Iron Soldier

by Katie Ford

  But the show must go on, so I took a deep breath.

  “So, I saw you decided not to stay again,” were my words, attempting to be nonchalant like her.

  “Indeed,” she replied.

  “Why? And why were you not answering my calls?”

  “You’re talking like you’re my boyfriend or something,” she laughed.

  That hurt, and my heart shriveled a bit then. But Lila continued.

  “I told you that’s how I like it to be,” she continued. “It’s nothing personal. It’s just who I am. Is that okay?”

  “Well, yeah—”

  “Then, there’s no reason you should be offended,” she said. “Why, what’s wrong Trace?”

  The answer was easy.

  “You,” I retorted. “You’re driving me crazy.”

  “You’re not doing such a bad job at that yourself, mister,” she said wryly.

  “What does that mean?”

  “It means that you’re getting on my nerves!” the girl admitted finally. “You said that stupid shit to me before, and I was mad at you, okay? I needed a break, but you just kept calling and calling. Please, give me some space, okay?”

  I didn’t know how to respond to that.

  “You never noticed me when we were kids,” she said. “Then you finally notice me, and it’s because I’m a model now.”

  “That’s not true.”

  “How is it not true?” she challenged. “You never even said hi to me in high school. I might as well have been a bump on the log. And now, you’re acting so weird. I don’t get you.”

  That made two of us.

  “I don’t get me, either,” was my hoarse laugh. “Even if everything you just said was true, you could’ve come up and talked to me in high school. It takes two to have a conversation. If it mattered so much, why didn’t you say anything?”

  “I have no idea,” she replied. “Clearly, this is some weird and crazy coincidence. I can’t believe you’re the photographer that they sent. It’s maddening.”

  I took a deep breath, trying to get a hold of my neves.

  “Listen, this could be the opportunity for a second chance,” I suggested. “I can’t change the way I did things before when we were kids. No one can, and there’s no sense in being angry about that forever.”

  “I’m only angry at you right now,” she said pointedly. “I’ll get over it.”

  I went in for another try.

  “Listen Lila. I’m sorry that I ignored you years ago,” I said. “And I’m sorry that I spoke to you the way I did before. Can you forgive me?”

  She thought for a moment.

  “Well, yes, but you’ll be on a plane by the time that happens.”

  “You don’t know that. I was supposed to be on a plane today.”

  She seemed legitimately taken aback.

  “What do you mean?” she asked.

  “I mean, I rescheduled my return flight because I wanted to stay here longer in Miami,” I told her. “I wanted to be with you more.”

  The girl still seemed annoyed, but also flattered. A beautiful pink blush covered those cheeks, spreading down over her chest.

  “What do I need to do to redeem myself?” was my growl.

  “I’m sure I can think of something,” she quipped sassily.

  Suddenly, the girl undid her pants and slid them down her gorgeous legs. Lila was now standing there in just a tight shirt and a sexy pair of panties that left little to the imagination.

  “You’re going to listen to me for a change,” Lila said.

  And shit, but my heart started pounding.

  Chapter 11

  Lila

  I walked toward my room, and Trace followed me without a word, that massive form silent and predatory behind me. My ass was practically his guiding light, and he was eager to pay attention to it.

  Once the man was inside my room, I turned off all the lights. I was ready for him to be back inside of me.

  But this time, I was ready to be in control. I wanted him to obey me without question.

  “Go down on me,” I commanded. “Don’t stop until I come.”

  He ripped his clothes off his body at an incredible speed, as I lay back on the edge of my bed, legs slightly open.

  And in a flash, the man knelt between my thighs once he was fully naked. He pulled down my panties before pushing my knees up, and began to lightly rub my clit with his fingers. I was tempted to have him simply finish me with his hands, but I wanted more. I wanted him to bury his face in my wetness.

  “Kiss it, baby,” was my whisper.

