Hunter

All afternoon, each time she was alone for a few moments, guys walked up to her and tried to start conversations. She spent quite a bit of time with Greg, and while she did, I couldn't help but glare at them, trying to look as menacing at him as I could so he wouldn’t get any ideas. When she was alone, I quickly inserted myself back at her side. We spent a lot of time together as a result. Later, when I gallantly tried to leave her, feeling like I'd overstayed my welcome, she grabbed my arm and stopped me.

“Stay with me,” she whispered. “You’re the only person I know here besides Greg. I’m not good at this mixer thing.”

Of course, I couldn’t say no. While Greg was busy talking up some pretty young thing, Celia and I ate our dinner together, and even danced together around the bonfire. I ignored all the other young women I could have been seducing, not wanting to leave Celia alone with Greg.

Finally, just after sunset, we lay on the beach on a blanket to watch the stars, the party continuing a few dozen feet farther up on the beach. She truly did want to watch the stars—the Perseid meteor shower. We lay on the beach, the sound of the waves crashing a few feet away from us drowning out the sound of the party. My mind was focused on the location in the sky where the comet tail was, and where most of the meteors would appear.

We saw a few, and they were impressive. Still, my mind kept wandering to her lying beside me in the dark. I couldn’t stop imagining turning over and lying on top of her, my hands roving over her curves, squeezing a deliciously ample breast, and sucking on her tiny hard rosebud nipple, then moving down and sucking something else tiny and hard between her thighs…

Fuck.

Then, out of the blue, she rolled over on top of me, her hands on either side of my shoulders. When she leaned down to kiss me, I put one hand firmly on her shoulder to stop her. Believe me, it was the hardest thing I had done in a long while.

“Celia, no.”

Saying that took just about every ounce of chivalry I had in me, but I did it.

“Hunter," she said in a breathless voice. "Tell me you don’t want me and I’ll leave right now.”

“Of course, I want you but I can’t.” I could see her eyes in the darkness and her brow was furrowed.

“Why can’t you?”

“You’re Graham’s little sister.” I shook my head. “He promised me that if I even touched you, he'd tell your stepdad and he'd be only too happy to come after me and my family.”

“Dammit.” She rolled off me, lying on her back, staring up at the sky. “Will I ever get kissed?”

“You’ve never been kissed?” I stared at her in disbelief. I'd assumed she'd had some sexual experience, given how hot she was. How could she fend off all the guys who must have been dying to get into her panties?

“Not a real kiss.” She turned to look in my eyes. “I have the Gestapo as a stepfather. You know Spencer." She leaned on her elbow. "He made me sign one of those chastity promises that I’d keep my virginity until I was married. I was at a girl's boarding school for four years. No boys. And Spencer's done everything in his power to keep me from having a boyfriend ever since.”

I remembered that stupid chastity contract that Spencer forced her to sign when she was just a kid. I'd assumed she'd broken it.

“You kept your promise?” I was truly shocked she was still a virgin. "No way," I said, shaking my head. "Someone as, excuse my honesty, but someone as hot as you remaining a virgin all this time?"

Her voice shook. “Of course, I did. I had no opportunity to break it. Spencer kept me under lock and key at Sisters of Mercy Boarding School for Chaste Girls. He practically had one of those iron maidens made for me.”

I laughed. "An iron maiden was a medieval torture device. You mean a chastity belt."

“Same diff,” she said, her voice seething. “Even when I was in middle school, he never let me go to parties or dances unchaperoned. I never had the chance to be really kissed or anything.” She turned to me. "I got one kiss on the cheek from a cute guy at New Year's Eve party once, but even then, Graham was there to butt in and keep it chaste."

"I can't believe it."

"I was going to hit Greg up, since he seems willing. I thought that, out of all the guys Graham knows, Greg would be the one who would be willing to show me the ropes.”

"I hope you mean fighting," I said, totally shocked by the frankness of her words.

"No, silly," she said and pushed my arm playfully. "Sex."

“Oh, God, no,” I said, horror filling me at the very thought. “Not Greg.”

“Why not him?” she said petulantly. “He's perfect. He's mature and he's experienced. He's hot, too.”

Then I turned to face her, serious now. "Don’t throw your virginity away like that,” I said, surprised at myself. “Find a nice guy who really likes you, Celia. Someone who loves you. It’ll be so much better if you do.”

“You sound like Spencer.”

I laughed ruefully at that. “Please, no. Not him. But really, Celia,” I said and cleared my throat. “Your first time should be special. You’ll find someone at Harvard,” I said, regretting that it wouldn’t be me. “Someone serious and smart—like you. Someone who’ll treat you the way you deserve to be treated. With respect. And love.”

Celia was silent beside me, and I hoped she was reconsidering it. I remembered how sweet and dorky she was as a girl, and felt genuine sadness that she felt she had to have sex with someone like Greg to get rid of her virginity.

I said nothing for a long moment. I was completely torn. Here was beautiful Celia—supple, lush, sweet Celia. A virgin wanting to be deflowered. Of course, I would have wanted to be the one… if I were anyone else but me. Hunter Saint, one of the Saint brothers. The fighting Irish bad boys of Southie.

Just hours earlier, Graham warned me to stay away. Just hours earlier, I’d vowed to myself I’d protect Celia from the sharks and lechers I knew would be at the party.

