I raised the bottle to my crossing eyes to read the label when I heard the sound of a thud above me. Pausing with the bottle still held aloft, my ears strained to hear to noise again. Toto was getting old. Maybe he’d tripped. But he was too small to make a noise loud enough for me to hear down here.
Dorothy, girl, you’ve had too much to drink.
I didn’t want to ruin my shoes, so I hid them under a loose floorboard. They really were the nicest things I’d ever owned. Maybe it would be wrong of me to keep them, but I couldn’t say no. They were just too gorgeous. Besides, it would be rude.
Or at least that’s what I told myself.
It certainly wasn’t because Henry had gotten them especially for me.
I held the bottle by the neck and began the slow, careful climb back up the stairs, careful not to trip.
I snagged another wineglass from the kitchen on my way back to the living room. All the while I was telling myself I should give Henry an excuse that I was too tired and go back up to my room where I couldn’t smell his cologne or get butterflies when he smiled at me. Despite my pep talk, that was not what I did.
I wish I had.
When I entered the living room, the first thing I noticed was blood. The second was that Toto and Henry were nowhere to be found. At first, I didn’t think it was blood. Maybe Henry had gotten impatient and got a bottle of red from the fridge upstairs and spilled some. Surely, he’d be back with a cloth to clean it up soon. Toto, who always loved Henry, had probably followed him.
I dismissed the sense of unease that crept over me as silliness and too much alcohol. Nothing too wild ever happened in Kansas.
While I waited for him to return, I poured a glass for myself and sipped. Just a little because I’d clearly already had more than enough. The longer it took for Henry to return, the more unnerved I became. The house felt too big, too dark around me.
“Uncle Henry?” I called, my voice quavering with nerves.
No one answered.
Then, a car engine started outside. Was he going somewhere?
I looked out of the window and saw bright red taillights. But they were different from Henry’s truck. When I squinted, I realized they belonged to a car. Had Alice and the others come back for round two? Bolstered by the idea of my friends as a buffer in the empty-feeling, I hurried to the front door.
But the door was already open and there was a figure of a man standing just inside.
My feet carried me a step closer, thinking it was Henry standing there. But it was too late when I realized the figure in front of me wasn’t wearing the same slacks and button-up dress-shirt Henry had been. The person in front of me was wearing dark wash jeans and a hoodie.
Before I could say anything, he must have sensed my presence because he whirled around and in one movement, slammed my head against the door.
The last thing I remember was someone shouting something as I blacked out.
1
Dorothy
Six Months Ago
“Dorothy, you have to get out of bed,” Alice said. “It’s been months. You can’t keep going on like this.”
I pulled the blanket over my head to drown out her voice. We’d been doing the same thing on repeat ever since Uncle Henry went missing. Who was I to break tradition?
“C’mon, Dot. You’re scaring me.”
I wanted to go to her, wanted her comfort, but I couldn’t make myself leave the cocoon of my blankets. I didn’t seem to have the energy. What was the point?
Alice heaved a sigh and then said, “Fine. Be that way.” She hesitated, then added, “I’ll have my cell on me if you want to talk. One call and I’m there, you hear me?”
Then she left.
I felt a twinge of regret for treating her so callously, but I didn’t seem to have the energy for much more than wallowing.
In the six months since Henry’s disappearance, there had been no leads. Or at least that was what the cops told me every time I called them for an update. Except they’d stopped taking my calls around four months ago and referred me to an email that auto responded that it had received my inquiry and would get back to me when and if there were any recent developments.
They didn’t expect there to be.
Because they—and the rest of the world—was convinced Uncle Henry committed suicide.
DUSTCROPPER BITES THE DUST
HENRY AMBROSE MISSING—PRESUMED DEAD
Those were the headlines of local newspapers for weeks after Henry’s truck was found halfway submerged in the river that bordered the farm. As far as the cops were concerned, he’d driven it into the water himself after a night of drinking. Well, that and the fact that Aunt Emma had filed for divorce earlier that week—which he’d also forgotten to mention to me.
