A Soldier's Promise [The Armstrong Brothers of Cedar Creek 3] (Siren Publishing Everlasting Classic) Read online

  “What are you saying, Mason?” Annabelle said slowly and clearly as she buttoned up her shorts. She didn’t like the look in his eyes, or the tone of his voice. He was acting as if he wasn’t coming home, at all, as if he expected to leave and never come back. She wasn’t up to date on all the mental training the military gave, but she knew damn well that going into any situation thinking the worst was not a good thing.

  “I mean, there is a good chance I won’t be coming back,” he whispered. “And I can’t leave you here, knowing that you are going to wait for me. So, I guess, what I am trying to say is I think it’s best if you start seeing other people.”

  “No,” she stated firmly, grabbing her shirt and exiting her truck. There wasn’t much that pissed her off, but that louse still sitting in her vehicle managed to do just that. In the few short seconds after an amazing round of clitoral bliss, he had said just the right thing to make her want to punch him in the face. Who does he think he is? I am not some quick, easy fuck that can easily go find another happy-go-lucky man. Shit! I should march back over to him and tell him to go fuck himself. This is why I don’t date, because of assholes like him. Damn it!

  “Annabelle, wait up!” Mason shouted as she slammed her front door. She did not want to see him, nor was she in her right mind to talk to him. Nope, all she wanted was a beer, and she hated beer. Quickly putting on her shirt, she headed straight for her refrigerator, opened it, and grabbed the first alcoholic beverage she found. Twisting the cap off, she didn’t bother with a glass. Tipping the bottle back, she took a long, hard swallow and cringed.

  Fuck, that burns!

  Looking at what she had grabbed, she silently cursed again.

  “Annabelle, what are you doing? You don’t drink bourbon,” Mason said, taking the bottle from her and placing it on the kitchen counter. “Baby, I didn’t mean to upset you. I just thought it would be easy for you to find someone else.”

  “So, you think I’m a slut now!”

  “No! I didn’t say that.” He backpedaled quickly.

  “You just said it would be easy for me to find someone else.” She seethed. “So I guess that means you think I am easy. I guess I am, because it sure didn’t take you long to get into my pants!”

  “Annabelle, I didn’t mean that,” he replied gruffly. She could tell he was getting frustrated, and when he ran his hands through his hair, she knew he was out of his element. If she weren’t so pissed at him at the moment, she would laugh. For a man of few words, he sure could screw them up quickly.

  “Then what did you mean, Mason?” she asked, drawing out his name as if the taste of it made her want to vomit.

  “I meant that a pretty woman like you shouldn’t have any trouble finding someone to love. You’re beautiful, buttercup, and any man would be lucky to have you.”

  “Spoken like a man who just got laid,” she said bitterly.

  “Well, damn it, what did you expect?” he said angrily. “A young, good-looking woman like you comes into my life, and you expect me not to take advantage? I’m a man, Annabelle. I’m not good with feelings and this emotional crap. That’s why I stayed single for so long. Is that what you wanted to hear?”

  “No, Mason, what I wanted to hear was that you loved me. That no matter what, regardless of what happens, that you would try to come back to me, and I wanted you to ask me to wait for you,” she said, never taking her eyes from his. When he registered what she said, she wasn’t surprised to see him completely shut down. Sighing, she turned and headed toward her bedroom. “I think you should leave. You’ve said enough. Good-bye, Mason.”

  Gently closing her bedroom door, she silently walked over to her bed and pulled back the covers. Removing her clothes, she was too exhausted to shower and climbed between the sheets naked. She couldn’t believe it was over. Her heart was breaking, and there was nothing she could do about it. He was leaving soon, and even she could at least admit to herself that there was the possibility that he wouldn’t return. She knew the drill. She had watched her mother worry every time her uncle took off to some godforsaken country to defend those who couldn’t fight for themselves. Nothing was a given in this world, but those who chose to fight for what they wanted at least could say they tried, and she tried. God, she tried so hard to make him see what he had right before him. Nevertheless, she could not make him grab it. No, he had to do that for himself. He had to want it as bad as she did and not let anything get in his way to attain it.

