Labeled

by Jenni Linn

  “I-” she starts and stops. “Just...wow. You did this all for me?”

  I nod my head, and my chin nuzzles her shoulder. “Well the staff did it for me, but I thought of it.” She turns around in my arms, the loss of my head rest causes me to straighten my stance. Her eyes are glistening, which catches me by surprise. She's not supposed to cry. Her eyes scan my face before she places her hands on my cheeks and pulls me forward. Our mouths meet in a sweet kiss, and then she's placing kisses all over.

  She moves away, but her hands are still holding my face. “Thank you.” Her smile seems to make the room brighter, or maybe it's just my life it makes brighter.

  “You're welcome.” I move forward to kiss her nose, and her hands move to my shoulders. She puckers her lips when I move back. When my girl wants a kiss I will always comply. I feel her tongue, but I don't allow the kiss to deepen. “I have one more thing to show you,” I whisper against her lips.

  Before she can respond, I turn her around and walk her towards the right side of the room to stop her in front of dark curtains. Behind the curtains lead out to a balcony outside, but since the curtains are drawn shut--and with the dim lighting--you'd never know. I move forward and push the curtains aside, then open the double doors.

  “A hot tub?” she squeaks and moves forward with excitement. The cool night air is welcoming as I follow Veronica out onto the wide balcony. On either side is a privacy fence, and above is a tent-like cover, with lights hung around the entire perimeter. The hot tub is already bubbling, and there’s thick steam rising from the surface. “Did Taylor pack me a suit?”

  I smirk. “Nope, I told her to leave that out.” I’m teasing her; I made sure Taylor did pack her a suit. Veronica surprises me though. Only after a quick thought, she shrugs and smiles wickedly. She turns her back towards me while moving her hair to the side, then reaches behind her to lower the zipper at the base of her neck and slowly--excruciatingly--unzips her dress. Dammit, I'm trying to be a noble guy here. That is not what this night is about. Don't get me wrong, I've thought of it a million times. Okay, a billion, but I know that it's important to her. I quickly move forward to stop her from lowering it any further, before I lose myself. Placing a kiss on her bare neck, she shivers slightly. “Taylor packed you a suit.” She looks over her shoulder at me and leans back against me. Her hand reaches up to cup my face. “You're so sweet,” she says with a smile. Her voice laced with amusement.

  “Only for you,” I respond.

  She moves away from my body. My eyes move along with her and continue until she's left the bedroom. My focus returns to the darkness beyond the balcony. I take a deep breath and fill my lungs with the fresh night air. After a few more peaceful seconds of the wilderness--and bubbling water--I move back into the room to the small living room area to grab my bag. A sliver of light shines from underneath the bathroom door. Within seconds my pants are removed and replaced by my trunks. The bathroom door opens just as I'm on the last button of my shirt and the light turns off, but Veronica doesn't move out from the doorway.

  “Um…” she says nervously. “I'm not sure whose suit she packed, but it's not mine.”

  “Okay?” I question, not quite sure what it matters. “Maybe she got you another one.”

  She steps out of the bathroom, and I see small strips of white covering her private areas. I'm not quite sure what the big deal is until she steps closer and, suddenly, I feel as if I'm choking on air. The bathing suit is teeny tiny, only covering the smallest of areas, and allowing all of her curves to be on display. She belongs on a cover of a swimsuit magazine. No doubt.

  “Damn,” my voice is strained.

  “I don't know what the hell she was thinking,” she huffs and turns to go back into the bathroom. I lunge forward, engulfing her in my arms. “What are you doing?”

  “I'm taking this-this...,” she sputters, “this non-bathing suit off.”

  I laugh, “What are you planning to wear? I vote for nothing,” I joke. I pull her back against me, and I'm sure my arousal is apparent.

  “Oh!” she blurts. “I get it now, she was thinking about your penis!”

  I laugh hard. “What?”

  “I know what she's doing!”

  I begin to move us through the room and towards the balcony. “And what would that be?” I ask her.

  “Sex.”

  “Yeah, she may be doing that,” I say amused.

  “That's not what I meant.”

