Worth Fighting For

by Zoe Blake

  Stupid bitch, you already are crazy, head-over-heels in love!

  “I wish you would tell me more about it,” chimed in her other friend Ashley, bringing Sage back to the present.

  “About what?” asked a distracted Sage.

  “The hot sex!” blurted out a very drunk Ashely, drawing the attention of more than one male in the vicinity.

  Sage didn’t respond but moved Ashley’s drink out of her reach and replaced it with one of the waters on the table and the basket of tortillas. They were all out in Arlington at a tiny Mexican joint on their second pitcher of margaritas. Well, Melissa and Ashley were on their second pitcher, Sage was still nursing her first drink. She just wasn’t in the mood.

  After spending yesterday afternoon at Quantico for Jane Wayne Day, and hearing all the stories from the wives and girlfriends, good and bad, she just got spooked. She just kept thinking it was all too much. She didn’t sign up for all this. She had only just met the guy. She packed an overnight bag and went to crash at Ashley’s. She had ignored his phone call that night and throughout the day.

  Yep, she was hiding from Conner.

  Just then her cell started to ring.

  “Your phone’s ringing,” said Melissa.

  “It’s him,” said Sage.

  “You’re really not going to answer it?”

  “Nope,” Sage stubbornly responded.

  “I’ll answer it!” piped up Ashley as she grabbed Sage’s phone. “Hello?”

  “Hello? Sage?” said Conner

  “Holy shit! Ashley, give me my phone!” yelled Sage in the back ground.

  “I’m terribly sorry. Sage cannot come to the phone right now. Is this the hot piece of military ass she has been moping around about all day?” teased Ashley as she danced just out of Sage’s reach.

  “I better be, otherwise I have to go and kick some other guy’s ass,” commented Conner.

  “Ooh… he is a macho man just like you said, Sage!” cooed Ashley.

  “Seriously! Ashley, I’m going to fucking kill you!” cried Sage.

  “Tell me what else Sage said,” coaxed Conner

  “Well… oops, gotta go. I have to El Passo the El pitchero if you get my meaning!” cried out Ashley as Sage finally got hold of the phone.

  “Sage?”

  “Conner?”

  “What the hell, Sage.”

  “Um, yeah I know, Conner. I’m sorry. I… I gotta go,” said Sage as she hung up.

  She turned to face the disapproving look from Melissa. “I’m a stupid bitch aren’t I?”

  “Yes, but you’re cute so it’s okay,” soothed Melissa. “Have a drink.”

  Conner hung up the phone more pissed than ever. It was ridiculous of course. She was a grown woman. Out with her friends. Drinking. Around other men. Probably in another version of that flimsy dress. “Dammit.”

  Then he remembered something her drunk friend said and took a shot. Two minutes later he was in his truck racing to Arlington, Virginia.

  Sage was finishing her second margarita and finally feeling a nice pleasant buzz when she swore she was seeing things. It wasn’t possible. Absolutely not. It wasn’t possible that a very angry Conner was making his way through the crowd directly for her. Nope. Not possible. There must be more tequila in these margaritas than she thought!

  Soon he was standing directly before her. Sage had to tilt her head way back to catch his gaze.

  “Boy, am I glad you are a figment of my imagination, because otherwise, I could be in real trouble,” she chortled.

  “You are in real trouble,” he growled.

  “But… but… it’s not possible!” she whined. “How did you find me?”

  At that moment, Ashley sauntered up. Giving Conner a lascivious once over, she commented, “Beauty and brains. I see you got my hint.”

  “The El Paso in Arlington. Thanks,” said Conner. “Sage will be leaving now.”

  “I must certainly will not! And another thing…”

  She didn’t get another word in. Conner shouldered her mid-section and lifted her up.

  “Oh no you don’t! Not again!” she shouted, as he proceeded to carry her out of the bar. “Conner this isn’t some deserted street!” she warned. Sage started to wave her hands. “Hey, bouncer! bouncer! Mr. Bouncer! Help!”

  Conner stopped for a moment as the bouncer blocked his path.

