by Pepper North
Seizing on that last word as a promise of future intimacies, Hope didn’t question him. Sam was in charge. She closed her eyes again to concentrate. To reward her for her surrender, two thick fingers pressed into her tight channel. In one never-hesitating, slow thrust, they glided deep into her body, only to withdraw as her tight passage clamped down on them. Hope heard her soft sound of protest, followed by his low chuckle.
“I know, little girl. It’s so good,” he reassured her, pressing his fingers back inside.
She understood immediately that he wasn’t making fun of her, but enjoying her reaction to his touch. Hope jumped slightly when his lips and teeth nibbled at the length of her sensitive neck. Tilting her head to the side, she allowed him access to his newest target as he drew a purr of delight from her throat.
“You are a delight, Hope. Soon, I will be here. Deep inside you,” he promised, thrusting his fingers back into her. “No touch will be off limits.”
His other hand stroked lower as he widened his legs even more, spreading her thighs further apart. Hope realized that he had released her hands. She kept them pressed together at her waist, unwilling to distract him. The meaning of his words thrilled her as his fingers traced the small hidden opening between her cheeks. When his fingers pressed back into her, one digit pushed into her clenched bottom. The final sensation of his teeth biting into her neck launched Hope into a massive orgasm that shook her body and mind.
Chapter 4
The next morning a buzzing text notice drew her from the fantasies enthralling her mind. Hope had replayed everything that happened last night. After her spanking and pleasure, Sam had re-dressed her and gently washed the tears from her face. He’d taken her back home and walked her to the door. Sam had sent her inside with a tender kiss. He hadn’t left the porch until she’d locked the door behind her.
Pressing her fingers to her lips to trap the sensation of his caress against her skin, Hope ran through the darkened house to her bedroom. Usually afraid of the dark, her thoughts of Sam distracted her from fears of things hidden in the shadows. Thankfully, her parents were out for the night, giving her privacy as she got ready for bed. Emotionally drained, she’d crashed into sleep.
Reaching for the phone, Hope read:
Candy girl, wake up. I’m taking you to lunch in a half hour.
To give herself a bit more time to pull her emotions together, Hope replied,
I’ll meet you at the Harbor Bar and Grill at 11:00.
That bought her a few minutes more to compose herself.
I’d rather come pick you up, Hope.
Hesitating to come up with a good excuse, her eyes landed on her computer case.
I need to go get a new thumb drive. It’s on my way. See you soon.
She stared at the phone in her hand, wondering if that was going to work or if he would insist on coming here.
Eleven o’clock.
Hope burst out of bed and scrambled to get ready. After driving to the bar and restaurant that was the hot spot in town, she took a second to compose herself before climbing out of the driver’s seat and heading inside. Scanning the room, her gaze went right to him as he drew her attention.
Be cool! Sliding into the booth across from him, words tumbled from her lips without a superficial greeting. “I don’t ever let people touch me like that,” she whispered. Her face heated, and Hope knew she was blushing furiously.
“Good. Your daddy has privileges others should not,” Sam replied easily with an indulgent smile. He leaned forward to press a possessive kiss on her lips. “Good morning, candy girl.”
“Are you sure you’re my daddy?” she answered in a tentative whisper.
“There is no doubt in my mind. Now I just need to convince you, little girl.”
Hope jumped as the server’s voice asked, “What can I get you to drink? Would you like menus?”
“Hi, Cricket!” Sam greeted the server familiarly. “Bring me a draft and my girl a root beer. We’ll order food as well.”
“I like piña coladas,” Hope said quickly.
“Yum! Ours are fantastic here,” Cricket chimed in. The petite blonde looked back and forth between her two customers as if gathering information. “Do you want the regular or virgin piña colada?”
“Virgin,” Sam decided.
“Let me put your drink order in and I’ll be back with menus.” The server smiled and sped off.
“I’m way past old enough to drink,” Hope protested.
