“Let’s see . . . Have you had sex yet?”
“I knew that would be your first question.”
“Then you should already have an answer ready for me. And you have to be truthful, none of this tiptoeing around the truth. I want the down and dirty version, the dirtier the better.”
“You do realize how weird it sounds that you want to know so bad.”
She waves her hand at me. “It’s normal. Now go on, tell me.”
Hand on my forehead, I rub it back and forth and answer, “Not yet. We’ve done pretty much everything but the actual deed.”
“Have you seen her boobs?”
I nod, hating her so much right now. “Plenty of times.”
“Do you like them?”
“Jesus Christ.” This was a bad idea. “Yes, I like her boobs.”
“Is she a good kisser? She seems like she would be a good kisser, those pouty lips are perfect for kissing.”
I smile inwardly. “She’s a very good kisser.”
“Awww, look at you. You’re blushing.” Ryan tilts her head to the side. “You really like her, don’t you?”
“Yeah, I really do.”
“Like . . . what kind of like level are we at? From one to ten, ten being I love her and will kill myself if she leaves me, to one being I tolerate her face. Where are you on the scale?”
“I tolerate her face?” I chuckle. “There is something seriously wrong with you.”
She nudges me with my foot. “Just answer the question.”
“Uh, I mean, I don’t know . . . an eight?”
“An eight?” Her eyes bug out and she repositions herself so she’s sitting on her knees. “That’s serious, Colby.”
“Yeah, well, I’m serious about her.”
“Really? Like she could be the one serious?”
Without skipping a beat, I nod my head. “Yeah.”
Shocked, Ryan sits back on the couch, mouth parted, completely stunned. “Wow, it happened that fast for you? Three months, and you know like that?”
A flash of pain crosses her eyes, and a piece of my soul breaks for her. It’s why I don’t really want to talk about Sage to Ryan, because I know how sensitive she is about her own love life, or lack thereof. She deserves someone amazing, someone who’s going to be her rock, her person, and for some fucking reason, she can’t seem to find him.
Which is mind-boggling to me.
She’s a fucking catch. Beautiful, smart, funny, sexy as shit, and she’s a really good time. Hell, she pushes me out of my comfort zone most of the time, which is a rare accomplishment.
Feeling guilty, I say, “Maybe we should talk about something else.”
She shakes her head. “No, I’m fine. I’m just a little shocked, that’s all. I didn’t know things were going that great for you two. I’m super happy for you.” Cracking a smile, humor written all over her face, she holds up her fingers an inch apart and says, “Maybe a little jealous.”
See? Funny. And honest.
“It’s okay to be jealous. We’re the type of couple people are usually jealous over.”
“Oh boy.” Ryan rolls her eyes. “Settle down there, pony boy.”
“Pony boy?”
She shrugs. “Seemed right at the moment. So you’re at about an eight which means, do you think you could see yourself proposing to her?”
Biding myself some time, I run my fingers through my hair and slowly nod. “Yeah, I could see myself proposing. It’s almost like when you know, you know. Sage is that person I think I’ve been looking for all this time.”
“Holy. Shit.” She whistles out a low breath. “Well, if that’s the case, I better be the one who goes ring shopping with you.”
“Ha.” I shake my head and turn back to the TV, switching the channel. “That won’t be happening. You’d end up spending all my damn money.”
With a wink she says, “But it would be worth it.”
* * *
“Why are we here again?” I ask, following closely behind Ryan who is like a kid in a candy shop.
“Because it’s fun. Plus, what if we find a stone?”
“A stone?”
With a glint in her eye, she nods. “Yeah, you know, an engagement ring.”
Have you ever told someone something and immediately regretted it? That’s where I am right now. Two weeks ago, I confessed to Ryan all the things she wanted to know about my relationship with Sage, and she has yet to drop it whenever we’re around. She’s constantly making sure I’m doing everything right. She says I’m lucky to have Sage and she doesn’t want me to “fuck it up.” I get that. I don’t need the reminder.
