7. Frozen Balls
7 FROZEN BALLS
Lanie
I tried. I really did, but the laugh came bubbling out of me anyway. Seeing my stoic Agent Anderson sitting stiffly atop Beth’s black mare was picture worthy. A definite Kodak moment. There was no way our team back in Huntington would believe me without proof, but unfortunately, Noah had the burner phone and he wouldn’t give it up.
“We’ll see how funny you think this is later, Little Lamb,” Noah grumbled, which only served to make me laugh harder.
We hadn’t gone out straightaway. In fact, we waited two days before we hit the trails. It was a slow process, teaching Noah the ins and outs of horseback riding. Honestly, I thought he’d give up after the first hour, but he proved to be more stubborn than I gave him credit for. Then again, I should’ve realized his control freak side would never allow for defeat.
Even Leland’s fiancée, Amy—who we finally met—got in on the action. Between her experience as a champion barrel racer and an extreme amount of patience on all our parts, we were able to get him in the saddle pretty quickly. Once he was up, Noah was a natural, if he’d relax long enough to enjoy it. Plus, he looked damn good sitting on top of Smoke.
“Oh, come on, Noah. You have to admit, it’s a little funny.”
“What part of my balls being battered and bruised do you find amusing?”
“Okay, now you’re exaggerating.”
He wasn’t though. I knew he was sore; however, he’d done it to himself.
Right before we’d started down the trail we were currently on; we’d come across a large open field. Wanting to test out his new horse riding abilities, Noah bumped his heels against Smoke. Instead of gently easing into a trot, the ebony mare took off in a canter. They didn’t get far before I was able to get alongside them and grab the reins, but the damage was done.
Amy and I had only taught him the basics, we hadn’t thought about covering how to keep yourself from bouncing around. And boy did Noah bounce…and bounce. I cringed thinking about the way his lower half collided with the hard, unforgiving saddle.
“Do you want to get off and walk for a while?” I offered.
“How much longer until we get to where we’re going?”
“About an hour or so.”
“Then let’s keep riding because once my feet hit solid ground, you might not get me back up here.”
“There’s some ice in the cooler?—”
“No,” he broke in. “Thank you, but no. The only thing worse than bruised balls are frozen balls.”
“What about blue balls?” I snickered, looking to my right in time to watch him shudder .
The trees were far enough apart at this point that the horses were able to fit comfortably side by side. It was obvious the farther we went into the woods; the path Beth and I followed almost daily hadn’t been used in quite some time. There was so much overgrowth it was difficult to see the actual trail. Thankfully, I knew the area well.
“Can we talk about something other than the state of my manhood?”
“But it’s such an interesting topic.”
“Brat,” he muttered.
Time passed quickly as our conversation shifted to the case we’d left behind. We’d successfully avoided the subject far longer than we should have.
“Do you think we were wrong to disappear?” I asked the question which had been burning a hole in my gut for over a week.
“We reacted to a credible threat.”
“Is that your roundabout way of saying no?”
“I’m not saying yes or no, Lanie.” He met my gaze. “What I’m saying is there wasn’t a chance in hell any of us were going to stand by while the DEA put you in protective custody. I was already thinking of places to take you when you told them you’d disappear.”
“Really?”
He nodded. “It was the only alternative.”
“Was it though?
He hiked a brow, giving me the answer I already knew deep down. I couldn’t help but wonder if we’d jumped the gun. It wasn’t in my nature to go on the defensive, I was an offense girl all the way, but we weren’t dealing with a player who followed a set of rules. The Bratva wanted me dead, plain and simple. They wouldn’t think twice about using one of my friends in order to lure me out. It was the only reason I even considered leaving Huntington; to protect Henley and Jade. As much as it killed me to be on the sidelines, I had to trust the process; trust our team to pull out all the stops to get us home. Until then, all we could do was wait.
Maybe I should be thanking the Russians. If it wasn’t for them, I’m not sure I would’ve taken the steps to reconnect with my family, at least not anytime soon. I was too stubborn to look past my own insecurities. If I had, I would’ve realized what my parents were doing long ago.
Everything in my world had flipped upside down and inside out in the last week. The assassination attempt alone would’ve brought most people to their knees, but I had a secret weapon.
Noah Anderson.
He grounded me in a way that let me shine, rather than held me back. He was the lightning rod in my chaotic storm. The organ beating frantically in my chest had belonged to Noah almost since the day we met, but a year ago, I’m not certain I would’ve readily accepted his dominant side. I had to believe there was a good reason we were thrown off course for a while.
So much had changed in the months that followed. Henley and Jade for starters. Not since Beth had I had a girlfriend, let alone two. Watching them battle through hell, not only surviving, but thriving, made my struggles pale in comparison. Our bond was stronger than any twisted strand of DNA. They were the sisters of my heart, and it was because of their love and encouragement I had finally removed my head from my ass long enough to hear Noah out.
Thank God for small favors.
While the idea of submitting was still a foreign concept, I trusted him with my life, so trusting him with my body seemed like a natural progression.
A grove of juniper trees ahead pulled me out of my thoughts. I smiled, knowing our destination was just beyond them. Only a short hike and we’d be in heaven, or at least as close as you could get with your feet still planted on solid ground.
