Reeves said, “Honestly, Truly.”
Jeanell said, “Honestly, truly what?”
Ric said, “The kids’ names; he Honestly, she’s Truly. Guess we never had time to properly introduce you.” He dropped his corner of the bear and knelt to the kids, wrapping his arms around them. They fell into his embrace, but their arms remained at their sides, faces cold, eyes big, mouths small and pouting.
Ric said, “Hey, what’s wrong?”
“What’s wrong,” a familiar female voice said from inside the cave as Brooke stepped out of the shadows, “is that you abandoned us, left us to die…” She jutted her chin at Jeanell. “For Dolly Dress-up here.”
Ric stood to hug Brooke, but she was also cold, leaning away from him. “Brooke, I’m just glad you made it out okay.”
“I wouldn’t have thought you cared one bit, the way you grabbed her hand and vanished on us.”
“I didn’t have a choice,” Ric said. “I had to get Jeanell away from the chancellor’s goons. If he gets her, you know how bad that will be… for everyone everywhere, at all times, in every era. It’ll be the death of democracy all over the world, the end of freedom, the end of hope, of life.”
Brooke asked, “What kinds of freedom or democracy do we have now? What hope or life is there for us?”
“Brooke, where there’s hope, there’s life! There’s still a chance, for society, even for the United States. It’s our country, and we’re going to take it back.”
“And how are you going to do that?”
“We, Brooke, we’re going to do it… by killing the chancellor and his whole regime in one fell swoop.”
“What good will that do? Dozens more will rise up behind them.”
“They act out of cowardice,” Reeves said, “fear of a tyrant. They’re right; chop off the head, the snake will die.”
Brooke looked at Jeanell. “And you’re going to have some part in that?”
Jeanell nodded. “Of course.”
Brooke said, “You’ll die, you know that.”
A hot nausea stirred in Jeanell’s gut. She nodded, but could say nothing. Brooke stood there while a few other survivors crept out of the shadows. Brooke finally said, “Well, I suppose we should start dressing that bear.”
They cut strips of meat from the bear and cooked them on stakes over a crackling fire in front of the cave entrance.
During a private moment together, butchering the bear, Brooke asked Jeanell, “So… you love him? Pshshshsh, don’t answer; of course, you do, I can tell that you do. And I think he loves you too. The way he looks at you, I… I always hoped he’d look at me like that, but he never did. And I guess he never will.”
Jeanell asked, “You two were never—?”
“No, that ain’t Ric’s way. Guess it owes to how we were living, but I guess casual sex just isn’t a priority.”
“But you do… um, that is to say—”
“Ric did have a girlfriend a few years back, but it wasn’t me. Colleen. She died though, fell and broke her leg, got infected. It was… she didn’t die quickly, I guess you could say. The screaming, I can still hear it…”
Jeanell put a hand on Brooke’s arm. “I’m sorry.”
“No reason for you to be sorry; weren’t for her dyin’, you wouldn’t have a new husband.”
“Husband?”
“Whaddaya think? And with you two getting ready to storm that tower, get yourselves killed, get us all killed, there’s no time to be frivolous about things. You gotta grab any bit of joy while you can. Most of us don’t even get that much, and none of knows when it’ll all just vanish in the blink of an eye.”
Jeanell couldn’t deny the simple truth of it. She’d already lost everything in her life, all her family and friends, in just a flash of an instant. And she’d seen people die right in front of her, in the service of her escape and her survival. Life was precious, even in those treacherous times, probably even more so. Every moment was valuable, nothing could be taken for granted.
Jeanell took a bite of the bear meat. It was hot and fatty and savory and chewy, filling Jeanell’s mouth and sating her appetite. She took a seat next to Ric.
Ric said to Reeves, “This isn’t one of our safe spots.”
“That’s right. They captured some of your troops too, we knew they’d probably disclose those locations. I found this place myself.”
“And there’s lots of room inside,” Brooke went on, “One chamber after the next, for… for privacy.”
