Then I tell her about Family Day, which will be around the halfway mark of my training. That’s the only time I’ll get to have visitors but there are strict rules surrounding it. I’ll be able to leave the base, but I can only travel within a twenty-five mile radius. With any luck, we’ll be long past the petting stages and she and I will get a hotel room close to Fort Benning. I won’t be allowed to spend the night with her. In fact, I’ll be punished if I’m not back to base by curfew. Still, a few hours locked in a hotel room with my favorite girl—that would be fucking fantastic.
Something to look forward to for sure.
Next, we speak about what happens after I graduate and how I will have three days leave before I report to my base. That’s when we both kind of got quiet. Single soldiers live in the barracks and while they’re allowed to leave the base, we have no idea where I’ll wind up. That’s where things will get tricky, but where there’s a will there’s a way.
And your boy Eric’s got a lot of will.
A shit ton, actually.
Wait and you’ll see.
Twenty-One
Brooklyn
I want to tell you that I’m not internally freaking out, but my mama didn’t raise no liar. Eric was completely honest and held nothing back. It was like I had opened the floodgates and there was no dam wide enough to contain all the information. I need a calendar and a goddamn notebook to keep track of everything. A frequent flyer card would be helpful too since he was going to be in Georgia for fourteen weeks and who knows where after that.
But the long-distance thing wasn’t the only thing eating away at me. Eric revealed the details of his specialty. I didn’t even know there was such a thing; I thought every soldier was trained to do the same job. He wasn’t just joining the Army; he was taking on one of the most dangerous roles as an indirect fire infantryman. There was still a test they required him to take to ensure he was a good fit for the position, but he didn’t seem worried about it. Eric Montgomery wasn’t simply brave, he was friggin’ fearless. I don’t know if that makes him the perfect candidate for a soldier or a dangerous one.
Either way, I’m going to have to school my heart on how to accept everything that comes with handing your heart to America’s bravest and be the supportive force behind a man who stands fearlessly on the front lines. They say God finds the strongest women and pairs them with soldiers. Well, we’re about to find out if that’s true.
We’re about to discover if I’m truly a hurricane or just a tropical storm posing as one.
Be brave.
Together we will be.
Be strong.
Together, we’ll be an unbreakable force.
“Are we done talking?” Eric questions as he gathers the rest of the snacks from the makeshift picnic on the pull-out.
“For now,” I reply, watching as he places everything on one of the end tables. I don’t know that I can do much more talking. I think I need a week to recuperate from this conversation.
“Good,” he says, climbing back into bed with me. “…because I’d really like to start enjoying the perks of having a girlfriend.”
I smile.
That really happened, huh?
He pushes me back against the mattress and climbs over me. I laugh and wrap my arms around his neck. I missed being this close to him, so much so, that I’m not even worried about the possibility of his parents finding us together in his room.
It’s amazing what happens to you when you let your inhibitions fall to the wayside. You forget about the consequences and all the things that can go wrong. You live for the moment because life has taught you it isn’t always kind. It’s short and if you don’t take chances you’ll get sucked into a sea of regret. You’ll live in wonder, and that wonder will eat away at your soul.
I have no idea how long I have on this earth, if I’ll live a short life like my parents did or a long one, but I’m going to live without collecting a bunch of what if’s.
“Oh, and what might those perks be?” I ask, curling the hairs at the nape of his neck around my fingers.
“There’s plenty,” he says, brushing the tip of his nose against mine. “Kissing you whenever I damn well please is one of them.” His mouth covers mine, sending a rush of excitement straight to the pit of my stomach. What starts off as a gentle kiss soon becomes hungry and as he reclaims my mouth, I pull him closer, crushing his large frame against me. His tongue traces my full lips before entering and exploring the recesses of my mouth.
I thought no kiss would ever compare to our first.
I was wrong.
So very wrong.
His mouth abandons mine, but he remains on top of me. I don’t mind. I like the feel of all the hard lines pressed against me—I like it a lot. Lowering his gaze from my lips to my neck, he brings his hand around and touches the locket hanging from my neck.
“I’ve never seen this before,” he says, tracing the gold heart.
It’s nothing fancy, just something I found at the bottom of my mom’s purse when I was going through the rest of her things the other day. I vaguely remember her wearing it when I was little. I thought she lost it or something because one day it was just gone. She never wore it again, and I wonder now if she even knew it was in her bag.
“I found it when I was cleaning out my mom’s room,” I tell him, leaving out how I purposely wore it today because I was nervous about starting school. I sigh, angling my head as I meet his comforting gaze. “Wearing it made me feel closer to her, like she was there with me, navigating those strange halls.”
He frowned, his eyes level under drawn brows.
“I wish you would’ve come to me,” he says. “You didn’t have to clear the room out by yourself, I would’ve helped.”
“It’s okay,” I assure him. “I wanted to do it myself. Your mom offered to help too.”
He gives me a tightlipped nod and I inwardly cringe. Bringing up either of his parents is probably not a good move right now. He looked brokenhearted when he walked out of the living room and he missed dinner—a huge red flag for Eric.
