by K. C. Crowne
“Seth, I like this one,” my mom cooed at me. “I think you need to keep her around.”
My cheeks flushed, and I couldn't keep the smile off my face. I hated to break it to my family, but the woman I loved would never be mine. Though our feelings for one another were true and real, we both knew it was impossible to be together. Our love was one that we had no choice but to bury.
As Mallory reached the bottom of the stairs, she caught me staring at her and flashed me that smile that stirred something in my groin, but also sent a flutter through my heart. Her hair was curled gently around her fragile-looking face, giving her an almost delicate appearance. She might have a sweet, feminine face, with large eyes and soft lips, but I knew that she was tough as nails. People often underestimated her because she was so feminine, but I was pretty damn sure he could kick most of the guys’ asses there, if she'd wanted to.
My mom rushed over to where Mallory and my sisters were standing in a cluster, and I heard even more giggling. I couldn't make out what they were saying, but Mallory was smiling brightly. Her eyes lit up, and everything about her just seemed to be glowing. I couldn't stop smiling myself.
My dad was standing beside me, not saying a word. When I glanced over at him, I noticed the same grin on his face as he watched my mom. It never ceased to amaze me that even after all their years together, they were still madly in love with one another.
I knew I was one of the lucky and rare ones – a child who grew up in an unbroken home. Both of my parents remained together and remained very much in love over time. My father always looked at my mother as if she was the most beautiful woman on the planet, and I knew my mom adored him as just as much. When my parents shared a look, it reminded me of the way I looked at Mallory, and made my heart swell with love – though, with just a touch of regretful longing.
I turned my attention back to my drink and tried to shut my brain down. I couldn't afford to get any ideas in my head.
John, Elizabeth's fiance', stepped up beside me. He punched me in the shoulder and had a good laugh.
“Seems like she's fitting in already,” he said.
“Mallory gets along with everyone,” I said.
I took a sip from my glass. Bourbon, on the rocks. It was more my dad's thing but was traditional for the men to drink at a wedding, so I drank – even though the wedding wasn't until tomorrow.
“Yeah, but when it clicks, it just clicks, man,” John said. “And she definitely clicks with the rest of us.”
I focused my attention on the ground, my mind and heart both spinning like a top. How could I put it into words? Honesty and directness were probably the only approach.
“Well, we can't be together, so it doesn't matter,” I muttered, stepping away before John could continue talking.
He'd ask me why, of course, and I didn't want to get into that with him. He was a businessman, a banker, like my father. He'd never served in the military, much less in the Corps. He didn't understand the brotherhood, the sense of family that came from serving together, and how I couldn't split up our little family simply because I was in love with Mallory.
I walked over to the group of women, and Mal grabbed hold of my arm. She was tipsy and getting a little handsy. I had to admit, I liked it. I loved when she'd touch me, even innocently. Her touch never failed to send a charge through me.
“Have fun at your spa day?” I asked her.
“Yes, they had mimosas,” she said. “Lots of them.”
I couldn't help but chuckle. “Sounds like you had more than a couple.”
She grinned at me and nodded. “Maybe more than a couple, but it was Elizabeth's idea.”
“Hey now,” Elizabeth said. “Don't go slandering my good name.”
The two older women laughed. Lauren just stayed quiet, pouting slightly. Mallory must have noticed.
She leaned close and whispered to me, “They wouldn't let Lauren have a mimosa. Only orange juice,” she said.
“Well, to be fair, she is only eighteen.”
“Yeah, but a little champagne never hurt anyone, right?” she said. “I mean, we were able to sign up to risk our lives for our country at eighteen. Why can't she have a little sip of the bubbly?”
It was hard to believe, but yes, she was right. I looked over at my sister, and it was hard to imagine that I signed up to join the Marines at her age. She still seemed so young and naive. I idly wondered if I had that same wide-eyed look of innocence about me when I got to Boot. If I did, they drilled it out of me pretty damn fast. The Corps is not for the innocent, nor is it for the faint of heart.
