Homeward Bound (Journeyman Book 1) (29 page)

AS HE THOUGHT, THERE
wasn’t much left to pack up other than a few clothes and toiletries. Gage strode back into the bedroom and noticed that Adrienne wasn’t there yet. She was probably still on the hunt for something to eat.

He took the opportunity to plop himself down on the edge of the bed, wondering if he had made the right decision to come here. Not one to doubt himself, a shade of skepticism had entered his mind now that an extremely powerful relic dangled around his neck. Letting out a lengthy sigh he bent over, the amulet tucked tightly between his clasped hands. It gave off an enticing warmth and for the first time in his life, he contemplated praying.

“Well,” he said aloud into the empty room. “I’m not even sure I believe you exist, but I’ll give this a go. Ironic isn’t it? Here in a world of demons and monsters, the guy that slays them has doubts about your existence.

“But I'm wondering, yet again, if it was the right choice coming here. Especially with her. I need answers, else I don’t think I will ever be able to get rid of this shred of doubt that keeps lingering. I mean don’t get me wrong, things seem to be going great, but now the weight of the world is on my shoulders, quite literally strung around my neck, and I don’t know if I am remotely up to the task.”

He opened his hands and the silver disc stared blankly at him from his calloused palms.

“How is it such a small thing can be the key to something so overwhelmingly large as the end of the world?” he pondered.

As he sat there contemplating the words he spoken to himself, an inner voice resounded in his skull. It was distant at first, like a shade of a whisper, but before long was booming, filling his body with both vigor and contentment. Oddly, it was the same voice that always spoke to him since the day he first could, yet it felt different… more paternal.

“Gage, you must always take positive inventory on what you have and what’ve done in your life. No matter what, don't get bogged down in the overwhelming and nagging little details as that can drive even the sanest man to throw himself over a cliff.”
There was a brief pause. “And let’s face it, you’re far from the sanest man on the planet. After all, you fight demons and things-that-go-bump-in-the-night as your career. Hardly the stuff of sanity… it's the stuff of legend.”

Gage chuckled a bit. “There's no denying that fact. But, I still don’t know.”

The voice continued, “Far too often there are times we find ourselves down and out, lonely whilst circling a pit of despair, thinking about nothing but all of the insurmountable things have gone wrong or questioning every decision we made to evaluate if it was the right one: Should I have slayed that creature? What about the repercussions of leaving that one alive? Should I have come back home…

“Don't do it. Focus instead on the positive, going with what your gut or your heart tells you, and most importantly believe in yourself. There is certainly no shortage of good across your thirty short years; the lives you've saved alone are worthy of record.”

It dawned on him then that he had frankly lost count of the sheer number of lives he'd saved over the last three years. Each and every one of those souls would have been lost had it not been for him or his teammates.

“Life’s direction and the direction of the things churning within it can change in an instant. We win things, we lose things, we learn from those things. Use that gained knowledge and the impact of the lives you have kept safe on this Earth and use it to carry yourself through the day, months, and years ahead.”

Gage was still dubious. “But how do I know if I'm good eno -”

“Gage, just stop thinking about it. Simply immerse yourself in the depth of the world. You ask yourself now if you have made the right choice. You have, if only because it was a choice you made for yourself. You also wonder if you are good enough for the task at hand. Only in situations where we place ourselves outside our comfort levels can we discover who we truly are. Only when we challenge ourselves can we grow into who we are meant to be…”

Gage felt compelled to nod his head in agreement as the words rang resoundingly true to him.
The voice diminished, its departure leaving his body colder as the muted ticking
of the wall clock became louder.

“Immerse yourself in the depth of the world, huh?” he repeated softly.

In his head, thoughts swirled like ink in water and Adrienne's supple form solidified, walking slowly down a long highway. She was alone, the sun setting in a dazzling display of churning light and cloud before her. In the distance, the smoky figure of a man loomed against the brightness and as she continued toward him, he began to stride toward her. Step by slow step he advanced and soon Gage’s distinct features crystallized from the roiling dark.

Soundless, he stood in front of her before taking her close for an embrace. They held each other for a moment, locking hands together before continuing into the setting sun. As they grew distant on the horizon, their forms merged and became one with the sunset and the land.

“Yes indeed,” he said. “I made the right decision. Well, we did. Love may certainly bring with it pain but together we can, and shall, endure the challenges ahead.”

He sat for a moment longer before a modest whiff of a bad odor caught in his nose. Lifting an arm, he took a breath and discovered his deodorant was on the verge of giving out. It was likely the pendant’s doing, as he’d felt strangely feverish ever since putting it on.

After the day’s crazy events and the fact Adrienne wasn't back yet, he decided that a shower was certainly in order. Pushing himself up off the bed, he walked over to the linen closet, collected a towel from middle shelf and made his way into the bathroom.

ADRIENNE WENT BACK UPSTAIRS
empty handed. It seemed that during the excitement of the day they had forgotten to get any fresh food supplies. She supposed that finding ghosts of dead relatives did tend to shift one's priorities. Eating the MREs Charlie had stockpiled in the cellar wasn't an option, even though they had over twenty delicious years of shelf life left. Her stomach however didn’t care and still grumbled in admonishment.

