Vanguard Security

by S. J. Bishop

  With my bag on my shoulders, I was about to slip out when Chau suddenly appeared in front of me, blocking my way.

  She asked me where I was going, a disapproving look on her face.

  I tried to explain to her that I needed to work today, but she didn’t look convinced. It probably didn’t help that I had mixed up some of my words.

  Eventually, however, the crunch of footsteps caused her to turn around.

  Kirk was standing there in his full gear, looking inexplicably handsome. I couldn’t quite understand how baggy cargo shorts and an army-print vest could make a man sexy, but somehow, it did. I felt my heart kick-start in my chest just looking at him. It was almost as if we were in a movie. He was the handsome hero played by Brad Pitt, and I was the helpless female victim he was supposed to save.

  Only, I wasn’t going to fall for him again.

  “Do you need a minute?” he asked, noticing the look on Chau’s face.

  “No.” I waved to her as I followed Kirk.

  “Are you really planning to travel the jungle in jeans?” he asked the second we were alone. His eyes traveled down my body like he was drinking in every curve.

  “My face is up here,” I said, tilting his chin upward.

  “Sorry,” he mumbled with a pout.

  “Just because I’m going on this crazy mission with you doesn’t mean I’ve forgiven you for what you did. Just remember that,” I said, moving a few feet ahead so that I wouldn’t have to be so close to him.

  “I’ve already apologized. What more do you want me to do?”

  “Shut up and walk,” I said, my voice a little crueler than I’d intended it to be.

  “Fine. But, you promised to talk about this, and I plan to hold you to that promise.” Without another word, he pulled ahead, stepping into the tree line.

  I followed closely behind him, paying attention to my surroundings so I wouldn’t trip and accidentally break an ankle. If I hadn’t been worrying so much about my footing, I probably would have noticed how incredibly beautiful the jungle was. Verdant foliage. Bright, blooming flowers. Colorful birds flying from tree branch to tree branch.

  “How are you holding up?” Kirk asked, looking at me over his shoulder.

  “I’m fine. Do you know how much farther we have to go?”

  “Trang said to follow the path to the river, but she didn’t specify how long it would take to get there.”

  “She’s trying to lure you into a trap.”

  “Then why did you want to tag along if you knew the whole thing would just blow up in my face?”

  “Someone had to save you from yourself.”

  He suddenly stopped, and before I knew what was going on, he had pinned me to a nearby tree. “Admit it, Sidney, you still care for me the same way I care for you.”

  “Of course I do, you idiot. I never stopped caring. If I had, I would’ve probably found someone else by now, but instead, here I am on this suicide mission with you.” The words spewed out of my lips. “You’ve been on my mind constantly since the day you disappeared. I blamed myself for months, trying to justify what you did. A part of me never lost hope that you’d come back, but eventually, all of that was replaced by despair and anger..”

  “Then why didn’t you write to me? For months, I waited for you to write back. Even if it was a letter telling me how much you hated me. I needed something, but it was like you had never received it.”

  I was quiet for a moment. “I did receive it. I must’ve read it a thousand times - a million even.”

  “So, why didn’t you say something?”

  “I couldn’t. I just couldn’t accept the fact that you had left without saying goodbye, just because you were too scared to talk to me about your decision to join the Navy. I thought we had the kind of relationship where we could tell each other anything…” I looked away. “I’m sorry I never wrote to you, but it was just too painful…”

  Despite my best efforts to keep them away, tears started to stream down my cheeks. I had spent so long trying to convince myself that Kirk was an asshole for leaving that I had forgotten all of the reasons why I had loved him so much.

  As I looked up into his eyes, it all came crashing back to me. His compassion. The way he always made me feel safe. His humor. That heart-warming smile of his. How he always remembered the little things. How he could always cheer me up.

  Once I shucked away all of the pent-up negative emotions that had built up over the years, I felt a thousand times better. And even more so when I finally gathered the courage to lean forward and kiss him.

