Pushing Up Daisies (10 page)

* * * *

House hovered on the brink of erupting. She really was a virgin. As a wolf, he'd been searching for a life mate. Here was a woman who had never known any other man. If he took her, he knew she would forever be his. There'd be no turning back. He'd give his life for her and protect her with his last breath. He would fight to the death to keep her and kill anyone who tried to touch her.

He knew she didn't understand the kind of commitment he was making. Wolves mated for life. But he would try to help her understand. He had a secret side. What would she do when she found out he turned into a wolf? Would she be disgusted? Would she run away in terror? At this moment, he didn't really care. He was past the point of turning back.

He lowered himself to kiss her breasts, then her belly. He slid further down and tenderly opened her sex. He knew he was large. He needed to make it as easy as possible for her first time. He wanted her to love making love. He licked her sex like a dog, tasting each drop of moisture she produced. His jaw quivered with excitement when he opened her and smelled the delicious fragrance of her womanhood.

His tongue reached far inside her. He circled her opening and sucked on the excited nub of her clit. It was important to get her as hot as possible so her hormones would make her wet and open for him.

When she was whimpering and humping his face, he couldn't stand it anymore. He slipped up her body and kissed her as he slowly pushed his throbbing cock into her heat. The pleasure was so intense he had to bury his face in her hair to keep from howling, and struggle for the control he needed to keep from penetrating her roughly. When he felt her hymen, he stopped. She wrapped her legs around his waist and urged him forward.

“I don't want to hurt you,” he whispered.

“Do it,” she pleaded. “Make me a woman. Make me your woman.”

That was all he needed to hear. He broke through her hymen and filled her with his cock.

She let out one tiny gasp when the barrier broke and then she groaned. “Oh my god.”

“Did I hurt you?” He was trying so hard for control, skirting the edge of insanity.

“No, yes, no…oh please.”

He understood. His preparations had achieved their goal. She really was ready. He began slowly pumping in and out, making sure to hit her hot spot with every stroke. She rose to meet his every push, her legs stiff and shaking. Their bodies were so close together, he felt like she was a part of him as they rocked. He knew he had to do something to stop his climax or she'd never reach it with him so he lifted her in his arms and stood up. She weighed nothing. He easily lifted her up and down on his aching cock. She held onto his neck with her legs locked around his waist.

The effort of lifting her put off the inevitable outcome for a few more minutes. When he felt her swelling around him and her whimpers of pleasure came faster and faster, he placed her back on the mat and plunged into her with all the power of his intense arousal, his newfound love and devotion and his need to make her his own.

* * * *

Sarah hung on for dear life as House held her entire body in his arms on the mat. She felt embedded in his flesh. His words to her still rang in her ears. She would be his. When the intense excitement could no longer be contained, she gushed with an orgasm that lasted forever. She had to bite House's shoulder to keep from screaming and letting the Bedouins in the nearby tents hear her shame. His hands squeezed her ass in a tight grip as he arched his body and erupted into her.

Afterwards, they lay joined for several minutes, enjoying the afterglow and regaining their breath. She touched his face and he opened those silver eyes to stare into hers. “Is it always like this?” she asked.

“It's never like this,” he breathed into her hair. “You're mine. I'll never let you go.”

He had just pulled the burqa up to cover them when the flap of the tent flew open and Daisy stood in the faint light of dawn with a shocked look on her face. “You sorry son of a bitch,” she growled. “You just fucked my woman.”

House rolled onto his side. “Daisy,” he began. “I'm sorry. Please don't be mad, I couldn't stop myself. I love her.”

Daisy growled; her hands clenched into claws at her side. “You had no right! Sarah is mine. I claimed her first.”

Sarah huddled beneath her burqa as House rose to his entire six-foot-five height. He seemed different as he towered over Daisy. Daisy snarled and growled at him like an animal. “She belongs to me,” she screamed.

Sarah tried to say something. “Please…”

They both turned on her. “Stay put,” House snarled. “This is between me and Daisy. You belong to me.”

