I Don't Dance (Freebirds Book 6)

by Lani Lynn Vale

“Yes,” I confirmed. “How very, very thoughtful.”

  Chapter 6

  I wish my life had background music so I could figure out what the hell is going on.

  -E-card

  Blaine

  Christmas number 3

  I waited impatiently for my boys to get home.

  Their deployment had been extended twice since they’d left last Christmas, and instead of a six month tour, they’d done nearly a year.

  All the news stories one would hear about their soldier coming home two or maybe three months early, and there mine was getting extended by two and three months. Twice!

  It’d been a year of trials and tribulations.

  A year of praying.

  A year of pleading with God.

  They’d been hit more than once, but that last time had been the worst.

  Which was why Max was currently standing next to me instead of getting off the plane that was still sitting in the middle of the runway, when it should be hooking up to the departure gate.

  “Do you think something’s wrong?” I asked worriedly.

  Max glanced down at me, and then back up toward the plane.

  In a cool, no nonsense tone, he replied. “No. I think that either A, Elliott got drunk and the air marshal had to get physical, or B, they’re short staffed and they’re waiting for someone to come help them get the plane where it’s supposed to be.”

  I slapped Max on the arm. “You’re such a shit. Can’t you just be serious about this? I miss him like crazy, and there he is less than a football length away from me, and I can’t get to him.”

  He winked down at me, “Give me a minute.”

  I watched as Max disappeared, limping slightly and holding his head tilted slightly to the right, causing my heart to pang in my chest.

  That day had been a nightmare.

  ***

  Two months prior

  “Hello?” I answered, trying to juggle thirteen bags of groceries up the stairs of my apartment and answer the phone all at once.

  “Blaine.” My husband’s deep, rough voice greeted me.

  I stopped on the stairs, closing my eyes at the sound of his voice. God it was good to hear from him. I hadn’t even realized that I’d been so anxious to hear his voice.

  Although it’d only been a week this time, it still felt like a lifetime.

  “Hey, baby. How are you?” I asked softly.

  It was a good thing that I started up the stairs and placed my bags on the landing, otherwise what came out of his mouth next would’ve made me drop every single one of them.

  “Our hummer was hit with an IED last night.” He said gently.

  My mouth fell open in pain. “What? Is everyone okay?”

  I mean, of course he was okay if he was calling me, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t hurt in some way. That the others in his unit were okay.

  “Max was transported to Germany with a head injury. Everyone else is okay, though. A few bumps and bruises, but nothing that we haven’t had before,” he reported calmly.

  I, on the other hand, was anything but calm. My heart was racing, and I was fairly sure I was on the verge of a meltdown.

  “Is there anything I can do?” I asked urgently.

  “No. Max’ll be okay. We followed up with him as soon as he got there. There is some partial hearing loss, and he has a few large cuts from being the closest to the blast, but he’ll recover. He won’t be back, though. Not anytime soon,” Elliott admitted.

  I felt my heart constrict when I thought about his sister who was probably freaking the hell out.

  “Is he coming home?” I wondered.

  “Yeah, but they’ll be sending him to a specialist near his sister. That’s about all I know right now,” he explained.

  I breathed in deeply, letting out a pent up breath of relief. “Good. Good. But…but are you okay?”

  He let out a shaky breath. “Yeah, baby…shaken but okay. I saw my life flash before my eyes. I don’t ever want to experience that again.”

  Neither did I, but before I could tell him that, he said goodbye.

  “I love you, B. I have to go, but I just wanted you to hear it from me instead of the news,” he told me.

  I closed my eyes. “I love you too, E. With all my heart. Be safe.”

  ***

  Although Max had been ‘okay’ per say, he wasn’t the same.

  He was a little rougher around the edges.

  A little quicker to withdraw, and a lot more distant when it came to his sister.

  That last one had hurt his sister, he’d told me. Especially when Max had chosen not to go home, and had moved into a place outside of town, nearly thirty minutes from her.

  It did work out for us, though, since Sam had purchased what amounted to a compound, and Max had spent the last three months fixing it up and making it livable.

  Soon, Elliott and I would be moving into a duplex on the back side of the compound, with the rest of them taking one of the other duplexes.

  Jack, Sam, Max, Elliott, and Gabe were all getting out this time.

  They wouldn’t be renewing their contracts. Thank God. I worried about them just as much as my own husband.

  James and Dougie had three more months to go, but planned on following in their footsteps just as soon as they could sign on the dotted line.

  And I couldn’t be any happier.

  The thought of not having to live with the fear of my husband dying over half a world away ever again was very appealing.

  A commotion towards my back had me turning to see Max sweet talking a girl behind the counter, and her giggling away as she picked up the phone and made a call.

  Max sauntered over to me like he’d just figured out the solution for world peace.

  “Well?” I asked once he was back at my side.

  He gave me a ‘you have no faith in my abilities’ look, and gestured to the glass where I saw two men in business suits walking towards the plane, and another one rolling up the portable stairs.

  In business suits.

  “Wow,” I said. “Do you think they’re anyone special?”