  A soft knock at the door quieted her mind. Looking over her shoulder, she watched as the door opened and he walked in. “Annabelle?” he whispered. “I’m sorry about what I said. It’s just that everything is so overwhelming right now.”

  “You’re not the only one who’s overwhelmed, Mason. How do you think I feel? The man I love is leaving soon and might not return. I may never see you again. I know that. I just choose to think differently. I choose to believe that you will come back, and what worries me is that when you do, you won’t want me. That this was just a summer fling for you.”

  “Baby, you were never that. Please don’t think for one moment I thought of you as a summer fling.”

  Slow and easy, she sat up on the bed and wrapped her arms around him. Her lips met his, and gone was the indecision, the worry, the fear of not knowing. Hope soared within her, and she gave herself over to the moment, because she knew that right now was all that mattered. It was fruitless thinking of what ifs. “What if’s,” didn’t matter right now. All that did was that he was here with her. He could have left and then she would have known her answer, but he had stayed, and that meant more to her than anything.

  She inhaled his aroma. He smelled fresh, clean, and of her. She still wasn’t sure what the future held for either of them, but at least she was willing to take the chance. She knew what she wanted, even if he didn’t, and she was okay with that. Right now, all that mattered was that he was willing to talk. Everything else could be figured out later. They only had tonight, and she wanted to make the most of it.

  As she kissed him, she filled her hands with his body, touching the swell of his chest, the stiffness of his muscles, all enhanced by the essence that was Mason. Her hands swept over him, down to his cock, which was hardening rapidly. When she heard him growl, she looked into his eyes.

  Mason had that wild, untamed look as he broke their embrace, pushing her lightly onto the bed. He climbed up to the middle of the bed, between her legs, reached up, and pulled the bed sheets back. Unzipping his jeans, he quickly divested them, along with his shirt. His cock bounced up, hard and ready, with a ball of pre-cum already leaking from the tip.

  She just stared at him as she hefted his dick in her hands, lightly stroking him with one hand and massaging his balls with the other. Releasing him, she gently pushed him onto his back as she rolled over on him. Sensually moving her way down his body, she kissed trails until she reached her destination. She slowly bent her head toward his crotch until her mouth was hovering over the tip. She slipped her tongue out of her mouth, licked up the clear fluid that welled out of the end of his cock, and ran her lips over it, as if she was savoring the taste.

  Leading with her tongue, she opened her mouth and slid his dick between her lips. She sucked him slowly, lovingly, into her mouth and didn’t stop until his cock hit the entrance to her throat. She worked her mouth slowly up and down on his cock, as he just lay on his back, never taking his eyes from her.

  “Oh God, buttercup, you do that so well,” he said softly. Looking up at him, she could see the smile in his eyes and the lust he felt at the moment. She just wanted to please him, to pleasure him, to give him something to remember, to come home to. She knew it wasn’t much, but she wanted to give him a reason to come home. Sliding her tongue around the head of his thick dick, she cupped his balls and lightly squeezed. His moan was indication enough that he was in the moment. Yet when she was ready to finish sucking him off, his hands softly gripped her shoulders and pulled her up toward him.

  “Y
ou do that so well, buttercup, but I want you, all of you,” he said, kissing her once more, and then he rolled her over onto her back. Hovering over her for a second, he looked her up and down, and if she weren’t mistaken, she would have sworn that he was making a mental snapshot of her at that very moment.

  * * * *

  Mason held her head in his hands and lightly kissed her. He wanted to kick himself for not telling her that he was leaving in the morning, and he knew he should, but he couldn’t form the words. Instead, he chose to have this one last night with her. It was all he could give her. He wanted so much to say more, to do more, but he refused to put her into a situation that would cause her more harm.

  His Annabelle, with her dewy eyes looking back at him with love and lust, her light golden locks of hair fanned across the pillow, her sensual lips slightly parted, and her breasts standing tall on her chest, was what he chose to remember. He could have gone ahead and fucked her at that moment, and it would have been good, but he wanted to make a memory that would last a lifetime.