Ric smiled, but it was an awkward expression of his discomfort. Jeanell sat next to him, and she slipped her arm under his, pulling herself closer to him and sending Brooke a clear message.
“Anyway,” Reeves said, “we should be fairly safe here for a while.”
Ric looked around. “That cave should shelter us from any kill holes too. Though the entrance is vulnerable.”
Reeves shrugged. “Nothing’s perfect.”
Ric took a bite of bear meat, chewing slowly. “Doesn’t matter, because we’re not staying here long.”
Reeves said, “You really think you’re going to storm that tower and kill hole the chancellor?”
Ric said, “You have any better suggestions?”
But nobody did, and they continued to eat in silence. Brooke said, “Yer gonna need some things.”
Jeanell and Ric glanced at one another. She was right; their white clothes were soiled and covered with bear’s blood. And they lacked a smartphone and a tablet, two necessary things if they were going to hole across the country into New York. They’d have to be collected somehow, and that would mean sneaking back into town.
After dinner, they retreated into the opening chamber of the cave, two hallways reaching out from each side, other chambers flickering with firelight. Jeanell and Ric gave Brooke their clothes so she could wash them out and hang them to dry. They wouldn’t be pristine, but they would be good enough to get them where they needed to be, to get what they needed to get.
But in the meantime, there was nothing more to do than keep warm by the little coal fire in their private chamber, glowing red under a layer of ash. They snuggled together under an old army blanket, but the heat from the coals was enough to keep them more than warm. Their mutual heat was enough to make them more than hot.
CHAPTER TWELVE
Ric and Jeanell were drawn together, no words needing to pass between them. Each knew the secrets of the other’s heart. There were no questions, no doubts, no warnings, no expectations.
His hands were strong on her breasts, just as she’d imagined they would be, her nipples every bit as hard and eager for his tongue. He gave her a slight squeeze, sending little crackles of pleasure through her chest. Her lungs spasmed as she leaned back, a bed of leaves beneath them.
His fingers flicked at her, cupping the bottom of her breasts while he lowered himself over them. He took one nipple into his mouth, tongue warm and wet. It swirled around her areola while his fingers worked the other. He blew a little stream of air onto her wet breasts, goosebumps rising as she gasped. She’d waited a long time for this, longer than she knew, but she also realized that it was going to be well worth the wait.
She reached down and grabbed his massive meat, thick and strong and unbending, a reedy rod that made her hand quiver as she struggled to wrap her fingers around it. She gave it a tight squeeze and Ric hissed out a wicked little grin.
Jeanell was wet, her loins aching, her labia hungry to wrap themselves around that long, thick dick. She lay back and spread her legs, thighs quivering as she positioned that big head right at her most private opening. He slid forward just a bit, Jeanell gasping to feel that round, purple head pushing her tissues aside. Her muscular mound twitched to feel that big unit slide in, just an inch or two before holding its position. Ric pushed down just a bit more, his meat pressing in only a tiny bit further before withdrawing and beginning a regular rhythm, slow and steady, in and out in carefully measured str
okes.
Jeanell’s body shifted in response to Ric’s controlled cycle, picking up speed just a bit. Jeanell clenched her teeth, eyes clamping shut. “No,” Ric said, his voice low and gravelly, “look at me, Jeanell, look at me!”
She opened her eyes to see his handsome face looming above her, his powerful arms supporting his chest and perfect, muscular torso. He offered her a little smile, but his expression was intense and controlled, his eyes locking on hers as he grinded even faster.
Ric began a circular pattern which lit up the nerves of Jeanell’s little pink fist, squeezing Ric’s unit for all it was worth. Those circular strokes touched every facet of that flowering tissue, stirring the juices in Jeanell’s loins.
