The Grunt (12 page)
“Hell, I didn’t think I was going to make it either,” Brett said, sitting down on the stool beside Joe. The chilled beer felt good against his skin, but he knew that it would feel even better going down his throat. He downed it quickly and ordered another.
“So Alpha Company got Baby Lawless, huh?” Joe said, turning back around to face the television playing the game in front of them. “Damn, I’m glad to be in Bravo Company now.”
“Baby Lawless?” Joe smirked. He had never heard the nickname but it fit. “This guy had us do a ten-mile run today and then hit the fire range. I thought we were going to be there all day. Then all of a sudden, he looks at his watch, wraps things up and bows out. Hopefully, he has a wife or a girlfriend or something that was as demanding as Amy. Because ugh…” He couldn’t even finish his sentence he was so tired.
“A
get-your-ass-home
type,” Joe said, shaking his head. “You could never get that lucky. So where in the hell have you been, man? The whole purpose of you getting some help at the house was so that you could actually spend some time outside of it.”
Brett took another sip of his beer and turned to Joe. Lowering his voice, he squinted his eyes. “How long have we been friends?”
Joe shrugged his shoulders. “Shit. Years.”
“So, I need you to keep something between us.”
“Name one person that I’ve ever shared anything with about you?”
“Not even Judy on this one,” Brett demanded.
Joe moved in, knowing whatever Brett was about to share would be juicy. “I’m listening. And I won’t tell Judy.” He wasn’t sure if that was a lie or not, yet. It would depend upon the secret.
Brett sighed. “I’m sleeping and living with Colonel Lawless’s daughter.”
“What happened to the nanny? The Redwood girl from the beach?”
“
Redbrook
,” Brett corrected. “They are one in the same.”
Joe took a minute to process what Brett had just told him and then ordered another drink as he laughed out loud. “You are severely fucked, my friend. Please tell me that this is just a fling, and no one is going to find out about it.”
“I know it’s only been a few weeks but…”
“Oh, hell no,” Joe said, shaking his head. “Not the L-Word.”
Brett nodded. “I love her.”
“Have you told her?”
“No,” Brett said quickly. “I don’t want to run her off.”
“Does her family know that a white, enlisted grunt is screwing the shit out of her?” If the woman in question had been anyone else, Joe might have laughed. Instead, he narrowed his gaze on his best friend. This
was
serious.
“No one knows,” Brett answered again.
“Can’t keep it a secret forever,” Joe warned. “Lejeune may be big, but it’s not that big.”
“I know.” Brett looked down at the bar. “I know.”
***
By the time that Brett got home, Courtney and Cameron were fully dressed and about to walk out of the door. As he came into the living room, she greeted him with a kiss on his full mouth that took a few minutes to finish, and then pulled away.
“We’re going to my parents’ house. And we’re running late, so we have to go. I fixed you dinner. It’s on the stove, and I left you a little honey-do list.”
Brett still had her by the waist. “Your honey-do list is never small.”
“Hmm,” she smiled. “Do you want to go with us?”
Brett let her go. “No. I don’t think that’s a good idea.” He looked down at his son, who was faithfully ear-hustling. “Go in the den for a minute,” he ordered Cameron as he bent and kissed the top of his head.
“Brett, we’re going to be late,” Courtney said, looking at her watch.
“This will only take a minute.” When Cameron was out of sight, he turned to Courtney. “David Lawless is my new commanding officer. I met him today.”
Courtney’s eyes widened. “Oh shit.” Sitting on the couch, she dropped her purse. “I am going to dinner tonight to see him.”
Brett sat beside her and rubbed her back. “Baby, this is where we have to begin to tread lightly.”
She looked over at him. “What does that mean? Are you ashamed of me?” Hurt laced her gentle voice.
“No,” Brett said with conviction. He took her hand. “Baby, I am not ashamed of you at all. If anything…” his voice trailed off. He didn’t really want to say what he was about to say either. Instead, he redirected. “I just need some time to ensure that things don’t get too out of control at the base. You don’t know how grunts are. This is considered a major infraction. I mean,” he touched her face, “I have the Colonel’s most precious possession in my hands.” His voice was soothing.
Courtney couldn’t help but smile. “Brett, I have a confession to make. I was holding on to it, because I didn’t want to scare you. But now I know you’re wondering if all of this is worth it. So, I know I need to tell you.”
Brett knew that Courtney never rambled. He watched her carefully. As she curved her mouth to spill her confession, he put his index finger over her pouty lips. “I love you, too.”
