by Hunter Rose
“What is it?” I ask gently.
He grits his teeth and looks away. It’s obviously something about the idea of going back to Chicago that’s bothering him. Something about it is causing him pain. I have no idea what it is, since from what little I do know, his family is wealthy, and he’s got a plush surgical career waiting for him back home. And he’s probably got more women than he can keep up with waiting for him, too. It’s a thought that sends a flash of jealousy through me, but I quickly stuff it down. This thing between us has been nothing more than a friendship. One I knew was going to be temporary, at that.
But even knowing that, as the reality of the situation really sets in, I realize that I’d let myself get more attached to Roman than I should have. More attached than I’d meant to let myself get. I didn’t mean to. It wasn’t something I planned. In fact, I did everything I could to prevent it from happening. And yet, here we are. Not only is the fact that he’s leaving in the morning killing me a little inside; the thought of him going back home to some other woman is killing me even more.
Being as attached to him as I’ve gotten is something I’m kicking myself hard for. But there’s nothing I can do about it. Nothing I can do to stop it or change it. Whether I like it or not, it’s going to happen. All that’s left for me to do is enjoy the last night I have with him.
“Talk to me, Roman,” I quietly urge him. “What’s bothering you?”
He shrugs and drains the last of his wine. I pick up the bottle to refill his glass, only to find it empty. I can’t believe we’ve gone through an entire bottle of wine – in addition to what we went through back at the café. Of course, that probably explains why I’m feeling lightheaded and a bit more giddy than usual. But Roman is still as sober as the proverbial judge. He looks longingly at the empty bottle of wine but seems resigned to the fact we’re out.
He sets his glass down and looks up at the sky. I can see the cascade of emotions falling down around his face and wonder if there is any feeling for me in his thoughts. The silence between us goes on. I start to wonder if he’s just not going to say anything, but then he surprises me when he speaks.
“I’m not looking forward to going back to Chicago because of my father,” he finally breaks the silence.
I give his arm a gentle squeeze. “What’s wrong with your father?”
He sighs and looks down at his hands. “It’s not easy living in the shadow of a great man,” he spits bitterly. “Nothing I do is ever good enough. It’ll never be good enough.”
“I’m sure that’s not true,” I try to soothe him.
He nods. “But it is. I’m a big disappointment to him,” he continues. “It’s hard to compete with somebody who was made Chief of Surgery by the time he was thirty-five. Nothing I do can compete with that, let alone top it.”
“Who says you have to?”
“He makes it very clear that I’m a disappointment and a disgrace to the family legacy,” he says, a note of anger blended with sadness in his voice.
“He sounds like an asshole.”
Roman chuckles. “He is. Always has been.”
We both fall silent. He looks into my eyes, and I feel a flush of heat ripple through my body. The moment is filled with a tension and a sense of anticipation that makes my stomach churn with an excitement I haven’t known in a long time. When I see Roman start to lean forward, I feel myself tense up and my pulse quicken. I know I should put a stop to this before it ever starts, but I don’t seem to have the strength in me to do it. More than that, there’s part of me that wants to let it happen. That welcomes it.
When Roman’s lips touch mine, an explosion of sensation rocks my entire body. He slips his tongue into my mouth, swirling it around mine, and it nearly takes my breath away. My body grows taut, and I feel my nipples stiffen as the heat inside of me flares. My panties are soaked in an instant, my wetness coating the inside of my thighs.
As Roman’s kiss deepens, his tongue more forceful in my mouth, I feel him sliding his hand up my thigh, slipping beneath my skirt. His fingers leave furrows of fire along my skin, and when he touches me through my panties, I nearly come right then and there. It’s been so long since I’ve allowed myself to be touched by a man that my body is already close to bursting.
I run my hands along the hard angles and planes of his chest, gripping his thick, muscular arms as he presses his lips tighter to mine, his tongue dashing harder into my mouth, the fire inside of me growing higher and burning brighter.