“Is that why you brought me to this pawn shop?”
“Of course not,” she scoffs, giving me a get real look. “We’re here to find something special, something I can put in my little efficiency apartment and make it my own. The glamping I’ve been doing needs some spice. Plus, it would be nice if you came over to my place every once in a while. The drive to Nellis plus the interrogation with the guards is getting annoying.”
“They ask for your ID. How is that interrogation?”
“Uh, they ask what I’m doing on base, and what if I was going for a booty call? Am I supposed to tell them sex-fest, leave me alone?”
“I’d pay you fifty bucks to say that to them. But you have to record it to earn your money.”
She tsks me. “You clearly don’t know who you’re dealing with, Brooks. Consider that fifty bucks mine. Now help me find something for my apartment that will make it more appealing for you to visit me. It would be nice if YOU brought ME burritos.”
“You realize that if I lie down in your apartment, my arms and legs take up the entire space.”
“Oh wow, way to over exaggerate.”
Her place is not that small, but it’s pretty damn small and the camping chairs are only nice for the first hour, and then they start cutting into your legs.
“What if instead of finding some random decoration, we find you some furniture?”
Eying an old umbrella, she flips it between her hands, examining it. “No furniture until I can find a bigger place. My chairs and blowup mattress work for now.”
“First piece of furniture to replace is that bed.”
“There is nothing wrong with my bed.”
I level with her. “You have to blow it up every night because it has a hole in it, and you end up being sucked in like a human taco by the morning.”
She jiggles the umbrella at me. “And you know what? It’s comforting, because it feels like my bed is hugging me, and what a wonderful thing to wake up to. A hug.”
I remove the umbrella from her hand and set it back in the bucket it came from. “We really need to find you a guy if you’re getting love from an air mattress.”
She chuckles. “I’ll take it where I can get it. At least I know the mattress will always be there for me, even if it doesn’t stay erect for the whole night.”
“You just had to say erect, didn’t you?”
“I did.” She smiles up at me and then wraps her arm around my waist, pulling me into a hug. “Seriously though, thanks for coming with me. I like it when we get to hang out, just you and me. I like the boys, but they can be . . .”
“Obnoxious?”
“So obnoxious. By the way, you told Sage to meet us for dinner, right? At Pine?”
“Yup. She’s excited.”
“Good. The manager is obsessed with Heather from the show, and she told me to drop her name in front of him, and he’ll give us the best seats and foods on him. Can’t get better than that.” Pausing, Ryan turns toward me, head bent back to look me in the eyes. “Is it weird that he said bring a date and I’m taking you and Sage? Will he think we’re sister wives?”
I chuckle and pull her into another hug. “I fucking hope so. Shit like that is funny.”
* * *
“Go ahead, tell her what you got.” Ryan motions to me once we’re seated at Pine, water in our glasses and bread o
n the table with some of the best homemade butter I’ve ever had.
“You got something at the pawn shop?” Sage’s face is lit up, excited to hear about our shopping adventure. It’s why I . . . why I . . . like her so much. She’s a bright beam in this dull and scary world, and instead of being jealous of my relationship with Ryan, she’s supportive, always making sure I’m checking up on her.
Although, sometimes Sage gets too involved. She keeps telling me that Rowdy and Ryan should go out together, that they are soul mates and don’t know it yet. Even though Rowdy is my boy, I don’t see it. Yeah, they’re both fun and entertaining, but Ryan needs someone who will balance her out, someone who will give her guidance, and Rowdy is in need of the same thing.
I might be old-fashioned, but in my mind there are two types of people in a relationship. There is the responsible and organized one, the realistic person. And there is the dreamer, the person who pushes their partner to try new things, to think outside the box, to let loose. Ryan and Rowdy are both dreamers, which is a dangerous match. They might have fun at first, but someone needs to step up to ground the relationship and neither of them have the capacity to do that. Dreamers should be allowed to dream, and their partners should ground them when necessary.
