Moore

by Jessika Klide

  Now the only problem is a handbag. A heavy strap will interfere with my cleavage, but I'm not going off with TD without protection. I wonder if I brought my black leather Gucci. It has an extra-long, thin strap, I can lay along the heavy braid and keep my cleavage open or it can double as a clutch. I find it packed in one of the emergency suitcases. When I open it, I discover there is $3000 in a money clip from the last time I carried it. Now for my mini clutch, which contains my driver's license and a couple of credit cards. I drop it in and check the time on my phone. It's 9:00. Perfect timing.

  I sit on the bed and reach under my pillow. Last but not least; I pull out my Ruger LCR, check the bullets in the chamber, make sure it is secure and drop it in. Brutus, you would be so proud of me for remembering.

  Walking into the kitchen, I lay the purse down on the counter. Taking my phone, I walk to the balcony to watch for TD. I quickly text Cat. *Tell Brutus I want him on that May 1st flight coming to pick me up. I miss the big ole boy.*

  I quickly scan the parking lot. Now to wait for TD, get some good karma for doing this, and move forward with my pursuit of happiness and the Golden God. I feel the vibration of a text. *He's already on the flight manifest. :-)*

  I smile as I step to the railing and drink in the evening air. The Raptor hasn't moved. I wonder if Moore is having friends over for dinner. He had enough food for several people. Maybe I'll pretend to be locked out tonight and knock on his door when I come back.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  At exactly 9:15, I see TD's car enter the lot. I close the French doors and lock up. "Show time!" Grabbing my purse, I stuff my phone in it then lock the door behind me and drop in the key. Walking down the hallway to the elevator, I strut with all the sass I feel, all dressed up again. Boobs bouncing. Ass beating. I focus on 9G and try to will Moore to come out. I want to see you! I want you to see me!

  At the elevator, I push the down button. It dings and the doors slide open almost immediately. Entering, I realize the gun is just a little too heavy to carry the bag in my hand. I don't want to drop it. I pull the strap free and hang it over my head and shoulder as I move to the back corner. The weight of the gun makes it hang nice. I roll my shoulder around testing it. That's good.

  As the doors start to slide closed on their own, my eyes focus on the shrinking gap and my mind flashes to the views of Moore I've had through them. Our special connection emphasized there. I look up and say to Karma. I want to see him… now.

  Right on cue, a golden hand slides in, stopping their progress.

  Fuck yeah! My heart flip flops, skips a couple of beats, then races to my throat, choking off my air. The butterflies return, circling, making every part of me tingle. Instantly, I'm turned on.

  His hand rests holding the door and I study it as they stop and reverse their path. His skin isn’t hard, but it’s not soft like TD’s. His nails are not manicured, but clean and neatly cut. His fingers are strong and nimble. That’s a working man’s hand. A real man's hand.

  As the doors open, I smile and silently mouth. "Sweet Zeus, Father of the Fucking Gods, Thank You." And when the gap is big enough for his frame to squeeze through, the most beautiful man I have ever laid eyes on slides in with his back to me, pulling his phone out of his front pants pocket and typing something with one hand, while holding a cooler, probably full of beer, in the other.

  Tonight, he is dressed in another J Crew shirt, short sleeves, loosely buttoned, with tight, white pants. The shirt is dark purple and his skin tone is warm against it. His hair reflects soft gold tints in the elevator light. Even the hair on his arms reflects gold highlights.

  I smirk. He doesn't see me! He is seriously preoccupied with his phone. No one was in the hallway when he came out of his apartment and the elevator was standing open. He thinks he is alone. I grin as I watch him push the phone back in his pants pocket, then the L button on the elevator panel. As the doors close, I inhale deeply through my nose trying to be as quiet as a mouse.

  Yum! I close my eyes and they roll back into my head. OMG, that cologne! He smells like heaven itself!

  The elevator starts its descent and he takes a step back. He sets the cooler down and I try to move my foot inconspicuously to keep it from being squished underneath. His hawk eyes dart to the movement. As soon he sees my stilettos, his eyebrows raise and a slow, sexy as fuck smile spreads across his face.

  I melt.

