by Susan Stoker
“Only if you make me three. I’m starving.”
“I’d already planned on it.”
“Do I have time to call Jenny before it’s ready?”
Wendy nodded. “Yeah. You gonna tell her about what happened today?”
“Yeah. She needs to know to be extra careful. That Lars isn’t messing around and that he has it out for her.”
“Don’t scare her,” Wendy warned.
Jackson rolled his eyes. “Give me some credit, sis.”
Wendy held up her hands. “Sorry! You’ve got this.”
“That’s right. I do. I’ll call Aspen after dinner and ask him about the self-defense lessons and give him the license plate numbers.”
“Tell him I’m working tonight,” Wendy said. “And that if it’s okay, I’ll call when I get home.”
“So now I’m your messenger?” he asked with a grin, and with that, Jackson got off the couch and headed down the hallway to his room.
“That’s right,” she called after him.
Wendy shut her eyes for a moment. She wished she knew what advice to give Jackson that would help him deal with the bullying situation. But she wasn’t sure what to tell him that he hadn’t already thought about. The situation definitely sucked, and she couldn’t help but feel as if Jackson was right…that this Lars person was planning something.
She liked that Jackson was taking responsibility for Jenny’s safety though. It proved that he’d become the kind of man their parents would be proud of. Wendy wasn’t sure it was because of anything she’d done or not done as she’d raised him, but she was more grateful than she could express that he wasn’t a thug like Lars and his friends.
Not for the first time she regretted the teenager she’d been. She’d felt as if the world owed her something and that she was entitled to whatever she wanted…clothes, electronics, boys, alcohol…it didn’t matter. “Sorry, Mom and Dad,” she whispered before taking a deep breath and standing up.
She had dinner to make. Then had to get to her crappy job that she hated as much as Jackson did…although she’d never tell him that.
It was going to suck when Jackson left for college, but she’d cross that bridge when she got to it. Right now, she had to feed him, then help see him through this bout with bullying. She loved watching him with Jenny and was excited to see her act in the high school’s performance of The Little Mermaid. Jenny was Ursula, and Jackson said her costume was “sick.” Whatever that meant.
Smiling, Wendy headed into the kitchen, mostly happy with her life. Jackson was thriving, she had a kick-ass boyfriend, and they had food in the cupboards.
It was more than she ever would’ve guessed ten years ago when she’d kidnapped her little brother from his foster home and hitchhiked with him across the country.
Chapter Ten
Late that night, Wendy snuggled in her bed. She was exhausted. But not too tired to talk to Aspen. She’d texted, asking if it was still all right to call, and he’d immediately texted back and said of course.
So, after locking up the apartment and checking on Jackson, who was fast asleep, Wendy had changed into her pajamas and crawled under her covers. She’d plumped the pillows behind her head and dialed Aspen’s number.
He picked up before the second ring. “Hey, sweetheart.”
“Hi, Aspen. How are you?”
“I’m good. Better now that I’m talking to you.”
“Flatterer.”
“To you? Always. How’d the calls go tonight? What were you selling this time?”
“Razor blades.”
“Seriously?”
“Yup. It was actually a subscription-service thing. They get a new pack of razors every three weeks. I had this whole spiel about how much cheaper it is and how the blades are sharper than the ones they get in the stores.”
“Did you sell any?”
“One. To a guy who sounded a bit too excited to be getting extremely sharp blades in the mail.” Wendy sighed. “I’ll probably be the one on the news saying, ‘Yeah, I sold him the razors, but I had no idea he’d use them to chop his kidnapping victims into little pieces…he seemed so nice.’”
Aspen chuckled. “You sound tired.”
“Yeah.”
“I hate that you’re burning the candle at both ends, sweetheart.”
“You sound like Jackson. He wants me to quit.”
“I knew I liked that brother of yours,” Aspen quipped. “But I know you need the money the job brings in. I don’t like that you’re tired, but I understand doing what you have to do in order to make sure you and he have what you need.”
