“Get out of my way!” River snarled at Jude, but he only leered, shaking his head.
“You’re the one in the way, Cortez. There’s no room here for you now. You’ve been gone too long.”
River lunged for him, and Jude continued to laugh, and River’s hand fell through his body.
“You can’t hurt me,” Jude mocked. “You’re a ghost. You don’t exist.”
River howled, but before he could attack again, his eyes flew open and Marseille was standing over him, her eyes wide in horror.
“You were screaming your head off!” she whispered. “I don’t know how you didn’t wake Jude.”
He bolted up, sweat prickling his brow.
“Do you love him?” he hissed, his eyes wild with worry. “Do you truly love him?”
Marseille sat back, biting on her lower lip.
“Of course I love him,” she whispered. “When we thought we lost you –“
“I get it, Marce but I’m home now. You need to divorce him. Let’s get back to how things were before I left.”
“Why did you leave me?” she sobbed, burying her face in her hands. “You made a mess of everything.”
“I will never leave you again,” he promised. “Marseille, please, baby, I love you so much. Don’t send me away.”
He desperately wanted to tell her about Jude, but he held back. It was not the time for it. She would not believe that the man she had married was the same person.
She shook her head, raising her eyes to stare at him and he could read the desire in her face.
Without answering, she pushed him back onto the sofa, straddling him. Her face met with his, and when their lips met, River knew she had never stopped loving him.
His hands reached up under her sleeping shirt to touch the contours of her toned body, sighing deeply. She felt exactly how he remembered, her silken skin tickling the tips of his fingers.
She pressed her body against his, their kiss deepening and he pulled the shirt over her head, punctuating her neck and chest with kisses in between removing their clothes.
Suddenly, he sat up, grasping her naked back and burying his face into her full breasts.
His tongue made its way to one tight nipple while his hand reached around the back of her to caress her full, naked rear.
Marseille ground against him, feeling his erection rise against her wet crotch and River knew he could not bother with foreplay any longer.
He had craved being inside his wife for seven years. He could not deny the burning urge to possess her, and without warning, he flipped her onto her back, his hands unfastening his jeans to expose his tumescent member.
“Wait!” she gasped. “Just –“
“No,” he said, plunging himself into her core smoothly. She cried out at the abrupt movement, her legs rising to his waist and she was done with her protests as he began to pound at her.
River stared into her eyes, and they lost themselves in the depth of their passion, Marseille bucking upward as her calves locked around his back.
Driving deep, Marseille began to whimper, and River had forgotten how incredible she looked as her eyes rolled back and her body reached its climax, gushing wildly over him.
He never wanted the moment to end, feeling her orgasm oil the way to his.
“I love you so much,” he whispered, grunting slightly as his sack tightened in preparation for an explosion.
They were a sliding mess of juice and sweat and even as River gave one last thrust, he refused to pull away from the wife he had desired every day for as long as he could remember.
They lay in a pile of heaving breaths, and while he was sure he was crushing her, Marseille did not shift.
It was clear that she, too, wanted to keep him inside her for as long as possible.
She never stopped loving me. It’s obvious. Jude has to go. It may take Marseille some time to do it, but he’s going one way or another.
He propped himself up and placed a kiss on her waiting lips.
“I never want to be away from you again, Marce. I can tell you feel the same way about me. No amount of time can change that. We were meant to be together.”
Marseille shifted her gaze, and he knew she was conflicted. Jude slept upstairs while she made love to her true husband in the basement.
I will help her through this the same way Jude helped her through my death.
The thought filled him with cruel amusement.
“It is so complicated now,” she breathed, returning her light brown eyes to his face.
River nodded understandingly.
“Of course it is,” he agreed. “And I will help you through it.”
Marseille swallowed visibly, a look of fear flashing through her face and for a second, River wondered if she had read his mind.
He had been thinking that he would help her through it even if it meant killing Jude with his bare hands.
Chapter Six: Fort Jackson, North Carolina - 2008
“Holy shit, man. We’re going to die right here in basic training. We’re all gonna die before we get anywhere or see anything.”
River chuckled and glanced at the scowling blonde at his side.
“It’s not that bad,” he replied. “It’s like any good workout – it gets better over time. You just have to build up a tolerance to the pain.”
The blonde glared at River, narrowing his bright blue eyes.
“What the hell do you know about anything?” he snapped. River shrugged nonchalantly and lay back on his cot, returning to his book.
“I’m an army brat,” he replied. “My day was a stickler for the daily regime of torture. I have been working toward this my entire life.”
The man snorted and pulled off his boots.
“This is not what I expect basic training to feel like.”
River grinned again and took note of the name on his fatigues.
“You’ll survive…Galvin. I’m River Cortez.”
“River huh? I thought your dad was an army guy.”
“My mom was a hippie sort,” River joked sitting up and sticking out his hand. Galvin eyed it reluctantly and finally accepted it.
“Jude Galvin.”
