Tagged for Life

by Sam Destiny

  She was overwhelmed and couldn’t tell if she was still asleep or not.

  “I’m sorry, Tessy,” Hilary whispered and Tessa realized that five pairs of eyes stared at her while she stood there, star-struck.

  “Oh God, please,” Tessa finally replied, giving her a wide smile. She didn’t like fighting with anyone, least of all her friends.

  Jazz stood among them, looking lost … and completely adorable.

  He watched her, his ocean eyes totally drawing her in until she almost forgot that a group of girls was staring at them expectantly. When he started to bite his lip out of nervousness, she took a deep breath, turning her eyes away from him.

  Finally Emma groaned. “Are you gonna fall around his neck already? Kiss him! And then get out because otherwise I’m gonna go up in flames with the sparks flying around here!”

  Tessa laughed, pressing her hands against her heated cheeks, then Jazz stepped close, instantly drawing her in his arms.

  “Hey,” he said ever so quietly and she gave him a beaming smile. She felt so happy to see him, but there still was some doubt in her about leaving the girls alone.

  “I’ll be right with you,” she promised him, pressing her fingertip against his lips. She could tell he was reluctant to let her go, but she still moved away, hugging Hilary tight.

  “I hate fighting with you, but I promise we will talk about this, girl. You cannot eat it all up. I’ll be back tonight and…”

  “I’m so gonna lock you out. You’ll take your ID and stay at the base for tonight. You two need some time alone and maybe then you’ll even get some sleep. If Aimie is right about your night, you must be pretty beat,” Hilary whispered quietly and Tessa laughed, going around to hug all the others.

  “Put on something warm. You never know where you and Jazz might end up,” Evy warned and Tessa picked up a brow.

  “Yes, Mom,” she grinned and then went back, pulling on her boots and a jacket before grabbing the little bag. She waved in the door and then she followed Jazz outside, pulling him close the minute they were out of sight.

  She kissed him deeply, hoping to prove to him how happy she was that he was there.

  “Finally, I thought she’d never give in,” Aimie called from the door and the girls erupted in a round of giggles. With a grin Jazz rested his forehead against hers and Tessa couldn’t help but love her girls even more. It didn’t even matter that they had reverted to teenagers once again.

  “You need to give me a short run down of what happened back there. I couldn’t quite follow while looking at you,” he mumbled and she pulled back so she could see his face.

  “I will,” she promised, then she followed him to his truck, getting in. She was glad that as bad as her Saturday had started, it wouldn’t end that way. Nothing with Jazz by her side could be bad, and as much as she hated to admit it, she knew she was getting way too serious about him for this to be just a holiday fling. She’d never go back to the way she was before she came, and all because Jazz had shown her how amazing it felt to be accepted for who you were.

  Tessa didn’t ask where Jazz was taking them and he was glad about it. This whole thing had been short notice and since he hadn’t known what to expect, he hadn’t planned anything. Now, though, he wished he could have booked a table somewhere for them, maybe watch a movie with her. He just wanted to do normal date things with her, but that would have to wait for another night. With his work and her plan on spending her days with the girls, they just couldn’t meet on anything but a nightly schedule. Today though it was past lunch and still, he felt as if he had the entire day with her ahead of him.

  He took her hand, realizing that she looked contemplative.

  “What’s up?” he wanted to know and she shook her head, obviously pulling herself back from her thoughts.

  “Nothing. I was just…” She took a deep breath, staring straight ahead before turning slightly so she could look at him. He thought about parking on the side of the road, but decided against it. He’d soon have enough time to actually look at her.

  “Yes?” he asked and she smiled, kissing first his fingertips and then his knuckles. He totally loved it and hadn’t even known until her how much he enjoyed those little gestures.

  “I promised myself to always say what I think unless it’s hurting people badly. I mean, one thing or the other will always hurt someone, but … you know, I can try to … ah, shit, I’m babbling,” she sighed and then gave him a smile. “What I meant to say is I just realized how glad I am that this got sorted out. No matter when we spend time together, I can’t help but feel as if I’m letting the girls down.”

