****
“She’s burning up with fever, Mason.” Darius sounded desperate. They were in the middle of a monsoon. The rain hadn’t let up for three solid days and the lacerations on Lydia’s back were now infected.
“The drug cocktail didn’t work?” Clint asked.
“To a point. If not for the antibiotics she’d be dead by now. She has two more days tops. We’ve got to move faster.”
“Dare, do you have anything stronger to give her? She’s in such pain, it’s killing me to hear her. It’s not that she’s screaming or anything. It’s just knowing she’s awake and trying to keep it in that’s making me want to kill somebody and then dig ‘em up and butcher them again.” His tone was brutally anguished.
“I’m sorry, Clint, I can’t. If I give her anything stronger than what I have she might stop breathing. I can carry her for a while if you want,” Darius offered. Clint gave him a cold stone look and Darius shrugged.
“Okay, her dying is unacceptable. We’ll move faster,” Clint said.
“Clint, if you can’t keep up the pace, we can help.”
“I’ll keep up. Hell, I’ll lead if necessary.” They broke their huddle and went back to the others intent to get back on course. Mason was carrying Elspeth. She’d been keeping up for the first three hours of the morning but after a while she slowed things down. So now he was carrying her.
“Mason, don’t let my sister die,” she said in perfect English.
“I won’t.” It was a solemn vow.
“I’m serious. Out of all of us she’s the one with honor. She matters. Those animals did that to her because they knew it. You leave the rest of us behind if you have to but don’t let her die.” He looked into the woman’s fierce black eyes and saw nothing but truth. Fuck, what was it about self-sacrificing women these days? How had he become so surrounded?
“Elspeth, you’ll all survive. You need you to keep calm so I can concentrate on getting us the hell out of here.” And like God was watching over them, the rains came plummeting down and there wasn’t a chance in hell he could have heard anything else Elspeth might have had to say.
Mason wasn’t sure how long he kept at it. He just kept staring at the foliage twenty feet in front of him intent on not tripping. Then Drake was there.
“Ease up, Lieutenant. I’ve set up a place for us to hunker down for an hour. It’s twenty minutes ahead.” Mason nodded. He ached. Elspeth was a dead weight.
“Tell the others.” The Hildalgo family were all either unconscious or too delirious to care what he and his team were saying.
“I’m stunned she’s still alive,” Darius said baldly. Finn clamped his hand down on Clint’s shoulder to keep him from going at Darius.
“Keep it together, Clint, he’s telling us what we need to know,” Mason bit out.
“When that fever spiked the night before last, I thought we lost her but she made it. I think we’re out of miracles though. This rain is killing her. We have twenty hours before we hit our extraction point. We’ve got to haul ass. We’ve been moving too slow by letting the mister and missus go under their own steam. We’re going to have to carry them the rest of the way.” Mason looked around and everybody nodded in agreement.
“I’ve got the mister,” Drake said. It made sense. He was the largest and he could hold the man.
“I should take point then,” Finn said. Mason nodded. After Drake, he was the next best scout of the group.
“I’ve got the missus. Before we go let me check everyone out. Make sure everyone has eaten,” Darius said.
“Men, let’s make sure we don’t fuck up on the obvious. Make sure our charges drink water. I’d hate to think in the middle of a monsoon someone is dehydrated.” They all nodded. “We’re out of here in five.”
Mason pulled out his phone and saw he still didn’t have a signal. He didn’t think he’d have one, but a guy could hope. Even after nine days of jungle green he was still missing Sophia eyes. It would have been nice to have heard a message from her.
****
“Mase, I didn’t feel her pulse.” Clint’s eyes were bright as the huey settled into the clearing.
“She was breathing during our last rest stop. Darius said she was going to make it, Clint. Darius is never wrong.” They were the last two in line as the civilians were loaded into the belly of the bird.
