He lifted his head to meet her gaze. Those eyes were dripping with sincerity, with hope. He hadn’t seen such a kind look in anyone’s eyes in so long, not a look directed toward him. “I wish I knew,” he answered her. “I kind of have zero direction in my life right now.”
As soon as he said it, he realized how ironic and absolutely absurd it was. He burst into hysterical laughter, so abruptly it made Anjuli jump. The mattress sprang back, shifting her into his side as he continued to produce a side-splitting bellow of a laugh, so deep it nearly shook her off the bed.
“I have no clue why that is funny,” she stated, a smile curling on her lip, “but your laughter is almost contagious.”
“Because,” he gasped between breaths, “my nickname is The Navigator. And I have zero direction.”
“Ah,” she said, nodding. “So that’s where ‘Nav,’ comes from. How did you get a nickname like that? I suppose you did have some direction at some point?”
“My initials are GPS,” he answered, the chuckles dying down. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d laughed so hard. “Garrett Patrick Stone.”
“Oh, that is funny!” she agreed. The last of the light from the window had been swallowed up by the encroaching night, and she could no longer see Garrett’s face, but she knew what it looked like all the same. His fiery beard, straight nose, broad smile, piercing green eyes, all crowned by his shock of red hair. He is so handsome.
She wanted to believe her motives for helping Garrett were purely altruistic, but wouldn’t she be a liar if she denied that the memory of him moving inside her was at the forefront of her mind? No matter how much she tried to pity him, be put off by his scars—though he tried to hide them—no matter how much she tried to reason that he was too young and too damaged for her to get involved with, a part of her kept protesting that it was possible to be a friend to him, help him fight his demons, and still sleep with him too. She could do all that—and when he was steady on his own two feet, she could move on, leaving him in the hands of some younger, more suitable woman. One who would be eternally grateful for all her hard work.
“So why did you tell me you have some family issues to straighten out?” she questioned, lying down beside him with her head on his bicep. She was trying hard to reconcile what he’d said about his dismissal from his PhD program with what he’d told her in the green room a few nights before.
He was quiet for a moment, then he shifted to face her. He stroked his fingers through her long hair. “It’s a really long story...”
“Well, we’ve got all night.” She pressed a kiss to his neck.
He waited another moment, like he was trying to decide if it was a can of worms he wanted to open. After a long sigh, he said, “So I found out the other night that I have a half-sister and brother I didn’t know anything about.”
She jerked back from him. “Wow, really? That’s kind of a big deal. What happened?”
“My sister hired a private investigator to track down our brother, who apparently was injured in Afghanistan, came back from deployment, then up and disappeared like six months later. She hasn’t found him yet, but she found me. She didn’t even know I existed.” He exhaled another breath. “I didn’t know she existed either.”
“That’s crazy. Why did your brother leave?”
“No one really knows. His fiancée dumped him, never even came to see him when he returned. He lost an arm, and I guess his face is kind of fucked up. But I guess he couldn’t handle it. Lilly believes he’s out there somewhere, and just doesn’t want to be found.”
Her mind trailed over the long list of clients she’d seen over the years who wanted to lose themselves far away from where any loved ones could ever find them. It was hard to understand why anyone would want that, but didn’t she understand? Hadn’t she come to the U.S. twenty-five years ago for her bachelor’s degree, and then she never ever wanted to leave? She didn’t want to go back to her parents’ rules, an arranged marriage, all of the traditional expectations... Even now, her older sister was still in India married to a man she didn’t love, all because their families thought it was best for them. She may be alone, but she had her daughter, and she was living on her own terms. No one else could decide what was best for her.
“What about you?” she asked, remembering he had yet to come up with a plan or a purpose, something to move him forward. “Do you have any interest in finding him?”
“I don’t know,” he answered with no deliberation. “I don’t have any other family left. So parts of me...”
She wrapped her arm around him as she buried her face in between his pectoral muscles. “You know, I work with veterans. I have a lot of contacts at VA hospitals all over the country. I may be able to help you find him, if you wanted to.”
She felt his body tense like he’d come to a fork in the road. Maybe he was trying to figure out which path to take. She was quiet then, not wanting to push him any further. She continued to hold on to him, hoping he’d feel safe, that the voices in his head might silence themselves for just long enough to let him think. She knew there had to be much more to his story than getting kicked out of the university and a long-lost sister appearing out of nowhere. She saw the same signs in him that she saw in her clients, veterans still fighting a war, only it was one inside themselves.
They found themselves in the shower not long after their conversation. Garrett wasn’t sure if he was more eager to wash away the scent of his alcoholic stupor, or the residue of regret he felt for oversharing about his life. He still couldn’t believe Anjuli was there, standing in the shower spray with him, the water cascading off her beautiful golden skin.
She flashed him a flirty smile as she whipped around, presenting her curvy backside to him. His body’s response was instantaneous, his cock quickly rising toward his abdomen in all its glory. He closed his eyes as he pressed himself into the crack between the firm, fleshy globes of her ass. He wondered what her opinion of anal was as the hot water beat down upon him. Fisting a handful of her long, wet hair, he pulled her toward him, forcing her to arch her back. A squeal escaped her mouth, and at first he wasn’t sure if it was pain or pleasure, but the way she ground her backside into him, he had his answer.