“It’s peaceful here,” Noah mused.
“Just wait. You haven’t seen anything yet.”
Pulling back on the reins, I brought Whiskey to a stop as Noah did the same with Smoke. Once we dismounted, he helped me unfasten the backpacks and small nylon cooler from the back of both horses, then we tied them to the nearest tree.
“Almost there. Come on.”
He took my hand, interlocking our fingers as I led him off the marked trail, over a small ridgeline toward the wide open valley below. The forest opened up, revealing carpets of thick grass, still a brownish-yellow color in spots from being snow covered throughout the harsh Colorado winter. We paused halfway down to watch a swarm of rusty brown butterflies fly between various wildflowers, which had pushed their way to the surface.
“I missed the raw, untouched beauty of this place.”
“It’s remarkable.” Noah squeezed my hand as we continued our descent.
Grass gave way to a more rocky terrain as we reached the bottom. I steered us to the left, climbing onto the large flat boulders, which surrounded a teardrop-shaped freestanding pool of water.
“What is that smell?” Noah scrunched his nose while I breathed in the mild sulfur scent, reveling in its familiarity.
“Hot springs. ”
After spreading out the blanket I’d packed, we sat side by side for a while, not talking, just basking in the scenery. I was almost positive Noah had never seen anything quite this stunning. It was in the way his eyes roamed over every inch of the valley, taking in the magnificence and tranquility I was drawn to. There was understanding in his sapphire eyes when they finally landed on me.
“This was your place, wasn’t it? Yours and Beth’s?”
I nodded, busying myself so I didn't have to see the pity on his face when I explained. Pulling out the sandwiches, fruit, and drinks from the cooler, I assembled our feast off to the side. “We found it by accident when we were ten years old. After that, we came here when we wanted to celebrate, to commiserate, or get away from life. My brother and his friends knew about it, and so did our parents, but no one ever disturbed our sanctuary.”
“When was the last time you were here?”
There was a slight tremble in my fingers as I handed him a bottle of water. “The night of her funeral. I came to say goodbye.”
Taking the bottle, he set it down, then used two fingers to tilt my chin up to meet his gaze. Contrary to what I thought, the only thing I saw was compassion.
“Thank you for sharing it with me.”
Emotion clogged my throat. He got it; how much it meant for me to give him a part of myself no one else had. Three little words sat on the tip of my tongue, ready to be shouted across the mountaintops, but I held back, giving him a different two instead.
“I’m ready. ”
Noah
The earth stopped spinning, or maybe my heart stopped beating. It was hard to tell over the ringing in my ears. Had she meant what I thought?
“You’re ready?” I had to clarify, to make sure we were both on the same page. “Ready for what?”
“For us. For everything.”
“You need to be positive, Lanie. Once we go there, that’s it. You’re mine.”
“I thought I was already yours.” My little brat smirked.
“You are, but once I’ve been inside you, you’re mine for good.”
Her breathing hitched and her cheeks flushed. “Noah,” she whispered my name like a prayer.
“I’m done running from the truth, from holding back when all I’ve wanted to do for years is pull you close. It took me a long time to realize I deserve to have the future I’ve dreamt of.”
“Of course you do. Why would you think otherwise?”
“There was so much guilt bubbling inside of me over what happened to my sister. Too many voices saying how I should’ve done something, anything, to keep that monster away from her. My parents didn’t help, in fact, they still blame me for every bit of her suffering.”
Lanie exploded, unleashing a slew of curses that would make even the raunchiest sailor blush. I would’ve laughed at her creative combination of my favorites––motherfucker, asshole, and son of a bitch––had I not feared for my safety.
“That’s bullshit, Noah. You were away at college. How would you have stopped anything?”
I shrugged.
“It doesn’t matter. They needed to point the finger at someone and they picked their own son. Whatever saved them from having to look in the mirror. That’s all in the past now. I’m ready to move forward.” Picking up her hand, I kissed the back of it, leaving my lips against her smooth skin as I bared my soul. “You’re the only thing that’s ever made sense in my life. Love isn’t a strong enough word for how I feel, but it’s the only one I have.”
Tears bloomed, dripping onto her cheek, then rolling in silent rivers down her face. Leaning in, I touched one corner of her mouth with mine, then the other, tasting the lingering saltiness.
“We’ve wasted enough time, so let me be clear. I was in love with you before I even understood the emotion. You’re my today, my tomorrow, my everything, Alaina Biggs.”
“My heart was yours the first time you smiled at me, Noah, and I’ve loved you ever since.”
Teeth clanged as we surged together, our tongues tangling in a coordinated dance. She mewled as I cupped her ass, lifting her across my thighs to straddle my lap. Her fingers speared into the short hair at my nape while I tore the scrunchie from her ponytail, winding my hand around the long blond locks. Giving it a swift tug, her head tilted back as I broke from her mouth, licking my way down the slender column of her neck.
“Please tell me you’re on birth control.” I moved her shirt to the side, flicking my tongue across her collarbone. “I don’t want anything between us.”
“I have an IUD,” she panted.
“Thank fuck.”
