Moving her feet, he sat down on the couch and palmed his iron hard cock. “Come here.” Tori lifted obediently and walked on her knees across the couch to him. “Straddle me.” His eyes never wavered from hers as she did what he asked. Jacob held his cock under her and found her hot wet sex. “Clasp your hands behind your back and lower yourself on me, slowly.”
Victoria’s eyelids were heavy and her eyes burned with desire. He could tell she was on board with his commanding her actions. He felt her hot sheath slide down his cock. It was delicious. His eyes held hers as he cupped her ass tenderly. “Don’t move, not an inch. If I want you to move, I’ll move you or tell you.” He pulled her closer and took one tight pink nipple into his mouth. He knew what his sucking, licking, and biting would do to her. The way her body reacted to him was a thrill unlike any other. Her low moan and shudder would be followed by a plea.
“Jacob, please.”
He smiled and captured the other nipple. God he would never tire of her insatiable appetite for him. Her body’s trembling on his cock as he slowly lifted and lowered her was erotic as hell. Finally leaving her breasts, he paused with his lips hovering over her mouth. “Do you need something baby?” His hand circled precariously close to her clit but didn’t touch her swollen bud. She hadn’t released her hands from behind her back. Such an amazing woman.
“You know I do.” Her husky sexy voice rocked him and his body ignited. God no, he wasn’t going to come yet. Jacob captured her lips and used his fingers to launch her instead. He knew exactly when she was about to go over. Her body stiffened, her breath caught, and she gyrated on his cock driving her pubic bone into his. The hot shower of her orgasm pulled him over the edge as he slammed his cock deeply within her and lost himself.
“God, I love you so much.” He knew he sounded like a sap. Crap, he was as breathless as if he had just run a marathon. He felt her curl into him, her head resting in the crook of his neck, his cock still fully buried in her as she straddled his body.
“I love you, too, Jacob. So much it scares me.” Her hand lifted to his cheek. He captured it and kissed her palm.
“Yeah. So big. So real.” He kissed her palm again and held it to his chest.
Tori rocked her hips and smiled. “Nobody bigger.”
Chapter Thirteen
Frank couldn’t believe how fast the month of November flew past. The men had worked hard and trained harder. His ranch had never been in better shape and he wasn’t just talking about what they had done for the buildings and livestock. He sat back and looked down the full table and enjoyed the extended family Jacob’s men had become. The twins were arguing about some minute detail of some detonation switch they were developing. He considered those two the boys he never had, mischievous and fun loving but damn hard workers. And they never shut up unless they were training.
Chief and Betty’s daughter, Desiree, were talking quietly. That man was impossible to read. Had a way of blocking all emotion from his face, except when he looked at Desiree. He watched Keelee and Adam continue to ignore each other. Honestly, he had never seen his daughter act so much like him before. She never engaged anyone in conversation now, kept to herself, and avoided any interaction that wasn’t entirely necessary. Yet she watched every move Doc made when she thought no one was looking. She had assured him Doc was a perfect gentleman while at the line cabin. Frank assumed that little fact could be the reason she was so damn angry with Doc. Strong-willed girls. God had definitely blessed him with two of the strongest willed fillies he’d ever met. Betty never complained about her daughters being so hard headed. He must have hit pay dirt. Lucky him.
Tori and Jacob laughed at some joke between them as Betty opened the kitchen door and caught Chief’s eye. The big man walked into the kitchen and returned with a platter holding the largest Thanksgiving turkey the kitchen had ever produced. Frank waited until Chief and Betty sat down then stood and cleared his throat, pulling all eyes to the head of the table.
“As y’all may have figured out, I’m a man of few words. Well, I’ve saved up some and I’m saying my piece now. This Thanksgiving I’m grateful for the new members of my family. God has blessed me with two beautiful daughters, a wonderful sister-in-law, and three sweet nieces, but now I’m proud to include these five men seated at our table as family. Of course, that comes with the pain of having me as a father-figure.” He scanned the table looking directly at each man and continued. “You can deal with it. It comes with the territory. May God continue to bless each of you and watch over you as the world takes you away from us. You will always have a home here.” He sat down as a reflective silence came over the table. Frank muttered loudly, “Didn’t mean to spoil the holiday, pass the dressing, and carve the damn turkey.”