  In slow motion, he turns, and his gaze begins to crawl slowly up from my arched feet.

  I tingle where they touch.

  As he looks up my dancer’s legs, his expression changes from playful to hungry.

  I am not breathing.

  When he gets to the hem of my dress, he pauses as if he knows I'm naked under it.

  I'm pinned to the wall.

  His eyes linger at my pussy.

  My clit throbs.

  His gaze moves upward again.

  My abs flex.

  He enjoys my cleavage.

  My heart pounds in my chest.

  He examines the swell of my tits, taking in every detail.

  I gulp a breath of air. My chest expands. The edges of my nipples flash him.

  His thunder ripples across his face.

  My chest heaves.

  He watches my mounds of flesh rise and fall.

  I am quivering.

  His eyes continue up my neck.

  I am hot.

  He studies my lips.

  I lick them.

  His emerald green, gorgeous eyes thunder into mine.

  I am trembling inside.

  He steps over the cooler and invades my space.

  I am powerless to resist him.

  His body heat floods the air and consumes me.

  I am on fire.

  His breath caresses my face as he studies me.

  I nearly swoon.

  He sticks his nose in the nape of my neck and inhales.

  I tingle from head to toe.

  A low throat moan escapes him.

  I match it with one of my own.

  He looks back into my eyes. His thunder is there, raw, unguarded.

  I force my face away. Desperate to resist him. Needing to flee or be fucked.

  He puts his arms against the wall, encompassing me within his essence. Trapping me.

  "Hi."

  I am speechless.

  He waits. Analyzing my behavior. A hunter studying his prey.

  I bite my bottom lip, knowing resistance is futile. I will cave. I will capitulate. I will give it up right now.

  "Look at me."

  I lift my face.

  He smiles, knowing I am his.

  My eyes fall to his lips. I watch them move as he speaks Italian.

  "Giorno e notte sogno solo di te."

  I bite my lip hard. That was sexy as fuck! I lift my eyes to his. They are hungry for him.

  The smile falls from his face. I sense his thunder lying just beneath the surface.

  I feel … wild!

  Our eyes flash our intentions.

  They are the same.

  The elevator slows, then dings and as it comes to a stop, his moan begins. As the doors slide open, it becomes a growl.

  I see in his eyes, his thunder retreat.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  "Oh…." We hear a surprised voice as someone enters the elevator.

  Moore drops his arms, then turns to stand next to me, politely facing front. We both stare straight ahead, struggling to remain calm.

  I’m breathing in short pants.

  He’s taking in deep, long, even breaths.

  I see that a middle-aged man has entered, but his wife has not. She takes one look at me gulping air, finally able to breathe, then looks at Moore. Her eyes fall to his groin and she reaches out for her husband's arm. She tells us. "Go ahead. We will wait for the next one." She tells him as she pulls him back out. "Herb, come here. Come back out." The man grunts at us, and tries to pull his arm away from his wife. She finally gets him to e
xit and when the doors shut, I’m in control again and I know Moore is too.

  But when the elevator starts down, I wait, wanting him to resume his seduction. He doesn't. He stands firm beside me. When he speaks, he flirts. "I guess you are going out tonight?"

  I snort air, then in a flirty tone full of sweet sassiness, I ask him. "How could you tell?"

  He chuckles still staring forward. "With someone … special?"

  I chuckle too. "No. Apparently, you're going out tonight with someone else."

  He grins and turns to face me, resting his shoulder on the wall, being careful not to get too close.

  I grin and turn my face to him. "Are you going out with someone … special?"

  He laughs. "No. I'm going alone to a Hail and Farewell on post. I don't know where the special someone in my life is going." He winks at me. "Where are you going?"

  I laugh. "To a cocktail party with a colleague from my temp job. He had a last-minute cancellation yesterday and I agreed to go with him so he wouldn't have to back out."

  "So, a hot date?"

  "No. Not a hot date!" I laugh at the ridiculousness of that considering it is with TD.

  He closes the distance. His body heat hits me. His scent fills my nostrils. "You sure look hot."

  I look away as a flush falls over my skin. You make me hot!