The locket falls from his fingers and I watch intently as he gently repositions it so it lays flat over the swell of my chest. Biting the inside of his cheek, his eyes find mine as his fingertips trace the neckline of my tank top.
“Is it wrong to say I keep recalling that night?” he questions hoarsely. “That I wish we could go back in time and never leave the back seat of that car?”
I’ve asked myself the very same question every night since she passed. I don’t have the answers, I can only tell him what I think my mom would say—that it isn’t wrong. I can actually picture her rolling her eyes at me.
He lifts his thumb and gently traces my lips.
“I’m sorry it ended the way it did, Brooklyn,” he rasps.
“Me too,” I murmur. “Until we got home, it was the best night of my life.”
He cocks his head to the side and drops his fingers to my shoulder, toying with the thin strap of my tank top.
“You ever think that it was the best day because you had nothing better to compare it to?”
I honestly never thought of it like that, but it makes sense.
“That’s the great thing about life, we get to keep trying. Every day we wake up is another chance to make something better,” he adds, as he pushes the strap down, exposing my shoulder. He brings his eyes back to mine, flashing me a serene smile. “We’ll have a lot of nights to measure up to that one, starting now.”
Bowing his head, he slants his mouth over mine. My eyes flutter shut and my arms wind around his neck as a soft moan passes from his lips to mine. One kiss and he breathes life into me just like he did that night on the beach. I wonder if it’s the same for him. Does he question how life existed before us? Does he ask himself how he ever walked this earth for seventeen years without knowing the other half of his soul existed in someone else? Does he thank God for aligning our paths and does he feel guilty about it afterwards because he isn�
��t sure we’d be here, in each other’s arms, if it weren’t for sacrifice and death.
His hands move to cradle my face as he deepens the kiss, sliding his tongue boldly over mine, flicking, tasting, and exploring. I don’t know how it happens, but somehow the reacquainting of our mouths takes a desperate turn and we kiss like we’re two starved animals—or rather the two horny teenagers that we are.
One of his hands leaves my face and slides down the side of neck, landing on my shoulder. He pulls the other strap of my tank down and his hungry mouth follows the path of his hand, sucking the sensitive skin of my neck. He lifts his head. His eyes—blazing with need—meet mine and he slowly tugs the straps even further down my arms, peeling the thin cotton away, exposing my breasts.
An animalistic growl sounds from the back of his throat, but he keeps his focus on my face. A look of appreciation radiates from his eyes as he gently outlines the circle of my breast. I draw in a deep breath and struggle to keep my eyes open and on him as he presses harder. A slow burn builds in my belly and I moan at the foreign sensation. His gaze never wanders as his fingers find my nipple, pinching and pulling on the tiny bud.
My hips buck and I lose the battle with my eyes. They flutter close and a breathy moan slips from my mouth. He finally breaks and bends his head, taking my nipple between his teeth. His tongue flicks over it and I gasp. Not from pain or discomfort, but because I’ve never felt anything so glorious. Every nerve feels like a live wire, and my body craves more—it craves the unknown.
“Eric,” I murmur, pushing my fingers through his hair. He laps at my other breast, sucking and teasing the nipple. Embarrassment floods me as wetness pools between my legs. “Eric,” I repeat, his name a plea.
His mouth stills around my nipple and he lifts his eyes. I remind myself my body is just doing what nature has intended and I focus on his handsome face.
“No, don’t stop,” I beg, fisting the ends of his hair. His eyebrows knit together for a second, but then awareness flickers in those blue eyes.
It’s like he can read everything my body is begging me to recognize.
Every want.
Every plea.
Every ounce of pleasure.
His mouth goes back to work, and he moves his hand between my legs. A gasp erupts from the back of my throat as his fingers dig into my thigh, slowly trailing higher and higher. That sensation in my belly grows deeper and the most intimate part of my body throbs with need.
My mind might not know how to guide me, but my body knows what it wants and takes charge. My hips rise and his hand slides inside my shorts. I hold my breath, the anticipation of his touch is consuming and when his fingers skirt over my panties, my legs fall even further apart, welcoming him to take.
To claim.
To explore.
To teach.
He releases my nipple, and a groan vibrates from his lips.
“Fuck, Brook,” he moans, stroking my slit through the cotton barrier. “Your panties are soaked.” My cheeks flush as he raises his head from my chest. “Have you…are…” His voice fades and he blows out a ragged breath, closing his eyes as he slides his fingers under the cotton. The bare touch of his fingers against my flesh sends my senses into overdrive and I rock against his hand.
“Christ,” he hisses.
Our eyes lock and he slowly pushes a single finger inside of me. Another gasp flies out of my mouth and my body goes still at the intrusion. My body feels like it may explode and heat spreads over every inch of my skin.
“Look at me,” he commands softly.
I turn my focus back to his handsome face just as he bends and brushes his lips over mine. His finger slides out of me. I’m about to protest when I feel him add another, sending both deep inside of me.
In and out.
Slow and steady.
His fingers create a sinful rhythm, one my body dances and sways to. Suddenly, I feel the muscles between my thighs tighten and spasm around his fingers and I start to pant.
