by KL Donn
Closing her eyes, she experienced him slowly kissing and licking his way down her torso, stopping to suck a nipple into his mouth. The pull his action generated registered all the way to her womb, contracting and tensing. She rubbed her thighs together to try to relieve some pressure.
A quick bite of her nipple had her gasping in shock as the pain morphed into pleasure and her breasts awakened to her yearnings. Casey continued his descent down her body, dipping his tongue gently into her belly button. Licking along her hips then down to her thighs, he forced her legs up and open as far as they would go. She was completely exposed to him. Evelyn could feel her lower lips spread for him like the wings of a butterfly. “Beautiful,” he crowed.
Without preamble, he buried his nose between her legs, inhaling her womanly scent, invading her most private of places.
Worshipping her.
She loved every moment of it. When he started kissing and licking at her entrance, she tensed, anticipating what he was about to do. His hands never left her hips, holding her down. Her thighs held in place by his shoulders.
Casey went to work satisfying her with his tongue. Giving her more pleasure than she imagined possible from such a simple intimate act. He surprised her by clamping his lips over her clit and sucking as if his life depended on it. Her orgasm was racing to the surface. Body tense and ready to scream. She breathed a sigh of relief when he let go, and she came crashing back down to reality.
He chuckled when she growled at the lost sensation. “I got more for you, Kitten,” he rumbled as he flipped her onto her stomach, face down and ass perched in the air on the bed.
She knew what he had planned. She was ready and willing. Anticipating it even. Case smoothed his hands from her ankles to up her calves, massaging as he went, continuing along the backs of her thighs. Reaching her ass, he kissed each cheek lingeringly before squeezing them open and closed. Preparing her for what he was about to do.
Feeling him rub his hard leaking cock through her folds, she moaned low in her throat, arching her back towards him. He grunted at her behavior but kept up what he was doing—lubricating his cock with her juices for her ass.
A finger gently plunged inside her pussy to collect the needed wetness to lubricate her asshole. Goosebumps popped up on her skin. One finger began to rim her rosebud just before pushing through the tight rings. Circling his finger inside her, he pushed a second one in, creating a scissoring motion to stretch her hole, preparing her for his imminent penetration. She waited, holding her breath as she felt the tip of his cock pressing through.
The stretch and burn as he entered her virgin hole were hedonistic. She loved the pain as it mixed with the pleasure. When he was completely seated inside her, it was her that began to move, not him. The tightness, the illicitness of the act had her toes curling. She panted for breath as he finally took over the rhythm.
“Oh, Case,” she moaned. “So good.”
He growled in response, words beyond him.
The in and out motion of his hardness stole her breath with every slide. His hands tightened their grip on her hips, and she knew he was just as close to release as she was. Contracting her walls, she arched her back and pushed back towards him.
“Fuck, fuck, fuck,” he cursed. “Shit, Kitten, fucking come with me.”
His demand had her entire body letting go. Stars exploded before her eyes, her ears rang with chime bells, and vibrations wracked her entire body. A scream of intense pleasure was torn from her throat as Casey slammed inside her one final time, letting loose warm streams of cum as he matched her hoarse moans of requited carnality.
Collapsing on top of her, he undid her wrists from the bra. Turning her to her side, he wrapped his arms around her. Cock still buried inside her dark depths, they fell asleep a wet, sticky mess of their mixed passion.
Sometime during the early morning, Ev felt Casey tossing and turning again. Looking at him, she realized he hadn’t taken off his prosthesis. Not even thinking about it, she removed the device herself. Grabbing the cream he used to moisturize it, she smoothed it in. Hoping to give him some relief. When his struggles seized, she gazed up his taught body to see him staring at her through half-closed lids.
“You’re a miracle worker, woman,” he moaned out as she massaged his thigh. “Come here.”
Crawling up his body, she lay her head on his chest. His heart beat a steady drum in her ear. With his arms around her and their legs intertwined, she felt safe and loved. Feelings she would never take for granted.