Sarah shrugged on the burqa, hiding herself under its voluminous folds. House and Daisy continued to growl, standing on the balls of their feet, staring at each other with their chests pushed forward and their hands clenched. When she was covered in the burqa, she leaped to her feet and elbowed her way between naked House and furious Daisy. “I won't have this,” she said in a soft voice with an edge of steel. “You can't fight over me. Look where we are. This is ridiculous.” She stood on tiptoe and stared into House's face. “I am not yours. I'm me. I get to choose who I want to be with and when.”

She whirled on Daisy. “I'm not yours either. I'm not a bone to be fought over. What's wrong with you two? You're partners.” She faced Daisy. “I'm sorry this happened, Daisy. Maybe it was the danger or the mystery of the night and the fear, but House and I made love. In the light of day, maybe it was wrong…no probably it was wrong.”

Daisy reached for her and she allowed the strong woman to take her in her arms. House eased up behind her and sandwiched her between them. “She's right. Now isn't the time to fight over Sarah. We have dead comrades to recover and we have a package to deliver. This is a mission. We can't deviate from the mission.”

“Yeah, right,” Daisy said. “Charlie Mike, continue the mission.”

Sarah felt their strong bodies holding her, each taut with an amazing amount of tension. She knew they might try to fight over her again. She had to keep the peace. It was her duty. She never should have slept with House without telling Daisy she was planning to do it, but it wasn't planned. It just happened like a storm or a runaway train accident.

As the tension slowly eased in their bodies and the atmosphere lightened, Sarah sighed. “Thank goodness. I have to pee.”

Daisy wrapped an arm around her shoulders. “I'll escort you.”

House started pulling on his clothes. “Do you think the Bedouins have a radio of any kind?”

Sarah looked over her shoulder at him. He stood in his khakis with no shirt. In the light from the sun streaming into the tent, she saw a scar over his chest and a puckered round scar in his lower abdomen. It looked like a bullet hole. “They might. I'll ask the women.”

“Don't worry about it. I'll talk to old Abdulla.”

Daisy urged her outside. They walked through the temporary village and stopped behind a row of tents. Daisy turned Sarah so she could look into her eyes. “He didn't force you, did he?”

Sarah shook her head. “I know I should have said no, but I wanted to, Daisy. He was my first man and I felt like I was being pulled along by a force of nature. It was pretty intense.”

Daisy nodded. “That's House…intense.”

When Daisy tried to pull her into an embrace, she resisted. “I really have to go to the bathroom. If you hug me, I'll probably pee myself.”

Daisy grinned and kissed her hair. “Are you still gonna see me.”

“Like how?” Sarah asked as they found the little girls' room, a pit dug in the ground with a screen of dark blankets set up around it.

Daisy waited for her to finish. When she emerged from behind the screen, she lifted one of her sculpted black brows. “Like this.” Daisy pulled her into a hard embrace and kissed her. Sarah felt her legs turning to spaghetti. She melted into Daisy's strong arms and opened her mouth for the kiss. When it was over, Daisy held on to her, tilted her chin up and stared into her eyes.

Sarah's heart fluttered. What was her problem? She'd never been with even one person before, now she wanted to be intimate with a man—and what a man—and a woman. “I want to, but I'm so confused,” she whispered. “I like being with both of you.”

Daisy nodded and smiled. Her dark eyes snapped with life, excitement and warmth. “It'll work out. We can share you…like two dogs with one bone.”

Sarah giggled. “That's what I felt like in the tent, a bone and you were both wolves fighting over me.”

Daisy stiffened when Sarah said she'd felt like a bone between two wolves. Did she know? Had House told her what they were? Daisy turned her head slightly and stared at Sarah out of the corner of her eye. Sarah's face was clear and happy, her brow unlined.

When they ducked back into the tent, House was gone. Daisy stripped off her plates and sat on the mat to take off her boots. “I'm whipped,” she said. “Lay down next to me so I can fall asleep.”

Sarah glanced at the entrance to the tent. “House might get mad at me.”

Daisy patted a small space next to her. “He'll get over it. Come lie down. I promise not to do anything. I just want to hold you.”

Sarah eased into the tiny spot and Daisy wrapped her arms around her. They spooned and Daisy buried her face in Sarah's hair.