Wendy closed her eyes and took a deep breath. It meant a lot that he didn’t harp on her to quit, or that he didn’t try to push her to do something she simply couldn’t do. “Thanks. I figure there are a lot of other people doing a lot worse jobs to put food on their tables. I get to sit in a room and talk on the phone for a few hours a couple times a week. I don’t have to take my clothes off, work out in the heat, or do something dangerous, like work night shifts in a gas station.”
“That’s a good way to look at it. Although, I have to say…if you took your clothes off for a job, I’d be in the front row every time.”
Wendy could feel herself blushing. “Thanks…I think?”
He chuckled again. “Although I’d probably beat the shit out of anyone who looked at you, so that wouldn’t actually do much for your ability to earn money as a stripper.”
It was Wendy’s turn to laugh now. “You’re crazy.”
“Nah, just worried about you. You okay after what happened with Jackson?”
The question came out of left field and it threw Wendy for a moment. “You mean about him getting in that fight today?”
“Yeah, that.”
“No. But there’s not much I can do about it. He’s almost an adult, and I need to start treating him like one.”
“He’s got a couple years to go before he’s an adult, Wen.”
She fisted her free hand and mentally berated herself. The more she spoke with Aspen, and the more time she spent with him, the lower her guard was around him. She didn’t think he’d run straight to the cops or family services if he knew the truth; it was just hard to talk about the secret she’d held so close to her chest for so long. “Figure of speech,” she said in what she hoped was an airy tone.
“He asked me if I would teach him some self-defense moves.”
“I know, he told me he was going to.”
“And?”
“And what?”
“Are you okay with that? I told him I wasn’t going to do anything that you didn’t approve of. The last thing I want is to do something that will chase you away and make you pissed off at me.”
“Like giving your number to Jackson without telling me about it?”
There was silence on the other end of the phone, and Wendy shook her head in exasperation.
“Sorry, forget I said that.”
“Jackson said you were concerned about it.”
“No, I’m really not. It’s a good idea, and I’m glad you thought about it. The thought of that Lars guy or his buddies getting their hands on Jackson, and him not being able to get ahold of me if he needs me, is awful. I’m glad you reached out.”
“I didn’t mean to overstep my bounds. I know we’re new, and I wouldn’t want to do anything without your permission. I wasn’t thinking. It won’t happen again.”
“Aspen, it’s fine,” Wendy said forcefully. “It’s just hard for me to go from the person Jackson turns to for everything to being just his sister.”
“You’ll never be ‘just’ his sister, Wen. He loves you, it’s easy to see. It’s not like we’re going to be best friends and texting and shit all the time.”
“That’s exactly what he said,” Wendy told him.
“Right. So, me teaching him some defensive moves is okay?”
“Yeah. I think at this point, it’s the smart thing to do. I don’t like the sound of this Lar
s guy.”
“Me either,” Aspen agreed. “I got the license plate info and I’ll give it to my commander tomorrow. I’m not sure anything can be done because as Jackson has said, they haven’t exactly broken the law…yet.”
“But Lars hit him.”
“Yeah, he did. But it’s Jackson’s word against Lars’s. I told your brother that if Lars did turn out to be the son of someone here on post, that I would be glad to talk to his father, but of course he vetoed that idea.”
“Not surprised. I wanted to talk to the principal and he wouldn’t let me do that either.”
“He also invited me to Jenny’s play next week.”
Wendy’s stomach churned. She would love for him to come with her; she hated sitting alone at things like that, but it also seemed like a big step. Especially since they hadn’t done anything but kiss. Wasn’t watching your girlfriend’s brother’s girlfriend sing and dance in a high school play something that people who had been a couple for more than a month did?
“Wendy?” Aspen asked. “Are you still there?”
“Sorry, yeah, I’m here. What did you tell him?”
Aspen paused as if considering his answer. Then said, “I told him I was thrilled to be asked to go. But if you don’t want me there…” He let his words trail off.