She kept looking right into Ric’s eyes as he continued pumping in and out, sinking that mighty shaft even deeper into Jeanell’s secret hiding places. A lump rose in her throat as he drove that long dong deeper, then pulled it back and raked it across those glistening tissues. Back and forth, shaking it occasionally to interrupt his regular rhythm, she enjoyed a crazy combination of chaos and control, the regular and the irregular. An orgasm began to stir, only a dramatic rise. She fought her instinct to close her eyes, to recoil into her private pleasure. But she also knew that this could be the last time she’d ever make love, and it was the first with this amazing man, her lover, her protector. She wanted to look at him, to take in every beautiful moment of it. She looked at him, through him, seeing into his long and lonely years, the pain of his losses and sacrifices. And she only knew a bit about his sad history; there was more sorrow behind those eyes, Jeanell could read it.
And she wanted to replace it with joy, with the kind of happiness she felt, growing and swelling within her.
Ric slid his right hand under Jeanell’s left leg and eased it up and back, knee pressing against her ribs as he sank that shaft even deeper into her. Jeanell hissed out a long moan as Ric found places within her that had never been known or even imagined. And he knew just where to stop, aware that his incredible length could easily smash a woman’s hymen, pain disrupting the pleasure. But he sank down just to the right spot, waggling and wiggling before sliding back and then in again; in and out in increasingly faster patters, swirling clockwise and then counter, shifting and changing and sending Jeanell’s orgasm crashing forward, uncontrollable. It shook Jeanell’s body as the first wave broke, a second coming up straight behind it.
Jeanell groaned with the power of her orgasm, crashing again and again. Ric seemed to read her body, his strong hand placing her ankle against his shoulder. His hand free, he gave Jeanell a hard slap on the ass cheek. The crisp snap was surprising, shocking, sending a bolt of puny pain through her. More than painful, it felt good, and she wanted to feel it again.
And Ric was ready to deliver, his big flat palm smacking her butt again. She twitched and jutted with the blow, and Ric slapped her butt again, stopping to rub her reddened cheek, still pumping into her all the while.
But each slap sent her orgasm to bubble up even higher, as if she was drowning from the inside.
Slap and squeeze, pump and grind, jab and wriggle, Jeanell’s head spun, sweat collected on her neck, her newly short hair plastered against her cheeks. Her body shook with her continuous orgasm, and Ric was happy to feed the beast.
He slapped her ass again, and Jeanell’s fist balled up and smacked his chest above her. He slapped again and once more, she dropped a harmless fist on his muscular chest.
And this stirred more power in Jeanell, more strength, and a greater determination to show it. In one swift move, she rolled them both over so that Ric was on the bottom and Jeanell leaning back, arching her spine. Ric looked up at her as she began to pump and roll on that mighty pole, her legs flexing to keep her at just the right position.
She’d never been on top before, and she relished the sense of power, of control. And it felt completely natural, she felt more natural in bed than she’d ever felt before, and it was more than just being with Ric, a man she had strong, amazing feelings for. He was unlike any man she’d ever known, but she was also unlike the woman she’d been her whole life. But the blond bookworm behind the glasses, hiding herself away in the library, in the science lab, she was gone, replaced by a daring, short-haired brunette, a rebel, a woman about to go on a suicide mission. She felt like she wasn’t even on the same person, and that she’d never be again; she probably wouldn’t live long enough.
But at that moment, there was no death, no danger, no tyranny or murder. There weren’t any other survivors either, just Jeanell and Ric, alone in that mountain chamber. She threw herself back, reaching to support herself on his naked thighs as she dropped herself down onto him, again and again. He shook and pumped and she did the same, their combination driving each to vigorous new performances.
She clamped down with all her might, twisting her hips and battering that hammer for all it was worth. And even through her own frothing, bubbling orgasm, Jeanell could feel Ric’s own orgasm about to erupt. His cock twitched inside of her, and she kept pumping and milking that amazing dong. She could feel that wad race down his incredible vein, spattering into her, mixing with her own juices to create something unique, something wonderful. It kept coming, splashing into her, again and again. Hs body fluttered to throw that hot cream deep into her, and her hungry labia kept squeezing and milking, hungry for every last drop.
