16. Tier 2 Reality #2
Jan carefully lifts him free and passes him across.
Destiny settles him against her, stroking one finger over his narrow head while he sniffs at her collar and tries to burrow into her jacket.
"You'd disappear in there if she let you," Angus tells him.
Destiny smiles and tucks him closer.
"He can stay as long as he likes."
Faris seems perfectly happy with that arrangement.
It's the most ordinary afternoon we've had in months. Maybe longer.
For a few precious minutes, we're just friends sharing a Saturday together.
Then it's time to ride home.
I zip my jacket, feeling the familiar weight beneath it before I swing onto the Harley.
The ride still brings freedom.
It just isn't free anymore.
Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco, California. 1645 hours.
The afternoon sun hangs low over the Pacific as we head south.
The bridge rises ahead of us, its towers glowing orange against a sky streaked with gold. Angus glances back once before rolling on the throttle.
We follow.
Three Harleys sweep onto the bridge, the cables stretching high above us, the bay glittering beneath. The wind catches my jacket. Jan turns her helmet toward me for a heartbeat before looking back to the road.
There's no destination now. Just the ride. For one beautiful mile, there isn't a Legacy family waiting to be dismantled. There isn't another briefing. Another safe house. Or a threat assessment.
We're simply friends on motorcycles crossing one of the most beautiful bridges in the world together.
The moment passes almost as quickly as it arrives. The bridge gives way to city streets. Traffic thickens. The spell breaks. Life resumes.
We split from Angus and Destiny with a wave at the next set of lights before heading home. By the time we step through the front door, we're wind-burned, tired, and still smiling.
Jan drops her helmet onto the hall table and pulls Faris out of her jacket and places him on the floor. He takes off investigating his favorite spots for snacks.
She smiles and draws me into a kiss before either of us says a word.
"You needed today," she murmurs.
"So did you."
"I did."
I brush a strand of hair behind her ear, breathing in the familiar scent of salt air still clinging to it from the bay.
She smiles up at me.
"I love you."
"I know."
"I wasn't finished."
I laugh softly.
"I love you too, sweetheart."
Her fingers lace through mine as we walk toward our bedroom.
Her hand slides down my chest as the bedroom door swings half closed behind us, her palm warm through the fabric of my shirt. I back her toward the mattress until the backs of her legs hit the frame, pulling her down with me as we tumble onto the soft duvet.
We don't take our clothes off.
Not yet.
I pull her against me, her body settling beneath mine as I press my lips to hers. She tastes like the salt air from the bay and beer, her mouth opening to mine. My hands slide down her back, gripping her waist and drawing her flush against me.
Her fingers tangle in my hair, tugging lightly as the kiss deepens into something desperate and needy.
She touches me through my jeans until I'm hard.
I cup her pussy in my palm, feeling the heat radiating from her.
She arches into my touch, her legs parting naturally as I grab her ass and pull her closer.
"Steve," she breathes against my lips, her hands moving to my shirt and tugging hard at my collar. "Too many clothes."
I don't wait. I sit back on my heels and tear my shirt over my head, tossing it onto the floor.
Jan's already kicking off her socks, her hands working fast at her belt buckle.
I reach out to help, our fingers tangling as we yank her jeans down her thighs and kick them free.
Her lace underwear follows, landing beside the rest of our clothes.
She rolls onto her hands and knees before I even have my briefs off, her back arching, her blond hair spilling forward as she looks back at me over her shoulder. The sight of her, fair skin against the dark sheets, unhurried and completely mine, wipes out every shred of control I have left.
I shed the rest of my clothes, dropping to my knees behind her. My hands slide over the smooth curve of her lower back, trailing down to grip the full weight of her butt, pulling her back against my thighs.
"You're beautiful," I murmur, my voice rough as I align myself against her wet pussy.
She gasps when I push forward, entering her in one smooth stroke. Her fingers grip the sheets, a soft moan escaping as I fill her completely. I hold still for a single heartbeat, savoring the tight, hot swallow of her body before settling into a steady rhythm.
My palms stay fixed on her hips, guiding her back to meet every deep thrust. The sound of our bodies meeting, paired with her broken breaths, fills the quiet room. I reach one hand around her waist, my fingers sweeping over her stomach and dipping between her thighs to find her sensitive bud.
"Right there," she gasps, her spine flexing as she pushes back harder against me. "Yes, Steve, don't stop."
I don't. I quicken the pace, driving into her deep and fast while my fingers circle. She tightens around me instantly, her inner walls rippling in a powerful wave that sends a shock through my spine. She cries out my name, her body trembling from head to toe as her orgasm takes her.
Before the last pulse of her climax fades, I hook my arms beneath her waist and flip her onto her back.
Her eyes fly open, dark and dilated, her chest heaving as I part her legs and press right back inside her without giving either of us a chance to catch our breath. She gasps at the sudden fullness, her ankles locking around the backs of my thighs to hold me close.
"Round two," she whispers, a smile tugging at her lips.
"Round two," I confirm, leaning down to capture her mouth in a deep, filthy kiss while my lower half takes over.
There's no patience left in the room. I ride her hard, every stroke deep and precise. Her hands slide up my chest, her fingernails digging into my back as she matches my tempo stroke for stroke. She grabs my butt tightly, then gives one cheek a playful slap.
"Ooh, you wanna play, do you?" I ask.
"No. That's just for when you're naughty later," she laughs.
I thrust harder, and she's getting close again almost immediately, her head rolling back into the pillow as her breath comes in short, ragged hitches. I shift my weight, driving deeper, lifting her leg higher against my side to open her completely.
"Steve... now," she begs, her hips lifting to meet me.
Her muscles contract around me again, tight and pulsing, dragging her into a second, deeper climax. The sight of her coming undone beneath me breaks whatever control I have left. I drive into her twice more, deep and heavy, burying myself as far as I can go as my own release snaps.
I pour myself into her, my head dropping into the crook of her neck, my pulse hammering in my ears while the world shrinks to the two of us coming together.
Later, she falls asleep with her head resting against my shoulder.
The house is quiet. Faris sleeps in his little sleeping bag beside the bed. The city carries on beyond our windows.
Tomorrow we'll return to the investigation. Tomorrow there'll be meetings, reports, security reviews, and another Legacy family waiting for us.
But tonight, with the doors locked and her hair still smelling of the bay, I let myself forget all of it.
And just love the woman who chose this life with me.