“You know, Lauren is thinking of enlisting,” Mallory whispered.
“She is?”
I had to meet Mallory's gaze to be sure she was serious, and even though she might have been a little tipsy, I could see she was dead serious. The thought of my little sister joining the Corps both terrified me, and made me damn proud at the same time.
“Uh huh. She asked me all sorts of questions,” she said. “I think she'd make a good Marine, don't you?”
My baby sister, in the Marines? It was almost hard to imagine. She was a spitfire and had always been very athletic. She played every sport she could in high school - volleyball, softball, basketball. You name it. She was also a gymnast and a dancer. She was smart, disciplined, and there was never a physical challenge I knew of that she couldn't conquer. The girl pushed herself to the limits just because she could.
Lauren looked over at me, and her cheeks flushed a bit. She knew we were talking about her.
“Yeah, I guess she would,” I said.
“She's awesome, you know that? Your whole family is amazing,” Mallory said. “She reminds me a lot of Sarah.”
Sarah was Mal's sister, who worked in fire and rescue. While I could see some similarities, I always thought Lauren was more like Jacklyn, the youngest of the Spencer family. Still fierce, but with a softer, gentler side to her. Sarah was more like Mallory. Maybe Lauren was too, I'd just not noticed. Not that I've been around too much these last few years to see how they'd grown. It was something I seriously regretted. You only have one family, and only so much time with that family. I hated that I'd been away from them for so long.
Elizabeth grabbed Mallory's arm, smiling brightly. “I hate to pull you two lovebirds away, but it's time for the bachelorette party now.”
Mallory winked at me. I knew the plan, and I knew my sisters. It wasn't going to be a wild night of male strippers and booze. Well, maybe some booze, but Lauren was going to be there too, so I knew they'd tone it down a bit for her sake, and to not make her feel excluded.
No, they were just headed out for a fun night on the town – a food tour of several local restaurants. Plus a few drinks, I was sure. And I wasn't going to be surprised to find my little sister with a bit of a hangover tomorrow, since I was already expecting somebody – probably Mallory – to slip her a drink or two over the course of the night.
The plan was to eat, drink, and be merry, which was then to be followed by the group of them all spending the night together in a fancy hotel. I'd been worried about Mallory spending the entire evening and night with my sisters, since this was her first time meeting them. I wasn't wrong when I said she could get along with anybody, but I also knew my family could be a little overwhelming at times. Put them all together in a small space, and it could seriously make you climb the walls. Once I saw them all together though, I knew I had nothing to worry about. They formed one seamless, cohesive group of people, and to look at them, you'd never know that Mallory had only been integrated into the group a few hours before.
I kissed Mallory's hand as Elizabeth pulled her away. I hated watching her go, but damn, she looked good walking away. The dress clung to her in all the right places, showing off that amazing body of hers. The green brought out the vivid red of her hair and contrasted nicely with her alabaster skin. She looked over her shoulder at me, happy as a clam, and I knew John was right – she just clicked with us.
&nbs
p; No other woman had managed to click with my family like this, and I feared I'd never find anyone like Mallory who was so readily accepted by everyone and accepted them right back.
Knowing she'd never be mine pained me in a way I couldn't explain, on levels I couldn't even begin to understand.
ooo000ooo
Mallory moved in her sleep and she pushed her ass up against me. That wasn't what woke me up though – even though it was a delightful way to greet the day. Jason had left the room without waking us. When he saw me open my eyes, he muttered something about getting some fresh air, and then I heard the door open and close behind him. He'd just left.
I considered checking on him, but then Mallory was there, nestled against me, and it pulled my thoughts back to yesterday, and I felt a wave of conflicting emotions.
I almost lost her. It wasn't impossible that she could have been hurt or killed in that shitshow. The idea of losing her made my heart ache and filled me with the darkest sense of dread and emptiness I'd ever felt before in my life.