  He did as asked, and more. He kissed me, licked me, and buried his tongue so far up into my sweet, pulsing canal that I screamed, head tilting backwards. I grabbed onto the back of his head, keeping a tight hold so that he could only stop once I was ready.

  And finding my G-spot, he hit it rapidly with the tip of his tongue. That did it. Jerking suddenly, I released for him, melting into my bed even as the man continued to stroke. The added pleasure kept me really horny, like we were about to take off again.

  “Keep going,” I moaned. “Don’t stop. Don’t you dare.”

  Fortunately, Trace knew exactly what I wanted. He kept eating my pussy like the man was nearing starvation. He looked up at me often as he feasted, flashing gorgeous eyes at me. He was content where he was, and I loved having him there.

  But all good things eventually end. In this case, it turned into something even hotter than what he’d already done for me. He kept me on the edge of the bed but readjusted my legs to hang onto his shoulders. I decided to resist and kept my legs raised straight in the air.

  The man grunted, “Have it your way then, sweetheart.”

  And ruthlessly, the alpha entered my slick, tight hole, holding onto my legs for balance and thrusting fast. Trace stayed on top of me, pounding into me nonstop, as I moaned, pressing my right hand into my clit while he drilled my sensitive spot.

  “Oh!” was my breathless cry, boobies bobbling as I was fucked hard. “Yes!”

  Evidently, it was sensational for both of us. Trace gripped onto my sides, drilling fast enough to shake the entire bed, and with a conquering roar, shot his thick, hot cream deep inside of me. The feeling of his goopy semen pulsing into my pussy was the final straw. I tightened around his drained cock, pulling the virile seed deep, craving more of his sweet cum.

  With a final grunt, Trace pulled out, collapsing onto the bed. Giggling, I began to kiss him all over that masculine body, slowly descending until I was exactly at waist level. Perfect. I ran my tongue up his shaft once to ensure he was nice and wet for me, and then began to grind into him, rubbing my soaked pussy against his massive fuckpole.

  “Shit baby,” he rasped hoarsely. “Shit yeah, just like that.”

  The more I rubbed myself against him, the bigger he became, if that was at all possible. My pussy drooled hungrily, trying to catch him inside.

  “I want to ride you big boy, but I hope you’re hard enough to handle it,” was my coo.

  He jerked himself for a few seconds.

  “I’ll be fine, sweetheart. Do whatever makes you happy,” he rasped, blue eyes blazing. And with those words, I guided him inside, sweet pure ecstasy descending.

  Oh god. My eyes drifted shut, it was so good. I was relatively quiet at first, savoring the sensation, my pussy crammed unbelievably full. And seeing Trace beneath me, huge yet at my mercy, filled me with raw confidence. I loved how it felt to grind down his shaft. My pussy was stretched out farther than it ever had been before. Trace was entirely a man, and I knew I would be sore for quite some time afterwards.

  But it was delicious. I wanted it, and the loving kept going. From time to time, we would switch places. One of us was always riding the other, our limbs twining, breaths mingling, scaling incredible heights together. We danced the ballet well into the night, and only in the wee hours of the morning did I collapse, body sated and heart pounding with adoration for this man.

  ***
>
  “Was that repayment enough?” Trace asked eventually.

  “I’m not sure yet,” was my saucy reply.

  I was utterly spent. We had both been silent in bed for almost an hour. I thought he had fallen asleep, but as it turned out, we were both still wide awake moments in the gray hours of dawn.

  “Let me know if there’s anything else I can do,” he growled.

  I took a deep breath.

  “Don’t take this the wrong way, but do you think you could leave?”

  He laughed, seemingly confused. “What?”

  “It’s my rule, remember?” I asked. “I don’t want to mislead you in any way.”

  “Right, you wouldn’t want to mislead me, would you?” he parroted sarcastically.

  “I’m not misleading you, Trace. Am I?”

  “Well, if you don’t even know what I’m talking about, then I guess you’re not misleading me after all.”

