by Harper James
“I think at least a year.”
“A whole year?”
“I like this whole streamlining idea you had,” Heath says, and lifts my right hand up to his mouth to kiss it tenderly. I bite my lip, and sigh a little when he flicks at the inside of my palm with his tongue. It’s a tiny movement that surely no one else here saw, but a very intentional promise of where he tends to repeat that tongue flick later this evening.
The waiter returns with two glasses, pouring a sample of the wine for Heath to approve and then one for each of us to drink. We both order the special, which is some sort of fancy fish. When it arrives, I almost crack up at the expression on Heath’s face.
“What?” he asks, shaking his head.
“You can say it,” I tell him, still snickering.
He looks at me, narrows his eyes, then smiles. “This is tiny.”
“This is like, insanely tiny,” I agree.
“This is maybe a snack. Or an appetizer.”
“At best,” I agree, though when we dig into the meal, I discover that at least it’s delicious. We finish in record time; I think Heath went through the whole thing in about three bites.
“Just as well,” I say with a knowing look. “We’ve got somewhere to be.”
“Indeed,” Heath says roughly, and I’m pretty sure that hungry look in his eyes has nothing to do with those tiny portions.
When I ask for the bill, though, I’m surprised to see the waiter shake his head. “It was covered by another patron.”
My eyes widen. “Seriously?”
“Yes,” the waiter says, looking pleased. He turns to Heath. “He recognizes you from news reports on the mission in Yemen. The patron asked me to thank you for your service.”
Heath looks down, but then nods. “I appreciate that.”
When he walks away, I have trouble not looking floored. “That’s insane! With the wine, that was not cheap. Does that happen to you all the time?”
“No, not hardly,” Heath says with a short laugh. “It’s nice when it does. But it’s always…strange. Bizarre.”
“Why?”
He shrugs. “I don’t know how to respond. When someone says “thank you for your service”, in those words or paying for something, do I say it’s no problem? Because that’s not true. Do I tell them the gory or boring or dark details of what it entails? Nah. It’s just such a weird phrase, because it both begins and ends a conversation. They don’t even really know what they’re thanking me for.”
“Oh,” I say, staring.
Heath takes my hand in his again. “That’s not to say I don’t appreciate it. It’s just strange. It’s always strange. Vic says I’m overthinking it, that I oughta just order more beer on whoever-paying’s tab.”
I consider this, then shake my head. “You’re not overthinking it.”
He squeezes my hand. “Ready to go?”
“Absolutely, but I’ve got a request?” I say.
“Shoot,” he says, rising. We walk out of the restaurant hand-in-hand, and I almost forget what I was going to ask— when was the last time someone just held my hand?
“Karli?” he asks when I’m silent too long.
“Oh— can we stop in a drive-thru somewhere for second dinner on the way to the cabin? Because I’m starving.”
Heath laughs in response just as we’re pushing through the restaurant doors; the sound bounces down the street, warming the night.
“That sounds perfect,” he says, then pulls me forward, tilts my head back, and kisses me.
Chapter 19
We drive out of town, eventually lead off straight highways and on to curving mountain roads. The car smells like French fries— we stopped to get cheap burgers as we were leaving, and decided to go all out with milkshakes and French fries too.
“That was exactly what I wanted. Not that your restaurant wasn’t amazing,” Heath says, correcting himself, “but you can’t get that sort of cheap, greasy American food on deployment. It’s what everyone misses.”
“The food?” I say teasingly, with a lifted eyebrow— one that I hope hides the twinge in my heart at this reminder. Not that I ever forget he’s leaving, of course, but not saying it aloud at least lets me imagine it isn’t happening.
“Oh yeah. I only come back for the food,” Heath jokes, and reaches across the seats to squeeze my knee. It’s an entirely different car ride than the one we took to his house, and not just because I’m the one driving this time— because it really does feel like it could be our anniversary.
“I think I turn here…” I say, slowing down to peer at the road signs ahead. “Yes! We’re practically there.”
“Good,” Heath says, voice going a little softer.