There was a long silence filled with joy. Brett knew the moment he saw the teary mist in her eyes that she was pleased, and he had not made a mistake or moved too fast.
Leaning in, she kissed his lips again. Only this kiss did not speak to the time or the people waiting on her. This kiss spoke to the need he had met, the void he had filled. Melting into his muscular embrace, she felt him pull her into his lap and run a strong, sturdy hand down her neck to her breast. The beast in him was clawing to be unleashed.
“I love you, Brett Black,” she whispered in between the constant sucking of her lips.
Hearing the words for the first time made Brett breathe a little easier. Suddenly being found out by his superior officers and possibly killed on a dirt road somewhere in North Carolina wasn’t such a big deal.
Tangled in her kiss, he found his way up her dress and pulled at her underwear.
“Brett,” she said, feeling his lips trail down her neck. “I’m already late for dinner.” She swallowed hard as her mouth watered. She wanted him inside of her now. There was no denying that.
“Let them wait,” he said in a husky tone. He acted before she could change her mind.
Picking her up, he quickly whisked her up the staircase and into the bedroom. Kicking the door shut behind him, he threw her on the bed and pushed up her dress. His mouth watered. “Since I don’t get dinner with the rest of you, I think I’ll grab a bite to eat right now,” he said in a deep southern baritone.
“A good thing the kitchen’s open,” she said seductively as she raised her hips and pulled her panties down her stellar thighs. “Try not to make a mess of me,” she said, throwing her panties at him.
Quickly, he caught them in his hand. “No promises.”
Her hair had fallen out of its bun and fanned across the bed just the way that he liked.
She watched him peel out of his jeans and t-shirt to reveal his perfect body. His thick erection stood tall, throbbing and aching for release. Anxiously, he grabbed a condom and slipped it on then dove into bed on top of her. The hard column of his penis slid over her belly then down to her opening. Trailing a kiss over her lips, he looked into her eyes.
“Ten minutes,” she whispered in his ear.
“Fuck that. You’ll be done when I’m done with you,” he growled in her ear.
His words numbed her resolution. She moved his bulging head to her heated center and opened her legs wider. Pushing her belly against his, she parted her mouth for another kiss but when she looked up, he moved down between her legs.
Crying out, she clawed the sheets as she felt his tongue feather over her mound. A tingling sensation ripped through her senses and made her arch her back. He quickly pushed her back down with his palm and yanked her legs toward him.
***
The family was right in the middle of desert when Courtney came through the dining room entryway with Cameron holding her hand. The colonel and his son were the first ones to turn and look at her.
“I’m here,” she said with a bright, glowing smile.
“You’re late,” the colonel said, looking at his watch. He felt his wife look at him. He quickly changed his tune. “But at least you made it. Who is this with you?”
“This is Cameron,” Courtney said, setting down her bags and taking Cameron to the chair beside her mother. It was about the only place he’d be safe in this house.
“Hi, Grandma Lawless,” Cameron said happily.
Diane rubbed his rosy cheeks. “How are you, Cameron?”
“Fine,” he answered with a smile.
“It seems we are the only ones who don’t know the little fellow,” Colonel Lawless said as he wiped his mouth with a white linen napkin. He sat his large elbows on the table, ignoring Diane’s growing irritation with his table manners.
“He’s my employer’s son,” Courtney said, walking over to her brother. “Hey Davy,” she said, kissing his cheek.
“Hey, Sis,” David said, hugging her tight. “You look great.”
“She’s glowing,” the colonel said, noting his daughter sunnier than normal disposition. He immediately became suspicious.
Courtney ignored her father and took a seat beside her brother.
“Courtney has taken a job with a local, white enlisted man as his live-in nanny,” the colonel told his son with a raised brow.
“He’s not local. He’s from Texas originally,” Courtney corrected.
David looked over at Courtney. “Really, sis? A nanny?”
“It’s a good paying job. I’m finishing school because of it,” Courtney snapped back.
“Still, you’re a nanny,” David protested.
“Exactly,” the colonel chimed in, happy that his only ally in family matters was here to help argue his position.
Diane put down her fork. “Courtney, think nothing off it,” she said, waving off her husband and son’s remarks. “Your father was enlisted a long time ago. The Marine Corps paid for him to go to school. Then, he transferred over to being an officer right after his short stint in Nam. That is where he gets the title of being a
mustang
. Isn’t that right, dear?” she said, sipping her wine.
“I’m proud of how I came to be what I am,” the colonel said, feeling her powerful maternal energy from across the room.
Diane continued. “And David, you were accepted to Annapolis.”