The next few seconds were a blur of movement as we stood, stripping each other bare, both of us desperate for skin-on-skin contact. She scanned my body from head to toe, eyes flaring wide when they locked on my dick for the first time. At six feet tall, I wasn’t a small man…anywhere.
“Touch me, Lanie. ”
She stepped into me, planting kisses on my chest while her hand wrapped around my length. From base to tip, she stroked. It felt so good my knees threatened to buckle, but when she shivered, an idea took hold. Stepping back, I took her hand and moved to the edge of the hot spring. I slid into the steaming water, thankful to find a wall of flat rocks a few feet under the surface, which made an excellent seat. Lanie followed, resuming her earlier position on my lap. The water came up to mid-belly on her, leaving her top half exposed.
“Hands behind your back, Little Lamb. Rest them on my thighs.” I held her stare until she was finished. “Your tits are perfect. One day I’m going to fuck them.”
Her hips bucked against my hard cock, sloshing water between us, as I drew a nipple into my mouth, rolling it between my teeth before sucking hard. Releasing it with a pop, I blew a stream of air across her tight bud, watching as it stiffened farther before doing the same with the other.
“Noah, please,” she groaned, arching her back.
“What do you want?”
She gasped, nearly losing her balance when I widened my legs, opening her pussy for me. Slipping my hand between her thighs, I pressed firmly on her clit with my thumb then slid two fingers deep into her core. I twisted my wrist as I began to pump them in and out. A tingling sensation started low in my gut and precum leaked from my tip. I had to get inside her soon, otherwise I’d explode.
“Hold on to my shoulders,” I ordered, pulling my fingers out in order to lift her to her knees.
“Hurry.”
“Who’s in charge, Little Lamb?” She hissed when I pinched her ass, those hazel eyes narrowed to slits. Cocking my head to the side, I waited for her response…and waited some more.
“You,” she finally relented.
I smiled. “Good girl.”
Positioning myself at her opening, I took her mouth. The kiss was meant to be quick, but like everything where Lanie was concerned, I couldn’t hold back. I poured my soul into the kiss, using it as a reminder of things to come. This was only the beginning.
“Ride me.”
Our combined moans floated in the air, echoing across the valley as she took me inch by God-blessed inch. Nothing had ever felt more perfect, more right, than being inside her. We moved as one, my hips snapped upward with every downward slide she made. She set a wicked pace, rising and lowering, over and over.
“Get there, Lanie,” I grunted. “Fuck. Get there fast.”
Her nails dug into the skin of my back, leaving a mark of her own, as I grabbed her hips, holding her steady as I rammed into her from below. Once. Twice. On the third, she let out a deep moan, throwing her head back as she crested the wave of pleasure and I followed right behind.
Moving was inconsequential as long as Lanie’s naked body was curled against my chest. Thanks to the heat of the sun, our skin was mostly dry after our water adventure, but I was in no rush to get back to reality. Not when reality included assassins, the Bratva, and a damn yurt, but my girl had other ideas.
“We should get dressed and start back,” Lanie muttered. “It’ll take a few hours and we don’t want to get caught in the dark.”
“Would it be so bad to stay out here?”
“Noah.” She got up on an elbow, looking down at me with a crooked smile. “I love you, but you wouldn’t survive a day living in the middle of nowhere. Besides, I think we scared the wildlife enough with our earlier performance.”
“Say it again.”
Her smile widened as she bent forward, punctuating each word with a soft, too brief kiss.
“I. Love. You. Noah Anderson.”
On the last one, I threaded my fingers through her damp hair and held her against my lips a few beats longer, breathing her in.
“I more than love you, Alaina Biggs.”
This beautiful woman was both my beginning and my ending; the very reason my heart continued to beat. It made me sick to think about how close we’d come to missing out on a lifetime together. Never again. There was a long and winding road ahead of us, but we’d have our happy ending, even if I had to fight the world to get us there.
The sun was partially behind the mountains by the time we began the short trek back to where we’d left the horses. Hand in hand, we navigated the trail, stopping briefly to relieve ourselves behind a group of bushes. It was a first for me—peeing outdoors—which led to Lanie barking out a laugh when I told her. I had a feeling it wasn’t the last first I’d experience with her at my side, and I couldn’t wait for them all.
Whiskey and Smoke were grazing on a small patch of grass, exactly where we’d left them. They lifted their heads as we approached, then something seemed to shift in their demeanor. Lanie saw it too. She grabbed my forearm, but before either of us could say anything, I heard it.
CRACK .
Lanie smashed into me, taking us both to the ground at the same time my brain registered the sound. Gunshot. More precisely, a rifle shot. Several things happened simultaneously. The horses went crazy, rearing back on their hind legs, whinnying frantically, while the two of us scrambled to our feet and took off for the nearest tree line. Another round went off right as we slid to a stop behind a large oak, sending slivers of bark flying in all directions.
We both tore the backpacks off our shoulders and hurriedly searched for our weapons inside. I racked the slide of my Glock when I heard Lanie hiss in pain.
“Lanie?”
Her fingertips pressed into her left side, and when she pulled them away, they were red.
“Motherfucker.”