Drake and Dixon flew into activity. They ladled food onto their plates, passing the dishes as they mounded the holiday feast in front of them. The men made quick work of the seemingly endless supply of food, sending Betty and Desiree into the kitchen for the homemade pumpkin and pecan pies, whip cream, and a large bucket of homemade ice cream.
*
Jacob looked down the table at the men. “Ten mile run tomorrow morning boys, right after we feed the animals.” Drake and Dixon looked up from their plates in unison and smiled.
Dixon glanced towards Jacob. “Yeah, Skipper in this snow? You think you old men can keep up?”
Jacob smiled and nodded pointing at him with his fork. “If I beat you in, you owe me an additional five hundred push-ups, one hundred pull-ups, and a thousand sit ups.”
Dixon’s eyebrows raised. “And if I win?”
Jacob shrugged. “An all-expense paid night on the town on me when we get back to D.C.”
Drake’s head whipped around looking at his brother. “Shit, man, that’s a freaking deal!”
Dixon looked a Jacob again. “Same bet for Drake?”
Jacob held a bite of pumpkin pie on his fork as he laughed. “Yeah, like I could make a bet with one and not the other.”
The twins smiled and spoke at the same time. “Deal.”
Tori leaned over and whispered in his ear, “Hope you’re ready to pay up Jacob. I had plans to wear you out tonight.”
He turned and kissed her cheek, whispering against her ear. “I was going to give them a night out anyway. They’re young and need to blow off some steam. This way at least, they will work for it.”
She giggled and put her hand on his thigh. She knew he had taken a call before dinner and assumed it meant the team had been recalled. “We’re leaving then?”
Jacob glanced around the table and nodded slightly. His eyes locked with hers as he whispered, “Soon, honey. The men who are working a dangerous situation overseas are good, but they don’t have the same skill sets this team does. I’ve advised them not to attempt the op they’re considering. Knowing those men, they’ll do it anyway. We need to be able to deploy if they get in over their heads. I also briefed Gabriel this morning during our update on my recommendations, and I told him Doc has cleared me for regular operations.”
Tori squeezed his thigh. “Alright, I’m ready whenever you need us to go.” He lowered his lips and kissed her softly.
“Damn, Skipper, at the supper table? Really?” Drake mocked from across the room.
Jacob lifted his head and glared at him. “Shut up man. You have your desert, I have mine.”
Keelee helped Desiree, Betty and Tori clear the table and wash dishes after the men had rolled from the dining room into the great room. Dixon and Drake eventually went to the barn to help Doc with the animals as Jacob, Chief, and Frank went into the den for cognac and cigars.
Jacob sat in an overstuffed recliner and swirled the amber liquid. “Frank, I need to tell you, we’ve been placed on alert. There’s a situation that could get ugly fast. Another team is attempting a remedy, but the reality is we could be called at any time. Will you, Keelee, and Danny be able to handle the work?”
Weather-worn and toughened hands held the liquor in the fanc
y crystal goblet. “Yep, we got a couple of the Koehler boys that we typically hire through the winter to help with the heavy lifting and calving come the spring. Danny will be back from visiting his brother the day after tomorrow. Don’t get concerned about us; we’re more than capable of getting by. Not like I’m destitute here.”
Chief finished his cognac in one swallow. “Skipper, I’m heading out. Mr. Marshall.”
Jacob and Frank nodded as Chief headed toward the kitchen.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if he comes back here permanently, Frank.”
Frank grunted out a chuckle. “He would be welcome. He’s a good man. But I don’t see him leaving you until you stop being active in operations. Each one of them would lay down his life for you.”
“As would I for them.” Jacob filled his glass again and reached over refilling Frank’s. “We’re the best at what we do.”
Frank nodded. “I can tell. You’ve never taken a day off from physical conditioning except for the days you’re working the herd. I watch you talk with hand signals. A look or even the way your body is tensed conveys meaning to them. They are as much a part of you as Victoria is. As long as she can deal with what’s coming—the separation, the anxiety, and the not knowing… you two will be fine. More worried about Keelee and Adam.”
