Color Blind (Team Red)

by Hammond, T.

  “How are you feeling about the mission? Any lingering questions or doubts?” David asked.

  “I’m feeling really good about it. We have gone over the profiles and the possible scenarios a million times. Actually David, it seems like you guys are a little over protective. We will be surrounded by hundreds of people during the event. If I’m not with you or Bastian, then at least Red will be with me. And now we have the Wild Horse crew to act as added security, so I have no doubt I’ll be in view of someone at all times. It seems Red and I are at little risk here. This whole mission revolves around a relatively low probability that Javier Morales will meet an unknown contact, and that we will get into close enough orbit to overhear them, AND they will decide to talk about gun running at the ball, where hundreds of military are gathered for the holidays.”

  “Yeah, suck it up Babe. Regardless of the fact you are near and dear to me, you and Red are an asset for this mission. As an asset, you will be protected as much as possible, while still giving you enough room to work together. There is a reason Morales worked so hard to get himself invited. With some luck and careful planning, we may be able to get some key information. Quite frankly, it will probably be pretty anti-climactic for you. You may be able to gather some much-needed intel, but circumstances may be that the military may not make a move that night, in hopes the new contact leads to something bigger at a later time. Ideally, even if you get the information we need, you and Red should not even register on their radar as connected to the case. That is the nature of intelligence work. Tedious, repetitive, and rarely rewarding on the first try.”

  “I’m excited to go to the ball, wear my fancy new dress, and dance with my gorgeous man. That would be you,” I clarified, bussing a quick kiss to one of the arms crossing over my chest. I’m looking forward to seeing Jason dressed up in his Marilyn Monroe outfit. And I want to hear the stories Ken and Janey have to say about the club.”

  “I’m kinda looking forward to seeing our Ken and Barbie couple decked out in club fetish wear. After they got back from their shopping trip in Seattle, I haven’t gotten any of them to drop a hint about their outfits. Mmm,” David added, “I wonder if we’ll get to see Janey in a black leather corset?”

  It was easy to roll my head to the right and bite down firmly on his bicep. “There will be no lusting after my blonde, bimbette friend, who is Bas’ sister, I might add.”

  Laughing, David leaned forward as his arms wove behind my knees and back to spin me around then lift me suddenly in the air. How in the hell does he do that? My man is always surprising me with his strength, doing crazy shit like lifting my un-petite frame as if I weighed no more than a child.

  David snuggled his face into my throat, his beard tickling slightly along my nape, and I could hear his inhale of breath as he drew my scent deep into his lungs. Like me, David’s sense of touch and smell were getting more refined. He told me he frequently turns the lights out when we move around at night, or keeps his eyes closed when we lay together in the huge-ass bed he bought. He says it’s helped him gain a better understanding of how I experience the world. Pleasure tugged the corner of my mouth and I didn’t even try to hold back the full-blown grin when he groaned with hunger, and burrowed his nose to the sensitive area behind my ear. Earlier, after my shower, I had taken a few moments in the bathroom to slide my fingers into my damp pussy and dabbed a healthy measure of my natural fragrance down both sides of my neck, and a few other strategic spots. “Geez, woman. Who thinks of shit like this?” He asked, rhetorically, as he ran the flat of his tongue in an invisible trace along the trail of scent down my throat. “Only you would think of smearing pussy juice on your body to turn me on.” He bit down, holding me still while he took another deep breath, and laid me gently on our bed. He slid his hands down my arms and grasped my hands, pulling my fingers to his face to smell my fingers.

  “I washed my hands when I brushed my teeth,” I laughed. “I didn’t want to give you a heads up.”

  “Oh, my head’s up, alright,” he growled, retaining his grip on my hands and pressing them flat, against the mattress on either side of my face. “Where else did you spread it?”

  “Now Lover, where’s the fun in me telling you where to look.” Yep, I was outright laughing now, as he purposefully dragged his facial hair over my neck and shoulders, under the guise of finding more, before stopping in the valley between my breasts, his nose leading him upwards to each of my scent-painted aureoles.

