Bella moaned into the cavern of his mouth, gasping for air. “Please, Drake. I want you. I want to feel you.” He didn’t wait for more encouragement. In record speed, he had her undressed and was tugging his pants down to free his throbbing, aching dick from the constricting material. The second their skin made contact, both of them groaned. It was as if electric currents arched and sparked through them both. He tilted to adjust his position, nudging her folds with the head of his dick. Their lips met again as he savagely took her to the heightened state her body craved. He couldn’t hold back. In one thrust he entered her slick heat, sending her into a lustful haze that violently reawakened the desire she had kept in check for so long. Her pussy squeezed his dick tight, pulsing from the sudden intrusion. He swallowed her soft whimpers, rocking in and out of her body in a slow, steady rhythm. Unable to resist, he reached over and grabbed a fist full of her golden locks, tugging her head back slightly. She surrendered to him, the pillowy softness of her body pressed against his made his balls load up and threaten to explode prematurely. Her hungry gaze never left his. Unable to remain in restraints, he gritted his teeth. “Bella, I wanted to love you slow and take my time the first time we were together, but I can’t. You are driving me fucking insane. I never imagined you would be so damn hot. I need you now, deep, hard, and fast.”
“I don’t want soft. I want you to take me, Drake,” her voice was a husky whisper.
“You may live to regret those words, darlin’. Hang on and let me take you for a ride.” Bella’s fingers dug into his taut ass, grinding him deep in her cunt. Her pussy clenched around him, needing so badly what only he could give. Joker unleashed the caged animal within and went wild. He slammed into her, pounding to bottom out with every stroke. When Bella tilted her pelvis and arched to meet every thrust, he felt her body tremble. She was close. With one hand, he reached between their bodies and rolled her clit between his finger and thumb, sending her into a panting, pleading, groaning frenzy. Her body came unwound just moments before his did. Her cunt squeezed his dick like a vise, spasming and clenching tight. When he blew, it was so hard it was almost painful. Her high pitch moans mingled with his deep, throaty growl as they both shot to the moon and floated slowly back to earth.
Bella’s sex drunk finally faded, leaving her with a tingling, happy high. Joker had turned their bodies and snuggled her down in his arms, wrapping her up tight against him. “Damn, Bella, that was…there are no words. You are perfect in every way, baby. I don’t ever want this to end.”
“It seems so wrong, but you feel so right, Drake. I don’t want to fight it anymore. I just don’t know how to let go. I will always love Jared…you have to know that.” She pushed down the rising memories, holding on to the moment.
“I would be upset if you didn’t. I don’t ever want to take his place, Bella. I want to have my own spot in your heart…not be a stand in or substitute. I am falling in love with you, and I can’t hide it anymore.”
Bella felt her heart stop. Love. The word echoed through her thoughts. Before she could stop, the words blurted out of her mouth. “I love you too, Drake.” Her small little voice boomed with big words filling him with pure joy. Joker leaned over and kissed her again, this time giving her a taste of his true feelings in every caress. His hand gently brushed the hair off her sweat dampened forehead. When he pulled away, she grinned. “A girl could get used to that.”
“Good, because there is so much more where that came from, darlin’.”
“There is huh? Well, I can’t wait to see.” Her mouth curled up in the sweetest smile he had ever seen. He cuddled down tight against her to catch a couple more hours sleep before the kids would be up. At least it was Friday, giving tomorrow morning longer for snuggle time, even if they would be up before eight.
Bella was almost at peace. Her heart was mending, but her soul still clung on to worry. She knew what needed to be done, and decided to take care of it first thing after the kids got on the bus. The warm blanket of sleep draped over her, and she drifted off.
****
The call came in before the sun was up. General Ashburn was on his way to the ranch for an immediate meeting. Leland and Kodiak were out feeding and had been first to respond, mounting up on the horses to go notify the others. One by one, they called on each team member, dragging most out of bed. Vice was the only other one of the team who rose early, insisting on getting a full workout done before the start of each day. Her body showed it. She was a ripped, trim, and lean killing machine. Joker was last on the list to get. Everyone else was already headed to the main house for coffee before the General’s arrival. And, all knew that Mrs. Sanders would have caught wind and would have some sort of goodie made and ready to hold them over while she fixed breakfast. She was notorious for her sweet gooie cinnamon rolls, but no one could hold a candle to any of her cooking.