“I need to find a brush,” Sarah mumbled. “And wash. I'm stinky.”

“You smell delicious,” Daisy whispered. She reached around Sarah to cup a breast.

Sarah pushed her hand away. “You promised.”

Daisy sighed, closed her eyes and drifted to sleep.

* * * *

When Sarah heard Daisy start to snore softly, she pried the arm around her up and slid out of Daisy's grip. She needed to wash and she was too excited to sleep. Daisy's touch ignited a fire in her just as House's did. They were both so close to their animal selves. There was a raw sexuality about both of them that drew her like a moth to a flame.

She opened the flap of the tent and quickly located her flowered dress. It was dry and stiff with the salt of her sweat. She grabbed it and ducked back inside the tent. With the flowered dress on under the burqa, the scratchy fabric was less abrasive. She donned the veil with distaste, staring out from behind the curtain of swinging beads. How could the women get anything done while wearing this thing? She could barely see.

She found the cooking tent and saw the women sieving dirt, sand and bugs out of a bag of millet. A large pot of water boiled over a cook fire. A woman knelt next to the fire stoking it with clumps of camel dung. Sarah stepped away from the stream of acrid smoke emitted by the fire.

One of the women handed her a cup of hot tea. She thanked her and sipped gratefully at the hot liquid. It had no sugar in it but the strong drink revived her.

“Can I help?” she asked an older woman who seemed to be in charge.

The woman took her to a smooth spot in the earth where a girl sat scrubbing the dirt off a huge pile of sweet potatoes. Sarah sank down beside the girl and started scrubbing.

* * * *

House found Abdulla drinking tea with several other men including his son Nasr. The flap of the tent was open. He looked inside and asked permission to enter. Abdulla beckoned for him to enter. He bent over and duck walked to a seat beside Abdulla. Tea was poured and handed to him. He accepted it and sipped the strong, sweet brew. They sat in comfortable silence drinking the morning cup. A woman came in with a tray of flat bread, bowls of millet and vegetables. House was offered a bowl and he accepted.

When the meal was over, the same woman collected everything and the pipe was pulled out. House declined. The tobacco was really strong. “Abdulla,” he began. “Do you have a way of communicating with other tribes, like a radio?”

Nasr blew a huge puff of smoke out and smiled. He reached under his robes and removed a satellite phone. He thumbed it on and handed it to House. “We have this, but it is dangerous to use.”

House took the phone and looked at it. It was fully charged and in service. “Why?”

“It's an al Qaida phone. They gave it to me and they maintain it. I try never to turn it on because I fear they can use it to track me. I know if I use it, they will probably be able to listen to my conversation and know the numbers I call.”

House stared at the phone like it was a venomous snake. If he used it, Nasr was correct, they would know who he called and where they were located. He thumbed it off. “You're right Nasr, save this for emergencies and never turn it on. I have no doubt it's being monitored. That's why it was given to you.”

House rubbed his short hair with one hand. He'd hoped the tribe would have some way for him to get in touch with the Company. He knew they were tracking him using his imbedded chip, but they'd already lost one bird in a rescue attempt. He didn't think they would send out another until they had more Intel about his situation and that was something he couldn't give.

He stood up, bowed to Abdulla and was leaving when the first shots rang out. The women of the tribe immediately began screaming. He heard the thunder of horses and the strange frightened moans of the camels. The tribe was under attack again and he'd left his weapons in the tent.

His heart raced as he ran to their tent. Where was Sarah? Fear for her filled him with terror like he'd never known. Love was a two-edged sword. From now on, he would always want to know where Sarah was and that she was safe.

He threw the tent flap open. Daisy was shrugging on her vest and her boots at the same time. “Who's attacking?” She demanded.

“I got no fucking idea. Where's Sarah?”

House picked up his belt, strapped it on and grabbed his rifle.

Daisy shook her head. “Don't know. I was asleep.”

House growled, the change coming over him unbidden. He fought it and finally tore off his clothes and went with it. In the wolf's body, he bolted from the tent in one bound. He had no body armor like this, but he was fast and deadly. As he ran between the tents, he held onto one thought…he had to find Sarah.