  He leans his head down and whispers in my ear. "You really look hot! Scorching hot." He runs his fingers down my arm.

  My skin feels scorched from his heat as goose bumps pop out.

  He smiles knowing his seduction is working.

  The elevator dings and comes to a stop. As the doors slide open onto the lobby, he bows slightly and gestures. "After you, my lady."

  I turn barely controlled wild eyes to him. "I am hot! Really hot." I wink at him as I exit.

  Time to do a little seduction of my own.

  Strutting my stuff across the lobby floor with the full swagger of a $1,000,000 Vegas star in her signature diva dress, I work it!

  Try taking your eyes off this!

  Half way across, he lets out a long, low whistle.

  I laugh softly at his reaction. Moore, you are a rascal.

  I continue all the way to the exit doors before I glance back to see if he followed or not. He is still standing in the door of the elevator, blocking it, relaxed, watching me.

  Fuck yeah, you look like a Golden God standing there so comfortable, enjoying the view, not the least bit intimated, in complete control of yourself and knowing now you are capable of completely controlling me too. Damn straight. A real man!

  I stand expectantly at the door, waiting patiently, and give him a beautiful, sweet smile. He responds with his own, picks up his cooler and swaggers to me. I'm struck by how comfortable he is in his own skin.

  He doesn't exude confidence exactly, although I’m sure most people misinterpret it to be cocky. It’s really something more. More like complete mastery. Supreme competence.

  When he reaches me, he sticks out his hand. "It's time to formally introduce ourselves, Miss Wright."

  I slip mine into his. He allows my whole hand to slide into his deep grasp, before he engulfs it with his. Then he pulls me to him, making me take a step forward and invade his space. My passion flows with the touch of his skin and the closeness of his body, only the public lobby keeps it under control. He squeezes my hand, making me quiver.

  "Aurei Moore." His breath tickles my face.

  My voice sounds breathless when I ask. "Ari? Short for…?"

  He smiles his sexy half smile. I watch his lips as he says. "Aurelius."

  "Of course." I say calmly as if it's quite common to meet a man named Aurelius in Alabama.

  He chuckles silently and waits while I process his name.

  Aurelius. The last great Roman Emperor was Marcus Aurelius. My Latin is rusty, but Aureus is an adjective meaning "golden." I smirk. Yes, I knew you were Golden and a God of a man. Aurelius fits you perfectly!

  When he sees my eyes twinkle, he asks. "And your name, Miss Wright?"

  "Siri."

  "Siri?" He hums deep within his throat and a confused look falls on his face, but he quickly recovers and just says. "Interesting. How do spell it?"

  I cock my head narrowing my eyes and answer. "Yes. Like Apple’s Siri. S. I. R. I."

  He gives me a head nod, then says. "Of course." Using the same voice inflection I used, making me giggle.

  He’s just playing with me.

  "Your name means beautiful woman who leads us to victory."

  My mouth falls open. "Why … yes, it does." I grin genuinely surprised. "And the Latin translation of Aurelius is Aureus meaning golden."

  "Affirmative." He looks impressed, then he winks again. "That’s Army talk for yep."

  I giggle at his definition. He releases my hand and opens the door for me. I walk through and there are a couple of ladies waiting to come in.

  He holds the door open for them too.

  They tell him. "Thank you."

  And he answers. "Yes Ma'am."

  Standing outside, I wait for him to join me. Aurelius. When he walks up, I smile at him. "Hmmm. Aurelius." I hum deep within my throat. "Interesting. So given your Italian, do you spell Ari, A.R.I. or A.U.R.E.I?"

  He grins surprised. "A.U.R.E.I." Then he winks at me again. "Good call, Siri."

  That wink is killer!

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  The night security lights are bright, illuminating the area as if it were a cloudy day. We stroll to the parking lot together, chatting. He walks close enough to me that his sleeve brushes my arm. I bump him, wanting to touch him any way I can. "So, you have resigned from the Army?"

  "Yes, I gave them six good years, but I'm not a lifer."

  "Do you think you will miss it?"

  "No." He gives me a super sexy smile. "Not now. Now, La vita è bella." He translates immediately. "Life is beautiful. I'm feeling good, really good, about the decision to get out and hang around here now. I'm looking forward to a new life."