“In, in, in.” Clint and Mason were already climbing aboard when the door gunner was yelling at them to get on the bird. Clint skidded on his knees to the pallet holding Lydia. They had an IV in her arm. The corpsman working on her gave Clint a thumbs up. Mason could finally breathe. Everybody had come out of the jungle alive this time.
He looked around the belly of the huge chopper and saw men and women tending to the civilians as they took off for the aircraft carrier. Home. He was headed home. Home was now Sophia.
Chapter Thirteen
It was three in the morning. She was reading another one of the books she’d stolen from Mason’s bookshelf and trying to keep the nightmares at bay. The phone rang. She could hear it even though it was in her refrigerator. She stored it there because she wanted to get some sleep and didn’t want to be bothered with all of the crank calls she’d been getting. But she’d left it on in case Mason called. She knew she wasn’t making any sense but she was so tired she didn’t know what else to do. If it was possible to buy a clue she’d purchase four.
She got up and ran to the fridge. She checked the phone display expecting to see an unidentified caller and almost dropped it when she saw Mason’s number. She pressed enter.
“Hello, Mason? Where are you?” She was so excited she almost yelled the questions.
“I’m outside.”
“Where outside?” She was already running to her door, and throwing the deadbolt. Shit, she was in her sleepshirt, but she didn’t care.
“I’m at the backdoor.” She flew down the stairs and unlocked the door and there he stood. He looked haggard, but beautiful, in a light blue T-Shirt and cargo shorts.
“You really should have a security chain for this door,” he frowned.
“Are you for real?” she demanded as she launched herself into his arms. He caught her and lifted her up to his mouth. It was the hottest kiss she’d ever received. Sizzling. She struggled to keep up. She wrapped her legs around his waist. She heard the door close in a haze of heat. The rhythm of the stairs had her pussy rubbing against his belt buckle. Not at all what she wanted to be rubbing.
Another door, this one slammed shut. Her world tilted as she was lowered to the futon.
“Look at me.” He had a beard. God, he looked good. She couldn’t help herself, she gripped his cheeks and stroked his beard. Then she scrubbed her cheek against the bristles and gave a deep moan. “I’m looking.”
“I can’t stop this time.”
She gripped his hair and looked him dead in the eyes. “I’ll kill you if you stop.”
“How’s the shoulder? The ribs?”
“I’m fine. I’m healed.” She stopped short and pulled his head back even more. She tried desperately to roll over, get on top. It was no use.
“What about you? Are you okay?” He smiled.
“I think you should take inventory, honey.” She loved the idea.
“Take off your shirt. Oh hell, just strip,” she commanded.
He shook his head. His hands pushed under her already rucked up sleep shirt and pulled it over her head. He looked at her breasts under the glow of the bedside light.
“I’ve missed your breasts. I thought of them often.” After the last time he touched them and kissed them, she’d been able to dress and undress without wincing at her reflection. She felt how hard he was. She saw the fierce light of hunger in his eyes.
“Baby, your nipples are so hard. Do they need some attention? Do they want to be sucked?” A talker? He was a talker?
“Yes!”
“Tell me what you want.”
�
��I want your mouth on my breasts.”
He licked around her left areola while gently squeezing her right breast. Lick, squeeze, lick squeeze.
“More.”
“More what?”
“My nipple,” she whined. He grinned. He scraped his beard against the hard flesh of her nipple and she screeched. It almost hurt but it felt so good. His eyes lit up like fire crackers. The bastard knew.
“What honey, want me to suck? Want me to bite?”
She put her hand on top of his and squeezed hard but it had no effect. He was in charge and oh wasn’t that sexy?
“Please Mason, stop teasing.” She let go of his hand, and cupped his cheeks so she could lift his head and look into his eyes. “It’s been too long. I’ve dreamed of you. Tease later. Please?”
He bestowed the gentlest of kisses on her. So beautiful. Tears leaked. He saw and understood. He got up and stripped.
It was the first time she really got a chance to see him naked. So gorgeous.