Leland banged on Joker’s door, growing concerned when there was no answer. They knew he wasn’t at one of the other’s cabins because they had just been there. His truck was parked in front, making the situation even stranger. Finally, Leland took out his key and went in. A few short minutes later he returned with his face twisted in concern. “He isn’t here. Where the hell could he be?” Kodiak thought for a moment and grinned.
“Think. If he isn’t here, where else would he go?” His eyebrows shot up in amusement.
Leland pondered his words, lighting up when it dawned on him. “Bella’s.” He couldn’t help but laugh. “Well, I gotta say it’s about damn time. I know she needed time to heal, but I am glad those two are finally doing what we all have thought needed done for a long time now. Let’s go get him. I almost hate to interrupt…”
“He could be crashed on the couch with the kids you know. It doesn’t mean anything. He has always had a second home with Bella and Jared. The kids adore him.”
“I know, but something tells me this time is different.” Leland mounted back up and turned to leave.
“What makes you say that?” Kodiak followed, heading in the direction of Bella’s cabin.
“Oh, just intuition. That, and the fact there was a little black box sitting on his nightstand.”
“Black box? Like out of a bird?” Kodiak’s first thought was work related, referring to the black box kept in helicopters and planes that held all of the flight logs and GPS tracking information.
“No, dipshit. Think small, velvet, a huge ass diamond ring inside.”
“Well fuck me. No shit?” Kodiak’s jaw dropped.
“Yep. Now, if he isn’t already making his move, he plans on doing it soon. My bet is he is snuggled up to her right now.”
“We will see… Rock-paper-scissors on who gets to knock? I love seeing him stumble around trying to hide stuff. He turns into a babbling girl.” Kodiak snorted, laughing at the memory when he had blown the motor on the deuce and a half and had to answer to Dom.
Leland snickered and shook his head. “You have issues, you know that right?”
“Yeah, but he brings it on himself. I had to take the wrap for the Humvee being buried axel deep in mud when he wanted to play redneck and see how far he could go through the swamp in Louisiana while we were at JRTC. I pulled Staff Duty for three months. Twenty-four hours with no sleep each time…you know how I need my beauty rest. He even had the balls to come waltzing in decked out in full St. Patty’s day shit with a hot little leprechaun on each arm. The asshole took both of them home that night and gave me a full detailed report the next morning. So, yeah I like watching him squirm.” Kodiak’s face grumped up in a pout like a disgruntled child.
“Fine. You can knock. Don’t you dare let Bella hear you being a jackass. If she catches one word you may fuck things up, and right now she needs all the encouragement she can get to get through this first stepping stone.” Leland was protective of all the women at the ranch. He and Brody tried to shield them all from any problems or from getting upset. Sometimes it backfired. They tried to keep them in the dark about the missions and problems
that arose, but somehow the girls always found out, and were pissed when it was kept from them. All of the females took it as their personal duty to be involved and help in any way, whether it was moral support, or offering advice and ideas to contribute.
“Roger that. I would never hurt her, you know that. Him on the other hand—I won’t lie and say it wouldn’t make me grin to hogtie him and shave his eyebrows. Which reminds me…it is about time we come up with something to punk the punk with. Him and Romeo are getting too cocky for their own good. Last week they filled Vice’s blow dryer with foot powder again. I had to grab her out of midair before she killed them both.” They had arrived at Bella’s cabin and Kodiak dismounted. He tied the horse to the porch and waited for Leland to follow. Once both animals were secured, he quietly tapped on the door. It took a couple of knocks, but a few thumps and rustles sounded and the door opened a crack with a pissed off Joker squinting through the morning sun.
“This better be good,” he growled.
“Sorry to…er… interrupt, but the General is on his way for a briefing. Something is up.” Kodiak almost felt bad for him. Shit. He couldn’t even enjoy Joker’s discomfort because it was Bella. A soft feminine voice came from the room, clenching his heart.
“Fuck. Okay I will be there in a minute. Breathe a word of this to anyone before she is ready and I will stab you in your sleep, got it?”
“Damn, what do you take me for? I would never do that to Bella. Glad to see you finally got your head out of your ass and did what we all have been waiting for. Don’t fuck this up, man. I would hate to have to kick your ass.” Kodiak smirked.
“Believe me, if I fuck this up, I will be begging you to beat the shit out of me. She is everything. And the kids…I don’t know how someone like me got so damn lucky. I just hope she feels the same.” Joker’s face said it all. He was a man in love.