“Little girls only drink on very special occasions. Tell me, did you sleep well last night?”
Instantly, her face flamed hot. “Sam!” she whispered furiously.
“No one can hear, and they don’t have a clue, sweet girl. It’s okay. I won’t talk about our private times. I know you’re shy,” Sam assured her, covering her twisting hands with one of his.
Hope’s shoulders relaxed into place. “Thanks. I’m sorry. I should have known that no one knows what happened.”
“Here are your menus and your drinks. Aren’t you on that hotshot military team?” Cricket asked, interrupting the quiet that had spread between them.
“I am. I’m Sam. I think I’ve been in your section a few times.”
“Mark always sits here,” Cricket said softly. Her cheerful smile drooped for a couple of seconds before she plastered it back in place.
“Does Mark bother you? I can tell him we need to sit somewhere else,” Sam assured her, looking concerned.
“Oh, no. He never does anything. Please don’t ask him to sit elsewhere. I love the group. You all aren’t like some of the obnoxious guys who think the servers are theirs for a price,” Cricket rushed to assure him.
“You let any of our group know if someone is causing a problem from now on, Cricket.”
“O-okay. Thanks. I’ll be back in a while to take your orders—unless you know what you want? There’s a fish and chips special.”
“That sounds good to me,” Sam decided, before looking at Hope.
“Can I have a burger and fries?” she asked Cricket.
“Of course. Or we have amazing onion rings…” Cricket tempted.
When Hope hesitated, wanting to get them but worried about onion breath, Sam commented, “I’d definitely steal an onion ring or two if you like them.”
“Okay. I’d love to have onion rings. Thanks, Cricket.”
When the waitress rushed away to put in their orders, Hope picked up her drink and took a long sip. “Mmm! This is so good.”
“That sound will always instantly make me hard,” Sam informed her with a heated look.
Instantly, her mind rushed back to last night. “Oh! I’m sorry,” she said, feeling her face warm.
“I’m not. Just hungry.”
Hope’s gaze fused with his. He concentrated only on her. They could have been anywhere. Their surroundings were unimportant. At that moment, only she and Sam existed. Without breaking their eye contact, Sam reached across to pluck her hand from the table. He lifted it to his lips and pressed a warm kiss against her palm. A zing of desire flared through her.
“Daddy?” she whispered without thinking.
“I know, little girl. It’s scary to feel so much so fast. It’s okay. Some things are just meant to be. I need you closer.”
Sam stood and slid into the booth next to Hope. She started to scoot over further but his hand clamped over her thigh, holding her in place. When she looked up at his face, she discovered that Sam was close—really close. This time she focused on those lips hovering so near.
He cradled her jaw in his palm and pressed a quick, hard kiss against her lips, before growling, “Mine, little girl. I’m claiming you.”
Unable to do anything else, Hope nodded and touched her lips to his again. “Mmm!” escaped from her mouth into his.
Lifting his mouth from hers, Sam captured her hand and pressed it to his fly. Hard and long, his erection seemed to throb heat through his jeans. She smiled. She, Hope Anderson, had provoked this with on
e sound. Her lips curved in a secret smile. She loved that he was so attracted to her. It made it easier to be so into him as well.
“Sorry to interrupt,” Cricket’s cheerful voice captured their attention. “Just dropping off some water.”
“Thanks, Cricket.” Sam’s attention didn’t waver from Hope.
When he finally glanced away from her several long seconds later, the busy waitress had disappeared. “I thought she’d never leave us alone,” Sam joked.
“She’s probably gossiping about us,” Hope guessed, peeking around him to scan the bar to see if they were the center of attention. To her relief, no one seemed to have noticed them. She scooted a few inches away from Sam in the booth to give herself space to think.
“I don’t think Cricket has a mean bone in her body. Mark keeps a close eye on her. She’s great.”
“Mark is the leader of your group? What kind of team is it?” Hope asked, truly interested.
