Compromising

by C. C. Brown

  “Alex you don’t get to—”

  I rushed her and took her in my arms, then crashed my mouth down on hers before she had a chance to finish whatever ridiculous statement she was hoping to say. I knew I had no right to stop her from anything at this point, but that was beside the fucking case. Whether I had the right or not was irrelevant.

  I was Alex.

  I was going to fucking do it anyway.

  Cassie tensed in my arms, but quickly relaxed as her hands held strongly to my head, cementing the kiss. My hand took hold of her hair, tugging roughly as she pushed her tongue further into my mouth. The deliciously sweet vanilla aroma did me in, jolting my dick against her, sending violent sensations throughout my lower half. Cassie tasted of everything sweet, succulent, and refreshing.

  I was done with having her dominate me. That shit would never fly. I tugged on her hair, giving myself the space to overtake her. My free hand went straight for her ass, squeezing as I pushed my tongue further into her mouth, lapping up every bit of her. Everything wrong in my world instantly became right. Cassie had that ability to do that me, even with little to no effort. My hand on her ass slid up to her waistband and snuck inside her pants.

  Heaven.

  She was wearing a skimpy thong, allowing my hand to get a warm feel of her perfectly toned ass cheeks. My cock moved again, aching with the desperate urge to fucking release. I tugged on her pants, pulling them down just enough to expose the top of her ass, when she moaned and released from my hold. She was panting hard, but the look in her eyes was what had me troubled.

  “Alex,” she breathed, running her hands over her hair. “What the fuck are we doing?”

  “What we should have been doing all along instead of fucking fighting.”

  She stepped back and looked at me, looking confused, then laughed. “You’re a piece of work, Cruz.”

  “Don’t call me, Cruz. Too fucking formal.”

  “Whatever. You don’t get your way, throw a fucking fit, try to start something up with your legal help, then have the audacity to come here and demand shit from me. You are laughable.”

  “You weren’t laughing a minute ago when you were down my throat. And anyway, I haven’t started shit with my legal help, but I see you’ve moved on rather nicely.”

  “I haven’t moved on to anyone. I was—”

  “I don’t care to hear the explanation, Cassie. The fact of the matter is that little shit ran as soon as I barked, so I highly doubt he’s what you need.” I inched closer to her, slowly closing the gap. “We’ve got our shit to deal with, yes, but we aren’t fucking done. Not by a long shot.”

  “I don’t think that’s your call to make, Alex.”

  “I don’t have to make that call,” I said, completely eliminating the gap. I put my lips to her ear and felt her exhale. “Your body tells me everything I need to know. It knows me. It wants me. It betrays you for me. Everything else is irrelevant.”

  I palmed her pussy through her pants, feeling a rush that I hadn’t felt in what seemed like forever. This was my safe spot, my sanctuary. I knew I had her, but I also needed to remove the lingering fear from my own mind. Baby steps, Alex. Baby steps.

  “This is no longer of any use to you,” she said, taking my hand and removing it. “You can’t get back in there.”

  “Doubting me, Blondie?” I asked, smiling sardonically. “I think we both know better than that.”

  “I don’t know much of anything anymore.”

  Her pessimistic attitude was beginning to grate on my nerves. She was playing hardball, and I had to give it to her, she was doing a good job of it. But I played harder, and this was a game that she would not win.

  “Well, let me fill you in. This is mine,” I said, cupping her pussy again. “It’s mine, and always will be. I’ve been so far up in there, pounding away so frequently, that my fucking name it etched on your walls. When you come, that’s me, and when you writhe with sensation, that’s me. This is mine, Cassie, and I fucking dare you to tell me otherwise.”

  She stood still, lightly exhaling as my fingers began massaging her through her pants. “Alex,” she called in a breathy tone. I intensified the movement of my fingers, feeling her get wet in my hands. Her tits perked and her nipples formed into two solid pebbles, poking through her tight-fitting t-shirt.

  I licked my lips, completely turned on by the look of her getting off on my fingers. Cassie was a fucking prize, and I felt so lucky to be the recipient of everything she had to give me.

