Growth 0f Love

by D. Anne Paris

  "Want me to go find this guy, Sarge ?" Tiny asked eagerly.

  Keith shook his head. "No. I scared the shit out of him for now, but I need Daniel's help." He looked around the room and waved Daniel over.

  "Hey, guys, what's up?"

  "We have an individual who is trying to expose us. How hard would it be to get into his phone's pictures?"

  Daniel grinned. "That's it? I thought it would be something hard!"

  Keith slapped Daniel on the back and explained to him what he needed.

  When Keith finished talking to Daniel, Dean cornered him by the refreshment table. "So when were you going to tell me about you and Jeri?" Dean asked Keith point blank as he grabbed a mug and filled it with coffee.

  Tiny snickered as he grabbed a roll off a plate. Keith shot him a cold look.

  "You're smart, Miller. I knew you'd figure it out." Keith poured coffee into his mug and handed Dean the carafe.

  "It still would have been nice of you to tell me that you two are..."

  "And how do you think I would have started that conversation?" Keith looked over at his smiling friend.

  "Hey, so I'm banging your sister," Tiny blurted out in between bites.

  Dean groaned. "Tiny, I didn't need that visual."

  "What? She's hot!" He looked over at Keith. "Sorry, Sarge, but she is."

  Keith leaned towards Tiny and poked his chest. "Look, but don't ever touch."

  "Yes, sir." He saluted and reached to grab another roll. "Damn, these are good. If Anne cooks like her mother then you're going to pack on a few pounds, Dean."

  Dean took a gulp of his coffee. “Unfortunately, she never really has time to cook."

  "And she obviously has other skills, otherwise you wouldn't be expecting a little screamer." He smirked.

  "Just wait until you find yourself a woman, Tiny." Keith took a roll from the dish. He moved to let Daniel refill his mug.

  "Never gonna happen. I'm not a one-woman man."

  "Wanna bet on it?" Dean smiled. "I give you a year."

  "I give it eighteen months," Keith chimed in.

  "Four months." Daniel added. He reached in and took the last roll on the plate.

  They all stared at him. "You actually gamble, Intel?" Tiny smiled his perfect smile.

  Daniel shook his head at his new nickname. He learned the hard way you don't ask Tiny how he got his nickname without being ribbed in one way or another. "Of course I do. It's online, but it's still gambling."

  Tiny laughed and slapped his shoulder. "Okay, so what do I give the esteemed winner?"

  "How about that pretty little stick you won." Dean grinned.

  Tiny grinned. "The Barrett M82A1? Sure! And what do I get if I win?"

  "Bragging rights." Keith smiled.

  Tiny shook his head. "Nah. I want something more. How about a picture of your ladies giving me a kiss?"

  "You haven't even met my girlfriend," Daniel commented.

  Tiny brushed him off with his hand. "Don't need to. I trust you have excellent taste, Intel."

  "No way in hell Anne will kiss you," Dean told him flatly.

  "If you kiss Jeri you'll become a soprano." Keith took a sip of his coffee.

  "My girlfriend would dump me," Daniel muttered as took a bite of the roll.

  "What about on the cheek?"

  Keith stared Tiny down. "Don't you have enough women following you?"

  Tiny smiled back at him. "Yes, but they're not as beautiful as your ladies."

  "You're not making this easy," Dean told him.

  "The Barrett M82A1 is not an easy gun to find."

  Dean looked over at Keith. "He's got a point."

  Keith sighed. "All right, but only on the cheek. Anywhere else and we'll make sure you live up to your nickname."

  "Scout's honor," he saluted them to give them some reassurance. "What about you, Dean?"

  "Yeah, alright."

  "How about you, Intel?"

  Daniel wiped some crumbs off his lips. "Sure."

  Tiny smiled. "This will be fun!"

  "What will be fun?" Jeri walked in with a platter of appetizers.

  "Oh, that looks so good!" Tiny bolted to her and snagged a mini quiche.

  Keith walked over to Jeri and wrapped his arm around her waist. "This Christmas is going to be fun."

