Brighter Shades of Light

by Jaclyn Osborn

  “The drinks are free.”

  “But still, you get my meaning.”

  He leaned toward me and held the side of my neck. His gaze flashed to my lips and back up again. I closed the gap between our mouths, kissing him. I was careful not to grab him, though, as I didn’t want to wrinkle his nice uniform.

  “Ready to go inside, handsome?” I asked.

  “Yeah. I need a drink. This past week was brutal as fuck.”

  I smiled and got out of the car before walking around and joining him. He slid on his white gloves, then put on his hat. When he stood from the car, my heart squeezed in my chest.

  My beautiful Marine.

  The general reception started at four-thirty in the afternoon, and we arrived a little after four. It was a time to socialize and have drinks before the ceremony started at six. Other Marines were there with their beautiful dates on their arms. The women wore floor-length gowns to match the formality of their men’s uniforms. Some Marines didn’t have dates and instead stood together, talking amongst themselves. Cody said many of them planned to go out on the town after the ball to continue the celebration.

  “Chicks love a man in uniform,” Cody said.

  “Well, I know I do.”

  Cody grabbed my hand and snickered. “I fucking love you.”

  “Cody!” Tristen approached, and I nearly didn’t recognize him in his uniform. He nodded to me. “Nice to see you again, Dr. Vale.”

  “Sebastian, please. You’re a friend, after all.”

  “Well, you look fuckin’ hot, Sebastian,” Tristen said, grinning.

  My face heated, and I instinctively looked down at myself, checking to make sure everything was in place as it should be.

  An attractive young man stood beside Tristen. He had long brown hair, glasses, and wore a kind smile as he stepped forward to shake my hand. “Hi, I’m Blake.”

  “Nice to meet you.” I shook his hand. He seemed familiar, as if I had seen him around campus before. “I’m—”

  “Dr. Sebastian Vale.” Blake grinned. “I took your chemistry course sophomore year. It was the hardest class I’ve ever taken.”

  “Many students have said the same.” My job wasn’t to give them an easy pass but to make them work hard for their grade.

  “Yeah, tell me about it.” Cody laughed, looking at me.

  He leaned into my side, and I wrapped an arm around him. One of the other Marines looked over, and his brow furrowed. It was a sad reminder of how things still were in the world. Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell was no longer in effect, but Cody mentioned how homophobia was still alive and well in all branches of the military. Not in a policy sense, but in a personal one.

  “Are Marcus and the others coming?” Blake asked.

  “Nah, I don’t think so,” Cody answered. “Rachel just got to Camp Barrett and didn’t want to come, and Marcus stayed with her. Keith is going out drinking with some guys from Mike Co.”

  “Can’t believe Keith got recycled to Mike.” Tristen shook his head. “Poor bastard.”

  “What’s wrong with Mike Company?” I asked.

  “It’s not written anywhere, but it’s kinda common knowledge that Mike is where guys get sent if they fuck up, like fail in academics or physical fitness, or if they get injured,” Cody explained. “A guy hurt his back a few months ago while on the O-Course and was placed in Mike where he did shit work like monitoring endurance courses and mowing the lawn. Not saying guys or girls in Mike are beneath anyone, but it’s not the place you want to be.”

  “Why did your friend Keith get sent there, then?” A lot of what Cody said about his training went over my head, but I tried to follow as best as I could.

  “The dumbass got caught speeding in Virginia,” Tristen said with a laugh. “His ass was doing eighty-five in town, which got him a misdemeanor for reckless driving. He had to pay a fat fine and everything.”

  “Surprised he didn’t get kicked out of TBS for that,” Blake said, his eyes wide.

  “Eh, it’s dumb luck. Kind of like me meeting you.” Tristen placed a hand on Blake’s lower back.

  “Would you like a drink?” I asked, leaning in toward Cody.

  “Please.”

  We walked over to the bar station, and he grabbed a beer while I took a glass of wine. The cocktail hour provided each guest two free drinks before they had to pay, so we left after getting our drinks. Cody saw more of his friends from his squadron and introduced me to them. One was his staff platoon commander, who appeared at first to be an uptight bastard but was actually very nice.

