Chapter 17
She wanted him. Intense, fast, now, Sasha arched on her toes to taste fully of Tom and a passion just as vibrant. Was it hers or his? Deepening the kiss, she wasn't sure because that old connection of theirs flowed back and forth and back again until she couldn't ascertain where the need began. Nor could she imagine where it ended.
Tom breezed his fingers down a shivery path over her neck, along her breasts, leaving her aching for more when his hand fell away. Nipping her bottom lip, tracing her ear with growled words about how damned hot he found her, she loved it.
They had paid their bill and made their way back to her place. They'd managed to keep their hands to themselves but as soon as the door closed. All bets were off. Sasha neither Tom cared as all they wanted was each other.
They made their way to her bedroom, mostly from her pushing him in the direction as it was his first time in her place. He didn't seem to mind as she helped his pull off his shirt and shuck his shoes and pants.
Feather-light strokes travelled up and down her back in tantalizing whispers at odds with the bold hands delivering them. She wanted this and more and everything, after so long of nothing and wanting just this man.
She half worried he would push her away instigating the 'let's take thing slow' rule. It was sensible than diving head first into their passion.
"Don't stop," he answered her unspoken thoughts with an ease recaptured from the past.
Relief weakened her knees. Having Tom now meant so damned much to her, almost too much. Something she hadn't realized until she faced his possible rejection.
For a moment she faltered, as she knew this couldn't be uncomplicated. Sex with Tom had never been uncomplicated. It always meant something just as it did now. It became about broad hands shaking from restraint. The familiar look of his brows furrowed in deep concentration that was focussed entirely on her. That he felt the same.
The past and the present blended into a combustible need that surpassed just sex. She felt so conflicted as her hunger for him twisted in with old emotions and insecurities woke up. For all her confidence and strength, she still had moments where she questioned herself. The day he'd left her on the ship had been a blow to her ego. It made her wonder even now- was she enough? Would he find her thirty four year old body less enticing than her twenty year old self?
Her heart pounded in her throat and her body overheated with arousal. She stayed passive as Tom smoothed her cardigan and dress straps slid down her arms, hooked on her elbows before slithering to pool at her feet. A quick snap of the back clasp on her bra bared her. She didn't have to wonder long. His appreciative eyes burned a slow ride, lingering, moving on to linger and heat again. With an almost worshipful reverence, he reached. Touched. The line of her collarbone.
"You're even more beautiful than I remembered." Tom murmured, Sasha shivered with pleasure not just from his touch but also his words and the desire laced through them and his features.
"Are you okay with this?" He asked, he rested his forehead on hers, his hands hooked low on her waist. She smiled as she should have remembered this man had a sensitive side. That he wasn't entirely ruled by his hormones. Just like she, he didn't want to mess this up. But she didn't want to hit pause on this either.
"Hell yes." She told him, she wrapped her arms around his neck, she fell backward to pulling him down with her on the bed. The mattress bounced and within seconds the rest of their clothes found their way onto the floor.
Tom eased over her, holding himself away with his elbows, air sliding between them. She wanted more but could tell he wanted to take this slow. She couldn't indulge him as she was too riddle with lust to be complacent anymore.
She hooked her leg around his and knocked him off balance; rolling them until she straddled him. A tingle of anticipation zipped up her spine, then back down again, sparking lower. Hotter.
Heat flamed his eyes to smoky black, she draped herself down and over Tom, blanketing him with her body and hair just before she took his mouth. Searched deep and long, with all the pent-up need she yearned; poured into the kiss. Groaning, he gripped her hips.
"You want to be in control?" Tom asked her, she pulled back just enough to see his smile, which she mirrored as she walked her fingers down his chest, lower, counting the ridged flexing of his stomach.
"Do you have a problem with that?" she asked, she felt Tom's heart beat speed up and his eyes flare with desired.
"Can't think of any." He replied a little breathless. Sasha opened her bedside table and pulled out a condom. "Unless that's your only condom." He added.
"Oh, I came prepared, Tom." She promised, Tom smiled and chuckled until her hand dipped lower still until she encircled him, he groan a low appreciative noise at the contact. Sasha felt like the sexiest woman alive as she ripped open the packet and sheathed him in a condom with languorous strokes. "But I'm thinking it might be incredible to break your restraint." She informed him.
Tom grinned through his pleasure as his fingers flexed on her hips. "And I'm thinking you won't have to try very much." He told her.
She lowered herself onto him, took him into her body as once she'd taken him into her heart. Fully and completely. The pressure of his presence within her maybe a bit too much at first until she adjusted to him being there again. And then so very right she couldn't remember a time he hadn't been a part of her.
