Double Duty

by Shara Azod

  Double Duty

  Double duty

  by

  Shara Azod

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  Double Duty Copyright© 2011Shara Azod

  Cover Artist: Shara Azod

  Editor: Stephanie Parent

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced electronically or in print without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in reviews. This is a work of fiction. All references to real places, people, or events are coincidental, and if not coincidental, are used fictitiously. All trademarks, service marks, registered trademarks, and registered service marks are the property of their respective owners and are used herein for identification purposes only. eBooks are NOT transferable. Re-selling, sharing or giving eBooks is a copyright infringement.

  The Road to Sin

  “Go work for a government contractor,” Letti had told her. “It’s a secure job, more than most. You won’t be cooped up in a stuffy, tiny university office. Plus with today’s job market…”

  Skylar wanted to lay the blame at her best friend Letti’s feet; the chick was hopelessly biased in favor of working with the Marine Corps, especially since she’d married the yummy Sergeant Ross Woodcock. However, Letti had said work for a contractor, not go overseas—to Afghanistan of all places—to work as a cultural advisor. That idea had been all Skylar. As enticing as the money was, she’d had a couple of screws loose to choose this over a nice, comfortable junior professor position back in San Diego. The university sure as hell would’ve been safer. Now, six months into her twelve month contract, she was beginning to question her judgment.

  Once again, as she had been for the past four of the six months she’d been here, she was sandwiched between two of the sexiest Marines known to mankind. Majors Marshall and O’Shea had taken the place of a couple of First Lieutenants who’d been assigned to her for the first two months on the job. She had no idea why the change had taken place. Asking only got her non-answers that frustrated more than enlightened. Most of the active duty officer types were tight lipped anyway, so she thought nothing of it. Plus, Major Marshall was one hell of a translator, able to slip in and out of the dozens of dialects spoken in the region. Even though she wasn’t an official of any branch of the government, her company worked directly with the Corps, which meant everywhere she went an entourage of Marines escorted her into the towns and villages in the area.

  While she had to admit the armored jeep in the front and back of her bullet-proof SUV was comforting, the two men on either side of her made her feel anything but. And she couldn’t get away from them without a damn good reason. Not like she could go to her on-site supervisor and request different personal escorts, who also served as translators whenever she ran into a dialect she didn’t know. She had no reason for such a request. Telling the truth just wasn’t an option. She could barely admit to herself the reason being between these two for hours at a time unnerved her.

  If only the sight of the powerfully built modern-day warriors didn’t make her heart go pitter-pat whenever she saw them, which was far too often. Even when not out in the field, they seemed to be everywhere she was. Her constant shadows. Sitting between them was a special kind of hell. While the weather outside was gradually growing warmer, inside the backseat of the SUV she was burning, from the inside out. It was a completely involuntary reaction, one she tried to control but just couldn’t.

  Neither man had ever done a thing to encourage the raunchy, wicked thoughts that ran through her warped brain. They’d never been anything less than professional, sometimes to the extreme with the Ms. Moore shit no matter how many times she told them to call her Skylar. Unfailingly polite, ever solicitous, both Marines treated her with the upmost respect, like she was an elderly woman or something. It worked her last nerve raw. While she was a bundle of untapped, repressed sexual energy, they always appeared so damn calm and collected. While she walked around ready to jump the both of them, they looked at her like just another assignment. It was so damn unfair.

  Light and dark, both men were almost unbearably handsome. Major Ashe Marshall looked like some kind of dark angel, with midnight-black hair and beautiful sapphire eyes. On the other hand, Major Shannon O’Shea looked wicked with golden blonde hair and light, almost sea foam green eyes. Both looked hard, rough as a Marine should, but oh so divine and deliciously dangerous. They were both tall and broad. She drove herself batty imagining what those muscles looked like underneath the camouflage uniforms.

  Skylar berated herself time and time again for her attraction to both men; and it was quite literally both men. She honestly couldn’t imagine having one without the other; they’d become intertwined in her mind somehow. All of her dreams, waking and sleeping, centered on all three of them rolling around doing all sorts of carnal things that were probably illegal. What kind of a woman wanted two men at the same time? Not a decent one, that’s for sure. Yet all she could think about was being the chocolate center of a decadent Marine dessert. Try as she might to banish such thoughts, they kept returning with disturbing frequency. She felt like she needed an exorcist or something to get them out of her head.

  Today was worse than any of the other trips ever had been. Maybe it was just her imagination, but it seemed they were sitting just a little closer than usual. She had rock-hard thighs pressed against both legs, so not good for her already moist panties. They of course looked as cool as ever, rarely speaking, eyes alert on the passing scenery, such as it was. Barren desert interspersed with patches of lush green. Oddly, the privacy window between them and the two Marines in the front was up. Usually Major Marshall asked for regular reports from the driver and navigator. Both men were quieter than usual, which was saying something.

