Chapter 15
Days crept past. The Littles had enjoyed one weekend sleepover and had met last night for nachos and margaritas. While she enjoyed getting together, Saylor’s thoughts focused on Max. How could she miss someone so much? In a short time, he’d weaved himself into her heart.
Today after teaching her morning class, she’d spent the afternoon at her condo, gathering a few things and cleaning the dust from all the surfaces.
She’d already trashed all the fresh food in her refrigerator, but she had some favorite snacks in the cabinets.
Packing those in a bag, she’d loaded her car with some additional clothing.
Max had already cleaned out some drawers for her things.
They hadn’t talked about her moving in permanently, but Saylor knew Max would welcome her presence.
He was the first man she’d ever met that wanted to spend all his free time with her.
Sure, they did things with friends too, but together.
He didn’t want to play video games online all night. Max focused completely on her.
When she arrived back at his house, a man pushed a lawnmower across the yard. When Saylor waved, he stopped and headed over to talk to her.
“Hi, ma’am. I’m Joe. I live over there.” He pointed to a tidy house two down from Max’s. “Three of us swap lawn care when we’re deployed. What’s your name?”
“Hi, Joe. I’m Saylor. I’m Max’s…” she hesitated a moment before finishing with, “girlfriend.”
“Hi, Saylor. Max said you’d be here.”
“Did you hear from him?” she asked eagerly.
“He’d updated the group a couple of weeks ago. If you get lonely, my wife Susie is at home with our three kids most days. Stop and have a cookie with the mob.”
“Thank you, Joe. I’m lucky that I have work and Max’s team’s girlfriends to keep me busy.”
“That team is super tight. I’m glad you’ve got support. Susie struggles when I’m gone. Three kids keep her distracted, thank goodness, but she’s always ready for adult conversation.” Joe said those last two words like they were in quote marks. Obviously, Susie repeated that phrase often.
“I understand. Thank you. I’ll try to stop by and introduce myself. Thank you for mowing.”
“No problem. We take care of our own. Let me know if you need anything,” Joe said and headed back to the mower.
By the time she’d finished carrying her things inside, Joe had finished and gone home. Max had told him she’d be there. She wrapped her arms around herself and squeezed. Max took care of her even when he was heaven knows where.
Now with the evening stretching in front of her, Saylor missed him. “Okay. Time to distract myself,” she announced to Tapper. The octopus agreed immediately.
She wandered down the hallway and stopped at a closed door. Saylor had never seen in that room. Twisting the handle, she pushed the door open and stepped inside. The walls were painted a beautiful, deep blue color that made her feel like she’d dived into a pool or gone scuba diving.
Several large boxes leaned against one wall. Saylor wandered over to see what they were. The picture on the front of one showed a crib with beautifully curved wooden rails. She sat down hard on the floor and read the box carefully. Adult-sized. Little World. Built for comfort.
This room would be her nursery. She scooted across the thick carpet to check out the next box. The picture showed a woman sitting on a man’s lap in a wooden rocker that matched the crib. A reminder in a bright red square said, “Don’t forget the padding for comfort.”
A bit of plastic bag showed behind the large box. Saylor peeked and found a clear package that contained cushions with a repeating pattern of adorable underwater creatures. Tracing the octopus, Saylor wiggled with happiness. Just wait until Tapper saw it!
Deciding she couldn’t wait, Saylor jumped to her feet and raced toward the door. A shimmer of silver stopped her. She backed up and looked carefully at the wall. Something was there. Moving closer, she scanned the paint for the faintest trace of pencil.
What was that? Max had drawn a figure. She shook her head as she solved the mystery when her gaze reached the bottom and spotted a tail—a mermaid.
Smiling widely, Saylor scanned up the body.
Now that she recognized what she was looking at, she could see the seashell bra, a crown, and what had to be a pearl necklace.
Freezing, she stared at the face. It was her.
He’d captured a look of happiness on her features that illustrated how talented he was.
The art teacher inside Saylor celebrated his skill and hoped she’d helped him at least a bit in her classes.
Each week, she’d seen his talent grow. He absorbed every new bit of information she shared like a sponge.
The type of student teachers dream of having in class.
