Pull You Through

by Kaylee Ryan

  “Hurry,” I whisper, causing him to chuckle. I hear him open the nightstand and the tear of a wrapper before he’s back where he was. Not missing a beat, he captures my lips with his once again.

  “I can’t believe you’re really here,” he says, pushing inside.

  My back arches off the bed, and he captures a nipple between his lips. He lavishes my breasts, one then the other, with attention while I hold on, digging my nails into his back and he thrusts over and over again. Each time is better than the last. I don’t know if that’s how it’s supposed to be from my limited experience or if it’s the love we have between us. Either way, it’s us, and it’s real, and I want more.

  So much more.

  “I don’t know how much longer I can hold off,” he murmurs, his face buried in my neck.

  “I-I’m there,” I tell him, locking my legs around his waist and digging my nails into his back.

  “Ready, baby?” he asks, his breaths short, quick pants and his thrust long and deep.

  “Sl—” I start to call out his name, but the fire coursing through my body as my orgasm takes over stops me.

  His hips pump into me, his face buried in my neck. He bites down on my shoulder, and it causes a tremor to race through me. “Jesus, Austyn,” he says, lifting his head to look into my eyes.

  “I thought maybe it was just me,” I confess.

  “Oh, it’s you,” he says, pulling out of me. “I’ll be right back.” With a quick kiss, he climbs out of bed and disposes of the condom in the small trash can by the dresser. Before I know it, he’s back in the bed. “It’s all you,” he says, picking up where he left off. “The softness of your skin, the feel of your nails on my back, the way you let me in. It’s all you, angel.”

  “I like to think it’s us together. We just seem to fit, you know?”

  “We do. Just think, we get to spend the rest of our lives feeling this.”

  “The rest of our lives, huh?” I ask coyly.

  “You know that’s where we’re going right, Aust? You know that’s our end game. I want you to have my last name. I want you connected to me in every way imaginable.”

  “I like the sound of that.” I do. It’s what I want for us, and my heart swells knowing we’re on the same page. He’s hinted around but never came out and said it before.

  “Come here.” He opens his arms, and I rest my head on his chest. “Let’s get some more sleep.”

  Closing my eyes, I let the soft stroke of his hand tracing up and down my spine, and the sound of his heart lull me to sleep.

  When I wake a few hours later, the sun is shining, and the same soft stroke is tracing along my spine. “Good morning, beautiful,” his deep voice greets me, alongside a kiss on my bare shoulder.

  “Morning,” I mumble into the pillow.

  “We need to get you unpacked.”

  “I can do that while you’re at work this week.”

  “Nope, I need to see your stuff lingering with mine. Up you go.” He smacks me on the ass.

  “What, no sleepy morning sex?” I say, only half kidding.

  “Oh, that’s going to happen, angel. Just not today. We have things to do, and I need to see you. It’s been too damn long, up and at ’em, angel.” He climbs out of bed.

  I roll over and pry my eyes open to see he’s already dressed for the day. “How long have you been up?”

  “I never went back to sleep.”

  “Seriously?”

  “I’m used to getting up around that time. My body’s just trained for it. Besides, I win, getting to watch you sleep and not because I knew it was going to be weeks or even months before I had the chance again. This time, I knew when you woke up today and fall back asleep tonight, you’re not going anywhere. Not for a while at least.”

  Content. That’s how I feel knowing what he said is true. Content that we’re where we want to be, together for more than just a couple of days. Sure, there’s an expiration date, but this is more than we’ve had till this point, and nothing is going to damper my excitement of being here with him. “So, what’s the plan for today?” I ask, leaning up on one elbow as he pulls one of my bags from its spot on the floor, then sets it on the bed.

  “We get you unpacked and then nothing. I just want to be with you. We can do anything you want.”

  “Then come back to bed,” I say, my voice husky with desire.

  He chuckles. “We can do that, too, babe. But we’re not sleeping. I’m not sleeping my day away when it’s been weeks since I’ve seen you.”

  “Who said anything about sleeping?”

