“Thanks. You have a lovely place.”
“Thanks. I’ve been here a few years now. It’s handy for work. And how are you doing? You haven’t been in the club for a while.”
I sigh. “I’ve been better. I’ve just had a lot going on.”
We walk into her kitchen and she pulls out a bottle of wine and a bottle opener and hands it to me. “Make yourself useful, Shaw.”
I smile at the nickname my peers gave me at school. A few of my army buddies called me Shaw, but apart from that, I haven’t heard it in years.
“Pasta okay with you, or I could order pizza?”
“I’m good with either.”
Mandy opens the cupboard and closes it again. She pulls out a takeout menu from the drawer and throws it down on the worktop.
“What’s your poison?”
“Anything that doesn’t contain olives and seafood.”
“I’m with you on that. Some things don’t belong on a pizza.”
“Agreed.” I smile.
“Give me a minute to get changed and I’ll call it in. Make yourself at home.” She pushes two wine glasses closer to me and leaves me standing in the middle of her kitchen.
I pour the wine into the glasses and walk into her living room. It’s bright and spacious. It screams of Mandy’s personality now. Nothing is cluttered or out of place. Things change, because her bedroom years ago was never this perfect. She was just like any teenage girl - a clutter queen.
I sit down on the couch and lean my head back to look up at the ceiling. It’s amazing how comfortable I feel here. I know I should have stayed in the club, but this might be the safer option. Less alcohol, and less chance of getting myself into trouble.
“Ah, that’s better. Nothing beats getting the work clothes off.” Mandy lifts her glass from the table and sits on the couch a few inches away from me. Her body is facing me, but I feel absolutely nothing apart from a brotherly love for Mandy. “I’ve ordered the safe option. Pepperoni pizza. I hope you still like it.”
I nod. “Some things never change, and my love of pepperoni pizza is one of them.”
I take a sip of the wine and savor the liquid slipping down my throat. It’s dark and sour, exactly the way I feel lately.
“What’s got you looking so pissed off? I don’t think I’ve ever seen you like this.”
I shrug. “You don’t want to know.”
“I asked, didn’t I?” She leans over and places her hand over mine. “I loved you once, Clay. I’ll always be here for you. I’m a good listener.”
I sit forward and put my glass down on the table. Resting my elbows on my knees, I run my hands through my hair. “Even if it’s about another woman?”
“Of course. We’re not kids anymore.”
A knock on her door sounds and she grabs her purse before I can even offer to pay for the pizza. She comes back and places the box on the table.
“I could have paid for that.”
“I asked you here. Anyway, you were saying…”
I burst into my story about Shay and what’s going on now. I didn’t think it would do me any good to relive it all again, but a weight is lifted talking to someone other than my brothers.
“What’s up?” Shay bursts into my office and sits down on my desk.
I throw the pen down and sit back in my seat to give her my undivided attention.
“Politics. A whole lot of bullshit I don’t want to be dealing with right now.”
“The usual then. Tell me all about it, Clay.”
I smile at this firecracker sitting on my desk. She’s the one person in this shithole that keeps me going strong.
“Or…” she stands from my desk, closes my door, and locks it.
When she turns back to look at me that cheeky smile makes my heart beat faster.
“Did you need me for something?” I push back from my desk and walk over to her leaning against the door.
“I always need you for something… boss.”
I reach her in three swift steps. I place my hands on her cheeks. My thumbs caress her lips, teasing her further.
“We said we wouldn’t keep doing this, short stuff.”
“What we say and what we do are two very different things. We both know that, Clay.”
My mouth moves closer to hers until we latch onto one another. Our tongues duel together, tangling, probing, tasting one another. It’s electrifying.
The ferocity in our kiss is enough to make me explode like a horny teenager. I pull the button from her pants and lower them to the ground. She pulls her t-shirt over her head and stands in front of me in her black sports bra and panties. She’s a vision of perfection and beauty.
“The thought of you got me through this morning’s training session.” She wraps her arms around my neck and pulls my mouth back toward hers.
I loosen my pants and let them fall to my ankles before removing them completely. I maneuver us both over to my desk and sit her down. She pulls my t-shirt over my head and runs her hands down my chest. It’s the best feeling in the world.
I pull her panties down her legs and kneel in front of her. Lifting her leg over my shoulder, I kiss soft feather-like kisses up her thigh. I run my tongue down her center, teasing her clit. Her body arches up toward me. I push my finger inside her, feeling her walls clench down around me.
“Oh god, Clay. I’m coming…” She cries out as her body shudders around me.
I smile at how responsive she is to me. I’m the only man who can make her come from penetration, and I’ll make sure that’s the case forever. I’ll be the only man that ever gets that reaction from her.
I kiss up her flat stomach, pushing her pert breasts together, until I reach her mouth. Her rosy cheeks are adorable.
“I need you, Clay.”
“Hold on, short stuff.”
I don’t give her any warning because she’s more than ready for me. I push into her balls deep in one move. Feeling my balls hit her and her body climb higher again is a powerful feeling. I lean over her body and trail kisses down her neck, her breasts pushing into my chest.
“You feel amazing,” I breathe.
“Harder, Clay.”
“I’m not going to last much longer, babe. Come with me.” I push harder, thrust for thrust. I reach between us and finger her clit, making her cry out with pleasure.
“Oh god, yes. I’m com…” She goes to scream out, but I cover her mouth with mine to hide any noise that might be heard outside my office. It’s maybe a bit late for that though.
Her walls clench around me as her orgasm ripples through her body. It pushes me over the edge and my full body shudders and collapses on top of her, both of us spent and exhausted. I could just curl up beside her and sleep for a week.
“I lo…” I lift my head up and study her for a few moments. I know she holds back from saying the same thing all the time.
“One day you’ll finish that full sentence.” I rub my nose along hers. “And when that day comes, I’ll be ready to repeat it back to you.”
And that’s our silent vow to one another that we love each other, as crazy as that sounds. There’s no room in the army for love. It will only get us killed. We all know that.