  After a brief pause, the bouncer said, “Second Division, Lejeune, private.”

  “ACE, Warrior Squad, Major,” responded Conner. Both ignoring the squirming huffing female on his shoulder.

  “Nice. Carry on, sir.” responded the bouncer.

  “Seriously!” exclaimed an incredulous Sage. “Are you freakin kidding me?”

  “Respect.” Was all Conner would say.

  As they got to the parking lot, Melissa flagged them down.

  “Finally! Sanity! Melissa, talk to him! Help me!”

  “Here’s her purse, Conner,” said Melissa with a smile in Sage’s direction. “Oh, and, Conner. I’ll call Sage’s office tomorrow and make sure to tell everyone she came down with a very nasty flu and shouldn’t be expected back into work for the rest of the week.”

  “Why thank you, Melissa,” returned Conner.

  “Melissa!” cried a shocked Sage.

  “Bye, sweetie! Have fun!” said Melissa in a sing-song voice.

  Conner carried her to his truck. He swung Sage off his shoulder, letting her body slide down his front. She took one look at the intense grimace on his face, and for once, remained silent. He needed a moment to get control of his emotions. He couldn’t explain it. Since meeting her, he felt this overwhelming need to protect her, to touch her, to be with her. It drove him crazy to not know she was okay. To not know she was safe. And then to hear she was at a bar, possibly drunk. None of it made sense. But he didn’t give damn. She made sense to him, and that was all he needed. Well, not all.

  Conner grabbed her by the shoulders and pulled her in close. His mouth smashed down on hers. God he needed the taste of her. Conner walked her back till she was pressed against the warm, metal side of the truck. His tongue swept inside tasting lime, sugar and tequila. He pulled the end of her t-shirt up out of her skirt, pressing his hand against her cool, flat stomach.

  Sage groaned. Loving how his hand felt rough, warm and masculine against the softness of her skin. She boldly grasped his wrist and pulled it up, pushing his hand against her breast.

  “Does my baby want more?” he growled against her neck.

  Sage responded by forcing her right thigh between his legs so she could rub it along his hard cock through his jeans like she knew he liked. At the same time, she sank her teeth into his lower lip, drawing blood in her eagerness.

  “Jesus Christ!” snarled Conner, pushed almost past his breaking point.

  She deserved more than a quick fuck in the front seat of a truck, but at that moment, he needed to be inside of her more than he needed his next breath. Needed her close. Closer. As close as possible. Needed to feel her. Taste her. Experience her warmth. There was this driving, primal force to possess he couldn’t ignore. It was almost as if seeing her surrounded by all those men without him nearby to protect her, to guard what was his, made him want to assert his dominance even more now that she was in his arms. To prove his ownership. She was his. His alone.

  He knew the only reason why she was fighting this, fighting them, was because she was scared. Scared of the unknown. That was fine. He was by her side. A Marine never got scared and they never ran from a fight.

  Reminding himself, despite her enthusiasm, not to hurt her with his own. He threw the passenger door open, climbing in, he pulled her in next, forcing her to straddle his strong thighs, pushing her skirt up above her ass.

  “Close the door, baby,” he ordered while he unzipped his jeans, freeing his fully engorged shaft.

  Digging his fingers into her bouncy waves, he leaned in for a fierce kiss. Breathing heavily against her mouth, he commanded, “Grab my
cock. I want you to put me inside you.”

  Sage wrapped her small hand around his wide shaft, still more than a little intimidated by its size and girth. Rising up on her knees, she guided the head to her narrow entrance. She could feel her tight muscles stretch and strain to accommodate him. Taking quick shallow breaths, Sage slowly lowered herself onto his shaft, loving how the bite of pain enhanced how filled and overtaken he made her feel.

  Conner grabbed her shirt and whipped it over her head, needing to see and taste her breasts. Unhooking her bra, he filled his hands with their perky weight, taking one pink nipple deep into his mouth as he pinched the other. When his cock was fully seated deep inside her pussy, he pulled her close, wrapped his arms around her back.