  “Hot,” he whispered, drawing the smell on my skin deep into his lungs. He latched onto the right nipple while he drew my left hand, fingers linked with his, to his groin. He pressed my palm against his cock, rocking his hips against me in a dry hump, increasing the suction on my breast. Even through the material of his jeans, I could feel the heat of him. Laughter drained away with the sharp nip and pull of his teeth, then it was my turn for an indrawn breath, as I arched high to press my breast more firmly against his mouth. “What made you think of this?” he asked, in that split moment of moving from one nipple to the other.

  “Oh geez, David,” I groaned. “I don’t know. I used to read a lot of stuff.” I could feel his tongue whipping side to side in rapid strokes. The feeling was intense when he combined it with the nip of his teeth, and an almost bruising suction. “There was an article… something about pheromones,” I moaned.

  He mounded my breasts together, buried his slightly prickly face in the crevice he’d created, and drew another deep breath. There was something very erotic about the brush of his nose and softly bearded chin across my flesh as he tried to catch the faintest trace of aroma off my skin. Within moments, David was tormenting the undersides of my breasts and nibbling his way south, over my sensitive ribs and quivering stomach.

  There was no more scent to be found, but I wasn’t about to tell him that as he paused to dip his tongue in the shallow well of my navel. David released my hands to stand beside the bed, removing his jeans. The whisper of his clothing being drawn off his body was erotic. My heartbeat increased at the rasp of his zipper being lowered and denim peeled down the length of his long, muscular legs. I imagined David’s nude form in front of me, overlaid against the image Red gave me earlier. My man was magnificent. And he had a dimple. I smiled at that.

  The mattress depressed as he climbed back onto the bed and dragged my boneless body against his hot frame, fitting me tightly alongside him: breast to chest, belly to six-pack abs, hips to groin. The insistent press of his erection, and the subsequent dampness from the tip smeared across my abdomen, were proof of his desire. The musk of an aroused male, with the hint of lime and cedar cologne filled my nose. The scent that was David, and me. I could also catch the aroma of my own longing as my body heated and grew damp.

  David scraped long, impatient fingers through the tangle of my hair. There was a hint of pleasure-pain when he tugged and drew my head backwards, baring my throat to his hungry mouth. He rolled us so that I was on my back, completely covered by his body, pressed against the mattress, unable to move. His knee dropped between mine and nudged, then forced, my legs apart until his hips were framed by my splayed knees. He was being unusually aggressive- I kinda liked it.

  His hand drew an imaginary line from cleavage to clit, before he speared his fingers down into the wet warmth pooling thickly between my thighs. “I love you,” he whispered into my ear, right before he drew the fragrance at my throat unto his lungs. “I need you. Now.”

  The hand between my legs shifted around to my ass, lifting my hips and tilting the angle. David shifted his weight, and with a sudden press forward, buried himself deeply. My whole body arched upwards with the shock of the thrust, and my breath caught in my chest, as my brain tried to remember how to breathe. I tried to huff, “Oh God!” but I barely had enough air to do so.

  He started a rapid, almost violent, rhythm that would have hurt if he hadn’t made sure I was wet enough for him. The angle was calculated to agitate the button of my clit with every movement as he pumped in
and out of my pussy in a frenzied pace; his nose still buried in my neck, where my curtain of hair trapped the scent of my juices. Every time he gasped a breath, his cock seemed to swell and he groaned as his desire grew exponentially.

  It only took a few minutes, and he tipped me over into pleasure. My body locked into a taut bow, as I gasped one final time. The orgasm rippled over my whole body, while my pussy clamped down on his cock, slowing his movements as he met with more resistance. That seemed to be the final thing he needed. With a last hard thrust, he came in pulsing waves, his body shuddering with the strain as he emptied himself inside me.

