Her Vigilant Seal (17 page)

He bestowed the gentlest of kisses on her. So beautiful. Tears leaked. He saw and understood. He got up and stripped.

It was the first time she really got a chance to see him naked. So gorgeous.

“You’re the beautiful one, honey. Every succulent inch of you. You’re everything I never knew I wanted.” More tears leaked. She struggled to sit up but he pressed a hand against her sternum. “Stay down. I need my fill and I haven’t tasted you in weeks. Are you wet for me, honey?” He pulled down her panties and knelt between her spread legs.
God, not again. Can I survive him doing this to me again?

“Mason, if you don’t fuck me this time, I swear…”

“Honey, my cock is so saying hello to your pussy tonight. That’s going to happen but I
need
this first.” His tongue delved deep, and then she heard him swallow and sigh. She blushed to the roots of her hair. But then she was parted and he was making lazy forays leaving her struggling for breath. He lifted the hood of her clit and suckled softly and she melted and blasted into orgasm.

He pulled a condom out of his shorts. She was relieved to see he had to rip it off a strip. He’d come prepared. Sophia hadn’t really looked at her last lover’s cock. She’d been too shy but she couldn’t take her eyes off Mason’s. It was compelling and she needed it. She canted her hips, putting her heels onto the edge of the futon.

“No, we’re going to do this my way.” He lifted her easily and put her into the center of the futon. He put a pillow under her hips and then laid beside her and hugged her.

He kissed her neck, one hand stroking towards her breasts. His mouth followed. Taking his time, his tongue trailed clouds of pleasure from one tip to the other and she writhed and pleaded. Ever downwards, until his fingers parted her, where she provided an even wetter welcome.

“Please now,” she begged softly.

“God yes,” he groaned.

He rose above her careful to keep his weight on his elbows. Sophia watched their joining. He felt so good and the sensation was heady and lush but she still winced.

“Sophia?”

“More.” He stayed still and she willed herself to relax. He pumped shallowly until she was mad with want and pushed upwards impaling herself.
Ow
. He was huge and it had been a while. Maybe slow would have been better.

“Dammit.” He slowly withdrew and she felt just as bad.
Make up your mind, Anderson.
She tried to shove up again but he stopped her.

“I need you,” she protested.

“You’ll get me.” He chuckled between gritted teeth. He reached down and smoothed his finger over her clit as he slowly started surging within her. Her breath stopped.

“Breathe baby. You’ve gotta breathe.”

Swoosh. He swelled. She swore he got bigger as he lit up every tingly girl spot inside her and she squirmed and twisted and shifted to get closer. He laughed. He swirled his cock and she squeezed her eyes shut, trying to hold in all the sensations. So close. He drove her relentlessly higher and then she shattered. She heard his groan and she grabbed his ass with her heels and hands determined they be as close together as possible as they hit heaven.

****

Mason felt like he’d been caught in a tornado. He looked down at the woman in his arms. He didn’t want to move, but he had things to take care of. Then he kissed her and kissed her again.

He walked into the bathroom and disposed of the condom and washed up. When he looked in the mirror he saw the silliest grin on his face. He also noticed he looked like death warmed over. He needed to sleep but his cock thought differently.

He turned to leave the bathroom, and there was Sophia, all warm and beautiful. She wrapped her hands around his waist, and he rubbed against her as she wiggled a welcome. She looked at him with slumberous green eyes.

“I already turned off the alarm clock. We have a half hour and I know just how I want to spend it.” She slid down his body until she was on her knees. But things weren’t working quite right because he was too tall. He helped her back up and guided her to the futon.

“Are you sure?”

“I’m not really all that experienced but I’ve noticed hard work and enthusiasm usually helps me succeed at any job I take on.” He shouted with laughter.

“Hopefully there won’t be a lot of hard work involved, honey.”

“Mason, have you seen the size of this thing? There is definitely hard work involved.” He laughed some more. She was killing him.
Then she had him in her mouth, all hot and wet, and he couldn’t think let alone laugh. She was using her hands, and they were small and soft, but it was her mouth that was making him sweat. She gulped deeper, and he groaned. Then all the delicious stroking and sucking stopped. He looked down into startled green eyes.

