by Dale Mayer
“I’m at the market. As soon as you come down the center set of docks, veer right and go past three different moorings. I’m down on the seventh, on that last mooring.”
“On the way,” he said. He pocketed his phone and grabbed her hand. “Problem solved,” he told her.
“In what way?”
He picked up the pace, slightly jogging, the bags bouncing on his hard back. But, as long as she could keep up, he would keep going. “Ryker got us a boat.” The relief on her face made him realize just how hard this was on her. “Like I said,” he said, flashing her a grin, “it’ll be okay.”
“Maybe,” she said, “but I’m not so sure about that.”
As soon as he met up with Ryker, Asher could see her spirits pick up again. He looked at her. “You were just afraid we would lose Ryker.”
“I don’t want to lose anybody else,” she admitted. “And I still won’t believe that they’ve got the twins until I see them.”
“And that’s another part of this that I don’t like,” he said. “They had no business not giving you that peace of mind either.”
“I know,” she said. “I don’t like anything about this anymore.”
They were now all on a small fishing boat. He looked at it and said, “This is the same one we had before.”
Ryker nodded. “I had it brought to the city.”
“Good thinking,” Mickie said. “Can you get us back to the base?”
“No, but we can use it to intercept another boat.”
“Fine,” she said, as she sagged down so she was mostly hidden. “Let’s get the hell out of here.”
Asher looked at Ryker. “Was that the police coming in the hotel?”
“Military,” he said. “Chinese military.”
Asher winced. “Great. I wonder if they were looking for us specifically.”
“I don’t know,” he said. “I sure as hell wouldn’t hang around though.”
“But you don’t know if they were looking for us or not,” she said. “Maybe it was nothing.”
“No, but chances were, it was either us or Chandra. And Chandra is long gone, so it won’t leave too many people to question.”
“True,” she said. “It still sucks though.”
“What part?” Ryker said.
“All those dead bodies. Somebody has to pay for that.”
“Don’t worry. As soon as we get this figured out, we’ll send lots of evidence and leads to the military police via our own government,” he said.
“Yes, but we shouldn’t have left them.”
“They’ve already been collected,” he said quietly. “That’s the least of our problems right now.”
As soon as they were away from most of the shipping boats, almost bouncing off each other, he turned on the engine, and they picked up a little bit of speed, heading out toward open water.
“We still have to go really slow, won’t we?” she asked.
Ryker nodded. “To keep up appearances.”
“But,” Asher said, “a speedboat’s up ahead.” As they headed out, the speedboat came toward them. Asher nodded. “That’s more our style.”
It was a Zodiac but converted for the massive engine on its back. He came around on the shore side, and they quickly helped Mickie over, tossed in their bags, and then put out a call to have the other boat picked up. The Zodiac pulled away, and they left the fishing boat floating in the ocean.
“Is that wise?” she asked.
Ryker tapped her shoulder and pointed to the far side. “You see that little fishing boat coming toward us?”
She nodded. “I can see at least a couple of them though.”
“One of them will pick up the boat and take it back in for us.”
“Okay,” she said in relief, “because that’s in the shipping lanes. Here, you can’t just leave something like that floating around.”
“It’s also too valuable to sink.”
She turned to look at the guy manning the Zodiac. “And who’s he?”
Ryker smiled and shook his head.
She groaned. More secrets. There were always secrets with these men. But, several hours later, she found herself approaching a big USS cruiser in the harbor, and she smiled. “Are we going on board?”
“Just for the moment,” he said. “The last thing we want to do is put the base on alert.”
“Well, why go then?” she asked.
“Because they’re heading out to do a round, and we’ll intercept with another ship.”
She stared at him. He shrugged, smiled, and, before long, she clambered onto the big cruiser, though not a word was spoken to them or by them. She was led down to a small room, and the door was closed. This time she was alone, until Asher opened the door and stepped in behind her quickly.
“Okay,” he said. “It’s just the two of us here for right now.”
“How long?” she asked as she walked to the closest bunk and sagged down.
He could see her wilting once again. “For a few hours.”
She looked up at him with a sharp glance and asked, “Are we talking two, four, or twelve hours?”
His grin slipped to the side. “Closer to eight then. We haven’t left yet, and we’re heading out to open waters as part of their rounds. They’re checking the area for a new game they’re playing, so I’ll say six to possibly eight.”
“Is there any chance of food?”
“Food, coffee, water, and potentially a shower. We have your gear too.”
Her eyes lit up. “In that case, let me start with a shower while you find food.”
“Will do,” he said, and then he hesitated.
She motioned at him. “Go on. I won’t leave. I’ll have a shower, and, if you’re not here when I come out, I’ll lie down and have a nap.”
“Good enough,” he said. “I could be an hour.”
“Lock the door then,” she said.
“I’ll show you how to do it,” he said, “so that I can get in again.” He showed her quickly how to lock it, and then he disappeared with a hard kiss. As he headed out, he warned her. “I’ll be back. Please do not step out of this room.”
She smiled up at him and said, “Do you promise to come back?”
