by Lucy Smoke
His eyes softened, and he leaned forward, brushing a light, loving kiss on my brow. "You don't have to beg for anything, Sunshine. I'll always give you whatever you want."
Marv moved off me, then, returning seconds later with a condom in hand. He paused before ripping it open, hesitant gaze finding mine. I shook my head at him with a smile. "I want you," I repeated. "I'm okay."
He nodded and then proceeded to open the condom. He slid the latex material down his cock. The sight of Marv holding himself before me sent a fresh wave of desire coursing through my veins. His abs tightened as he put one knee up on the bed. "It might hurt," he warned me. "If it’s your first time…” he paused, looking at me for confirmation. I nodded, but I wasn’t scared. “I'll be as gentle as possible," he assured me. It was unnecessary, but he wouldn’t be my Marv if he didn’t do the gentlemanly thing.
I opened my arms, wanting him to hurry up and get back to me. "I trust you," I said.
Marv spread my thighs and fit himself to me. My heart thundered in my ears, pulsing loudly, drowning out everything in the room but Marv and what he was doing to me. The tornado flames in his eyes watched me as he pushed in. At first, it wasn't so bad, just a pressure I wasn't used to. There was no tear like I expected there to be, just an uncomfortable stretching that stung but eased the further in he pressed. With an apologetic twist of his lips, Marv moved back and then thrust forward all the way as if he couldn’t help himself. I gasped and reached for him. He came down on top of me, remaining still as I worked through the twinges of pain and discomfort. After several moments, I tentatively moved my hips—wondering. Marv caught on, sliding himself out and then back in. I shuddered and clutched at him harder.
I gasped. "Do that again."
He smiled at me and then held my hips down on the bed with both hands as my legs came up, wrapping around his back once more. He thrust into me, sliding along the sensitive tissues. Our hips met as he sank into me and I moaned, feeling the sparks catch fire. That something I had felt before was barreling forth, heading directly for me. My breath caught. I shifted against Marv, needing to press that something away and pull it closer in the same breath.
My eyes found the grooves of Marv's chest, the hollows and dips of his body. I leaned forward and, without thinking, I licked a bead of sweat from his chest. He groaned and ground against me even harder. More ricochets of heat and flares of passion rolled through me. I did it again, shifting and then licking his neck, sinking my teeth in—not hard enough to hurt or leave a mark, but a sharp pressure against the cords of his throat.
"Fuck!" Marv pulled out and slammed back into me.
I screamed. That something popped, and a wave crested over the horizon, filling me to the brim and then overflowed. I panted and gasped as Marv came down on top of me. "Fuck, Sunshine..." He was panting as well.
I laughed, reaching up to touch his hairline. He sat up, looking down at me. "Are you okay?" he asked.
I smiled, nodding. "I'm more than okay," I promised.
Marv smiled back, a lightness in his eyes. “Give me a minute, I’ll be right back,” he said.
I frowned as he got up and disposed of the condom. After tugging on his discarded underwear, he left the room and came back with a slightly damp washcloth. “What’s that for?” I asked.
With a light blush, he handed it to me. “It’s for you. If you want to...clean up. I know it was uncomfortable. I wasn’t sure if you’d want me to…” He trailed off before reaching for it. “I can—”
Realization hit me. “No! No, I’m fine.” I turned around to do just as he said, peeking over my shoulder when Marv chuckled lightly before turning his back on me as well. Even with my virginity gone, I still felt odd doing this in front of him and I appreciated the gesture he took to give me some privacy. After disposing of the washcloth in a laundry hamper across the room, I crawled back into the bed and yanked the covers up. With another chuckle, Marv joined me.
He leaned down, pressing a kiss to my forehead. “Goodnight, Sunshine.”
“Night,” I whispered. Marv settled against me, pulling me back until I was nestled into his chest, my back to his front. Closing my eyes, I sighed, releasing all the embarrassing tension of uncertainty. There, in Marv’s arms, I had never felt such irrevocable bliss. I only hoped it would last.