No one believed me when I said there had been another person that night. In truth, I think they thought I’d also had a little too much to drink after they learned it had been my twenty-first birthday and I’d spent the night partying. Traumatized, they called it. But really, they meant too drunk to function. They knew my mother and thought I was just a chip off the old block.
If it weren’t for Alice, I would have had to crawl back to Aunt Glinda’s after I failed my classes and lost my job at the florists. My boss didn’t take too kindly to my hounding the detectives on Henry’s case instead of working. Alice had graciously been able to pay for all the bills while I tried to get back on my feet.
It had been a slow process with more steps backward than forward.
I wished Toto was with me to keep me company. The worst part of having everyone believe I was either a drunk like my mother or crazy was not having Toto’s squishy little body curled up next to me. According to the police, he must have run away that night when the door open had been open. No trace of him had been found.
I’d stalked the local pet rescues and shelters for months and never saw a sign of him. He was simply gone.
I dozed off after Alice left as I normally did until the officers who worked Henry’s case came on duty mid-morning. They never answered my calls anymore, but I wasn’t going to give up. Someone had been there that night, and I wasn’t going to give up until someone believed me.
It wasn’t just for Henry; it was for me.
I knew what happened that night, and I was determined to prove it.
I woke with a start mid-morning as though someone had screamed in my ear. My heart pounded in my head, and my stomach revolted from lack of nourishment and a rush of adrenaline. I burst free from the blankets and fought until they were a heap at my feet. One hand pushed through my lank hair, and I fanned the cold sweat beading on my forehead with the other.
The dream was the same as it was every night since then. I remembered the thud above me as I got the wine from the cellar. The empty living room and the taillights from Henry’s truck. Being hit by the hooded figure.
But this time something was different.
This time, I remembered the shout before I’d been hit.
Whoever was there had shouted a name.
The name was Tin.
2
Tin
Present
The plane touched down on the slick runway, and I dashed to the front, wanting to be the first one to disembark. I had been trapped in that steel tube for what seemed like forever with my Teammates, not that they noticed—they were too busy fawning over this Goody Two-shoes professor, Snow. It was so pathetic—we were SEALs—we didn’t need to fight over the same woman. Good thing for them I wasn’t interested in Snow; she wasn’t my type. I liked kick-ass chicks, not damsels in distress, especially ones who spent the entire flight whining over their ex-boyfriend who was fucking their best friend.
Those seven jerks could go fuck themselves. Teammates, my ass. Their blind loyalty to each other was pathetic. Yes, we were Navy SEALs, Team Guys, Frogmen, but we were also individuals. I wasn’t afraid to stand up to my officer, or anyone for that matter, and do what was right. Being a Team guy had cost me every
thing I had ever cared about. And unlike any other job, I couldn’t just quit.
The truth was it wasn’t fair for me to blame them for what happened to my family. It wasn’t their fault. It wasn’t even my fault. But still, I blamed the military. I blamed the SEALs. If I had never joined the SEALs, my woman and my little girl would be alive today.
But at least, I wasn’t bound by the same rules as the rest of the squid in the Navy. As a special operator, I lived by special rules. I became a SEAL to break orders, not follow them.
The icy Arctic air blasted in my face as I stepped down the jetway. My skin became damp from a mixture of morning dew and snowflakes and my eyelashes frosted.
This would be a long six months. A mission in the Arctic—secure the northernmost base in the world. Protect this military installation from all enemies—terrorists and polar bears. There were twenty-four hours of sunlight in the summer and twenty-four hours of darkness in the winter. It was dead winter. As my instructor told me in BUD/S, say goodbye to the sun.