“Very good,” I answer, and smile at him before taking the turn.
The cabin is at the very top of the mountain, and has a driveway I’m seriously worried will do my car in. We make it up, though, and the cabin is glowing in happy, warm light at the top.
The word “cabin” is sort of ridiculous— this place is basically a single-family-five-star-resort. It belongs to a girl I went to high school with who married a real estate investor. They buy properties, turn them into charming and adorable rentals, and then charge a fortune for them. It looks like its photo belongs in a magazine.
“Wow,” I say as Heath hurries around to open my door for me. “This place is crazy.”
“Mmhmm,” Heath says.
“There’s a hot tub in the back, she said, that overlooks the sunrise. So when you get up early you should—“
I’m cut off, because Heath is suddenly taking hold of me, sweeping me into his arms effortlessly. I scream in surprise, then delight, then lean into him, burying my face in his neck and inhaling the scent of him.
“Come on,” he growls into my ear, and I can tell that he’s not nearly as impressed with the house as I am— that he’s got one thing on his mind.
“I don’t have much of a choice, do I?” I play back, and then run the tip of my tongue up his neck. He groans deep in his throat and marches us forward. Unfortunately, he has to put me down in order to get the key out from under the mat— but I use the opportunity. When Heath turns back to me, I’ve slid my clothing off, and for the second time this week I’ll be walking into a house with Heath completely naked. Completely ready for him.
“Karli,” he groans when he looks at me. My nipples are hardening from arousal and the chilled air. Heath reaches forward and circles one with his thumb. I close my eyes at the pleasure caused by such a simple motion.
“We’re still streamlining, right?” I say as he circles my nipple again with his thumb, then pinches it lightly— just enough to make me squirm.
“I suppose,” he says, and then he’s against me, leaning down, lifting me up so he can take my now rock-hard nipple in his mouth. I jolt at the sudden warmth, then practically melt against him as he massages it with his tongue and begins to slide his hand down my back, toward my pussy—
“Then I want you to fuck me tonight like we’ve really been together a year. Like you know I can take it.”
He releases my nipple and lifts his head to meet my eyes. “Karli, I don’t know you can take me like that.”
“I want to try,” I say, and I mean it— even though I’m scared. I’ve seen his cock, and the idea of him fucking me hard with it, of him being fully inside me…it’s frightening. But it’s also so, so thrilling.
“You mean it, don’t you?” Heath says softly. I nod, and he watches me for a moment, then gives me a steely look. Heath then shifts my weight and practically throws me over his shoulder. He carries me through the front door like this, turns to shut it, and then reaches up to slap my ass just hard enough that it hurts in the best way. I jump, then moan as the sensation sends ripples down my legs.
“That’s right,” Heath says. His voice is different now, huskier, rougher, and my fear and delight wars in my chest. He slaps my ass again, then rubs the spot where he struck me. I whimper in pleasure as carri
es me through the house and to the bedroom, rubbing my ass, occasionally letting his thumb graze my already soaked pussy.
“Here we go,” he says, entering the room. The bedroom is huge, with floor to ceiling windows that look out over the night sky. The bed is perfectly made, pillows fluffed, sheets straight.
We are going to absolutely ruin that perfection, I know.
Heath lifts me from his shoulder and lets me fall onto to bed; I quickly spread my legs for him, which makes him smile.
“Oh no, baby. Not yet,” he says, shaking his head. “Turn over for me— hands and knees.”
I do so immediately— I’d do anything he asks immediately, and look back to watch him over my shoulder. Heath is studying my ass and exposed pussy as he strips off his shirt, revealing those perfect abs that I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of seeing.
“You’ve made me very hard, Karli,” he says under his breath, an almost accusatory tone.
“You’ve made me very wet,” I counter, arching my back a little to further expose myself to him.
He reaches forward and fingers my slit until I moan with want. I try to wiggle so his finger slides inside me, but it doesn’t work; he’s teasing me on purpose.