  I smile back. "I know how you feel!" I look out in the parking lot, as I add casually bumping him again. "Life feels pretty fucking fantastic, right now."

  He chuckles. "Yes, it does."

  "Do you think you will miss flying?"

  "No, I have my private pilot's license."

  "Oh that's dope! Maybe you can take me for a flight sometime?"

  At the curb, I step off, but he pauses. "I think that soaring with you is definitely going to happen."

  I squeeze my pussy and my jaw jets out as I suck my lips. DEF! That is definitely going to happen.

  Coming alongside me, his smirk turns into a blatant grin and mine matches it, as we let the innuendo tease the air.

  When we step past the car parked in the first visitor spot, Aurei looks down the row and sees something that makes him stiffen, almost imperceptibly, but I notice it, so I lay my hand on his arm as I peek behind his back to see what it was that caused his reaction. It was TD. He is parked about 7 cars away, casually smoking a cigarette, sitting on the trunk of his Porsche. He is wearing really distressed jeans with a pale blue Christian D'or shirt and loafers. He has his long, white blonde hair French braided in a ponytail. He glances at us, thumps the cigarette into the parking lot and mouths "Sup" with a head nod, but he completely ignores us as he pulls another cigarette out of his pocket.

  I roll my eyes. "Good Gawd! French braided hair? Really?"

  Aurei chuckles. "You do have a hot date." He tells me as we walk to his Raptor.

  "He thinks he's hot."

  "That's not what I meant. There is no way that dude thinks you two are NOT on a hot date."

  We arrive at the Raptor. "He would have asked any female, but he doesn't know anyone else."

  Aurei raises his eyebrows and gives me a skeptical 'yeah right' look. "I believe you, but … mark my words, he's thinking he has a hot date with you."

  I laugh at his expression. "I'm a big girl. I can handle the likes of him. He knows it
's only a favor."

  "Are you sure he knows that?"

  "I made it clear we are not on a date."

  "Crystal?"

  "Yes. Crystal clear. I only agreed because he was so pitiful and Karma has been very good to me. I need to pay her a small token of appreciation."

  "You are such an interesting find, Wild Thang. A one of a kind."

  I smirk at his nickname. "Yes. I won't deny I am unique."

  He chuckles as he leans over the side of the truck with the cooler. "And so modest too."

  "If it's true, you can say it, right?" My eyes fall to the view of his perfect fucking muscle displayed before me. Um, um, um. My hand tingles with an urge to caress it. It is full, round, tight, powerful. Thoughts of his fucking muscle in action stir my pent-up passion and in the privacy of the parking lot, it comes to the surface. My pussy lurches, my heart starts to pound, my breathing get shallow and I bite my lip as I run my palms over my hips to ease the sensation.

  "That's affirmative." He looks over his shoulder at me.

  I lift my eyes from his ass. My face has lost its playful flirting. You are the man of my dreams, Aurelius Moore.

  He sets the cooler down in the truck bed, then moves to stand territorially between me and TD. He walks up until his shirt touches my breasts. His eyes crinkle.

  I close my eyes as my tingling palms spread to tingling tits. I hear words whispered so softly that I'm not sure if it's him or my own thoughts. "It's true. Say it!" He is so close I can smell him without inhaling. His scent is intoxicating. My nipples tighten and elongate, trying to touch him. My insides are quivering again.

  "Look at me." His commanding tone makes me open my eyes and I find him smiling down at me. He whispers. "La donna dei miei sogni!" Being this close to his moving lips, my eyes can't resist them. They are truly exquisite. Incredibly beautiful moving to form his whispers. I catch glimpses of his tongue behind his teeth. I like his lips. I would like his lips on my lips.

  The urge to push my hard nipples into his hard body or kiss his unsuspecting mouth, makes me lay my hand on his chest and push away gently to keep the little gap between us safe.

  "No." He reaches up and clasps it, then drags it down his torso and holds it by our sides. Shivers run through me, reconnected. "Don't push me away." His commanding tone and words surprise me. Not because they are commanding, but because I melt with them.