  It was some time later before David was coherent enough to ask about the pheromone article I referred to. “There was discussion regarding men and women being desensitized to their partners’ pheromones, because of strong, artificial perfumes and chemicals in their hygiene products. A researcher hypothesized people were losing their natural ability to get turned on by their partner’s normal body scents like vaginal fluids, skin scent, and fresh sweat. There was a debate as to whether today’s men and women were more turned on to freshly clean, perfumed partners, or if they would still recognize and react to the body’s natural odors.

  “It was an old article from fifteen or twenty years ago, written by some guy in my circle of college friends. I figured, since I rarely wear perfumes or lotion, you would be able to pick up on the smell of my fluids if I placed it behind my ears. Although the article mentioned that many of the participants in the trial seemed to favor perfumes, cologne, lotions, or soaps, I’m not convinced a trial done with a bunch of eighteen to twenty year old college kids was a true sampling.”

  “I think it’s safe to assume, that I am a pheromones kinda guy,” he laughed. “Just make sure you take a shower in the morning and wash that nectar off, or you will have men following you all around the house.”

  I chuckled and snuggled into the warmth of David’s body, my head on his chest, his heartbeat in my ear, lulling me to sleep.

  Chapter Twenty

  David lifted my hair over my shoulder as he pulled the zipper of my gown, up the length of my spine. I shuddered under the soft, biting kiss he placed on my nape, before smoothing the loose curtain of hair down my back. Ken and Janey really came through in their selection.

  “Hey, Red,” David called out. I assumed our dog was hanging out on the balcony again. “Do you feel up to giving our girl a visual?”

  There was no response, but all of a sudden my head was filled with a vision of me standing beside David in my white, beaded evening gown. Once again, I my heart stopped in my chest as I took in the sight of this gorgeous man standing tall and handsome in a custom, fitted tuxedo, the bowtie dangling loose around his neck. He was staring at me with a wide grin, his dimple drawing my hand to his face so I could gently poke a fingernail into the small indentation. The beard and mustache he grew at my request, were trimmed short and neat, shadowing his jaw in sexy stubble. His smile grew wider. “Have you even looked at yourself yet?” He asked.

  “Are you kidding? Why would I look at myself when I can stare at you instead?”

  “Come on, Gorgeous. Take a look at the dress. Red needs fresh eyes for the party.”

  At his reminder, I concentrated on my own image. The gown was a strapless, intricately beaded, white satin sheath that hugged my willowy curves with flattering kindness. David held me away from his body and turned me towards Red so I could get the full picture. The décolletage was cut in such a way my breasts were framed and lifted, a cluster of rhinestones decorating the deep cut of the neckline, drawing my mind’s eye to the shadowed valley between. Janey must have added that glittery accessory after we bought the gown, because it hadn’t been there when I tried the dress on a few weeks ago. The heavy beading weaved decorative patterns through the fabric from the bodice to the fitted, lace-trimmed hem. Thoughtfully, there was a slit up the back that would allow me to move in the form-fitting dress. I was thankful for the stationary bike in the basement, and all those walks that Red and I took, keeping my figure trim and toned, because every flaw would show in this gown.

  “Thanks, Red. We’ll be leaving in ten minutes, so load up on water if you’re thirsty. We’ll make a few pit-stops for you, but you may not get a chance to drink again until we are on our way home.”

  My world went dark again, as my dog withdrew from my mind. I heard the whisper of his paws crossing the carpets as he, presumably, headed for his bowls in the foyer.

  David pulled me into the heat of his body. “You look so beautiful,” he murmured, hugging me tightly. My arms were folded on the large expanse of his chest, and I felt the ends of his tie tickle my fingers. I played idly with the trailing satin ends, and tucked my head up under his chin.

  I closed my eyes and breathed in the light fragrance of his cologne, a fresh cedar-lime scent. “Have I told you lately, that I love you?” I whispered.

  “Why no, Ms. March. I believe it’s been as long as twelve hours since your last love update. I was starting to feel neglected and rejected. You know how fragile and insecure I am.”