  He pressed his lips together to keep himself from saying anything stupid. If you asked him, they didn’t have enough time together as it was. She was with her girls for the full day while he only got those few night time hours. He didn’t look at her, hoping she wouldn’t catch on to his mood, but she proved that she could read him quite well already.

  Her fingertips brushed his jaw and only then did he realize that she must’ve seen him tense.

  “Oh, trust me, that’s not what I mean, Jazz. I know that you get maybe six hours of my night and they get the rest, but that’s only in person. I can’t stop thinking about you when I’m with the girls, and they know that. So, you get six hours of full attention and eighteen hours with eighty percent of my thoughts. That’s why it feels unfair,” she explained and he relaxed again, glancing at her. She smirked and he wanted to kiss it right off her lips.

  “And what about the other twenty percent?” he wanted to know, pouting. She moved closer then, cuddling up to him while grinning.

  “They are devoted to not falling off the sofa; to keep myself from drooling and to think about food. I could eat all day,” she laughed, and he couldn’t help but like her even more. She was just too adorable. “Where are we heading?” she finally wanted to know.

  He didn’t answer because they were close, and she didn’t ask again, just resting her head on his shoulder until he stopped the car in an empty parking lot.

  It was a rather cold day, grey, too, but Jazz still loved the beach.

  “Don’t you think the water is always beautiful? I mean, seriously, it doesn’t matter if it’s sunny or cloudy, it just looks stunning,” she said, sitting up.

  “You should put on a scarf. The wind might be cutting, but there’s nothing more private than a beach on days when rain threatens to come down,” he explained, noting that she looked rather embarrassed.

  “No scarf?” Jazz asked and Tessa just nodded. He grinned, shaking his head. “Maybe you should have listened to Mommy Evy,” he teased and she playfully slapped Jazz before slipping out of the car, taking a deep breath and closing her eyes while the wind toyed with her blonde hair. Tessa was beautiful. He shook his head, then he followed her outside, placing his scarf around Tessa’s slender neck and pulling her close with it.

  Tessa blushed, a happy smile lighting up her features. No matter what she had written earlier, she definitely liked being with him.

  “I can’t decide if I should be totally pissed at you for telling me we can’t meet anymore or incredibly impressed about your loyalty,” Jazz whispered, not meeting her lips, even though it wouldn’t take much to close the gap between them.

  “I came for them and two of them have major troubles, even if Hilary doesn’t want to speak about her problems. I just can’t help but think if I’d be there mentally, too, I might pick something up, or give them the impression that I’m there for them. I worry that they’re scared of breaking my ultra happy bubble. Not that anyone but you could do that!” She smiled, but it had a sad tinge to it.

  He cuddled her close as they started walking down the empty beach.

  “Jazz?” she asked suddenly and then stopped.

  “Yeah?”

  “Hold my hand,” she ordered and he did until he realized what she was about to do.

  “Tessa, the water will be ice cold. Hell, the sand will be, too,” he fussed, but s
he calmly kept pulling off first her left shoe and sock, and then the right pair.

  “I just need to feel it beneath my feet,” she said simply and dropped what she had taken off into the sand. She walked towards the water’s edge and looked so content just digging her pretty little toes into the sand that he wanted to take his shoes off, too, only so he’d be by her side.

  Eventually her smile vanished though and she turned back to him.

  “I think,” she started and he held his breath. Sentences starting like this, coupled with a look like she wore, never ended well. “I should go in a little deeper. If I am here and I can put my feet in the Pacific Ocean, I might as well go in deeper. What do you think?” she asked, beaming. He released a breath he hadn’t known he held, then he shook his head. Going to the beach had been a brilliant idea since she seemed to love it. All he wished for now was a picnic basket and blankets so they could stay here until it eventually would get too cool because the sun had gone down.