The rest of the bumbling idiots who were on my Team were fighting over who could carry Snow’s luggage. Fools. Women were only good for one thing—release. Wham, bam, thank you, ma’am. Some would call me a misogynist, but I was a realist. I’d never seen a relationship with a woman work in my entire life. And I sure as hell wouldn’t meet a good woman here, somewhere over the rainbow.
I grabbed my seabag and rushed inside the compound, grateful for the warm fire crackling. Before I could take in the lay of the land, a beautiful woman with dark hair tied into two pigtails handed me a coffee. She looked vaguely familiar, but I was certain that I hadn’t seen her before. She was wearing a short blue dress with sparkly high heels. Damn, I could definitely indulge in a little schoolgirl fantasy.
Right now. Right here.
“Hi. You must be one of the new SEALs. I’m Dorothy. I’m in charge of organizing the SEAL’s schedules on the base. Think of me like your personal secretary.”
I held the coffee in my hands and quickly downed it like it was a shot of whiskey. Luckily, it was black, just the way I liked it.
I brushed remnant snow off my face. “What’s up, Dorothy? I’m Tin.”
Her pupils quickly dilated at the sound of my name, and she let out a gasp. Her bottom lip began to tremble.
I laughed. I was known to have that effect on women. When we were in BUD/S, all the guys thought that once we became SEALs we would have our pick of pussy. That was true to a point—I could get laid anytime I wanted to. But honestly, most women were scared to death of us. Something about sleeping with a man who could slit your throat in seconds didn’t exactly make us good boyfriend material.
Not that I wanted to be her boyfriend. Or anyone’s boyfriend.
I’d tried that once. Given myself completely to one woman. I had sworn to love and protect her until the day I died.
Unfortunately, I was still alive.
And I’d never forgiven myself for what had happened to Miranda and our little girl.
I shook her memory out of my head. They had no place with me anymore. And my heart had stopped beating the day theirs had.
But I did want to get laid. Tonight. I glanced back at my Teammates who were still fighting over Snow. And I was standing next to a sexy woman.
It was go time.
I brushed a stray lock of hair from her cheek. “Hey, don’t be scared. Being a SEAL is just my day job. At night, I’ll be whatever you want me to be.”
Her jaw flew open but then quickly shut. She swallowed hard, something that would come in handy later tonight. “Oh, I’m not scared of you, Tin. I’m just pleasantly surprised by your name choice. My mom was a huge Wizard of Oz fan. Seems like we were destined to be.” She paused and licked her lips. “By the way, you’re in the Arctic; it’s always night.”
Fuck yeah. This was too easy.
Some men, including my douchebag Teammates, would spend the entire night making small talk, flattering some bitch, buying her drinks and shit.
Not me, I always went straight for the kill.
“Most definitely. So why don’t we just fulfill our destiny? I’d invite you back to my room, but I don’t have a fucking clue where it is. Let’s go to yours.”
She took a step back from me, but I grabbed her wrist. She wasn’t escaping that easily.
“Now?” she said, her voice trembling.
“Right now.”
“I . . . I . . . I’m supposed to greet all the new arrivals. Your Teammates.”
I laughed. “Fuck them. Let’s go.”
She gave me a wicked smile that slayed me. “I’m game, Tin, but not now. I have a job to do. Go wait for me. I’ll be up in a bit.” She pointed upstairs. “Second floor. I’m the last room on the right.”
I picked her up and carried her like a bride upstairs before she could protest. “I don’t wait, sweetheart. My Teammates can find their own fucking rooms.”
She didn’t resist, and I dashed up the stairs. She grabbed her key from her purse and unlocked the door. I threw her down on the bed and climbed on top of her.
I claimed her sweet little mouth. Within moments, her nervousness seemed to melt away, and she attacked me back—clawing at my pants, rubbing my hard cock with her delicate hand.
That was my kind of girl. Not shy or timid, but a hellcat.
She pulled my shirt over my head and gasped when she got a glimpse at my hard, muscular body covered in tattoos. She paused when she saw the Tinman tattoo I had over my chest, his metal hands squeezing the life out of a human heart.
