by Avery Samson
Ms. Shieffer asks Sophia if she knows me with a smile on her face. She has just assured us that the douche, Jay I guess his name is, won’t come anywhere near her again. Even though I’m still angry enough to rip this base apart with my bare hands, I can’t help but smile when Sophia slowly picks her head up to look at me. She studies me in disbelief as if I’m some kind of desert mirage. I’m a little surprised she can even recognize me with my greasy hair and scruffy beard, but I can see in her eyes she knows exactly who I am.
8
Sophia
“Do you have any idea how hard you are to find?” he asks as I slide down off the table facing him.
I would refuse to believe he’s here, but only my Teddy would make a joke about appearing like a mirage out of the desert. I blink twice, trying to make sure he’s real. It would hurt too much if he is just a dream.
“I figured it out, baby.”
I run the few steps, sobbing as I jump into his arms. “I knew it was you, Teddy, even if my mind couldn’t put the pieces together.” Tears start to pour down my face again or maybe they never stopped.
“How did you know it was me?” He chuckles.
I cup his face in my hands, scanning his eyes. They look tired.
“I would know that mouth anywhere.”
He laughs even louder as he slowly slides me back to my feet. Looking around, his eyes finally come back to mine. “Are you alright? I show up just in time to find some douchebag with his hands all over you. Nobody is allowed to touch what’s mine. Learned that in the boy’s home. If you don’t pay enough attention, someone will swoop in and take it from you.”
Suddenly not able to be near enough, I pull him to me in a desperate hug. I can feel myself finally breathe when his strong arms surround me.
“No one will ever take me, Teddy. I’ve always been yours.”
Bending down, Teddy gently brushes his lips over mine. Opening to him immediately, I just inhale as he claims my mouth, exploring every inch of it. With a moan, he pulls back with a grin.
“I don’t know how you can stand to be near me? Even I gag every time I get a whiff. Any possibility of finding a shower around here? Maybe a shave?”
With a laugh, I take his hand pulling him out of the tent with me. The post has settled back down for the night, so we have much of it to ourselves. Turning loose of my hand, Teddy grabs a backpack on our way out of the tent.
I finally have a chance to really look at him in the light outside the mess tent. He doesn’t just look tired, he looks exhausted. He’s covered in dirt with at least a three-week-old beard covering his face. His hair is also longer and greasy. I slide my arm around his waist to walk him to the shower tent, ignoring the odor wafting off of him.
“Are you sure you want to get that close to me? I really don’t smell that great.”
“I don’t care. I’m just so happy you’re here.”
Teddy leans over, giving me a kiss on the temple.
“Wow! You are pretty pungent though.”
“Tried to warn you but, as always, you were too stubborn to listen.”
I open my mouth to argue when I hear him quietly laughing as we arrive at the showers.
“Okay, smart-ass. Here is how you turn on the shower,” I say, demonstrating how it works. “You’ll only have about five minutes of lukewarm water, if you’re lucky.”
Teddy is digging through his bag pulling out what he needs.
“I washed my underwear in water out of a well yesterday after three days of wearing them. Any water will feel amazing.”
When the water turns on, I hear a deep laugh from inside.
“There’ll be no shower sex in here, that’s for sure. This thing is barely bigger than I am, but I guess it beats a bottle of water.”
Within minutes the water shuts off.
“Do you want me to find you something to eat?” I call through the tent door.
“No, I’m not that hungry. I just need sleep, then I’ll be good again.” He emerges smelling much better, dressed in a fresh pair of fatigues and a T-shirt one of the soldiers left near his bag.
“We’ll go see if Ms. Shieffer knows where you can bunk.” Waiting for him to gather his stuff back into his pack, I motion for him to follow me.
“I can sleep on the floor anywhere. Just need a blanket.”
We walk back across camp toward my tent, Teddy keeping me tucked into his side. Slipping inside, I find my boss sitting on the edge of her cot. Standing, she grasps my arms, holding me out as she looks at me.