  As time went on, Cody relaxed and didn’t seem nearly as nervous. A part of me wondered if he was worried what people would think about him being with me. Some, as I had witnessed earlier, reacted with glares or confusion. But most of them—the ones he seemed friendly with, anyway—smiled and didn’t seem to think anything of our relationship.

  “Ladies and gentlemen,” a man said over the speakers. “The ceremony will start in ten minutes. Please make your way to your tables at this time.”

  Several Marines gathered in one area and took formation. I assumed they were participants in the ceremony. There was a band, as well, that filed out of the common area and into the room we were heading toward.

  Cody and I entered the ballroom and walked over to our assigned table. We were soon joined by Tristen, Blake, and another couple. There were roughly five hundred people in attendance, and tables were placed close together to seat them all.

  “Sebastian, this is Barry,” Cody said, making the introductions. “Barry is the guy I told you about who’s been helping me with the O-Course.”

  “It’s a pleasure to meet you.” I shook Barry’s hand.

  “Likewise,” Barry responded. “Miller and that asshole”—he motioned to Tristen—“have become good friends. I see more of their ugly mugs than I’d like to.”

  “Whatever.” Tristen rolled his eyes. “You love it. And who is this beautiful lady?”

  “This is my wife, Samantha.” Barry draped an arm around her delicate shoulders.

  “Hi.” Samantha smiled. She was lovely. The red ball gown went well with her black hair and red lips.

  When the ceremony started, the speaker welcomed everyone to the celebration before reading a message from the Commandant of the Marine Corps. Afterward, we were asked to rise as the chaplain led everyone in prayer. I bowed my head to be respectful.

  Following the prayer, the band began to play.

  Two Marine escorts stepped forward, and eight counts later, the next two did the same. Once all of them had walked forward, the band stopped playing, and two men proceeded down the line and halted. One was the guest of honor, and the other was the Senior Marine. The band started playing “Ruffles and Flourishes” as the color guard entered. Halfway down the line, they stopped. All hands presented arms as the national anthem began to play.

  Cody watched the ceremony, and perhaps it was the lighting, but his eyes looked as though they started to mist over.

  After the national anthem, the color guard continued their march down the line. A cake was brought forward as the “Marines Hymn” sounded, and behind the escorts were the oldest and youngest Marines in attendance.

  “Ladies and gentlemen. Please be seated.”

  General John A. Lejeune’s birthday message was read aloud before the cake cutting ceremony. One of the escorts stepped forward and took a sword from the cake cart before passing it over his left forearm and holding it out for the Senior Marine. The cake was cut with the sword, which I thought was neat, and a piece was handed to the oldest Marine. He then passed the piece to the youngest one.

  I understood it as a passing of experience and knowledge from old to young.

  “This concludes our ceremony. Enjoy the Ball, and Happy Birthday to the Marines.”

  Dinner was served after that. As we ate, Barry told us stories about his time with Cody and Tristen. They were placed in different companies but found time to see each other. Barry had helped b
oth of them a lot, mostly with practicing some of the field exercises and general advice. Cody had shared his doubt in the beginning about whether Barry was a good guy, and I was glad everything had turned out well.

  “So, you’re a warrant officer?” I asked Barry.

  “Yes, sir,” Barry answered with a nod. He had removed his dress cap, and his red hair almost blended in with the pinkness of his skin. “I was enlisted with the Corps for several years and was chosen to become a WO in the Marine gunner program. India Company. Ooh-rah.”

  “You have it wrong, ya ginger bastard.” Cody snorted. “Delta Company. Ooh-rah.”

  Tristen echoed the expression, saying it a little louder than Cody had. When Marines behind our table heard it and echoed “ooh-rah” even louder, Cody nearly spewed his drink. He hopped up with Tristen, and they went to talk to the guys.

  After dinner, a DJ came out, and the dance floor was opened. The formal feel to the Ball lightened a little, too. Marines let loose as they twirled their dates around the dancefloor, and others laughed with their friends.

