Total pages in book: 85
Estimated words: 97275 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 486(@200wpm)___ 389(@250wpm)___ 324(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 97275 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 486(@200wpm)___ 389(@250wpm)___ 324(@300wpm)
I pushed at his chest. He didn’t budge an inch. “Get off, you big bastard.”
“I’m not going anywhere. We have three hours before I have to leave. You bet your sweet ass that I’m going to ride you hard before I have to go.” He said before solidifying that fact by withdrawing and then thrusting forward again.
The next two and a half hours were spent doing exactly that.
ɸ
Max
“I gotta get dressed.” I whispered against her hair.
My lips trailed down the side of her face, and then down along the line of her jaw before settling softly onto her lips. I bent forward to run my nose along her cheek when it came back wet. My heart hurt.
Leaning back on the balls of my feet, I dragged her up to a sitting position and framed her face in my hands. “It’s going to be alright. I’m going to be fine. Don’t worry.”
“You better come back here in one damn piece, or I’ll kick your ass.” She said all bark and no bite.
I chuckled. The girl had the temperament of a pit bull. All snarling and bark. She’d rip you a new one, and then comfort you afterwards. That’s what I loved most about her. Not that I would tell her yet. I’d just gotten her to come to me. I’d be damned if I would scare her off before I got her firmly in place.
“I’d love to see you try.”
Giving her one more kiss on the lips, I got out of bed and started dressing. It’d been a long while since I’d worn these shabby BDUs. They felt like coming home. I’d lived in them for ten years, and then just stopped wearing them when I was injured two years ago. Putting them on now felt like finding the security blanket you’d used when you were a child.
Payton watched silently from the bed. She was wearing one of my old workout shirts. It had the Pepsi logo on it, and was about as worn as a ratty t-shirt could be. It was by far my favorite to wear, and I’d been doing just that when I answered the door tonight. The shirt hung off one shoulder, and bared smooth unblemished skin. Her hair fell in disarray all around her. Shocks of pink and lime green dispersed throughout her brown hair that I hadn’t noticed earlier during my inspection.
“Are you sure you don’t want to stay here?” I asked.
She nodded, but stayed silent.
Stubborn little shit. “I’ll give you a key, and the code to the gate. I’ll call you as soon as I get there so you know that I got there all right. I’ll try to let you know what’s going on, and how long we’re looking at me being gone. Don’t freak if you don’t hear from me for a long time. That’s normal.”
It was especially normal for me since I wasn’t going to be doing the normal stuff that a soldier does over there. I was going to do what I do best, and that was interrogate.
When Layne, my old CO, called the previous night, I knew it wasn’t going to be good. They only used me when it was dire. The government didn’t like using my services if they didn’t have to. Unfortunately, I started using them a lot towards the end of my career, and now I was back, doing what I was good at, with little thought to my own peace of mind. I hated every fucking minute of it. I didn’t like myself when I had to be that person.
She nodded, and then stood, stopping down on the way to grab her jeans. She made her way into the bathroom, and then shut the door. I watched the door silently, wondering if I should go in there and make sure she’s all right. I didn’t though, deciding she needed a few minutes.
I gathered the rest of my junk, grabbed my duffle, and set it by the front door. Walking to the back door, I made sure it was locked before turning the A/C off. I’d taken care of the food in my fridge before the party tonight by stuffing it all into the communal fridge in the shop. I got a good laugh out of the fact that my beer would most likely still be there when I got back.
The others didn’t like Old Milwaukee. I loved it, though, most likely because I’d grown up drinking the shit as if it was water. James and I had many great times that were all because of Old Milwaukee. James had graduated to bigger and better, while I stuck with what I knew. Which is why I was ribbed for drinking it. They called it a “pussy” beer, and said only women drink it. Fuck, I didn’t care, as long as it was wet and cold. I didn’t need the expensive stuff to be happy.
“Max?” Payton asked from behind me.
I blinked, and saw her standing in the light of the hallway. “Yeah?”
“Are you ready?” She asked.
I gave a stiff nod, and walked up to her, wrapping my arms around her. “Will you give me a ride? I was going to wake Ember, but since you’re already awake this works out better.”
“Sure thing. Let’s go.” She said.
We walked hand and hand out into the cool night air. The sound of leaves tumbling on the ground could be heard over the chirp of crickets in the pre-dawn stillness. It was just shy of four in the morning, and nothing was awake yet to break the tranquility of the night. I came to a sudden halt when I found myself being blocked in by five bodies. My team.
Curious glances were being made in Payton’s direction, but I didn’t acknowledge their silent questions. Every time they’d seen us together, Payton’s attitude came out to play. She was hell on wheels in public, but sweet and docile while we were alone. Kind of like a baby kitten, spitting mad one second, and purring in your lap the next.