by Emily Snow
I smiled. I’d have to be dead not to appreciate what all she was offering. They pulled off to the side of the road and I walked over to the car. I stepped forward, leaning on the door for support as I poked my head inside.
It had been so long since I had been in the company of a beautiful woman, it made my head spin. Too many scenarios played in my mind.
“My name’s Mary,” she told me. “You should totally let us give you a ride. It’s part of our patriotic duty.”
Let me tell you that this girl looked like trouble. She was a little thing with curves in all the right places. I struggled to keep my shit-eating grin under control. I shook my head and leaned back out of the window.
“Well, thank you for the offer, ma’am, but I think I’ll be all right. You ladies be careful now.” I leaned off of the side of the car and made my way back to where I was headed. I turned, listening to the sound of the tires screeching as she made a quick U-turn in the middle of the road. She barely got turned around without hitting a car coming the opposite way. She was fast, just like her car, and I knew the combination of those two things were very dangerous.
Chapter 3
Thankfully, the store wasn’t too far down the road. It was a small stone-faced shop on the corner that had a wooden sign out front that read Books. When I opened the door, the small bell chimed. I could see where the line had already formed. People had stacks of books in their hands.
The woman in front of me was a sight to behold.
Immediately, my eyes roved to her ring finger to see if there was anything occupying it. To my relief, there was no ring.
I couldn’t help but stare. She was so damn beautiful. I may not have had a lot of experience in being a charmer, but I did know how most women felt when they saw the uniform. That, mixed with my southern charm, who could resist?
“Can I hold those for you, ma’am?”
“No, I’m fine,” she answered curtly, barely giving me a second thought. I watched as she lifted her leg to readjust the pile of books in her hands. It seemed that if she wasn’t careful, she would end up dropping them.
“Are you sure? It looks like you have your hands full there.” I gave her a smile, expecting her to return it.
“No thanks. I’ve got your number. You think standing in line with that uniform will help you meet women?” She huffed in indignation.
“Just trying to be a gentleman.” I winked, ignoring the way she scowled in irritation at me.
“Well. If you’re going to stand here, you might as well make yourself useful.” That was the first real smile I earned from her. I wanted to see how many I could collect as we stood there.
She dumped the load of books in my arms. I shifted them to one side, then organized them into a manageable group. Then I showed off by tucking them under my left side.
“Have you done this before? I have to admit, it’s unnerving meeting a writer, especially someone with her talent. I thought signed books would be a great birthday present for my mom.”
“You’ve got points for originality. You expect me to believe you’re here to get books signed for your mother, and you know what contemporary romance is,” she said in an accusatory tone.
“Yes, ma’am, that’s the God’s truth,” I proudly stated with a brief nod. “What’s your name?” I ventured to ask, nervously attempting to run my hand through my thick head of hair only to find the short fuzz that just recently started to grow back. I watched as she eyed me up from my shoes all the way to my cap.
“What is that you do in the Navy? You are Navy, right?”
Clearly not willing to give up any vital piece of information such as her name.
“Yes, ma’am. I got the 13 buttons to prove it too.” I overemphasized my drawl.
Even though I wore the uniform, I still wasn’t prepared for all of the attention that went with it.
“So. Tell me, what is a Navy man really doing here in a bookstore?”
I shrugged. “It looks like the same thing you are. Waiting to get a book.”
“I’ve been away so much that I’ve missed holidays with my family. I’m damn sure going to make up for it with signed copies of her new series for my mother.” It hurt to admit that. Even though I felt alienated with my father and siblings, my mom always tried to be there for me.
“Aww. That’s so sweet.” She looked right into my eyes when she said that. I got an embarrassed smile from her. I wondered if she was naturally shy or if it was just the way she responded to me.
She put her head back down and those brown locks covered the side of her beautiful face. I wanted to reach out and put them back in place. Then I wanted to put both hands in her hair and muss it up while I kissed those pouty lips of hers stupid. I could tell from the way her eyes lingered in my direction that maybe she was thinking the same thing.
After getting my books paid for and signed, I decided to wait off to the side. She would need help getting all of her things back to her car or wherever she came from, and I bet that if I stayed around to help, my repayment might be a kiss—a kiss that would lead to another, and start a chain of awesome events.
It was lunch time by the time she was done. I carried every last signed book of hers, along with the two for my mother, to her car.
“Now, you’re not going to just put them in the mail to send to your mother, are you?” she asked.
I shrugged. “What else would I do with them?”
“Oh, no. If you don’t do it right, they could wind up bent or ruined. Hop in and I’ll take you and wrap them up.”
I happily did as I was instructed, climbing into the passenger seat of her blue Beetle. She waited until I got my seat adjusted. My legs were so long that I had to push the seat all the way back.
“I appreciate the offer to help me out. I’m Ryder Pierson. What’s your name?” I turned in the seat and kept my back pressed against the door so I could watch her face.
“It’s Karleigh, with a K.”
“Karleigh.” I said her name aloud, then said it over again in my head. I couldn’t help it. There was no way to say her name without the corners of my mouth turning up with a smile. Knowing the story behind it was a hidden treasure.