  He leaned down and gave her a quick kiss. She smiled and looked over at Dean.

  "I take it Keith told you about us?"

  Dean smiled. "He didn't have to. I can see it in your faces. You have my blessing."

  She walked over to him and hugged him, careful not to tilt the plate. "Thank you."

  "Merry Christmas, li’l sis."

  "Merry Christmas to you, too."

  She let him go and walked to the coffee table to place the dish on it.

  Elle walked in with another plate. "Food will be ready in thirty minutes."

  "There's more?" Tiny ran up to Elle and took the plate from her. "Let me help you, Angel."

  A smile formed on her face. "My name's Elle."

  "To me, you'll always be Angel."

  Elle's blonde tresses bounced as she laughed. "Ok, Jason. You can call me whatever you want."

  "Awesome." He pulled out his phone. "What's your number?"

  Her mouth opened and she stopped to think before she uttered. "Wait. What?"

  Dean and Keith burst out laughing.

  "Pay no attention to them." Tiny waved them off. "Here," He handed her his cell phone. "type in your number."

  Still confused, she took his phone, typed in her number and gave it back to him.

  "Awesome."

  "Make sure you block his number when he calls," Dean called out to her.

  She shook her head and walked with Jeri back to the kitchen. "I still don't know what happened. Did he use his power on me?"

  "Nope, that's not my power, that's my personality, Angel," he said with a wink.

  Elle turned back and smiled at him. "Okay, Jason."

  "My friends call me Tiny, but you can call me Mr. Big."

  Elle started to laugh. "I think I'll call you Tiny."

  "You can always change your mind later!" he called out to her as she walked back towards the kitchen with Jeri.

  "Can I change my bet?" Keith asked Tiny.

  Tiny shook his head. "Nope, bets are closed, my friend." He reached down and grabbed a mini crescent from one of the plates on the coffee table. "But don't worry, I'm not going to be tied down to one woman."

  "Then leave Elle alone." There was a stern tone in Dean's voice.

  "Chill, Dean. I won't hurt her. Just figured she needs a pair of lips to kiss on New Year's."

  Daniel's eyebrows rose. "And yours are the best?"

  Tiny motioned towards the room. "Is there anyone else here who is not related to her or is available?"

  His comment was met with silence.

  "That's what I thought."

  Dean moved closer to him. "Tiny, I'm serious. Stay away from Elle. She doesn't need you breaking her heart."

  Tiny stopped mid-chew and caught the edge in his voice. "Dean, I won't do anything she doesn't want, you know that."

  Dean moved closer to him. "She's not like the other women you've been with."

  "Yeah, she's your girlfriend’s cousin which means she’s related to you." He smirked.

  Dean grabbed his arm. "Tiny, I'm serious. I've gotten to know her and she is a really nice woman who has had a lot of shit happen to her. She doesn't need you playing around with her and leaving her broken."

  "Everything okay?"

  Dean let him go and turned to Anne, who was carrying a pitcher of egg nog. He ran up to her and took the pitcher.

  "Yeah, fine. Just giving each other some grief. Where do you want this?"

  "Over by the coffee." She rubbed her lower back. "Play nice boys. I'm sure Christina and Elle would like a night off from providing first aid."

 
"Oh!" Tiny turned to Dean. "Dean, hit me!"

  Dean placed the pitcher by the coffee and turned to him. His lips thinned. "Don't tempt me, Tiny."

  Anne looked confused. "Um, Tiny, if you like you can stay the night. My parents have a guest room you can use."

  Tiny smiled and moved around Dean’s massive frame to stand in from of her. "I appreciate it, but I have to take my Grandma to church service in the morning."

  Elle walked in with more mugs. "Oh, that's so sweet!"

  Tiny trotted up to her and gently took the mugs from her hands. "Where do you want these?"

  "On the dining room table, right through there." She motioned in the direction of the dining room.

  "Consider it done." He sprinted off with the mugs.

  Keith shook his head. This was definitely going to be a Christmas they all would remember.

  Chapter 18

  "Are your eyes closed?" Jeri called out.

