The shape of her name in his mouth stopped the rush of his blood. He blinked and leaned back a little, reminding himself that this was his pal Charlie, but she just clinked her glass against his and smiled. “Thank you,” she murmured softly before turning toward the man who’d appeared at her side.
“Hey, Nate!” she gushed before hugging her cousin.
Walker took the chance to enjoy the sight of her from a new angle. The long line of her side curving out to that perfect ass, then those ridiculous legs. He’d noticed those even in high school. How could he not? She’d been one of the tallest girls in school. Still about six inches shorter than him, but tonight the heels added a few more. Hell, he could kiss her for hours without getting a crick in his neck. He could even bend her over a table and—
His eyes skittered away from her ass as if they were horrified at where his imagination had gone. This was Charlie. Way too smart to date a guy like Walker, and way too sweet to be used to scratch an itch. But damn, it’d been easier to be friends with her before she’d grown into heels. And flirting. And shiny lip gloss that made her mouth look full and plump and—
He looked up to find Nate glaring at him above Charlie’s head. Walker shrugged and gave an innocent grimace of confusion as if he had no idea what Nate could be upset about. Nate didn’t look appeased. And he looked downright dour when Charlie reached back to lean her hip against Walker and loop her arm around his waist. She craned her neck up until Walker leaned his ear closer to her.
“Why’s my cousin shooting you a death glare? Were you checking out my ass, Walker Pearce?”
“Uh.” He cleared his throat. “That may be what he thought I was doing.”
“You can look. I think it’s pretty nice myself. What do you think?”
“I, uh...” He’d never once in his life gotten tongue-tied around a woman. If there was one skill he could rely on, it was the power of flirtation. He enjoyed it. Women liked it. No one got hurt. But the invitation to make a comment about Charlie Allington’s ass had thrown him off his game.
“Aw.” Her lower lip turned down in a pretty pout. “You don’t like it? I think it’s nice and round and firm.”
Oh, fuck. What was she doing? Didn’t she know the kind of image her words would conjure? Of her stripped out of jeans and panties, her naked ass taut under his grip as he positioned himself behind her and... “Damn it, Charlie.”
“What?” she asked with a laugh that tickled his ear.
“Stop teasing me. You’re not...” He stopped himself and took a deep breath.
“I’m not what?”
“You’re not that kind of girl.”
“What kind of girl is that?”
His face felt odd and hot. He reached up to adjust his hat so he could think a little more clearly. “You know. You were a smart girl. You never got into trouble with the rest of us. You—”
“I’m still smart,” she said, talking so close now that her lips brushed his ear. “But I’m not any kind of girl at all anymore. I’m a woman, all grown-up. Can’t you tell?”
Yes, he could damn well tell. In fact, his cock was starting to swell as the tingle of her words raced down his neck and kept right on going. This definitely wasn’t Charlie from high school. “It’s gorgeous,” he murmured.
“What?”
“Your ass. It’s beautiful. But I can’t give any opinion on whether it’s firm. It might be. It might be the sweetest, tightest ass in the county, but that’s not something I can tell just by looking.”
Her face was angled slightly away from him now, but it wasn’t hard to catch the way her mouth turned up in a wide grin. “You don’t believe me?” she murmured. He watched her fingers slide over her own hip, spreading a little as if she meant to test the give of her flesh right there.
Walker didn’t dare look up. There was no way Nate could’ve missed the way Charlie had snuggled so close. And Walker knew there was no hiding the heat in his gaze. And there wouldn’t be any hiding his erection if this went on much longer. The hand at his waist had started tracing slow circles that made waves of pleasure radiate out over his body. And he was picturing that scene again. Of Charlie naked, her hand opening over her own hip as his fingers spread over her ass. She’d look back at him with that taunting little smile, just as she did now. Do you like it? she’d ask. And he’d answer by squeezing her ass hard and laying his cock against the plump mounds of her cheeks as he—
“Jesus,” he cursed with a harsh laugh as he eased his hips back and shook his head. “You turned cruel while you were gone, Charlie. Good God.”
She shrugged. “Maybe a little cruel. But I bet you can handle it. You’re a big boy.”
And getting bigger by the second, damn her. But Charlie didn’t notice. The jukebox rang with the opening notes of a song from their school days, and she danced away from him.
“Miss Rayleen, do you allow two-stepping in here?” she called.
Rayleen plucked her cigarette from her mouth and pointed it toward the tables. “If you can find room for it, knock yourself out.”
“Hmm.” Charlie turned back to look him up and down, then shook her head. “I do believe this one is too big to be nimble.”
Rayleen cackled. “You’ve got that right. That’s a tool for blunt work.”