Strong Signal (Cyberlove #1) (9 page)
Read Strong Signal (Cyberlove #1) Online
Authors: Megan Erickson,Santino Hassell
Rather than answer the question, I turned to look out the window. “Can we stop at the post office to get some packaging material?”
After a pause, Shawn answered. “Sure, Kai. Sure.”
January
Garrett: You around?
Garrett: I know you’re probably busy doing the Twitch thing. Sorry.
Kai: Nope! I’m here. I just finished demoing this tower defense game. What’s up? Isn’t it like 3am?
Garrett: Yeah. Can’t fall back asleep.
Kai: What’s wrong?
Garrett: I had a dream about you.
Kai: A good one?
Garrett: A dirty one.
Kai: Oh my…
Garrett: Sorry. I’m just uh half-asleep and really fucking horny. I’ll let you go.
Kai: No! Don’t go. Tell me about it. You can’t say that and then just disappear. That’s not nice.
Garrett: you sure?
Kai: Yes, I’ll be super mad at you if you leave now.
Garrett: It was after deployment ended and I was back in the states. I don’t know really what happened to get me there, but I was at your house, and the part I remember most is your mouth. All over me. You were teasing me, licking and sucking everywhere but my dick, and I was begging.
Kai: Did I ever…suck you?
Garrett: Nope. Just teased me. Until I was leaking half my weight in pre-cum.
Kai: That’s…my current situation.
Garrett: Don’t suffer on my account.
Kai: don’t plan on it. What happened next?
Garrett: You were playing games, trying to evade me before we got too deep, so I caught your arms and flipped you over. And I uh…I started teasing you. Finger fucking you and playing with your prostate until you were practically humping the bed to get off. And you kept saying my name. God, I wish could hear you say my name, Kai.
Kai: I think about your voice a lot. Like, is it really deep? Or do you have a disappointingly high voice like David Beckham?
Garrett: You’re so ridiculous. lol. My voice is low. Deep.
Kai: That’s how I imagined it. Tell me how the dream ended.
Garrett: We moved so you were on your back, and then I shoved your knees up and pushed my dick into you. No condoms. …Magically needed no lube. But fuck it felt good. You were so tight and perfect, and you squeezed my dick until I lost it and smashed the hell out of you. I woke up before we finished because my subconscious hates me. Texted you instead of getting off.
Garret: You there?
Kai: I don’t know…if I should be honest with you and tell you how turned on I am, or laugh this off and make a joke.
Garrett: I like when you make me laugh but honesty is great too.
Kai: Okay, well then…I wish that dream was real. I’ll have good fantasies later when I’m getting off
Garrett: That’s what I was hoping for.
Kai: Would you cuddle afterward? I need deets so I have the full scenario.
Garrett: Ha, sure. I’d cuddle you.
Kai: Well then, that sounds like my dream too. Now go to bed. You have world-saving stuff to do.
Garrett: Yeah right. Night, gorgeous.
Kai: Night.
* * *
Kai: I need your address. Over there.
Garrett: Why?
Kai: Just because!
Garrett: Uh. K. I’ll email it later.
Kai: Fabulous
* * *
Kai: Guess what?
Garrett: What?
Kai: Chicken butt.
Garrett: …
Kai: It’s a joke.
Garrett: You’re such a dork. Are you bored?
Kai: Maybe. ;) Or maybe I can just tell you’re in a bad mood.
Garrett: Your Kai-dey sense is tingling.
Kai: …And I’m the dork?
* * *
February
Kai: I like when you send me random selfies.
Garrett: I’m not usually a selfie guy. Don’t know why I did it.
Kai: Maybe because you want to show off that gorgeous mouth of yours? ;)
Garrett: Heh. Maybe? No one’s ever said that to me before.
Kai: Um. You’ve been hooking up with some morons then. Your lips are amazing. Sometimes I wonder if they’re as soft and tasty as they look.
Garrett: Only one way for you to find out.
Kai: I wish <3 And sometimes I imagine.
Garrett: Do you now?
Kai: Mmhmm.
Garrett: What else do you imagine?
Kai: Mostly I imagine ripping off that camo, straddling you, and sucking your face while we grind against each other.
Garrett: Mmm. Sounds like torture. Do I get to touch you?
Kai: Eventually ;) But there’s also something really hot about the idea of us jerking off together while kissing. It’d be so messy and hot.