  Because the village they were headed to was farther than the others she’d gone to so far, they’d had to leave at the crack of dawn. She tried to stay awake, as she needed to be on her p’s and q’s around these two; Lord only knows what she might say or do in an unguarded moment. It was just that the lull of the insolated vehicle’s smooth ride dragged her under. Her lids just became too heavy to keep open. She had no idea what she’d done while asleep, though her dreams were the same as always: her, Major Ashe Marshall and Major Shannon O’Shea in a steamy erotic interlude right here in the backseat of the car. When Ashe gently nudged her awake, Skylar found she had somehow managed to shift her entire body so she was lying across the both of them, her top half nestled on Ashe’s chest, her legs casually resting in Shannon’s lap while his hand lay possessively against her thigh. It wouldn’t have been so bad if her dress hadn’t ridden up her thigh and the top buttons hadn’t somehow managed to work themselves loose.

  “Sky? Sky, wake up, we’re almost there.”

  Jack-knifing up, her eyes flew open.

  “Oh, I am so sorry. I didn’t mean to use you two as a pillow.” As personal sexual aids, yes, but not a pillow. At least not until after.

  Hurriedly she buttoned her dress, smoothing her hair back to make sure her severe bun was still in place, then pushing her dress down. It was nothing, just a lapse in decorum. It would be quickly forgotten, surely.

  *****

  Ashe was having one hell of a time trying to hide his erection. With every trip from the compound it was getting harder and harder, literally, to disguise just what Miss Skylar Moore did to him. He knew his buddy Shannon was in the same boat. At first it had been easier to hide the growing craving she inspired in the both of them. While she’d definitely showed signs she was interested,
curious at least, what Ashe and Shannon had in mind was no one-night stand. Neither man could stand being a mere curiosity to some woman wishing to get her kicks. Not again.

  Finding women to entertain the thought of a threesome was surprisingly easier than some might think. It was finding a woman of substance who could understand the unique bond between Ashe and Shannon that was hard. Someone who would love them both equally, and understand their love for one another which neither man could explain himself. They weren’t lovers, but they were closer than brothers, always had been from childhood growing up on military bases around the world.

  Once they thought they had found that special woman. Lana, with a face like an angel and a soul of a demon straight from the pits of Hell. She had played one against the other, twisting both men in knots. She’d loved nothing more than causing conflict, and in the end, becoming violent and unstable. What Lana hadn’t taken into consideration was Ashe and Shannon had known each other far too long to be fooled for long. In the end, Lana had almost cost them their friendship, their careers, and maybe even their very sanity. She had destroyed all hopes of finding a woman between the two of them for Shannon.

  But Ashe had believed. He never told Shannon, but in a weird way, Lana had given him hope. They had seen the worst; surely they were due for better? When Ashe had first seen Skylar, something inside him just clicked. He couldn’t explain it; he had just known there was something really special about the feisty Miss Moore. It had taken two months to work out a way to be assigned her escort, along with Shannon. Generally a contractor wouldn’t get an officer higher than First Lieutenant for in-town escorts. Because of Skylar’s particular job trying to get the high-ranking local women to take an active role in their town’s economy and offering microloans to those with a workable trade, Shannon had managed to convince the higher-ups she was worth more than a junior officer guide. He’d added that serving as her escort would be a good way to talk with local leaders and build positive relations.

  After that, Ashe hadn’t really known where to go. He thought it would’ve been harder to convince Shannon that Skylar might be the one, but Skylar had done that just by being herself. All those wide-eyed looks accompanied by an unconscious swipe of her tongue on her bottom lip. It was hard as hell not to groan out loud when she did that. Everything about the woman called to him, tempted him almost beyond his endurance.

  Shannon may not be completely sold, but he was. Especially now. Soon, they would make her theirs…

  *****

  Shannon bit back a smile as he watched Ashe standing behind Skylar out of the corner of his eye. He was able to negotiate with the local chieftain, not that it would do much good, as well as watch his best friend struggle with hiding his obvious attraction. The chieftain would be making no concession; he didn’t like the Americans, didn’t like their own government either. It was clear this would be a bust as far as their military objective, so there was little point in giving the man his undivided attention. He couldn’t stop himself from watching her; she was one hell of a stunning, vivacious woman. Not to mention charming; she could sell snake oil to a snake if she had chosen to.

  But that kind of thing just wasn’t Skylar. She’d risked her life and limb taking a job to bring hope to desperately poor women in Afghanistan. She went from village to village accessing the needs of the community and offering microloans to the women of the village. It was a thankless job really, considering how many of the male elders forbade the loans or the small businesses Skylar wanted to assist the women in setting up—generally something the community needed, or producing goods they could sell in larger towns or villages. Still, Skylar managed to charm more locals than Shannon would’ve thought possible.

  It took guts to take a job like this, and Skylar did it with a smile. It was a little certifiable to take a job in a hot war zone, on purpose. The woman had moxie. She was the kind of female you brought home, spoiled to death, married and had a passel of kids with. Ashe had been right about her. She just might be perfect for them. Hope blossomed in a way it hadn’t before since the debacle with Lana, especially given the very interesting ride they’d had on the way here.