“God. Please don’t stop. Your enthusiasm is working.”

Her eyes turned languid and she launched into an orchestrated effort to drive him mad. Her tongue made leisurely forays up and down, around, and around. He worked hard to keep his eyes open and on her. It was worth it. What started out as a lark, was something his woman was clearly luxuriating in. Her cheeks were hollowed, her face flushed with arousal, and her eyes had taken on a dreamy expression. All of it combined with the soul shattering sensations she was invoking, and he was seconds away from detonation.

He settled his hands into the silk of her hair, tugging her away, but she was having none of it. Then suddenly the licks centered on the spot right under the head of his cock and he was a goner. She licked. He trembled. She swirled. He throbbed. She rubbed. He erupted.

They both fell backwards onto their elbows. Barely, just barely, he had the presence of mind to pick up the half glass of juice he had seen on her nightstand and pull himself off the bed and cup the back of her head.

“Here honey, drink this.”

“Don’t want it,” she slurred. He thought back to how he felt tasting her and totally understood. He drank the juice, and then lied back on the bed, wiped out. She got up and wandered into the bathroom, not in a straight line either. He put the crook of his arm over his face. Now he wasn’t making love, everything ached. He literally hadn’t slept in thirty-six hours, and the only thing keeping him upright had been the thought of Sophia. He willed himself not to sleep, not until he’d seen her come out of the bathroom naked. If she was wearing a towel he’d somehow find the strength to get off the bed and yank it off.

“Mason?” she whispered.

“Mmmm?”

“I’m going downstairs. I’ll bring something up for lunch. Let’s get you under the covers.” He realized he was lying sideways on the futon, with his legs hanging over the side. He rolled onto his stomach and eyed her.

“You have clothes on.”

“I promise to take them off tonight,” she said with a smile.

Mason closed his eyes. “Good.”

****

Sophia’s arms were trembling as she wrestled the pans out of the oven. She needed sleep. She really couldn’t blame Mason since he hadn’t shown up until three in the morning and she was still awake. Dammit, she’d only gotten about seven hours sleep in the last three days and she wasn’t going to make it. She’d tried taking a nap but the dreams and anxiety left her staring at the ceiling.

As she put the third pan onto the counter the phone rang and she dropped it onto the floor.

“Shit!” She stormed to her phone.

“What?” she asked belligerently.

“Sophia?” It was Margie and she didn’t sound well. Well double shit on a cracker.

“Margie, oh my God, I thought you were the crank caller. What is it? What can I do for you? Are you okay?” Margie never called.

“Helen had a miscarriage.” Sophia pictured Margie’s beautiful and loving daughter-in-law and wanted to cry.

“What can I do?”

“I’m going to have to take care of Todd and Ellis for a while. I was hoping you could take my spot as the manager and supervise Brenda in my absence. You’ll have to move her to full time. Be sure she pulls her weight. Don’t let that boyfriend of hers hang around too much, he’s bad for business.”

“Sure, I’ll do whatever needs to be done. You take as much time as you need.” Sophia could feel actual sweat trickling down her back. Gritting her teeth, she told herself she would just find a way to cope.

“You’re a good girl. Frannie bringing you into the diner was one of the best things that ever happened to me. I’ll call you tomorrow…or maybe the next day.” Sophia heard the pain in her boss’ voice and wanted to make it better for her.

“It’s all good. I’ll say a prayer for Helen.” She heard Margie choke back a sob.

“Thank you, dear.” Then there was the sound of a dial tone. Sophia looked up at the clock. She didn’t have much time. She called Brenda and got her voicemail.
You can do this, Anderson.

She flipped the open sign and Peter arrived and donned his apron to start the grills. Her regulars were there for their coffee and rolls. It wasn’t until about six o’clock that people really started coming in for breakfast. By seven it was a steady stream. At seven thirty Margie and the masses usually arrived but today it was just her. She dropped a tray of food. Walter and old man Cooter gave her a standing ovation, and then they helped her clean it up.

