“Lee-Ann, I think you should report this,” he pleaded.
“No, please…please,” she reached over and rested her hand on his arm. The warmth of it seeped up his shoulder.
“Okay, but I don’t like it.”
Chapter Six
Her head ached. Lee-Ann opened her eyes slowly and stretched. Her feet connecting with something hard. She groaned as she wondered what was on her bed. Her head felt a bit heavy, but she managed to raise it to look at her feet and what was obstructing it. It looked like a dashboard, so she closed her eyes and breathed, thinking she must be dreaming.
With a sigh she turned, but something felt off. Her eyes flew open and widened at the sight of a man beside her. She was about to scream when they settled on his nose and then his lips. It was Joshua, but what was he doing in her bed? Wait…they were in the Bentley, but why? She sat up abruptly, causing a slight vibration. Joshua’s eyes opened and looked at her questioningly.
“Are you okay?” his voice was gently.
“Where are we? Why are we in the car?” she sounded like a frog.
He sat up and brushed a lock of her hair away from her cheek. The touch of his finger left a tingle. He was looking at her with something strange in his eyes and she liked it. A fluttering sensation filled her chest and she felt her breath stop.
“You don’t remember what happened?”
“No,” she whispered hoarsely, not able to look away from him. “Did something happen?”
“Why’d you…,” he started to ask. “Never mind.”
“All I remember was coming back from the restroom and having my drink and…I can’t remember. Why can’t I remember? It’s not like I had any alcohol. They were virgin cosmos.”
Joshua sighed, “Lee-Ann. You can’t do this anymore.” He took her hand and twined his fingers with hers. “We should stop this now.”
She looked down at her hand in his and her heart started beating faster. “What do you mean?”
“Stop punishing me. It’s only hurting you in the process.”
“I don’t understand Josh,” she’d found her voice and it raised a decibel.
“Going out with guys to get back at me, Lee-Ann.”
Her mouth opened and then snapped shut. She didn’t know what to say. Was it true? Was she doing all this to get back at him? What about Pete? Did he come to get her away from Pete?
“What happened to Pete?” she asked.
“Reds, he’s bad news. Do you know what he did to you?” he clenched his jaw and his lips became thin.
“No,” she quietly said. “I don’t remember anything.”
“He drugged you and then…then…he,” Josh could not finish. His voice became tight and he turned his face away.
Lee-Ann was scared. Did Pete rape her? She reached between her thighs and felt her vagina. There would be signs there…wouldn’t it? She felt like she was suffocating and she started hyperventilating. What if he got her pregnant? Or a disease!
“Lee-Ann,” Josh turned around and held her shoulder. “Calm down, nothing happened.”
“Are…you…sure?” she said between breaths.
“Yes, luckily, I got there in time. Now, breathe easy,” he pulled her over to him and patted her back while she rested her head on his shoulder.
She was scared. What if Josh hadn’t been there? She clung to him, trying to fight the stinging behind her eyelids, but in vain. Her tears welled and flowed down her cheeks.
“Hush, Reds. I told you, I won’t let anything happen to you.”
He pushed her shoulders gently so he could look at her. With both thumbs, he brushed the tears from her cheeks, then brushed back her hair from her face. It was more like a caress and Lee-Ann felt safe. She flung her arms back around his neck and hugged him close. He’d always been there to protect her and she always resented him.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I just wanted you to see me as a woman.”
“Is that why you do these things, because you want me to notice you?” She said nothing, but shook her head in assent. “Don’t you know? I’ve always seen you that way?”
She didn’t believe him and thought he was only trying to make her feel better, but she said nothing. He told her that the reason he didn’t take her home was that he didn’t want her mother to see her that way and that he called to tell their parents they were together at a party. He gave her a rundown of the night’s events, including what she said and that she asked him not to go to the police.