Early morning sunlight drifted in through the slatted blinds and I stretched, feeling the muscles in my thighs ache. The memory of the night before hit me and I sat up, nervousness and anxiety filling up my heart like hot air. I glanced to the side, but Marv’s side of the bed was empty. I wasn’t sure if I should be relieved or not. Pulling the sheets from the bed in case the door opened as I moved to gather clothes into my arms, I quickly dressed in a new bra and the tank top I had been wearing the night before. I grabbed a pair of shorts someone had laid out for me on the end of the bed and pulled those on as well, sans underwear.
After I finished getting dressed, I stared down at my hands, wondering if I had just made a mistake. It didn’t feel like a mistake. Marv had promised that it was okay. Even still, my stomach felt uncomfortably weighted and my head throbbed. I sucked in a shaky breath and then released. Somehow, just the act of focusing on my breathing made me feel slightly better. I repeated the process several times before I was ready to face anyone.
Despite the reality of what I had done last night, I knew that today was a very important day. Today was the day we went after Erika. Though that was what I told myself, I still cracked the bedroom door open and peered into the hallway. It was empty. I opened the door further and stepped out, heading for the common areas. The closer I got the higher the voices rose.
"—make it to this location at a little after 10:30." That was Knix in the living room. I paused just around the corner, looking down. Did I look any different? I didn't feel different...well, other than the high I was still feeling from the night before. But no one could actually see that, right?
Of course not, I reminded myself. It's not like guys have x-ray vision to tell them if you're still a virgin or not.
With that in mind, I sucked up my nervousness and stepped around the corner into the living room. Knix paused mid-sentence when he saw me. He blinked once and then shook his head as if clearing it. "Yeah," he said, "that'll work. We'll be in the middle, it seems the most likely—further away from land. No. Just keep me up to date. Yeah, okay. Bye." He hung up and once again, his baby-blues were back on me.
"Harlow."
I bit my lip. "Knix."
"You...uh...we're keeping in contact with the teams going out today," he said hesitantly. Knix—for all his giantness—appeared just as nervous as I was.
I moved further into the room. "That's good." What else was I supposed to say? I should have been focusing on Erika and what we were doing today, but all I could see was the flush that rose over Knix's cheeks as he averted his eyes, choosing instead to look at a spot on the wall and fixate there. I knew that he—and everyone else—had probably heard me last night. They knew what had happened. I sighed. It seemed I would be the one to break the ice, then. Before I could say something, however, another voice beat me to it.
"So, are we just going to stand here not saying anything or are we gonna kick some ass?"
I swung my gaze to Texas, who stood grinning in the doorway to the kitchen. I blinked. Texas' eyes met mine and they practically glimmered with amusement. He strode right up to me and smacked his lips against mine. "Glad to see you're up, Princess." Shocked, confused, and also more than a little relieved, I watched as Texas turned to Knix. "Let's go, big man. Got things to do. People to see. Damsels in distress to rescue."
"Sunshine." Marv's gruff voice had me turning again as he strode back up the hall, his hair wet from a recent shower. He looked me up and down before coming to me and winding an arm around my waist. "We should stop by your dorm and grab more appropriate clothing for you before we head out."
"Where exactly are we going?" I asked. “What kind of clothes do I need?”
>
Bellamy approached right behind Texas. "Back to Charleston," he answered. "They leave from three different locations. We're taking the middle. Another team is taking Myrtle Beach and another to Hilton Head. You’ll need clothes you don’t mind getting wet."
"Why those places?" I wondered aloud.
"They're tourist attractions," Knix answered, drawing my attention back to him as he drew to his full height and appeared to regain his composure. He went from nervous uncertainty to the leader once more. So quickly, it was hard to reconcile his manner just moments before with how he appeared now—confident and ready for action. I needed to remember, though, that each of these guys were different. Texas appeared to be comfortable as if nothing had changed. He didn't seem to mind showing affection or for the others to show affection. While I noted, even though Knix was now all business, his eyes still trailed to the way Marv's arm wrapped around my waist. It was almost as if the touch was a magnet for his attention.