“Are you alright?” When I nod, she continues, “He can take Jay’s bed. It seems that Jay is now sleeping chained to a pole. The army is insisting on dealing with him since we were on government property,” Ms. Shieffer informs me, a smile slowly lighting up her face.
“I really thought I could handle it without causing problems. I’m so sorry.” I can’t help but feel that there was more I could have done to prevent this. A shiver runs up my spine at the thought of what would have happened if Teddy hadn’t gotten there in time.
“Sometimes, Sophia, it’s okay to ask for help, especially with this kind of problem. Tell your friend to be ready to go at six tomorrow morning so we can leave for some much deserved rest.” She pulls the blanket back on her bed before turning back to stop me before I can leave. “And come in quietly. I plan on being asleep,” she says with a wink.
I walk out of the tent to find Teddy asleep on his feet. Linking our hands together, I pull him to one of the tents. There is snoring from the other bunks, so I ease him inside, pointing to the cot that used to be Jay’s. Teddy wraps his arm around my waist, pushing me down under him as he drops onto the cot. I desperately try to stifle a squeal of surprise.
Our mouths crash together as he settles his body over mine, his hardness resting deliciously in the apex between my thighs. I try, unsuccessfully, to silence the moan that escapes my mouth as his tongue invades it with a possession I have only felt in my dreams over the last month. I had almost forgotten how good Teddy tasted.
When his hand slides up my stomach, finding my aching breast, my hands slide into his hair as I arch up, trying to pull him even closer. There is a small creak of the cot when he releases my mouth with a roll of his hips before his tongue makes its way down my neck.
“Son, unless you plan on sharing, you need to put your toys away for the night.” The voice comes out of the darkness across from us as the realization we aren’t alone crashes into me.
How could I forget we are in the middle of a tent full of men trying to get some rest? With a quick kiss, I wiggle out from under Teddy to his grumbled protest. Straightening my clothes, I hurry from the tent. With the memory of his strong body holding me close, I smile as I duck into my own tent, my heart still pounding.
The next morning, I enter the mess tent to applause and catcalls. Teddy is surrounded at the table by soldiers laughing at a joke or story. He is so beautiful, it still takes my breath away every time I see him.
Taking him in from head to toe, I notice that he has lost weight, but the muscle is still there shifting under his shirt as he turns to smile at me. Taking my tray of food over to his table, I slide in next to him.
“Good morning, sunshine.” He plants a kiss on me to the whooping of the men.
It doesn’t seem to have taken him very long to make friends here. I’m finishing my meal, listening to them tell stories, when my boss sticks her head in motioning for us to go.
“It’s been great hanging with you, but I think I’ll take my toys and head out. Stay safe,” Teddy says.
I roll my eyes at him as we walk out, Teddy getting heckled as he fist bumps the air.
“So Teddy? It’s a long way before we get to Kabul. Why don’t you explain how you found us?” Ms. Shieffer asks, distracting Teddy from shooting daggers at Jay as we climb into our ride. To Jay’s credit, he is desperately trying not to meet any of our eyes. I assume he would like to not test Teddy’s resolve, therefore, keeping his balls intact a l
ittle longer.
“Well, let’s see. It all started about five weeks ago. The girl of my dreams showed up in London, screwed my brains out, then disappeared again,” he starts as my mouth falls open.
My boss just laughs, motioning for him to continue.
“My brother showed up, threatened to kick my ass, inferred I was a pussy then made arrangements for me to fly to the Middle East. By the way,” he said, looking at me. “I passed all of my exams with first class honors before boarding the plane. My degree should be waiting at home by now.”
I grin, not surprised for even a second that he would finish at the top of his class.
Jay’s eyes have drifted over to me as he looks between us listening to the story.
“I know your eyes are not anywhere near her, cocksucker,” Teddy growls at Jay, not even missing a beat. Jay is smart enough to refocus on the floor.
I have no doubt Teddy would be only too happy to take another shot at him and apparently Jay doesn’t either.