“She will. Give her time… We have all seen how she acts around you. It jumped out of the friend zone a long time ago. Now, hurry up and get your ass to the house. He is going to be here anytime, and Mrs. Sanders will more than likely expect everyone to sit for breakfast.”
“Let me toss some clothes on and I’ll be on my way. See you two clowns in a few.” He started to shut the door when Kodiak’s huge bear paw stopped it. “Yeah?”
“Nice boxers. The little red hearts are definitely you.” Kodiak laughed, mocking the black silk boxers with little red Valentine’s Day hearts all over them. They had been a gift from his mom, and after breaking down and wearing them once because he had forgotten to do laundry, they were now his favorite.
“Thanks. I will have mom send you a pair. Now get the hell out of here before you wake up the whole house.”
“Too late.” Kodiak nodded behind him. Joker looked behind him to find Bella wrapped up in a blanket looking out the door. “Good morning, Bella. Sorry to wake you. We have some work that just popped up and we need to steal Joker for a little while.”
“Is everyone okay?” Her sleepy voice was adorable. Kodiak smiled, admiring how gorgeous she was even with bed hair and sleep wrinkles on her face. Joker put a protective arm around her shoulders and pulled her close. Kodiak only smiled more. Yep, he was a goner. Never, in all the time Kodiak had known him, had Joker ever been possessive over a woman. This was serious, and he couldn’t be happier for the man. “Yes, nothing to worry about, just normal stuff. The General is coming to update us all on our last mission. If you want, send the kids up when they get dressed and I will make sure they get fed and drive them to school. I don’t like any of them riding on that death contraption. Statistics on bus safety and drivers is alarming, and I refuse for any of our kids to be put in danger.”
Bella knew there was more to it than a normal meeting, but there was no way any of them would or could give details. She was worried, but knew this was their job…and she could find out the rundown later from Mrs. Sanders. Between her and Alaina, they always had a general idea of what was going on with the men. She had to stifle a giggle at Kodiak’s protective grizzly bearness when it came to the kids. He would sit with them all through class everyday strapped with an M-4 if he could. “Okay, I will send them up. You are spoiling them, Kodiak. I will be up a little later, I have a few errands to do this morning.”
Joker looked at her questioningly but didn’t ask. Kodiak and Leland nodded, turning back toward their horses to leave. With one more goodbye, Joker shut the door and turned to Bella.
“Sorry, love. I didn’t mean to wake you up. Do you need me to go with you somewhere? I can have the guys give me an update later if you do…” He was hinting, but at the same time didn’t want her to think he was prying or invading her personal business.
“I needed to get up anyway. I have a million things to get done, and I doubt I will even get to half of it before bedtime. You go ahead and go to your meeting, and maybe when I get back you will be done? I was kinda hoping we might go for a ride this afternoon. There is a little spot I like to go to and wanted to share it with you.” Her eyes dropped in uncertainty. She fiddled with the blanket, hoping he didn’t think she was going too far by assuming they would start spending time together as a couple. They hadn’t talked about it, and she really had no idea what was going on except that she had just had the most amazing sex of her life. Jared was a great lover, but like everything else with Joker, it was like night and day different. There was nothing that could be compared between the two relationships or men. For that, she was thankful, and looked at the situation as a new chapter and not a continuation or having differences jump out at every turn. Not forgetting, but living. Not replacing, but loving again. Fate was just that—a higher power who controls what happens and who writes the future.
Joker gently took hold of her fidgeting fingers and raised it to his lips. He feathered soft kisses along her knuckles before flipping it over to place one solitary smooch in her palm. He curled her fingers into a fist and released it. “There, that is so you have a kiss to carry with you until I get to make up for lost time on those sexy little lips of yours. Text me on your way home and I will make sure the horses are saddled and ready to go.” She looked up with her big, gorgeous eyes and roped his heart even tighter. She was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. “If you keep looking at me like that, neither one of us will be leaving today.” He pulled her tight against his growing groin and expressed his meaning.
Bella giggled, loving how with a single look she had him hard and ready for her. He ground against her sore pussy, igniting the pilot light he seemed to keep burning in her core. “Mmmm. What if I did this?” She spread her legs slightly, letting his bulbous head hit right at her opening through the layers of material. If they were skin on skin, he would be pushing into her body.