  Sliding down the bed, between her legs, he reached under her butt for something to grab onto, and he got up close to her fragrant pussy. He closed his eyes and inhaled the intoxicating aroma of her. There was the unmistakable smell of arousal, along with the sweet scent that was pure Annabelle. He got a real good look at her pretty pink pussy, with the modest inner lips splayed open for him, and if there were ever a picture that could make him weep, it would be this, her trusting and lovingly giving herself to him.

  One last taste, one last time, and then I’ll leave, then no more.

  Slicing his tongue through her slit, it was like cutting a slightly overripe peach. The juice flowed from her insides as he lapped at her sex. He licked at her hole, sucked her labia, and tongued her clit. Slow and easy, he teased and tortured her with his lazy approach. He took his time, enjoying, memorizing every curve, every silky lip, and every exquisite taste. She writhed on the bed in mounting lust as he pursed his lips and twined her clit, working it almost like a small cock.

  “Mason,” she whispered as the climax began to come to a rapid head. “Please, Mason, make me come.”

  And he did.

  Mason brought all the expertise he could muster on Annabelle’s steaming hotbox, all the newfound lust he had for this woman, the woman he was more and more certain he was going to spend the rest of his life with, and for once, that thought didn’t scare him. He sucked, licked, nibbled, and fingered her pussy, as her motions became more and more jerky.

  He held on tight to her butt as she thrashed and moaned under his oral ministrations, and it didn’t take long before she stiffened then shivered and shuddered as a huge orgasm exploded through her body.

  “Oh God, I love you!” she wailed.

  Mason chuckled inside, because she hadn’t really seen anything yet. He didn’t give her any time to recover, but pulled his mouth away from her crotch, got up on his knees, and moved into position. He let his cock lead the way, and it seemed to know where to go.

  Annabelle looked up at him with fire in her eyes as the head of his cock passed her opening and slid into her hot pussy all the way to the hilt.

  “Yes,” she panted as he pulled back out an inch and then slammed back in. As good and as hot as the earlier escapade had been, this was truly an epic feeling, as Annabelle wrapped her arms and legs around him and he began to fuck her at a hard but measured pace.

  Mason worked his dick back and forth and all around, trying to find her inner hot spots, and she had a few that he knew of for sure. She was giving him back everything he was giving her. Annabelle was no passive lover. She worked her hips up and down and all around, in harmony with his thrusts.

  “Fuck, baby, you feel so damn good,” he whispered as he cradled her head in his hands.

  He was getting all sorts of tactile reactions as he churned his cock in her buttery cunt. Jolts from the friction of their nipples coming together, from the way their sweaty bellies rubbed together, from the way Annabelle’s legs were working on his back.

  Mason was in his own little world, as Annabelle took center stage, making him crave more. It seemed like hours, but it was probably only a few minutes until he saw the strain on Annabelle’s face, the pleading in her eyes, and the jerking of her body as another massive orgasm built up steam in her body.

  He could feel the crackle in his groin that spoke of a dire need for his own climax. The room was filled with the sounds of their coupling, the coos, gasps, soft cries, and the liquid slashing of his cock in Annabelle’s juicy pussy. It was all music to his ears.

  “Come with me, baby,” he said softly.

  With a soft, throaty laugh, she threw her head back, sucked in a deep breath, and let it flow over her body. Her climax wasn’t quite as explosive as the one he’d given her earlier, but in many ways, it was more intense. A low rumble started deep in her hard core, and kept getting stronger, her body twitching, convulsing as she cried out softly.

  There was no stopping him now. Mason drove his cock relentlessly back and forth, hard and fast, as his orgasm overwhelmed him, roaring out as the rush swept from his scrotum, through his shaft, and out the end of his cock. With a jerk, he exploded deep in Annabelle’s clenching cunt, as they held on to each other as if they were on a runaway train, kissing excitedly for all that they were worth.