  Max shrugged. “Tina Marie said the big wigs were here today. I’d thought that they’d just call a few extra hands. I never expected them to get out there themselves.”

  “I don’t really care. I’m just so fucking happy I could run laps around this joint and still be bouncing off the walls,” I said rocking back and forth on the balls of my feet.

  He ignored me, which I found at times, could be best.

  Sometimes I just couldn’t contain my excitement.

  Especially now.

  “There he is,” I squealed, jumping and pointing at my man in his ugly green camo pants and shirt.

  Oh, he looked good.

  He filled out the shirt perfectly, and I could see every single defining ridge of his abdomen. And he was whole.

  My bouncing turned to jumping, and I took Max’s arm in my exuberance and took him along for the ride with me.

  “Can we go out there? How do I get out there? Let’s go find a way. Please?” I pleaded over and over again.

  “No need,” Max rumbled, pointing towards where Elliott was sprinting towards us.

  He wasted no time on the stairs. Instead, he took a running leap, grabbed hold of the lower balcony, lifted himself up and over the side of the lip. Wasting no time coming straight towards me.

  I didn’t waste time in going to him, either.

  My feet were powering me forward carrying me to him with the weight of a hundred and twelve pounds, straight towards the one thing that was on the top of my Christmas list.

  Elliott.

  I hit him like a freight train.

  Maybe just the caboose of a freight train, but a freight train nonetheless.

  He caught me effortlessly, scooping me up and wrapping me so tight in his embrace that I could hardly breathe.

  “You’re home,”
I breathed against his neck.

  He felt bigger.

  Like he’d gained a lot of weight. Muscle for sure. His beard was longer where it tickled against my neck, and his usually trimmed hair now brushed his collar.

  “I’m home,” he groaned into my neck. “Forever.”

  Those words were music to my ears.

  “You should take me to the bathroom to celebrate,” I breathed into his ear.

  I felt his erection pushing against me from the moment our bodies collided, and nothing in that moment sounded better than feeling his skin against mine.

  Sand or no fucking sand.

  I’d take him any way I could get him.

  “Damn straight. Walk with me,” he demanded as he placed me on my feet.

  I did, clutching his hand in mine, refusing to let go of him.

  “Are you taking me to the bathroom?” I whispered temptingly.

  He gave me a ‘duh’ look, and pushed the door open to the men’s room.

  “Yes.”

  No bullshitting for him.

  Lucky for us, there was nobody in there when we arrived.

  Which was good since Elliott locked the main lock on the door, effectively shutting out anybody who might want in for the next couple of minutes.

  His gaze slid down my body, cataloging my short skirt, my cowboy boots, and finally my face.

  My hands itched to touch him again, and he must’ve read my thoughts because in the next instant, he had me pinned to the wall of the handicap stall.

  He closed the door with a flick of his fingers, lifting me up by the back of my thighs and holding me against the wall as he dropped his bag, followed shortly by his pants.

  I squeezed him tightly with my thighs, holding on securely while he worked his stiff length out of his pants, and dropped me down unceremoniously onto it.

  My head fell back as the stretching sensation flowed through my body. Muscles and flesh that hadn’t been used in long months felt gloriously stretched.

  It’d been a year of nothing but my fingers, and my body wasn’t used to having something so big inside of it. Not that a complaint was uttered on my end.

  He felt perfect. Filling me so wonderfully that I nearly came just be the sheer amount of rightness that came along with having him inside of me.

  “Jesus, you’re so wet and hot,” he groaned.

  I smiled down into his eyes, leaned forward, and captured his mouth with my own.

  My tongue worked its between his lips, dueling with his tongue, as he lifted and lowered me onto his straining cock.

  “It’s like coming home,” he breathed against my lips.

  “It is, and always will be.” I agreed.

  He grunted, working me up and down his cock faster and harder, until I was on the verge of teetering over the edge.

  It was his groan of completion that had me finding my own. There was just something about knowing he’d found pleasure in me after all our time apart that really hammered home my orgasm.

  And what an orgasm it was.

  It was so intense that it stole my breath, hurtling me forward so fast that the scream in my throat froze and refused to come out.

  My wet core worked his orgasm from his cock, sucking him dry as we both came down from having our mind’s blown. Possibly beyond repair.

  “I’ve wanted to do that for such a long time,” I panted against his shoulder where my head had fallen somewhere in the aftermath of my release.

  He chuckled, his still hard cock bouncing inside of me enticingly.

  “We can’t do this,” I said reluctantly. “Not if you want to make it to your mom’s work on time.”

  He grimaced and pulled out of me slowly, watching as his release escaped my pussy and started running down my leg.

  “Is it weird that I want my come to stay inside of you forever?” He asked, looking down at the remnants of his release leaking out of me.

  I shook my finger at him. “Yes. Most assuredly if you expect me to go to an elementary school and help you surprise your mother.”

  He grimaced, dutifully chastised. “Well hurry up, then.”

  ***

  “Oh, she’s going to be so happy!” The principal of Ware Elementary, Donna Jackson, said excitedly.

  “She’s going to kill you for making her cry at work. She’s never going to forgive you,” I muttered under my breath.