The little girl inside her celebrated in an entirely different way. She ran for her phone and took a picture. Finding the right angle to capture the drawing was tricky. She’d almost given up when she snapped a good one.
Saylor sank to the carpet, staring at the artwork. He’d made her a mermaid for her nursery. Her nursery. He’d created this for her. Not for the little girl he hoped to meet someday. Max had waited until he’d found her to decide what to do in here.
Wanting to make this room part of him as well, Saylor scanned the space.
She turned her back to the mermaid and decided on the wall space directly across from the mermaid.
That spot was next to the closet. An idea popped into mind.
Rising to her feet, Saylor dashed to grab a pencil from the box of art supplies she’d brought from her condo.
She worked feverishly to capture the way Max looked at her.
When a shiver of delight ran down her spine, Saylor knew she couldn’t change a thing.
The house was completely dark except for the overhead light in her nursery.
She stood back to study her work. Max, the merman, leaned against the closet trim.
His arms crossed over his broad, manly chest. Those thick, muscular thighs she delighted in sitting on formed a powerful tail.
Picturing it in her mind, Saylor knew immediately how she needed to paint Max.
On a whim, she added one more figure to the wall.
Tapper waved his tentacles to Saylor’s mermaid across the room as he whispered to her daddy.
Together, the decorations would be absolutely enchanting.
Saylor spun in a circle, dancing with happiness.
“Just what I hoped to find. My little girl feeling better.” Max’s deep voice wrapped around her as Saylor skidded to a stop.
“Daddy!” She ran toward him and leapt into his arms to scatter kisses all over him. About four kisses in, his body odor registered on her. Pinching her nose, she couldn’t stop the “Ewww!”
“Baby girl, I’m surprised you didn’t smell me when I got out of Hank’s truck in the driveway.
Let’s go get me clean. These clothes need about four trips through the washing machine.
” He set her feet gently down on the carpet.
“I thought about hosing myself off in the yard, but I couldn’t wait to see you. ”
“You’re okay, Daddy. I’m sorry.” She let go of her nose and immediately clamped it again as her eyes watered.
“You should have smelled six of us in the transport helicopter. The pilot threatened to drop us in the ocean.”
“He wouldn’t have!” Saylor protested, absolutely appalled.
“No, baby. He wouldn’t do that. He is probably still flying around with the doors open to air it out. Come with me.”
Max led her to the laundry room, and he stripped off his fatigues, T-shirt, and socks. Quickly, he poured a lot of soap into the machine and set it on the hottest, longest cycle. “Me, next.”
Walking into the shower, he turned on the water. When she pulled her shirt over her head, he instructed, “Stay out here for a minute, baby. I don’t want to splash you with dirty water. I’m sorry, I should have showered on base, but I wanted to get home to you.”
“No way,” she said, frowning at him. “Don’t waste a minute that we have together.”
“That was my thought too.” He winked at her as he stepped into the water. As the liquid coated his skin, the dirt and perspiration turned darker and the tiled floor became gray. Max grabbed soap and rubbed it over him, taking the top layer of grime off. He even rubbed the lather through his hair.
Unable to stay away anymore, Saylor reached behind her and unfastened her bra. A primal growl rolled from Max’s throat. His hand squeezed tight around the shower wand as his eyes devoured her.
“Little girl,” he started and his jaw snapped closed as she ran her fingers between her breasts downward to the waistband of her jeans. As she popped open the button, she watched his erection jerk.
“I’m not pleasant company, Saylor,” he warned.
“If I wanted kindness, I’d go to see my grandmother.” Saylor pushed her jeans and panties over her hips. When they dropped to the floor, she stepped out of the last of her garments and kicked them out of the way.
As she walked forward, Max cautioned, “I’m not in total control, baby. I missed you too much. I’ve missed too much sleep.”
She couldn’t imagine what he and his team had survived.
Obviously, down time to get cleaned up hadn’t existed.
Now he admitted a lack of rest. She’d known his job was tough and dangerous.
While he told her only the most superficial level of information, simply spending time with him had opened her eyes to the peril his team survived with each deployment.
“I need you as much as you need me. You’re not going to hurt me.” She stalked forward and ducked around him to wash his back, scratching her fingernails lightly over his skin like a scouring pad.
“Damn, little girl. That feels amazing.”
“Good. Get clean.”
“So bossy,” he smirked over his shoulder at her.
“Mmm-hmm,” she agreed with him as she stroked lather over his body. Scrapes and gouges oozed as she washed the dirt away. She wanted to press kisses to each of them, but didn’t wish to push him too far. For his health, he needed to get cleaned up.
Lowering herself to her knees, she spread the silky bodywash over his legs and feet. Max turned around and found her kneeling in front of him. She saw him look up as if struggling for control, his hands curling into fists at his sides.
Completely unafraid, Saylor rose to her feet. She wrapped an arm over his shoulders and pressed herself against him. Max snapped his head down to stare into her eyes. “Daddy. I need you. Now.”
A roar burst from him as Max lifted her off her feet.
He spun around to brace her against the tile wall.
He captured her lips and kissed her as if his very life depended on the exchange.
Saylor met his mouth, striving to answer his need with her own.
Clinging to his powerful form, Saylor pushed away all thoughts other than her focus on Max.
Max stroked his hands down her ribcage. His hands tightened around her waist. Sensing he struggled for control, Saylor tore her mouth from his. “Touch me, Daddy. I’ve missed you so much.”
Immediately, Max raised his hands to cup her breasts. Saylor arched backward, pressing her head against the tile to present herself to him. Max buried his face in the curve of her neck. His kisses and love nips thrilled her as his fingers caressed her.
Abandoning herself to his sensual web, Saylor ground her pelvis against him. She wouldn’t hide her desire from him. “Please,” she said.
“Condom, little girl. We’ve got to get out of here.”
“No, we don’t, Daddy.” She reached to the shelf holding shampoo bottles. Grabbing one of the small packets she’d stashed there earlier, Saylor waved the protection at him.
“Okay, that gets you ice cream after dinner,” he growled, confiscating it. He bit down on the corner as he stroked down her body. “Let’s make sure you’re ready for me, baby.”
“I am,” she rushed to assure him.
Max didn’t take her word for it. He brushed his fingers along the side of one of her breasts before rubbing his thumb over her nipple.
She gasped as the sensations zinged to her core, building the heat inside her.
He glided his other hand over her smooth mound and traced her cleft.
Saylor tilted her hips, trying to guide his touch.
“Daddy’s in charge, little girl. I can feel how excited you are. Did you miss me?” he asked, dipping his fingers into her pink folds.
“So much, Daddy. I need you.”
“I need you, baby.”
Before she could say another word, Max lifted her from his knee, turned her toward the wall, and pressed her chest against the cool tiles. She shivered as her nipples touched the cold surface at the same time the need burned inside her. The rip of the crinkly packet made her smile.
She spread her legs apart, making room for him to step between her legs. “Good girl,” he praised her.
A few seconds later, his cock pressed at her drenched entrance. In one thrust, Max filled her. The sensations overwhelmed her. Saylor reached back to grab his waist. “More,” she begged when he hesitated.
Max rubbed his whiskers over her shoulder and the curve of her neck. “Brace yourself, baby.”
She pressed her forearms against the tile as he withdrew and slammed himself back fully inside her. Over and over, he thrust his thick shaft into her. He reached a hand around her to caress her clit.
“I may not let you out of this house for days, little girl,” he warned her before closing his teeth on her shoulder.
She closed her eyes, concentrating on the sensations he lavished on her.
The tile warmed against her as the shower spray pelted into his skin and ricocheted onto her.
His cock stretched her and glided over trigger points inside her that made her knees weak.
She lifted her ass, changing the angle slightly.
Gasping at the pleasure, she struggled to wait for him.
“Come, little girl. Come now!”
Unable to resist his command, Saylor met his next thrust and felt the climax crash over her. His shout filled the shower, echoing off the hard surfaces. His movements quickened, extending and deepening her orgasm until her knees buckled.
Max’s arm tightened around her waist, supporting her as he slowed. “Baby, I’m so glad to be home.”
Saylor nodded, overwhelmed by emotion. When he pulled from her body, she turned in his arms and lifted her face to invite his kiss. “I love you, Daddy.”
“And I love you, baby. Forever and ever.”