by Evelyn Glass
Things had been so good lately. She’d felt like she belonged and that there was so much ahead. But now... everything she’d wanted and finally got was up in flames, like everything else around town lately.
There was a knock at the door adjoining her room with Tina and Jeffrey’s.
“Honey, can I come in? What’s wrong?” Tina asked softly.
“Come in,” Sophie said, sniffing. Her eyes were red raw.
“Tell me what’s up? No one else has been hurt, have they?” Tina asked, sitting on the bed and putting an arm around Sophie.
“Just me, as far as I know. Zeke broke up with me.”
Tina’s mouth hung open on a gasp. “What? When? How? Oh my God.” She got up and paced the room, wringing her hands with each step. “No. I don’t believe it. Something’s not right. He’s just proposed. You don’t go off someone that quick.”
“I think he got scared and ran,” Sophie said, wiping her eyes. “The thing is... I’m pregnant.”
Tina rushed back to be by her side on the bed. “Oh honey, that’s wonderful. Listen, things will work out. Look at what stress you’re both under with all this. I don’t know any couple who could get through this without some sort of breakdown. He’s scared of putting you in danger, I’ll bet.”
“Hardly. He said he doesn’t love me.”
Tina frowned and pulled Sophie in for a long tight hug. As she rubbed Sophie’s back, she spoke softly, “After our son was killed, Jeffrey and I had our troubles. At one point, I thought our marriage was over.”
Sophie pulled back. “Really? That’s terrible,” she whispered through sniffs.
“Jeffrey took to going out to bars, which was bizarre. He’d never been like that in his life. I think he just didn’t know how to process what had happened, so he started drinking... and avoiding me. It was like he’d changed into this man I barely knew. And I suppose I changed too. I watched Rick’s military parade videos over and over. I stopped living, stopped going out, didn’t want to see any friends... I was scared I’d have to listen to stories about their families. Loads of my friends have kids Rick’s age, and it was too hard to see them happy and well when my boy was... you know what I’m saying. It took us both a while to find our way back to each other. We drifted too far from each other that we ended up missing that bond, and in the end, we were pulled back together as if a huge magnet between us brought us back to our rightful positions, side by side. We had a good cry together, then we looked at happy photo albums. It was as if we finally saw a way to process it together. We realized we’d been so lucky to have him at all, even if his was a short life. And what he did have was brilliant. He was such a good guy. He was happy, kind, funny... so full of life. And we’re thankful for that.”
Sophie squeezed Tina’s hand.
“I guess what I’m trying to tell you is that sometimes pressures can alter the way you act to the person you actually need the most,” Tina continued. “Zeke’s pushing you away because he thinks that’s what’s best. He’s panicking, that’s all. The guy has a target on his head right now, and I’ll bet all he can think about is protecting you and this new little life you’ve created. That’s enough to make anyone act crazy. Give him time. Keep your cool, and I promise you things will smooth over.”
Sophie smiled through tears. “You’re like the wise mother I never had,” she said.
“Oh honey, that’s just what I am,” Tina said, tears rolling down her cheeks now. “Come to me any time.” She rose to her feet with a sigh. “I’d better go back to Jeffrey. We’re heading down for food now. I’ll bring something up for you if you like.”
Sophie wiped her damp eyes with the back of her sleeve. “Only if it’s no trouble.”
“Of course it’s not,” Tina said and gave her a wave as she went through the doors to hers and Jeffrey’s room.
An hour later, when Sophie was attempting to watch TV from her bed but really just staring mindlessly at a screen of blurred colors, there was a knock at the door. She assumed it was Tina with some food and got up. When she got to the door, she hesitated. Tina had been using the adjoining door between their rooms, what if it wasn’t her? She peered through the spy hole in the door. Zeke. Her tummy flipped. She wanted to be angry, but just seeing his face made her feel lighter. She scolded herself inwardly for being so soft.
She pulled the door open with force. “What do you want? Your ring back? Just take it.”
Zeke grabbed her hands and held them still. She tried to pull them free, but he held on tight. She relaxed her arms and gave in.
“Sophie, I’m so sorry. I thought if I said those things to you I could keep you safe. I thought it was best for you. And... the baby.” He nodded towards her stomach. “Things are way out of hand with Troy. There’s been another explosion, and someone’s been knocked off their bike and hospitalized. It’s so messy. I wanted you as far away from that as possible.”
Sophie listened in silence, tears forming in her eyes.
Zeke pulled her into his chest and held the back of her head while whispering, “Of course I love you. I love you so much it scares me. It’s all been so fast. But I know you’re my girl. You’re who I’m meant to be with. You’re my grease monkey who likes bikes and beer.”
She laughed and looked up into his eyes. She knew he was telling the truth. His eyes said it all.