  “Hold on, baby.”

  Keeping one arm around her mid-back, the other on her ass, Conner lifted her slight weight up, enough to give his hips movement. Sage grasped his shoulders and cried out as he relentlessly drilled her already swollen pussy with his hard cock.

  “Oh god! Please! Oh god! Oh! Oh!”

  “Yes, baby! Cum for me, baby! Cum for me!”

  From her position straddling him, each thrust of his cock, pushed her clit against his hard stomach, causing a delicious friction. It was the perfect amount of pressure and movement. Sage came with a scream. Biting down on his shoulder. Marking him as hers as much as he was marking her. After several more punishing thrusts, Conner followed her, growling his release against her neck as he breathed deeply her familiar sugared orange scent.

  Hours later in her bed.

  Sage laid curled in Conner’s arms while he played with her hair.

  “Can you just tell me why?” he asked, already knowing the answer but wanting to hear it from her lips.

  Sage stopped fighting it. “I got scared. It’s too much. Too soon. Something like this only happens in movies. We barely know one another.”

  “I know, silly girl. That’s why I’m trying to get to know you, if you’d stop making me chase you for half a second!”

  “What if I fall in love with you?” she whispered, knowing she already had. “You’re leaving in a week. Another deployment probably. I don’t know if I could handle that. You obviously love the Marines. It’s your career. I just… I just… plus, I’m so independent and you’re so… so…”

  Conner held her tightly. “Shhh… baby, I will handle everything. Will you just trust me, this once?”

  Sage cuddled in closer. Perhaps she didn’t have to be the one in control all the time. Perhaps she didn’t have to have it all figured out. It did feel so safe and good to be in his arms. Maybe she should just be for a while. “Okay,” she answered. After a pause. “Just this once.”

  Conner chucked. “That’s my little Spitfire.”

  Chapter 9

  Two Months Later

  “Welcome to Camp Pendleton, baby,” said Conner as he grabbed her around the waist, swinging her around before claiming her mouth with a possessive kiss.

  After his leave, Conner had left for Camp Pendleton, California, to train with Marine Squadron 303 on the new Venom and Viper helicopters. At least he wasn’t in Syria or Afghanistan or Iraq or any number of other places that needed America’s help, but the work was still dangerous. A Marine could be killed in training almost as easily as in combat.

  He had been able to sneak away for a quick overnight visit to the East coast, but this was her first visit to California. It was hard being away from him, but they were making the distance work. And it wouldn’t be forever.

  They had discussed the possibility of him leaving his current squad and joining the 303 as a trainer one day. Secretly, Sage loved the idea. She could do her job remotely from anywhere so the move would not be a problem for her career. But she really liked the idea of Conner not going into any more war zones. Unfortunately, it made her feel selfish too. To take him away from something he loved, from people who needed him. She was determined to not influence him in any way.

  “I like it! It’s far less intimidating than Quantico,” she observed.

  Conner grabbed her bag, placing a hand on her lower back, he guided her towards a waiting jeep. “How’s that?”

  “I don’t know, maybe it’s because Quantico is so close to DC so you have all that power and scariness in concentration. Here it’s… well… it’s California! It’s all sunny and bright and cute!” laughed Sage.

  Conner gave her a kiss on the forehead. “Only you would refer to a Marine Base as cute, Spitfire.”

  They drove to a small neighborhood just off base. He pulled into the driveway of a small, ranch house. It was stucco with terracotta tiles and a charming little fountain.

  “A buddy’s house. He’s on a six-month deployment, so his wife headed back to her folks in Montana for the duration,” explained Conner. “Thought you would prefer it to where I bunk on the base.”

  “Another buddy’s house,” teased Sage.

  “Think of it this way, when we finally settle down and get our own place, you won’t have to worry about any neon beer signs or ugly sofas of mine to pretend to like,” laughed Conner as he wrapped his arm around her waist and led her inside.

  Sage clasped her hands together and batted her eyes up at him, saying in a high-pitched sweet voice, “Oh goodie, that means you’ll be okay with my stuffed animal collection and my Twilight collector plates. I want the whole house to have a theme. I’m thinking… rainbows!”

