Etta wanted to hide. Heat swam up her face, and she averted her gaze. Marie patted her on the shoulder with a chuckle as she continued on the way out of the back room.
“Well, crap,” she said.
Later, as she carried a tray of food to a traveling family of three, she wondered if it was again time to leave. “Here you go,” she said with a smile to the young boy. His bloodshot eyes bespoke his exhaustion, yet the excitement in them was even more obvious. “Enjoy and let me know if I can get you anything else.”
The mother caressed his head and replied, “Thank you so much.”
Etta ignored the clenching in her gut at the thought of never having one of her own. Another one. Forcing the smile to remain in place as her past threatened to come back and bite her.
The out-of-towners happy and eating, she retreated to the back to talk to the cook. “How’s it going, Todd?”
He winked at her. “Hangin’ and bangin’, doll.”
“And just like that, it’s more than I ever cared to know.” She patted him on the shoulder of his checkered shirt.
“You look like you have a story to tell.”
“I do?” She paused in putting away the plates that had been washed and looked over at him. He grinned. “And what story would that be?”
He blew her a kiss and stirred the chowder on the burner. “It’s yours, not mine. So, tell me—” he waggled his eyebrows— “who was he?”
She went back to the dishes. “Who’s who? And what is the he you’re talking about?”
“Well, most women I know don’t have whiskers like that to leave a burn. I could be wrong, but I’m pretty sure they’re typically smooth.”
Etta dropped a plate and exhaled sharply. He laughed. “Shut up, Todd.”
His laughter didn’t dissipate in the slightest. If anything, it grew louder. She whirled around and marched over to him. Hands on hips, she glared up at him.
Damn if the man didn’t chuck her under the chin. “You’re so cute when you get upset.”
“There are days when I really hate you.”
He pointed at the whisker burn. “Had it not been mind-blowing sex you got, I think you would have already kicked me in the shins for that. Therefore, whomever it was who rocked your world I owe a big thanks to.”
With a sniff, she tugged on her apron. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Whatever you need to tell yourself, doll.” He frowned. “Great, the dumbasses are here.”
She peered around his broad shoulders to see the Scandrick brothers saunter in the establishment. “Chin up, Todd. You know Billy likes you. Truly, he does.”
“Bitch,” he remarked with no heat.
She wiggled her fingers at him and went back out to deal with the pricks, unless Marie would take them. One could always hope.
Unfortunately, Marie was elsewhere, and so, they were left to her. She made her way up to the booth they loved to sit in.
“Good night,” she said, coffee pot in hand. “Do you need menus or do you know what you’d like?”
Both looked up at her, sneers in their expressions. “Where’s Marie?” Billy asked.
She gazed three booths up where Marie spoke to another local. “With another customer. Want to wait?” She pivoted and began walking away.
“Get back here,” Danny demanded. “Don’t walk away from us.”
“I was under the impression you didn’t want me to serve you. That you wanted Marie. So, if that’s true, you can wait for her to be finished with her numerous customers.”
Both of them looked at her, eyes wide with shock.
Great, one night with Jason, and now, I’m mouthing off to the people who pay my salary. “What’s it going to be?”
“Bring us our usual, girl. And pour the damn coffee.”
Danny, such a charmer. She poured them each a cup and walked off before relaying their order to Todd.
She wanted to go home. To her bed. To her dreams. Dreams of Jason.
A few more people came in to eat during her shift. They were not to far from the interstate and, yet, in a way, completely isolated from everything. Their typical customer were locals.
Every time the door opened, she glanced up in hopes that Jason would be striding in to sit at his booth. To no avail.
“See you later, doll,” Todd said, striding past where she sat at the counter going through her receipts.
“Bye, Todd.”
She departed a short time after and groaned in relief when she walked into her place. Her shower sped her along toward relaxation, and it was capped off by a nice mug of hot tea. Rain still fell as she closed her eyes.
Etta woke to the orgasm rushing over her like a tidal wave. Her fingers sat buried deep into her pussy as she rode the pleasure out and began anew.
Her fingers became his as she danced them over her swollen clit. Breath hitching, she maneuvered her other hand beneath her satin camisole to her breasts. Plucking at her nipples, she captured her lower lip in her teeth as moans slipped free.
Faster, she rubbed; closer, she drifted to the precipice. Heart hammering, she pushed hard with her fingers, her palm working her nub. Etta came again, hard, bucking with her release and Jason’s name on her lips.
For a few moments, she lay there, regaining control of her breath and wishing for a cock—Jason’s cock—to fill her and take her. Possess her.
She gazed at the clock alongside the bed and rearranged her position. More time remained for her to rest before she had to get up, and she planned on using every bit of it. More sleep meant more dreams.
If I can’t have him for real, I’ll take him in my dreams.
Chapter Three
“Snake.”
Jason looked up from the pamphlet in his hand to see the man he’d pegged the moment he walked in the area, near. It was autumn, and Georgia was a bit cooler than Louisiana, not by much, but he’d take it. They were meeting outside at Centennial Olympic Park in Atlanta. He sipped his coffee and noticed another man coming around the other side of the Fountain of Rings. One he’d never met but knew from stories and pictures.