Tina appeared behind Zeke. “Thank God for that,” she said with one hand on her chest. “I knew he was just having a freak-out. Now get yourselves down to the massage suite. Jeffrey and I had a couple’s session booked for tonight, but I think you need it more than we do.”
Sophie smiled through the tears. “Really? Are you sure?”
“Absolutely. Get down there.”
They walked down to the therapy suite, Zeke with his arm wrapped around Sophie’s shoulders. They didn’t need to say a word.
They held hands through the entire massage, letting the spa staff knead their bodies into a calmness they hadn’t felt for a while.
One masseur commented that Zeke’s were the toughest muscular knots she’d ever felt. “Have you been under a lot of stress?” she asked.
Zeke laughed. “You could say that.”
He shut his eyes and tried to block out the thoughts of Troy, which haunted him day and night. For a few moments, he managed to slip into a state of peaceful happiness, rubbing Sophie’s fingers with his own. He pictured their future together with this mystery son or daughter. Suddenly, it was as if everything had come into sharp focus and the picture finally made sense. They’d get there. He wouldn’t allow anything to stop them.
He heard Sophie let out a long, happy sigh as the tension was rubbed out of her neck and she opened her eyes in time to catch him looking. They both smiled. It couldn’t get much better.
After the massage, they head back up to Sophie’s room, wearing fluffy white robes.
“Grab your things,” Zeke said. “We’re going up to the sixth floor.”
“What’s on the sixth floor?” she asked, frowning.
“The honeymoon suite. It’s ours for one night.”
“How? When?”
“I asked at reception before I came to see you,” Zeke said with a mischievous smile.
They entered the suite, which was a vision of gold and ivory with lace drapes over a four-poster bed. Sophie bounced on the bed and laughed. “It’s so beautiful in here.”
“Not as beautiful as you,” Zeke said, standing tall by the edge of the bed. She looked up into his eyes, and a rush of heat surged through her veins. He looked so strong from her view beneath him. He hadn’t shaven for days, and his hair was tousled and flopped forward over his brow. He looked different. The other thing she noticed was the intensity of his gaze, like he was starving and she was his first meal in weeks. She lay back on the bed, inviting him to join her with a smile. He needed no persuasion. This was going to be make-up sex at its best.
“I’ll never do that to you again,” he said, as he stroked his hands up and d
own the length of her body gently. He slid her clothes from her body, causing her to shiver; half because of the air hitting her skin and half in anticipation of his touch.
He kissed all the way from her breasts to her pelvis, gently spreading her legs apart to kiss deeper. She could feel the tingles deep within her, softening and igniting with sparks of lust.
As he drew circles on her with his tongue, he slipped a finger inside of her sex, causing her to let out a long sigh. He rocked his hand and tongue in rhythm together while she arched her back in ecstasy. She began to rock her pelvis in time with him, as he picked up the pace. With one last flick of his tongue, he sent her over the edge into orgasm.
She immediately got up and urged him to turn over onto his back, before tearing his jeans off and throwing them on the floor, revealing his full hard-on. She licked her lips and then slid it as far as she could into her mouth, sucking hard as if it was the best tasting popsicle she’d ever had as she lifted her head back up slowly, before plunging back down again.
“You’re gonna have to stop,” he said, breathless. “It’s too damn good.”
He got up and turned her over onto her hands and knees and edged gently into her, one hand on her firm ass and the other reaching around to cup a breast.
She gasped as she took his full length inside of her, the pleasure surging through her core. She felt so happy, so complete, so full of desire and passion she could combust on the spot. Just as Zeke climaxed, she joined him as wave after wave of sheer bliss washed over her.
They slept in each other’s arms that night, in that grand bedroom where nothing or no one could touch them.
Chapter Twenty Four
Zeke
As Zeke opened the drapes of the hotel window, he turned to Sophie who was pulling on her shoes. “I wish we could hide out here forever,” he said. “I’m sick of watching our backs.”
Sophie sat upright and sighed. “It’ll be over soon. We’ll have plenty of time to hide out.”
Zeke walked over to her and sat down, taking her hand in his. “You’re right. We just need to keep our heads in this and get it over with.”
“Together,” she said.
“Together,” he replied.
She leaned in to kiss him on the lips, and he bowed his head to meet her as a full and firm reply. As he pressed his lips to hers, he reached up to hold the back of her neck with his hand and stroked along her smooth skin towards her chest.
Suddenly, he broke off with a laugh. “Oh man,” he said. “All it takes is one kiss from you, and I’m distracted. You’d make a good spy. You’d have me captured in moments just with that sexy body and those luscious lips.”
Sophie laughed. “I’ll have to stop distracting you,” she said, jokingly rubbing her breasts over her top and stretching one leg out in the air.
He buried his head in his hands. “Oh, Lord.”
They collapsed back on the bed laughing, and Sophie slipped under his arm to rest her head on his chest with a sigh. “It’s been a wonderful night.”