After seemed like an eternity, Jeanell could feel him soften within her. She leaned forward, Ric still inside her, until she rested her face on his sweating chest. He withdrew slowly, carefully, before Jeanell settled next to him, her head laying on his shoulder. They melted into each other’s embrace, exhausted. The next morning would take them one step closer to their destinies, which both knew could mean losing the other forever, not to mention their very lives.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
By the next morning, their white clothes were dry enough and they were rested almost enough for another trudge into town. Boulder was two hours down the hill, and Jeanell’s muscles were still worn out from the night before, not to mention the furious few days before that.
A hermit thrush fluttered from out of the blue spruce branches above them, its song rolling out of its tiny throat.
Nice to see some things haven’t changed, Jeanell thought to herself, wondering what else might have changed.
“So, that guy Reeves,” Jeanell said, “I dunno about him.”
“He was on your team, Jeanell.”
“Yeah, and that was a long time ago. Things have changed, and when things like this change the way they have, it brings out the worst in people.”
Ric smiled, looking her over. “Really? I was going to say the exact opposite.” Jeanell tried not to savor his flattery, but she couldn’t help it. Ric went on, “Anyway, if he wanted to kill us, he would have, or turned us over to the chancellor’s fo
rces. The fact that we’re here now is proof your man Reeves is on our side.”
“He’s not my man.”
“You know what I mean.”
“And how is it that you don’t have any guns? Frankly, I’m a little surprised that’s what the chancellor’s forces use that as weaponry, it must be ancient compared to your current technology.”
Ric shrugged. “Since they outlawed guns, the chancellor’s got them all. Development of that kind of tech was banned for the chancellor’s personal safety, though he claimed it was to end all the gun violence in society.”
“Wow, they took down the Second Amendment. I… I can’t believe it. Not that I was ever in favor all that violence, but… I mean, the right to bear arms did have a purpose—”
“Yeah, a militia.”
“And isn’t that more or less what’s called for now?”
Ric nodded. “But that’s just why they repealed the amendment.”
“And… no later guns?”
“Not needed. When the population sank after the Great Darkness, murder and crimes of that sort more or
less disappeared.”
“But didn’t the population sink because of those murders and crimes?” Ric had to nod, Jeanell shook her head. “And now people are just using by black holes to get from one place to another… and to kidnap people en masse.” With a sigh, Jeanell said, “Some world we’ve got here, thanks to me.”
“No, Jeanell, no. You had good intentions, and this technology, any technology, can be used for good or for bad: guns, cars, planes, medicines. It’s not the fault of the inventor to what twisted purposes those inventions are put.”
“I suppose,” Jeanell said as they walked on. “Thanks for saying so anyway.”
“I mean it. And Jeanell, you know you don’t have any obligation to give your life for this mission, just because you may feel… I dunno, guilty—”
“You just said I didn’t have any reason to feel guilty.”
“And you don’t, Jeanell, that’s all I’m saying.”
Jeanell felt the tug at her ankle before she realized what was happening. With a whoosh and a snap, her legs were pulled out from under her and her world was turned upside-down. And that single, swift motion continued, pulling Jeanell up off the ground and into the air, pressure threatening to pull her hip out of joint.
Her guts heaved, blood rushing to her head as she was pulled higher up, finally settling about twenty feet off the ground, the rope tight around her ankle.
“Ric!”
“Hold on,” Ric said, looking around. “Must be a hunting snare, not one of ours. Your man Reeves must have put up.”
“He’s not my man!”
“Okay, okay, just hold on.”
“You still have that knife? Cut me down!”
“Can’t, you’ll fall straight down, break your neck.”
Jeanell felt suddenly vulnerable, the rope around her ankle her only lifeline. She didn’t want to be trapped up there, and she knew that if the chancellor’s men found her, she’d be easy pickings. But she also knew that Ric was right; if she fell from that height and managed to survive, she’d be paralyzed.
Maruvian Bride (Alien SciFi Romance) (Celestial Mates Book 5) Page 32