“The military has all sorts of teams. Mine seems to be undergoing a transition. The group has five members who all have unique talents. Together, we work together to solve problems. Currently, some of the older members of the original team are rotating out and being replaced by others. I’m one of the newer guys.”
“Why do I think you’re making it sound so simple when there’s probably a huge dangerous component to your job?” She shivered at the thought of him being at risk.
Instantly, Sam rubbed her back reassuringly. “There are a lot of tough situations in the military. I trust my life with my teammates. We work hard to be in the best shape possible. Mark, the team leader, took over about four months before I came on board. He kicks all our asses in training, but we all thank him for it. It fine-tunes our interactions to keep everyone safe and help us all return home alive.”
“It scares me that there’s a chance you might get hurt,” she confessed.
“I’m sorry, candy girl. Know that I’m even more motivated now to be safe. It’s tough to be involved with someone in the military. Sometimes we’re activated and leave without getting to notify anyone. If I disappear, don’t think I’ve ghosted you. I’ll be back as soon as possible.”
His expression was so serious. Hope shivered again. She didn’t know what his job was exactly, but she now had no doubts that it was extremely high risk. “Couldn’t you do something else?” she whispered.
“This is what I’m good at, candy girl.” His fingers intertwined with hers and squeezed.
“Whoa. Intense conversation. You need food. Thankfully, I have yours for you.” Cricket’s voice brought them back to their surroundings. Skillfully, she placed their orders in front of them. “Need anything else?”
“No, thank you, Cricket. This is more than enough. I think we’ll roll out of here if we eat all this,” Sam said, winking at Hope as he snagged an onion ring from the brimming pile on her plate.
“Hey! You don’t get to have the first one,” Hope protested as the server walked away laughing.
“I was not aware of this rule,” he answered seriously as he froze.
“She who orders gets first dibs,” Hope informed him with a serious look.
“You take the first bite. Ketchup or no?” he asked, lifting the squeezable red bottle.
“Yes,” she confirmed.
“I’ll put it on my plate since I don’t know how you like it.” When Hope nodded her permission, Sam squeezed the tomato mixture on the edge of his plate. Carefully, he dipped it into the puddle and raised it to her lips. “Here, candy girl.”
Hope took an enormous bite and chewed happily. “Yum! Those are as good as Cricket said. Try it!”
“Don’t you want to finish this one?” he questioned with raised eyebrows.
“No, I just wanted the first bite.” With an impish smile, she picked up her hamburger and took a dainty bite.
“Little girl…” he started before shaking his head and eating the fried treat.
Her delighted giggles went straight to his heart. Sam picked up a piece of fried fish and took a big bite. He couldn’t wait to see what other surprises were in store for him.
“So, candy girl, tell me what you’ve been studying?” Sam wanted to know more about her.
“I’m the most boring woman on Earth,” she answered in a practiced answer she’d obviously used many times before. “My degree is in advanced applied mathematics.”
“Wow, little girl! You’re not boring. You’re brilliant. I suspected that might be the case.”
“No way! Everyone always dismisses me for being an airhead. You know, a blonde.”
“If you haven’t figured it out yet, I’m not everyone,” he corrected her gently. When Hope froze and then nodded, Sam continued, “Your father suggested you might not be in town for long. Where are you applying?”
“I have several people trying to convince me to come work for them. It’s hard to know what to choose. All seem pretty great. I’m going to go for onsite interviews starting next week. A couple are based in Washington, DC. I thought I would start there,” she shared, looking doubtful.
“Not sure about life in a big city?” he asked.
“Dad’s been based in a lot of places. I’m used to metropolitan areas as well as secluded bases. I want to find a place that fits how I work best. I don’t do well in a cube farm. You know, a big open space with hundreds of desks clustered together separated by half walls. I like people but they can be distracting when I’m trying to figure out a complex problem.”
“I can understand that. What would be the best environment for you?” Sam probed.