  11

  Kirk

  I was taken by surprise when Sidney’s lips collided with mine. Never in a million years did I think I would feel those perfect lips on mine once more. A part of me thought that I was dreaming. Well, even if I was, I might as well enjoy it while it lasted.

  Carefully, I wrapped my arms around her torso, pulling her close. I felt like if I squeezed her too hard, she would disappear forever.

  The kiss intensified, causing my heart to beat rapidly. I pressed her against the tree, one of my hands tangling into her beautiful hair, pulling on it slightly as my tongue slipped into her mouth.

  Her tongue eagerly met mine. They tangled together until I was short of breath, but still, I didn’t pull away. If I had, this beautiful dream would melt away. So I held her tighter. My hand wandered from the small of her back down to her ass, squeezing it gently until she was moaning into my lips, rising onto her tippy-toes.

  I grinned to myself, squeezing her ass just a little bit harder.

  She pulled away, moaning my name ever so slightly.

  It was the push I needed.

  I pinned her back to the tree, both of my hands on her hips. My lips were on her neck, sucking and kissing her like my life depended on it. She moaned even louder, turning me on. My hand slipped into her pants, finding her soft, little panties. I tugged on the bow they had in the front before my fingers crept farther down, finding a growing wet spot in the thin material.

  Someone was enjoying herself…

  I hesitated for a moment, trying to figure out if I should be doing this. We had yet to talk about our feelings at length and if they were even the same as they had been ten years ago… but even as I tried to think rationally, I couldn’t ignore the fact that her body was reacting to mine, that I was turning her on.

  “Kirk…” she whispered, tangling her fingers into my hair and pulling on it.

  I thought she would ask me to stop, but instead, she pushed my head to her cleavage, her eyes telling me everything I needed to know.

  Carefully, I tugged off her shirt, tossing it to the side. I then effortlessly undid her bra, letting it fall to our feet. The second her breasts were exposed, I leaned down, letting my lips wander all over them.

  I took my time, savoring every moment. I feared that Sidney would ask me to stop, leaving me wanting more – much more. But to my surprise, she offered no resistance, even when my teeth found her perky little nipple. I bit down gently, rolling it between my teeth until she was mewling with pleasure.

  It was good to know that even after all these years, her breasts were still as sensitive as ever.

  I kept fondling them, kneading her flesh between my fingers until it was all nice and tender.

  She moaned even louder, arching her back, her hips thrusting in my direction.

  It was insane for us to be doing this here – in the middle of the jungle – but at the same time, it was like our carnal desires had finally taken over. We couldn’t stay away from each other any longer, even if we wanted to.

  Giving in to that desire, I pulled down her pants, exposing her panties. Once again, my hand slipped between her thighs, feeling how incredibly wet she was. And all that from just a little bit of breast play.

  “It’s been so long…” I whispered, my teeth sinking into the tender flesh right above her areola.

  “Too long…” she responded, her fingernails running up and down my back, leaving
soft, red lines behind. “I need you, Kirk.” As she said this, her nails dug into my skin, pulling me closer.

  I groaned, my raging erection rubbing against her thigh. Unable to handle being contained any longer, I unbuckled my belt and freed my cock, slowly stroking it up and down for a few moments before I locked eyes with her.

  There was a wild look of desire painted in those eyes.

  We both knew this was crazy, but we also knew it would be even crazier to deny the fact that we needed each other.

  Slowly, I pressed my cock against her panties, pushing them inside of her ever so slightly. Her wetness seeped through even further, making a soft squelching noise that turned me on beyond measure.

  Unable to control myself any longer, I yanked down her panties, aligned myself with her tiny little pussy, and took the plunge.

  We both gasped. I held on to the tree for support. Her pussy was wrapped around my cock like a glove, making it hard for me to move, but slowly, I started to pick up speed, thrusting in and out of her, faster and faster.