“You’ve put me in a very bad position, Celia,” I said, fighting to resist my demons, struggling to comply with the better angels of my nature. “Graham’s worried about you. He’s afraid you’ll be hurt by one of the letches around here. He left Greg in charge of protecting you. And I feel like I have to protect you from Greg.”

She sighed. “You were always nice to me when you and Graham were friends. None of his other friends would even speak to me, like I was invisible. You were one of the good guys."

"You were really smart." I remembered those times I'd talked with Celia about whatever science project she was working on at the dining room table. "But Graham would kill me if he knew I didn’t stop you from being with Greg—or anyone else—just to lose your virginity. I promised to protect you…"

"I can look after myself,” she said defensively. “Graham needs to focus on his own life. I’m not a party girl. I want to know how to do it, when I find someone good. I just want to get rid of this ridiculous virginity and not feel so much like a freak.”

“You’re not a freak. Unusual, but not a freak. Not at all.”

She sighed. “So, you think I should wait?”

I didn’t know what the fuck to say.

“See?” I could hear frustration in her voice. “Even you think I should get rid of it. I bet none of your girlfriends were virgins. Tell the truth—were they?”

“No.” I sat up. “But you’re not like them. You’re definitely girlfriend material.”

“Graham said you don’t do girlfriends.”

"I don't. I’m not in the market for a girlfriend, but I know there’ll be guys at Harvard who will want to be your boyfriend. You should wait."

Graham was right. I wasn't into the whole girlfriend thing, preferring casual sex. But Celia wasn’t that kind of girl. She was serious. She was studious.

“You’re so sweet,” she whispered. “I’ll be sad if you leave Boston to become a Marine. I won't see you for ages, no matter what you do.”

“I’ll miss this place if I join up,” I said, not wanting to admit I wished I could stay and get to know her better. I fought with myself—oh, how hard I fought. "I'll miss Graham. And you."

Then she leaned over, her face next to mine, and I realized she was going to kiss me.

I pulled back. “What?” I said, like an idiot, but I couldn’t let her kiss me, no matter how much I wanted it.

“Will you kiss me at least?” she whispered. “A real kiss?”

“Celia…” I said, shaking my head. “You know I shouldn’t. I’m Graham's best friend. I'm supposed to protect you.”

“Just one kiss,” she said. “I promise. Girl Scout's Honor.” She held up a hand, fingers spread into a V.

“That’s a Vulcan greeting, not a Girl Scout's salute,” I said with a laugh. I could see her smile through the gloom.

She liked me, despite what shit her big brother spread about me—all of it true, no doubt. That made me feel warm inside. If she were anyone else, I 'd be unable to say no.

"Look, I really shouldn't."

That was three times now I’d turned her down. I thought that was heroic, and I doubted I could turn her down a fourth time.

“Not even a peck on the cheek?” she said, sounding so disappointed.

We were sitting beside each other on the blanket and I wanted so badly to pull her onto my lap and kiss her, then take off her bikini top and suck on those delicious globes… But Graham's words kept ringing in my mind.

“Just one kiss and then it’s the meteor shower,” I said, laughing at myself. “No trying to seduce me with your hot body.”

“So, you think I’m hot?” I heard the hope in her voice and couldn’t believe she was unsure of her desirability.

“Do I think you’re hot?” I grinned. “Damn, girl…”

She leaned over and I leaned over, and we kissed. Lightly. Gently. Just two mouths pressing softly against each other. Her eyes were closed, and mine were open, and despite my best intentions, I imagined fucking her as I kissed her, mouth open, sucking her tongue into mine.

Then a bright light blazed in my eyes.

“Hey, what the hell?” came a male voice.

Graham.

Crap.

Celia and I pulled apart and Graham pointed the flashlight directly at me so that I had to hold up my hand in front of my eyes.

“I told you my sister was off limits, man,” Graham said, his voice nearly a growl. “What the fuck?”

“Hey…” Celia's back straightened. “I’m all grown up, Graham. I can kiss who I want.” She looked back at me possessively.

“Not him.” Graham scowled at me. “I told you he’s a male slut, Celia. Besides that, his family is mafia. He’s not the kind of guy you want to get tangled up with. God, it isn’t even your first week away from home and you’ve already hooked up with the most notorious womanizer on campus?”

She stood up and brushed sand off her legs. “We didn’t hook up. Besides, I can look after myself.”

“I thought you could, but then I find you alone on the beach with him? Come on, Celia…”

“We were watching the meteor shower,” I said defensively, standing beside Celia.

“Yeah, right.” Graham gave a sardonic laugh. “Tell me another one, Mr. Comedy. I'll be talking to my stepfather, telling him what you did, so you better be prepared. As for you," he said to Celia, grabbing her arm, pulling her roughly away from me, "you come with me.”

I wanted to defend her, tell him to let go, that she was an adult, but I said and did nothing. He was right to take her away from me. I was bad for her.

I stood and watched the two of them marching up the beach to the parking lot where Graham’s Jeep was parked. Celia glanced back and waved at me.

Graham's threat to tell Spencer made my decision so much easier. I knew that if I wanted to have any kind of future, I'd have to make a clean break with my family. I'd join the Marines and to start a life completely divorced from them.

Little did I know how much that decision would cost me, and how it would drive me even more deeply into my family's clutches.