“I’d like to have some flexibility in working. Often teams work together on a difficult calculation or problem for days, months, or years. Thoughts often wake me up in the middle of the night when my subconscious has focused on a project. It’s best if I work on it then and nap later. Offices aren’t set up for that.” Hope picked up an onion ring and offered it to him absentmindedly.
Sam liked she was thinking of him, even when lost in contemplation. Plucking it from her fingers, he asked, “So working from home might be best?”
“I think a combination of quiet office space, home, and collaborative space would be ideal. Now, the challenge is to see where I’ll fit best and who has the same vision.”
He sat back against the bench seat and watched her as she stared off into space, obviously lost in thought. Sam knew he deserved a swift kick in the pants for not picking up on her highly trained mind. “What else should I know about you, candy girl? Are you a gourmet chef as well?”
“Good heavens, no. I can’t scramble eggs without burning myself or the skillet,” Hope laughed. “I do like art. There’s a lot of mathematics in making angles and proportions visually pleasing.”
“I would guess there’s mathematics in just about everything.”
“Even in maps!” Hope leaned toward him with excitement shining in her eyes. “We have lots of things in common!”
“We do, little girl.” Sam leaned forward to kiss her softly. To his delight, Hope tangled her fingers in his shirt to hold him close. He deepened the kiss, dipping into her mouth to steal a taste.
“Mmm!” she hummed into his mouth.
“Guess everything tastes okay.” Cricket’s cheery voice made Hope bolt upright away from Sam.
“It’s all delicious,” Sam assured her, smoothing a hand over Hope’s thigh to reassure her.
“Another round of drinks?” Cricket suggested.
“Could I have some more water?” Hope asked with a sideways glance.
“Me, too,” Sam chimed in. With a quick nod, Cricket scurried off.
Brushing Hope’s long hair away from the side of her face, Sam leaned in to whisper, “It’s getting hot in here,” before pressing his lips to that sensitive spot behind her ear.
He chuckled when she offered him another onion ring to give herself time to recover. “Little girl, I’m so glad I’ve found you.”
Her answer came in the form of a soft shoulder bump agains
t his chest. To his delight, she didn’t move away from him but hovered close.
Accepting the onion ring, he popped it into his mouth. I’m never letting her go.
Chapter 5
Where is he? This isn’t like him at all! Hope scanned the entrance to the Harbor Bar and Grill, hoping to see Sam striding toward her. They’d made a date to meet there as soon as Sam showered after maneuvers the next day. She grinned. It had become their place. Hope liked the connections they were building. It felt… rock steady.
She’d been so eager to see him, she’d arrived about fifteen minutes early and decided to wait outside for Sam. Hope checked her watch once again and saw that he was fifteen minutes late.
“I’m sure he’s just running late,” she tried to convince herself.
“Hope? Are you waiting for Sam?” Cricket asked as she approached the bar with her waitress’ apron in her hand.
“Yes. Have you seen him?”
“Check your messages. I just heard that his team was deployed in the middle of the night.”
“Really?” Hope fumbled to pull her phone from her back pocket. A message icon stared back at her. “I didn’t even look this morning.”
“Go read it. If you need to talk, I’ll be in my normal section.”
“Oh, I won’t bother you while you’re working. Thanks for solving the mystery,” Hope answered, forcing her voice to sound cheerful.
“I’ll let you read the message. I know it’s hard to date a military guy. Well, I don’t know. I’ve never dated one. My heart is set on someone who thinks I’m too young.”
“I’m sorry, Cricket. Mark?”
“Yep. He’s the one. Maybe someday, I’ll wear him down. I’m going to be late.” Cricket waved as she hurried through the door.
Hope started to open the message and hesitated. She returned to her car and turned on the air conditioner. Better to be alone.
Candy girl. We got urgent orders to deploy. I’d tell you to answer to let me know you got the message and aren’t waiting at our spot, but we’re under strict radio silence. I’ll be back in touch as soon as possible.