Page 14

CHAPTER 14

Victor

When Kayley felt like this, I knew it’d be counterproductive to try to coax her into talking.

Add the emotional and literal upheaval of the past twenty-four hours and I knew pushing her to talk would fast-track her shutting down and shutting me out.

Better to go with the flow… for now.

We changed into shorts and headed out after I snagged a picnic blanket and a couple of bottles of water. The weather was gorgeous, not oppressively warm, and the woods soon enveloped us and shut out the rest of the world.

I let her set the pace and smiled when, a few minutes later, she stopped and turned her face up into a sunbeam, eyes closed.

“Okay, I seriously could get used to this,” she said. “Do you know the last time I went someplace where I couldn’t hear civilization?”

“I’m guessing a long time,” I said.

“Damned right. Honestly? It was Yellowstone, and even then there was still noise. And people.” She took a long breath and slowly let it out. “And smell that air! It’s really piney.” She looked at me. “That sounded dumb, didn’t it?”

“No, I knew what you meant.”

We continued walking, slower now, her hand seeking and holding mine. “I’m trying not to think about what’s going on in the rest of the world,” she quietly admitted a few minutes later. “It’s a shit show, but I can’t do anything about it. Plus, I know Leo, Jordan, and Elliot are safe. And my parents. So I’ll do my best to stay present for you.”

“I know. Me, too.” While I hadn’t spotted them yet I felt certain our shadows followed us. Asher and Jenette Paxton were experts. That they also knew the resort’s layout was a bonus.

But I damned sure wouldn’t remind Kayley about them. I needed to jostle her out of her head for a while. Maybe getting back to nature would do it.

Just enough of a breeze slipped between the trees and kept the shadowed areas cooler. I couldn’t remember the last time—not even at Yellowstone—when I’d had the opportunity to enjoy nature like… this.

Frankly, I couldn’t remember the last time I enjoyed nature period . Any time I was able to get time off, if I wasn’t spending it with Kayley, then chances were I was spending it resting or catching up on chores at my condo. During the visit to Yellowstone, I was still technically working even when I hadn’t been officially on the clock.

The feel of my sidearm digging into the small of my back in its waistband holster also reminded me I still had a duty of care beyond that of boyfriend and potential Dominant.

“What was it like growing up in your family?” she asked.

It took me a moment to process her left-field question. “Busy and noisy,” I joked.

“It was just me and Leo. I don’t know what it’s like to have a large family.”

I was one of eight kids, and sometimes during my childhood I wished I could be swapped into a family with only one or two siblings.

Obviously I don’t feel that way now, but kids can be fucking stupid and I’d been no exception.

“It was a lot,” I truthfully answered. “I love my family. But just like you wish you’d had more siblings, there are times I envy you and Leo.”

“Why’s that?” she asked.

“Again, as a kid, I didn’t feel that the times Mom and Dad were busy and asked us to help out with the younger ones were a bonus. When I was little, sure, it was fun, because I felt like I was being treated like an adult. But flash-forward to high school and it sucked working a part-time job all week, with plans to go on a date on the weekend, just to have my plans scuttled and I had to babysit because my parents’ work schedules changed without warning.”

“That sucks.”

“Yeah. Looking back, I see Mom and Dad did an amazing job. We knew we weren’t rich, but beyond the normal levels of kid envy at not being able to afford fancy things, we never realized how ‘poor’ we were. We had a decent house, we always had good food and clothes, and we laughed and cried together as a family.”

“I never thought about it like that.”

“It was easier as we all got older and headed to college or enlisted or whatever. Then Mom and Dad could focus their time and money on the younger kids. I don’t begrudge that now, although I won’t deny I was jealous when I was younger.”

“What were the benefits of all those siblings?” she asked.

“Never alone on the holidays unless our job or a deployment kept us away. Even then, usually anyone who couldn’t show managed a phone call or video chat. If one of us had trouble with a bully, all of us jumped in to take care of it. And if any of us had trouble in school, we all pitched in to tutor them, or take up the slack with chores for whoever was doing the tutoring. Even now, while we might have differences of opinion, we know we all have each other’s backs without question.

“Mom and Dad emphasized that—to help each other whenever possible. They were both only children growing up. Mom’s older brother died before she was born, and Dad’s younger sister died when he was three, so he doesn’t even remember her. They both wanted to have the big family they didn’t get as kids.”

“Wow,” she said. “That’s… intense.”

“It could be, at times.” I smiled. “Makes for handy alibis, too.”

That earned me a laugh. “You’re joking, right?”

“Yes. I think the worst any of us ever got was a speeding ticket. Not even because of Mom and Dad so much as our other siblings would have shamed the crap out of the offender.”

We walked in silence for a moment. “Would’ve been nice having siblings when Leo got hurt,” she quietly said. “There were always agents at the hospital with us, at least two, usually more. But especially in those early days, it would’ve been nice having that burden shared among family who loved him as much as we did.”

I released her hand to drape my arm around her shoulders as we walked. “There is that. But on the other hand, you didn’t have to deal with years of fighting seven other kids for the bathroom in the morning before school, or trying to grab a shower before the hot water ran out.”