“You’re the beautiful one, honey. Every succulent inch of you. You’re everything I never knew I wanted.” More tears leaked. She struggled to sit up but he pressed a hand against her sternum. “Stay down. I need my fill and I haven’t tasted you in weeks. Are you wet for me, honey?” He pulled down her panties and knelt between her spread legs. God, not again. Can I survive him doing this to me again?
“Mason, if you don’t fuck me this time, I swear…”
“Honey, my cock is so saying hello to your pussy tonight. That’s going to happen but I need this first.” His tongue delved deep, and then she heard him swallow and sigh. She blushed to the roots of her hair. But then she was parted and he was making lazy forays leaving her struggling for breath. He lifted the hood of her clit and suckled softly and she melted and blasted into orgasm.
He pulled a condom out of his shorts. She was relieved to see he had to rip it off a strip. He’d come prepared. Sophia hadn’t really looked at her last lover’s cock. She’d been too shy but she couldn’t take her eyes off Mason’s. It was compelling and she needed it. She canted her hips, putting her heels onto the edge of the futon.
“No, we’re going to do this my way.” He lifted her easily and put her into the center of the futon. He put a pillow under her hips and then laid beside her and hugged her.
He kissed her neck, one hand stroking towards her breasts. His mouth followed. Taking his time, his tongue trailed clouds of pleasure from one tip to the other and she writhed and pleaded. Ever downwards, until his fingers parted her, where she provided an even wetter welcome.
“Please now,” she begged softly.
“God yes,” he groaned.
He rose above her careful to keep his weight on his elbows. Sophia watched their joining. He felt so good and the sensation was heady and lush but she still winced.
“Sophia?”
“More.” He stayed still and she willed herself to relax. He pumped shallowly until she was mad with want and pushed upwards impaling herself. Ow. He was huge and it had been a while. Maybe slow would have been better.
“Dammit.” He slowly withdrew and she felt just as bad. Make up your mind, Anderson. She tried to shove up again but he stopped her.
“I need you,” she protested.
“You’ll get me.” He chuckled between gritted teeth. He reached down and smoothed his finger over her clit as he slowly started surging within her. Her breath stopped.
“Breathe baby. You’ve gotta breathe.”
Swoosh. He swelled. She swore he got bigger as he lit up every tingly girl spot inside her and she squirmed and twisted and shifted to get closer. He laughed. He swirled his cock and she squeezed her eyes shut, trying to hold in all the sensations. So close. He drove her relentlessly higher and then she shattered. She heard his groan and she grabbed his ass with her heels and hands determined they be as close together as possible as they hit heaven.
****
Mason felt like he’d been caught in a tornado. He looked down at the woman in his arms. He didn’t want to move, but he had things to take care of. Then he kissed her and kissed her again.
He walked into the bathroom and disposed of the condom and washed up. When he looked in the mirror he saw the silliest grin on his face. He also noticed he looked like death warmed over. He needed to sleep but his cock thought differently.
He turned to leave the bathroom, and there was Sophia, all warm and beautiful. She wrapped her hands around his waist, and he rubbed against her as she wiggled a welcome. She looked at him with slumberous green eyes.
“I already turned off the alarm clock. We have a half hour and I know just how I want to spend it.” She slid down his body until she was on her knees. But things weren’t working quite right because he was too tall. He helped her back up and guided her to the futon.
“Are you sure?”
“I’m not really all that experienced but I’ve noticed hard work and enthusiasm usually helps me succeed at any job I take on.” He shouted with laughter.
“Hopefully there won’t be a lot of hard work involved, honey.”
“Mason, have you seen the size of this thing? There is definitely hard work involved.” He laughed some more. She was killing him. Then she had him in her mouth, all hot and wet, and he couldn’t think let alone laugh. She was using her hands, and they were small and soft, but it was her mouth that was making him sweat. She gulped deeper, and he groaned. Then all the delicious stroking and sucking stopped. He looked down into startled green eyes.
“God. Please don’t stop. Your enthusiasm is working.”