Joker grabbed her ass cheeks and pulled her against him tighter, lowering his mouth to hers in a territorial marking. When he pulled away, they were both panting for air. He eased his grip and stepped away, slapping her on the ass playfully as he gathered up his strewn clothing.
“I will text when I get ready to head home. If you are still busy don’t sweat it, I do know how to saddle a horse correctly.”
“I don’t doubt you know how, but there is no reason why you should have to with a whole team of men living here.”
Bella laughed, knowing there was no use arguing with the man. They all felt the need to take care of the women, and she actually liked it. It was nice not having to drag out the power tools and attempt repairs or dig the Littlest Pet Shops out of the toilet. Before she could get dressed, his phone started buzzing.
“Shit. I gotta go. I am sorry I have to leave, but I promise tonight I will make up for it.” He kissed her again and slipped on his boots in a rush, leaving one pant leg tucked and one pulled down over the top of his boot.
“It is fine, really. Now go before I strip you down and take advantage of you again.” She winked a saucy look.
“Damn. I don’t want to go for sure now.” He snickered and hauled ass out the door, blowing
a kiss to her before he closed it behind him.
Chapter Thirteen
Bella got the kids up with a new hop in her step. Whether it was from the mind-blowing night she had just experienced, or the dawning of anew, she didn’t know and didn’t care. Today was the first day of the rest of her life. Her good mood must of spread because both kids woke up giggling and in the best of moods. Instead of the normal school day arguments and fussing, Heather and Skyler both were overly nice to one another. Heather helped Skyler tie his shoes, and in return he had hunted down her backpack and set it by the door with his ready to go. With a final kiss goodbye, she shooed them out the door with the promise of breakfast and a ride to school with Kodiak.
She sighed a deep breath and turned to get dressed. Today was going to be hard. She hadn’t been back to visit Jared’s grave since the funeral, but it was time to face things and start learning how to move out of the dark hole she had fallen into.
Clad in a pair of jeans and a simple sweatshirt, minimal makeup, and her hair casually brushed, she headed out the door. The drive didn’t take as long as she remembered, but that day she had been in a horrible daze. She parked her car and slowly walked over to the spot where he rested. The closer she got, the slower she went. When she finally walked upon the big grey stone that had his name engraved elegantly across the front, the tears started. It took her a few minutes to collect herself enough to focus on the reason of her visit.
Bella trailed her fingers over the lettering, shivering at the cold, hard surface. Jared was anything but cold. He had been the warmest, sweetest, most loving man in the world. It was a chilling contradiction. She let her mind fill with all of the wonderful memories they had shared over the years. “Do you remember that time we went out to the lake and the car broke down? It took four hours for Joker to get there to give us a jump…and while we waited, you gave me a jump.” A smile crept over her features at the hot memory. Her thoughts started verbalizing, making her feel connected to him. “Oh! What about when we went to our first movie together? The Sixth Sense. We had the theater all to ourselves and made a pallet on the floor in the aisle and watched snuggled up like it was our living room. That was great. I still keep a copy of it in my wood chest.” One by one, she went through the great times they had shared. The more she talked, the closer she felt to him. She leaned against the hard stone, rolling her head back against it. “I miss you so much, Jared. This isn’t how life was supposed to go.” As sadness entered her heart once again, a warmth touched against her cheek, moving down to wrap around her hands. Jared! “Is that you?” Bella’s eyes pooled with tears. She could feel him. He was there, comforting her. “I need to talk to you about something. I don’t know how to say this, or even if I should. But I need you to know. I need your approval. The past months have been hell. I didn’t think I was going to make it, and I dang sure didn’t want to. It has been a fight to even get out of bed. Heck, half of the time I didn’t. If it wasn’t for Mrs. Sanders and the others, I don’t know what would have happened to the kids. I just couldn’t cope.” She wiped her face with a tissue and looked down at her lap. She could feel something resting on her thigh, but nothing was there. It was now or never…she had to get it all out and tell him. “We were supposed to grow old together, Jared.” It took a few shaky breaths before she could go on. “Joker has stepped in and helped me with the kids, and helped hold me together. I swear to you I have never had feelings for him before now, but something has bloomed. I don’t know if it is because he is a connection to you in a sense, but I am falling in love.” Saying the words out loud were surreal. She half expected Jared to appear and see the anger and hurt on his face, but he didn’t. Instead, a soft caress trailed over her leg, soothing and warming.
Broken Battlefield, Mended Hearts (Breaking Protocol Series Book 2) Page 15