Somebody wanted me, despite all that had gone down in my past. Someone was willing to fight for me. I was important to another person. To Ethan I was. The power in that knowledge was life-changing.Ethan's particular brand of attention was intense and a lot to accept at first but it worked for me. Ethan worked for me. He could show me how much he wanted me, and for the first time I had some hope that we could really make this relationship work. The "let's go slow" part hadn't happened at all like we'd agreed when we first met. But if we had gone slowly, I very much doubt I'd be naked in bed with him at the Somerset coast, in an English manor fit for a king, which happened to be owned by his sister, and being fucked to the brink of an- other magnificent orgasm right now. A girl has to take things as they come.It took a bit for me to rouse myself after the second round of sheet-clawing sex, but I managed to wriggle out of his hold to head for the bathroom so I could clean up and prepar
He stiffened above me, and his jaw got that stubborn set to it. "When it comes to protecting you, I'll do whatever I need to do. I'm not taking the risk with you-it's too late for that. I told you I was all in, and that's not changed in the last hours."His glaring expression was more than a little intimidating, even in the dim light. I tried to explain myself. "Well, no, my feelings haven't changed either. but that doesn't mean we can..."My words trailed off as I tried to process what he'd just so confidently declared that getting married would be a good idea-just like eating more veg- etables or wearing sunscreen was a good idea. I had to wonder if the stomach bug that had got to me tonight was making me hallucinate."There's no reason we can't." Ethan looked a little wounded as he studied me carefully, and it gave me a pang of regret, but only for about two seconds. What he was proposing was absolutely insane. I could barely wrap my head around being in love with a man who'd stor
Out on patrols we saw all kinds of horrifying shit. Democracy is something most peo- ple never really have the opportunity to appreciate. I suppose that's a lucky thing for much of the world, but still food for thought for those who don't even know how good they have it. The thing that bothered me the most was the incredible waste of potential. People suppressed and terrorized have very little potential-just the way third-world dictators like them to be,We'd seen her around begging on the streets of Kabul before, but never with the boy. Servicemen were restricted from interaction with the Afghan women. It was far too dangerous, and not just for the troops, but horny men are the most predictable, stupid creatures on the planet. They'll go looking for pussy and find trouble just about every time. It was fair to assume she was a prostitute. Although not common, brothels did exist in Kabul, not that I'd ever be caught dead in one. But some of the men took the risk, morons that they are,
He pinched my nipple, much more sensitive than usual, and the pain blind- ed me for an instant. I cried out as the climax started to roll through my body. He soothed the tender flesh with his tongue and spoke: "Say my name! I have to hear it.""Ethan, Ethan. Ethan!" I chanted against his lips as he plunged his tongue into my mouth and swallowed my words. I shuddered and clenched my inner muscles around his cock, pinned down and fully taken. And never more satis- fied than I was in this moment. He took charge of my pleasure and never let me down.But he wasn't done. I remembered what he'd said to me before. Ethan growled a very primal sound and pulled out of me. I protested the loss,but welcomed the jerk down the bed and the hot head of his penis filling my mouth as he readjusted his point of penetration. I could taste myself mixed with the taste of him and the eroticism was blatantly explosive. Gripping his hips, I pulled him deeper and sucked him to the back of my throat. Just a few
"Yeah, well, it's good that someone is," she grumbled. I decided right then that I wouldn't share Ethan's "proposal" of the previous night. I needed some coffee before I tackled anything of that magnitude. Better wait about telling her of Ethan's ultimatum to move in with him too. Gaby had no trouble giving her opinion on things. And at the moment I didn't need to hear the resulting noise it would bring."Iley," I asked her, "you didn't answer my question. Are you okay? Last night was so messed up. I know we exchanged texts and no damage done, but still..."Silence."Gabrielle?" I asked again, notching up the intensity by using her full name."I'm fine." Her voice sounded flat and I knew she was holding back. "Where did you go? I wanted to introduce you to Ethan's cousin, but that obviously never happened.""I got distracted... and then that alarm went off and I had to get out just like everyone else. I waited outside on the street for a while until I got your text. Once I knew you we
she gestured with her hands, "very different for Ethan." "Hmmm, well it's pretty different for me too. From the first time I met him.he was very difficult to turn down." I took another sip. "Impossible, really." She grinned at me. "Well, I'm glad for him, and glad to finally meet you, Brynne. I'm sensing there is more to come for you two?"Hannah worded it as a question, and I had to give her props for being so intuitive, but I absolutely was not going to share the crazy lunatic proposal of marriage Ethan had dropped on me during the night. No way. We still needed a good long discussion about that little suggestion. I shrugged instead. "Ethan is very...confident about what he wants. He's never had any trouble telling me. I think I have more trouble hearing stuff than he has with saying it. Your broth- er can be as blunt as a wooden plank."She laughed at my assessment. "I know that too. Subtlety is not in his lex- icon.""You can say that again" My eyes caught a picture on a cabinet
I don't know what compelled me to open my eyes. Probably the breathing on my face smelling faintly of jam, but regardless, I now understand why horror movies with children in them are, without a doubt, the most terrifying films of all. There is nothing quite like a silent child staring at you while you're sleeping or even worse, to wake up to. Some questions come to mind pretty fuckin' quick. Like how long have you been standing there watching over me like one of the ill-fated Grady sisters in The Shining?Scared the ever-living shit out of me for about two seconds. And then she smiled. "Uncle Ethan is awake!" she yelled at the top of her lungs as she ran to the door, flinging it wide open."Zara! Shut the door behind you, please." I sat up carefully, well aware I was nude and taking care to keep the blankets arranged. I was also alone in the bed, so I leaned around and looked toward the bathroom to try and catch sight of Brynne.No Brynne."She's downstairs talking to Mummy. They're
That I was too much.On second thought. Brynne didn't give off that vibe even after I'd told her about my plan for us to announce our engagement. She told me I was insane, true, but she wasn't upset with me in any way as far as I could tell. In fact, she still took care of me after that when I was wrecked from another twisted dream mixing all the bad from Afghanistan with worry about her. Totally. Fucked. Up. Shit. She'd said she woke me up because she didn't want my nightmare to esca- late. And what did I do for my sweet girl in thanks?I fucked her again.I'd taken her hard, and yet she accepted what I did to her and accepted me. She said it was okay. Yeah, she loves me all right.I was well aware of how Brynne's touch soothed me like nothing else had be- fore. She was the only lifeline that I wanted to grab on to when I found myself in that state.Just remembering how our session ended got my blood humming and my mind taking off. I went to find clothes and realized I thought about