  Mason knew in that moment what he wanted in his life. He was hooked. He wanted Annabelle Marcus forever. He wanted to explore every inch of her delightful body, and he wanted to please her forever and ever. She laughed softly as she fluttered back to earth from her amazing climax. Finally, his semi-erect cock slid out of Annabelle’s dripping cunt, and he got a little thrill at the feeling of his cum as it poured out behind it. He held her close as they got their breathing under control. Then he looked deep into her eyes, as she stared back at him, love and devotion etched on her face. The words were there, right at the tip of his tongue, but for some reason he couldn’t say the three little words she so desperately wanted to hear from him. He knew it was wrong, and he should say them, but he couldn’t give her hope, when their future was so uncertain. Instead, he kissed the top of her head and pulled her closer to him, and he just held her until she was fast asleep.

  He heard the crunch of tires on the gravel road sometime later, and gently extracted himself from her arms. It was still dark outside, and too early for her to wake up. Besides, he knew who it was, and he didn’t want her to worry when there was nothing that could be done. Slipping on his jeans, he walked to her front door and opened it to find his team, dressed and ready. Gunny silently walked up to him, carrying his duffel, not saying a single word.

  Grabbing his bag, he nodded at his team, knowing they would give him the few minutes he would need to prepare and get ready. Mason turned, heading back into the house, trying not to make any noise.

  Within minutes, he was back by her side, watching her sleep. Running his fingers in her soft, silky blonde hair, he memorized every strand, feel, touch. Her relaxed slumber warmed his heart. So soft and trusting, she slept on, knowing he would protect her. She trusted him, believed in him, and loved him. He was her everything, and in a few minutes, he was going to break her heart into a million pieces. There was nothing he could do. They were waiting, and he had to leave.

  Therefore, like anyone in his position, he did what he had to. In the few short minutes he was away from her, he had cut his hair, shaved, dressed, and grabbed his boots. It felt weird to be wearing his old clothes after so long, but once the shirt went on, it was like riding a bike. Within seconds, he was fully dressed and ready to go. Grabbing his cap and duffel, he set them by the front door, and stared at her for a while as she slept.

  Never in his mind did he think he would ever be in the position he was in right now. For too long, he had lived by himself, answering to no one, not even Uncle Sam. Nevertheless, there she lay, curled into the pillow, the comforter up over her shoulders, sleeping like an angel. His angel. Somehow, God had seen fit to se
nd her to him, and if he ever made it back, he was going to get down on his knees and thank the good Lord every day for her.

  He never knew what he was missing until she walked into his life. She was the stars, sun, and moon all in one. She was hell on wheels and loving arms of warmth in bed. She was perfect.

  Mason never understood watching those other soldiers, as they said good-bye to their loved ones. He didn’t understand the bond they had. He actually pitied them. Thought it was a weakness. Looking at her hair fanned against the pillow, he realized it wasn’t weakness but pain. It literally killed them to leave their loved ones. It was as if someone was ripping their hearts from their chests, and all that was left was a large, gaping hole. Mason knew now it was their way of distancing themselves.

  Hell, even sitting next to her, watching her softly breathe in and out, he had a hard time focusing. He didn’t know how to say good-bye. He had never had to before. Yet, he knew he couldn’t leave her alone, in this bed, to wake with him gone. Mason wouldn’t do that to her.

  Her soft moan caught his attention.

  “Sleep, baby, just sleep,” he muttered, kissing her head.

  Will that be the last sound I hear from her? Is this going to be the last sight of her, sleeping in her bed? Will she ever know what she truly meant to me?

  He didn’t know why he couldn’t say the words. God, he had wanted to so many times. Nevertheless, the moment he was ready, something would stop him.

  When he heard the sounds of the gravel crunching again, he knew it was time. Bending over, he kissed her soft lips one last time, and it was then he felt the tears falling down his cheek. Taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes, and centered himself. If he didn’t do it now, he would never be able to. So when he opened his eyes again, everything around him slowly disappeared. It was just him alone, no one else. The void tore at his soul. The anger he felt gave him the strength to move, and within seconds, he was standing on her front porch looking at the pre-dawn morning.