  Conner swatted her on the bottom. “Get your sassy, taunting ass in there.”

  Sage giggled as she crossed the threshold. Since this was the first time they had seen one another in two weeks that was all the conversation they got in for a while.

  You're one bridge I'd like to burn

  Scatter the ashes, smash the urn

  I'm through with you

  Sage was singing The Band Perry’s Done lyrics at the top of her lungs. Conner had left early that morning for the Base. She was going to surprise him on his return home. He was always the one who cooked for them both when they were together. Mainly because she cooked normal human sized portions he said was an attempt to slowly starve him to death.

  Not tonight!

  She had a five-pound roast in the oven as big as her head, practically a bushel of steamed broccoli and had mashed close to three pounds of potatoes. The gravy alone would fill a half-gallon milk container. Sage couldn’t wait to see his face when he got back!

  As her own private joke, she was greeting him dressed only in a black lace push-up bra and a sheer black apron with a ruffled edge tied off with a pink silk bow.

  She was also going to greet him with a very dry gin martini… also part of her own private little joke.

  Unfortunately, Conner was running late… hazard of training.

  It wasn’t a problem as far as dinner was concerned. She turned the oven down on the roast and the rest would easily keep. She, however… was now on her second martini and gleefully sashaying around the living room as the apron swished from side to side, singing loudly… and off key.

  I don't wanna be your just for fun

  Don't wanna be under your thumb

  Conner watched from the doorway. He could get used to coming home and being greeted by the naked bottom of his beautiful woman, he thought with a smile. Sage was swaying to some music in the middle of the living room. Her back was turned, but he could see she had on only a bra, thong panties and something tied around her waist that ended in a large pink bow at her lower back. The bow rested just above her lovely, pert bottom. The ribbon streamers framing each creamy curve perfectly. The slim outline of her back dipping in to accent her tiny waist. Her hair was styled into large, wavy curls that bounced just above her shoulders. It reflected the light of the setting sun itself with the pink highlights streaking through each golden lock.

  All I wanna be is done

  All I wanna be is done

  So distracted was he by that gorgeous bottom, he hadn’t taken note of the song she was singing… but he was listening now.<
br />
  I don't wanna be your just for fun,

  Don't wanna be under your thumb

  What the hell? No man, no matter how confident, should be fine with his woman singing man-hating, break-up songs. Looks like he needed to remind a feisty little thing she was good and taken and they were far from done! Conner dropped his bag and marched into the room, grabbing a startled Sage from behind.

  “You’re home!” she happily exclaimed.

  “You’re damn right I am,” he growled, before spinning her around.

  Grasping each nether cheek in one large hand, Conner lifted her off the ground. Forcing her hips to grind against his cock, he captured her mouth in a punishing kiss. Possessing her mouth with his tongue. Biting her lower lip. Running his teeth along the edge of her jaw.

  “Conner! Conner! Wait!” breathed Sage as she pushed at his shoulders.

  “No!” he ground out as he walked her back till her body hit the cool surface of the wall.

  Biting her neck. He then licked the mark with the tip of his tongue before grasping the edges of her bra and viciously yanking them down, exposing her curves.

  “How come you are always pushing me up against walls?” she observed archly.

  “Battle tactic,” he breathed against her neck. “You’re a slippery foe who needs to be cornered.”

  He pushed his hips more firmly against her own.

  “Tell me you want my cock,” he commanded.

  “I… want your cock,” she gasped as he pinched one erect nipple.

  Easily picking her up, Conner wrapped her slim legs around his hips.

  “Tell me I’m your man.”

  “You’re my man.”

  Conner could feel a surge straight to his shaft at her sweet admission. Reaching between them, he unzipped his pants, freeing his cock. Positioning it at her slick entrance, he demanded, “Tell me you love me.”

  His words cut through the sexual haze. They had talked about their careers, their families, their futures, whether they wanted kids, hell they had covered the entire relationship to do list except for that… the big four letter word.