He hadn’t had a release for several days now, not even from masturbating. He could only imagine how backed up he was, how much cum he would fill her ass with if he was permitted to have his way with her. He spun her around. You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take, right? he reasoned. Her eyes lit up when she saw the lustful look on his face.
“Can I help you with something?” she giggled innocently. She reached up and stroked her fingers down his face, along his jaw and through his beard.
“I think you might be able to help me with this.” He took her hand and guided it down to his groin, where her fingers instinctively wrapped around his stiff cock. He took a breath as his eyes half-closed. There was no doubt from the look on her face that she was as hungry for him as he was for her.
“How might I help you with it?” she teased him. “Tell me what to do.”
Oh, she wants to be told what to do. “Will you do anything I ask?” he fired back, his mind racing with the possibilities.
Her eyebrow raised, she nodded. “Do I need a safe word or something?”
He smirked, then reached up to cup her face in his hands. He captured her lips with his mouth, kissing her deeply like he had been wanting to do again ever since Nigel interrupted them in the green room. Her body softened, yielding to him. Garrett let his hands wander down her curves and around her body until he gripped both of her ass cheeks firmly. “Has anyone ever fucked you in the ass?” he questioned before sinking his teeth into the tender flesh of her neck.
Her knees buckled, and he had to lift her back up before she collapsed. “Well?” he pressed.
He pulled away just far enough to look at her, long enough to see her shake her head. “I want to try it,” she added. “It’s just...you’re so...”
He chuc
kled under his breath. “Big?”
She nodded, a bit of panic creeping into her expression.
“We don’t have to if you’re worried or reticent in any way,” he assured her. “But I promise I will be gentle...”
He wanted to add that he was bi, and he’d bottomed plenty of times—so he knew how it felt—but he wasn’t sure how she would respond to that information. Better I keep that to myself for now, he decided. She’s had enough Garrett Stone 101 today.
He left her in the shower to finish up, dried off, and wrapped the towel around his waist. A sense of victory arose when he found a three-pack of condoms and a half-full bottle of lube in his nightstand. Definitely half-full, he thought. Not half-empty. I’m choosing to be optimistic.
When she emerged from the shower, her body still glistening with tiny droplets of water, she wore nothing but a sheepish smile and a tiny towel. It didn’t even begin to cover her full, luscious breasts or wide, ample hips. Garrett drank in her image, committing it to memory. Her dark hair fell in thick wet strands against her tawny skin, and with no makeup on, she almost had a look of innocence about her.
“I want to try,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper. “But you have to promise to stop if it hurts too much.”
He tried to downplay his excitement. “Of course. I promise I will go really slowly and make sure you’re ready.”
She closed the distance between them and dropped her towel to the floor, where it fell in a heap by her feet. Garrett gasped at her exquisite curves, his cock jutting out proudly through the slit where his towel was tied around his waist. She rose up on her tip-toes to press a kiss to his cheek, and he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her to his body so she could feel what she did to him.
“I just want you to know that I trust you, okay?” She pulled back to lock her eyes with his. “I know you wouldn’t want to hurt me.”
A small smile curled his lips as he spun her around so her back was toward the bed. He gently pushed her down onto the mattress, waiting for her to slide up so he could climb between her legs. A long sigh filled the quietness as he wasted no time burying his tongue in her folds, still steamy and wet from the shower. He broke away just long enough to say, “I’m going to make you come first.”
“You won’t get any argument from me!” she chirped back, her thighs relaxing as her body adjusted to the feel of his tongue against her clit. He expertly built that tension back up, teasing her with every trick he knew. He wanted her to explode on his face, and then he’d move down, teasing her virgin hole until she desperately needed another release. His own need was building, his cock pulsing as it pressed into the mattress. He knew he was in for a long wait... but it will be worth it.
It had been a long time since he had done anal with a woman. The last several times he’d topped, it had been with Nigel. There was something special about a woman giving him access to her ass, though. Perhaps it’s because they’re going beyond the call of duty, he thought, laughing at himself for even trying to analyze the nuances between fucking a man and a woman that way.
Anjuli’s arched back and short, panted breaths alerted him that she was on the edge. He slid a finger into her pussy, which was so needy and hungry, he immediately paired it with another. He was fucking her senseless with his fingers, curled up to slam into her g-spot with each thrust. Then he sucked her clit into his mouth, knowing it wouldn’t be long before she came. And sure enough, his instincts proved correct when his name tore from her throat and the walls of her cunt contracted against his fingers, each spasm stronger than the last.
Before she had a chance to recover, he greedily lapped up her sweet juices, then worked his way down. He thought she might jump out of her skin when his tongue circled her anus. Moving his arms to her hips, he held them down as he began to work on preparing her to take his cock.
“Relax, Anjuli,” he said, lifting his head just long enough to glance at her face. Her wet hair was spread across the pillow, and the sheets were rumpled where her fingers were clutching them tightly. Her arms fell to her sides, and the tremors in her thighs began to subside.