  Skylar had fallen asleep not long after they’d set out from the compound. That wasn’t so unusual given they had left before dawn. What was interesting was Skylar apparently talked in her sleep. Not only talked, but answered questions. When she’d nodded off, he and Ashe moved her to make sure she was comfortable, Ashe settling her top half against him while Shannon moved her legs onto his lap. That would’ve been the end of it, only she started to sigh, cuddling against the two of them and speaking as if she were wide awake.

  “If they only knew how much I want them,” Skylar had sighed while snuggling against Ashe’s chest. “How can I possibly feel this way about two men at the same time?”

  Shannon and Ashe shared a knowing look. Shannon hated to admit it, but up until that moment he’d been terrified. The small blossom of hope he’d secretly harbored threatened to burst into full bloom. He’d thought if Skylar had any inkling of what he and Ashe wanted from her, she would slap their faces. Bitter experience had taught him just because a woman may want to experiment sexually didn’t mean she wanted the difficulties that were inherent with a real ménage relationship. In the end, it was the relationship Shannon wanted above anything else, and he knew Ashe did too.

  “Who do you want, Sky, baby?” Ashe asked the question before Shannon could process what she’d just said.

  “Ashe and Shannon,” she answered as if she were saying, “Duh!” “The Majors Marshall and O’Shea.” With a dreamy sigh, she rubbed her cheek up against Ashe’s chest, her thighs moving slowly against Shannon’s painful erection.

  Unable to stop himself, Shannon’s mouth ran away before his head could catch it. “You mean you want to experience a ménage, right, Sky? You just want to know what it’s like to be with two men, is that it, sweetheart?” Although he prayed that wasn’t the case, Shannon had to know.

  Skylar’s mouth had turned down in the cutest combination of a frown and a pout. Shannon had never seen her look like that while awake; he found he wanted to see that expression while her eyes were open.

  “Sex? No. Yes, sex, but more. I want them both, for everything. I am so abnormal.”

  Shannon hadn’t been able to believe his ears. He was a Marine, from the top of his high and tight to the steel tips of his boots, and yet his heart had begun racing like a scared schoolboy’s.

  “What is everything, Skylar?” Ashe had pushed, his more aggressive nature asserting itself. Shannon wasn’t sure he wanted her to answer his friend’s question; all that she’d said to that point had been enough for him.

  To his surprise, her reply had only made him happier.

  “To have and to hold, forever mine. I could live happily between those two for the rest of my life.”

  She’d gone on to sleep with a little smile on her face for the rest of the trip, not knowing that she had probably sealed her fate. Looking at her now, Shannon intended to do everything in his power to make her dreams come true, and from the look on Ashe’s face behind her, he knew his best friend felt exactly the same.

  Thrown Together

  Skylar was frustrated, but she didn’t dare let it show in front of the women she was trying to convince to take some sort of control over their lives. She couldn’t say she didn’t understand the reluctance on these women’s part; they had so little say in their own lives. Yet she was still disappointed. They could improve their lives dramatically with just a little push. It was a trial to remain pleasant, but eventually it was over. No microloans for this community, just more grinding poverty and little hope. Damn.

  By the time she trudged back in Shannon’s direction, Ashe no doubt right behind her, she was physically drained. Maybe that was why she wasn’t exactly thinking clearly when she heard the tail end of the conversation Shannon was having with the main tribal chieftain. Because this particular village spoke Pashtu, a language she spo
ke fluently, her mind automatically translated and unfortunately answered.

  “Is this your woman?” the chieftain had asked, nodding his head directly in her direction.

  Skylar was an American woman, used to speaking up for herself. It was often hard to reign in her tongue with respect to antiquated notions of gender roles. She had to constantly remind herself to keep her peace. Only right now, she was hot and tired and more than a little aggravated by being unable to help these local women. Her answer was automatic.

  “Oh no. I’m not married.” Oops. She knew she stepped in it the moment she said it.

  She could feel Ashe tense behind her, saw the tic in Shannon’s cheek, but what made her blood run cold was the sudden look of both keen interest and offense in the elderly chieftain’s eyes. Ewww! That old man couldn’t possibly…but with a few gestures, the women and children of the village began to scurry off, the men climbing to their feet and looking over to where they were standing with interest.

  “Move out.” Shannon turned on his heel, grasping her by the arm and guiding her quickly back to the convoy.

  Skylar knew she’d fucked up good, but the flurry of activity had her heart leaping to her throat. The Marines who had escorted her—all of them, not just Shannon and Ashe—seemed to be on high alert. Half of them surrounded their hasty retreat with machine guns drawn, faces looking like death on the hunt. And she had thought most of them sweet-faced youngsters before. There was nothing young or sweet in any of their gazes now. In a few moments she was lifted into the waiting vehicle, the engine already running. As soon as the door closed, the SUV jerked into motion, moving far faster than she would have thought possible.

  “Sky, honey, I don’t want you to be scared.” Shannon rubbed the side of her face, his voice low and soothing. Skylar, however, didn’t feel soothed. His face was every bit as frightening as the men outside. “I want you to lie down flat against Ashe, okay? I’m going to lie on top. I promise to try not to put a lot of weight on you.”