  He leans over my bag on the bed, slides his hand behind my neck, and pulls me into a kiss. “We can make that happen,” he says against my lips. “First, we get you unpacked. I need to see it, your stuff with mine.”

  I don’t understand it, but I can tell it’s important to him. Climbing out of bed, I pick up his T-shirt from the night before and slide it over my head. That’s when I notice all of our other clothes are missing. “Where are the rest of our clothes?”

  “I picked them up. Habit I guess, from being a marine.”

  “But you left this,” I say, plucking the shirt from my body to show him.

  “Yeah, I left that. I wanted you in my shirt.”

  I look down at the shirt again and realize it’s a USMC shirt. “Any reason?”

  His heated stare bores into me. “My name’s on the back of that shirt. You’re mine, Austyn, and seeing you in my shirt, with my name, that turns me the fuck on and ignites a fire inside of me.” My body reacts to his words, and I have to remind myself that we have time. There’s no need for me to pull him back into bed with me no matter how badly I want to. We’re more than just sex. I just need to remind my libido of that small fact.

  “You got more of these?” I ask. The thought of keeping this one, the one he wants me to wear… something of his, that he wore to get me through the nights when he won’t be here. Something warms in my chest, and for the first time in my life, I’m thinking about stealing. My fingers are crossed that he has more.

  “Yeah.”

  “Good. This one’s mine now. That way, when you’re gone, you’ll know I’m sleeping with you when you’re not there.”

  In two long strides, he’s standing before me. He bends, placing his hands on the backs of my thighs. “Around my waist,” he says, and that’s my only warning when he lifts me in the air. I wrap my arms and legs around him and bury my face in his neck. We don’t say a word. We just hold onto each other as if this could be our last chance. I plan to do this exact thing as much as possible the next few weeks.

  I finally pull back, clasping my hands behind his neck. “I love you, Slade Reeves.”

  “I love you, too.” He kisses me, just a quick peck on my lips. Then carefully, he sets me back on my feet.

  After unpacking my bags, we head out to the kitchen to make some breakfast. Nothing fancy, just a couple of cans of cinnamon rolls. The guys went to the store and bought the basics, but we’ll need more than just frozen pizza, chips, and cinnamon rolls to eat. We don’t see Savannah and Brandon before we lock ourselves back in our room. I left the cinnamon rolls on a plate on the counter. They’ll find them.

  Back in our room, Slade locks our door, turns on some low music on his phone, and proceeds to undress both of us. We spend the rest of the day in bed, not sleeping, and it couldn’t be more perfect.

  IT TURNS OUT SOMETIME IN July was actually July first. We got our orders a week ago. One short week after Brandon and Savannah’s wedding. The two of them spent every waking minute behind their bedroom door. Then again, so did Austyn and I. I was hoping we would have until the end of July or at least another week or so. Unfortunately, that’s not the case.

  Austyn sits on our bed, legs crossed, hands laced together in her lap. Her head is down, and I know my girl is fighting back her emotions. I’m packing for deployment. I’m headed to Afghanistan for six months. Six months of sketchy Internet service and a communal phone wi
th a service just as sketchy. There’s snail mail, but it could be weeks before we get mail delivered. Basically, I’m going to have limited communication with her.

  It breaks me seeing the pain in her eyes. She’s trying to be so strong for me, for us. I can see the battle she’s fighting, though. Her smile is there, but her crystal blue eyes are filled with fear, sorrow, and pain. I don’t know how to take that from her. Hell, I know that I can’t, and that’s like a dagger to the heart.

  “How will I know when you get there? I mean, can you call me and tell me you’re safe?”

  “I don’t know, angel. There is a phone and Internet, but the service is spotty at best, or so I hear.”

  “I’ll write to you every day,” she says, still looking at her hands that are folded in her lap.

  “Hey.” I place my index finger under her chin and lift her eyes to mine. “I promise you, I’ll fight to come home to you. I’m trained for this, Austyn. This is what I do.”

  She nods. I see her swallow hard and I know she’s not able to speak right now. Not unless she wants to show the pain I see in her eyes. I know my girl, and she’s tough. She’s going to fight it. I can’t let her keep it bottled up inside, though.