  Elliott shot me a warning look, and I pretended to zip my lips and throw away the key.

  We both knew that’d only hold my mouth for so long, but it looked good in the meantime.

  Donna was first, and Elliott and I were following her. My hand was firmly attached to his, and we hadn’t let go of each other since we’d left the bathroom at the airport.

  Dougie had driven the Suburban while the rest of us piled in tight. I, of course, sat on Elliott’s lap since there wasn’t room for us all otherwise…not like it was a hardship or anything.

  The boys dropped us off at the school, all giving me sly glances the entire way that told me they knew exactly what we’d done in the fifteen minutes it’d taken us to get to the car.

  “I cannot begin to tell you how proud we are of you. Lois speaks about how proud she is non-stop, and we all rejoiced when we heard you’d be coming home soon. Although, we didn’t think it was going to be this soon. I just can’t wait to see Lois’ reaction.” Donna gushed as she walked in front of us.

  “Thank you, ma’am,” Elliott rumbled.

  Donna smiled warmly at Elliott and stepped to the side of the door decorated like a large present with smiling faces acting as ornaments pinned to the door.

  I’d have gone mad with all the shit Lois had to do when it came to being a teacher, but to each their own. Lois loved teaching, so who was I to say any different?

  “Stay here, I don’t want her to knock you over,” Elliott rumbled before pushing through the door without knocking.

  I, of course, ignored him and followed him in with my phone in my hand, taping the entire thing.

  Payback was a bitch, of course, and I was only getting her back for the time she recorded me and Elliott at our first Christmas after he’d surprised me by returning home.

  YouTube was on my agenda seeing as she’d done the same to me.

  At least I was courteous enough to make sure Lois was wearing appropriate clothes instead of the pajamas I’d been wearing.

  “Mom!” Elliott called sharply once he made it a few steps into the room.

  Lois froze with her back to us where she was writing with a marker on the dry erase board. Something about compound sentences or some shit that became of no consequence when she heard the voice of her son.

  I smiled as Lois whirled around and burst out crying; big, fat tears rolling down her cheeks as she launched herself at her son.

  I was crying, too.

  My mind was focused on the two in front of me, but I could clearly hear more sniffles surrounding me, letting me know that it was touching some of the students’ hearts as well.

  “Oh, my baby! You’re home!” Lois cried into Elliott’s neck.

  I couldn’t see Elliott’s face, but I knew his reflected the same as Lois’, even if Elliott wasn’t crying. He was grateful to be home.

  “Yeah, mom. I’m home. Forever and ever,” Elliott confirmed.

  Lois lost it then, relieved, just as I was, that we wouldn’t be saying goodbye to Elliott anymore. Wouldn’t have to have that thought in the back of our mind on whether he’d be coming home this time or not.

  We knew how it was. We’d lived it multiple times now; her more so than me, but we knew what was at stake. Getting him back home was a Godsend.

  This was the time we prayed for; the time where he came home, and never left again.

  Thank God.

  “That’s the best news you’ve ever given me. Now all you need to do is give me a grandbaby and I’ll be complete,” Lois whispered loudly.

  W
hether she’d meant for the world to know her secret hopes, I didn’t know, but giggles started to fill the air around us when Elliott laughed mischievously. “I plan on getting right on that, too. I want five.”

  I choked on my spit.

  How that was possible, I wasn’t sure, but I managed it. Gagging and turning purple and all.

  Five?

  Lois laughed joyously and then tilted her head to look at me. “I’ll be happy with one for now, okay Blaine?”

  I held a thumbs up to her. “Yes, mom.”

  ***

  “I think you’ve got entirely way too much Christmas shit,” Elliott said to me as he hung more lights.

  I winked at him. “I know, isn’t it great?”

  He sighed, coming to a stop when he got to the bottom of the tree. “Just don’t think I’ll do this every year.”

  His statement was a bluff, and we both knew it.

  He’d helped me decorate for three Christmases now, and would continue to do so in the future.

  “Oh, Christmas Tree,” A deep raspy voice played sang the speakers, making my head shoot up with glee.

  “It’s our song!” I squealed, bouncing over to him like a kangaroo on crack.

  He sighed and caught me, plastering me to his side.

  “I hate dancing,” he mumbled, but nonetheless, started to sway to the music. “You should give me a blow job later to make up for this embarrassment you put me through every year.”

  I snorted and tried not to wince when he stepped on my pinky toe. The good thing was, was that he wasn’t wearing shoes, so it didn’t hurt like it usually did.

  “I’ll give you a blow job, but only if you let me open one of my presents tonight,” I suggested.

  He scrunched up his nose and shook his head. “No way, Jose.”

  “Then I guess you’ll just have to settle for good old fashion sex,” I said before he twirled me around, hand above my head.

  I went with it, even though he twirled me into the tree, pulling me back just in time to see the tree topple over on top of Steeler.

  Who then proceeded to knock over my Wise Men, my Christmas baby collection, the glass of milk and cookies I’d jokingly placed on the coffee table, and finally the glass fiber optic angel I’d just bought that day.