  "Yes." Keith kept his eyes closed. They finished up their Christmas dinner and Jeri told him she had a special dessert for him. His stomach couldn't eat another bite, but he had a different appetite she could satiate. He was hoping dessert was just a metaphor for something sweeter than anything baked.

  "Okay, open your eyes."

  Keith blinked and his heart started to beat wildly.

  Jeri stood in front of the sofa he sat on. Her sheer lace green corset, black stockings, green panties and black heels stalled his breath in his throat. She held a muffin in her hands.

  "Merry Christmas, Keith." Her smile was sweet, but had a bit of mischief in it.

  "Oh, Baby." He couldn't hear himself as his heart beat loudly in his ears.

  "I made this blueberry muffin for you." She casually walked towards him, her heels softly clicking against the wood floor.

  "I'd prefer to eat you first," he growled. He was happy he was sitting down because the sexy image of her turned his knees into jelly.

  She kneeled on the sofa and moved both her knees on either side of him, straddling him. "You need food to keep up with me." Her fingers peeled the wrapper off the muffin.

  Keith's eyebrows rose, his eyes focused on her wonderful breasts which were pushed up by the lacy contraption and looked like they would spill out at any moment. His cock jerked in anticipation. His hands took hold of her waist and he gently pressed her down against his growing arousal. "Keep up with you? What have you got planned?"

  Her fingers broke a piece of the muffin off and he opened his mouth to accept the morsel she offered him.

  "Oh, I have a few things in mind."

  His mouth turned into a smile as he chewed the soft muffin. It was sweet, soft and scrumptious like Jeri. He'd never look at a blueberry muffin again without getting an arousal.

  Jeri tore another piece off and Keith's mouth opened, but the piece went into her mouth instead.

  Keith frowned. "I thought that was all for me."

  Jeri chewed and smiled. "Can't share?"

  "Not when it's as delicious as you."

  "That kind of talk will get you a lot tonight." She purred as she broke off another piece and placed it into his open mouth.

  He growled and tightened his hold on her.

  She popped the last morsel into her mouth and licked her two finger, eyeing Keith's reaction to her slow, long licks.

  His body grew hard. His need for her flared up.

  Slowly she folded up the wrapper and leaned her body closer against him as she placed the wrapper on the side table. Her breasts were a mere inch away from his mouth. He opened his mouth and tried to kiss the top, but she came back down and pressed her breasts against his chest.

  "There are more muffins in the kitchen," she purred, looking deep into his eyes.

  "Later," he uttered as he stared at her. His heart felt different, lighter, more vibrant. He never felt this kind of feeling with anyone else in his life, and he didn't want it to end. He took hold of her hair and threaded his fingers through it. The lights from the Christmas tree in the back twinkled, making her look surreal. If it was a dream he never wanted to wake up.

  "This really has been a wonderful Christmas," he murmured, moving his hands down the back of her corset to her waist.

  Jeri dipped down and captured his lips. He drank in her sweet goodness as his hands traveled to the front of the corset and tried to unhook it.

  Her hands stopped his and she broke away from his lips.

  "Patience," she leaned in and whispered in his ear.

  He took hold of her waist again and pressed her against his throbbing erection. "Does this feel like I can wait?"

  She moved slightly away from him, a wicked smile formed on her face "Sargent Brinks, didn't they teach you to be patient in the military?"

  "Yes, I've been patient for over seven years." He slid his hands up her corset and cupped her breasts. His mouth kissed the top of her exposed cleavage. "Seven... long...years..." His lips traveled up her neck.

  She pressed closer to him. His mouth greedily kissed the hollow of her throat "We need to make up for lost time."

  He stopped and looked up at her face. "Oh, I plan on it." His fingers gently caressed her face. He was meant to be with her. His soul was numb until she came into his life. Now he felt things he thought were long dead.

  "You're my everything, Jeri."

  She leaned in and nibbled his lower lip. His mouth opened and her tongue darted in and tangled with his. The heat from the kiss traveled down his exposed chest and centered around his erection, causing it to grow even more.