  Cody took pictures with his fellow Marines, some serious but mostly silly. It was a celebration, after all. I enjoyed seeing him socialize. His sincere smile and heartfelt laughs drew people in, as if they felt his energy field just as I did.

  “Will you take one with me?” Cody asked, touching my arm.

  I wasn’t fond of having my picture taken. There wasn’t a set reason why, other than I didn’t like looking at myself. But I said, “You know I can’t deny you anything.”

  Because I couldn’t.

  He cracked a smile, showing off his dimple.

  I handed Tristen my phone and took my position at Cody’s side. His arm went behind me as mine slid around his waist. The first photo was posed, both of us smiling. Cody leaned over and kissed me on the cheek for the second.

  The rest of the evening passed in a blur of dancing bodies, drinking, and laughter. Once the hotel ballroom closed, we accompanied Tristen, Blake, Barry and Samantha, and several of the junior single Marines to another bar in town. With the drastic change of setting, I felt over dressed, but no one else in our party appeared to mind.

  As Cody had said earlier, the women in the bar flocked toward the single men in uniform.

  “You ready to go back to the hotel for some after-party fun?” Cody asked against my ear, after we had been in the bar for a while.

  I tried to calm my racing heart as I met his hungry gaze. My glasses had started to slip, and I pushed them back in place before nodding.

  Cody slid his hand into mine and said goodnight to his friends. Tristen clapped him on the back and flashed a knowing smile, while Barry shook his head, clearly amused by something. It probably had to do with the bounce in Cody’s step and the way he wiggled his eyebrows as he told them bye.

  It was Saturday night, and he didn’t have to be back at Camp Barrett until early Monday morning. Which was great, because he might need a day to recover after what I planned to do with him once we returned to the hotel room. It had been too long since I tasted him—since we got lost in each other—and I intended to make the most of the time we had.

  However, I didn’t want to rush the moment. True, I wanted to tear his clothes off and worship every inch of his muscled body, but when we entered the room, I found myself gently grabbing his hand and leading him over to the bed.

  “What are you doing?” Cody asked.

  Instead of answering, I leaned in and placed a soft kiss to his neck.

  “Whatever it is, I like it,” he added.

  I met his gaze and softly brushed my lips to his. He smiled against my mouth. Then, I helped him out of his dress blues. Silently, he watched me as I undid the buttons on the front of his uniform. His tender expression matched the feeling in my chest, an indescribable ache that made me want to hold him as close as possible and never let go.

  After each piece was removed, I laid the uniform on the couch beside the bed to make sure it didn’t get wrinkled. Once he was down to his boxers, I pushed him backward on the mattress.

  “Pretty sure there’s something wrong with this picture,” Cody said, laughing. “You have way too many clothes on, Dr. Vale.”

  Without breaking eye contact, I pulled at my tie.

  “Fuck, that’s hot.” Cody scooted against the pillows, putting his arms behind his head. The curve to his lips gave him a cockiness that aroused me even more. “Strip for me, baby.”

  Chapter 24

  Cody

  Sebastian would never know how much I loved him. Loving someone in the military was tough, but he had stayed by my side—even while being states away—and offered me support and encouragement when I needed it most during my training.

  During a few of my weaker moments when I did nothing but say how much I missed Sebastian, he reminded me why I was there. He never once made me feel guilty for not being with him, like Tristen said Blake did to him.

  Sebastian grounded me when it felt like everything around me was falling away.

  And here he was, stripping for me in the fancy hotel room he paid for just to come and see me for a few days. He had made a ton of these trips over the months, refusing to let the distance keep us apart.

  He pulled off his tie and flung it to the side, all while holding my gaze.

  I was so fucking hard as I watched him. Jacking off was a luxury at the base, unless you didn’t mind dudes walking in on you while doing the five knuckle shuffle on the ol’ piss pump, as Barry referred to it. So, it had been a while since I relieved some tension. And having the love of my life drill my ass seemed like the best way to do it.