To stave off those feelings, and revel in her warmth, in her life, I pulled her closer and held her tightly against me until she struggled free. She rolled over to face me instead. Her eyes were only half open, but there was a sweet, dreamy smile on her face.
“Morning, sunshine,” I whispered, stroking her cheek.
Her green eyes were so bright and beautiful, and they sparkled in the sunlight that slanted in through the half-open curtains. When Mallory smiled at me, I felt my heart skip a beat and my insides turn to mush.
“Morning to you too,” she said, pressing her lips to mine.
Last night felt like a dream still. It felt surreal and like something I'd imagined. But, as she kissed me, the reality of it all came rushing back. The blood in my body quickly rushed south, to my lower regions as she kissed me, making me rock hard in an instant. Mallory murmured approvingly as she rubbed herself against the bulge in my boxers, once again sliding a hand down to grasp it.
I glanced behind her at Liam, he'd taken Jason's spot on the bed. He was still asleep, curled up into himself. We almost had the entire bed to ourselves now – just the way I liked it. Some might think it strange or unnatural, but I didn't mind the idea of sharing her with my friends. We were all so close, it almost felt like a natural extension of all of us.
When it came time for me to be with her for the first time though, I wanted it to be just the two of us. While Liam was on his side of the bed, he was still sound asleep – which meant that I could have Mallory all to myself. Also, just how I liked it.
“Mmm, what do you say we hop in the shower?” I asked.
“That sounds like a great idea,” she whispered to avoid waking Liam.
She quietly slipped from beneath the sheets and showcasing her amazing body to me for the first time. I didn't get a chance to really see much of her last night, but as she stretched her body when she climbed out of bed, I finally got a chance to see her completely naked, in her full glory – and it was quite a beautiful sight to behold.
She'd always been in great shape, but outside of seeing her in a bikini, I'd never seen just how fit she was. With tight abs and strong arms, she looked every bit as amazing as I'd expected. Her soft, round breasts were just large enough to be a handful – not too much, not too little. They were just perfect. Then again, everything about her was perfect, no matter what it was. That was the funny thing about being so deeply in love – you found everything about them utterly perfect and entirely sexy.
I rolled out of bed after her, and she smacked my ass playfully. She ran into the bathroom before I could return the favor, giggling softly like a child. I hurried into the bathroom after her, catching her trying to hide behind the door.
“You're going to pay for that,” I teased.
“Oh yeah?” she said, pressing herself against the door and shutting it with her body. “How so?”
I closed the distance between us, grabbing her face in my hands and held it tight as I kissed her. My cock pressed against her taut belly and she slid my boxers down to the floor. I kicked them off my feet, sending them across the room. She stroked me as we made out, and the feeling of her hand on my cock sent shivers down my spine.
All I ever wanted was her. Now I had her. She was mine.
I grabbed both her hands and pinned them to the door over her head, thrusting my cock between her thighs. It slid between her legs, rubbing against her wetness, as we kissed. She gasped as I held her there, my hard dick rubbing against her tight pussy. She was strong and powerful for a woman, but I was still bigger than her, by wide margin. I could hold her down and have my way with her if I wanted to, and she knew it. She became putty in my hands.
I planted a line of kisses down her neck, tasting her sweet flesh. She trembled as my erection rubbed up close to her mound, the wetness and warmth of her taunting me. I needed to be inside of her more than anything in the world in that moment – but, I also didn't want to rush things. I wanted to take my time, to enjoy every moment with her as much as I could.
Mallory though, had other plans.
She wrapped her legs around me, lifting her body upward. Grabbing her ass, I hoisted her up even higher until my erection pressed against her.
“I need you. I need to feel you inside of me,” she whimpered. “Please, Seth, fuck me.”