  “Baby,” I whisper, sitting on the bed next to her. “Talk to me.” She shakes her head. “Please.” I pull her into my arms.

  She climbs onto my lap and clutches me. “I’m not ready for you to go,” she says, a sob breaking free from her chest.

  I swallow hard fighting my own emotions. “I have to go. This is my job.”

  “I know that, but I want you here, in this little apartment. I want you in this bed with me at night.”

  “Me too, angel. I want that more than anything, but I have a duty to uphold. We knew this would happen.”

  “I know. But that doesn’t mean that I’m ready for it. I hate the thought of you being over there. It’s dangerous, Slade.”

  “Babe, I’m a marine.”

  She lightly smacks my chest. “I know that.”

  “No matter where I am, how many thousands of miles away from you I am, my heart still beats for you. Nothing can change that. Not distance, not time, nothing will change the way I love you.”

  “I’m sorry. I know that. I’m just… missing you already I guess.”

  “Don’t apologize. Never hide how you’re feeling from me. Never hide from me, because regardless, I can see all of you.”

  “I don’t want to leave this room until we have to. I have twelve hours with you and I want them all.”

  “I want that too,” I say, pressing my lips to hers.

  She turns so that she’s straddling my lap, taking control of our kiss, and I let her. She needs this, and I’ll never deny her anything that’s within my reach to give her. Her hands grip my shoulders as she grinds against me. “I want you,” she says against my lips.

  I stand with her in my arms and rest her back against the bed. Slowly, I unbutton her shorts and slide them down her legs. She sits up and raises her arms over her head. Lifting her tank, I remove it from her body. She’s in black scraps of lace, a vision that will be sure to get me through long lonely nights in Afghanistan.

  Reaching behind her, I remove her bra, then lower to capture one hard nipple and then the next between my lips. “Lie back.” My voice is gruff. She complies, lying back on the bed, her gorgeous body on display for me. I play with her nipples a little more, sucking one, gently squeezing and tugging on the other with my thumb and forefinger. My mouth trails down her belly, kissing, nipping, not leaving a single inch untouched.

  When I reach the scrap of lace that is her panties, I rip them from her body, causing her to suck in a surprised breath. Tentatively, I run my fingers through her folds. Needing my mouth on her, I lean in close and trace her the same way my fingers just did, only this time with my tongue. She squirms underneath me, so I place my hand flat on her belly at the same time my mouth covers her clit. I suck and tease her with my tongue, sliding two fingers inside of her.

  “Slade.” My name is a whispered plea.

  I don’t stop. Tasting her, touching her, feeling the way she responds to me. When her pussy squeezes my fingers, I know she’s close. I pump them faster and suck a little harder. Her hands are on the back of my head, holding me to her. Within seconds, she falls apart.

  I settle on the bed next to her, my hand resting on her stomach, just holding her, letting her come down from her high. “Your turn,” she says, grabbing my dick through my shorts.

  “Not tonight,” I tell her. “I need to be inside of you,” I whisper in her ear, nipping her lobe.

  “You’re wearing too many clothes.”

  She’s right. I am. I know I needed that barrier, need to take my time with her, worship her body. “Let me fix that.” I kiss her hard, then stand to quickly discard my clothes. Before I join her on the bed, I reach for the nightstand for a condom, but her voice stops me.

  “Wait.” I stop and turn to look at her. “I’m on the pill, have been for years.” I nod. This is not new news to me. “I don’t want anything between us, not tonight.”

  Fuck, I want that. More than anything, I want that. “You sure?” I ask, even though I want nothing more than to slide into her heat.

  “Just you and me,” she says, holding her hand out for me. “I need this tonight. I need it to just be about us, nothing else, nothing more.”

  Taking her offered hand, I climb onto the bed, settling between her thighs where I belong. My hands are braced on either side of her head as I hold my weight off her. Her hands slide under my arms. Softly, her nails trace up and down my back, causing me to shiver. Looking down at her, my chest swells with emotion. This angel is my life. I can’t imagine living a day in this world without her.