“Where was I? Oh yeah. After landing in Tel Aviv, I hitchhiked to Syria, where I was told you had left already. I then caught a flight to Afghanistan just to find out you had left there. Decided to walk to the Iranian border, making it as far as some little village the first night. They agreed to put me up for the night in exchange for a ‘nominal fee,’” he says complete with air quotes.
Taking a drink out of his canteen, Teddy sends another glare at Jay.
“A couple of soldiers picked me up the second day and brought me to the base last night.”
“How did you get onto the military bases?” Ms. Shieffer asks incredulously. “You don’t just walk onto them, even here. Especially here.”
“Honestly, I have no idea. I guess I just have one of those faces,” he says with a wink at me. “So, back to my story. I finally found the correct base, found her boss who told me she was last seen in the mess tent, walked in and pounded some fucker I found with his hands where they had no business being.”
He kicks at Jay’s foot causing him to jump.
“Took a very long overdue shower, tried to feel up that girl in a tent full of men, was called out by a really large cockblock of a soldier, and here I am.”
I am staring open-mouthed, once again, at Teddy when I hear my boss starting to laugh. Her laugh builds until she is doubled over.
“I believe you are an even better storyteller than I am,” she says, looking at Teddy, trying to wipe the tears out of her eyes. “Have you ever thought of going into journalism?”
“Teddy, what happened to going home to work with Grayson?” I ask, finally managing to form coherent thoughts again.
Everyone turns to Teddy waiting to hear the next part of our drama, but he just shrugs.
“Oh, did you hear Izzy is pregnant again?”
Yes, I know he’s deflecting my question, but for now, I’ll let it go.
“Izzy told me when I called her the last time we were in Kabul. What is with them? Can Grayson not learn how to put on a condom?”
“That’s what I said! Then one of the girls asked what a condom was and things sort of went south from there.”
“I can’t believe you’re still alive.” I shake my head.
Teddy has always simply blurted out whatever pops into his mind.
“You almost died the first time you did that.”
We both laugh, thinking about the first time Izzy announced she was pregnant. Loudly. In front of my entire family. During Thanksgiving dinner.
Grayson had to make the decision to either follow my sister who had locked herself in the bathroom or Teddy who had escaped into the yard after hurling an R-rated epitaph at him. It seems eight years later Teddy still can’t stop himself.
“Yeah, I had to rely on Theo to save me. That kid is so damn smart. Grayson did say, however, the next time we have unprotected sex, Izzy is going to cut off both of our balls to prevent any future Bennetts from entering this world.” He laughs when I slap my forehead down in the palm of my hand in embarrassment.
“Wait, slow down. You have to fill me in on these people.” Ms. Shieffer is following our conversation with rapt attention.
I can understand why, since the story of our lives has continued to unfold like a soap opera. We spend the next hours explaining not just how Grayson and Izzy met, as well as all of our friends back home. By the time we arrive in Kabul, I’ve fallen asleep in Teddy’s arms.
“Why don’t you take Jay’s room? He is heading for the airport and our next cinematographer isn’t due for several days. Get some rest. We head out again in a few days. I think Mr. Bennett is going to need his rest if he plans on keeping up with us,” Ms. Shaeffer tells us when we make it to the hotel. I take our keys from her, exiting the elevator.
“I think I could stand in the shower for an hour and still not feel totally clean,” I tell Teddy as I push through the door.
Throwing my bag on the dresser, I turn, taking in the room. Teddy has his shirt off, working on his pants.
“What are you doing?” I ask in confusion.
“All I heard was something about a shower?” Teddy stalks toward me with a wicked grin as I move back across the room, laughter bubbling up from inside me. My laughter turns into a squeal when he grabs my wrist, hoisting me over his shoulder. Hauling me into the bathroom, he turns on the shower before stepping in.
“Teddy! My clothes are getting wet!” He pulls my shoes and socks off, tossing them onto the bathroom floor.
“Better?”
“I’m still getting wet,” I complain, trying to push off of his back.