“I…oh…I think…”
My words die on his lips.
My legs buckle.
My back arches.
My whole being chases the sweet climax his fingers promise.
“That’s it, ride it out, Brook,” he murmurs, pumping faster. His thumb circles my clit, and my hips buck once more.
“Eric,” I pant as my pace quickens and I rock wildly against his hand. Gripping his shoulders, I throw my head back against the pillows and close my eyes as the greatest feeling in the world overtakes my body.
“Such a pretty little hurricane,” he rasps as I dig my heels into the mattress and lift my hips one last time. My body locks and I moan as his fingers slow. Just when I think it’s impossible to feel anything else, the aftershocks of my first orgasm tease me and another load moan is pulled from the back of my throat.
“That was the most beautiful thing I have ever witnessed,” he says, finding my mouth. I lift my head from the pillow and move my hands to his cheeks, holding him steady as I stare at him like he’s a dream. The hardness of his erection presses against my thigh and I lick my lips—not a dream.
“My turn,” I murmur, pulling his mouth to mine. With a confidence I’m sure is born from experiencing an earthshaking orgasm, I roll us so that Eric is on his back. He reaches for the hem of my tank and quickly pulls it over my head. Throwing it to the side, he stares at me like I’m everything he’s ever wished for.
Like everything he needs.
His gaze fuels the fire inside of me and I hastily pull his shirt over his head. My hands glide down his smooth chest, to the hint of abs that lead to the waistband of his gym shorts. I recline, zoning in on the outline of his erection and just when I’m about to hook my fingers under the waistband of his shorts, his hands cover mine.
“Wait,” he pants.
Blowing the hair away from my eyes, I peer up at him from under the fringe of my lashes. I’m not sure the cause for delay, but I hope we can quickly move past whatever the hold up seems to be. My patience is thin and my need strong.
“Brook.”
“What?”
Dragging his eyes away from my boobs, he exhales roughly and lifts a hand. He winds it around the back of my neck, giving it a gentle squeeze as he pushes the hair away from my face and grins at me.
“I like where this is going.”
Excellent!
We’re on the same page.
“Me too,” I agree, reaching for his shorts.
Now, can we please get naked?
“But maybe we should slow down.”
Is he kidding me?
“That sounds like a terrible idea.”
“It’s just…I…well, you’ve never done this before, have you?”
I feel my cheeks flame. Is it that noticeable?
Oh, God. I got so caught up in the pleasure, I didn’t stop to worry if I was doing something wrong.
“Is that a problem?” I croak.
He quickly shakes his head and relief washes over me, but my cheeks still feel like they are on fire.
“Fuck, no. I’m only bringing it up because I want you to be sure,” he explains. “I don’t want to hurt you or pressure you into doing something you’re not ready for.”
This boy—this not naked boy.
He has no idea how amazing he is.
He doesn’t know that he’s everything I need and everything I want.
That I don’t just want to give him my body, but my whole heart.
Every piece of my soul.
“I’m sure,” I whisper.
“It’s going to hurt,” he warns. “And you might bleed,” he adds, lowering one hand to my thigh. He gently caresses it as he stares back at me. “We’ll take it slow, yeah?”
“Okay.”
I can do slow.
“Brook.”
Slow and steady, just like his fingers.
“Hmm?”
“Can’t go slow if you keep riding my dick like that,” he hisses, closing his
eyes. He’s probably right, but I can’t help myself. It feels too good. “Fuck, I’m going to lose it and I’m not even inside of you yet.”
Those words send chills down my spine and my legs start to tingle. I grip his shoulders and let my body move naturally. When it becomes too much, I stop. I lean back, hook my thumbs under the waistband of my shorts and panties and start to push them down my hips. My efforts are wasted because Eric suddenly grabs me and rolls me onto my back. The pull-out couch squeaks at the movement, but we both ignore it as he drags the shorts and panties down my legs. His eyes travel up my legs and his hands find my knees. He glances up at me and I jerk my chin.
Take.
Take.
Take.
He pushes my knees apart and his gaze drops. Pulling in a sharp breath, he settles between my legs, his face looming over the part that aches for him and I hold my breath. I wait for the fear washing over me. For the doubt to creep into my mind. He kisses the inside of my thighs and then his cool tongue slides through my wetness.
Fear and doubt don’t exist where there’s trust.
Those things don’t have room to live where there is love.
The most delicious sounds come from the back of his throat as he laps at me. His tongue alternates between long strokes and quick flicks and my belly flutters as another orgasm nears. But before I can reach the point of no return, Eric tears his mouth away.
Climbing over me, he reaches across me and grabs a condom from the end table. I watch shamelessly as he tugs his shorts off. His cock springs out and for the first time I feel a sliver of unease creep into my being.
That thing is huge.
“Eric…”
He rolls the condom over his length and pauses to give me his eyes.
“What’s wrong?”
“Um…I don’t…” I lick my lips and shake my head nervously, forcing a swallow. “That isn’t going to fit inside of me,” I blurt.
He chuckles and bends his head to peck my nose with a kiss.
Fight Or Flight (Tempted Series Generation 2.0) Page 17