by Elin Peer
“Your mom is going to be angry, though. She made Shelly promise not to marry me.”
Rochelle waved a dismissive hand. “Don’t worry about it. Shelly found a way to get our mom’s approval before she married you.”
“How? That’s impossible; she only just agreed to marry me tonight.”
“She spoke to our mom hours ago. Let’s just say that she manipulated the truth a bit.”
“It wouldn’t be the first time,” I said and wondered why she hadn’t told me about her conversation with her mother. I couldn’t be angry at Shelly, because whatever she had done, she’d done it for us.
Hunter picked me up from the ground and squeezed me in a bear hug. “Fuck, you’re a lucky dog. I’ll never understand how you managed to convince someone like Shelly to marry you, except you did say that for a genius she isn’t very bright.”
I laughed. “Love is blind, my friend.”
“Oh, so we’re friends now? I though you just tolerated me.”
“That depends on if you’re willing to find another place to sleep so Shelly and I can have the tent tonight.”
Hunter smacked my shoulder. “I don’t think so. You would keep us all awake and make us men hate our lives if we have to listen to you two fornicate all night. Boulder suggested that you sleep in the gym. He says you can be as loud as you want in there.”
“Thank you. I need it. We haven’t been together for the last two days and I’m dying.”
Hunter lowered his brow in an are-you-kidding-me expression. “Yeah, two days sounds like a real test.”
“Sorry, it’s just that once you’ve been with a woman, it’s kind of addictive.”
“I know.” A ghost of sadness flew over his face but was quickly replaced by a bright smile.
“It’s time for the wedding dance.” Mila was pushing at me from behind and before I knew it, Shelly and I were pressed together and music was playing.
“How do you dance to this kind of music?”
Shelly grinned up at me. “I have no idea. Maybe we can just sway from side to side.”
“This is epic. Dancing with you and letting the whole world see that I’m your man.”
“You weren’t that interested in me when I had pimples and a monobrow.”
“I was twenty and interested in women. You were a girl, Shelly.”
“If only I could have told that young girl suffering from your lack of interest that ten years later she’d be dancing with you under the stars with a new life growing inside of her.”
I kissed her on her nose. “If only I could have told that young man to be less of a jerk to the girl he would one day be obsessing about.”
We kissed, smiled, and laughed as we moved our feet while still holding on to each other.
Leaning her head on my shoulder, Shelly sighed. “I never want this song to end.”
“I do. Otherwise we can’t get to the best part,” I teased.
“What part is that?”
“Our wedding night, of course.”
“I don’t know, Marco, I’m kind of tired,” Shelly gave a yawn. “Would you mind if we wait until we get home tomorrow night?”
Pulling back to look at her, I opened my mouth to convince her that there was no way we were spending our wedding night apart.
“I’m joking, Marco.”
“Fuck, for a second I thought you meant it. I was about to go bang my head against the biggest tree in the woods.”
Shelly beamed at me. “That would be a waste of time when you can bang me instead.”
We laughed and I whispered in her ear. “You know what’s good about weddings in the Northlands?” I asked, my breathing picking up from the images in my head.
“What?”
“No one expects the newlyweds to stay long.”
CHAPTER 31
Sex at the Gym
Shelly
I woke up when the door to the gym closed and Marco came in wearing only his briefs.
“Where did you go?” I asked.
“I had to take a piss.” He hurried back under the covers.
“Argh, your feet are like ice cubes.”
He laughed and nuzzled his head against mine. “That’s why I need you to warm them with yours. It’s chilly outside and there’s still dew on the grass.”
“What time is it?”
“Around seven. The others are still sleeping.”
“You smell of peppermint.”
“It’s the teeth cleaner, you want one?”
I held out my hand and Marco turned to search for his packet in his bag.
“I prefer cherry taste, but they are seasonal. Do you have any of those?”
Marco handed me the cleaner and wrinkled his nose up. “I’m not a fruity kind of guy. I once tried mango but that was just nasty.”
I laughed. “You’re weird.”
“Good weird?”
I let my chin point to the trampoline in the corner. “The sex on that thing was good weird.”
Marco’s eyes lit up and he let his finger trail over my jaw. “It was, wasn’t it?”
“Uh-huh, I liked the second round on the weight-lifting bench too.”
Propping himself up on one elbow, Marco looked over. “Maybe we should get one of those for home – it has the perfect height for me to take you while I’m on my knees.”
“Which of the times was your favorite?” I asked and splayed my hand over his chest.
“Do I have to pick?”
“Uh-huh.”
“The third, I think.” He twirled a lock of my hair lazily around his finger. “Making love right here and falling asleep knowing that we’re married now.”
Marco’s soft curls were irresistible to me; I had a blissful smile on my face when I slid my hands through them.
“I’m going to be bald soon with the way you constantly tug at my hair.”
“Sorry, I think it’s my favorite part.”
“Wow, that’s harsh.”
I laughed. “No, I love you of course, but you don’t understand how many times I’ve watched you and longed to touch your hair.
“You did once, didn’t you?” Marco’s grin widened. “You sat behind me the night before you left school and when I caught you touching my hair you said there was a spider.”