  “I know what you meant.” I lean against the hot tub and pull her in front of me. “You look amazing. I'll have to thank Taylor.” She smiles and looks away at the compliment. I grab her face and turn it towards me, “But remember what I said earlier? I didn't bring you here for sex. You have control, alright?” She nods and I pull her face to mine, pressing my lips to hers. Her hands wrap around my waist; her body feels so good pressed against mine. “Okay, let's get in this bad boy.” I help V into the tub and follow behind her.

  As soon as I've emerged under the hot water, I feel my whole body relax. “Ahh,” I groan and lay my back against the tub. “I could go for a massage right now,” I think out loud. “I think they have a spa. Maybe we can do that before we check out tomorrow.” I peek an eye open at the sound of splashing. V is moving towards me. “What are you doing?” She moves to my side and pushes my shoulder forward, then squeezes between me and the tub. “I'm gonna give my man a massage.” She places her legs on either side of my hips.

  “My man.” I hum. “I like that.” I pull her hand that is on my shoulder to my jaw and kiss the top of it. She returns it to my shoulder and starts massaging. A groan escapes my lips, and my head lolls forward. She moves down from my shoulders to my biceps, then back up to the middle of my back. She's quiet as she works my muscles, and I fall into a haze. I hear her speak, but don't understand the words. “Hmm?”

  “Can I ask you something?”

  “You just did.”

  Her massaging stops and she smacks my arm, “Wise ass.”

  I laugh. “What's up?”

  “I want you to know, don't feel obligated to agree just because we're together. I understand if it may not be your thing, and you already probably went to one…” She starts rambling, “So it's okay to say no. I mean, it's not for another...” she pauses and I can hear her counting out loud, “It's like six months away yet.”

  “V.” I grab her calf. “Ask your question.”

  She takes a deep breath, before rushing out a muttered, “Will you be my date to prom?”

  I know I stiffen slightly, and not because I don’t want to go with her. It’s because I don't know if I can go. It obviously made her nervous to ask me--if her mumbling on and on had anything to do with it. My posture and lack of response must be a sign of my disinterest because she starts talking again.

  “Yanno, never mind,” she says,laughing lightly, “I don't even know if I'm going. It was just a thought.”

  “No, no,” I rush to assure her. I didn't want to tell her just yet. I want tonight to just be about us together. It was all going as planned until this moment, and now I'm going to have to break the news to her. “V, I'd be honored to go.”

  “But…” she pushes, exasperatedly. I pull on her arm. She allows me to move her from behind and I place her between my legs then lock my feet behind her. As hard as this is, I stare right into her eyes. “I'm sorry.”

  Her whole face drops. “For what?” she asks, her voice a hoarse whisper.

  “I wanted tonight to be special.”

  “It is! I don't think anything will ever top this. What's wrong?” She moves closer, and I pull her to me, wrapping my arms around her middle. She squeezes me. “Chase...” I nuzzle into her chest; I can hear her heart beating erratically. I'm sure mine matches hers right now. “Tell me what's going on, Chase, you're scaring me,” she whispers.

  “I'm being deployed again.”

  “What?” Her whole body stiffens. “You just got back! Can they do that?”

  “Appar
ently, they can.”

  “For how long?”

  “I don't know,” I admit, “Sarg is hoping it won't be long, and is going to try to have me be the first one sent back. It’s short-term deployment, but there are no guarantees.”

  “When do you leave?” she asks. Here goes.

  I squeeze her but don't answer right away. “When?” she whispers again.

  “Wednesday.”

  “What?” she yells and struggles for me to release her. I don't at first but loosen my arms, and she moves away. “Chase! That's in four days!”

  “I know.”

  “What the actual fuck? When were you planning to tell me?”

  “Tomorrow.”

  “Oh my-” Her lip quivers as she starts to cry.

  “Please, please don't cry.” I pull her to me. I can feel my heart break. “I'm so sorry.” I squeeze her, and she wraps her legs around my waist, hugging me back like her life depends on it.

  “I don't want you to leave,” she whispers.

  “Believe me, I don't want to leave either.” I kiss her shoulder.

  “Will you be able to call me?” she asks.