I wanted to do so much more with her, to savor every last inch of her body and to tease her. I wanted to bring her more pleasure than she's ever felt before and leave her a quivering, but happy puddle. Her pleas though, made it hard to do anything at all. It was like my body had a mind of its own and I gave her exactly what she wanted – thrusting myself into her and stretching her open. I groaned as she gripped me with her legs, her wet, swollen lips tight around my cock.
She cried out as I buried myself inside of her. My legs shook, but I managed to remain standing and held onto her, just enjoying the sensation of her wetness around my dick. My mouth covered every inch of her face and neck as I stayed nestled inside of her, wanting to take my time and savor every last sensation that was coursing through me.
Slowly, I began rocking back and forth, moving myself in and out of her.
“Oh God,” she whimpered.
Being buried so deep inside of her felt so damn good. My legs shook and kept threatening to give out, but I couldn't stop once I got started. I continued driving myself deep inside of her, making the door creak on the hinges with the force of my thrusts. She was completely wrapped around me, her arms draped around my shoulders, her nails digging into my back, as she held on for dear life. Her pussy tightened around my cock as I drove myself into her harder, and I nearly lost it all.
“Fuck,” I groaned.
I knew I needed to get her somewhere sturdier, so I could focus on her. So I could focus on making her feel good, rather than having to remain totally focused on not blowing my load too soon. Holding her against me, I turned around and moved toward the bathroom counter. Sitting her down on the cool granite countertop, I went back to thrusting my hard cock in and out of her tight little pussy, still feeling like I might explode long before I wanted to. Her cries of pleasure were multiplying, and I knew I was making her feel good.
It felt so fucking good and so right, I just wanted it to last as long as possible.
Nibbling my way down Mallory's neck, I tasted her flesh and reveled in the smell of her skin. Her soft hands kneaded at my back, her nails digging into my shoulders so hard I drew in a sharp breath. The quick flash of pain blended with the pleasure that was gripping my body, making me tremble even harder. It was sensory overload, everything felt so good, and it was all I'd wanted for so long – and then some.
As I drove myself into her, Mallory's body tensed up and she sucked in a breath. Her eyes rolled back, and she muttered, “I'm going to come, Seth...”
Those magic words brought out the beast in me. I wanted to make her come so hard that I nearly lost my senses. I kept thrusting my cock into her trying to drive myself ha
rder and deeper with each stroke. I held onto her hips to keep her steady as I pounded her pussy over and over again. She moaned, her head thrown back as her body quivered around me. She called my name over and over again, and it sounded like music to my ears.
My balls tightened to my body as I fucked her harder – and there was nothing else I could do to stop the inevitable any longer. That train had left the station and it was picking up steam quickly.
I shuddered and cried out as I came hard exploding deep inside of her body, filling her up with my hot, wet seed. She grabbed onto me, tightly, pulling me deeper into her and we just held each other for what felt like an eternity as we rode out the waves of bliss. She rested her head on my shoulder as we both struggled to catch our breath again.
“God, that was amazing,” was all she said.
“It was everything I ever imagined it to be,” I said.
Lifting her head, she looked me dead in the eyes and stroked my cheek.
“Please, don't ever let this tear us apart,” she whispered.
“Never. Never, ever, Mallory,” I said and kissed her forehead before pulling her close to me.
“Good. Because I couldn't imagine my life without any of you,” she said.
“You won't have to.”
Of course, we weren't so sure about Chris yet, but God willing, she'd have all of us back soon. When that happened, we'd find a way to make it all work.
For Mallory, anything was worth it.
11
Jason
The tension was so thick in the rooms, I needed a little air. I needed to clear my head and start thinking about the problem in a different way. We'd been playing defense this whole time, running around guessing what was going to come next. We needed to find a way to play offense. We needed to find an advantage and seize on it.
The problem was, what did we actually know with any amount of certainty? We knew Ignacio Santiago was involved with Chris' disappearance. We knew it didn't sit particularly well with Julia. But, she was either too afraid of her father to be of any use to us, or she was somehow complicit in his disappearance to begin with.