“Silver lining, huh?”

“Something like that,” I said. “I was already in high school when Dad finally installed two of those tankless water heaters in the bathrooms just for the showers because of the fighting.”

The path finally opened onto the small lake that probably would have more accurately been labeled a large pond.

More importantly, we were alone.

“This is nice,” she said, kicking her sandals off to dig her toes into the grass. “I could definitely get used to this. I know I keep saying that but it keeps hitting me smack in the face.” She closed her eyes and deeply inhaled. “Weird how I don’t usually smell the ocean anymore until I’m somewhere I can’t smell it, huh?”

“I think that’s normal, sweetheart.” I found us a flat, grassy spot in the sun to spread out the blanket and kicked off my shoes. This was something I rarely got to do, to literally touch grass for a while.

I mean, honestly, I wouldn’t want to touch the grass in most of DC considering how many tourists traipse through there, not to mention the vehicle emissions and everything else.

I walked down to the edge of the water and stepped in. It was cool, but not too cold. The water was clean and clear and I assumed I wouldn’t have to worry about alligators or crocodiles in this environment.

Stripping off my shirt, I dropped it onto the blanket. Once I looked around again and satisfied myself we were alone, I removed my shorts and briefs, being careful to wrap and hide my sidearm in my clothes. That done, I dove into the water to the sound of Kayley’s laughter ringing behind me.

Good . She needed to laugh.

I headed for the center of the lake and realized it was a little chillier than I’d first processed but it had literally been decades since the last time I swam in anything other than a pool.

Willingly, at least. Not counting training exercises in some pretty questionable bodies of water that required copious vaccinations first.

I was going to flip onto my back and float around for a couple of minutes when I heard a splash, followed by a loud squeal. I looked back to spot Kayley, naked, quickly heading toward me with powerful, sure strokes that reminded me there was a universe of things I didn’t know about her despite our years together.

She was laughing as she swam up. “I won’t hold it against you if you’re not showing your best right now.”

I pulled her into my arms and she wrapped her legs around my waist. “You won’t, huh?” Below the surface I spotted her nipples, hardened into taut peaks from the chilly water.

“Of course not.” She grinned. “Little Vic’s probably trying to crawl up inside your balls.”

After a beat to process her comment, I roared with laughter despite myself, loving her playfully evil gleam.

I grabbed her by the hips and pulled her tightly against my body, where my erection was admittedly struggling against the cold water but definitely trying to make a good showing of it. “Does that feel like he’s trying to crawl inside me?”

“Inside me, inside you, I’m sure he’s not too picky right now as long as it’s warm.”

She draped her arms around my neck and, for a moment, I was able to shut out the rest of the world. Just the two of us in the middle of nowhere, laughing and joking.

Relaxing.

This was what relaxing was supposed to feel like, right?

I slanted my lips over hers while she ground her hips against me. We stayed locked together like that as I eased us closer to shore so my feet were firmly planted on the sandy bottom.

My cock soon decided rubbing against her pussy wasn’t satisfying enough, and her soft gasp as I slipped my erection inside her made me throb even harder.

“How’s that feel?” I whispered against her lips.

“Like a damned good idea,” she muttered, slanting her lips over mine again.

I took my time, not even sure if I could get over like this, especially after our earlier encounter, but I enjoyed the way her breath gasped as she used me, rocking, grinding, her body clenching around me as every other thought in her brain drifted away until she was focused only here, on me, on us.

After a few minutes, she broke our kiss and tucked her head against the crook of my neck, one of her hands moving between her legs to play with her clit as she writhed on my erection.

I nuzzled her forehead and shifted my grip slightly to play with her left breast with my right hand. She gasped again, softly moaning while I rolled the tight peak between my thumb and fingers. Every gentle tug on it rewarded me with a flutter through her pussy that translated into pleasure for me, too.

“Get it, baby,” I whispered. “Give it to me.”

Lost in her pleasure, her eyes dropped closed as she desperately chased her climax. We’d done this before a couple of times, in deep bathtubs and in a private hot tub, but we’d never had a skinny dip in a lake in the middle of some of the most beautiful country I’d ever laid eyes on.

And never outside before.

I didn’t even care that I knew I wouldn’t climax right now, because watching her, feeling her—listening to her every sweet moan and gasp—fed my soul in ways I didn’t realize had been starving.

God, what could I give her in return for this?

I’d give her anything.

It didn’t take her long to reach the edge, her hand furiously frigging herself as she cried out, arching in my arms and her pussy clenching around my cock for so long and so hard that I thought I might be able to come from that.

But no, once she lay limply spent in my arms I remained there, holding her cradled against me and not dislodging my cock from her.

“ Wow ,” she whispered.

I smiled and kissed her forehead. “Wow is right.”

“Does that count as outdoor and full-on water sex?” she asked, making me laugh.

“I think so. Twofer crossed off the bucket list, huh?”

A sweetly sated smile curved her lips as she trailed her fingers across my chest under the water, slowly drawing abstract patterns in the whorls of hair on my pecs.

“Yeah,” she said. “What about you?”

“What about me? I had fun watching.” I started walking toward shore, carrying her out of the water and laying her on the blanket. After checking my sidearm was still there, I stretched out beside her.