Roman pulls my panties to the side and slips a finger into my pussy. He pushes it in deep, drawing a loud moan from me. A second finger joins the first, and he starts driving them in and out of me. I bite my bottom lip, stifling my cries as his fingers explore the depths of me. As he fucks me with his fingers, I slide my hand down the solid core of him, grasping his cock through his jeans.
The feeling of his dick, so long and thick, makes my pussy even hotter. His fingers glide in and out of my wetness with ease. I squeeze him through his pants, stroking him as he fingers me, fire spreading through every cell of my body, and I moan louder. Some small piece of my mind is telling me to stop this train before it really gets rolling. But another part of my mind urges me onward. Commands me to give in to my every carnal desire. It whispers to me, reminding me of how long it’s been since I’ve been touched. Since I’ve felt a man inside of me. It reminds me of everything I’ve been missing.
It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out which side of me wins that debate.
Roman pushes me down onto my back and pushes my skirt up around my waist. I raise my hips and let him pull my panties off me. He flings them aside and lays down between my thighs, parting them with his hands. And when his tongue touches my clit, I scream out, feeling like I’m being consumed by fire.
Roman runs the tip of his tongue along my slick lips, parting the velvety folds of my pussy with his tongue. He slides it deep within me, lapping up my juices eagerly and with a smile on his face. He drives his fingers back inside of me, pumping them hard. And when he nips my swollen bud with his teeth, giving me a gentle bite, the sensations flooding through me are intense. I call out his name.
I grab his hair, pulling him down into my wetness as I grind my pussy against his mouth. His fingers and tongue work in perfect rhythm with each other, sending shockwaves of pleasure rolling through every nerve of my body. He grazes my clit with his teeth again, while at the same moment plunging his fingers deep inside of me. I see flashes of white behind my eyes, and my body clenches up as he sends me over the edge. To keep from screaming, I bite down on the side of my hand hard enough to leave deep impressions in my skin.
I feel like I’m falling, almost weightless, and I come hard for Roman. As my body trembles uncontrollably with my orgasm, he keeps sucking on my clit and working his fingers inside of me, every thrust and nip of his teeth feeling that much more intense. I look down at him, and he raises his head, the moonlight above glinting off a chin and mouth soaked in my juices. My heart is thundering, and my body feels like a live wire.
“I need you inside of me, Roman,” I gasp. “I need you to fuck me.”
He smiles as if my words are the sweetest music he’s ever heard, and he quickly stands up and pulls his wallet out of his pocket. My pussy burning, desire flowing through every inch of me, I watch as he fumbles with his wallet, dropping it to the ground beside us as he pulls out a condom. Roman quickly gets his pants off, and when I see his cock, long and hard, the feeling of want inside of me turns into need.
Roman kicks off his shoes and pants, and as he tears open the condom wrapper, I can’t help myself. The need in me is a roaring bonfire. I slide my hand down my stomach and run my fingers across lips that are slick with my juices. I’m dripping wet for him. As I start to work my clit with my fingers, I notice that he’s watching, a roguish smile on his face and that familiar look of hunger in his eyes making my desire swell.
Roman kneels down in front of me and licks his lips as he watches
me as I rub my clit harder. I reach out to him with my other hand.
“I need you inside of me,” I beg him again.
“Not yet,” he smiles languidly. “Keep going. I want to watch you.”
Biting my bottom lip, I smile up at him. I do as he says, and keep rubbing my clit harder, having him watching me masturbate making the feelings much more intense. Roman pulls me up to my knees and unbuttons my blouse, letting it fall open. It was too hot to wear a bra, so my breasts spill out into his hands. He leans forward, taking my hard nipple into his mouth. With his tongue, licking and sucking on it, making me throw my head back and moan.
“Harder,” he whispers in my ear, his breath warm on my skin.