“So you say you want me to fuck you like you’re used to the size of my cock…” he says. He unbuttons his pants, unzips them, and my pussy clenches with need when his monster cock falls forward, pointing straight at me.
“Please,” I whimper, staring at it.
“Ask for what you want. I want to hear you say it and mean it,” Heath says.
“Fuck me, Heath,” I say, panting with need. “Fuck me hard.”
Chapter 20
Heath steps closer, right up against the edge of the bed. My pussy is lined up almost perfectly with his cock, and I feel myself truly aching for him to be inside me.
But Heath doesn’t give me what I need, not yet— he reaches under me and takes one of my breasts in each hand, squeezing them lightly, rolling my nipples between his thumbs and forefingers.
He then lowers his head and, still holding my nipples firmly, runs his tongue along my pussy. I wail in pleasure, and he fucks me with his tongue, taking the time to lap up and along my clit so expertly that I fall from my hands to my elbows.
“You’re all mine, aren’t you?” he asks, the words vibrating along my thighs. Before I answer he presses his mouth again me and swirls his tongue around my clit.
“Yes,” I gasp, lightheaded at the sensation. God, I didn’t know a man’s mouth on my pussy could feel so good— but then again, I suspect it’s because Heath isn’t just any man.
“My little fuck toy,” he says, kissing my pussy as he speaks.
“Yes, yes,” I say, stunned at how his words thrill rather than offend me.
Heath suddenly sweeps his tongue up the length of my slit, and I gasp in shock when he tongues not at my pussy, but at my ass. I nearly jerk away, but his hold on my nipples keeps me in place.
“You said you were mine, baby,” he reminds me, cool breath on my skin. I tremble— he’s touched me there, but to have his mouth there…
I force myself to relax. I told him he could have me, and I meant it.
“That’s right,” Heath growls to me as I relax. He licks at my ass again, then tentatively releases my nipples. When I don’t run, he moves one hand to my pussy. I moan as he slides his thumb inside my pussy, massaging my clit with his fingers. His mouth is still on my ass, gently taking me someplace I’ve never been—
“I think I’m going to come,” I say hazily, and Heath makes a satisfied sound in his throat— but then pulls away from me. “No, please don’t stop—“ I beg, turning to look.
“Shhh, Karli. Trust me,” he says, and then takes hold of his enormous cock in one hand. He reaches for me, slapping my ass lightly and then running his thumb over that entrance, massaging it lightly.
“What if I fucked your ass, Karli?”
I swallow, terrified— but not because I don’t want him to fuck me there. Because I do. I want him in me, I want him on me, I want him to have me. I nod, unable to form words.
“You think we could do that?” he asks carefully, and I feel him guiding my ass toward him. I moan when I feel the head of his cock pressed against my asshole— it’s huge. He’s so huge.
And I want him. I want him anywhere and everywhere, and the thought of him sliding into my ass is more amazing than I ever thought possible.
“I’m yours,” I remind him, my voice a whimper of need and fear and lust.
“You’re perfect,” he says, and then pulls his cock away from my ass. I’m about to protest when he slides into my pussy in a single, bold stroke. He doesn’t have a condom on, I realize, and I just as immediately realize I don’t care. I’m on birth control, for starters, but moreover, I trust him. Moreover still, I want him like this, with nothing at all between us.
Heath groans as his cock sinks into me, deeper than he’s been before. I can feel him stretching at me, my body trying to hold him off before giving in and letting him farther. I begin to sweat, and collapse entirely on the bed, my stomach flat against the sheets, moaning in desire and pleasure.
“No, Karli, no—“ Heath says, and there’s a strange fondness in his voice, like he’s teaching me. I try to prop myself back up, but his cock is just so big— it’s like I can’t balance myself with him in me.
“Poor baby,” he murmurs. “You’re just so tight.”
He withdraws from my pussy, leaving me gaping and needy, and the sits down on the edge of the bed. I pull myself together enough to sit up, sweat already beading on my chest. Heath lies on his back. He nudges my right leg until I swing it over him, so I’m straddling his cock.
