“Not much traffic,” said Santiago. “I think I can kick it up a notch.”
We drove faster still. I closed my eyes and listened to the hum of the motor and the sound of the tires spinning on the road. I lifted my hips to meet the mouth that was teasing me. “Give it to me,” I said.
My Marines heeded my command. They did not ask who it was directed at. They knew it was directed at them, at all of them.
They crawled over the seats; they entered me, their hard shafts pounding my wet pussy. They lifted me; they turned me on my side then on my back then on my knees. Their hands kneaded my muscles; their tongues wet my skin. They filled me and fucked me.
“We’re almost there,” said Santiago, and I had to agree. I was almost there, too.
“We’re pulling off the highway in two miles,” he said.
Axel was on top of me. Axel was in me—deep in me.
I wrapped my legs around his waist and grabbed hold of his ass. “I’m going to come,” I said. Come in me.”
He put his mouth around mine. He kissed me with lips and tongue and force and fury while I pulled him deeper into me.
I came, turned my head, now resting on Elijah’s chest, and I let out a cry of pleasure.
23
Axel
Eventually, I was going to have to stop beating myself up for all the mistakes I’d been making. More importantly, I was going to have to stop making so many. My inability to completely open up to Gwen had nearly cost us the relationship and, worse than that, it had gotten Gwen in trouble, attacked and sequestered.
Gwen didn’t even know I had a sister. And yet she could have definitely identified with her. They had much in common. Perhaps, they could even have become good friends. But to me, they represented different worlds, each a different part of my life, and it was I who decided how much access and when and how.
In all the conversations I’d had with Alexa, not once had I suggested they meet. Not once had I asked my sister if I could share her story with Gwen.
I wasn’t the only one to blame; our ground rules were stupid, too. ‘All texts must go through Travis’! As if we didn’t trust each other enough.
I think we’ve proven we can work together as a team.
I think it’s about time we take the emotional training wheels off.
Gwen tried to apologize to me—for ‘jumping to conclusions’ was how she put it—but I wouldn’t hear of it.
I shook my head. “No, Gwen. I’m the one who should be apologizing. I’ve been keeping you at a distance. I’m sorry.”
I kissed her and hugged her and held her.
“Going forward,” I said, “I promise I’ll do a better job being open with you.”
She caressed me on the cheek and shook her head. “It’s not your fault. It was just a misunderstanding—stupid misunderstanding.”
“A misunderstanding I made possible,” I said, “by not sharing with you.”
As we sat in the car waiting for the police to take Michael away, she turned to me and said, “So, is there more I should know?”
I nodded. “Lots.” I took her hand in mine and gave it a squeeze. “But we have time.”
“Do we?” she said. “You're being deployed in a few days.”
“But we’ll be back.” I looked in her eyes. “Right?”
She smiled and squeezed my hand. “Right.”
“For starters,” I said, “I’m having a hard time adjusting to this property angle.”
“Property angle?”
“You’re our property,” I said, “but I don’t think of you as our property. It just seems strange. Doesn’t feel right. I care about you and respect you. I have feelings for you that aren’t like feelings I have for my property.”
She laughed, softly at first, then quite loudly.
Nolan got into the passenger seat. “What did I miss? What’s so funny?”
Gwen took a moment to collect herself. “Axel has a funny way of being romantic.” She gave my hand another squeeze and turned to me. “I’m sorry. It was sweet what you said. And I understand.”
I laughed, too.
“I have feelings for you that aren’t like feelings I have for property,” she continued and shook her head. “I never thought I’d hear those words; and I never thought I’d appreciate them as much as I do.” She smiled and gave me a kiss on the cheek.
“Good to see you guys kiss and make up,” said Nolan.
Gwen leaned over Nolan’s seat, grabbed his head and gave him a rapid series of kisses. “And I’m going to kiss and make up with you, too.”
“Me?” said Nolan. “What did I do?” He pointed at me. “He’s the one who messed up.”
“You share,” Gwen said. “You share the good and the bad.”
“And the blame,” said Nolan concedingly. “Fair enough.”
“And the kisses,” Gwen added, and she gave him another series of kisses on his cheek and shoulder.