“Tori still has her demons to slay, Frank. The doc she’s been seeing is good. He recommended a colleague in the DC area. I’ll make sure she is safe and has the continued medical support she needs.”
They sat in silence for a while before Jacob looked at him and smiled a knowing smile nodding towards the kitchen as he puffed on his cigar. “Keelee and Adam? That may be a real rough ride, Frank, best put on the spurs and hunker down. Those two are fire and gasoline.”
The old man chuckled and puffed on his cigar. “Shit son, I been ready to ride that bronc since the first night they saw each other. When do you think those two idiots will figure it out?”
“Honestly sir, I wonder if they will. Some don’t.” Jacob threw the stub of his cigar into the fireplace. “I, on the other hand, am marrying your daughter as soon as we land in DC. I have a license and Doc has already sent in the blood tests. We can do a big wedding later. I’m not going overseas without her as my wife. My new will has already been drawn up and she’ll be taken care of if I make a mistake.” He looked at Frank. “For your information, I don’t tend to do that. Make mistakes.” Jacob finished his cognac and placed the glass on the ornate silver tray. “Been batting around an idea I need to run by you sir. Would you consider allowing other teams and operatives from our company to use the ranch as a recovery site?”
Frank pulled on his cigar and considered the ash as he blew out the smoke. “Yep. That would be acceptable.”
“We’ll pay you for the land and if they are physically able, they will help around the ranch like we have. I was also wondering if you would allow us to put up a small clinic for those who need more intensive assistance.”
The old cowboy took a deep breath and leaned forward in his chair resting his forearms over his thighs. He looked over at Jacob. “I got plenty of land. Make you a fair price or a long term lease. I’m assuming your boss would want it that way. The clinic is a good idea, but it should be a hospital—two or three beds. We would need an airstrip to negate the need to go into the city—for privacy and immediacy. The pasture to the east would work for that, it is damn near flat, little to no grading required. A firing range can be built over the hill behind the house and you should have a gym for rehabbing those who are injured. You pay for the supplies and labor, I’ll get it done. Have to wait till spring now. Snow’s too deep to start any construction but we can work the plans. I’ll do that and send it on to you.”
Jacob looked at him, his eyes narrowing in thought. “Yes sir. Gabriel, my boss, told me he would have his lawyers contact you to work that out.” Jacob scratched his chin, “Just what in the hell did you do in your previous life?”
Frank shrugged casually. “Me? Hell son, I’m just a rancher. Just an ole’ cowpoke.”
Jacob watched Victoria walk up the stairs and stood. Looking over at the man, he shook his head. “Just an ole’ cowpoke huh? Well, we both know that is an outright lie, now don’t we, Major?”
He nodded to the older man and walked up the stairs to the woman he loved. He paused on the upper landing when he heard Frank’s voice coming softly from the room below.
Tori’s father gazed at the portrait of his wife above the fireplace. “Well, Elizabeth, we got the wild one settled. Now what are we going to do with your first born?”
Jacob didn’t think those words were meant for his ears and silently made his way to Tori’s room.
Chapter Fourteen
Jacob fell to the barn floor and started pumping out push-ups with a growled, “Grind them out boys. Five hundred.” Frank looked up from the bridle he was mending and glanced at his watch, shaking his head. Jacob grinned. The bet last night at the dinner table must have energized his team. He, Doc, and Chief had pushed through their run and finished in record time, but the wonder twins still beat them to the barn. The four men immediately face planted and without hesitation began pumping out the compressions. Amazement slowly covered Frank’s features as they synchronized the beat and never slowed down. The men’s breathing became more labored and the veins in their necks bulged, but the rhythm never varied.
“You’re a masochistic bunch. Back in my day this type of physical training didn’t happen,” Frank snorted as he watched Jacob jump to the chin up bar they had installed. “Can’t say I’m sorry, either.”