  “What, Blondie?” I asked, moving to her neck and nibbling. “What do you need to say?”

  She pulled away, once again panting and rubbing her hands over her face. The temperature in the room had spiked tremendously.

  “Alex, we can’t do this. The physical shit is always going to be there, but there is so much more to our relationship.”

  “I’m well aware of that.”

  “Okay, so tell me how we move forward without fixing everything else.”

  “There’s nothing to fix, Blondie.”

  “Are you kidding me?” she cried out, erasing that dick jolting look of pleasure from her eyes. “Alex, you ended us. And now you want to come back here because you’re jealous, and for some strange reason feel as if someone is trying to claim your territory, but you aren’t coming one hundred percent.”

  “What the fuck does that mean?”

  “It means you’re withholding.”

  “Withholding?” I wasn’t sure what she was getting at, and now she had my interest.

  Her green eyes darkened as she turned around and kicked her bed. “When were you going to tell me that you were deploying? When is that happening, huh? You’d think if you were in a relationship with someone, they’d be the first person you told.”

  Shit! Fuck! Damn!

  How the fuck had she found out? I was going to tell her, but with everything going on, I wanted to be squared away before throwing that bombshell out and having to deal with the aftermath of it. “Who told you that?”

  “You didn’t. So it doesn’t matter who.”

  “It does fucking matter, Cassie. Who. Told. You?”

  She folded her arms in front of her chest, glaring at me as if she were trying to burn holes through me. “Why didn’t you tell me, Alex?”

  “I’m not answering any fucking questions until you answer mine.”

  She rolled her eyes but finally relaxed her arms. “That stupid fucking guy in the Admin office.”

  “What guy in the Admin office?”

  “Vernon! He came and said something to me at the pool, and when I went to pick up my orders, he mentioned you deploying. Castillo and her snide fucking face was there too.”

  Anger immediately went off inside of me, spilling out in waves. “Fucking Vernon? I’m going to shut that fucker’s mouth once and for all.”

  “Alex, you don’t need any more trouble. I just wish you had been the one to tell me.”

  “I had my fucking reasons, but that’s beside the point. It’s not his job, nor is it legal for him to give away orders. If I were a bitch, I’d run up the chain of command, but this problem has been long brewing, and now I’m finally going to handle it. Fucking depraved jarhead style.”

  “Alex, no, fuck that. If you want anything with me, you won’t do it. You’ll let it go, and move on.”

  “Don’t throw those silly ass ultimatums out at me, Blondie. He’s been a thorn in my side for far too long, and now this limp dick is meddling where you are concerned. If people want to come after me, bring it the fuck on, but where you are concerned, that shit is off limits. He’s thrown himself into it, and I’m going to fucking help get out of it.”

  I took out my phone and texted Castillo, asking where she was and if she knew where Vernon could be found. Cassie was afraid that the charges I had just beat would come knocking at my doorstep again, but I wanted to beat this fucking idiot to a bloody pulp. Everything that had built up to this moment went beyond a couple of words that he’d
spilled to Cassie. This was years in the making.

  “Look, I’ll call you later. I have to go and find this asshole.”

  “You’re taking me with you.”

  “No, I’m not.”

  “Yes, you are. If you think I’m going to sit in here and let you go fuck yourself, you’ve got another thing coming.”

  “Don’t you want me to go and fuck myself? I’ve been given those orders a couple of times now.”

  She smiled, laughing off my sarcasm. “Shut up, Cruz. Take me with you, or you stay here. Either way, I’m not letting you go like this.”

  I reached out for her and took her hand, kissing her perfectly pout lips. “Then let’s go, Blondie because I’ve got a fucking issue that needs to be rectified, and I’m not missing out on my opportunity.”

  Chapter 14

  Cassie

  Alex drove over to the gym, but stayed in the truck after he’d texted Castillo to let her know he’d arrived. I wasn’t exactly sure what he had up his sleeve, but the look in his eye was downright murderous¸ and if the people who he had in his crosshairs weren’t two people who I wholeheartedly despised, I would have feared for them.