  Slowly, Sebastian removed his suit jacket and undid the buttons on his shirt. His sexy throat came into view as he popped open the collar, and I craved to nibble on his Adam’s apple. He opened the shirt, revealing his smooth chest and softly toned stomach. I shifted on the bed and breathed evenly through my nose. His body was perfect, as was the rest of him.

  My mouth watered when I saw the dusting of his happy trail, and I groaned as visions of me following that trail with my tongue filled my head. I wanted to suck his cock and hear him moan my name. My hair wasn’t long enough for him to grab anymore, but I wanted him to hold my head in place and fuck my mouth.

  God, I just wanted sex. Bad.

  The jingle of his belt as he took it off made me harder. Something about that sound just shot straight to my cock. As he unzipped his pants and dropped them to the floor, I pulled off my boxers, slid a hand between my legs, and gave myself a few strokes. I needed some kind of friction before I lost my mind.

  “I love watching you touch yourself,” Sebastian said, crawling onto the bed. His wavy blond hair curtained around his face. Once he was close enough, I lifted a hand and gripped the silky locks, tiling his head back so I could kiss his throat. “I love when you do that, too.”

  He replaced my hand with his and stroked me. I gently bit his neck and groaned as his experienced hand twisted on the upstroke. And when he thumbed my slit, spreading a bead of pre-cum around my tip, I nearly came undone.

  “Fuck,” I panted, looking between our bodies as he worked me with his hand. “I want you to fuck me. Now.”

  “I have no intentions on fucking you, Mr. Miller.” Sebastian trailed his nose down my cheek and snagged my bottom lip between his teeth. He kissed me, alternating between soft and hard presses of his mouth to mine. “But I’m going to make love to you.”

  Sebastian was the only person who had ever made love to me. Most people might not understand the difference, but I did. Fucking was great. It could even be passionate. But making love? It was when Sebastian kissed me as he pumped into my ass, how he slid his hand into mine and entwined our fingers, and it was the tender look in his eyes when he watched me come. It wasn’t only physical, but emotional. Spiritual, even.

  After prepping me—fingering my hole so good my toes curled—Sebastian put on a condom and lubed up before angling his body over mine. As he peered down at me, his gl
asses fell a little and hung at the end of his nose. I took them off for him and placed them on the nightstand.

  “Thank you.”

  “Anytime,” I said. “I like being able to see your eyes.”

  His shy smile made my stomach flutter.

  When he pushed against my opening, I tensed before exhaling. On the exhale, his tip popped inside, and I winced at the sting. He stilled and kissed my forehead, giving me a moment to adjust before going deeper.

  “Are you okay?” he asked breathily.

  I nodded and captured his lips, grabbing his hips and pulling him forward. As his hard cock disappeared inside my body as far as it could go, we both groaned. I loved the fullness of having him buried to the hilt. It was a bit uncomfortable at first—it had been a while since we’d been together—but fucking amazing.

  Sebastian rocked into me. Once. Twice. He pulled almost all the way out before plunging back in. His eyes found mine, and we stared at each other as he moved inside me. He grabbed my hand and brought it to his mouth, placing a kiss on my ring.

  A lump wedged in my throat. I was caught between reveling in the way his cock pounded my ass and struggling with the sadness of when he’d have to leave again. I didn’t realize how hard the separation would be. Seeing him for a few days at a time was almost worse than not seeing him at all, because it reminded me what it was like to have him around.

  “Look at me, baby,” Sebastian said, using the endearment for the first time.

  A tear fell from my eye as I met his stare. He kissed my cheek, brushing the tear away with his lips. He didn’t ask what was on my mind. The way his lips trembled against my skin gave me a pretty good idea that his mind was in the same place.

  He gave me shallow, then deep thrusts as he fused our mouths together. And when I came, I came hard. His hand jerked me as I shot my load onto my stomach. He wasn’t far behind. He dipped down to kiss the base of my throat as his muscles tensed.

  Sebastian grunted, and his movements faltered. He was so fucking close. I could feel it. His face scrunched as he closed his eyes, and his mouth opened in a silent scream.