“I was,” David said, turning to his mother. He knew that she was about to make some huge point that would cause both of them to eat their words. He mentally prepared himself to be torn a new asshole.
“So, you see, my sweet and ambitious little daughter, you are the only Lawless who has been forced to pay for your own education,” Diane finished as she stood up. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go and get desert. Courtney, will you help me?”
“Yes ma’am,” Courtney said, standing up from the table with a snicker. She left them alone to
chew on that
. It would serve them right if she read them both the riot act right before she told them what Brett had just done to her for
an hour
before she arrived. It would surely give her father a heart attack and her brother an aneurism.
The colonel watched Cameron eating his food and smiled. “Hey little man. Do you want to be a Marine when you grow up like your father?”
“Yes,” Cameron answered with a smile.
“That’s good. Hey, what’s your father’s last name? I might know him?” the colonel said with a deviant grin.
“His name is…daddy,” Cameron answered with a grin.
Courtney walked back into the room and snapped her fingers. “Cameron, come in here with me and Grandma Lawless,” she said, shaking her head at her father. “You two just won’t quit, will you? It’s ridiculous.”
“If it’s so ridiculous, then why won’t you tell us his name?” David asked, jokingly.
“Full name, rank and unit,” Colonel added with a grin.
“I’m not telling you anything,” Courtney said a little lighter-hearted when she saw them smile.
“I guess we’ll have to look for someone who looks like Cameron,” David said, under his breath.
“Don’t forget to take a picture of him with your phone then before you leave,” the colonel replied.
The colonel and David had to laugh. So did Courtney. If they were going to find Brett based on Cameron’s looks, then they were going on one hell of a witch hunt.
Suddenly, because of Mrs. Lawless, the tension had gone away as it always did when she put her two cents into a family conversation. However, Courtney wondered would her mother’s hold be strong enough when they finally did know who Cameron’s father was. A thought crossed her mind and eased her spirit.
He loves me
, she thought to herself as she took Cameron’s hand and led him into the kitchen.
It felt great to be back on the beach again. Courtney grabbed her purple surf board and headed off into the choppy waves in her yellow swimming suit while Brett laid out the food on the blanket with Cameron. Soaking up the warm sun on her skin, she waved her hands in the greenish-blue water and pushed out away from the shore. Sound of peaceful bliss filled her mind, and she was no longer in school, in a relationship, a new mother or even a colonel’s daughter. She was just Courtney. This was the only place in the world that did that for her, freed her from everything. Thank God for the ocean.
Back on shore after setting up the picnic area, Brett turned up the radio and rested back on the blanket to get a tan while Cameron built a sand castle with his bucket and tools.
This is the life,
Brett thought to himself as he slipped on his shades
.
After a long week with the Corps, he could not think of anything better than spending time with his little family. He couldn’t recall once doing anything this fun and relaxing with Amy. She would always complain about it being too hot or not feeling like leaving the house. But Courtney was full of life. They were always going to the movies, out to eat, to see an exhibit, grilling outside or hitting the beach. And most of the time, she could find things to do without spending a dime.
For the first time in his adult life, he was seeing what other married men referred to as a happy home. It was a shame that he had to wait so long and wait until he was widowed to do it, but he still liked it just the same.
Closing his eyes, he drifted off in a blissful place somewhere in between sleep and a tranquil meditation.
Work had been hard since Baby Lawless arrived. Most nights, Brett had to take a stimulant to stay awake long enough to spend some time with Cameron and Courtney. The only thing he didn’t need a stimulant for was sex. His nostrils flared at the thought of it. He raised his head and watched Courtney catch a wave.
Damn
, she looked good. She was one hell of a woman and things had gotten even hotter and heavier since he said he loved her. And he did love her, even though they were sort of hiding it.
The thought of losing her made his stomach ache. Where would he be without her? She had swooped in like some comic book hero and basically saved his life and his career. And little Cameron seemed to be an altogether different kid.
“Wow! Look at Mommy,” Cameron said amazed as he pointed out at the water. He giggled infectiously. “I want to do that, Daddy.” His eyes were bright with wonder as he watched Courtney ride in on a large wave.
Brett sat up. “What did you just say?” He took off his shades and planted his large hand into the warm sand under him.
Cameron looked over and blinked. “I want to swim on the surfboard.” He had not even realized what he said. He looked innocently up at his father and smiled, waiting for Brett to tell him yes.
“Yeah, well, you’re a little too small for surfing right now. But I’ll show you how in just a few years.” Brett laid his head back down and sighed. Had his son been around Courtney so much until he thought that she was his new mother? An idea hit him. Lost in his thoughts, he came to the realization that Courtney had become both his and Cameron’s entire world. It was the smile in her eyes that had stolen them away. No woman he had ever known before possessed that kind of light inside.