He grinned. “Absolutely I promise.” And, with a second kiss, this one much gentler, he said, “I might even come back a little early.”
“Well, I’ll be coming out of the shower in about fifteen minutes,” she said, her voice dropping. “You could always be in bed waiting for me.” She waggled her eyebrows and then slammed the door in his face.
With a big bark of laughter, he headed down to take care of business. But, in his mind, he wondered if he could make that as fast as possible because the thought she had just put in his head would take a hell of a lot to get rid of.
Chapter 17
The shower was nirvana, even though she’d been warned that there were rules for onboard showers. She didn’t have the joy of a long shower, but still soap and water were a luxury which she appreciated right now. By the time she came out and dressed in clean underwear, she thought her world had suddenly brightened to become magical. She took the time to brush her teeth, to scrub her face extrahard, and to brush her hair out in front of a mirror.
It had been nothing but a nightmare for hours—for days. She was so grateful that the twins were safe, even though she hadn’t had any confirmation. She planned on thinking positive that their brother did not have something to do with it and that the twins were back and that everybody had headed to Switzerland.
It was probably too soon for them to have landed in Switzerland yet, but Mickie would love to hear from them to confirm that they were home okay. She was already detaching from them and the job. It had obviously been a short-term position in her life, and she needed it at the time, but, boy, she didn’t need this now. And, if Chandra was staying home, the twins wouldn’t need Mickie either.
When she finally stepped from the small bathroom, her towel hung up over the door, she was
disappointed to see she was alone. But she headed to the small bunk, pulled back the blankets, and, in just her underwear and bra, curled up under the sheet. The place was warm, and she really needed time to destress.
She laid here, thinking about all the things that had happened and how uncertain her future was, but she knew just how damn grateful she was to be with Asher and Ryker right now. It’s not what Mickie had expected when Chandra had contacted her to join these guys in the search for the twins—neither was Mickie’s last conversation with Chandra. But then, what else was new?
Mickie’s life had been one endless roller coaster ride since her grandmother’s death. And that brought tears to her eyes again. “I’m so sorry, Grandma,” she whispered. “I wish we had so many more years together.” She tugged the pillow so that she could wrap her arms around it and curled up. She was just about asleep when the door opened. She rolled over to see Asher walking in. “No food?”
He shook his head. “It’s coming, but it’ll be about an hour.”
“Good,” she said with a yawn. “I’ll have a nap then.”
“Or …” he said, his voice suggestive.
She froze and slowly rolled over, then looked up at him and said, “You’re wearing too many clothes for that.”
He dropped down beside the bunk and stared at her. “I don’t want to go in this direction if you don’t mean it.”
She reached up and cupped his cheek. “I always meant it. I was just a little misguided back then.”
He leaned over and kissed her gently, his tongue sliding between her lips to tangle with her tongue.
She loved that about him. He always gave her a chance to pull back and to say no. But she didn’t want to. She looped her arms around him and tugged him closer. “You’re still wearing too many clothes,” she whispered as she gently traced the outline of his bottom lip before taking it in between her teeth and sucking gently.
He gave a muffled exclamation and bolted upright and quickly stripped.
“Any chance we have Ryker coming?”
He shook his head. “No, not immediately.”
“Do you want to lock the door just to be sure?” He grinned, reached over, and locked the door. “He’ll text before he comes anyway.”
“That’s very considerate of him,” she said.
“Well, I think he has a pretty good idea we were headed to this reunion.”
She stared at him. “How could he? I didn’t even know.”
“Ryker is very astute,” he said. “And he already saw what was going on between us.”
Then she remembered the conversation she’d overheard in the car. “I guess, but it’s an interesting world right now.”
“It is,” he said. “And it’s all ahead of you, waiting.”
“I think so,” she said. “I don’t know what’s going on with the twins and with Chandra, but I sure hope it’s all good.”
And that’s when he stood before her completely naked. She swept off the sheets, slipped her legs over the side, and stood. He studied her bra and panties. “It looks like you’re the one who’s overdressed,” he said, his fingers slipping under the lace of her panties. He slid his finger all the way from one hip to the other, her belly sucking in tight toward her backbone.
She whispered, “Well, you can do the honors if you want.”
He smiled. “You were always good with that.”
“With what?” she teased.
“Wearing just one or two pieces, enough to tantalize and to excite me, and yet, to keep everything covered.” He dropped to his knees and planted a kiss on her belly button. She gasped as his hand hooked on to the elastic band, and he slowly lowered it, with his lips trailing down to the crevice and the soft curly hair hiding the most intimate part of her. She stepped out of her panties, her breath coming in rapid gasps. “You were always so damn good at that,” she whispered.
He chuckled and kissed her once more, then slowly moved his way up, kissing her ribs, the softest skin between them, and up to her breastbone, where he came up against the bra. “I never did like these things,” he said.
“Maybe not,” she said. “But, with all the running around we’ve been doing, they’re invaluable.” She reached behind her back and quickly unhooked it. And then slowly, while he watched, she let it drop down her arms.