Garrett: Fuck yeah it would. Even hotter if I got to play with your ass the whole time.
Kai: Yeah…I bet you’re good with those long fingers.
Garrett: I’m even better with my dick.
Kai: Would you fuck me fast or keep it slow?
Garrett: Slow at first…just nailing that sweet spot of yours. Then when you’re a fucking mess, sweaty and begging for more, I’d pound you.
Kai: oh fuck. Keep talking
Garrett: I bet you’d moan so good for me, baby. And I bet you get really dirty.
Kai: for you I would
Garrett: You’d beg me to fuck you harder, wouldn’t you? Beg me to ride that ass until we both came hard
Kai: Holy shit I really did just come fucking hard. Made a mess
Garrett: :) Mission accomplished. Now send me a pic of you covered in cum so I can get off.
* * *
Kai: I know you saw that asshole’s comments in Chat about my videos. DO NOT RESPOND.
Garrett: …
Kai: Stop it. He’s just some dude who recently discovered my channel and now he’s trying to get my attention. If you respond, it’s exactly what he wants!
Garrett: That motherfucker is lucky I don’t know where he lives. I would end him. And I’d fucking enjoy it.
Kai: Babe, Internet 101 is don’t read the comments and don’t feed the trolls. People say really weird shit. It’s like…normal. Sort of.
Garrett: I’m going to go hit something.
Kai: Garrett…
Garrett: Like a punching bag. Or someone’s face.
Kai: Don’t break your hand! You need it to jerk off when we have sexy chats.
Garrett: I hate you.
Kai: No you don’t.
Garrett: No, no I don’t.
* * *
Garrett: You there?
Kai: Yeah. What’s up?
Garrett: Can you tell me what it’s like there? The weather?
Kai: There are flurries.
Garrett: No way, really? Winter’s almost over.
Kai: Yeah, nothing sticking on the road or anything. It’s kinda pretty.
Garrett: Man, never thought I’d miss snow.
Kai: You’ll see it next year <3
Garrett: Yeah. Maybe.
Kai: Maybe?
Garrett: I just keep worrying about what I’ll be doing this time next year. I’m afraid of what happens when I come home. I joined the Army to avoid being another white trash statistic in my hometown… and now I’m scared of being another unemployed vet after all the time I’ve put in.
Kai: But…that’s unlikely, isn’t it?
Garrett: I don’t know, Kai. I just worry all the fucking time. What if I can’t get a good job and I’m stuck changing oil at some backwoods greasy mechanic shop making chump change for the rest of my life? That’s what my dad did when he wasn’t drunk and bouncing between jobs. It just…sucks to think this may have all been for nothing, you know?
Kai: Babe, if your anxiety over it means anything…you won’t give up until you find something that makes you happy. You’ll keep looking and trying. If my childhood taught me anything it’s that people who grow up struggling will fight hard against barriers and won’t let hard times knock them down. Sometimes it’s not perfect…I’m DEFINITELY not perfect…but we’ll try to make it work for ourselves in the end.
Garrett: God, Kai.
Kai: What?
Garrett: Nothing. You’re just…I don’t know. Thank you.
Kai: <3
Garrett: Happy Valentine’s Day, btw. I hope someone made you happy today.
Kai: You did.
Garrett: I wish I could make you happy in real life.
Kai: What would you have done?
Garrett: Brought you dinner and a bucket of mint chocolate chip ice cream. Maybe a present. Definitely a kiss and a blowjob.
Kai: You would be the best Valentine ever <3 I’d suck your dick so awesomely in return. I’m a little rusty, so we’ll need a lot of practice.
Garrett: I’m at your disposal.
Kai: You better be.
* * *
Kai: I found a good luck charm today! Well, in my world it’s a good luck charm. Two grapes stuck together! They looked like a butt. Or balls.
Kai: I hope that made you laugh. You’re probably working on a tank or like on a patrol.
Kai: Um, be safe.
* * *
Garrett: Watching your Twitch stream last night. Nice FWO kill.
Kai: Thanks, did you like my victory dance?
Garrett: Ha. Yeah, better than last week when you got ganked mid-dance by that spellsinger’s pals.
Kai: My orc’s foot slipped. I didn’t see em coming.
Garrett: Sure. If I ever level up, I’ll have your back.