“Casey?” she asked in the quiet of the room.
“Yeah, Kitten?” He intertwined their fingers together on his chest.
“Will you tell me how it happened?” She held her breath waiting for his answer.
A deep sigh left him as he moved under her slightly. “We were clearing a small village. Escorting some locals out. I was helping an old man walk—he didn’t move around much. The day started out good.” He paused, and she looked up to see his face awashed in pain. His eyes were closed in remembrance, and his mouth had thinned into a straight line.
She didn’t know what to do or say to make the pain go away. Kissing his chest, she waited for him to gather his resolve and strength to continue.
“We were teasing one of the privates about respect and not knowing the local dialect after being there for over a year already. He had potential; Dom and I just wanted him to prove it.”
“Dom was in your unit?” She hadn’t known that.
“Yeah.” He smiled. “We joined and ran up the ranks together. Not to brag, but we were seriously badass. Dom was always a little more focused than me, so when he made Lieutenant and was assigned our group of men, I wasn’t surprised. He’s a born leader.”
“You retired Sergeant, right?” He nodded “Were you his second?”
Kissing her forehead, he continued. “I was his right hand. I had never wanted to be responsible for a bunch of punks out for kicks, but Dom, he was better than anyone I’ve served under.” His eyes grew dark again. “Out of nowhere, there was gunfire. I watched as it tore through some of the villagers—that was their aim. I was shot in the shoulder. Powering through it, I knew it was do or die time. The old man I was walking with had hidden behind a boulder, and I saw one of the Taliban going after him. I was able to take him out, but when we fell to the ground, we hit an IED (Improvised Explosive Device). Thankfully, his body only took the brunt of the fall, but it ripped my leg apart in the process.”
She watched as a lone tear fell from the corner of his eye. Her heart broke for the pain he felt. The terror he must have experienced.
“I remember flying through the air, the wind being knocked from me. Gunfire was still exploding all around for what felt like hours.” He stopped again. His pain was palpable, vibrations rolled through his body.
“There was this pregnant woman who had a little girl with her. They tried to help me. I remember screaming at them to get back, to stay away.” His skin was wracked with goosebumps. “The old man was yelling at her, too. It felt like I was in some time warp, and it wasn’t happening to me. Dom tried to get to me, fuck did he try. They were all pinned down with gunfire, though.”
His breathing was labored as he carried on. “Bullets ripped through their small bodies. I had to lay there and watch as she died holding her unborn baby. Watch as her child died right in front of her eyes. Fuck, those eyes, they’ll haunt me forever. The woman was filled with pain, fear, and so much love for her babies, and she tried to help me.”
He stopped then. She was relieved. It was selfish and rude, but she couldn’t hear anymore. The pain and suffering he must have endured while watching a family get slaughtered right in front of him and be unable to do a damn thing. It must have eaten at his soul.
Tears streamed down her face as she straddled his hips. “Don’t cry, Kitten.” He was soothing her. Pulling her to his chest, he cradled her while she cried for his anguish. For the lost lives he’d witnessed tha
t day.
Everything he’d gone through, the things he’d seen and done, while by choice, made all her problems seem inconsequential in comparison. Casey was so selfless, and now she felt selfish. All those weeks pushing this man away burned a hole in her heart the size of Texas. He wanted someone to love, to accept him for who and what he was, and she’d been self-centered in attempting to protect her own heart from being broken.
No more. She would open up everything she was to him. She would give him one hundred percent.
Evelyn was going to own and possess him as thoroughly as he’d done to her.
Rubbing her hands up his chest and along the smooth column of his neck, she met his eyes as her fingers played with the soft scruff on his face. “You, Sergeant Risley, are one of the most amazing men I’ve ever met, and I can’t begin to explain how proud I am that you chose me to be yours. I’m humbled that you never gave up on me. Most of all, Casey, I love you with everything I am.”