“No,” she said immediately. “It’s not that. I just…are you sure you want to go? There will be singing and dancing and stuff. Not exactly your sort of thing.”
“Are you going to be there?” he asked.
“Of course.”
“Then it’s my sort of thing,” he said definitively.
Wendy felt all soft and mushy inside at his response.
“I like your brother, Wendy. I think he’s a good man, and the fact that he feels comfortable enough to invite me to something like this means the world to me. I told you before and I’ll tell you again, this isn’t a fling for me. I want to know everything about your life. I want to get to know Jackson better. Want to be the kind of man he can look up to, and who he can go to when he wants or needs to ask another man something. I know our relationship is moving fast, and I’m okay with that. But I need to know if you’re okay with it. If not, I’ll slow down. I won’t come to the play and I’ll back off.”
“No!” Wendy exclaimed. “I like having you in my…our…life. I feel as if I’ve known you forever. If anything, it almost feels like we’re moving too slow.”
“When can I see you again?” Aspen asked abruptly.
“Um…tomorrow, me and Jackson are shopping for some parts he needs for his robotics projects.”
“Friday?”
“I work at the call center. What about Saturday?”
He sighed. “I can’t. I’ve got training at the post all day and into the late evening. Sunday?”
“What are we doing?” Wendy asked sadly. “Neither of us have time to actually date. I’m always either working or doing something with Jackson.”
“We’ll make it work,” Aspen insisted. “Next Tuesday night is Jenny’s thing, right?”
“Yeah.”
“We’ll see each other then for sure. What about next weekend?”
“Oh, um…well, it’s my birthday, and me and Jackson were going out to celebrate.”
“It’s your birthday?” Aspen asked. “Were you going to tell me?”
She hated that he sounded upset. “Probably not. It doesn’t have anything to do with you, I just don’t like celebrating my birthday much at all.” She never made much of a fuss over her own birthday; in fact, she hated thinking about her age.
“I see.”
He didn’t sound like he understood.
“Are you mad at me?” Wendy asked.
Aspen sighed. “I’m not mad. I’m frustrated. I’ve told you things about me, about my life, that not many people know. I want to move our relationship to the next level, but I feel as if you’re constantly putting up a wall between us. I hate that.”
“Aspen,” Wendy protested, not sure what to say to his statement. In many ways, he was right. But she couldn’t tell him the full truth about her. Not about her age. Not about Jackson’s age. Not about her background. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to. It was just that she’d kept the true details of her life secret for so long, she was uncomfortable sharing them now. Even with him.
“For now, I can deal with your secrets. But eventually, I’m gonna want to know everything. I can tell you’re holding back, not telling me things, and all I want is for you to feel safe enough with me that you can open up. I’m not going to hurt you, Wen. I’d never do anything to hurt you.”
“Even if I did something really horrible?” Wendy asked.
There was silence on the phone for a long moment, and Wendy felt like kicking herself for saying even that much.
“I will never believe you could do something truly bad,” Aspen finally said. “The woman I know is too good-hearted.”
Her heart sank at his words. She wasn’t sure he’d understand if she did tell him. He might even feel like he had to turn her in.
She heard him sigh. “We don’t need to discuss it now. Where are you?” Aspen asked.
Wendy knew he was purposely changing the subject, and she was grateful. She hated disappointing him. “Um…in bed?”
“What are you wearing?”
Wendy smiled and sighed in relief that he didn’t sound irritated or disappointed anymore. “Why? Where are you and what are you wearing?”
“I’m in bed and naked. I was thinking about you before you called and interrupted me.”
Wendy swallowed hard. Was he saying what it sounded like he was saying?
“I was masturbating when you called,” he confirmed, as if he could read her mind.
“Aspen,” Wendy whispered.
“Are you embarrassed?” he asked, the humor easy to hear in his voice.
“I think so, yeah.”
“Don’t be. What are you wearing?”