  Her moans echoed through the jungle, filling me with an animalistic lust, fucking her harder and harder.

  I was just about to climax when I felt something strange. The hairs on the back of my neck stood on edge, and goose bumps formed along my arms. I scanned the jungle, looking for danger, slowing my assault on her pussy.

  “What’s wrong?” she breathed in confusion.

  “Nothing,” I answered quickly, running my hands over her hair in a reassuring manner.

  She didn’t look very convinced, but I quickly distracted her with a kiss. Our lips smashed together with such passion that it made my head spin. I held her close and fucked her harder than ever, but in the back of my mind, I couldn’t shake the feeling that someone was watching us.

  Even as I kissed her, I was on high-alert, surveying the area for anything suspicious.

  Her sweet moans eventually calmed me down, but I knew, deep down, that someone was out there.

  12

  Sidney

  Kirk was like a well-oiled machine. He pumped in and out of me faster and faster with a fury that had me begging for more. I screamed his name at the top of my lungs, my nails digging into his back.

  Never before had I wanted something as badly as I wanted Kirk at that moment.

  It was as if there was a fire burning in my stomach, threatening to consume me if I didn’t get my fill of him.

  My body started to move with his, our actions synchronized until it felt like we were of one mind.

  As waves of pleasure started to roll through my body, I caught his eye. In that moment, the world slowed down, and we were the only two people left. It didn’t matter that we were in the middle of the jungle or that we hadn’t seen each other in so long. All that mattered was being with each other.

  I gasped, the fire inside me erupting into a firework. The powerful orgasm took me by surprise, making me shudder and shake. If Kirk hadn’t been holding me, I would have crumbled to my knees.

  Seconds later, I felt his hot, sticky cum shoot across my bare belly. We fell to the ground in a tangled heap, our breathing ragged. “That was… amazing…” I whispered.

  “More than amazing,” he answered, wrapping his arms tight around my waist. “It was what was missing from my life.”

  I smiled, moving closer to him so that I could kiss his cheek, my hand on his chest, feeling the rapid beat of his heart. Lulled by its rhythm, I quickly fell asleep.

  I woke up to find someone carrying me. My body instantly tensed, my arms tightening around a broad set of shoulders. As a powerfully masculine scent wafted up to my nose, I was instantly brought back to reality.

  “K-Kirk?”

  “Oh, you finally woke up. I was wondering if I’d have to put some smelling salts under your nose.”

  “What are you doing?” I rubbed my eyes, still feeling groggy. “Can you put me down?”

  “I can, but I I’m not sure whether or not you’d be able to walk.”

  “Why not?”

  Kirk chuckled before he came to a stop, slowly easing me off his back. I landed on a soft bed of leaves, but the second my feet touched the ground, my knees buckled underneath me. I held on tightly to Kirk’s arm, trying to steady myself.

  “I guess I don’t know my own strength,” he said, gently brushing my cheek with the back of his hand. “I seem to have gotten a bit carried away.”

  His words made my cheeks burn. Our time together replayed itself in my mind like a movie. His every touch, kiss, and caress felt like it was happening all over again.

  A part of me was disappointed that I had given into my lust, but at the same time, it had felt so right. There was no other way to describe it. “Great, so you’ve made me lose the ability to walk through the jungle.”

  “Hey, I’m strong enough to carry you.” He flashed me a devilish grin before he picked me up, his hands tightening around my thighs, making me gasp with pleasure. He took his chance and kissed me, taking my breath away.

  I moaned into the kiss, my fingers tangling in his long hair. That was something I had always loved about him.

  He leaned me against a tree, his hands moving to my inner thighs, just about to tease me when his head snapped up.

  “What is it?” I held my breath, sensing his tension.

  “Nothing…” he assured me, but I could tell he was lying. “But we should keep moving.” Without another word, he continued down the path.