***
Word came from up top that Second Reconnaissance Battalion was on its way back to Afghanistan by Christmas. It was for sure. The news hit Brett like a ton of bricks. Separation anxiety began to immediately set in. He had not left yet and he was already homesick.
The six-week haul to 29 Palms was definitely in his near future, and a serious conversation with Courtney about taking over all of Cameron’s parental care was even closer. This was that gray area for Brett. He needed her now in a different way, and his main worry was that
the need
would be misinterpreted as him using her.
During readiness for a deployment, he would never be at home, and she would feel the full burden of their arrangement. He only hoped that the stress of such responsibility would not run her away. When he first met her, it might have been for the fear of not having a babysitter. But now, he was worried about running her away because he couldn’t see his life without her. And without asking, he knew that Cameron could not either. She had become a part of them, and he prayed to God that she knew it.
Training had been going on a month and a half straight since Lawless arrived at Lejeune. And while he had gotten used to the running and the uniform inspections, the ops on the beach late at night and even the long stints in the field, he could never get used to the thought of going to Camp Leatherneck in Afghanistan. The memories from that hellhole made him raw with emotion and ragged with anger. There were so many men who had been killed there, so much work to do. No matter how he looked at it, what he did for his country was more important than his private life, because it was his work that provided his family’s safety. No way in hell he would let those insurgent bastards gain even an inch against his country. And no way in hell that his men would ever let them forget what happened on September 11, 2001.
Thinking about all of the sacrifices and their contribution to the greater cause made being out training not so bad for Brett. It had been five days since he had seen or talked to Courtney or Cameron. Having spent nearly the last week burrowed in the bush training, outside of getting in a shower, the only thing he could think of was getting back to them.
Stinky and sweaty, he threw his gear in the back of his truck, flipped off Joe and headed straight to Swansboro. On the way, he thought of how many times he had made the same trip after the same field operation and ended up arguing with Amy. It made him stop, even with his uniform on, and dash into Food Lion for flowers and a bottle of wine. While Amy wasn’t worth the risk of being reprimanded for wearing his uniform off base, Courtney was.
By the time that he pulled up to his home, it was nightfall. He parked beside Courtney’s truck, grabbed his backpack and made his way in the house. From the outside, there wasn’t a light on. He wondered if he should be worried, but his gut didn’t wrench. So, he dismissed it.
He unlocked the front door quietly and turned off the alarm. The house smelled of expensive room spray and was illuminated by candles. He stopped at the door, dropped his backpack and pulled off his cover. “Courtney?” he called out.
“In here,” she answered.
He went to the dining room and found her sitting at the table under a candlelit dinner with nothing on but his Charlie uniform shirt and a pair of red, Patton leather stilettos. Her long legs were perched up on the table. Her shirt open. Her hair down. And her lips covered in a clear gloss.
Brett immediately had a hard on. With a crooked smile on his lips, he walked up to the table and sat down the bottle of wine. He carried the grocery store roses over to her. The plastic crackled under the hold of his grasp. “For you,” he said, bending down to kiss her lips. God, he loved those lips.
“Missed you,” she said, taking the roses.
“I see.” He kissed her again, this time deeper.
She had to pull away for a minute, familiar with how his touch affected her. Her heart pumped hard. “And I fixed dinner.” She pointed at the meal waiting for him.
“I see.” His hands racked through her thick mane. It fell over on his arm across his tattoo and smelled like fresh roses.
“Wanna eat first?” she asked as her eyes rolled to the back of her head. She rested her head in the palm of his large hand and relished in being in his presence again.
“Not really,” he answered, moving her shirt over to expose her perky brown globe. His eye twitched as he bent to kiss her pebbled nipple. His warm mouth enclosed the tip of her. Suckling and kissing her, he pulled at his belt. He managed to speak with a mouthful of breast tangled in around his tongue. “Where’s Cameron?” His quiet eyes moved up to gaze on her own.
“Exhausted. He’s been at school, then the beach, then the library. He conked out. Actually, I
conked
him out. I wanted to make sure that he didn’t have enough strength after dinner and a bath to stay awake.”
Scooping her up in his arms, he headed towards the den. “Well, I don’t want to wake him up, considering all that you’ve done to get him to sleep,” he whispered as he tugged at her earlobe with his teeth.
Suddenly, Courtney turned up her nose. “Baby?”
“Hmm?”