River snickered.
“Speaking of hippie names,” he laughed and began humming “Hey Jude.”
“Yeah, it’s nothing I haven’t heard before,” Jude barked, but River read the amusement in his face. “What are you reading?”
He pointed at the book in River’s lap.
“My fiancée recommended it – it’s called ‘Ishmael.' It features a talking gorilla.”
Jude stared at him blankly.
“I don’t know which part is worse – the fact you’re like fifteen and engaged or the fact that you’re reading a book about a talking gorilla.”
River eyed his new companion, unsure of how serious he was and then laughed.
“I’m twenty-one,” he told Jude. “And Marseille recommends good stuff. I haven’t been disappointed yet.”
“Wow, Marseille. Do you call her Mars?”
River grimaced.
“Not if I want to have sex,” he replied. Jude studied him for a long moment.
“Where are you from, Cortez?”
“Vermont. Burlington. You?”
“Upstate New York. Syracuse.”
River nodded.
“Well, I guess we’re neighbors then.”
Jude snorted.
“I guess we’re gonna be neighbors for a long time,” he sighed.
“You don’t have a girl waiting for you back home?” River asked, and Jude laughed.
“You wouldn’t catch me marrying any dumb bitch. Why be stuck with one sickly cow when you can buy a fresh one every day?”
River’s mouth tightened, but he did not display the distaste he felt for the comment.
“I think you’ve got the phrase backward,” he quipped lightly, determined not to let Galvin’s surly nature weigh him down.
“No, I don’t. I’m just saying,
your girl better have one golden pussy if you’re gonna chain yourself to her for the rest of your life. Although, I hear married guys get hit on more. Something about broads and their biological clocks or some shit. They see a hitched man, and they automatically think ‘sperm donor.’ Mark my words, you’ll never catch me marrying any bitch.”
“Never say never, my friend.”
Jude snorted.
“Oh, on this you can trust me,” he replied. “I learn from my mistakes.”
“I’m working a double today,” Marseille said, her back to him as she pawed through the fridge. Jude stared at her, his eyes narrowing suspiciously.
She had been acting strangely, but he couldn’t figure out exactly what it was which was troubling her.
“Mars, about last night –“
“Forget it,” she replied quickly. “You’re right. It’s the same fight we’ve had a million times. I think that one day soon, we should talk about our future and what we’re doing here. It’s about time for a change around here, Jude.”
Jude felt the color drain from his face, and he was on his feet before he could stop himself.
He whirled her around and cupped her face, his eyes wide with fear.
“Mars, what are you saying?”
She was taken aback by his movements, and her mouth dropped open in surprise.
“I’m – I just think that it’s time we re-evaluate why we got married and what we’re really doing now. I…I think you’re right. I think I have been pining for River after all this time. I don’t think we should have ever gotten –“
“Don’t say that!” he raged, shaking her. “Don’t ever say that! You married me because you love me, not because you missed River.”
Marseille lowered her eyes, and Jude felt a stab of panic growing inside him.
No! No, she can’t leave me. She belongs to me. I have sacrificed too much to have her.
“No!” he told her firmly. “No, I won’t give you a divorce if that’s what you’re asking me.”
“I didn’t say I wanted a divorce,” she sighed quietly. “I’m saying…”
“What?” he demanded. “What are you saying?”
She shook her head.
“I have to go, Jude. We will talk about this later,” she promised. Jude refused to release her, and her eyes narrowed darkly.
“Let go of me, Jude,” she snapped. Begrudgingly, he dropped his arms, and she grabbed her purse, exiting the house before he could respond.
No sooner did the screen door close did his cell chime.
Dammit Norah, not now, he thought, but he pulled his phone from his pocket and eyed the message from his mistress.
Ever since Norah had told him she knew he had a wife, life had become slightly more difficult for Jude.
To his surprise, Norah had not made a scene or made any demands of him, but Jude had a feeling that it was only a matter of time before that changed. Her texts were becoming more frequent, and Jude sensed danger in the air.
Norah had not implied that she knew who his wife was or where they lived, but Jude could tell that if Norah wanted to know something, she was very adept at learning things.
The threats were hidden, but Jude was not a fool. Norah was aware she had him by the balls, and the massage was becoming a squeeze.
I am ending it with her today. If Marseille is talking about a separation or divorce and she finds out about Norah, there will be no changing her mind.
The thought of letting Norah go filled him with regret as he thought about her capable tongue and firm, spinner body.
I’ll find another tiny blonde, but I’ll use a fake name and not let her know anything about me, Jude vowed. I won’t make the same mistakes with the next one. I learnt from my mistakes.
There would be one more romp in the hay with Norah, and then he would bid her adieu, citing reconciliation with his wife.
She might be upset at first, but I will sweet talk her and make it nice. I can’t lose Marseille.
Sighing, he placed his coffee mug in the dishwasher and paused. Again, his mind went to the sandwich.