  “Okay,” I said, perplexed. Suddenly, I realized this wasn’t some dumb jock without a brain. Trace was insanely smart, and I was the idiotic one for underestimating him.

  But it was too late.

  “I’ll leave, it’s cool,” he said. “I get it. You’ve got a policy. I respect that.”

  As he began to get dressed, I recalled what he’d said.

  “You said I ‘didn’t even know what you were talking about,’” were my slow words. “So clearly there’s something on your mind. What’s going on? Just talk to me.”

  “It’s nothing,” he grunted. “Forget it.”

  “I want you to be honest with—”

  “I just don’t think I can handle this back and forth nonsense you’re putting me through,” he interrupted abruptly. “You want me to be honest with you? Why don’t you be honest with me? Are you going to hold a grudge from high school no matter what I do?”

  Instead of answering his question, I side-stepped.

  “Trace, just tell me how you feel,” I said persuasively. “Tell me what you want.”

  He stared straight ahead, expression foreboding. My heart started to beat like a drum. Because what was he going to say? How could we work out this mass of contradictions? There was only one way to find out.

  Chapter 12

  Trace

  Nothing sounded right in my head, and yet this was such an important moment. We’d just had an incredible time together physically, and yet now the girl had me befuddled. Again.

  “Hello?” Lila queried. “Trace, stop thinking and just spit it out. How do you feel about all of this? What are your thoughts?”

  “I guess I’m sort of all over the place, too,” I admitted truthfully. “I think you’re a really awesome girl. I’m really glad that you’re the model I ended up shooting. And I really enjoy what we’ve been doing behind the scenes.”

  The beautiful brunette smiled. “I’ve enjoyed it, too.”

  “I had no intention of staying in Miami this long,” I told her. “I’m still here because for some reason, I can’t stand the thought of leaving you behind.”

  This seemed to surprise her. Her eyes widened, and she twisted her curls around one finger.

  “So,” I eventually mused. “I just said my part. How about you?”

  Lila was confused too.

  “Trace, I honestly don’t know what to say,” she said. “I think you’re a great guy, too. I really like spending time with you. I’ve loved our times together like this. Not the arguing. All the amazing things that happened before that.”

  “If they’re amazing, why can’t you get a grip on your feelings?” I asked.

  She laughed. “I’ve got a fine grip, thank you. I just don’t know what to tell you. I’m here in Miami. I like it here. I don’t want to move to L.A.”

  I had no idea what was motivating me, but my answer was quick.

  “Maybe I could move to Miami,” was my offhand offer. “I’m from here originally. I know this city all like the back of my hand. And finding steady work wouldn’t be a problem.”

  The girl’s brown eyes darkened.

  “I need time to think about the things that you’re saying right now,” the brunette replied seriously. “That’s really significant.”

  “I wish you would say something now,” I said.

  “Well, I don’t know what to say right now,” she reiterated. “Like I said, I don’t want to mislead you.”

  “If you’re not into it, that’s okay,” was my defensive reply. “I just want to know so that we have no regrets.”

  She took a moment to think.

  “I am into you,” Lila said slowly. “I really am. But I’m happy when I’m single too. And there’s the… weirdness, I guess, about our history.”

  “I don’t think it’s weird,” was my reply. “It just wasn’t our time back then. Come on, you can’t focus on something that happened years ago.”

  “So our time is now?” she asked wryly.

  “How would we know unless we gave it a shot?” I proposed.

  The female sighed.

  “Trace, anytime you come back to Miami, you hit me up, and I will meet you any day you’re here,” she said. “But I don’t know if I want something serious, you know? It just doesn’t seem like the right time for me, especially with our bizarre history.”

  I didn’t believe a word she said, but people only see what they want to see.

  “I think you know,” was my oddly gentle reply. “But it’s all good. I’ll get out of your hair. It’s fine.”

