I looked up, fighting the urge to stare at the outfit Charley was supposedly wearing. Her tiny skintight denim shorts showed off her toned thighs, and the tank top she wore barely contained the push-up bra visible above the neckline.

“Stop calling me Hud,” I grunted, returning my attention to the files on my computer. Reid’s comments had to be getting to me, because I couldn’t be getting turned on by my sister’s best friend showing a bit of cleavage, but I was. Isowas.

“Want me to call yousoninstead? Into a little mommy play there, big guy?“ she teased, leaning over the back of the chair across from my desk. My fingers twitched on the keys of my laptop as I got an even better view down her top. If she shifted forward slightly, I could just barely make out the outline of her nip—

No, idiot. Quit being a pervert.

“I hate you,” I growled, refusing to look at her.

“No, you don’t. You fucking adore me.” She was right, I did, but those once platonic feelings were getting blurred.

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