“There was a spider.”
He tickled me. “Admit it, you needed an excuse to touch me.”
“You can’t prove that.” I laughed because of his tickling me, remembering all too well how my hands had needed to know what those amazing curls felt like. I should have known then that I couldn’t trust myself around Marco.
“I have no impulse control around you.”
“I’m sure the psychologist in you can explain that.”
I smiled. “It’s not something I’ve studied. It would be hard to find people who are in love back in the Motherlands, but theoretically, the neurotransmitters norepinephrine and phenylethylamine lead to focused attention, and that…”
Marco shut me up by kissing me and whispered into my mouth, “I love how smart you are, but now isn’t the time for a lecture on love. I’m more a hands-on type of learner.”
For the fourth time since last night’s wedding ceremony, Marco and I made love. We had always been adventurous in our sex life with our list of five things, and yesterday had been fun using the different items in the large gym. This time he was spooning me, lifting my right thigh and drawing fully out of me then thrusting deep up into my belly.
“Fuck, you feel so wet and slick,” he whispered and bit my earlobe. “I love how beautiful you look in the morning light, your hair all messed up from me fucking you all night. Makes me think about all the plans I have for you and me in the future.”
Instinctively, I arched my back, feeling each thrust and how Marco slid out and ground himself into my clit, delivering delicious tingles.
He groaned low close to my ear. I moaned in return, surrendering my body to him.
With our other three times of havin
g sex within the last nine hours, Marco had no problem holding on, and for long minutes he kept thrusting deeper and deeper inside me, my orgasm slowly building.
“You’re mine now.” He rolled on top, weighing down on me, his elbows on either side of my head keeping me in place as a sign of dominance, pushing me closer and closer to the edge.
“Yees,” I moaned and lost myself in the pleasure of his pounding against my cervix while my nails clutched at his shoulders in a symbolic way of saying that he was mine too.
“Tell me you like it,” he demanded, changing the rhythm of his strokes.
“More, give me more,” I begged and panted from the speed of my heartbeat. “That’s it, yeees, Marco, harder, yees.”
He took complete control of my body, his hands moving down to grab my behind to hold me in place while pushing harder, deeper, and faster in and out. When I screamed out my orgasm, Marco covered my mouth, and groaned out his own release.
We stayed connected like that, both of our cores throbbing from the intense lovemaking.
After a minute or two, Marco gave a sigh of contentment and rolled onto his back. “I really don’t care where we live in the world as long as we do this every morning.”
“I don’t know if I’m up for that when my belly grows big or we have three kids who need our attention.”
“How can you say that? Morning sex is rejuvenating.”
Nuzzling my head up against him, I teased, “I can make you a copy of me with retractable teeth and adjustable breasts. Would you like that?”
Marco held me closer. “No, I want the real deal. I could never settle for a robot again.”
We lay close for a few minutes until a knock on the door had us sitting up.
“Come in,” Marco called out.
Storm popped his head in. “Are you up?”
“No. Why?”
His voice was vibrating with eagerness. “Because I don’t think you want to miss this.”
“What happened?” I asked. “Is it another party game of Mila’s?”
“No, Solo just showed up and we can’t find Willow.
CHAPTER 32
Solo
Marco
Shelly and I dressed in a hurry.
“Are you coming?” I asked, already halfway to the door while putting on my t-shirt.
“Hang on, I just need to put on shoes.”
“Bring the shoes, you can put them on later.” My voice was eager and I had my hands on the door handle.
“What did Storm mean when he said that they couldn’t find Willow?”
“I don’t know. Hurry up already.”
Shelly swung her hair back and used her fingers to gather it in a ponytail.
“You look cute, now hurry.”
Hand in hand we jogged to the main building and when we turned the corner I stopped in my tracks.
The place outside the school showed that there had been a party last night. Plates, bottles, and bowls were scattered around on top of the five large picnic tables. The chains of lights that made the outside area cozy at night were still lit.
Most people had to be still sleeping, since only a small handful were there. Next to Archer, Tristan, Nero, and Storm stood a giant of man.
“Oh, Mother Nature,” Shelly exclaimed next to me and squeezed my hand.
I hadn’t seen Solomon in ten years and blinked a few times to take him in. Ten years ago, his status as the oldest boy at school had made him the alpha among the boys, outranked only by us mentors.
“What the fuck did you eat?” I asked in awe and walked closer.
“Nice to see you too.” Solomon lifted his chin in a nod.
“Yeah.” I shook my head. “I’m sorry, but I didn’t expect this.”
“Hey, Solo.” Shelly stepped closer too and looked tiny compared to him when she leaned her head back. “Is it a medical condition?”
With a quick glance down at Shelly’s hand in mine, Solomon spoke in a polite voice. “You must be Marco’s wife.”
He didn’t recognize her.
“It’s Shelly Summers,” Nero exclaimed. “Our old mentor, remember? She changed a lot too.”
Solomon shook his head in disbelief. “Wow, you grew up fine.”
“Yeah, yeah,” Shelly waved a dismissive hand. “Now answer my question. Is it a medical condition?”