“Wow, that’s pretty hardcore. What’s the story behind it?”
I gave her an icy stare. “It’s none of your business. Now suck my cock.”
She didn’t disobey and immediately pulled my cock out from my pants. She didn’t hesitate and took me in her mouth completely, my tip touching the back of her throat.
“Yeah, baby. Suck it.”
I held her pigtails like they were handles and guided her mouth up and down on my cock. Good little girl didn’t even gag. Her hand worked the base as her lips created the tightest seal around the head.
Hell, if I had known there was a girl like Dorothy in the Arctic, I would’ve volunteered for this station earlier. Hell, maybe I wouldn’t have taken that job a year ago. Especially since I fucked up and left a witness.
But I had needed that money to pay off debts. Being a SEAL didn’t pay shit—I risked my life every day for my meager salary. Even worse, while I kept my country safe, the only woman I had ever loved had been murdered in her own home. Ever since the day I had received the news, my heart stopped beating.
I was done devoting my life to protecting other people with no reward. And though I couldn’t quit the SEALs, I had taken on an unauthorized side gig.
When I had been hired to be a motion capture model for a recent Navy SEAL video game, I had met a tech billionaire named Ozmand. Then he had offered me another job. And this one was off the books.
And that fucking wizard knew what I was worth. I’d only worked one job for him so far, and he paid me handsomely—even if it did go wrong.
If only I could figure out a way to leave the SEALs without getting thrown in the brig for violating my contract.
I turned my attention back to the sexy woman. My cock was so hard I was about to explode.
Fuck, I didn’t want to come until I was inside of her.
I pulled her off of me and tossed her back down on the bed.
“Good girl. My turn.”
I unlaced the top part of her dress, freeing her full breasts. She may have been dressed like a schoolgirl, but she was all woman. I kissed her neck, savoring her sweet scent. I spent my life traipsing the globe with a group of men. Being here with Dorothy was the closest thing to bliss in my fucked-up life. But it had nothing to do with her; she was just another woman.
I rubbed her left nipple and took her right one in my mouth. She let out a moan and grasped the back of my head. I could feel her breathing falte
r. I slowly made my way down to her waist, licking her belly button, teasing her. I left her dress on and removed her thong panties.
Time to eat.
I wrapped her legs around my neck and devoured her. Her pussy was perfection—a small dark triangle of neatly trimmed curls that covered two perfect pink folds. I licked her as her body writhed on the bed.
“Fuck me, Tin.”
Yes, ma’am.
I retrieved a condom out of my pocket because I no way in hell wanted to leave some fatherless kid out here in the world. She rolled it on my cock, and I slid into her.
Ah.
My breath hitched. I stopped for a moment, just wanting to take a mental picture of her. Pure beauty. Man and woman. Lust and no lies.
Sex was never the problem with women. It was the aftermath. The feelings. Feelings I never would understand. After all, I didn’t have a heart. Not anymore.
Her pussy clamped around my cock, and I plowed into her, over and over again. She fucked me back, move for move, clutching my ass. I pulled her off of me and got off the bed.
I picked her up and slammed her up against the wall and took her from behind. Slapping her incredible ass, I thrust deeper and harder into her.
Again, I was so close to coming but I didn’t want this ecstasy to end. So, I pulled out and carried her over to a chair. I sat down and slowly lowered her on top of me.
I sucked on her tits and she rode me, my hands on her waist, guiding her movement. She was so tight, so hot, so wet. I could live inside her.
Her pussy rubbed against my cock, and I was desperate to come. Her pigtails had now come loose, and her hair was wild.
I looked into her eyes and she gave me a look of hatred—weird, most women only hated me after they fucked me.
I slammed her down, and she screamed.
“Oh. My. God. Yes!”
I let go and came deep inside her. She continued to stare at me, and I averted her gaze. Fuck. It was time to get out of here.
Desiring Dorothy Page 2