“Two hundred in sets of twenty. Rotate through doing sit-ups in-between your turn.” The four men hit the floor and started pumping out sit-ups in rhythm as Jacob did his set of pull-ups, Doc leapt to the bar as Jacob hit the floor automatically synchronizing with the exertion of the rest of the team. Chief followed Doc and then Dixon and Drake rotated onto the chin-up bar. It took about twenty minutes for the entire team to cycle through the required exercises. When they were through, they were awash in sweat despite the frigid South Dakota temperatures.
Jacob’s voice rang out over the winded gasps from the men. “Alright, listen up. We are on standby. Bravo team is trying to negate a crumbling situation in the Kapisa Province. The primaries have been compromised.”
Three of his men knew exactly where the province was. They had been there once before. It was the God-forsaken land where Kurt, their first field medic had been killed, the only teammate they had ever lost. The savagery of the hostiles in the area demanded attention.
“We have obtained Fury’s services and Jason has established a civilian aircraft exit strategy for the primary and his family, but that may be impossible. The area is extremely hostile and there are no known friendlies. Intel is spotty at best. I anticipate a rescue mission for the primaries by Bravo team.”
Chief cleared his throat and spoke when Jacob acknowledged him. “Skipper, it has been a long time since Fury has been engaged in a rescue operation. Is there a need for his special talents?”
Jacob nodded. “Yes. The new Islamic terrorist group ISIS has taken over the area. His extensive knowledge of the terrorist organization is essential. He is dropping into the area in advance of the mission. As of today, the responsible nation has not made a commitment so Guardian has not been officially engaged for his direct participation. Fury will drop just beyond Mahmud-e-Raqi to the north and will work to stabilize the landing zone. If a determination is made, his unique skill set will be used behind the scenes to neutralize several targets. That will facilitate our swift resolution of the situation.”
“Drake, Dixon you’ll be loadmasters to ensure the C-17 landing strategy works. We’ll need the most bang for our buck. Nothing is packed unless it is essential and has multiple uses. The more weight that bird carries the longer the runway needed to launch. I don’t have to tell you five hundred feet in a hostile LZ can mean the difference between life and death. I want high reward explosive
s, but they must be stable so we can run with them through unforgiving terrain and they must tolerate the climate. Digital triggering devices are required so we can remotely detonate. Complete packs for all men, provisions, demolitions, hand-to-hand implements and enough ammo to last through one hell of a firefight. However, I want no more than sixty pound rucks per man.”
The twins nodded. “Got it, Skipper,” was the response in unison.
“Chief, we need satellite comms and encryption that will confuse the fuck out of the towel heads. I need enough power to be heard, but not enough to be found. Set up our GPS to military specifications. I want locations to the centimeter and set crypto keys to synchronize the passive alert so we can find each other on our frequency. Bounce the rotation of the frequency so we can’t be hacked.”
Chief nodded. “Roger, Skipper.”
Jacob looked at Doc and smiled without humor. “Bring the big band-aids Doc. This one is going to separate the men from the boys.”
“Just for you, I’ll bring the Hello Kitty type with ouch-less pads.”
The team broke into laughter as they filtered out of the barn. Jacob turned and walked to the tack room and leaned on the door jamb looking at Frank as he repaired a bridle. “You get all of that, sir?”
Frank nodded. “Yep. Brought back memories.”
Jacob chuckled. “I figured. She know what you did?”
“That I was a SEAL—then Agency just like her?” Frank shook his head. “Nope. Never came up.”
Jacob nodded towards the house. “She suspected you knew what she did. Of course, you know I ran a check on you. Don’t worry. I haven’t told her anything. Your story to tell. Gonna be tough leaving here for us. You’re a good man. Thank you for opening your home.”
Frank continued to work on the frayed leather. “The girl’s mom…she was exquisite. Lord knows she was wild for life like Tori. She always wanted to make a difference. She was Navy Intelligence when I met her in San Diego. Lost contact for a year or so and found her again when I was working in the DC area. Elizabeth was processing Intel for the DoD at the Pentagon. She was damn good at it and she was so happy—a dynamic person and filled with a vibrancy that defied imagination.”
Jacob Page 13