Kai: I can’t think of anyone better for the job. :)
* * *
Garrett: You’re probably sleeping. I just want you to know, not sure I’d have gotten through most of this deployment without you. A couple more months, man. Then I’m home. Better stock your fridge with ice cream. Because I’m staying for a few days.
March
Kai
I heard the ping of Gchat from across the room and hustled over to my computer.
Garrett: Are you serious?
I typed quickly.
Serious about what?
Garrett: This huge fucking box!
Reliable sources had said care packages sent overseas could take up to a month and it’d taken more than two since I’d waited to add the newest games after demo-ing them. It had started to look like the damn thing had been lost in the mail, or held up in customs.
Kai: Yes, I’m serious.
Garrett: Why?
Kai: Why not?
There was a pause. A long pause.
Garrett: Can we Skype while I open it? I waited until the guy sharing my tent left so I could open it while talking to you.
I’d expected this. I’d thought about nothing but this for months. We’d shared…a heck of a lot. Honestly, he was the closest I’d ever had to a boyfriend. I was ready to take the next step. My stomach rolled, and I wanted to puke, but I was ready.
Kai: Okay.
Garret: What? Really?
Kai: Yes.
Garrett: You’re sure, right. You’re not just saying that?
Kai: I’m sure.
Garrett: …Now?
I glanced down at my T-shirt and boxers, then hurriedly threw on a pair of sweatpants.
Kai: Yup. Now.
We exchanged Skype information, and as the call connected, I sat on my hands so I didn’t bite off all of my fingernails. This was it. I was going to see him in person and most of all…he was going to see me. Of course, he’d seen me on Twitch and from my videos, but now we were in real time and talking directly to each other. The moment felt bigger than I wanted it to. Shit, I needed a drink or something.
When Garrett’s face came into view, I sucked in my breath and waited for the signal to catch up and his image to stop blurring. I wasn’t sure what he was doing, moving about or whatever, but he was so pixelated, I could barely make him out.
“Garrett, stop moving,” I said, harsher than I meant to.
He came into focus, and then I was gazing into the brown eyes of Garrett Reid. He must have been sitting at a desk because all I could see was his head and chest as he stared at me intently, if not a little cautiously. The sight of him was like a punch in the gut. He was fucking gorgeous, with cheekbones so high and so sharp, I wondered how his tanned skin didn’t split over them. I wanted to crawl through the screen, straddle his lap, kiss those lips until his beard rubbed my chin raw, until we were both breathless, until I remembered what it was like to be touched again.
I didn’t know what to say when all I wanted to do was reach out, pretend that my fingers would graze warm skin instead of a cold monitor.
Garrett lifted his hand and brushed it along his short beard. “I look like shit. If I’d known we were gonna do this, I’d have shaved.”
“It’s fine,” I said softly, not wanting him to be self-conscious about anything. “I get to see you, live, in living color, and it’s…more than fine. It’s great.”
His cautious smile widened. “Yeah? Well it’s fucking amazing to see your gorgeous face.”
I didn’t know what to say to that, so I said nothing. Plus, his voice was drugging me. It was low and a little gravelly but yet he was still…soft-spoken. I wanted him to keep talking. And now that I had a voice to match the face, my imagination was going to be off the charts when I next wrapped my hand around my dick.
He cleared his throat and repositioned the camera before backing away so I could see him from the knees up. He wore a pair of camo pants and a tan T-shirt. When he bent over to haul a box into his lap, I spotted a sliver of tan skin above his waistband. “So, some guy in the States sent me this box. What do you think is in it?”
I wrinkled my nose. “I’m sure it’s all junk.”
Garrett laughed softly, and I liked the sound. I liked it a lot. “Yeah, right.” He pulled a knife out of one of the many pockets in his pants and began slicing through the tape.
Fuck, why was that hot? “Whoa, Rambo.”
He looked down at his knife, held it up to his face, and sneered. “They drew first blood, not me,” he quoted.
I clapped my hands with glee. “Oh shit, I’m so turned on now.”
Garrett squinted at the camera, one eyebrow raised. “Yeah?”
I rolled my eyes. “Just open the box.”
He pointed the knife at me. “All right, but we can talk about that some other time. You being turned on when I wield a weapon.” When the tape was cut, Garrett flipped the knife closed with one hand—again, fucking hot—and slipped it into his pants. He opened up the flaps and peered inside. “This thing is full.”