  “Oh, don’t say that,” she spoke quickly, getting up on her knees on the mattress. “Don’t leave like that.” God, the girl was beautiful and it killed me to go. But there was no choice.

  “It’s fine, we’re done,” I stated. “Thank you for your time, sweetheart. Take care, okay?”

  And with that, I left the room, the door shutting softly behind me departing frame.

  ***

  A good majority of my Saturday was spent seething. I was angry about Lila’s rejection. How the hell could she treat me like that? And yet something was keeping me there, and I felt pretty sure about what it was.

  I hung out with Emerson all day at the house, moody and depressed. We played video games together, silent for the most part. He looked like he’d wanted to ask about things with me and Lila, but he was trying to keep a respectful distance.

  Later that night, we went out to a bar downtown together, hoping to get wasted and have some no-strings fun. But I couldn’t cheer up, and finally broke down, telling him what all had gone down with Lila and me. He mostly just listened while nodding at all the right times.

  “I don’t know, man,” I finished. “It’s all fucked up.”

  Emerson sucked his drink.

  “All I know is that before we landed in Miami, you wanted to just take the pictures and bounce. But now, we’ve been here for almost a week. That didn’t happen by accident.”

  “No shit,” was my grunt. “I know why I’m still here. But I don’t know what to do. I don’t know how I feel because I’ve never really… I don’t know… felt this before?”

  Emerson shot me a knowing grin even as my tangled words continued.

  “I know how that sounds,” was my pathetic confession. “It makes me sound like such a loser, but it’s true. I know once I get on that plane, Lila will start dating some other guy. You’ve seen her. You know how hot she is.”

  “That I do,” he concurred.

  At this point, I was pretty drunk. “I want her so badly. She won’t let me in all the way. I mean, sexually, she takes it all, you know, but I’m talking about matters of the heart.”

  “I get it.” He laughed.

  “What do you think?” I asked morosely.

  My buddy cleared his throat. “I think I’m too fucking drunk for this.”

  “Thanks,” was my surly reply.

  “Listen, I don’t know what to say,” he shrugged. “Sounds like you really like her. Given that, I can’t tell you what the best thing to do is. Some of the ideas
I could propose could drastically change your life.”

  “Just spit it out,” I said disgustedly. “Just tell me what you think I should do.”

  Emerson shrugged again, downing another gulp.

  “Follow your heart,” he said. “Cheesy, I know, but follow your heart.”

  With that, my shoulders slumped. I drove my car back to the house and promptly fell onto the couch, lacking the energy to make it all the way into bed.

  But sleep didn’t come despite my exhaustion. Instead, I lay awake staring at the ceiling, sulky and angry that I was sleeping alone. Without Lila.

  Finally, I got up with a huff. Fuck this. Pulling my laptop over, I looked at flight prices, hoping to pick one and get out of Florida fast. Yet, I still couldn’t do it.

  It was entirely her. She was what was keeping me away from the west coast.

  Fuck!

  My thoughts a messy daze, I pulled out my cell phone and started sending a series of alcohol-fueled text messages:

  “Hey Lila.”

  “I wanted to buy a ticket home tonight, but I still can’t go through with it.”

  “I can’t leave you now that I’ve found you.”

  “If I lived here and I asked you out, would you go out with me?”

  “Never mind, don’t answer that. Fuck”

  “Was looking over the photos we took earlier. They came out great. You’ll be a hit like always”

  “I wish you were in bed here with me…”

  “I want to properly manhandle you.”

  “I’m leaving tomorrow night. Hope to see you before I go.”

  “If not, it was nice seeing you again. I’m glad we talked this time.”

  And then I shut off my phone, throwing it onto the coffee table. Fuck. I’d just humiliated myself again with these drunk dials. Fuck fuck fuck. And with that, I resolved to leave Florida stat.

  Chapter 13

  Lila

  I woke up feeling weird, and the day only got weirder from there, like I was walking in a fun house with spooky mirrors and fake smoke everywhere.