She was feeling better by the time they went home. Barbara didn’t suspect anything, so she went directly to her room to shower and go to bed. She didn’t awake until late afternoon. Joshua was gone when she went down, rummaging through the kitchen for food. The after effects of the drug Pete had given her made her feel nauseous and weird. She wondered why she told Joshua not to take her to the police. Perhaps out of embarrassment?
The other issue she had was whether or not to tell Gracie. She was her best friend. Gracie would never knowingly do anything to hurt her. Pete was supposed to be her brother’s friend from college; therefore, she would feel some amount of responsibility for what happened. Telling Gracie about it would only make her feel bad, so she decided not to.
However, that plan failed as well. When her phone rang that night, Gracie was bawling and mumbling that it took a good fifteen minutes before Lee-Ann could understand what she was saying. There was some hiccup on Gracie’s end and blowing of her nose.
“Calm down, Gracie, what’s wrong?”
“I’m sorry, we had no idea he was like that!”
Lee-Ann fell silent, then took a deep breath before replying. “How did you know?”
“Josh didn’t tell you?” Gracie squeaked.
Lee-Ann hand gripped the phone tightly, her knuckles turning white. Her voice cracked as she asked, “What about Josh?”
“He beat Pete to a pulp, almost landing him in the hospital,” Gracie told her.
“OH MY GOD! Is Josh in jail?” she hadn’t seen him since she woke up. Was that where he went?
“No, he’s fine. Pete said he wasn’t pressing charges. Pete is scared that he might be a registered sex offender if this gets out,” Gracie paused. “Lee, he may have done it before, but I swear my brother was as shocked as I was to find out. I’m so sorry.”
“It’s not your fault, Gracie. Look, I’ve got to find Josh, to make sure he’s okay. Don’t worry, I don’t blame you, okay?”
“Okay, later,” Gracie said. “Lee, I love you.”
“Love you too Gracie. Bye.”
She hung up feeling uneasy. She called Joshua’s number but he wasn’t answering. Then, she called Cory. He had no idea where Josh was either. Gracie said he was okay but he’d been gone all day. By ten o’clock that night, her mind was in overdrive. She had no idea where he hung out so it would be useless to go looking for him. Briefly, it crossed her mind that Pete may have done something in revenge.
After her mother and stepfather went to bed, she hung around downstairs for a while. She tried to distract herself by watching television, but soon got bored. She went for a walk in the garden, on the opposite side of the pool. The white bird feed stood stark against the dimness. A slight glow from the garden lights reflected off the stone path flanked by rows of multicolored roses.
There was a cool breeze rustling the trees. Lee-Ann inhaled deeply, allowing her shoulders to relax. Another night, similar to this one, came to mind. After Josh had dragged her from one of the parties she sneaked off to attend, they’d had one of their heated arguments. She’d told him how much she hated him and his father, that she wished her mother never married Timothy. She didn’t mean a word of it, but she could see the way Josh’s eyes had changed color. How his jaw had set, and she knew he was hurt. He hadn’t come home that night, and for the first time, she found herself worried about him.
She skirted the house and came around to the poolside where she sat for a while. The water was almost tempting for her to dive in but sh
e resisted. If she went swimming now, she might wake her parents. She laid back on the lounger and closed her eyes, trying not to think about her stepbrother and the amount of worrying she’d done in the last few hours. It was slowly dawning on her why she was so worried and why, she’d always rebelled against him. It wasn’t easy to admit, but she knew that she never really hated him.
As she was falling into a doze, a shadow fell across her. She sat up abruptly and opened her eyes. He was standing there looking down at her. She sprang to her feet and flung her arms around his neck, something she seemed to be doing a lot lately.
“Where have you been?” she pushed him away. Her eyes narrowed and her lips twisted angrily. “Do you have any idea how worried I’ve been?”
“Not now Lee-Ann. I’m not in the mood to argue,” his voice was gruff.
Joshua turned and started walking towards the double glass doors leading into the house with her following close behind. He headed up the stairs, two at a time, but she paused to close the door, so by the time she started climbing the stairs, he was already at the door to his room. She had to run the rest of the way.