  She lifts her hips, and I grind into her. She closes her eyes and tilts her head back on the pillow, enjoying the feel of our bodies united, skin to skin. Holding my weight on one hand, I align my cock at her entrance. Fuck, I can already tell this is going to be quick. “Open your eyes, Austyn.”

  Her eyes pop open and bore into mine. I hold her stare, trying to see if there’s an ounce of hesitation. Her eyes are lit by the soft rays of the sunset shining through our bedroom window. “I’m sure,” she says, reading my own hesitation.

  Resting my weight on my elbows on either side of her head, I press my lips to hers while slowly, I push inside, then still.

  “What’s wrong?” Her hot breath caresses my cheeks.

  “Nothing, you just feel like… heaven. I need a minute, or this is going to be over way too quickly.”

  She giggles. “Yeah?” She lifts her hips, driving me insane.

  “Austyn,” I warn her.

  “What?” She tries to sound innocent, but we both know better.

  “This is the first time my cock has felt your warmth. You need to give me a minute here.”

  “We can do it again,” she says, wrapping her legs around me and holding me tightly against her.

  “We will,” I assure her. “But this time…” I move her hair out of her eyes so I can see her. “This time is special.”

  “It always is.”

  “Yes.” I slowly pull back then push back in. “Always, but this is another first for us. I’ve never made love to you like this. I need to take my time and savor every memory.” I ease out again and push back in just as slowly, starting an unhurried and steady rhythm. “Every pulse, every moan, every kiss.” I press my lips to her softly. “I never want to forget this moment.”

  A tear slips from her eye, and she shakes her head. “I can’t lose you,” she murmurs.

  “I’m right here, angel. I promise you, I’ll do everything in my power to come home to you.” With the onslaught of emotions, the fear, and the love, my libido is calm as I steadily make love to her. I kiss her everywhere my mouth will reach. My hands roam over her body and hers on mine. We make love for hours until we both succumb to exhaustion.

  THE ALARM BLARES AT SIX, but I’ve been awake for
a few hours. My hand rests over his heart as I feel its steady rhythm and watch the gentle rise and fall of his chest with each soft breath. I let the tears fall. I’m sure my eyes are a mess from all the tears, but I can’t seem to stop them. My fear for him, for what he’s about to face… my fear that this will be the last time I’ll ever see him… it was all too much, so in the quiet of the night, I let them fall.

  “Morning, beautiful.” He kisses my shoulder.

  Taking a deep breath, I gaze up at him. “Morning.” I lean in and kiss his chest, right over his heart.

  “I need to get moving,” he says, climbing out of bed.

  My heart cracks. We have one hour. Sixty minutes is all I have with him. Just us. Wrapped up in our love. I climb out of bed and begin to get dressed. I pull out my T-shirt that Savannah and I got the other day when we went shopping. It’s gray and says I love my marine with a heart at the bottom with the USMC emblem in it. I slide it over my head and pull on a pair of khaki shorts. Slade and I move across the hall together and brush our teeth at the same time. I don’t bother with makeup, knowing it’s all going to be gone. Plus, there’s no fixing my swollen face from my night of tears. I brush out my hair and leave it down. I don’t have the mental energy to do more than that.

  “Come here.” Slade tugs me into his chest and the dam breaks.

  “I’m sorry,” he whispers. “I hate leaving you. You’re everything to me.” He pulls back and bends down so we’re eye to eye, his big hands cupping my face. “You’re everything. Do you hear me? There’s nothing I won’t do to come back to you. I’ll fight with everything in me.”

  “I wish you could tell me it was going to be okay,” I say through my tears.

  “I won’t do that to you, Austyn. It’s dangerous, but me and my brothers, this is what we’re trained to do. We’ve got each other’s backs. In six short months, you’ll be right back here, in my arms where you belong. I’ll do everything in my power to make that happen.”

  “I love you,” I sob. “I need you to know how much. Not a minute goes by that I don’t think about you, won’t think about you. Something good happens, you’re the first person I want to tell. Something bad happens, you’re the first person I want to run to. I need you, Slade.”