“No fair starting without me,” he says with a grin.
He eases me down until I’m sliding along his erection. Reaching for the hem of my shirt, he slowly pulls it over my head. When I feel him unhook my plain, cotton bra, I let it slide off my shoulders, closing my eyes as I relish the warm water washing over my bare skin.
Setting me on my feet, he kneels, working my wet pants down my legs before ripping off my panties. I grab his hair for balance when his strong hands push my legs apart. Reaching forward, he slowly runs his tongue through my folds until he reaches my clit, sucking it gently.
“Teddy,” I moan as his tongue slides into my entrance, his thumb starting its slow circle around my clit.
One hand shoots to the shower wall to keep my balance as my other hand wraps through his thick curls. With a deep growl that vibrates through me, he carefully slides my leg over his shoulder, opening me even farther to him.
Sliding two fingers inside where his tongue had been, he finds that perfect spot deep inside. His tongue returns to my clit, making broad strokes until my legs start to tremble. My climax explodes around me, ripping a scream from my throat as my legs give out.
Teddy is there to catch me, lifting me to his waist as he stands. I hug him close as my legs move to encase his trim waist. Pushing me against the wall of the shower, his large hands engulf my hips, picking me up until I am where he needs me. As he slides me slowly over his rippling abs, he enters me in one hard thrust.
“Every night I dreamed about you. It was enough to keep me going,” he says.
Moving his hands to my ass, he massages muscles sore from travel before picking me up until he is almost out of me. With one hard thrust, he is buried to the root once again. I can feel the cool tile against my back as he begins to slide me up and down his shaft.
“I would walk through fire at just the promise of burying myself deep in you.”
His pace has started to speed up as his thrusts become harder. It is a short ride before Teddy pushes up into me, his head falling back in ecstasy. Just the feel of his orgasm sends me back over the edge.
Gently, he climbs out of the shower, holding me against his body as the water quickly turns cold. Standing me in front of him, he dries me off with one of the towels. When we are both dry, he takes my hand, tugging me toward the bed. Pulling back the sheet, he wraps his arms around me before falling onto the bed.
“Teddy?
”
“Hum?” he moans, wrapping his warm, naked body around me.
“We have to talk about how this is going to work. I’m still flying all over the world for weeks at a time. You’re still crunching numbers for Grayson at home.”
Teddy opens his eyes, releasing me from where I lay in his arms to sit against the headboard. He reaches over, turning on the bedside light.
“You’re right. We need to talk about this.” Turning to face me, I catch a glimpse of determination in his stormy eyes. “I’m not going home to work for Grayson.”
It takes a few minutes for it to sink in.
“Are you taking one of the offers in London?”
“No. I’m not going home, but I’ll be working for Grayson in Europe. He is expanding and needs a numbers guy in the international market. Most of what I do can be done remotely. I can work wherever you are. I’ll be waiting at the nearest hotel wherever your next jobs are.”
I’m crying by the time he’s done. He’s done it, he’s kept his word. It’s hard for me to believe that I can have everything. He gave me a promise, then chased me around the world to fulfill it. Teddy pulls me on his lap with a look of panic on his face.
“Why are you crying? I thought you would be happy.”
“Oh Teddy,” I exclaim, wiping my tears. “I’m so happy. I love you so much.”
Teddy rolls me under him, smashing his lips to mine in a kiss that shows me how deep his love for me has always been.
“I love you too,” he says, pulling away. Brushing a stray piece of hair off my face, he looks into my eyes, love radiating into me as he holds me close. “I always have.”
Epilogue
“Hey, sexy! Get your pants off and get on the bed,” Sophia says, bursting through the door of our hotel room. “I’m gonna ride that one-eyed trouser snake like there’s no tomorrow,” she adds, walking over to dig through the sodas in the mini-fridge.
We’ve been holed up in a hotel room in Bosnia for close to a week now, waiting for her next assignment. In theory, she is supposed to be based near Paris, but we haven’t made it there even long enough to find housing.