After giving her proper attention with his tongue, he tapped her on the leg and directed her to turn over. “Reach down and play with your clit, baby,” he instructed as he assumed a position behind her. He tapped his cock against her ass cheek, then dragged it down the cleft between them. She obeyed, reaching between her legs. He bent down and resumed licking and teasing her hole.
Her thighs began to tense up again, and soon she was pushing back against his face. He replaced his tongue with his finger and some lube. He gently circled the hole, then slid just the tip inside. She winced for only a brief second, then she was pushing toward him again.
“What do you think?” he asked. He took his cock in his other hand and pressed it against her again. It was aching to be inside her.
“Mmm....it feels different. Good, though...”
“Don’t let yourself come, babe, okay? Keep yourself right on the edge if you can.” He pressed his finger in a little deeper, thrusting it in and out until she was bucking against him. “You like it, don’t you?”
“Mmmmhmmmm,” she answered along with a deep, rasping moan that sent a jolt right through his cock.
Fuck, I don’t know how much longer I can wait, he thought, still slowly stroking himself. He took the condom he had beside him and unrolled it down his shaft, then coated himself in lube. “You’re going to feel a bit more pressure now, okay?”
“Uh huh,” she answered. Her thighs were trembling with need now, her voice conveying her proximity to climax. “Please, I’m ready...I want you to fuck me, Garrett...”
He took a deep breath, then placed the tip of his cock at her entrance, pressing so slowly, so gently. Fuck, I hope I can go slow enough. He thought about all the times he’d bottomed, remembering how it felt, how important it was to ease in. He wished he’d had already come, maybe in her mouth or even all over her beautiful breasts. He’d have more patience if it were the second round.
“You okay?” he asked as he pushed a little more insistently, grabbing her hips to steady himself.
He heard her breathe in deeply, then out, like she was meditating. Then she pushed against him, causing him to gasp, it was so tight.
“Fuck, Anjuli, you okay?” he asked, not able to control the waver of desperation in his voice.
“Go on,” she managed, still pushing back steadily.
“Relax, baby, relax...” He squeezed her hips.
“I can’t...I’m gonna come...”
Fuck, why did she have to say that? He groaned as he pushed a little deeper. This was the one and only time he wished he was just a little bit smaller, a little less thick...
“I’m ready,” she murmured, her voice coming out so wild and primal, he had no choice but to push through the last bit of resistance as she cried out, “Fuck!!!”
“I’m so sorry,” he grunted, trying to still himself so she could adjust. But she was already bucking against him.
“I need to come...please...fuck me,” she begged.
He didn’t need to be told twice. He took long, slow, steady strokes, of which it took no more than ten before she cried out again, this time with overwhelming, all-consuming pleasure as her orgasm ripped through her body. The contractions around his cock were excruciatingly exquisite, and there was no way to stop the hurricane-force climax that had built up inside him. He stilled for a moment, his fingers sinking into the soft flesh of her hips as it erupted from deep within his testicles and spewed out the tip of his cock, going on for what felt like an eternity as he rocked himself against her, letting every last drop be milked out of him by the remnants of her orgasm.
When he finally came to, he realized she was still saying the word “fuck” over and over again, like a record stuck on repeat. “Anjuli?” he questioned. He patted her rump as he slowly withdrew himself and took care of the condom.
She collapsed onto the bed face-first.
&nb
sp; “Anjuli, are you okay?”
Sobs welled up inside her, traveling up her throat and coming out into the pillow. Then her entire body began to shake.
His body was immediately flooded with adrenaline. I hurt her. Oh, fuck! Goddamn it! I should have known she wasn’t ready—
“What’s wrong? What can I do?” Garrett’s voice thundered out in a panic.
She wearily lifted her body, turning it toward him as he drew her close to his chest, cradling her in his arms. “No,” she said, still trembling. “That was amazing. I—” Another sob shook through her as she continued to catch her breath. “I’ve never come so fucking hard in my entire life...”
The relief he felt knowing she wasn’t hurt was nearly as intense as his orgasm had been. He squeezed her tightly to his body, burying his face in a mass of her still-wet hair. “Oh my god, Anjuli, I thought I’d hurt you. I thought I’d broken my promise...”
“No, no, I’m fine. I’m better than fine.” She wiped away a stray tear. “I don’t know why I burst into tears. It was completely uncontrollable. That’s never happened to me before.”
He rocked her in his arms, breathing in the clean scent of her hair as the dampness cooled his inflamed skin. “It’s not uncommon,” he assured her.
“So you’ve had other partners break down crying before?” She laughed as she looked up at him.
“A few times, yes,” he admitted. “I try to take it as a compliment.”
“You should. You definitely should.” She buried her face in his chest and laid against him. Garrett felt her body melt into his and her breathing return to normal; then it slowed and deepened until he realized she’d fallen asleep in his arms.
Thirteen
“Well, look who it is!” Chase’s voice bellowed out from the kitchen as Anjuli stumbled down the hallway. “Buenos dias, mi sol!”
The Navigator (Mountains Series Book 5) Page 12