It didn’t slow down until ten forty-five which was when she had a chance to call Brenda. It still went to voicemail.

“Sophia, you need help,” Peter told her.

She choked back the urge to say ‘no shit’ but it was a near thing. He must have read it on her face though, because he immediately apologized for stating the obvious. He went over to the small desk Margie used to do the bills and wrote out a HELP WANTED sign and went to the front of the diner and taped it to the window. Sophia smiled.

She went back to the front and started seating people for lunch. She had just delivered what seemed like her eighty millionth cheeseburger when she saw Mason sitting alone in one of the booths. He smiled at her.

“Sophia,” Lester shouted from across the room. “You forgot the dill pickles. You know I like extra dill pickles.” He was right she did know that. But for goodness sake didn’t he notice it was just her? She went over to the window to the kitchen and saw Peter already put up the little plate of pickles. She took them back to Lester and then seated two more parties before going over to Mason.

“I’m sorry I didn’t have a chance to bring your lunch upstairs like I promised.”

“Where’s Margie?”

“It’s a long story. What can I get you?”

“Do you need help?” He surveyed the diner, noting almost every table was full.

“Nah, I’ve got it.” He hesitated.

“Honey, get me whatever is easiest and fastest, okay?”

“You need to order whatever you want,” she insisted.

“I said easiest and fastest. Go back and tell Peter exactly that, or…” He got up from the booth. “New people just got here. You go tend to them. I’m going back to the kitchen.”

Sophia watched him go. She really didn’t have time to try to figure things out, instead she went and seated the next group, and took the orders from the last six people she seated. When she went to the kitchen window to give Peter the order, she saw Mason back there wolfing down a sandwich and drinking a large glass of milk. Peter was busy gossiping like he was at a church social.

“Pete, you got a spare apron I can swipe?”

“Sure thing, you going to go help our girl?”

“Damn right.” There was the commander voice again.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing? You just got back from wherever the hell you were. You’re not going to help out in the diner,” Sophia exclaimed, as she shoved open the door to the kitchen.

“Pete, go settle the natives for a second and tell them their waitress is taking five.”

“Got it.” Pete grinned at the two of them before heading through the kitchen door.

Mason pulled her into the pantry and slid down the wall pulling her with him until she was settled on his lap. He cradled her like a child.

“Honey, you’re barely holding it together. How much sleep have you had?” She couldn’t get into this with him right now.

“Can we not talk? Can I just rest for the five minutes?” His blue eyes were so tender, she melted. He cupped her head and held her against his heart. Her mind drifted. This felt too good. Too good. She shouldn’t get used to this. She was being too needy. Men didn’t like it. That was her, Sophia the needy one. She gave a deep sigh and pushed up.

“What’s wrong? I mean besides the obvious?”

“Nothing. Nothing’s wrong. You don’t have to comfort me. I’m not somebody who needs to be comforted at the least little thing. I’m not a wimp.” She watched as his face took on an utter look of confusion.

“Honey, you are the furthest thing from a wimp. As a matter of fact, I would love it if you would lean on me more.” She snorted.
Yeah, sure.

“Look, it’s the lunch rush I’ve got to go. You need to go and rest. I’ll see you later. I’m so happy you came and visited last night. Thank you for that.”

His face no longer looked confused it was fast showing anger.

“You’re happy I visited last night?” he asked incredulously. “Let’s get the hell out to the diner and feed some people before I blow a gasket. We are going to have a serious talk tonight. This shit has been going on long enough.” He jumped up off the floor and took her hand and led her out to the diner.

The lunch hour rush went a lot better with Mason helping. When the diner finally closed at three o’clock, Sophia thought she’d been through a war. If she couldn’t sleep tonight she might as well shoot herself and call it quits.

She saw Pete and Mason talking in the kitchen.

“Sophia, I’ll lock up you go on upstairs. You look like death warmed over.”