Leaning forward she placed not a kiss but a promise on his lips. A promise to be everything he would need her to be. A promise to live up to all the sacrifices he had made. A promise to be his forever.
Evelyn’s declaration to him the day before had Casey an emotional basket case for the rest of the day. He might have seemed sulky and withdrawn to Dom and a few of the men that had needed his help when in truth, he was happier than he’d ever been.
He wanted Ev to be comfortable around his home, to be a part of it. A fixture. They were quickly becoming one unit, and he couldn’t be happier. She had spoken to him at breakfast that morning about finding a different line of work, too. On the inside, he’d been cheering like the Orioles won the World Series, remaining calm on the outside had been the struggle.
He hated that she danced—no, he hated that she danced for other men. That they were close enough to touch her, smell her. He hated it all. However, he would support anything she chose to do, whether it be scrubbing toilets or running for President. He would always be at her side.
She was currently inside making him dinner. Her insistence on being domestic was adorable, but he just wanted her naked. Anything else could wait as far as he was concerned. He figured that while she cooked, he would continue his search for her sister. He found it odd but relieving that she hadn’t popped up on some sort of system since leaving Ev.
Case knew she worried about her nephew more than Lacey. She cried over how callous she’d sounded because Lacey hadn’t been the nicest to her, but Andy was a good kid and deserved a real chance at life. After spending nearly four years around Jax, he was inclined to agree.
His ringing phone had him breaking from his search. “Hello,” he answered.
“Casey? Casey Risley?” a wobbly voice asked.
It took him a moment to recognize the caller but recognize he did. Shock muted any response he might have had.
“Is this Sergeant Casey John Risley of Baltimore, Maryland?” her voice wobbled.
“Yeah, Ma, it’s me.” He had no idea what to say.
“Oh, Casey,” she cried into the receiver.
Standing, he paced the porch. Unsure about the reason for her call, nervous energy ran through him. He remained silent until her tears dried up.
“What’s up, Ma?” he asked her lamely.
Clearing her throat, he heard her blow her nose before answering. “I…uh…We…we would like to see you, Casey.” She kept saying his name almost as though she wasn’t sure he was real.
“We who?” he asked cautiously. The last time he’d seen his parents, his father had called him a cripple and said no son of theirs could be a gimp. The words had stung and made him far angrier than he’d ever been.
Hesitation was evident in her voice. “Your father and I. We want to see you.”
“We or you? You and I both know he wanted nothing to do with me.” All the old anger bubbled to the surface, and he didn’t think he could stop it.
“Please, Casey,” she begged. “There’s so much we have to say. That you have to know.”
Anger clouded his judgment. He wanted to say no. To scream that they’d hurt him deeply. That he’d turned into a whoring drunk because of what they’d done. He was about to, too, if only smooth hands hadn’t slid up his back. If a kiss wasn’t placed in the middle of his spine. If the woman he loved didn’t soothe the burn running through his veins. She was his kryptonite.
“Fuck,” he cursed feeling the turmoil evaporate from his body.
“Casey,” Ev reprimanded. Turning to her, he kissed her forehead, telling his mother, “Yeah Ma, you guys can come.”
“Would tonight be too soon?” She seemed impatient to see him. If she were honest in her want, then he might understand. It had been ten years since they’d seen or spoken to one another, so he wasn’t sure.
“Tonight’s fine, Ma.”
“Thank you, Casey.” Hanging up, he met Ev’s questioning eyes.
“Your parents are coming?” Her words were guarded, anger burned a small flame in their sapphire depths.
“Put your claws away, Kitten. I won’t let them disrespect you.” He chuckled to cover his nerves.
“You think I’m worried about me?” A humorless laugh burst free from her luscious lips. “Casey, they hurt you deeply. I won’t let them do that again.”
He…
She…
Wow.
She’d rendered him speechless.