“Try this,” he says, lifting his heavy cock so it’s aimed directly at my pussy. “You go at your speed though. I want to fuck you hard, Karli, but that doesn’t mean I want to hurt you.”
I nod, then brace myself with my hands on Heath’s chest. I lower my hips, moaning when I feel his cock press against my pussy, then slide into me. My eyes drift shut—
“Look at me, Karli,” Heath instructs. “I want to see your face. You’re going to come while you ride my cock, and I want you looking at me when you do.”
I nod eagerly and give in, sliding farther, farther. I have to pause at one point, when he’s only halfway inside me, and pulse up and down for a moment, wetting him, easing my own body into the sensation.
“You were only halfway inside me those other times?” I pant when I realize.
“You’re so small. So tight. It’s perfect,” he says, and groans when I lower myself even further. “Everything about you is perfect.”
“And I’m yours,” I reply, heady and dizzy with pleasure. “Tell me I’m yours again, Heath.”
“You’re mine, Karli. And I think you’ve been mine since the moment we met.”
That does it— my need for his cock overpowers my fear. I release my hips and push down onto him, crying out in a mix of pleasure and pain as he fills me entirely.
Heath shouts my name, groans, grabs my hips and tosses his head back. I gasp and lean forward, then begin to slowly, cautiously pump my hips up and down on him. The walls of my pussy strain against his girth, but with each stroke taking him in becomes a little easier, until there’s no pain— only pleasure.
“All yours,” I pant to Heath, barely able to form the words. He grits his teeth, like he’s having to fight to keep from coming now that he’s so deep inside me. The idea that just being in me like this could drive him to orgasm is thrilling, and I begin to ride him harder.
I’m not sure when, exactly, the orgasm begins to take hold of me, but suddenly my arms and legs are practically vibrating with each stroke. I moan and twist against Heath’s cock, but he steadies me with hands on my waist, lifting me up a little, pulling me down harder, till I feel his pelvis against my clit each time he fills me. My mind fogs over, long, low groans emerge from my throat—
“Eyes open, Karli,” Heath sa
ys rockily. “Look me in the eye when you come with my cock in you.”
I force my eyes open— I hadn’t even realize they’d drifted shut. Something about the expression on Heath’s face combined with the wild, full feeling of his cock buried in me, does me in. I cry out, a long, wailing sound as an orgasm rocks my entire body. I’ve never felt anything like this before, nothing so deep in me— a combination of the gentle orgasm he coaxed from me with his tongue and the powerful, firework-filled one that Heath gave me the first time he fucked me.
I collapse forward, his cock still buried in me, his arms around me, hands stroking my hair. My body shakes, trembles as the lightning in my veins subsides, though there’s a bolt of pleasure now and again, aftershocks of the earthquake I just felt.
Finally, my breath slows, and my mind clears enough that I can focus on Heath’s heart. With my head pressed to his chest, I can hear it. It’s racing. Still as he is right now, I can hear his heart racing— he’s far from done.
“Heath,” I stammer.
“Yes, baby?”
“What are you going to do to me next?”
He makes a deep, pleasured noise in his throat, then cranes his neck to whisper in my ear. “Whatever I want, Karli. Do you like hearing that?”
I smile, my pussy pleasantly aching around him. “Yes. Please. Give me more, Heath.”
He kisses my temple, then rocks forward so his cock quivers in me. “You don’t even know the kind of trouble you’re in, baby.”
And he’s right. But I know I want to find out.
Chapter 21
Eight days left.
It’s the first thing I think the next morning, the number shining in my head so brightly that at first, I think it’s the light that woke me. But no, no, it’s the sunlight streaming through the windows of the cabin’s bedroom, a square of light falling perfectly across my face.
I squint and sit up, unsurprised to find that Heath isn’t in bed beside me. I steal the comforter off the bed and wrap it around my body, then shuffle from the bedroom to find him. He’s in the main room, looking at his phone. It strikes me that I’ve never really seen him do this before; his phone is used for calls or texts, but never as a source of distraction or entertainment.