“Grey.” He pushed up from the step he sat on and offered his hand.
“Long time, man.”
Grey Sorenson had been a Navy SEAL as Jason had been. He’d had been on his way to see the man the night Etta had shown up at his house. Needless to say their meeting had been pushed back.
“It has been.” He watched the other man stride nearer, attracting attention from both men and women as he moved.
“How are you doing?” They moved to lean against a brick barrier.
Jason shrugged. “Some days are better than others.”
“You know Harrier.”
“Captain Leighton.”
“Scott or Harrier is fine.” He held out his hand, and Jason shook it. “I don’t go by Captain anymore.” He tossed an easy smile, his features one of a man happy in his life, relaxed and content. “How are you doing?”
“I’m surviving.” Jason swallowed some more coffee, grateful for the burn down his throat. “So, you called, Grey. What’s this about?”
The two men shared a look. Jason waited with a patience he truly didn’t feel.
“Let’s walk,” Scott suggested in a way that was more like an order.
Jason fell into step between them. He may not know both of them, but if they wanted him dead, he would already be in that state. He decided that suspicion was not necessary, he trusted Grey. You’d trusted Wade, as well, his conscience reminded him. He shoved it to the depths of his mind.
“You’ve heard of me,” the former captain said. A statement, not a question. “So, you know the team I used to work on.
Everyone in the Teams knew of the Megalodon Team. Jason nodded.
“Good.” They walked a bit more. “We’ve started a company. Tungsten Protective Services.”
Jason drank a bit more, intrigued by that. “Congratulations.”
Scott chuckled. “Thanks.”
“They’re recruiting, Jason. And I thought you would make a valuable asset to the teams.”
He stopped, did a typical gaze about, ensuring that their conversation wouldn’t be overheard. “You want to hire me?”
Both men crossed their arms, pivoting to face him. “Yes,” Scott replied. “We’re being hired for both personal protection and retrievals when politics get involved or all other options have been exhausted.” The man gestured to a table, and they took a seat. “Our plan is to have multiple groups working different things at a time. There’s a lot of need for help, now. We’ve all have seen it. Those who aren’t connected enough or considered important enough by people in positions of power to deserve a rescue.”
“Why me?”
“We want people used to working in teams and in high-stress situations. You’ve had those. Your experience can be valuable to the team.”
He sliced his gaze to Grey. “You know my record and why I was kicked out. So, I’ll ask again, you really want me on a team?”
Scott leaned in closer, claiming Jason’s attention. “You stand behind what you did?”
His body tensed. “All day, every day.”
“Then, that’s good enough for me.”
Jason looked to Grey, again. The man gave him one nod. “And the teams?”
“Will be the best ones to go, dependent on the situation.” Scott rested his forearms on the table. “We’re based in Georgia with smaller places people can contact us, so you wouldn’t necessarily have to move, just be accessible.”
He’d been betrayed by one he’d worked with and fought beside. Did he have it in him to put his life in someone else’s hands once again? Would they trust him because word was out on him killing one of his own?
“Give us a minute, will you, Harrier?” Grey asked.
“Sure thing.” The tall man ambled off, moving in a way that told Jason, while he may no longer be a SEAL, the man was more than capable of handling his business.
“Nightmares?”
Jason nodded. “Sweats, shakes, you name it.”
“I can’t force you to join up with the employer, Jason, but I can say that you’ll be hard pressed to find anyone else to work for that will know what you’re going through and be able to give you rope or else get on your ass to have you stop feeling sorry for yourself and get back on the horse.” Grey leaned forward. “I’d just threatened SecNav when they asked me to join. And yes, they knew.”
“Fitch?”
The man’s expression darkened. “That’s the fucker. He threatened my wife. Tried to kill her, actually, and the rest of her team.”
“I didn’t know you were married.”
His entire visage softened. “I am. Think about it, Jason. These men are the best. We may not serve officially, anymore, but we still protect our country and her people.”
Scott wandered back to them and pulled a packet out of his coat and placed it before Jason. “This is what we’re offering. It outlines everything we’d require from you and what you’d receive from us.” He sat, again. “It’s not just former military, we have SRT members, pilots, medics. Granted, most have military or police training. We’ve all had shit happen to us, all have lost people, you’d be around family.”
He held the man’s cornflower gaze. “I was betrayed by family before.”
“Not this one.” Harrier’s reply was instant. “If you want to live out the rest of your life drinking it away, that’s up to you. We’re offering you something else. Let us know. The offer is there.”
Grey and Harrier got back to their feet. The former head of the Megalodon Team placed his hands on the table and leaned closer. “We all have demons, Jason. We won’t judge you for yours so long as you don’t judge us for ours. We care about now; you protect us, and we protect you. Family.”
He nodded. “Thank you. I need to think about this, but thanks for giving me the opportunity.”
“I look forward to hearing from you.” They walked away. Grey looked back and gave him a smile and a thumbs up.
Jason swiped the envelope and slid free of the table, heading back to his hotel room so he could read up on the information it contained. Maybe this was what he needed.