“Well, it seems only fair since you know most of my life’s story that you tell me something about yourself.” I nudged her with my elbow.
She twisted those lovely pouty lips into a humorless smile. “I don’t like talking about myself.”
“Start with where you got such a beautiful name,” I suggested.
She let out a huff and rolled her eyes. “Now that is a story. I’m the baby of the family. The third girl.” She held up three fingers using her thumb. “My poor father wanted a boy so badly. Mom promised him that when they had a boy, they would name him Karl after my dad. Well, they didn’t expect when they had me that I would be another girl. So in keeping her promise to my dad, she named me Karleigh after him. Most of my friends and family call me Leigh.”
I stared at those eyes, and lips I wanted nothing more than to touch, and I decided I wanted to give her a nickname all my own.
“In that case, I think I’ll call you Kay.”
“Well, at least you didn’t call me Karl.” She shrugged.
Kay had me laughing hard at that comment. I liked how wide her smile was when she laughed. She didn’t just laugh with her mouth; her eyes were part of it too.
“Okay, now that we’re on a first-name basis, what do you say you take me for lunch before we go mail that package?” Kay suggested.
“You’re the boss,” I said, throwing up my hands in defeat.
“I don’t know what it is about you, Ryder. You have this aura of mystery and aloofness that makes me curious. Are you one of those bad boys?” she turned to ask me with a raised brow.
“That’s an interesting question. I guess you’ll have to stick around to find out,” I said with a grin, then gave her a wink.
We exchanged phone numbers after spending the afternoon together. I didn’t expe
ct her to call or keep in touch. I could think of a lot of worse ways to spend a liberty day. I had gotten a text from Missouri letting me know that they were heading back to the bar from earlier. I told them I’d go ahead and meet them.
Missouri grabbed a table in the corner of the bar. The waitress immediately came over to get our drink order. It was happy hour and we didn’t have to report back until the next day, so we planned on taking full advantage of that fact.
“Looks like the NUB met a girl today.” It was too late— the grin on my face gave it away.
“I did, she was really nice.” I said with my poker face.
“So, you do her? Give her the old submarine?” Elmo asked while giving me the old hand signal that would clearly be considered crude.
“For fucks sakes, can you give it a rest?” blurted Missouri.
Elmo held up a hand. “Hold on, I got one more. This is a good one. Did you go deep and ping her?”
“No, I didn’t do any of those things. I went to buy a gift for my mom and I ran into her,” I admitted.
“It’s all right, you can tell us if you sealed the deal. We’re all men here,” Elmo said, then took a pull from his beer.
“Nope, I’m not like those guys going for an easy fuck.” Who was I kidding? It was all I thought about today. Something told me, though, that Kay wouldn’t be the kind of woman you take to bed and forget. If I had the chance, I’d like to get to know her a lot better.
“Is this your way of telling us something, Ryder?” asked Elmo. “I’m asking, and I expect you to tell me.”
I take another pull of my beer. “No, I’m not gay. I just don’t have any desire for random hook-ups from strangers at bars. Well, at least not yet. I had other plans for today. I gave her my number though, so maybe we’ll go out again sometime.” I tried to sound hopeful and played along with guys.
I didn’t think it was very likely that I would hear from her again, no matter how much I hoped I would. I wished I had gone for it and gotten that kiss.
I was shocked when my phone buzzed. I looked down to see it was Kay.
K: Hey what are you up to 13 buttons?
Me: Not much just at The Lonely Pier having drinks with the guys.
K: Okay. I’ll be there in a minute you can buy me a beer.
I was a little worried about introductions with the guys being rough around the edges. But… she wanted to come see me. Good thing I believed in signs.
***
When she came in, I couldn’t take my eyes off of her. She wore a skirt that came down to her knees but fit her curves well. The red top she had on emphasized the swell of her breasts. I enjoyed the show, but it bothered me that it was the same show the other guys were enjoying as well.
“Kay, I want you to meet the guys—Elmo, Missouri, and the last member, Neil, is over there.” I pointed in the direction where Neil was getting cozy in the corner with a waitress.
Kay smiled politely and shook everyone’s hand, including mine. “So, I apologize in advance that I don’t know much about the Navy. What are your jobs?” she asked as she signaled the waitress to bring her a beer.
Elmo spoke up first. “In simple terms, I’m the one who would push the button to launch the weapons.”
Immediately Kay’s eyes went wide. “Wow. To think you sit behind the controls of one of the most powerful weapons in the world.”
“Sweetheart, I hold one of the most powerful weapons in the world every time I hit the head,” he said. And there you have it, folks.
I shot a look in Elmo’s direction. “Take it easy, Elmo,” I warned.
“It’s okay, Ryder. I work in a predominately male field. They overcompensate when they feel threatened.” She raised a brow and took a pull from my beer. God, I love this woman.
To my surprise, instead of her feeling uncomfortable, Kay took it all in stride.
“Now, Neil over there, he has some real talent. First time I saw him, it reminded me of a mother with a newborn baby. He had it down to a science. He could make a quick detection from the sounds he heard the ship making to know what we needed to do to avert an emergency.”