  His pace was faster than before, and every hundred feet or so, he would look over his shoulder like he expected someone to jump out of the foliage and ambush us.

  The hair on the back of my neck stood on edge as I got that chilling ‘you’re being watched’ feeling.

  To our left, a twig snapped.

  Kirk stopped in his tracks, looking toward the source of the sound. With one hand on the small of my back, he steadied me while his other hand moved to his holster, fingering his gun.

  Even though I felt safe in his arms, I was still scared out of my mind. What would happen if a group of Gorillas attacked us?

  “Kirk… I don’t think this is a good idea…”

  “Shh. It’s going to be okay.”

  Slowly, someone emerged from the tree line.

  It was Trang.

  “What are you doing here…?” Kirk asked, stepping forward.

  I tugged on his shirt. “I have a bad feeling about this…” I looked around, noticing movement all over the jungle. We were being surrounded.

  “I’ve come to escort you to your brother,” she said, still standing there. “Although I did not think you would bring her.” There was a hint of jealousy in Trang’s voice that made me hold on to Kirk a little harder. “But I suppose she can come along. It will be the perfect writing material for her journal.”

  Kirk stepped forward, about to follow her deeper into the jungle when I pinched him.

  “Hey, what was that for?”

  “You aren’t just going to blindly follow this woman into the jungle, are you?” I hissed. “Have you completely lost your mind? I’m not even in the Navy and I know this is a trap.”

  “Is there a problem here?” Trang moved closer, her lips pressing together in a disapproving line. She looked at me with an expression of pure hatred. If we didn’t get out of here and fast…

  “Kirk… we have to run… now.”

  “Run? But she knows where Jason is…” he said, looking down at me. “I have to save him, Sidney.”

  I grabbed his face, forcing him to look at me. “Don’t you get it? They’re just using your brother as bait. It’s a trap.” I yanked his hand, trying to get him to move, but it was already too late.

  13

  Kirk

  By the time I realized my mistake, we were already surrounded by twenty Gorilla men. All of them wore a hard, merciless expression on their faces.

  “Trang… what is the meaning of this?” I asked, turning to the only person I knew – the only person I could trust – or at le
ast I’d thought so, anyway. I guess saving someone’s life meant nothing over here.

  She grinned, her lips curling into a cruel smile. “I guess Americans really are as stupid as they look.”

  I narrowed my eyes at her, trying to figure out her angle. Why would she want to lure me out here all by myself? If her goal was to hurt Americans, why hadn’t she done something to sabotage our ship?

  None of this was making any sense.

  Suddenly, a few of the men rushed forward, grabbing Sidney and yanking her away from me. I lurched forward, throwing a few punches. “Let go of her!” I screamed.

  Sidney bit one guy’s finger, causing him to groan in pain before he slapped her across the face.

  “I swear to God, I’m going to kill you.” I struggled against my captors with all of my might, my rage overwhelming me to the point where it felt like my skin was on fire.

  “Kirk!”

  Desperate to get to Sidney, I rammed my elbow into someone’s face. His tooth scraped against my skin, drawing blood. With the tiny opening I had created, I swung my leg out, winding another man beside me. I was on a roll before I felt something prick the side of my neck.

  The last thing I saw was Trang’s face hovering over my own, her dark eyes the epitome of betrayal.

  When I came to, my hands were tied behind my back. I tugged at my restraints, which only made the chair I sat in rock back and forth.

  “There’s no point in trying to escape,” a deep voice rang out from the darkness. “Because if you do, I’ll make sure to slice your girlfriend’s pretty little neck, and we wouldn’t want that, now would we?”

  “Don’t you dare touch her–”

  “Now, now. You are in no position to make demands, Mr. Houston.”

  I growled. It was unnerving to speak to a man I couldn’t see, especially when he was threatening Sidney. “Come out and face me like a man.”

  He laughed. The sound echoed through the cavernous room, making it seem like he was everywhere at once.