He took it and tossed it onto the floor with her undies and sat back on his heels, staring up at her. “You always were a goddess,” he muttered, his voice thick.
She reached out, her fingers sliding through his hair as she dropped down beside him. “No, but thank you for saying that.”
He chuckled. “Don’t thank me,” he said. “You are amazing.”
She settled on her knees before him, kissed him gently and again and again. He slipped his hands down her thighs, up and around, cupping her cheeks to hold her close and sliding her thighs apart so that he could wrap her tighter around him. She shifted, rising and then lowering until his erection was tucked up between her thighs. He gasped as her thighs tightened around it.
“That’s playing with fire,” he murmured.
“I think fire is what we have right now,” she said. “No way I’ll go slow this time.”
“Good,” he said, his voice husky and raw. “I’ve wanted this for so damn long.”
“Then take it,” she whispered. “Take me now.”
He shook his head. “Not that fast,” he said, and he lowered his lips to her mouth, teasing kisses from the corner of her mouth down to her cheek and her chin, down her neck to her collarbone, licking and tasting, his hands busy circling and squeezing and cupping her buttocks and holding her tight. He slid one finger down the crack between them, feeling her surge up against him. And then, when she surged up, he picked her up slightly and lifted her higher so he could take one plump breast into his mouth and suckle hard. The nipple hardened fast, and he moved from one to the other, laving the tips incessantly.
She twisted in his arms. “Dammit,” she said. “I need you.”
“I know,” he said, sliding one finger between the lips to spread the moistness of her desire to make his entry easier. And then, even still on his knees, he slowly lowered her onto his shaft. Her thighs wrapped around his waist until she was basically impaled on his shaft.
She opened her eyes. “Good God.”
He smiled. But he cupped her buttocks and lifted her ever-so-slightly and then lowered her, and she caught on. With her arms looped around his neck, she started to ride, slow and steady, their lips fused together as their bodies, from hips to collarbone, melded to match the heat driving from within. She gasped and murmured as she sped up, twisting in his arms as he struggled to keep her close. Once he held her tight, his hips pistoned back and forth. Once, twice, three times. She shifted, trying to change positions, but he held her still tighter as he drove deeper and deeper and deeper, and finally his body exploded in shudders. As she felt his climax race upon him, it sent her over the edge too. And she laid still in his lap and tried to recover.
Finally he grabbed the top bunk with one hand, his other arm firmly around her, and, still inside her, stood, and laid them both gently on the lower bunk, their bodies fused together. And just as she thought that maybe he would remove himself to lie down beside her, he started to drive again.
She cried out in an instant as she went from zero to sixty, and her body wrapped around his, twisting and climbing his frame, screaming once again as she exploded with her own orgasm. He followed her down this time and collapsed beside her.
She shuddered as she laid there. “Well, the first was wow,” she murmured. “But the second? … That was crazy.”
Asher chuckled at her last comment. But Mickie was right. It was freaking awesome. He held her close and whispered, “Do you want to nap while I have a quick shower?”
“After that, I feel like I should have one too,” she murmured.
“Well, food will be here soon,” he said.
Her eyes flew open, and she looked up at him and
said, “Maybe you go first, and then I’ll whip in and have a quick one afterward.”
So he hopped up, quickly ran through his normal shower routine, and stepped out with a towel wrapped around his hips and then dressed in fresh clothes. As soon as he was out, she dashed in and quickly cleaned up again. He made the bed, but that sultry smell in the air was unmistakable. He shrugged. There wasn’t a whole lot he could do about it.
Just then Ryker knocked on the door and said, “Mickie, Ryker is here.” Asher opened the door to see Ryker with a trolley full of trays laden with food. He pushed in the trolley and said, “It’s enough for the three of us.”
“Good. Do you have any updates?”
Ryker shook his head. “No, but we’re leaving port anytime now. There’s a bit of excitement at the Shanghai Naval Base though.”
“Great,” he said. “Are they looking for us?”
Ryker nodded. “It appears so.”
“It would be really nice if we’d get out of port then.”
Just then they heard the engines start up. He looked at Ryker and smiled. “Good,” he said. “The sooner we get on to the next step, the better.”
“Has she heard anything from Chandra?”
Just then Mickie came out of the bathroom, her face clean and her hair moist around her face. She was dressed in clean clothes, and she said in a calm voice, “No.” Her eyes lit on seeing the trolley. “Food,” she cried out.
Ryker laughed. “Yes, food. Come and eat.”
She immediately hung her towel back up and stepped closer to take a look at what there was. “Oh my,” she said. “This is like real food. Not a sandwich in sight.”
He laughed. “We’ve got pork chops, broccoli, veggies, and some rice. It’s all here.”
“Perfect,” she said. It was a little awkward with the bunks filling this small room, but that didn’t stop anybody from collecting a plateful of food and sitting back down again. As soon as she was done with her first serving, she looked to see if there were any leftovers and then helped herself.
“Sorry, guys,” she said, shifting back so she leaned against the wall. “I didn’t realize how hungry I was.”