My pussy is so wet; my fingers slide into me with ease. He kneads my breast with one hand and bites my nipple with the other, that slight pinch of pain sending an electric jolt shooting through me. I kneel in front of him, feeling his body so close to mine, feeling his mouth and hands on my breasts, and plunge my fingers deep into my slippery core over and over again.
His mouth moves to my neck, the nips of his teeth and rough kisses making me even hotter. I feel him take hold of my hand. He raises it to his lips, my fingers glistening with my juices, and slips them into his mouth. He moans with pleasure as he licks my fingers clean, and I see the desire in his eyes shining as bright as the moon overhead.
Roman pushes me down onto my back and slides my skirt up around my waist again. He parts my thighs and positions himself on top of me, the head of his cock is pressed against my opening, and I want to pull him into me. Our mouths crash together, our tongues dashing and sliding around each other with a furious passion. As I run my fingers through his hair, Roman moves his mouth down to my breasts again.
He raises his head and holds my gaze as he takes my hands and moves them above my head, pinning them to the ground. A second later, I feel a sharp pinch of pain, which is followed by an avalanche of pleasure. He pierces me with a cock that feels harder than steel. I press my head back into the hard ground behind me as Roman starts to thrust himself deep into me.
“Fuck,” he growls. “You’re so fucking tight.”
His thick shaft fills me up completely. Roman drives so deep into me that it nearly steals my breath. I struggle hard against his grasp, wanting to touch him, but he holds me fast. I can’t move. All I can do is lie there and take his cock into me. All I can do is let him fuck me. A thin sheen of sweat covers his forehead as he thrusts himself deep into my molten core. My every nerve ending feels like it’s on fire.
“Fuck me, Roman,” I gasp. “God yes, fuck me. Harder.”
I struggle harder, trying desperately to pull my hands away, but he doesn’t budge. If anything, my trying to break his grasp only excites him as he starts to pound his cock into me harder. The sound of our flesh slapping together mixes with our moans and groans of ecstasy, the sound of it drifting into that dark, perfect nighttime sky.
My skin feels like it’s on fire, and the pressure inside of me is building steadily higher. Roman drives his cock into me and holds himself there, pressing hard against that sensitive spot deep within me. It feels like a bomb has gone off between my thighs. My body trembles, and my pussy quivers around his cock as I come again. The spasms within my hot, wet core are unlike anything I’ve felt before, and are so intense; they border on the painful – which heightens the pleasure even further.
Roman starts to pump his hips again, his body crashing into mine harder as he fucks me, prolonging my orgasm. I grip his deliciously thick cock with my inner muscles, and he stutters, his rhythm thrown off. But he gives me one last hard thrust, holding himself there for a moment. A low grunt passes his lips, and I feel him shudder.
“Fuck yes, Scarlet. Fuck yes.”
Roman finally lets go of my hands and braces himself above me with both arms. His gaze is intense, burning into mine. I feel his cock throbbing and pulsing inside of me, and like an explosion, I feel his hot come bursting out of him.
Coupled together like that, with him still filling me up, we ride out the waves of pleasure as a warm breeze blows, warming our skin even more.
I stare into Roman’s eyes, breathless and feeling things I’ve never felt before. It hits me in that moment, as our gazes are locked together as tightly as our bodies, that this was a mistake. That I shouldn’t have done it.
But then, given the emotions he stirred within me – not to mention how amazing he felt inside of me – how could I not have done it?
8
Roman
I throw the last of my things into my duffel and look around the shitty little room that’s been my home the last few weeks. I realize that it’s kind of grown on me. Being able to hang out with Zeke again has been great. In some ways, it’s felt like old times all over again. After reconnecting with Zeke, it kind of sucks to be sent off to some other slice of hell.
I tell myself that we’ll hook up once he gets back stateside, but the truth is, I don’t know when – or if – that will come to pass. For one thing, I have zero clue when that will be. He’s contemplating sticking around for another tour with International Physicians. But even if he doesn’t, he’s got his life back in Chicago to go back to.