  Once she returned to his side, her nose was red and her cheeks blushed from the cold. He drew her near and finally kissed her as long as he had wanted to since seeing her again. It was a sensual kiss and he took his sweet time with slanting his lips softly over hers. Tessa tasted sweet, as if there was still residue left on her tongue from when she had a coke earlier. Then there was her unique taste, and that was what really intoxicated him, making his head swim. She melted against him, letting her tongue tease his until Jazz went almost crazy.

  “You never texted back when I wrote you. You didn’t even try to convince me otherwise,” she suddenly said and he pulled back. Her voice was quiet and it was obvious that she was slightly disappointed.

  He pushed his beanie up, scratching his head before pulling the material back in place, taking a deep breath. “I had no idea where this came from. I thought it was my reaction to you last night. I wouldn’t have known what to say because I…” She shook her head, laughing quietly.

  “You did everything right last night. Once I was out of your car, I realized that it might have been our first, but hardly could have been our best … and why not start off with the best and then always repeat it?” she wanted to know and he couldn’t help but think about the fact that they’d be alone tonight, in his room, and that he actually had a bed. It made his throat go dry.

  “Tessa…” Why in the world was his voice so hoarse now?

  “Yes?” she asked, looking up at him.

  “Why don’t we get back to my truck and I rub your feet until they are warm and then we’ll find something to eat?” he suggested and she grabbed her shoes, following him and sitting down on the back of his truck. He reached out and brushed the sand off, then rubbed along the sole of her right foot, eliciting a happy moan from Tessa. Of course that sound made his pants tighten just a little.

  “God, Jazz, just like that,” she whispered, throwing her head back while biting her lip. He closed his eyes, pulling her sock and her shoe over before focusing on the next foot. She hummed softly and he just wished she would stop since all his thoughts went in one direction and one direction only. He could all but imagine the sounds she’d make when being under him, writhing in pleasure.

  Hurrying, he finished and she sat up, scooting closer.

  “Jazz,” she whispered and he looked up. He hadn’t even realized lowering his gaze for fear she could read in his eyes what he was thinking. With her sitting on the back of his truck she was just the right height.

  “What?” he wanted to know and she drew him in. Damn, as much as Jazz wished he could get his hands on her skin, he somehow hoped this moment would never end.

  Tessa hid a smile. Jazz had blushed slightly and she wondered what he was thinking about to cause a reaction like that.

  She reached out, pulling the Beanie off his head. He had put it on once they had gotten out of the car, and as good as it looked on him, Tessa wanted to drown her hands in his hair. She drew him in for a long kiss, wrapping her legs around his hips. If she’d ever been in the perfect position to take advantage of him, it was now.

  He looked at her, his cerulean eyes blazing with fire, and it made her feel so warm she wanted to take off her jacket. Instead she unzipped his, pushing her hands underneath it while gently pressing her lips against his. He kissed her back in an instant, the meeting of tongues turning from tentative to passionate in a matter of seconds.

  So that had been what got him blushing, she realized as she pulled herself closer to his body and felt his erection strain against the fly of his jeans. If she’d been wearing a skirt now she might even think about doing him a favor right then and there. Then again, she wanted it probably as much as he did; only she was lucky her arousal would never be this obvious to him.

  In a moment of bravery she let her hand go between them, fondling with the button of his jeans while she nibbled on his lower lip. Pushing her hand past his waistline she heard him gasp as her fingertips brushed up on his cock.

  “Tessa, I don’t think…” he started, closing his eyes once she wrapped her hand around him. She couldn’t help but watch Jazz. This was something she had never done, just grabbing a guy’s dick in public. After all, any second someone could be parking a car right next to them.

  “Yeah, you shouldn’t think,” she agreed and he chuckled, sounding more than just a little tense.

  “Girl, you should definitely stop moving that pretty hand of yours or I might do something we’ll both regret,” he said quickly, but she had no intention of stopping. She liked knowing that she had this kind of power over him and she had planned on being daring after all.

