CHAPTER THIRTEEN
“Everything okay?” he asked as the last lamp was lit.
“Yes. Yes, everything is good. She just wanted to be sure I was okay and safe. I guess I need to get a new phone,” she said.
“We’ll get you a new one when we get home. But I am curious why we didn’t know yours was off-line if they destroyed it,” said Joey.
“Oh, well, I guess I need to confess to the tech boys that I figured out a way to transfer the signal to a laptop and make it look like it was still running. It was stupid, I know. I just didn’t want them to randomly check on me and see that I was in a strip club.”
Joey frowned at her, taking a seat in front of her.
“What about the trackers? You’re still wearing the bracelet.” She reached beneath the bangle and pulled a small round metal object. “A magnet?”
“Yes. It interferes in the signal as well. I discovered that by accident. I couldn’t get it off, which is obviously the point. But I also just couldn’t take the chance that they would follow me.”
“Marissa,” he said shaking his head, “do you have any idea how dangerous that was? Do you understand that we use these devices to keep you safe, to keep us all safe?”
“I know,” she nodded. “I let my humiliation and fear take over. I’m a grown woman and I was terrified to talk to my parents. Honestly, I wasn’t having great conversations with them before then. I wanted to come home but I was too proud to admit that I missed everyone.”
“I don’t get it. I don’t remember you being this stubborn as a kid. What changed for you?” he frowned.
“You’re an only child, right?”
“You know I am.”
“Well, imagine not only having two individuals who are nearly identical to you, but also excel at what they’re doing.
Brooks and Mitchell are Navy SEALs. SEALs for God’s sake.
And they excel at it. They were popular in high school, they made amazing grades, they joined the Navy, made the SEAL teams, and in all of that still got their degrees with honors. ”
“Marissa, you were on the dean’s list at Duke. That’s nothing to sneeze at, honey. That can’t be all of it.”
“It’s not. I think because my brothers and all my cousins seemed to know exactly what they were doing, my parents expected the same from me. But I wasn’t sure. The only reason I pursued chemistry was that it was easy for me and my professor thought it was a smart move.”
“So, you don’t want to be a chemist?” he asked frowning at her.
“No. I mean, yes, I do. Now, I do. I figured out a few things along the way. I think what it came down to was that I wanted space and I wasn’t ever given space at home. I needed to figure things out for myself and everyone was trying to tell me what to do.”
“Because they love you, Marissa. That’s what parents do. Hell, I can tell you that Mom and Dad definitely told me what to do more than a few times. When I decided I would become a Ranger, they were surprised. They thought I would become a SEAL.”
“Why?”
“Because I was a great swimmer,” he chuckled. “But they asked me a lot of questions, made sure I had good responses and left me alone. I can’t imagine that your parents didn’t do the same for you.”
He held her hands in his own, rubbing his big thumbs over her soft flesh. She nodded at him.
“You’re right. I’m such an idiot. I thought they were being invasive and getting into my business.”
“Honey, that’s what our family does. We get in one another’s business.
Do you know,” he said, leaning back on the big iron headboard, pulling her to lay beside him, “did you know that every time I came home I tried to find out about you? I knew that I was stationed just a few hours at most, away from you but I was terrified to just drive over and say hello.”
“Why? Even if I had no romantic feelings for you, we grew up together.”
“I know. But that was my fear. What if you had no romantic feelings for me?”
“Impossible,” she said looking up at him. “You are everything to me, Joey. Everything and I regret so many things but mostly that I didn’t tell you sooner.”
He reached down and kissed her, his hand riding up her side to feel the flesh beneath her sweater. Marissa rolled right, straddling his thighs as she pulled the sweater over her head. His fingers traced the valley of her cleavage and he marveled at the goosebumps appearing on her flesh.
Reaching behind her, she unhooked her bra, allowing her breasts to fall freely. They were round, full, with big pink nipples erect, begging for his tongue.
Joey pushed her to the mattress, shoving her pants down, tossing them aside as he stripped. The tuft of blonde hair between her legs glistened in the firelight, the scent of her sex filling his nostrils.
“You’re exactly as I imagined,” she whispered, her fingers gliding down his thick cock. “I need you.”
“I need you too, babe. I don’t have a condom.”
“I’m clean and I haven’t had sex with anyone in three years. I’m on the patch as well.” He nodded, opening her legs wide as he suckled her nipples, her body so responsive it was making his head spin.
She gripped his cock, gently pulling him toward her opening. As she aligned the fat head to her lips, he slowly moved forward, pushing into her until she stretched around him.
“Fuck me, you’re tight,” he moaned.
“No, you’re just big,” she grinned.
He covered her mouth with his, rocking in and out as she rose to meet him with each thrust. Wrapping her legs around his buttocks, she used her own leverage and long, lean muscles to manipulate his body.
“Suck my nipples again,” she begged. He was happy to comply, watching her edge closer to heaven. “Joey!”
Her cries signaled to him that she was at the precipice and he was right there with her. Picking up speed, she cried out, arching her back as he slammed into her mercilessly.
As he slowed, their bodies sated, she surprised him by kneeling between his legs and taking him into her mouth. She tasted him, them, and brought him back to a hardened state immediately.
Turning, she kneeled before him and he knew what she wanted. Taking her from behind, his long arms reached around, between their bodies and played her with swollen clit sending her over the edge again and again.
Joey couldn’t recall how many times he’d orgasmed, but he knew it was at least four. He looked at his phone, hoping to see a message from the others but there was nothing yet.
As if sending a mind signal, a text popped through and he knew they had news for him.
Autumn on her way with Chipper. Meet at the following coordinates 0614.
He texted back that he understood the message and set the alarm for 0500. It seemed he’d only just closed his eyes when the phone vibrated, indicating it was time.
“Babe?” he whispered.
“Hmmm? Again so soon,” she smirked. He chuckled.
“I wish. No time, honey. We have to go. Our ride is over the ridge and we need to meet them there.”
“But it’s still snowing and we have all this food. The storm hasn’t blown over,” she frowned.
“Now is the time to leave. The next guests can have the food. If anyone knows where we are, they won’t think we’ll move in the storm. Let’s go honey. Dress warm, it will be a little walk.”
Joey lied. It was a solid thirty minutes of walking and not easy walking either. Marissa considered herself in good shape but she was breathing like a three-pack-a-day smoker.
“Why is this so hard?” she asked breathlessly.
“Well, it’s cold, the air is thinner because of the altitude, and we’re also anxious.” Looking down at his phone, he nodded up ahead.
Sure enough, in a flat open field, where there was once nothing, was now the Osprey.
“I guess that’s our ride,” she said.
“Why so sad?” he asked.
“Will anything change? Between you and me?” she asked.
“Yes,” he smiled. “You’re going to marry me.”