by Reese Rivers
Those two years with the Ito’s did more to influence my life than all the years of abuse I suffered under my biological parents. When Kenji died tragically in a car accident, Hina chose to return to Japan to be with their grown children and grandchildren. I was almost fifteen by then so the state chose to place me in a group home instead of with another family. That group home was where I met Dev, Gray, and Linc.
I close my eyes, breathe deeply and begin. I had picked a baby cabbage on my last circuit of the perimeter and took out some of the frozen wild hog from the freezer to thaw. As I mix and roll out the dough for the wrappers, I speak five phrases said in some Zen temples before they eat.
“I reflect on the work that brings this food before me; let me see whence this food comes. I reflect on my imperfections, on whether I am deserving of this offering of food. Let me hold my mind free from preferences and greed. I take this food as an effective medicine to keep my body in good health. I accept this food so that I will fulfill my task of enlightenment.”
My breathing deepens as I focus on my senses. I feel the soft dough with my fingers as I work it into shape. I smell the minced pork, cabbage, and spices of the filling as it cooks. My sight is pleased by the unique shape of the pinched edges of the completed dumplings. I hear the sizzle of the food cooking and I taste the burst of flavors as I sample one of the finished gyoza.
When I step back from the tray of gyoza that will only need to be reheated for supper when the others return later, I am calm, centered, and grounded. I accept that I cannot change whatever might happen to the people I love while they are outside the fences. I will trust that Kelsey can and will take care of her own safety even as I try and protect her in any small way she will allow and I will feed my family the meal I prepared for them when they return. I place the tray of gyoza into the fridge just as my phone alarm goes off with an alert that one of the gates has been opened. I close my eyes and say a small prayer of gratitude and then smooth out my expression to go and greet them.
Kelsey comes into view first. She’s still too far away for me to see her face but that gorgeous hair of hers shines like a beacon under the mid-afternoon sun and my heart lurches in my chest to see her back safe and sound. I stand and wait tensely until I count three more figures coming into view behind her and slowly let my muscles relax. By the time she’s twenty feet away, I can see something’s wrong. There’s no smile for me on her face but a deep frown instead. I scan her body for injury but all I see is a sweat-soaked shirt and damp hair clinging to her face and neck.
Just as she steps onto the patio, Dev speeds up and calls out, “Damn it, Kelsey, just stop and listen for a minute!”
Gray adds his own voice, “Come on, Kells, let us explain!”
Only Linc stays quiet but I can see a dark look on his face as Kelsey spins around to face them, standing now only a few feet from me.
“You’re going to want to back off and give me some fucking space right now.” She growls out, throws her hand up in a stop motion, and then turns back to me with fire in her eyes.
I step back with a small nod and the flames cool and her face softens.
“Not you, Oliver, just them.” She swipes an arm across her sweaty forehead with a sigh so I reach for her pack and help her unload it.
“How about a cool shower and a cold drink?” I offer and I finally get the smile I’ve been waiting for.
“How about you join me for both?” She tosses back and then blushes and darts her eyes away from mine.
There’s my girl. I reach for her hand and tug her toward the middle camper. If this is going to be my first time with her then I want privacy and if she wants to vent about whatever’s pissed her off, she should get to do it without the others listening in. I hold open the door and as she climbs up and disappears into the camper as I look back at the guys with my eyebrows raised in question. Dev looks like he’s chewing on nails. Gray’s face is filled with frustration and Linc’s has shifted to resigned.
Linc gives me a curt nod and says quietly, “We fucked up. She has a right to be angry.”
I watch as Dev bites back a curse and stomps off to Kelsey’s camper with Gray slowly following him and then turn back to Linc, who scrubs at the scruff on his jaw.
“She’s … she’s an amazing fighter and we were idiots. We tried so hard to keep her away from the dead instead of killing the dead. Things could have gone badly if she wasn’t as good as she is at handling herself out there.” He steps closer and lowers his voice even more. “I think she had to kill her friend, O. I think Tara got bit and Kelsey had to put her down. That’s what broke her more than being alone for so long.”