  “So?” she asked, leaning in again to kiss him before watching his face. He was breathing heavily, and yet it was obvious he was trying to calm himself down.

  “Are you trying to draw this out?” she wanted to know quietly, and he opened his eyes, heat seeping out even more than before.

  “I’m trying to gather the strength to stop you,” he replied, making her laugh. Sadly he did grab her wrist then, telling her she had all night to tease him if she still was in the mood for it, but that he now needed to get her to a crowded place so he wouldn’t rethink this truck-thing.

  Reluctantly she let go and he rested his forehead against hers, breathing heavily. “Damn, girl, you drive me crazy and you don’t even realize how easy it is for you,” he mumbled and then gave her a kiss that left her wanting. Maybe this teasing thing wasn’t working out so well.

  “I was born to drive you crazy,” she grinned, then had him pick her up and let her slide down along his body until her feet touched the ground.

  “Food,” he announced, grabbing the beanie from the back before walking over to open the door for her.

  She couldn’t help but smile. He was the perfect gentleman when he wanted to be. It made her wonder if maybe she could tickle the bad boy out of him. After all, she was hoping to present her own bad girl, too.

  “Food,” she agreed, pressing her lips together to stop herself from beaming.

  Jazz couldn’t concentrate on the food at all. He hadn’t taken more than a bite from his noodles and he didn’t even know why. Talking to Tessa was like talking to your best friend and girlfriend in one. Hearing about her fears, the worries she had for life and the way her perfect living room would look seemed trivial to normal people, but he loved hearing that about her because it made him realize what a truly amazing girl she was. For years he didn’t have that much interest girls and still there was so much he wanted to know about her, but the closer she got to finishing, the more he couldn’t stop thinking about taking her back to the barracks.

  “Do you need candles and rose petals? Soft music? I just have a guys’ room,” he suddenly blurted out and blushed right the next second. Why had he said that? This girl was definitely driving him crazy.

  “For what?” she asked, pausing her fork half way to her mouth. The humor was obvious in her voice and he rubbed his hands over his face, wishing he could take back what he had said. He heard her fork being p
laced back on the plate and then he saw from the corner of his eye how she crossed her arms on the table.

  “Just … I…” He scratched his head and then felt her fingertip press under his chin until he met her eyes again.

  “Since when do you stutter? Or refuse to look at me?” she wanted to know and the twinkle in her eye let him know instantly that she knew exactly what he meant.

  “I’m a guy, you know? You kissed me and then you did what you did,” he said, giving her a much saying glance, “and you expect me to just sit here and act normal? Don’t get me wrong, I’m all about respecting you, but seriously, I’m gonna have you in my bedroom later on and…” She laughed, then got up to move right next to him.

  He thought about commenting that this wasn’t making things better, but she was already moving closer, leaning in until her lips brushed against his ear while she spoke.

  “Did I ever say I expected you to act normal?” she asked quietly and he shivered as her hand wandered over his thigh. He knew exactly what she was aiming for and he couldn’t believe this girl. One minute she was sweet like hell and then she just turned him on by saying the things she had.

  “That’s it. We pay. We go back. And you better be ready to follow through,” he grumbled and she laughed, squeezing him through his jeans before she got up, looking like the most relaxed person in the world.

  He didn’t bother getting into his jacket. He threw the money on the table and grabbed her hand, making her giggle all the way to the car.

  “No flowers and candles, girl, I swear,” he mumbled and then pushed her into the truck, kissing her hard. He wanted her as flustered as he was, and the only thing he could think to do was kiss her breathless.

  “I don’t want flowers and candles. I want you,” she gave back and he nodded, helping her into the seat before getting in as well. He was not taking a detour. He’d take them straight to the base and then he’d satiate his hunger for her, before making sure she got as much attention as she deserved. Or maybe he’d switch that around. He’d figure the finer points out once he got that far.