  “Yes, if that's what you want. I'll call you every chance I can.”

  “What do you mean if that's what I want?” She pulls back to look at my face. ” Of course it is!” My body instantly fills with relief.

  “I wasn't sure if you'd want to continue our relationship.”

  “What?” she whispers.

  “You're young and beautiful. I can't expect you to wait for me. I don't know how long I'll be gone,” I admit to her.

  “I don't care about anyone else or dating anyone else.” I like those words way too much. A tear slips from the corner of her eye, and I stop it from traveling down her face with my thumb. “I'm so sad.” her lips tremble, and I cup her face with my hands.

  “I'm so sorry,” I whisper, then place a small kiss upon her lips. “I wouldn’t have started seeing you if I would have known this.”

  “I would have,” she says quickly. “I wouldn't change a thing. You are the best thing to ever happen to me.”

  I smile at her words, “You are the best thing to happen to me,” I repeat to her. The tears start to pool in her eyes. “Please don't cry. We'll be fine. We’ll be great.” She nods her head and gives me a weak smile. She pulls me to her and wraps her arms around my neck. We stay like this for a while--quiet--knowing there's not much else to say. It has, unfortunately, dampened the mood. I place light kisses on her skin, leaving goosebumps andher body shivers despite us being in warm water.

  “Why don't we head inside and watch a movie,” I suggest.

  “Okay,” she whispers but doesn't release me. I laugh, and instead of removing her body that's wrapped around me, I stand with her. I slowly maneuver us out of the hot tub, and quickly take us inside the room, closing the doors behind us. I grab a towel that's placed on a dresser and wrap it around us both. I rub my hands up and down her back, hoping that helps warm her up.

  “Do you want to take a shower?” She shrugs at my question. I laugh, “Okay, well let's get you dressed.” I move us into the small living area and grab her bag, then walk to the bathroom and place the bag on the sink. I tap her butt, and she slowly removes herself from me. She’s sliding her body down mine, and that makes my body quiver this time. “Get dressed.” With one last look at her in that sexy little bikini, I close the door and grab my bag to get dressed in the bedroom.

  With You

  Chase leaves me standing in the bathroom and I allow myself to peek at the barely-there bikini. Freakin' Taylor. I'm slightly disappointed at the restraint Chase had, but he's made it clear that he didn't make this about sex. I internally laugh at myself. I'm such a contradiction. Part of me wanted him to not be able to keep his hands off me, and the other part is grateful for his respect. I sigh, then decide to take a quick shower. I reach behind the curtain and turn the handle to hot, then untie my bikini and peel it off my skin. I hang it on the hook behind the door.

  I step under the stream of steamy water and allow it to bead down my body. To the right is a small inset box; a small basket with little wrapped soaps and bottles sits on the ledge. The soaps are in an array of colors that look like flowers and I decide on a pink one. As soon as I rip open the clear wrapping, the smell of roses engulfs the shower. Rubbing the soap between my hands under the water, I get a good lather and begin rubbing my body. I get my arms, my shoulders, down to my chest, over my stomach, and lower. I do this without thought because my mind is elsewhere. I wash my hair with the provided shampoo and conditioner, thinking about how perfect this evening is. It would have been even better without the news of his deployment. It would have been pure bliss.

  His deployment scares me--for numerous reasons. A million and one questions plague my thoughts. What if he's gone for another year? What if he meets someone else? What if he gets hurt? Or worse, what if he doesn't return...alive? I don't even want to think of that scenario. The tears blur my vision, and my heart hurts. I rub at my chest; not that it helps relieve the pain I'm feeling. I want to curl up in his arms and never leave them. With that thought, I turn the water off and open the curtain. I grab the white towel that's hanging on the rack and wrap it around my body, pulling another one off to wrap around my wet hair. I take my time drying off, and subconsciously imagine Chase's hands moving over my body. His hands--what they could do to me--and what they've done.

  I wonder if Taylor packed any sexy underwear. I bite my lip in thought and move towards my bag on the sink countertop. For once, I hope Taylor was thinking of sex because I am now.