I track back to all the little things she’s said or not said but alluded to and come to the same conclusion. I finally nod at him.
“Go grab a shower and work on Dev. If he keeps his shit up, he’ll push her away completely.”
I leave him to it and shut the door, turning to climb the three steps up to the washroom and bedroom level. Kelsey’s left the bathroom door open and when I spot the pile of clothing on the floor my mouth goes dry. I can see her silhouette through the frosted shower door and hear the water spraying as I stand just inside the small room. I want nothing more than to strip off and join her but nerves get the better of me and I stand hesitating. I’ve taken the lead with her during every encounter and now that I finally might get my hands on her beautiful body, I want, no I need her to make it clear that it’s what she wants.
The shower door pops open and swings wide and there she is - all smooth wet skin and delicious curves that have my fingers itching to touch and feel. She turns my way, giving me a full-frontal view of her naked body and a harsh breath slips out at just how sexy this woman is.
“Are you … will you join me?” She asks in a hesitant voice and I can hear the same nerves I’m feeling in her tone so I will my feet to stay still instead of lunging forward.
“Are you sure? Are you sure you want … me?” I leave off the part where I ask if she’s just mad at the others and wants to pay them back by having sex with me but she must pick up on it because she frowns and shakes her head, steps out of the shower and reaches for my shirt to pull it up over my head.
“I want you, Oliver. I want your mouth on mine. I want your hands moving over every part of me. I want everything about you. Please, Oliver, be with me?”
When her fingers reach for my belt I can’t wait any longer and my fingers slide into her wet hair and angle her head so my mouth can seal over hers. The small moan she lets out has me kicking off my pants and boxers and backing her into the shower until we are both under the water. I could kiss her for the rest of my life and never grow tired of it but there’s so much more I want to touch and taste. I push her against the wall and run my mouth down the column of her neck and further until I can reach her breasts. They’re perfect, just like the rest of her, and I can’t help but take my time, cupping them, kissing all around the heavy weight of them before finally letting my tongue circle the sweet little pink buds that are her nipples. Every swipe and lick of my tongue and the moans she makes has the tangled, knotted lines in my head smoothing out. This is exactly right. This is where I’m supposed to be and what I’m meant to be doing.
She arches against me when I suck and bite gently on her nipples as she pants her need and her fingers slide over my shoulders and dig in even as her hips lift, searching for contact. When she says my name as a plea, my knees hit the shower floor and my hands sweep up the back of her thighs to her ass so I can pull her sexy, bare mound to my mouth. All I want is to dive deep inside her folds and explore but I want this to last for her so I squeeze her thighs tightly closed with my arms, only allowing the tip of my tongue to part her slit. Tiny little licks that barely penetrate the lips around her clit have her bucking against me, trying to force my tongue deeper but I hold her thighs tighter and continue the shallow strokes of my tongue until she’s quivering. Only then do I push in further and lengthen my strokes, still keeping her
thighs clamped together. I want her to feel every part of my tongue against her sensitive flesh so that every movement strokes her higher.
Kelsey’s fingers grip the back of my head hard so she can try and grind herself against my mouth and the last of my control slips away as I release her thighs so I can spread them for better access. I lift one of her legs to hang over my shoulder, opening her up completely to me. She’s so wet and ready that two of my fingers slide easily up inside her and she pumps her hips against them, wanting more. I can’t get enough of the taste and feel of her so as I curl my fingers inside her and thrust against her velvety walls my tongue sweeps through every part of her pussy, finally settling on the swollen bundle of nerves that she is practically begging me to touch.
“Yes! Fuck yes! There … don’t stop! Please … more! You’re going to make me cum!”