“Josh, wait!”
“You’re going to wake Mom and Dad,” he said in a low tone. “Go to bed Lee-Ann.”
“No, not until you talk to me.”
He reached for the door knob and she held out her hand to stop him. That’s when she noticed his hand was bandaged.
“What’s this?”
He pushed her hand away and pushed the door open, stepping into the room. He was about to close the door, but she pushed passed him and entered as well.
“Reds, I’m in no mood to argue.”
“Who’s arguing? Let me see,” she gently said and reached for his hand. The bandage was makeshift, something he picked up at the pharmacy.
“It’s alright, I put something on it,” his voice husky.
“Why do you do it, Josh?”
He pulled his hand away, “Do what?”
“Fight for me?” she reached for his hand once more and brought it to her cheeks. Her eyes stung and filled with tears. With wide glossy eyes, she searched for his eyes, but he avoided her. “Why do you always fight for me? Answer me?” she cried.
“Reds, don’t…don’t’ cry…I’m fine,” he whispered. She turned his palm towards her lips and kissed the bandage, then each finger. “What’re you doing?” he asked.
“I’m sorry,” she croaked. “For all the times’ you’ve had to fight for me.”
She moved and carried her arms around his waist, hugging him close. When she lifted her face to look at him, their eyes met and what she saw there made her pulse race. She tipped and gently kissed his lips. He looked keenly at her for a moment, then their lips met again. She pressed her breast into his chest as she parted her lips to meet his tongue. He growled deep in his throat before breaking the kiss.
“Josh, make me into a woman,” she reached up and whispered against his ear.
His hand gripped her shoulders and gently pushed her away, “No.”
“Yes, please. It has to be you.”
“I can’t do it Lee-Ann,” he insisted and turned away.
“Why not?”
He turned back abruptly to her and looked at her intently, “Because sex is not something to be taken lightly. You can’t go back.”
“I know,” she pushed the t-shirt she was wearing over her head. With trembling hands she pushed her shorts down and stepped towards Josh, whose eyes were fixed on her breasts. “I want it to be you.”
“Are you sure about this?” his voice was so hoarse the words hardly came out.
In answer, she reached for his good hand and placed it on her breast. The other hand she brought to her cheek and rubbed against it like a cat loving rubbing against its owner. With a groan, Josh gently squeezed the breast his hand rested on then he bent and kissed the tip. A bolt of electricity shot through her chest at the contact and she gasped.
Gently, he kissed the other nipple before touching it with his tongue. He stopped and looked into her eyes, maybe for confirmation, she didn’t know, but she kissed his chest. He swept her up in one fluid movement and laid her on the bed.
With tenderness, Josh ran his fingertips over her lips, then trailed them along her neck and down her cleavage. His lips followed close behind leaving a blazing trail of fire in their wake. Lee-Ann closed her eyes and savored his caresses. She’d waited for this, anticipated it, and even resented him for not giving her what she wanted most…himself. Her eyes flicked open at the thought, but the sensations ricocheting through her were too much and she lost focus.
Josh was kissing her belly button and going down to her thighs. Her breaths were now coming in gasps as she could hardly breathe. He reached for her pink cotton brief and pulled them down, tossing it on the floor. She knew it wasn’t sexy, and she flinched at what he must have thought about it. But she quickly forgot about it when he kissed her pubic hair and gently parted her thighs.
“Oh,” she breathed as she felt him kiss her labia.
He used his thumbs to part her folds, then stuck his tongue out to touch her clitoris. She jumped at the contact and groaned loudly. He did it again and she twisted her body from the pleasure which shook her. His tongue sank into her making her gush sticky substance over his mouth.
His lips ran along the inner flesh of her thighs and down her legs, then back up. He then lifted himself and removed his shirt, dropping it to the floor, followed by his jeans. Smoothly, he slid atop her, covering her body with his, cupping her face and taking her lips captive. His tongue played twister with hers. She felt his manhood brushing against her pelvis. It was hot and hard, and she wondered about it. Would it hurt badly?