“Um…a tank top and a pair of boy shorts.”
“Take ’em off,” Aspen ordered.
Shivering at his take-charge tone, she protested, “But Jackson’s here. And if he needs something, I don’t exactly want to be naked when he comes in here.”
“Then lose the shorts. Keep the tank on.”
Wendy rolled her eyes at his bossiness, but did as he asked, awkwardly shoving down her sleep shorts with one hand. “I can’t believe I’m doing this.”
“We’re doing this,” Aspen corrected. “And you did say that you thought we were moving too slowly. I’m just pushing our relationship to the next level a little faster than I’d planned, is all.”
She liked that. “Okay. Now what?”
“Lie back and close your eyes. I’m going to tell you exactly what I was thinking about earlier before you called. Feel free to touch yourself however you want.”
She giggled. “Why thank you so much, Lord and Master.”
Chuckling, he said, “That did come out a bit high-handed. Sorry. All I meant was that I want you to feel as good as I am as I tell you what I’ve fantasized about doing to you. If this truly makes you uncomfortable, we can stop. I won’t be offended.”
“No…I’ve had fantasies of my own,” Wendy admitted.
“Oh, sweetheart. I can’t wait to hear every single one. Are you comfortable, and are your eyes shut?”
“Yes, and yes.”
“I was lying here thinking about how you’d look in my tub. Covered with bubbles up to your chin. I fantasized about walking in and seeing you there and asking if I could join you. You lifted your hand and held it out to me. I stripped out of my clothes and eased into the water. It was hot. As soon as I got settled, you shifted until you were straddling me. Your beautiful tits in my face. You held one up to me and I sucked on it, hard. You moaned and threw your head back, bracing yourself on my drawn-up knees. I used both hands to hold your tits and alternated sucking one, then the other. Soon you began to grind on me, and I swear I could feel the difference b
etween the heat between your legs and the warmth of the water around us. The water began sloshing back and forth with your movements as you got more and more excited.”
The image Aspen was describing was so vivid in her mind, Wendy couldn’t help but touch herself.
“When I thought I was going to come right there, before I got inside your hot, wet body, I gripped your hips and forced you to stop. I scooted you back and stood, lifting you out of the tub. Without bothering to dry either of us off, I picked you up and brought you here to my bed. I’ve thought about you on my sheets ever since I gave you the tour. I wanted to lay you back on them then, and I want to even more now. In my fantasy, you arch your back and put your arms over your head. You smile at me so seductively and coyly, it’s all I can do not to shove your legs apart and drive inside you. But since this is my fantasy, I have the control I need to slowly part your legs and hold them there with my hands on your thighs. You’re glistening with the water from the tub, but also from your own excitement. I feel your hands grip my head as I lean in and taste you for the first time. You taste fucking delicious.”
Wendy moaned then, not able to hold it back. Her fingers between her legs were soaked and the longer Aspen spoke, the closer and closer she got to orgasm.
“I’m not a patient man, Wendy, you should know this. When I want something, I go after it with everything I have. And what I want from you is your orgasm. I want to feel you quaking in my hands and under my tongue. So, in my fantasy, I latch onto your clit and suck hard, whipping my tongue back and forth over that sensitive little button until you’re gushing for me. Your hips are pumping up into my face, searching for something to fill you up. But I don’t let go of your thighs, simply keep you wide open for my mouth. Within a minute, you go over the edge, shaking and whimpering in my grip. I smile and don’t let up, wanting to feel and watch you go over one more time before I fuck you long and hard.”
“Aspen,” Wendy moaned as she frantically rubbed her clit, wanting to feel the same ecstasy that Dream Wendy was getting from him.
“That’s it, sweetheart. Make yourself come for me. Are you wet? I can’t wait to feel your juices all over my dick. I’m gonna fuck you so good, you’re going to wonder where I’ve been all your life. I have a feeling once I get you in my bed, I’m never going to want to let you go.”