“What’s that smell?”
Brett had almost forgotten. He bit his lip. “Me. I forgot. Sorry. I need to take a shower,” he said, setting her down on her own two feet. He wished at that moment that she didn’t have a sense of smell, because he was certain that he could gut out his own stench. Courtney, however, might gag.
“I can come with you,” she said with a naughty grin. “Wash those places that are hard for you to reach?” Her heavy lashed eyes flapped like wings.
Brett shook his head. It sounded good in theory only. “Think about it. Grown men out in the field for five days with an inch of toilet paper and no restrooms, sweating and working for twelve to fourteen hours straight. You sure you want some of that?” Humor laced his deep baritone.
When he said it like that, suddenly Courtney lost some of her enthusiasm. “Okay, I’ll wait for you in the den,” she said as she strode back over to the dinner table. “And being the good woman that I am, I’ll even fix you a plate for after.” The candlelight brought out the golden brown of her eyes and the beauty of her flawless skin.
“You may want to eat a little bit yourself, ma’am, to fuel your energy,” he said, walking to the stairwell. The thought of Afghanistan crossed his mind and he knew that after he made love to her, he’d have to break the news. But as she bent to make his plate and he got a view of her perfect backside decorated in only a red thong, he decided that there was no way in hell he would bring it up before. Hurrying quickly up the steps two at a time, he ran into the bathroom to shower.
***
Courtney had never been tied down before, but she had to admit that she liked it when Brett Black did it. It seemed the Staff Sergeant had use for the matching tie that went to his uniform. He had bound her to the leg of the couch and punished her over and over again with his mouth, then his rock-hard body and finally with his eyes as he gazed down at her covered with his seed.
He did right to take her to the den. She had screamed so loud until she had to bury her beautiful face in his chest to muzzle the sound. He had enjoyed every moment of it.
Legs splayed open, heels on, she had bucked hard against his body, taking every inch of him until she had come so hard until she could no longer put together words.
Brett finally untied her when they were done. Her long, shapely arms were limp above her. Attentively and carefully, he tended to her fresh carpet burn made red by the constant friction against the floor. She didn’t notice it before, but now she was certain it would leave a mark on her side.
His naked body was glistening with sweat as he stood over her. Breathing hard with his muscles rippling down his marble-like torso, he wiped her off with the throw cover, laid her down on the couch and went to the downstairs bathroom to grab a tube of Neosporin.
Alone in the dark room, Courtney rolled over to her side and struggled to fill her lungs with air. It hurt to swallow from the constant screaming. White dancing spots flashed in her eyes as she squinted to look across the room. Dehydration had set in and all she wanted was balm for her lips and water for her throat.
Running her shaking hands down the leather, she took in a deep breath and smelled him all over her. She inhaled through her mouth and exhaled out of her nose to slow her breathing, but she could still hear her heart beating loudly through her chest.
That was the most intense sex I’ve ever had
, she thought to herself.
Did sex with him only get better? It seemed to. Every time he touched her, he did something new, something more passionate. It kept her wanting more, waiting for the next time. Even though he was only in the next room, she felt their separation. Love was a strange thing. Suddenly because of it, she was emotionally connected to this man unlike any lover she had ever had before. Her thoughts assailed her with such veracity until she had to simply stop and clear her mind.
Preceded by the echo of heavy footsteps down the hall, Brett walked back into the den and closed the door behind him. He turned on the lamp on the end table and quickly knelt over her. She looked over at him with a lazy smile and watched him rub the salve into her soft flesh, kneading the muscle with the palms of his hands. “I didn’t mean to hurt you,” he said sincerely as he worked.
His blue eyes washed over her, looking for any other bruises he might have inflicted in his mad sexual rage. Five days was a long time to be away from home. It had shown when he came out of the shower and met her in the den two hours before. He had attacked her mercilessly, left no orifice unattended, no bare skin untouched.
As he recalled his sex session, he licked his lips and reminded himself to brush his teeth.
“You didn’t hurt me,” Courtney said, opening her lazy eyes. With a smile, she turned to him.
“No. Don’t move,” he grabbed her waist.
“Baby, I’m fine,” she giggled. “I feel…amazing.”
Brett’s eye twitched. “Well, you most definitely
felt
amazing, but I still should not have been so rough,” he said as he sat on the floor beside her. Cocking his legs up, he pushed his back against the couch and scratched his head. “Don’t go to sleep, okay,” he said, looking back at her.
“Why?”
“I need to talk to you?”
“That doesn’t sound good,” she said, sitting up. She moved her smooth legs over his shoulders.