Evelyn was angry for him. Ready to do battle for him. She’d never been fucking sexier.
Anxious energy had Ev jumpy as they waited for Casey’s parents to arrive. He’d told her most of what they’d been like as he grew up and about how they hadn’t been able to accept his choice to join the Army. What had floored her the most was that they’d abandoned him in his hour of need. They’d called him nasty names and told him he wasn’t their son.
She had no idea if in the future, he’d ever planned to try and mend their relationship, but she did know that he hadn’t expected them to come to him. This scenario threw them both for a loop.
They ate the small dinner of baked chicken and potato salad she’d made in silence. Both lost in their own thoughts. Once the kitchen had been cleaned, Ev put on a pot of coffee—mostly for something to do. And now they sat on the front porch waiting.
Casey’s leg bounced in agitation. He kept checking that his prosthesis was covered by the hem of his pants, and she could feel her anger growing tenfold. Her big, strong take no shit from no one man was insecure about being around his parents, making her madder than a wolf with rabies. If she had her way, she’d meet them in the driveway just to give them a piece of her mind, but it wasn’t her place. Didn’t mean she wouldn’t glare like a she-devil while they were there, though.
Wanting him to feel secure and loved, Ev slipped onto his lap sideways, clasping her hands behind his neck. She smiled at his shocked face.
“Casey.” She tried to harden her voice. “I’m going to tell you something you once told me.” At his nod, she took a fortifying breath, hoping she wouldn’t sound like an ass. “As long as I’m around, I will not let anyone hurt you. I will protect you with everything in me. No one will make you feel bad so long as you have me. Understand?”
From the look on his face, she wasn’t sure if she’d shocked or insulted him. His burst of laughter said she probably shocked him.
“Fuck, do I love you, woman.” Pulling her head down to his, he kissed her with all of his pent-up emotion.
She felt his frustration, anger, and sadness all in the simple act. He didn’t take it deeper. It was an undemanding meeting of mouths, solidifying their devotion to one another.
Gravel crunching under tires broke the moment. When she was about to get off his lap to greet his parents, he held tight to her hips. A deep breath later and she was watching as an older couple exited the vehicle.
“You look so much like him,” she whispered to Case. He grunted in response.
His father r
eached for his mother’s hand in what seemed like forced intimacy. Or maybe they weren’t used to being close.
“Well, that’s weird,” Casey mumbled in her ear. Happy to know it wasn’t just her.
“Casey?” the woman called.
“Hi, Ma.” Ev just sat back for this uncomfortable encounter.
“How are you, dear?” the older woman asked softly.
“Still crippled, Ma.” Shocked at the bitter and callous way he’d responded, she whipped her head around to the see the anger brewing behind his eyes. His words were spoken to his mother, but they were obviously meant for his father as that’s where his gaze was glued.
“That’s no way to talk to your mother, boy,” his father tried to reprimand him.
“Porter, we’re not here for you two to get into a pissing match.”
Oh boy, Ev thought. She could see things going to shit in a handbasket soon. Removing herself from Case’s lap, she stepped up and stuck her hand out to introduce herself. “Hi, I’m Evelyn.”
They both looked at her like they’d only just noticed her. Neither moved to shake her hand and just as she was about to retract it, she felt Casey’s heat at her back, a warning in his voice. “It’ll do you well to respect my woman.”
While she got a kick out of the possessiveness in his tone and calling her his, she didn’t want them to be phony with her. She was in it for the long haul, and if Casey wanted them in their lives, then she would have to deal with wondering if they only tolerated her.
“I’m sorry, dear. I’ll be honest. We’ve never met one of Casey’s women before,” his mother told her.
“Women?” Ev asked.
She felt Casey tense behind her. Squeezing his hand, she hoped he remained quiet because as far as she was concerned, this was her opportunity to show them she was no pushover. Especially when it came to her man.
“He was quite the ladies’ man when he was younger,” his father seemed to brag.