  As soon as I have the bag open, I search through the contents and my hand touches something lacy. A large smile greets my lips, and I pull out the underwear. They're black, lacy and very...cheeky. They’re perfect. I look back in the bag for a bra or bustier, but I see a black box with gold lettering. Magnum. I lift the box out of the bag and laugh. Condoms. A dark blue box grabs my attention, next. This one reads ‘Pleasure Pack’. I laugh and shake my head...freakin’ Tay. I silently thank her for this before I dive back into the bag--looking for a top. I feel the lace before I see it, as the black blends in with the bag. I pull it out and stretch it out in front of me. It looks like a halter but has a small keyhole area between the cups; it's all lace. Thankfully, it’s simple to put on. I place it around my neck and snap it in the back like a bra. It's sexy as hell and makes my boobs look amazing. I'm euphoric. I can't wait to see Chase's face. I pull on the underwear and turn to look at my butt in the mirror. I am not disappointed--it looks amazing.

  I remove the towel from my head and quickly dry my hair with the dryer hanging on the wall. I run a brush through my length and look at myself in the mirror. I take a deep breath, grab the condoms, and open the door.

  “What are you in the mood to watch?” I hear Chase yell from the bedroom. “Comedy? Action? Thriller?” he lists different genres, and I take slow steps to the bedroom door. It's still dim. I take another deep breath and stand in the doorway, my left hand holding the boxes behind my back. Chase is laying on the bed in sweats and a tee, one hand behind his head and the other holding a remote pointed towards the TV.

  “What are you doing?” Chase questions then I hear his intake of breath, “Oh fuck,” He shoots up in a seated position and puts the remote down next to him. I smile at his response; it only makes me feel bolder. “Wow,” he says again, and I move closer, trailing my fingers along the edge of the bed.

  “I found these in my bag. I thought you might like them.”

  “Like them? I fucking love them.” He sits up on his knees and grabs my waist as I come to stand in front of him. He pulls me to him and his free hand moves to the hole at my chest, tracing the circle. “I really fucking love them.”

  “I also found these, thought maybe we could put them to use.” I pull my hand from behind my back and show him the boxes. I can see his eyes widen even in the dim light and at the same time I can hear his intake of breath.
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  “Are you sure about this?” he asks, and I nod. His mouth is on me in a flash, and I drop the boxes, hearing them clatter to the floor; not caring about anything but his touch. His hands move down to my bottom, and without warning he lifts me. A gasp passes through my lips. I can feel his smile against my mouth. He sits back and places me on his lap, I can feel him beneath me. My hips involuntarily begin to grind down on the bulge between my legs, and he squeezes me every time I do. It feels so right, and so good. He becomes ravenous with every thrust, and after about the fifth time, he growls and swiftly lays me on my back. I squeal out in surprise. His arms pull mine above our heads, and he nestles himself between my legs. His lips are moving all over my skin--my neck, down the base of my throat, and back up to my lips. He grinds himself against my core, and a moan escapes my throat. It becomes muffled by his mouth.

  He pulls back abruptly. Both of us are breathing heavily. “Are you sure?” he gasps out. I nod again. “I've never been more sure of anything,” I whisper. His head falls onto my chest for a brief second and then he looks back into my eyes. Our hands are still interlocked above our heads.

  His eyes move over my face. “I love you.”

  “What?” I gasp, blatantly shocked at his admission.

  “I am so in love with you, Veronica Russo.”

  “I am so glad I waited for you, I love you right back.”

  He smiles wider, then leans down, kissing me deeply. It's slow and sweet, and full of passion; until it's not. He begins his descent down my body while he's slipping the lace down my legs. He begins kissing the inside of my thigh, then moves on to the other leg and I squirm while waiting for him to do something. He chuckles. “I love having you at my mercy.” I'm about to speak--call him a tease--but his mouth is on me, and I'm squirming for another reason.

  “Oh my God,” I whisper. It’s followed by a moan, and my hands move to his head. He works his magic as I'm climbing higher and higher until fireworks explode behind my eyes. My body quivers, and shakes. He climbs up my body, leaving a trail of kisses in his path. “I'll never get tired of doing that.”