Later that night, he sat slouched in the hotel bar, nursing a whisky. His mind ran the information over in his head. Wondering who else they had on the team, he understood why they didn’t put all the names down in the paper. Even so, being able to work with some members of the Megalodon Team, as well as Grey Sorensen…
He missed the traveling and the adventure. Jason accepted he wasn’t cut out for a life of sitting around and doing nothing but drinking and sitting in the dark. He hated who he’d become, a shell of himself. The only other time he’d felt alive since getting the dishonorable discharge was with Etta.
Just the thought of her had his cock stiffening in his jeans. Slamming down the rest of his drink, he pushed away from the bar and headed for the elevator. He ignored the women who tossed inviting looks in his direction. They weren’t the one he wanted.
He leaned against the door of his room and cracked his neck before walking across the room to the window. One hand on the glass, he stared out over the night skyline of Atlanta. He preferred the quiet he lived in now, but it was beautiful. He kicked off his shoes, climbed on the bed, flicking on the television. Opening his jeans, he removed his cock, curling his hand around the length, and began stroking, thoughts of Etta in his mind.
αβ
“You need to be careful, dear. You need a man in your life. If you work all the time, how are you ever going to find one?”
Etta nodded at Mrs. Prima’s statement as she pulled out her wallet to pay for the groceries. The older woman was behind her in line and, as usual, was making her opinion known. “I know, Mrs. Prima. Not all of us are lucky enough to have a man like your husband. I’m sure the right man will come along someday.”
She pinched her lips. “Someday is now. You should be having babies and staying at home to cook for him. Not working every single night.”
“Well, some people only go eat at night because that’s when they can, and they need someone to wait on them.” She handed over the cash to the young cashier. “The right one will come along, Mrs. Prima. I’m sure of that.”
“At least you’re not out drinking and partaking in that loose behavior.”
Her mind flashed back to the night with Jason. “No, I suppose we should count our blessings for that. I’m too busy to do any of that.”
“You may not be from Lindsey originally, Etta, but you fit in here. I’m glad you moved here.”
“Thank you, Mrs. Prima.” She mouthed a thank you to the cashier and grabbed her two bags. “You have a great day.” Without a look back, she hastened out the door to her car. “Only to me, seriously. Only me.”
She drove back to her place and carried her bags in to put the food away. Folding up the paper bags, she paused when someone knocked on the door. She bent her head. “Please don’t be Mrs. Prima coming to continue this conversation.” Two deep breaths and she was on her way to open it.
Her hand dropped away from the knob when she laid her eyes on the person standing there. Jason.
He had one arm stretched out and resting on the door frame and the other in his jean pocket. Her body instantly responded sexually. God help me. She swallowed. Would it be wrong to rip open my shirt and beg him to take me? Maybe. Perhaps I should play it cool. Heck, maybe I should say something so he doesn’t think I’m a total idiot.
“Mr. La Rue.”
“Ms. Swann.”
Heaven help her, his voice alone could lure a nun out of her habit. “Something I can do for you?”
“Let me in.”
She stepped back. “Come on in.” Her breath hitched when the screen no longer hampered her view of him. Allowing her to ogle the full body of work. And she did so, eagerly.
His natural swagger did things to her. She fought the urge to cross her legs and try to stem the flow of moi
sture. Thank goodness she was wearing some loose black shorts so he wouldn’t be able to see the wetness.
As if he knew, his gaze ran over her, dallying along the juncture of her thighs as he entered. He took the door from her hand and closed it behind him, shutting out the unseasonably hot afternoon.
His blue eyes zoomed in on her and held her prisoner. She didn’t move. Wasn’t sure she could. He stalked her until the wall hit her back. She gulped when he sank his right hand in the hair at the back of her head and used his left along the side of her neck, his thumb under her chin, tipping her face to his.
Jason leaned closer, his hot breath fanning along her skin. She was surrounded by his masculine scent, and a wave of lust hit her. Her lids lowered as his mouth touched hers. Lightly, he brushed along her until she released a shuddering sigh. Then, he claimed her.
Like a volcano erupting, her lust raged out of control, body crying to be taken without mercy. She dug her nails into her palms as he staked his claim on her mouth, holding her tight.
“I missed you,” he rasped into her skin.
“You left me there.”
“I didn’t want to.” He tugged on her hair, exposing more of her neck. Long swipes of his tongue along her pulse had her clit throbbing.
She gripped his shirt. “We should talk.”
“We are.” He nipped her then dragged a lick along the same place.
“You’ve been gone for a week.”
Jason moved the hand along her face down her body to shove below the waistband of her shorts. “And you noticed.”
“Of course I—oh shit!” Her hips bucked, taking in his two thick fingers even farther. She clamped down on his forearms. “Don’t stop, please. Don’t stop.”
“I don’t plan on it. What time to you leave for work?”
Her mind struggled to figure out when that was. “Ten to ten-thirty is when I leave.”
“We’ve got time, then.” He withdrew his fingers and put them to her lips. “Taste yourself. Taste what I’m about to indulge in.”
Snake's Salvation Page 3