"Tourist cities tend to have a higher rate of new faces; people coming in and out from all different places. Cruises stop in Charleston. A lot of people fly into Myrtle Beach and Hilton Head is well known for its golf courses, a lot of people travel there to play. Lots of new faces, lots of change. It's easier for them to slip in and out with those kinds of people and all of those places are on or close to the water. They can take a boat and head out without anyone getting suspicious," Knix continued.
"So, back to Charleston then," I said, turning my head to take in everyone present. "Where's Grayson?"
There was a brief moment of silence from all of them, including Texas. Then Marv finally answered. "He's outside, getting the car ready."
I frowned and pushed away from him. "Okay, I'm gonna go see if I can help, and then I'll head to the dorm to change. Pick me up when you're ready?"
Marv looked like he wanted to say something, but Bellamy stopped him by stepping up and cupping my shoulder. "Just remember to take your phone with you," Bellamy said.
I nodded and then surprisingly, he, too, leaned down and brushed his mouth across mine. As soon as his lips moved away, I jerked my gaze to the side, assessing the others’ reactions. Marv appeared resigned, and almost…okay with it. My eyes moved to Knix, who was practically unreadable, but he didn’t tense or do anything to show that he was uncomfortable. Texas simply smiled and scratched the back of his head, messing up his already somewhat messy hair. He looked like he just rolled out of bed and honestly, I could picture him and me—just like Marv and me—going right back to it.
At that thought, my face flushed and I turned away, heading for the door. Was this real life? I walked, feeling dreamy and a little fuzzy-headed, albeit exceedingly confused. My brows drew down over my eyes as I glanced behind me and stepped out the door. Most of the guys had all kissed me in front of each other and no one had broken out into fights. I mean, it wasn't like they really fought back when they revealed to me that they knew I had kissed them all. Knix was a little bit tenser than I had expected, but he hadn't said anything to ruin the moment. Perhaps he was just a little more reserved about PDA.
I stopped on the front porch as the front door closed behind me. I was really doing this. I was really in a relationship with more than one man. I wouldn't be able to just uncomplicate things.
"Penny for your thoughts?" Grayson called.
I looked up and gaped as he slung a giant bin into the back of the SUV Bellamy and Knix had driven up from Charleston. It wasn't the strength that made me gape. It was the fact that he was shirtless. All those muscles and dips and contours. My throat dried up and I had to mentally slap myself with the reminder of the importance of today. I slowly made my way down the front steps.
"I'm heading over to Chipley Hall to change before we head out," I said as I approached him.
The sky above was barely light and I realized, with a quick glance down the street, no one was out. The neighborhood—and essentially the campus across from it—was startlingly quiet. How early was it? I pulled my phone from my shorts’ pocket and checked the screen. It was only just after 7 am.
"You ready for this?" Grayson asked, watching me.
"I don't know," I admitted. "I am ready to get Erika back, though. I'm ready for this all to end." I paused. "What are you doing out here?"
"Packing up some of Texas' tech shit," he answered, reaching for a lid on the ground and lifting it to snap over the bin in the back of the SUV. I watched with interest at how quick and efficient he was. Grayson moved back once that was done and then just as quickly closed the back hatch.
He looked over at me for a moment before turning and placing his back against the SUV. "So..." he said, folding his arms over his chest—his eyes bounced from me to the ground and then finally lifted to fixate on a point over my shoulder. I wondered if he did it out of habit or maybe he was anxious. "I suppose you're the one I have to thank for that…” his lips twisted sardonically, “uncomfortable meeting last night." Grayson smirked at me.
I blushed. "I didn't know that was going to happen," I admitted.
"And my one on one with Marv?" His smirk grew.
"That...I may have been responsible for."
He snorted, shaking his head. "It's always a woman," he muttered to himself before rising up and straightening away from the SUV. "Hurry up and go get changed. We're leaving as soon as I get a shower and change also." He passed me, heading for the front door.
I turned and watched him walk away. "You're not going to say anything else?" I asked.