My lips suck and my tongue circles and flicks as my fingers never stop thrusting in and out of her. I feel the first flutters of her climax building and the way her channel squeezes around my fingers has my rock hard, throbbing cock jerking in jealousy. I want her to come apart on my mouth desperately so I flatten my tongue and hit her clit with rapid, firm, relentless licks until she screams my name and clamps down on my fingers as the orgasm rocks through her. I soften my tongue to gentle sweeps, staying away from the most sensitive area until she relaxes and pulls at my shoulders to get me to stand. Her fingers guide my face to hers and she kisses me slowly, deeply. When she finally breaks the kiss, her eyes are still full of need and she reverses us in the small shower so my back is to the wall. She turns the water from cool to warm and then smiles up at me.
“My turn.”
Kelsey
All thoughts of the anger I came home with are gone as the warm water pours against my back and my body glows and hums with the pleasure Oliver has just given me. My pussy aches to feel his hardness slide into it but waiting will only make it that much sweeter. I want my turn, touching and tasting this hot, sexy man and I also want to see if I can break a little of his tightly held control too. He’s always so careful with me, so gentle. I want to see the edges of him as I drive him wild. His mouth just made me come undone and I want to give him the same pleasure in return so I follow the trail he did and go up on my toes so I can suck, kiss, and lick his strong neck. Down to his firm chest, I find his small hard nipples and swirl around them before nipping at them with my teeth. His hands sweep up and down my back as his hard shaft presses against my stomach. I go lower and lick down the cut between his abs and hip that’s the perfect pathway to where I want to be as I slide to my knees in front of him.
When I look up to meet his eyes with his cock inches from my mouth I see a look of worship directed back at me so it’s only fair that I worship him in return. My tongue darts out and licks the drop of pre-cum beading on the head of his cock, causing him to make a choked sound. I use my lips to slide down the thick length of him, licking as I go until I get to the base and then work my way back up until I can slide his head in between my lips. I swirl my tongue around his head and then take him in a little deeper. Oliver’s fingers thread into my hair and hold my head gently but I want him to lose control so I peek up at him through my lashes and let him look at me, kneeling in front of him with the tip of his cock in my mouth. Abruptly, I change direction and take him fully into my mouth, all the way down - and swallow against him. That’s when he groans loudly and his fingers fist my hair. I keep a slow, deep rhythm as I suck and lick his cock, always taking him as far as my throat will allow. It’s on the fifth stroke of my mouth that his hips rock forward, causing a thrill to go through me. I start to move faster and then so do his hips as he anchors my head and begins fucking my mouth. I can hear his heavy pants with each thrust and his fingers tighten in my hair as he gets closer to exploding.
I’m so turned on and wet from the way he’s responding to me, the way I’m making him lose control that heat is filling me and I can’t help but moan around his cock in desire. The sound is like a lightning bolt going through him and he moves so fast it leaves me dizzy. He pulls himself from between my lips and slides me back on the wet floor to make room. I let him take over again as he sinks to his knees and leans back, lifting me over his lap at the same time so I’m straddling him and with one hard thrust slams deep inside of me. A gasping, unintelligible sound like something from a wild animal is yanked from my mouth as he braces one hand against the wall behind me and another anchors me in his lap as he pistons up into my body.
His dark eyes blaze with intensity and his jaw is locked hard when he growls out, “I need to feel you come on my cock. I need you to squeeze around me when I fill you. I need you to come with me, baby.”
I can already feel it building fast with each hard stroke so I thrash my head in a nod because I can’t speak past the moans spilling from me. The angle he’s fucking me has his cock hitting that perfect spot inside. The climax slams through me so hard I’m digging my nails into his shoulders just to stay upright as stars explode across my vision and wave after wave rocks me even as I feel Oliver’s thrusts turn jerky and then I feel him spilling into me as he roars my name.
He holds me tight against him and I feel his mouth dropping kisses against my hair. When he pushes me away so he can look into my eyes, my breath catches in my throat and my heart just tips all the way over into love. His thumb rubs against my bottom lip and his voice is thick when he speaks.
“You’re everything. I love you, Kelsey.”
Emotions fill me completely as I rest my forehead against his and whisper, “I love you too. I love you, Oliver.”
We eventually get off the floor and even though the water has turned cool again, we soap each other up, taking our time to explore each other’s bodies even more. The water tank finally empties so we shut it off and dry each other with towels before climbing into the queen size bed to make love again. This time though it’s slow and sweet as we take our time, savoring each other. Satisfied, we both drift off with our arms around each other.
We stay there alone for the rest of the day and overnight, Oliver ran out once to bring me a change of clean clothes and a plate heaping with the most delicious pork dumplings. He shocks me by telling me he made them from scratch and as we feast, he tells me about his childhood and the struggles he overcame to be the man he is today. The more I learn about Oliver, the more I fall in love with him.
With our bellies full, we snuggle down under the comforter and I share my childhood story of living with a single mom who was drunk more than sober and who liked to blame me for all her failures in life. I tell him about the science teacher who pushed me to do better, work harder, and who spent hours helping me fill out scholarship applications to make sure my education would be funded all the way through. The only thing I don’t tell him about is Tara and how she and her parents offered me a safe, supportive home to come home to on all school holidays. This time with Oliver is magical and for a little while, I don’t want to think about my best friend and how it all ended.
I sleep deeply that night safe in his arms and for once the nightmares that plague me stay away. He wakes me with a cup of coffee and a kiss the next morning and I stretch lazily, feeling all the yummy aches in all the right places as he smiles down at me indulgently even while shaking his head.
“You’re going to have to talk to the others, you know.”
I give him my best pout and snuggle deeper under the covers.
“Kelsey, they know they screwed up. At least let them apologize.”
I huff out a breath and shove the covers down so I can get up and accept the coffee he holds out for me. After a few hearty swallows, I hand it back and start getting dressed, strapping on my holsters and knife so I can take them back to the cavern later.
“Fine, but we seriously need to come to an understanding about this macho man, protect the little lady bullshit because it’s just not going to work for me … at all.” I glare, causing him to throw his hands up in defense.
“W
oah! Save your bullets for the real targets.” He sighs and pulls me back down to sit on the side of the bed and takes one of my hands in his. “I’m not going to promise that I won’t worry about you every time you are outside these fences but I will promise to have faith in your skills to take care of yourself. I won’t try and keep you locked up even though my macho man alter ego demands that I do.” He brings our joined hands up and kisses my fingers. “Love can make a man crazy, baby. Try and remember that when we crowd you too close. You have to know I’m not the only one who feels this way about you, right?”
I duck my head and feel the last of my anger start to fade away. Love can make you crazy and losing it can make you even more so. I’m living proof of that.
We walk hand and hand across the patio to where the other three are hanging out on the couches. It’s overcast today and the wind is blowing, keeping the temperature down to a reasonable level. The gloomy day suits the expression on Linc and Grayson’s faces. Devin’s keeping with his standard pissed-off look. I sit down across from them and Oliver takes my empty mug inside, hopefully to refill it. I chew on my lip as I scan their faces but when none of them says anything, I sigh.
“I’m sorry I flipped out on you guys yesterday. Um, I … I love that you all want to protect me and keep me safe. I really do. But we need to um, come to a compromise on how that works. If this … this thing that’s happening between us is going to work, then I need you all to trust me. I survived alone for a long time before you all got here. You’ve all seen that I can handle myself against the dead. I don’t need to be sheltered from them.” I sigh again and shake my head. “The reason I got so mad yesterday was not because you wanted to protect me but because you put yourselves at risk to do it. That doesn’t help me. If you, any of you, get bit or die because you were distracted by keeping me safe … I can’t live with that. It … That would destroy me. So please, work with me on this, not against me.”