The entire affair had been bizarre.
Firstly, it was very out of character to snack before dinner. She would have made food for them both before eating alone.
Secondly, beer was something she never drank. She didn’t like the acidity and bitterness.
Third, and most troubling, was the disappearing half sandwich.
Was someone else in the house last night?
The almost insurmountable fury which filled Jude caused him to lose breath.
That would explain Marseille’s sudden desire to talk about splitting up.
No. Marseille would never cheat on me, he thought, desperately trying to maintain his breaths.
I bet that she feels the same way about you, a twisted little voice mocked him as he stared at the dirty dishes.
He slammed the door shut and hurried toward the stairs as if trying to strike the image from his mind forever.
If there is another man, I will kill him, Jude swore silently. No one will take my wife from me.
The drive to Merrimack took twice as long as it should have, landing Jude in Norah’s apartment complex almost forty minutes after he left home.
He had been wracking his mind for ways to find out who was seeing his wife and he drove leisurely, down side streets and through back roads, getting lost as his mind whirled.
Marseille had never given him a reason to believe that she was cheating but that didn’t mean she wasn’t; it could mean she was good at covering her tracks.
Still, he didn’t want to accuse her of something if he wasn’t certain.
More importantly, he thought grimly as he parked the Camry in the visitor’s spot. I want to know who this asshole is so I can put a bullet in his brain.
Jude’s thoughts were not hyperbole; he was sure if he was ever faced with the man touching his wife, he would not have a second thought about murdering him.
Of course, I would never simply shoot him; there would be a much more elaborate execution. I might even get Marseille to watch.
A grotesque smile crept onto his face, and he jumped from the car toward Norah’s apartment.
“It took you forever to get here,” Norah said, anger creeping into her voice. “Why did it take you so long?”
Jude was annoyed and slightly taken aback by her tone, but he did not let his true feelings be known.
He needed to keep Norah calm and happy.
“I’m sorry, baby,” he crooned, leaning in to kiss her. “I was still in my pajamas when you messaged.”
She eyed him disbelievingly and shut the door behind him.
“I don’t know why I have to beg you to come visit me,” she told him sullenly. “It’s your day off. I would think you would want to spend it with the woman you’re in love with.”
The words made Jude cringe inwardly.
Have I told her that I’m in love with her? Jesus, the next one is going to go very differently for sure. No love, no commitment, no real names.
“Sorry, baby,” he said again, hoping to placate her. “I have a lot of things to do on my day off.”
“Like what?” she demanded. “Like your wife?”
Jude checked his temper again and forced a smile. He leaned toward her, hoping to draw her into an embrace but Norah shrugged him off as if he was a pesky fly.
“We never really talked about that,” he told her smoothly. “Obviously it’s a bone of contention with you so let’s talk about it.”
A slow, humorless smile formed on her lips and she arched a dark blonde eyebrow.
“You didn’t seem willing to talk the other day when you flew out of here like a bat out of hell.”
“You caught me by surprise. Anyway, you had to
work. It wasn’t a good time to get into it.”
“Fine, let’s discuss it,” Norah agreed. “Sit down.”
Jude disliked being commanded, but he reminded himself once more that keeping Norah happy was crucial to his own security.
I’ll find out what she knows and end it under the guise of guilt, he thought, perching on an armchair across from the couch.
“Want a drink, soldier?”
Jude felt his blood run cold. He had never told Norah about his time in the army. It was not something he spoke about often and certainly not to a woman he was essentially using her oral talents.
He nodded.
It seemed like he was going to need that drink.
Norah sashayed toward the bar in the corner of the small living room and poured him a scotch. Jude almost protested, abhorring the taste of the potent liquor but something told him that he would appreciate it in a few minutes.
She gave it to him neat, and the mere smell of the cheap liquor made his eyes tear dramatically.
“Cheers,” she toasted, holding up a glass of red wine.
“Cheers,” he agreed. “Sit down, Norah. Let’s clear the air a bit.”
Norah sat, and they stared at each other for a long minute before she laughed.
“I don’t like being lied to, Lieutenant,” she started, and Jude felt his back tense.
“I never lied to you, Norah. There are things we have not talked about, that’s true but to say I lied…”
“You want to argue semantics with me?” she asked, her blue eyes dubious. “Yeah?”
“I don’t want to argue with you at all,” he replied. “I want us to speak openly and move forward.”
“Why didn’t you ever tell me you were in the army?” she asked suddenly. Jude shrugged.
“It’s something I don’t like to think about. I lost one of my best friends out in the middle east. How did you find out?”
Norah chortled.
“It turns out you have a very recognizable face, Jude,” she purred, slinking across the room toward him. She traced a finger against his stubbly face and for an instant, Jude wanted to smack it aside, but he dared not.
She’s on some bizarre power trip. I have to end things with her before it gets worse and judging by her expression, it’s about to get much worse from here.
The Lost Seal: A Seal Romance Page 6