Tom pressed his head back into the pillow, closed his eyes, and clenched his jaw trying not to come too soon as just making this far was fucking amazing. He was damned if he couldn't last more than 30 blissful seconds inside her.
But as much as he wanted to stay still, he couldn't and he could tell Sasha wouldn't let him as he felt her contract around her. He gave a shaky breath and opened his eyes. She was a vision of beauty, more beautiful and vibrant than his drug induced visions ever mustered. He stared back up at her; completely enthralled.
Then she circled her hips, teasing him instead of making them race. Drawing out his pleasure but testing his ability to hold out on giving in completely. She brought her hands down to his chest, touched him with the same light caresses he'd given her, strokes that at first enticed, then grew progressively more frustrating as her slow pelvic motions and teasing contractions.
His eyes widened then narrowed. Oh, yeah, he was on to her. who would win? Hopefully both of them. She saw him smoulder at the unspoken challenge. Their battle of wills continued with traded caresses that tempted without satisfying until Tom was practically crawling out of skin from holding back.
With a growl of surrender that conversely brought his aggressive advance, he sat up. Sasha shifted her legs to wrap around his waist, welcome him in further, closer, wrenching groan from low in his throat. He palmed her back, holding them chest to chest, heart to pounding heart as she glided down while he thrust up.
Restraints fell out of the way. His. Hers. Until everything became 'Their's as they moved together in a frenzied pace of gasping breaths and demands.
His mouth closed over her breast, pulled, drew. The rock of waves beneath them increased the hot friction of skin against skin until she wasn't in control anymore. But then, neither was he. All their focus was on each other and reaching completion.
Tom quickened his pace, his heart, his heated breath against her flesh. Sasha figured her memory had to be faulty because no way could she have forgotten this being so fucking amazing. Ecstasy was winding itself around her, drawing her tighter and tighter. Every deep stroke brought her closer to the edge of release.
"Tom!" she cried, riding the climax that exploded suddenly within her. She felt Tom shudder and groan as he followed her.
Three days later,
Daniela sat in the local branch of Bank of America, dressed a suit and shoes she could not afford. Her hair quaffed just so and her make up immaculate. She hated the look as it reminded her of how she'd been four years ago. A woman who had survived an abusive husband to run an empire but she wasn't that woman anymore. She was fine with that, as she had moved on and she felt better for it. But being back in the suits and charade of being 'powerful' felt unnatural to her. It felt wrong but as long as the girls were saved and returned to their father then it would justify it all.
She wished she could share it with Meylan, she wanted to but she held back as she was afraid. She was afraid that he'd believe she was slipping into her old ways. Afraid that he'd try to get involved a long with the Navy, they tended to not do things quietly or cleanly. She knew in her bones she was right to do things her way. She hated that it felt like she was lying to him by withholding what she knew about Mike's daughters.
She thought of Mike, a man would not put photos of his daughters on missing adverts if he didn't love her. He'd been so good to her, that she wanted to help him reunite with his daughters. She knew part of her reasoning was selfish as she needed to believe that men in powerful positions did actually love their daughters and didn't use them as pawns for their gain.
"Ok, if you sign right here. The loan will be approved in the next 72 hours. We'll transfer the money through as you requested." the bank manager told Daniela as he pushed the paperwork for a loan her way. She was sinking in deep as the loan repayments would leave her with around $120 a week to live on. Once she took out rent, that leave $20 a week for her to subsist on. She told herself it would be worth it.
"Excellent. I knew I chose well when shopping for a bank." Daniela purred at the man, he smiled from the attention while she felt like she needed a hot shower. But there was a purpose to it, and it meant Mike's kids would be free very soon.
"We're glad you're with us Ms Soto especially with the generous donation to the Children's hospital fund." the bank manager told her, Daniela gave a nod as the money he'd lumped on top of her loan as a 'donation' would never be used for sick children. But she was not going to judge as she needed the main portion of money to push through quickly to get the kids back. She refused to wait the three week wait period for arbitrary decision that could be made on the spot. Frankly, she didn't need the man looking into her deeply as he would find out she was broke.
"Good, I'm very eager to get my property." Daniela lied, the bank manager was a moron and a crook. He recognised her last name and the cut of expensive suit to believe she was made of money. Thanks to a few lies about having issues with bringing money into the country due to the tax reasons...well he believed she was rich and wasn't smart enough to know she was full of bullshit.
She picked up the pen and with a quick flourish she signed herself to a massive debt. She wished she felt relief but frankly she felt an oppressive weight sink onto her. She just hoped that everything worked out.