As she entered the bedroom, the dim light from the bathroom fan caught her attention as it fell out into the surrounding darkness. She walked toward it and the sound of running water could be heard whilst steam wafted out of the slightly open door.

Pushing it open, she peeked inside, watching keenly as the warm drops rained on Gage’s ever impressive shoulders, rolling along every line to begin their long journey down to the drain. She focused on the divot formed between his thick traps, teeth curling her lower lip while those drenched wing tattoos funneled the water to the center. The stream flowed all the way down the muscular path until it had no choice but to spill over that glorious behind. Jesus, she had never in her life been envious of water but there's a first time for everything. Tonight she wanted to be it in such a bad, bad way.

Slowly, Gage turned and ran his fingers through that untamed mop of hair. He opened his eyes and spotted Adrienne in the hallway. He locked in and without missing a beat reached for a sliver of years-old soap, still fragrant, and rubbed his chest. The pomegranate suds traced their way over his front, rising and falling on each one of his abs and down to his hand, resting around his full, aching self.

“Well,” he said deeply. “You want in?”  

He did not need to repeat himself.

In an instant she was in the shower, being caressed by the same water she was jealous of not ten seconds before. She found herself kneeling in front of him again, the view just as marvelous as the day she first saw it. The v-lines of his abs pointed her in the right direction as she grabbed hold with both hands.

He stepped forward and brought himself to her lips, teasing her with a little taste before she wrapped her lips around his meaty head and went to work. Gage was noticeably aroused, flowing onto her lips with each suck. On she went, drawing more out of him than ever before and his legs started to buckle. After a few more long licks and a kiss on the palmful of man she held, she rose, holding firm while she leaned forward to nibble his ear. “Now it’s my turn,” she whispered. A hot breath went into his ear, nearly toppling that sturdy frame to the floor. “Does the beast want in, sir?”

A deep growl sent a tremor down her spine.

She reached over to the faucet and cranked it hotter. Steam began to fill the shower, rising along with her body as he lifted her in his arms and nudged her against the tile. His broad back expanded like a cobra to shield her from the falling water, allowing the monster to generously tease between her legs. Eagerly she locked her legs around his narrow waist while he effortlessly rolled on a sleeve. She looked ahead into focused green, his head crowned with mist.

Unwavering in his return stare, an eyebrow arched its way up as he spoke. “Time to feed the beast.”

That's all she needed to hear; those words, that voice, this man. Her arms cradled his thick neck while her uncontrollable wetness mingled with his shaft. She caught scent of his musk as they became one again and she had no choice but to scream.

He groaned, his tone falling with each inch that passed through her door. Heaven was again on Earth and it was the age of Gage and Adrienne.

Grabbing her with one arm he brought her in closer, moving away from the wall to hold her in mid air as she rode. She repeatedly took it all, head to base while her thighs tightened around him.

They went harder.

She began to churn along with his thrusts and like a series of waves, each movement built upon the last.

Harder.

The thrill was amazingly high. As her eyes rolled back she spilled herself around him, but did not stop.

Harder.

She could not stop.

Harder.

The luxurious sensations multiplied. The pleasure was contagious and Gage reached the point of no return, rushing right over the line.

Unable to hold back, he pulled himself out and set her down gently. It was taking every fiber of his being not to explode as she stood in front of him. They fervidly began to kiss as he propped up on her torso, reaching down to yank off the sheath. The feeling of freeing all twelve abundant inches from that latex prison was oh so much to handle.

As they continued to taste each other and rub himself between their slippery bodies, he lost control. Arching his back and grabbing hold with both hands, he unleashed a loud groan while he indiscriminately glazed the two of them, the surrounding tiles and everything in between.

Quivering under the pressures of intense joy, his legs cramped and he lost balance for a second, sending him and Adrienne back against the shower wall.

She bumped her head and let out a soft laugh, looking over the fashionable ‘gel’ that glowed against his dark hair. Rubbing her head, she noted that she was wearing it as well. A lot of it.

“Well, I guess that means mission accomplished?” she asked, holding a hand out under the water stream.

Gage let out a couple slow breaths, looking down at his satisfied self before nodding. “Oh yeah,” he barely got out.

“I guess we should actually take a proper shower now,” she said, turning the temperature down a touch. As she drew her hand back, Gage grabbed hold. She was always so silky.

“I love you, gorgeous. Like, I really do.” His green eyes shone like emeralds. “I have for quite some time… so much that you don’t even know.”

She took a step toward him and nuzzled his nose. “I bet I
do
know.”

“Nope, you can't. Because I don’t even know the limits of how much I have in my heart for you. Now let’s clean up, this hair gel smells like jizz.”

IT WAS QUIET IN
the bedroom as they laid naked under the covers, the warmth of their bodies and the shower made for a soothing cocoon to entangle oneself in.

“I can’t believe you're mine,” Gage whispered while shifting to give her a bit more room to come closer.

“Believe it mister,” she said, burrowing her head into her favorite spot. The space between his chest and neck welcomed her with that rousing bouquet. She reached down and traced a finger from the bottom of his balls all the way along his soft member before she closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep.