Chapter 18 #3
So she shut her eyes. And kept going, tugging the thin material down.
And when his hand closed around her wrist, there was no force in it. Then his fingers slid between hers, and in that quiet answer, she leaned in, bridging the space between them.
He hovered unmoving against her lips. One heartbeat. Then another. Then his mouth brushed hers, barely there, but enough for her to feel the shape of it.
She met it slowly, lips parting to catch his lower lip between her teeth, teasing before letting go.
That did it.
His hand fisted in her hair, pulling her in as his mouth crashed over hers this time, deep and hungry. Her hips rolled in response, and he answered—cock rocking slow and thick along her soaked center.
She gasped, and he swallowed it whole, hand curling tighter at her neck.
Stars above—why were there still clothes between them? She ground harder, chasing the pressure, but it wasn’t enough. Not even close.
One of her hands snaked down between them, fingers searching for the opening to his pants, desperate to release him. Her other hand braced against the ground, steadying her body, her lips locked with his, unwilling to release his lips or open her eyes.
“Damn it,” she snarled, fumbling with the ties before growling and tearing at the seams.
Finally. She yanked his pants open and wrapped her hand around him—heavy, pulsing, and already wet at the tip. Her other hand shoved at her waistband, forcing the fabric down over her hips. Almost there—
Until his hands caught her waist, pushing her just far enough to break the kiss.
“Wait.” His voice was rough. “I can’t believe I’m about to ask this, because…Great Phoenix, woman…I think I’d do anything for you right now. Anything to feel you…” His words trailed off as his hand traced her cheek. “Fuck, just…look at me.”
“But the mask.” The words slipped out jagged. What is he doing? Why is he stopping?
“Screw the mask. You’ve got my cock in your hand.”
A slow smile spread across her face as she realized she did, in fact, still have that beautiful manhood throbbing within her grasp.
She opened her eyes.
The headband continued to hide part of his face, but the rest revealed a strong jaw, high cheekbones, and full lips still parted from the kiss.
There was a wildness in him—something intense, almost amused—but it didn’t soften him.
If anything, it made him unfairly handsome in that way that caught you off guard and didn’t let go.
“Okay.” His jaw tightened, the muscles flexing beneath his skin, though his posture remained rigid, controlled. “Are you sure you want to do this? Here? Now?”
Did he not? A flush crept up her neck.
“I’m trying to be a gentleman here,” he coughed as if the idea was ludicrous.
Aimee glanced down at herself—pants halfway off, his dick in her hand—and snorted. “A gentleman.”
“I might be a little late in this attempt.”
She leaned in, her hips lifting to hover over where she held him. The man was insane if he thought…
“Should I just go, then?” She asked, lowering just a fraction of an inch so the soft, silky head of him teased her entrance, and began slowly moving him in tight circles between her thighs.
He hissed through his teeth at the contact, bucking beneath her.
Then he sat up, growling as his hands locked on her hips, and in a single twist, flipped them both.
Her back hit the ground with a thud, and he came down over her, now fully in control. She opened her mouth, some witty comeback on the tip of her tongue—
He drove into her before she could speak, driving any semblance of coherent thought clear from her mind.
Holy fuck. Holy fuck. Her mouth opened in a small ‘o’ as he pushed his way forward and back with a delicious side-to-side motion, massaging the most sensitive parts of her.
It didn’t last long at that point. The build-up had been too intense, too perfect. The weight of his body on her, the taste of his mouth on hers…that glorious fucking cock working miracles between her legs…
With each stroke, her insides clenched, and that hazy buzzing in her skull signaled bliss was near. And when it hit, her body clenched hard around him, ripping a groan from his lips as his hips jerked without control and he spilled into her, wet and hot.
Air filled her lungs too fast, too shallow as she blinked up at him, hovering above her, arms locked, chest heaving.
He trembled with the effort to hold himself there, loose strands of hair clinging to the sweat along his face. And for a moment, he looked just as wrecked as she felt. Then he let out a raw, broken exhale and dropped beside her, rolling onto his back, chest rising fast.
What the hell just happened? Her mouth opened and closed on empty words.
The world felt distant as a cool night breeze licked across damp skin, her pulse drumming through every inch of her. Her pants remained tangled halfway down her thighs, but she couldn’t bring herself to move just yet.
A quiet sound—half a chuckle, half a sigh—drew her gaze left.
She tugged her pants back up, fingers tight with aftershock, and turned to find him lying on his side, head propped in one hand.
A faint smile played at his lips, and his eyes met hers for a beat—soft, unreadable, maybe even tender.
Then he looked away, leaning in without a word to press a light, almost questioning kiss to her forehead.
But before the smile could form on her lips, his mask was back in place, and the moment vanished with it.
Unsure how to process the whirlwind of shit coursing through her, Aimee pushed herself upright, settling into a cross-legged position. He mirrored her, sitting up with quiet grace as her heartbeat finally steadied.
“So... uhh...” he began, scratching the back of his head.
“I don’t know about you, but my mind is officially cleared,” she said, trying not to grin too hard. “Thanks for that.”
“Agreed. I suddenly feel ready to take on anything.” The sound of his voice sent a pleasant shiver down her spine.
She rolled her eyes. “Well, I hope tomorrow is everything you want it to be.”
“You too, mysterious hilltop woman,” he replied, pressing his palms to his thighs as he rose smoothly to his feet. He glanced toward the horizon, where the first hints of dawn began to color the sky. “Looks like we’ll both find out soon enough what the day has in store.”
Aimee followed his gaze, watching the sky brighten.
Was it just a coincidence? Or a sign of something brightening in her future.
She stood, brushing the dirt from her clothes and hair, and asked, “Why do you wear the mask, anyway? Even in your own village?”
He gave her a sideways glance and a playful wink. “Maybe I’ll tell you if we ever meet again.”
And with that, he vanished in a classic ninja exit, leaving her standing alone to face the rising sun.
“Right.” She shook her head and began the long walk back to the village, wondering if she had time for a quick shower before heading to the headquarters for team assignments.
She should have been annoyed—after all, they’d clearly spent so much time carefully selecting the members of each four-man team, only to throw her onto this one at the last minute.
We weren’t sure where to put you, Aimee, and the Hi Seishō couldn’t make a decision before this morning. Harato-Sensei’s explanation echoed hollowly in her mind.
“This is the best team ever!” Taiga’s excited voice snapped her from her thoughts. She turned to see him practically tripping over himself, eyes wide with enthusiasm as he looked at the other girl assigned to their team. “Right, Momoka?”
Aimee’s mouth tugged into a grin as Momoka gave a half-hearted nod, barely paying attention, her gaze fixed on the final member of their team.
Iruka, a small and moody boy, was another orphan like Taiga.
But that was the only similarity between them.
Where Taiga was loud and chaotic, Iruka was serious, quiet, and undeniably talented. At least for a fourteen-year-old.
“Right, Aimee?!” Taiga’s voice cut through again, clearly needing someone, anyone, to acknowledge him.
“Yeah, dude. Best team ever.” She smiled, reaching over to give him a fist bump.
“Well, except for Iruka, anyway,” Taiga added in a loud whisper, leaning closer as if sharing a great secret. “He’s definitely going to drag us all down. I’ll probably have to save him on every mission.”
Iruka, having overheard, simply turned to stare out the window, ignoring Taiga’s dramatic commentary.
“Definitely the weakest link,” Taiga muttered under, glaring at the boy.
“Taiga.” Aimee rolled her eyes.
They both knew Iruka was one of the most talented students in their class. Truthfully, though, she was having a hard time focusing on the present. Her mind kept drifting back to the night before, images flashing uninvited through her thoughts, sending waves of heat rising to her cheeks.
“Anyway,” Taiga pressed on, undeterred. “I just hope this Kiba guy is as good as they say. The last thing we need is a dud Squad Leader.”
“Taiga!” Momoka huffed, finally tearing her gaze away from Iruka to cross her arms. “Kiba-Sensei is supposed to be amazing. We’re lucky to have him. And some of us are actually here to learn.”
“Amazing, huh?” Taiga glanced up at the 'trap' he’d set in the doorway. “We’ll see about that.”
“He better not fail us for that,” Momoka grumbled before turning her eyes back to Iruka, effectively dismissing Taiga’s antics.
Aimee was about to say something when the sound of the doorknob turning caught their attention. Taiga practically vibrated with anticipation, while Momoka and Iruka straightened in their seats.
As the door creaked open, a shinobi in dark, form-fitting layers with a high-collared tunic and bracers stepped through.
He paused, scanning the room, his eyes sweeping over them before freezing the moment they landed on Aimee.
Time seemed to halt for just a second, long enough for the basket of trash Taiga had rigged to come loose and rain down.
“Gotcha!” Taiga exploded from his chair, laughing wildly. “So amazing, huh?!”
“Fuck.” Aimee's heart skipped a beat, and she swallowed hard, watching as her handsome stranger, now picking empty sweet wrappers from his silver hair, stepped fully into the room.
“Wolf Squad, I presume?” His familiar voice addressed them. “I am Ro Kiba. You must be Iruka, Momoka, Taiga,” he looked at each of the other Tanshi before turning to her. “And our unexpected addition…Aimee.”