He paused, one foot on the first step, a hand on the railing, and looked back, a stillness in his features—almost an expectancy, a hope. "What else did you expect me to say, Babydoll?"
I shrugged. "I don't know, but something more than 'hurry up' wouldn't have been bad. Did you work things out? You and Marv?"
Grayson chuckled. "It'll always be a little more complicated than just being able to work things out with one conversation, Harlow," he said. "But you'll be glad to know that he no longer wants to see my head on a pike for touching you."
"Does he want to see your head on a pike for any other reason?" I asked, prompting a little more than a chuckle this time.
Grayson laughed, his free hand slapping his ribbed abdomen—all those football practices hadn't hurt him in the least and whatever he had been doing since we graduated certainly made me appreciate his body all the more. "We'll see," he called back. "We'll see."
Grayson left me with those words, walking into the house and closing the door. I turned towards the campus, hoping that Lizzie would stay asleep long enough for me to sneak in and out. We should never have let me take a dorm room, I decided. Because right now, I craved that girl's advice on the complicated mess my life was. Maybe some good news would help me erase my concerns and doubts now lingering like heavy clouds in my mind. And almost like a switch flipped in the back of my mind—like last night’s change—I was ready.
As I jogged across campus in my borrowed flip flops from one of the guys, yawning at the early morning sun, I hoped like hell that Erika was going to be where we were heading today. I didn’t know what I’d do if I had to leave her rescue up to another team. I trusted my guys implicitly and I knew that they would do whatever they could to help my friend and keep her from selling her soul to the devil.
Chapter 18
The wind whipped my hair away from my face as Bellamy steered the Bowrider out into deeper waters. Knix sat at the very back, dark eyes reflecting the torrents of the water below. I shivered. No matter how warm the sun was on my back, now that it had risen further into the sky, the air over the ocean was cool.
To my dismay—and pleasure—Grayson and Marv sat alongside each other. Though neither spoke or looked at the other, at least the air was less tense. Texas gripped a railing with one hand as he sat across from me and held a headset to his head with the other as the Bowrider picked up speed, skating across the surface of the water. The engine crackled and buzzed as the front helm slapped against the ocean’s sur
face again and again. I jerked in my seat, reaching for the railing and clutching on tightly. I squinted against the brightness of the blue skies.
"Yeah!" Texas called into his headset. "We're heading to our designated spot now!" He practically had to scream to be heard. "Will do! Alright, over and out!" When Bellamy slowed as we came upon some choppy waters, Texas ripped the headset from his ears and held it firmly in his hand. When the waters calmed we continued further into the depths of the ocean and picked up speed once again.
It had been a while since I had been on a boat—not since Sweratt Island—but being on this one honestly made me question every single boat lover's idea of paradise. I clutched the railing with one hand and the seat with my other. On multiple occasions I wondered if my nails were chipped and bleeding from being ripped away from the sides of the boat. Every time I felt my grip loosening, I’d re-grip the areas I was using to anchor and steady myself. Every time my hand slipped, as the boat jerked up and down in the water, I would scramble to readjust and hold on tighter.
"Doing okay, Harlow?!" Bellamy called from behind the wheel.
I grimaced as my legs slipped and I held on tighter to anything I could grab. Why did it feel like the faster we went, the less control I had? Every jerk, every bump, felt like I was being lifted by some unknown force. Only by sheer force of will and a whole lot of fear did I manage to keep my seat for the ride and not find myself flung from the boat.
"Just fucking fine!" I snapped.
"Hold up, slow down!" Knix called. The noise slowed until it died almost completely and the Bowrider sunk back into the surface of the water—like a normal sea vehicle was supposed to. I looked around, noticing a dark speck in the distance, still a ways away.
"Is that it?" I asked. My voice rose and carried above the water. Grayson leaned over, cupping my shoulder and pushed his hand down in a gesture that meant for me to lower my voice. I grimaced and flicked my gaze back to that speck. "Can they really hear us this far out?" I asked in a quieter tone.