“Don’t be shy, tell her.” There is a giant smile on Ryan’s face, having way too much fun with this. “She’s going to find out at some point when you hang it above your bed like you said you wanted to.”
“Oh, did you get wall art?” Sage is leaning toward me, her water glass halfway to her lips.
“Maybe,” I coyly answer.
“Ugh, you’re driving me crazy,” Ryan says, leaning toward Sage, drawing her attention. “He totally got a picture of a plane with a naked girl leaning against it.”
“What?” Sage’s face morphs into a combination of excitement and shock, looking so damn cute. “You got a nudey pic?”
“She’s not naked.” I drag my hand over my face. “She has strategically painted stars over her tits and crotch.”
“Ew, don’t say crotch.” Ryan bites into a piece of bread.
“Is this girl voluptuous?”
Ryan nudges Sage with her elbow. “The knockers on this chick put me to shame. We’re talking huge, and she has a tiny waist, with long freaking legs and red hair.”
“A redhead?” Both girls eye me.
And I decide to tell them truth why I really got the picture. “It wasn’t about the girl; it was about the plane. It was the same plane my grandpa flew when he was in the Air Force.”
Both their faces soften before turning to each other. Silently they speak. It’s a crazy thing to watch, their lips curving at the same time before they both say, “It was totally for the nude girl.”
Christ. I really shouldn’t do anything with these two together. I’m asking for trouble.
Chapter Eighty-Five
COLBY
Exhausted.
My mind feels like fucking mush.
We spent over two hours in the air today, having to refuel once while practicing maneuvering. My lungs are tired from pulling more Gs than my body intended for the day, my legs feel cramped from the long hours in the cockpit, and my brain is depleted from the two-hour debrief we had.
As our four-ship formation leader, Bent was relentless during the debrief, going over every single move we made, playing back videos from the HUD, asking what we were thinking at each exact moment we made a move. It was fucking painful.
And now that I’m home, I want to crack open a beer, put on mindless TV, and fall asleep because tomorrow, we have another mission mapped out with the same aerial maneuvers we tackled today.
Don’t get me wrong. I feel privileged every damn day to fly an F-22, but it’s days like today that remind me I’m not just living out a dream, I’m doing a job. A job I love.
I open the door to my apartment, flip on my light switch, and set my duffle bag on the bench next to the door. I took a shower in the locker room and changed into a fresh flight suit that I’ll wear tomorrow.
Untying my boots, I set them to the side along with my cap, and hang my keys on a little hook I keep close to the door. When I look up, I catch a figure standing a few feet away, startling the ever-living fuck out of me.
I cock my hand back, ready to deck the person, when my eyes focus and notice it’s Sage.
It’s Sage standing in my living room, wearing nothing but a light pink nightie that barely covers her hips, the fabric see-through, showing off every inch of her smooth skin.
“Jesus Christ, you scared me, Sage.”
“I’m sorry.” She walks toward me and places her hands on my chest. My hands instinctively fall to her hips where they move to her back and down her ass, inching up the fabric of her nightie.
Bending forward, I nuzzle her ear and whisper, “What are you doing here?”
Her fingers slowly start to unzip my flight suit, her nails grazing along the sand tee I’m wearing underneath.
“I wanted to see you, even if I had to stay up late. I missed you. I haven’t seen you in a week.”
“I know.” I kiss the side of her neck. “I’m sorry. Our schedule has been crazy lately. And Bent told me today that in the next couple months, we’ll be going on TDY.”
She pulls her head back, her hands pausing on the zipper. “Really? Where?”
“Not sure yet.” I press a light kiss against her lips. “But I don’t want to talk about work. I want to talk about this little piece of fabric you’re wearing.”
Her cheeks turn a pretty shade of pink as her fingers continue with their pursuit to undo my suit.
“I saw it today and had to have it. I couldn’t stop thinking about you peeling it off me.”