  “What are we doing here?” I asked, hoping to get a bit of clarity.

  Alex looked over at me with snake-like eyes—deep slits that held in a bucket full of sinister thoughts. Whatever he was up to wasn’t good. I could feel it down in my bones, and I suddenly felt sick for coming with him. As badly as I wanted to be by his side, I didn’t want to thrust myself into another shit-storm.

  “There she is,” he mumbled, hurrying out of his seatbelt and out of the truck.

  I watched as Castillo came strolling out of the gym with her hair thrown up into a messy bun, and wearing tight shorts and a tight-fitting workout top. Her smile was one of excitement, but as soon as she got a glimpse of Alex’s face, that smile faded—fast.

  “What’s the matter?” she asked, slowing her stride.

  “Where is Vernon?”

  The tone in Alex’s words sent shivers down my spine. Castillo’s eyes searched Alex, then landed on me in the truck. She narrowed them in my direction, then pouted her lips and went back to Alex.

  “He just left,” she snidely answered.

  “That’s a fucking lie, Leti. Where the fuck is he?”

  “I don’t need to lie, Alex. He just left.”

  “If you knew I was looking for him, why didn’t you let me know?”

  They stood glaring at one another before Castillo finally broke the silence. “I’m not his keeper, Alex. You wanted to know where he was, and I told you. Now—”

  “Don’t get fucking condescending with me, Leti. I don’t know what the fuck kind of game you’re playing, but I’m not playing with you. I need to see that asshole, and you have no fucking reason to protect him unless you’re back to fucking him.”

  Before I even realized what happened, Castillo’s hand came solid across Alex’s face. Without even thinking, I jumped out of the truck and ran around to where they were standing, then pushed her away. I was ready to break her fucking face if it came to that.

  “Don’t you ever put your hands on him again!” I yelled. My chest rapidly moved up and down as adrenaline coursed through my veins. I had half a mind to give her the same treatment that she had just given Alex, but we were still on base, and she still outranked me.

  Alex stepped in front of me. “Cassie, get back in the truck,” he seethed. His body was tight and rigid, sending the signal that he was pissed and not to be challenged at the moment.

  I turned and hopped in the truck, closing the door behind me. Alex and Castillo’s voices lowered, but their expressions and body language never wavered. I could tell that Alex was working overtime to reign in a boiling volcano that was threatening to erupt. The base was still quite populated, and people were coming and going from the gym, so blowing up and causing a spectacle would only make matters worse.

  “Look, Alex. I’m not protecting him. Ever since you allowed her to get her claws into you, you’ve turned into someone I barely even recognize anymore. You—”

  “I’m done with this fucking conversation, Leti. The last time I checked, you were the last person I owe anything to. I’m putting you on notice. When I find him, his ass is grass. And if you’re still rolling around with him—”

  “Alex—”

  “Have a great fucking night.”

  Alex situated himself in his seat after slamming his truck door shut. His rage was brewing, but he had done a decent job of holding it in. I wasn’t sure what I should say to him…if I should say anything at all, or simply allow the tension filled silence to continue to fester.

  He pulled out of the stall and we drove…

  And drove…

  And drove…

  Staring out the window and eyeing the signs showing Yucca Valley, I knew where we were headed. The remote rock post in the middle of the desert had symbolically become our spot. Alex had brought me here the night before he’d left for Florida, further cementing the relationship that should have never been between us. With a heavy sigh, Alex parked in our spot.

  He laid against the headrest as the truck idled. “I’m going to fucking murder Vernon,” he mumbled. His eyes were shut, but the venom in his tone laid out nothing but malice.

  I reached over and rubbed his hand. He turned his head and looked into my eyes. His face never softened, but his honey-hued eyes glowed, indicating that he was somewhat relaxed.

  “Alex, Vernon isn’t really that big of a deal at this point. Who cares what he had to say?”