The rest of us explained the duties that we had, and at my expense, they shared the embarrassing story about my first day on the sub and how Chief sent me on the wild grease goose chase.
When Missouri opened his mouth again, I nudged him with my elbow. “Shut the fuck up, Missouri.”
She looked at her watch and coyly said, “Well, I have to get up early, so I need to get home and get to bed.” We all immediately stood when she did. After she said her goodbyes, I slid my hand on her lower back and walked her out to her car.
“I’m glad you came along, Kay.”
“I had a nice time getting to know you today, Ryder. I have to get going, since I have to get up early in the morning. You want to come along?”
“Sure.” I almost choked on my tongue. Yes, this is what I wanted to have happened all day, but I never expected to see it. All day when she talked, I couldn’t do anything more than observe her angelic face. I remember thinking how flawless she seemed, and I wondered what it would be like to see all of her naked. She looked out of my league, so I didn’t expect any of the things that transpired to happen. Soon, I would know.
I took matters into my hands and pinned her up against the side of her car. Her eyes went wide as there was no way for her to wiggle away from me. I dipped my head down in search of her mouth. Our first kiss was unlike any other. It felt so right to kiss her. It took all of my control not to have her every way imaginable on the hood of that car.
When we separated, she pulled her hand to her swollen lips. I took a step back while she fished for the keys in her bag. She pulled out the key and clicked the locks. “Get in, Ryder.”
She didn’t say much on the way to her place. She rolled the windows all the way down to let in the night air. With my seat reclined back I enjoyed listening to the sound of the radio as it played a simple tune. As we rode, I patted the side of my pocket where I kept my wallet. I planned to use that condom I had tucked away in there.
Kay’s place was a nicely furnished, one-bedroom apartment. It surprised me though that she didn’t have many decorations. She had nice furniture, but there were none of those little things that make a house a home. It didn’t seem very lived-in or warm.
“Do you want me to get you something to drink?” she asked, going into hostess mode.
I wasn’t sure if she wanted to drink or if she was looking for a way to subside the nerves.
“Don’t you think we already had enough to drink?” I returned. Sure, one more beer wouldn’t have hurt me, but it had been a while, and I didn’t want to finish before I had a chance to get started. “I had fun with you today.”
“Get that panty-dropping smirk off your face,” she said as I continued to stare at her. I took a step closer.
“I want you, Kay, and I think you want me too … but if this is just the beers talking, then I’d rather wait and take my chances at us having another shot at this.”
She took my hand and walked us into the bedroom. I couldn’t wait to get my hands on her. She let go and walked to the other side of the bed to start removing her clothes.
“Wouldn’t it be more fun if you let me do that?” I asked.
I moved to her quickly and pressed myself into her and took my time kissing her while I let my hands wander to underneath her blouse. “Wow. You’re kind of good at that,” she said and let out a breathy moan. I took off my shoes and shirt, then laid down on the bed with her. Right before my fingers were about to explore what was beneath her skirt, she stopped me. “I may be a little clumsy at this. It’s been a long time for me,” she whispered.
She had this solemn look in her eyes. Those eyes, the very things that drew me to her in the first place, now looked like they were peering into the deepest part of my soul.
“We can take things as slow as you want.”
She studied me thoughtfully for a minute, then got up. About
this time, I figured things were over for the night and I’d have to do some explaining to my dick that strained to come out and play.
“Let’s get undressed,” she said, then got off of the bed and stood to remove her opened blouse. Then seductively, she shimmied her hips out of her skirt. Soon she was standing in nothing but a beige bra and panties to match. I started working on the buttons, but she came over and pushed me back down on the bed. “Wouldn’t it be more fun if I did that?” She pressed her fingers down into my thighs. She counted all the buttons. “I’ll bet these are going to be the longest thirteen seconds of your life,” she said with a wicked smile. “Thirteen,” she said breathily, then opened that button. She continued doing this; I swear, it was sheer torture, but if she needed to be in control, who was I to argue with her?
When she got the last buttons on the inside opened, she slid my pants down. Getting the boxers off was a little bit trickier. My cock was hard as a rock and ready for her. She straddled my legs, then leaned forward to kiss me on the mouth. She leaned up long enough for me to have a quick nip at her nipples. I shifted my hips, wanting to be inside of her. She slid back down my body, tickling me with light kisses and her hair until she made it down to my cock. I took a deep breath when I felt the heat from her mouth near the head.
It felt like heaven when her tongue lapped around the tip of my ready cock. She wrapped her lips around the head while she stroked up and down with one hand as the other cupped my balls. It was pleasure overload, but I didn’t want it to end with me coming in her mouth.
“You better stop, or we won’t be able to do anything else,” I warned her. She bobbed her head up and down one more time for good measure, then released me. I stood up from the bed and grabbed my wallet then covered myself before coming back over. I teased her with my fingers to be certain she was ready for me. I entered her in one fluid motion.
“Oooh.” She let out a moan. It did things to me to hear the noises erupting from her as I pushed in. I pulled her close to me, planting kisses on her cheek, neck and lips. I watched with pleasure as she came undone beneath me from my touch. No longer did I worry about my rusted skills.