  I grinned at his silliness, lifting a hand to run over the sharp angles of his jaw, obscured only slightly by his neatly trimmed beard. Such a beautiful man, with a huge capacity for love. “I love you, David. I love your generous heart, your honest soul, and the focused attention I feel like sunshine warming my face when you watch me. I love the scent of your skin, and the touch of your hands when you hold me. I love the sound of your voice from the husky, sleepiness when you first wake up, to the gravelly rumble when you tell me I’m sexy.”

  “You can feel me watching you?” He asked, surprised.

  “Definitely. You’ve read the phrase ‘a heated glance,’ I’m sure? You’ve got one. Sometimes, it’s just a prickle along my spine, but other times, I can almost feel an intensity to your gaze. I just ask Red, and he lets me know if it’s you watching me.”

  “Is it uncomfortable?” He asked.

  “Nope, not at all. Hence, its addition to the ‘things I love about you’ list. I feel cherished, David.”

  I received a soft kiss on the tip of my nose. “Since you’re feeling cherished, maybe you will let me give you one of your Christmas presents a bit early? It’s a little something to go with the dress,” he added, with a warmer kiss to my mouth. “Damn, I want to kiss you properly, but Janey would kill me if I messed up your makeup, after she spent almost an hour doing it.”

  “Pussy,” I mocked. “Don’t tell me you’re afraid of a girl.”

  He canted my face to kiss me, drowning me in the scent of coffee and mint. The kiss was deep and voracious; tongue, teeth, and lips crashing together. His mouth was relentless, sealed to mine with passion and a healthy dose of lust. He nipped down on my lower lip and held it delicately between his teeth as he drew away from the kiss, tugging gently before releasing the sensitized flesh. My lip tingled. Truth be known, it wasn’t just my lips that felt all tingly. “If I call you a pussy again, will you do that one more time?” I asked with a slightly frustrated groan.

  David’s chuckle was deep, and tinged with yearning. “Oh, Lover, if I do that again, I’ll end up fucking you right against the wall. We are expecting company in a few minutes.”

  I let out a heavy sigh. He was right, of course; but it didn’t make the wanting any less. “Fine,” I conceded, “but I’ll expect you to make it up to me later tonight.”

  “I promise.” A caressing kiss to the temple, and David stepped out of my embrace. There was the sound of a drawer opening, and a moment later, he was standing in front of me once again. I didn’t bother wrapping it. I want to place it in your hand, so you can study it.”

  I put out an obliging hand, and felt something cool and heavy drape across my palm. Jewelry? From the size and weight, I was guessing a necklace. I ran the piece through my fingers, noting the raised areas I guessed were gems, woven through some delicate, almost lacy, latticework. “Tell me about it.”

  “I’m sure you figured
out it’s a necklace. It matches the jeweled pin I had sewn onto your dress.”

  “Crap!” I interrupted, “Those are real diamonds? I thought Janey added a rhinestone broach or something.”

  He laughed, “Sorry to disappoint, Love. It’s the real deal. A five-piece set: pair of earrings, bracelet, broach, and necklace, all set in platinum. Keeping in mind that you like elegant versus chunky, I went for a nice dainty set. The metal forms into small flowers and vines, with the diamonds being the heart of the flowers scattered over the necklace. Understated, but the more you look, the more you see the beauty. Oh, and the jewelry is like that too.” I could hear the smile in his voice.

  “Well, load me up,” I joked. “I might as well flaunt what a great catch you are.”

  He gave an embarrassed laugh, “Oh yeah, like you’re such a Material Girl. Turn around, Gold-digger, so I can drape you in priceless jewels.”

  I lifted my hair so David could manipulate the necklace’s tiny clasp at my nape. The metal had already absorbed some of the body heat from my hand, so it was comfortably warm when he arranged it over my collarbones in a starburst-like pattern. The bracelet was a cuff design, maybe two inches wide and mostly scrollwork with raised diamonds scattered over the band. I didn’t wear jewelry often, but I had my ears pierced as a child, so the delicate, dangly earrings went easily into the tiny holes in my ears.