  “I care, Cassie. He’s a fucking pussy. He’s butt hurt from shit that happened long ago, and he’s being a little bitch about trying to get back at me. I’ll fucking destroy that guy if he thinks he’s getting one over on me.”

  He was itching for a fight, and I wasn't in the mood to give it to him, so I sat quietly, never giving in to the voice in my head telling me to point out the ridiculous amount of bravado that had him looking like a class-A jackass.

  Before long, he was out of the truck and over to my side, opening the door and helping me out. We walked around to the back where Alex lowered the tailgate, then helped me up before sitting next to me.

  “What the fuck has happened to us, Blondie? A couple of weeks ago, no one could have told me that we’d be where we are right now. No one.”

  Shaking my head, I allowed his words to sink in. Things seemed to go from bad to worse after the attack. Alex loved hard and with everything he had, and at times it seemed that love clouded his better judgment. Even with the shit storm raining down on us, I’d thought we were strong enough as a unit to withstand it all, but the best of Alex was his ego, and it had gotten to him in the worst way.

  “You happened to us, Alex. You and the machismo that lies inside of you.”

  He eyed me like a wolf ready to attack its prey. There was a trace of playfulness behind those mesmerizing orbs, though he never allowed it to come to the forefront.

  “Cassie, you and I both know it’s a little more than that.”

  “You think it is more than that, but I know differently. I think all of this stems from your persistence—“

  “A persistence that you once seemed to enjoy.’

  “A persistence that I still enjoy. But it’s morphed into something more. It’s turned into an obsession. An obsession that doesn’t allow you to see straight. An obsession that doesn’t allow you to think straight. And certainly an obsession that doesn’t allow you to make sound choices. You’ve flipped, Alex, and that’s what’s brought us here.”

  The night air, still heavy and hot, loomed between us. I could tell my words were striking a chord, but Alex was unpredictable, and I really didn’t know what was coming next.

  I felt the warmth of his hand on my face as he held my cheek and turned me to face him. “You call it obsession, I call it passion,” he rasped, just close enough to my lips, so I could feel his breath on my face.

  “I’ve nev
er loved anyone as much as I love you. You’ve become a part of me. A part that sometimes hurts to love. You drive me fucking crazy. I can’t be with you, but I certainly can’t fucking be without you. So yes, maybe it is obsession, or maybe it’s madness. Whatever the fuck it is, Blondie, it’s us, and after everything that we’ve been through, we need to get back to it because it’s our lifeline. And we both know that regardless of bravado, machismo, stubbornness, or whatever fancy fucking words you want to give it, it’s what we need to survive.”

  My body heated with his words. Passion, flares of fire and smoke emanated from Alex as he tightened his grip on me and worked his lips slowly over mine. The lust between us was raging wild at the moment. All of my earlier inclinations to make Alex see the error of his ways had diminished.

  “We’ll butt heads all day long, Blondie, but at the end of the day, we both know we aren’t strong enough to stay away from one another.”

  Before I could counter his assertions, his tongue was out, tracing the outer lining of my lips, snapping the synapses of every nerve in my body. I felt myself go limp as he worked that deliciously sensual tongue down to my neck, then back up to my mouth where he wasted no time invading my mouth. I put up no fight, simply allowing him in and indulging in the sweet, intoxicating feel of Alex inside of me. He gently laid me down in the bed of the truck, working his dexterous fingers over my breasts as he continued massaging his sultry tongue over mine.

  His fingertips caressed my breasts, then snaked down my torso, pushing my shirt up and exposing me to the warm, night air. His tongue dipped further, leaving no parts of my mouth untouched, owning me and relishing the feel of my submission. My body squirmed beneath him, prompting his hand to grab hold of me, holding me in place while he continued his oral assault on my mouth.

  Alex finally left my mouth, running soft kisses down my neck, over to my collarbone, then down to my breasts. Small, sting inducing tugs were made as he grabbed hold with his teeth, eliciting a feel of pain mixed with intense bursts of pleasure. I gasped, the feeling consuming me as Alex continued working me into a state of nothingness.