The sun had warmed the red and black blanket in our absence, and with the low humidity it quickly dried us as we laid there, me using our clothes for a pillow while she used me as hers.

Birds, the soft rustle of the treetops, and the occasional insect. Those were the only sounds around us.

I thought maybe she’d drop to sleep but she didn’t. She also didn’t speak, and I didn’t want to disturb her thoughts.

When she was ready, she would.

“Can’t do this at Camp David,” she finally snarked, making me snicker.

“No, we can’t. I mean, we can , but there’s too much risk of pictures, and I’d hate to see Leo charged with murder going after people who did that to you.”

She tipped her head back. “Just Leo?”

“Well, one of us would need to stay out of jail to take care of you and to keep Jordan from blowing up the world to save Leo. You damned well know not even Elliot could stop Jordan if that happened.”

Kayley dropped her head and laughed against my chest. “Jordan would, too. He’s a vicious little honey badger. Cute and cuddly, innocent looking. But I have no doubts that of the three of them he’s secretly the most dangerous. He might not be able to kick someone’s ass, but he could probably ruin their life in ways that would make them wish all he’d done was kick their ass.”

“True story,” I said.

I didn’t know everything—far from it. But from what I’d personally witnessed, and from stray tidbits I’d picked up here and there in the course of my duties…

Yeah. Jordan Walsh was a force of nature, and it was a highly kept secret that there were quite a few Secret Service agents working The Shift who were more than shitting-bricks terrified of getting on his bad side rather than on Leo’s or Chris Bruunt’s. Not just because of Jordan’s place in Leo’s heart, but because of who Jordan was.

Being a civilian, even though he was Elliot’s body man, it still allowed Jordan a level of anonymity Leo and Elliot could no longer enjoy. Jordan had knowledge and connections and probably hundreds of literal and metaphorical maps to where bodies were buried.

And I do mean literal and metaphorical.

I wish I was exaggerating but I wouldn’t put anything past him. I wouldn’t even be shocked if it turned out he had a hand in a certain congresswoman’s conveniently untimely death from a drug overdose, a friend of Elliot’s sister, Stella Woodley.

Not that Leo—or Elliot—would ever let that knowledge come to light even if it was true.

Jordan was one of those kinds of guys who was easy-going and friendly, and whose good side you absolutely wanted to stay on. Because while you might not be able to imagine him angry or vengeful on a good day, he’d likely turn into a mini kaiju when that switch got flipped.

And be damned near as unstoppable.

It wasn’t that Jordan was an asshole, either. On the contrary, the same agents who were terrified of him also loved working with him. He often made cookies and other treats for them.

Kayley rolled on top of me and straddled my hips, her hands resting on my pecs. I captured her wrists in my hands, circling them with my fingers as she smiled down at me.

“Think he’s had enough of a rest?” she asked.

I smiled up at her. “Why don’t you ask him?”

I released her wrists as she slithered backward, down my body. Before I could spread my legs for her, she shoved her hands between my knees and pushed my thighs apart. Her gaze lay anchored on mine as she took my cock in her hand and slowly engulfed the head between her lips.

A gasp shuddered out of me. “Good girl,” I hoarsely whispered. I crooked one arm under my head to give me a better angle to watch and reached down with my other to run my fingers through her damp hair. “ Very good girl.”

The warmth of her fingers quickly hardened me in her grasp. She slowly teased my cockhead, tracing the tip of her tongue around the ridge, flicking the slit.

Unable to resist, I slowly rocked my hips. “Come on, baby,” I said. “Don’t tease me.”

I resisted the urge to grab her head and shove her down onto my cock because, while that would be sexy as hell to me, it was one of the things we hadn’t negotiated yet.

And I preferred not to be bitten there, so I figured it was prudent to wait for retroactive guidance.

Hey, “Dominant” does not automatically equate to “asshole”. I wanted to still have a relationship after this vacation, not end up with an unwanted, rustic, DIY circumcision.

Her brown gaze playfully narrowed as she slowly took more of my cock between her beautiful lips. Tortuously slow. As she did, her tongue stroked my shaft and pulled more moans out of me. Her warm breath washed over my balls and I let out a louder groan when she cupped them with her free hand and gently fondled them.

Dammit, even this was perfect between us. From our first nights together until now, our sex life never lacked.

She knows how to drag this out, knows how to keep me on the edge every bit as well as I know how to play her body for my amusement and her pleasure.

She also knew what she was doing to me right now.

Delicious suction as she pulled off to the head to lave her tongue around it again drew a hiss out of me. “Such a tease,” I said, stroking her hair and struggling not to wrap it around my fist.

Her soft giggle around my cock vibrated through my body, sending a surge of pleasure through me. If she kept that up, I’d be blowing in short order.

Which was her goal. She swallowed me again and it didn’t take but another minute or so for me to explode. I groaned, my fists clenching and unclenching while I struggled not to moan too loudly.

“Fuck yeah!” I gasped.

She crawled back up the blanket to nestle against my side. “Short nap?” she asked.

I rolled onto my side and wrapped my body around hers. “Sounds fantastic.”