But if I’m being honest with myself, the biggest reason I feel suddenly reluctant to leave is because of Scarlet. And it’s not just about the sex – which is utterly shocking to me. The sex was fantastic, but it’s more than that. A lot more than that. Somehow, over the last few weeks, Scarlet has managed to carve out a place inside of me. I’ve somehow become attached to her.
I never intended for it to happen. In fact, I’ve done everything in my power to prevent myself from getting attached to anybody. I’ve been avoiding emotional entanglements like the plague. But as I think back over my time here, I realize that effort hasn’t been entirely successful. I’m not saying I’m in love with her – it’s far too early for declarations like that – but I’m definitely hung up on her in ways I haven’t been hung up on anybody before.
It’s more than a bit disconcerting, to be sure. It’s even more disconcerting to feel the bitter sting of disappointment that’s gripping me, knowing I’m going to be leaving her.
Although I’d like to say we’ll get together when we both get back home, I have a feeling this could be like the situation with Zeke – the intention is there, but the follow through might not be. For all I know, after I leave here, she’s going to end up getting together with somebody else. Maybe she meets somebody once she gets home. Or maybe our lives will just keep us too busy to pursue something more between us.
And this is exactly why I try to avoid emotional entanglements – there are far too many variables I can’t control. Emotions are dangerous, tricky things. Once they get out of their boxes, they usually can’t be contained. They take on lives of their own. The longer they’re out of their boxes, they keep getting bigger and messier until they completely overwhelm you.
I put the last of my things in my duffel and zip it when there’s a knock on my door. I open it and smile when I find Scarlet standing on the other side. She’s in her blue surgical scrubs, and her hair is tied back into a ponytail. She’s ready for work, but even still, she’s simply breathtaking.
She steps into my room, and I shut the door behind her, feeling my cock stirring in my pants as I stare at her ass. Not even the shapeless, drab scrubs she’s wearing can hide how amazing it is. I’d love to have sex with her again, but sadly, there’s no time for it.
She turns and gives me a smile – though I see it’s one that looks wooden and forced. She’s definitely not feeling it. Not that I blame her – I’m not exactly feeling bright and shiny either. The net effect is that it makes things between us incredibly awkward.
“Didn’t think I was going to let you go without saying goodbye, did you?” she chirps.
“I was hoping you wouldn’t.”
Feeling like I should be doing something but not knowing what, I reach out and take her by the hands. I pull her to me
and wrap her in a warm embrace. I don’t know if it’s the right thing to do, but she melts into me. I relish her warmth and softness, and I know it can’t be the wrong thing to do.
There’s another knock at the door and it opens just as Scarlet and I are taking a step away from each other. Hodges, the camp liaison or whatever he is, steps in. An inscrutable look crosses his face as if he’d just caught us in a compromising position. The awkwardness saturating the air around us only grows thicker.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt,” Hodges stammers, still pointedly looking away.
“No, it’s fine,” I say. “What do you want?”
Hodges clears his throat. “I was just coming to get your bag,” he replies. “Your transport is here.”
I feel the frown pulling my lips downward as the reality of the situation sinks in even more. I’m leaving here, and in all likelihood, I’m never going to see Scarlet again. It’s a thought that sends an unexpected stab of pain through me. I sigh and nod as Hodges steps forward and takes my bag. Without another word, he heads for the door, closing it quietly behind him, leaving us alone again.
Scarlet looks up at me with a tight smile on her face. “So where are they sending you?”
“Somewhere in Afghanistan.”
She nods, and the expression on her face says it might as well be another world away. I can relate to the feeling. Judging by that expression, Scarlet has obviously been having the same sort of thoughts I have about me having to go. At least, that’s what it seems like to me.
“Give me your phone,” she says.
“My phone?”
She nods. “Give it.”
I slip it out of my pocket and hand it over with a small shrug. I watch as she positions the camera and takes a selfie, a small laugh passing my lips. After that, she programs in her number and hands it back to me with the first warm, genuine smile I’ve seen on her face today.