“It has,” he replied. “I’m sorry about...”
“You don’t need to say anything about all that,” she interjected. “I get it. It’s all messing with your head. I freaked out too. I’m just glad we worked it out.”
He took her hand and kissed it gently. “Thank you. I love you.” He let out a long slow breath. “I suppose we’d better get on the road.”
“Unless...” Sophie’s eyebrow flicked up suggestively as she leaned up on one elbow. “We could delay it just a little longer.” She walked her fingers up his chest.
“But we have to check out,” Zeke said.
“Screw that,” Sophie said, smiling.
“You’re the best,” he said, pouncing up on his knees and leaning over her as she lay back on the bed. She kicked off her shoes and let them drop to the floor with a thud. “Better put a ‘Do not disturb’ sign up,” she whispered.
He ran so fast to the door he nearly tripped on his jeans, which were already halfway down to his knees. Sophie let out a giggle to see him staggering across the room. With the privacy sign swinging on the outside door handle, and the room locked once again, he kicked off his jeans, pulled off his top and made his way over to the bed where Sophie lay. Her expression changed from amusement to something more serious. She reached out for his hand as he climbed onto the bed, leaning over her, his skin radiating warmth towards her.
She raised her head to lick his nipple, which caused him to gasp with surprise. He was hard, and she rubbed his package with her thigh, pressing just firmly enough to send vibrations through him as she moved it back and forth. He stiffened even more. He pulled up her top and unclipped her bra, pushing it all upwards and taking her firm nipple in his mouth. He sucked hard, harder than he had before. She let out a moan and grabbed at the hair on the back of his head.
“It’s kind of sore, but kind of amazing,” she whispered.
He smiled and kissed her lips. “I would never hurt you, baby,” he whispered back.
He pulled the sheets up over their heads, diffusing the sunlight which was streaming in through the windows. In their warm cave of bedcovers, they stripped off their remaining clothes and kissed frantically at each other’s skin. Zeke lowered himself until his knees were out of the bed and on the floor with his face right between her legs. He pushed them apart and kissed her inner thigh.
“I love the scent of you,” he whispered.
Sophie gasped in shock. He used one finger to stroke her gently until she was ripe and juicy for him. He licked at her, letting out a happy sigh at the taste.
“This is perfection,” he said, between kisses and licks. She moved her hand down and began touching herself with her eyes on his. “Interesting,” he added, pulling back from her and climbing back up to her level, causing the bed sheets to fall to the side, exposing her to the daylight.
“What about the windows?” she whispered.
“Who cares?” he responded, breathlessly. “Keep going. You’re so beautiful. Like a movie I’d watch on repeat.”
She started stroking again, sliding smoothly in her wetness. She grabbed his fingers and put them in her mouth, sucking hard. He could barely control himself and joined her in her performance, taking hold of his cock and pumping hard with his fist. She quickly reached orgasm, her hand flicking at speed, and her back arching as it took over. The sight of this sent him spinning into bliss, hot on her heels.
“Oh my God, I don’t know what came over me there,” she said, breathlessly. “You bring out a side of me I didn’t know was there.”
He grinned and stroked her arm tenderly. “We’re a good fit. The best fit.”
Chapter Twenty Five
Zeke
It was late afternoon by the time they eventually got on the road. The upset of their temporary split was long forgotten. Something felt different between them now, like they’d overcome something and were getting stronger together.
They grabbed a burger at a roadside diner on the way back to town. Sophie devoured hers quicker than Zeke and downed two glasses of cola.
Zeke raised an eyebrow. “What happened to the girl who used to nibble like a bird?”
“She got pregnant,” she responded, popping another French fry in her mouth with a cheeky smile.
He nodded. “Fair point.”
“I wonder if I’ll be sending you out for random things like tuna pizza with chocolate shavings?”
“Darling, I’d get you a bucket of coal to chew on if that’s what you wanted,” he said.
Zeke’s phone buzzed. He pulled it out of his pocket and answered it.
“It’s Stephan.”
Zeke made plans with Stephan, nodding and giving him an address for a club he knew. The manager would give them the VIP room for privacy. They needed to meet somewhere public, for safety. No one’s homes were safe anymore with Troy stalking them.
“OK, see you there in an hour. I’ll text the others and let them know,” Zeke said before han
ging up. “We’re going to Espionage Club to meet Stephan, Tina and Jeffrey, Admiral Stone, and Pete.”
“Pete? The guy from the explosion?” Sophie asked, wide-eyed.
“Yeah, he’s made a full recovery. He’s OK now. But he can help. Apparently, he’s got some kind of information he needs to share with us.”
“I wonder what he knows,” she said. “Jeez. This just keeps getting weirder and more people keep getting pulled into the ring.”
“The more the better, though,” he replied before tipping the last of his soda into his mouth. “With more eyes and ears – and ideas – we’ll catch Troy quicker.”