“What do you mean?”
“Your size. Is it hyperpituitarism?”
“No.” Solomon shifted his weight and lowered his brows. “I’m just slightly taller than average, but it’s not that bad.”
“He says he only seven-foot-two, but I think he’s taller,” Tristan told us.
“It’s probably because of all his muscles,” Storm chimed in. “He looks freakishly large, doesn’t he?”
“Stop talking about me like that.”
None of us Nmen were small men, but we were all looking up at Solomon.
Tristan put a hand on his arm. “It’s impressive, but if you were an inflatable I would suggest you stop blowing now.” Tristan laughed. “I mean, fuck, Solo, it’s crazy to see you again after all these years.”
“Ten years, huh?” Solomon smiled.
“Enough time for your hair to grow out again,” Nero teased and let his hands run over his own hair. “Remember that time when Archer cut your hair short?”
“Sure, one of my favorite memories.” The sarcasm in Solo’s voice was thick.
Taking a step back to appreciate the full size of him, I said, “I always knew that you would be tall, what with your height and strength back then, but this is… something.”
“Is every part of you this large?” Shelly asked in a matter-of-fact tone that made all of us stare at her.
Tristan broke into a deep belly laugh. “Did you just ask Solo if he has a huge dick?”
Shelly looked unfazed and once again proved that situational awareness wasn’t her strongest suit when she locked eyes with Solomon. “Well, do you?”
Solomon’s eyebrows rose up and he looked to me for help. “What am I supposed to answer to that?”
I grinned and planted a kiss on Shelly’s cheek. “You can’t ask a man that question. At least not with me standing right here.”
“Why not?” Shelly’s eyes wandered over Tristan, Nero, Storm, and me. “Admit it. You’re just as curious as I am.”
“Absolutely.” Tristan couldn’t stop laughing. “I say we ask Solo to pull down his pants and let us see the beast for ourselves,” he joked. “Otherwise we’ll all be wondering forever.”
Solo fired back. “It’s better that you don’t know than living your lives feeling inadequate.”
The friendly banter continued with loud laughter. It woke up others who had been sleeping in tents nearby.
“What the hell, is that you, Solo?” William asked when he popped his head out of a tent. “I was going to beat up the ones making noise this early, but on second glance, I might skip that plan.”
“No, come out and challenge Solo,” Tristan encouraged William. “It would make for great morning entertainment for the rest of us.”
“Shut up, Tristan. I have a nasty hangover.” William yawned loudly and stretched his arms.
“Solo.”
The sound of a female voice made us all turn our heads to the school building from where Mila came running. “You came. I’m so happy. That means we’re all here.” She reached out her hands to him but he didn’t take them. Instead he took a small step back.
“Good to see you, Mila. You look as cute as you did when you were ten.”
“Did you hear the good news?” She smiled up at him. “Marco and Shelly got married yesterday.”
“Yesterday?” Solomon looked to us. “Congratulations. I’m sorry that I missed out on your wedding. Work has been intense these past weeks and I couldn’t…” He trailed off, distracted by something behind us that made his eyes narrow and his stance grow more rigid with his shoulders squared.
I turned my head to see Hunter and Archer returni
ng from a morning run. They were talking and it took a few seconds until Hunter spotted Solo and the rest of us. The second he did, he stopped and stared.
Putting his hand on Hunter’s elbow, Archer said a few words and they walked toward us in a steady pace with tense expressions on their faces.
“You came,” Archer said when they were closer. “I’ll give you a hug later when I’m not as sweaty.”
“I’ll look forward to it.” Solomon turned his head from Archer to Hunter. The tension between them was tangible.
The rest of us men exchanged glances, silently alerting each other that a fight was in the air and that we might need to intervene.
“What do you want?” Hunter’s voice was low and cold.
“I’m here to celebrate, just like the rest of you.”
With a sideways glance, Hunter looked to me. “Where’s Willow?”
“I don’t know.”
“She’s not in the dorm,” Storm added. “Tristan and I looked but we couldn’t find her.”
Mila, who was following the meeting between Hunter and Solomon with a concerned expression on her face, spoke up. “I think Willow and Raven went to swim in the lake.”
Solomon turned his head in the direction of the forest trail that led to the small lake. “I’m going to go and talk to her. It’s time to clear the air between us.”
Hunter stepped in his way. “There’s nothing to clear. It’s been years and she never talks about you. I doubt she remembers much about you.”
Solomon folded his hands into fists but didn’t respond.
“Me, on the other hand,” Hunter said and tilted his head, “I remember everything.”
Solomon’s jaw tightened. “Me too.”
“I’ll let Willow decide if she wants to talk to you. My guess is she’ll want to leave the minute she hears that you’re here.”
Solomon looked down, his chest lifting and falling. “I can’t force her.”
“That’s fucking right.” Hunter stepped closer, his voice threatening. “If you as much as look at her the wrong way, I’ll kill you.”
The two men stared at each other – Hunter with protective rage that made his nostrils flare, Solomon with suppressed emotions that had to take a lot of discipline not to show.