  She broke away and whispered in his ear, "You're the only man who has my heart."

  Her words stirred his soul and his heart contracted. He’d waited far too long to hear those words. She was finally his, that was all that mattered to him.

  He reached out and caressed her face. "I promise you that I won't ever hurt you."

  Her eyes glistened with unshed tears of happiness. “I won't ever hurt you, either,"

  She pulled away from him, her eyes darkened and her smile turned wicked. "I may torture you a little."

  His breath stilled and he fisted his hand through her hair and crushed her against his rock hard body. Intense desire ran through his veins from the contact. He itched to rip off the constraining corset from her luscious body. He reached over and claimed her lips, first tenderly then gradually more demanding.

  Her hand moved slowly down his chest, past his waistband and gently rested on his tented shaft.

  He broke away, with a deep primal growl. All his blood rushed down to where she was touching him and his cock demanded more attention from her.

  "I think I may like whatever torture you have in mind."

  "I hope so." She slowly moved off of him and picked up her cell phone, moving it from the side table. "First, let's turn on some music." She typed something on her cell phone and the speakers from her tv started to play a slow instrumental Christmas song.

  Keith’s heart raced as he watched her stroll over to her electric fireplace to turn it on. She bent down to flick on a switch and he lost his breath as he realized she was wearing a thong. His cock was going to rip a hole in his pants if she kept up this torture.

  The artificial flames started to flicker, She stood slowly up and looked over her shoulder at him. Her dark hair shimmered in the twinkling lights, making her look like an enchanting siren ready to lure him into a sensual abyss.

  "You like what you see?" she teased.

  "Immensely." He didn't even recognize his voice. It was guttural and mixed with deep desire.

  Jeri twisted her body around and Keith noticed she was holding a small bunch of green leaves with white berries in her right hand. Was that mistletoe she was holding?

  She slithered over to him and lifted the twigs held together by a red bow. "I'm sure you know the tradition of being kissed under the mistletoe."

  His hungry gaze raked through her entire body. His fingers itched to rip off the lac
e that wrapped every sweet curve of hers.

  She leaned forward, planting her hand on the back of the sofa and preventing her body from touching his. Her scent surrounded him and tempted the devil inside that wanted to grab her and claim her as his.

  When he reached out to touch her she stood up and shook her finger at him. "Greedy little man, aren't we?"

  "Little?" He growled, desire filling his every pore. "There's nothing little about me, and I'll be glad to give you a demonstration any time you want."

  Her wicked smile got bigger. "Oh, I'll give you a chance to show me, multiple times, but right now I need your kisses under the mistletoe." She eased herself over his lap, her knees holding her body up over his lap. Instead of sitting down, she hovered her breasts by his lips and held the mistletoe over them.

  Keith's heart thundered in his ears. He reached out to cup her breasts, but she slapped his hands away. "Just your lips."

  His body got harder at the command. He leaned over her right breast and gently placed his lips on it, then his teeth gently nipped it. She inhaled, causing her breasts to rise closer to him. He kissed it again, slowly, gently as his hands held her waist. He moved to the other one and kissed it tenderly before he nipped it, causing a tremor to come over her body. His tongue darted and licked the bite. A moan escaped her lips and Keith dug his fingers deeper into her waist.

  Jeri slowly moved her body up and stopped when her exposed midsection was level with his mouth.

  He glanced up and saw she held the mistletoe right above his head. Her eyes were dark and filled with desire for him. A smile formed on his face. His kiss above her navel was gentle and soft. He lifted his lips and blew on her skin, causing her body to shake. He swooped down again and rained kisses around her navel. Goosebumps formed under his lips.

  She broke away from him and slowly lifted her body higher, bringing his lips to her throbbing core.

  He cupped her ass cheeks and kissed the lace covered mound. His hot breath made her inhale swiftly and her body stiffen. Slowly, he slid his hands down to cup her drenched panties savoring the feeling that he was the cause of her heightened arousal.

  Her hand pulled one of his back up. “Not yet," she whispered. He glided his hands back up and grabbed her butt, while he continued planting kisses.