Tom sprawled on the lounge, barely watching old episode of Law and Order that was rerunning on TNT channel that Sasha had put on. She lounged with her head at the opposite end, completely enthralled in some angst ridden state while he drew lazy circles along her ankles and wondered when he'd developed a foot fetish. Sasha had pretty toes, which were painted a crimson red.
Toes? He was in big trouble here. As much as he'd enjoyed the hell out of Sasha when they'd been younger, this woman flattened him. There was an intensity about her now that demanded more from him than before and he didn't just mean in bed.
"Ok, come on. I totally had the murderer pegged in five minutes." Sasha said shaking her head in disgust at whatever was happening. "What?" she asked Tom, he just smiled at her clear frustration with fiction. It was adorable and there was something incredibly normal and domestic about them sitting here.
"It's just a show. Fiction." he reminded her.
"I know, it's just frustrating. I would have solved that murder in ten minutes." Sasha complained.
"With the evidence and all the paperwork in too?" he asked teasingly, paperwork in the military was an art form; he highly doubt it was any easier in the Police force.
"All they do is shuffle paper and the pretty lawyer takes over. It's not that hard in TVland. Though, I think I'd make an awesome cop and I can shuffle paper like a pro." Sasha assured him, Tom chuckled as he tried to imagine her in a police uniform. It didn't quite gel but then he couldn't imagine Sasha doing any other job than what she was now.
"True, ah-so what are you doing this weekend?" he asked, changing topics.
"Nothing planned yet. Why?" She asked.
"I was thinking of going to St Louis. I was hoping you'd come with me." he said, he looked to her nervously, "So would you like to come?" he asked.
"Sure." she said, he gave nod relieved that he wouldn't be alone.
Later that evening,
Daniela and Azima sipped 25 yr old scotch bought by a well dressed gentlemen, they were in an underground poker room in Little Korea of Norfolk's clubbing district. Azima had suggested a night out and with Meylan tied up with night training exercises for the Nathan James; she decided to partake. She needed the distraction as she waited impatiently for the loan to clear.
There was also the fact that she needed money, she couldn't find a full time job anywhere as the job market was abysmal which meant she had to find other means to clear the loan before it swallowed her up. So they went dancing at a few clubs before settling in Little Korea for some late night gambling. Azima didn't know nor care why they were here as she was just enjoying herself.
"You really know how to show a girl a good time." Azima told Daniela with a smile, she winked at the man across the table from her. She was a savvy poker player as she flirted with everything that had a pulse. So her poker face was hard to distinguish from her base line. At least to the other players, for Daniela and her trained eye. Well, she read Azima like an open book. But at the moment, Azima was had folded her hand early was watching the game.
"What are friends for?" Daniela asked her, as she tossed a couple $50 notes in the pile. She was already 60 grand up from Azima's $1000 buy in for them. Daniela just had to win this hand and then they'd leave as she didn't want to piss of the owners or the players around her.
"I'll see you." the man across the table said, he pulled off his $30k watch tossing it onto the table as it was all he had left. Daniela turned her cards up; showing her hand. His face fell in disgust as turned over to show his. He'd had a pair of aces while she had four kings. She smiled as it was enough living money to last her a year and she could claim some on tips to pay off her loan.
"That is some luck." a Korean man in his late 40s said taking a seat next to her. Daniela smiled warmly as she took in his handsome features, immaculately cut suit and the tattoos poking out of them. He obviously ran the room and her playing had caught his attention. She knew not to cheat as usually meant risking a limb.
"Lady luck is shining on me." Daniela said as she scooped up the cash and handed the watch to Azima. She put the watch on and pretending to admire it. "Is everything ok?" she asked him dumbly.
"Yeah, I have a private party where the stakes run a little higher if you're interested." He told her, Daniela smiled at the offer.
"Maybe next time, my girl and I are hungry. Is the restaurant still open?" Daniela asked him.
"It is." He said, looked to the money on the table and back at her.
"Fantastic, now I forget what is the establishment's cut?" She asked him.
"10%" he said, quirking his eyebrow in surprise that she knew the true reason for him sitting here.
"Here, let's just go half as I'm way too hungry and tired to count." Daniela said as she cut the pile in half. She wasn't greedy as she could come back for the rest. He grinned at her generosity. She passed a tip over to the dealer for his time. She needed to build a credible relationship that she was willing to bet high and not be stingy on handing it out. She also knew by handed back a good percentage of her winnings it would save them from being rolled outside.
"Thank you, for your patronage." he said, he rose from his chair and left his cut on the table for the dealer to pick up. Daniela watched him walk away and turned to help Azima clean up what was left of their winnings.