“Are you sure?” he asked as if sensing her reservation.
“Yes,” she whispered, nibbling his lips while bringing her knees up at an angle.
He touched his lips to her eyelids, then moved them down to her cheeks, then nibbled the corners of her mouth. Reaching between them, he brought his cock’s tip to her opening. His lips moved, parting hers, taking her tongue and stroking, while pushing his pelvis ever so slightly, causing his shaft to glide in about an inch. He did it again and again until he was half way in.
She felt the pain but it was fleeting, and when he stopped, she urged him on by returning his kiss and running her hands down his back. Soon, all trace of pain was replaced by tides of pleasure as their bodies rocked together in a timely rhythm.
Slowly, he increased the momentum, her body moving with his, following his lead until she felt herself erupt inside. A scream escaped her as she reached the eclipse of her womanhood, but Josh covered her mouth with his to muffle the sound lest they should awaken their parents.
She then felt him swell within her, then he withdrew and flooded her belly with his seed. A guttural sound vibrated his throat, but their lips were sealed together, preventing it from escaping. Soon, he rolled off her and took a long deep breath. She watched as his cock bounced like it was on a spring. Slowly, her eyelids closed and a smile took her into pleasant dreams.
Chapter Seven
The call came in at around 8 AM two days later. Joshua’s platoon was supposed to go down to Forth McArthur for special training, before they would be deployed on an exclusive mission. A unit was on its way to retrieve him, and he had exactly twenty five minutes to be ready and waiting. Lee-Ann left early that morning to attend an appointment at UC, Irvine campus where she would be attending in a couple of weeks.
His movements were jerky as he showered, toweled himself dry and pulled on his Class ‘A’ uniform. He was ready and downstairs within eight minutes after the call where Barbara was fixing breakfast. She looked up from the stove with a smile and then her face went blank.
“Why are you dressed like that?” she dropped the spatula and placed her hand on her chest.
“My unit is picking me up, something about going to San Pedro,” he poured himself some juice and took a slice of toast she’d placed on the tab
le.
“At least have your breakfast,” she came to stand beside him, brushing his uniform like a loving mother.
“There is no time. Give this to Lee-Ann,” he pulled an envelope and handed it to Barbara. “She’s going to be upset.” He kissed her cheek and hugged her.
Timothy walked into the kitchen as he was turned from hugging his stepmother. His father did a double take, then looked at him sadly. “You weren’t leaving without saying goodbye were you?”
“No father, I was about to come see you,” he reached his hand out for Timothy to take but the man ignored it and pulled him roughly in a bear hug.
“Take care my son, be safe.”
“Yes, Sir,” they let each other go and Joshua saluted his father before rushing through the door. The unit arrived just as he closed the front door behind him and stepped onto the portico.
* * * *
The first day of orientation went smoothly. Lee-Ann met a few friends and decided on a major. She’d applied to the University of California without knowing what the hell she would be doing; however, after making the rounds, she opted for the Masters in Marketing. As soon as she signed up for her classes, the first person she thought of was Joshua. She knew he would be proud of her and she wanted to see his smile when she told him all about her day. There were two more days of orientation left and she felt good about them.
She arrived home in the same good spirits. Barbara was in the living room while Timothy was in his den in the basement. That was his special man cave where he would smoke the occasional cigar and play games with friends. There was a poker table in the center and on one wall was a dart board. He also had a forty seven inch plasma television hung on the wall at the back. It had surround sound, and when they watched movies, it was just like a little theatre.
“Hi Mom,” she bent and kissed her mother’s cheek, but she sensed something wasn’t right in the way her mother’s eye had a downward slant. “What’s the matter?”
Barbara picked up the envelope Joshua had given her, “Here, dear. Joshua asked me to give this to you.”
Reminding The SEAL (Navy SEAL Military Romance) Page 17