If I wasn’t already hard, I’m a fucking stone now.
I bring one of my hands to her shoulder where I lightly play with the thin strap holding up one side, running it between my fingers before slowly lowering it down her shoulder, letting it drop.
“It’s fucking sexy.” I reach my hand under the fabric covering her ass and give her cheek a good squeeze. “Everything about you is sexy, Sage.”
Her hands bring the zipper of my flight suit to my crotch where she pauses and moves her hands inside, cupping my erection without hesitation.
“Fuck,” I groan into her ear, my will slipping with each passing second. “I want you, bad, Sage. I want to fuck you so bad, bury my cock so far in your sweet pussy that you can barely walk tomorrow.”
“Colby,” she says shyly.
“I want to know what it feels like to have your slick pussy contract around my cock when you orgasm. I want to see how far I can make you lose control.” I nip the spot just below her ear. “I want you naked, in my bed, legs spread, and begging for me.” I move the hand on her ass to the front of her body and press my finger past the small thong she’s wearing and into her slit. I’m greeted by her arousal. “Shit, sweetheart, you’re so wet.”
Slowly, I gently move my finger over her clit, loving how easily I slide up and down.
“Please tell me you want this, that you want us.”
On a short breath, she nods and says, “I want this, Colby.”
Not able to hold back any longer, I pick her up where she wraps her legs around my waist, and I take her to my bedroom where I lay her on the bed.
Her white-blonde hair spreads over my dark bedding, her eyes intent on my body as I unzip the rest of my flight suit and strip to my boxers. The entire time, her legs glide back and forth, lust brimming with the excitement I can see in her smile.
I crawl onto the bed, straddle her head with my palms, and lean down where I press my mouth against hers. Her hands ride up my back, tentatively at first, but once I slide my tongue inside her mouth, cracking open the seal of her lips, she groans and digs her fingers into my back.
Fuck, yes.
Her legs wrap around mine, anchoring me in place while we make out, something we’ve been doing for the past few months, something we’re really goo
d at. I love Sage’s lips, as they’re so soft and pliable. At times she can be rough and other times she can be shy. Right now, she’s being rough, and I like it.
This is what I need. This release. This connection. After a long fucking day in the air, I want to come home to this. Fuck, it turns my shitty day into something pretty damn good.
I bring one of my hands to the hem of her nightie and drag it up her body. She arches her back to help me remove it completely. I drag it over her head and toss it to the side, fixating on her small breasts, her pebbled nipples.
Dragging my mouth down her body, I take one of her breasts into my mouth and suck hard, her body moving with my mouth, lifting and squeezing, her hands falling to my head where her fingers tangle with my hair.
“Oh, Colby.” Her voice tight, strained, it turns me on even more.
My cock swells, the fabric of my briefs barely able to contain my erection as I pulse it against her thong-covered pussy. Just two thin layers separate us and yet, it feels like we’re wearing a full set of clothes. I can’t have any barriers, not this time. Not now.
“Need you naked, sweetheart.”
“Then strip me.”
Fuck.
The green light.
Like a crazed man, I reach down, remove her thong and my own briefs, my cock falling heavy across her leg.
Her breath hitches in her chest when I work my mouth back to hers, taking her lips against mine, my hips barely rocking back and forth, the tip of my cock pressing against her slit.
“Oh God,” she moans.
“Are you sure about this?” I ask between kisses.
She tilts her head to the side, giving me access to her neck while she says, “Yes.”
Thank Christ.
Normally, I would take my time with her, I would maybe eat her out a bit before fully burying myself inside her, but I can’t, not tonight. My cock is aching so damn bad that if I don’t get inside her soon I fear it might fall off.
Pausing my kisses, I reach over to my nightstand where I snatch a condom, rip the packaging open, and quickly roll it over my length, fisting myself a few times while staring at a fascinated and extremely turned-on Sage.
The Duets Page 69