Her eyes turned languid and she launched into an orchestrated effort to drive him mad. Her tongue made leisurely forays up and down, around, and around. He worked hard to keep his eyes open and on her. It was worth it. What started out as a lark, was something his woman was clearly luxuriating in. Her cheeks were hollowed, her face flushed with arousal, and her eyes had taken on a dreamy expression. All of it combined with the soul shattering sensations she was invoking, and he was seconds away from detonation.
He settled his hands into the silk of her hair, tugging her away, but she was having none of it. Then suddenly the licks centered on the spot right under the head of his cock and he was a goner. She licked. He trembled. She swirled. He throbbed. She rubbed. He erupted.
They both fell backwards onto their elbows. Barely, just barely, he had the presence of mind to pick up the half glass of juice he had seen on her nightstand and pull himself off the bed and cup the back of her head.
“Here honey, drink this.”
“Don’t want it,” she slurred. He thought back to how he felt tasting her and totally understood. He drank the juice, and then lied back on the bed, wiped out. She got up and wandered into the bathroom, not in a straight line either. He put the crook of his arm over his face. Now he wasn’t making love, everything ached. He literally hadn’t slept in thirty-six hours, and the only thing keeping him upright had been the thought of Sophia. He willed himself not to sleep, not until he’d seen her come out of the bathroom naked. If she was wearing a towel he’d somehow find the strength to get off the bed and yank it off.
“Mason?” she whispered.
“Mmmm?”
“I’m going downstairs. I’ll bring something up for lunch. Let’s get you under the covers.” He realized he was lying sideways on the futon, with his legs hanging over the side. He rolled onto his stomach and eyed her.
“You have clothes on.”
“I promise to take them off tonight,” she said with a smile.
Mason closed his eyes. “Good.”
****
Sophia’s arms were trembling as she wrestled the pans out of the oven. She needed sleep. She really couldn’t blame Mason since he hadn’t shown up until three in the morning and she was still awake. Dammit, she’d only gotten about seven hours sleep in the last three days and she wasn’t going to make it. She’d tried taking a nap but the dreams and anxiet
y left her staring at the ceiling.
As she put the third pan onto the counter the phone rang and she dropped it onto the floor.
“Shit!” She stormed to her phone.
“What?” she asked belligerently.
“Sophia?” It was Margie and she didn’t sound well. Well double shit on a cracker.
“Margie, oh my God, I thought you were the crank caller. What is it? What can I do for you? Are you okay?” Margie never called.
“Helen had a miscarriage.” Sophia pictured Margie’s beautiful and loving daughter-in-law and wanted to cry.
“What can I do?”
“I’m going to have to take care of Todd and Ellis for a while. I was hoping you could take my spot as the manager and supervise Brenda in my absence. You’ll have to move her to full time. Be sure she pulls her weight. Don’t let that boyfriend of hers hang around too much, he’s bad for business.”
“Sure, I’ll do whatever needs to be done. You take as much time as you need.” Sophia could feel actual sweat trickling down her back. Gritting her teeth, she told herself she would just find a way to cope.
“You’re a good girl. Frannie bringing you into the diner was one of the best things that ever happened to me. I’ll call you tomorrow…or maybe the next day.” Sophia heard the pain in her boss’ voice and wanted to make it better for her.
“It’s all good. I’ll say a prayer for Helen.” She heard Margie choke back a sob.
“Thank you, dear.” Then there was the sound of a dial tone. Sophia looked up at the clock. She didn’t have much time. She called Brenda and got her voicemail. You can do this, Anderson.
She flipped the open sign and Peter arrived and donned his apron to start the grills. Her regulars were there for their coffee and rolls. It wasn’t until about six o’clock that people really started coming in for breakfast. By seven it was a steady stream. At seven thirty Margie and the masses usually arrived but today it was just her. She dropped a tray of food. Walter and old man Cooter gave her a standing ovation, and then they helped her clean it up.
Her Vigilant Seal Page 13
