AN1 Review count almost halved last chapter. Is interest wavering? I hope not, with 100+ chapters remaining.
AN2 As stated at the end of 37, we have entered a new phase of Chuck and Sarah's relationship. What's to take place from this chapter on was supposed to happen in 38, but I explained why I needed to prioritise Ghost in the previous two chapters. However, the focus now firmly returns to Charah, and it will remain for most of the remainder of the story unless they are on a high-stakes mission with lives on the line, in which case, Chuck and Sarah will ALWAYS revert to being just teammates (with the occasional highlighting of their feelings during some missions) as part of a team of eight until the completion of what they're paid and trained to do.
Who Dares Wins
Chapter Forty: Lockdown: Part Nineteen: Dogs of War: Part Three
Manchester
United Kingdom
Sunday, 18 November, 2007
23:00 hours
Sarah entered the pool area of the hotel Red Team was using as their basha (sleeping area) for their duration of stay in Manchester. Sarah was the first of the unit poolside, but the rest of the team should be joining her imminently.
After Red Team arrived at the hotel half an hour ago and discovered the hotel had a pool, sauna, and steam facilities, the team of eight promptly made their way to the hotel shop and purchased shorts, or in the case of Sarah, a leopard print bikini.
Sarah felt incredibly relaxed under the night lights of the facility as she walked to the pool's deepest end.
Soon arriving at her destination, she paused at the edge of the pool, drawing in an intake of air as she relaxed her shoulders.
I'm going to enjoy this very much after being caked up in lockdown for more than two weeks now!
Completing her relaxing activities, Sarah dived into the water. Now underwater, she remained submerged for as long as she could until rising to the surface to restore air. Reemerging her face and neckline up to her shoulders, Sarah sighed pleasurably for a long moment.
The water was relatively chilly, but that was to be expected, considering it was a mid-November evening, and a period of extreme cold weather was forecast to arrive in a matter of days.
Sarah paused in her position inside the pool, looking up at the facility's ceiling as a smile of great pleasure quickly encompassed her features before she drew out another pleasurable sigh.
The water temperature isn't the greatest, but I don't care! God, this feels so good! I wish it was just Chuck and me alone tonight, though. He's been on my mind since I went to his room on Thursday night, which was risky but worth it. I can't allow us to get caught again after what Bryce did to us, but I'm finding it harder and harder to hide how I feel about him. Is what we've been doing off-duty together really anybody's business, so long as we don't speak about it nor bring it to work?
Sarah started biting her lip to stem her rising intimate thoughts about her teammate and lover. Soon glancing down at the pool entrance, her gaze connected onto the very same man as she did so.
Chuck returned her look, grinning at her as he strolled without a care in the world—just like how she was feeling because right now they could be themselves again with no lockdown or dangerous mission—towards her at the deep end.
Sarah watched his every step, eyeing her lover up and down as he approached her. Chuck was wearing white and black floral shorts, and Sarah had to admit: he had the perfect beach body to display them. Even if Chuck had been a geeky guy without a body built from his many years of intense physical endurance activities, Sarah would still have been immensely attracted to him because it was what he offered inside which stimulated her arousal most of all towards him: his enormous thighs, well-defined torso, broad shoulders, tall golden-tanned figure, and his smile from out of this world were just the icing on the cake!
With her skin starting to clam in arousal stemming from looking at her lover, Sarah broke their gaze for a brief moment, looking down at the edge of the pool in an attempt to calm and compose herself—because the rest of the team could appear at any moment.
Once Chuck arrived and stopped a few steps from the edge of the pool, she returned her glance onto him.
"Hiya," he said, grinning down at her.
"Hi yourself," she replied, smiling back at him.
Nodding at the water all around Sarah, Chuck asked, "How's the water?"
"Come in and feel for yourself," she said, still smiling.
Chuck pointed multiple times in approval at her, still grinning, and said, "I intend to do just that."
Sarah waited and watched on as Chuck did a few brief stretches—almost feeling tempted to reach and just pull him in—before he performed a dive bomb right over her head, and he entered the water a few metres away from her.
She snorted at his actions, holding her glance at Chuck's position in the water until he came up for air.
Once he gained a fix on her location, he grinned at her.
"I thought you'd got lost," Sarah teased, smirking at him. "You men have such terrible timekeeping," she furthered her joke, shaking her head.
"Shut up, or I'll drown you!" Chuck warned, all smiles at her as she held her smug look at him.
"I'd like to see you try."
"Come on then!" Chuck said suddenly, flapping his arms around above the water, his tone impersonating a Mancunian accent as best he could. "Let's fucking 'av it!"
Sarah snorted multiple times, knowing exactly what he was attempting. "Wow. That was impressive," she admitted in amazement. He'd managed to flawlessly perfect Bryce's accent.
"Thanks," he said, grinning cheerfully. "But complimenting me doesn't get you out of being drowned. So here I come!"
Chuck instantly abandoned his position, lunging at Sarah.
She reacted immediately, and they began to tussle in the eight-foot-deep water.
"This might end the same way it did in my apartment, gorgeous," she warned, laughing as they continued to struggle for supremacy.
"Actually, it won't," he replied, attempting to turn her, but unsuccessfully. "The water will kill most of your momentum if you even attempt to knee me again, and besides, you now like them too much to give me a knee to the nuts ever again," he said, winking his eyebrows at her as he suppressed laughter.
Sarah muted laughter in joy. Perhaps he's right. Maybe I do. I won't tell him that, though!
She resisted his grapple further, but as she did so, he countered it, successfully turning her.
With Sarah's back now into his chest, he instantly fell back, sinking the lovers underwater together.
Sarah doubled her attempts to break free of his grip wrapped around her stomach, laughing as she did so.
After a moment, she'd almost managed to break his grip on her when suddenly, his grip raised, landing on her chest, where he took hold of her breasts, tightly reaffirming his grip in his new spot as he did so.
Sarah paused all action at the intimate contact from her lover. Now a goner, she soon started to run out of air, and she began to struggle more urgently to let him know that they needed to stop.
Her actions caused his grip to loosen instantly, and they soon came up to the surface together to restore air, with Sarah now floating just in front of the edge of the pool and Chuck slightly ahead of her.
Sarah quickly turned to face him. "You grabbed my boobs! That is so not fair!" she said, pointing at him and trying not to smile.
However, once he started to grin at her, the smile she'd been holding back soon escaped her face.
"Now you know how it feels to bring sexual parts into a fight," he said, still all smiles.
Sarah shook her head at him. "You dirty cheat," she said affectionately, sporting him a loving gaze.
"It takes one to know one, Sarah," he said back, sharing the glance with her.
Sarah giggled sweetly. "Maybe next time I'll grab you down there," she said, nodding down at his shorts.
"If you do that," he said, but he paused to glance around both sides and behind him to make sure no other teammate was here yet. Satisfied they weren't, he moved to pull Sarah into him and rested his hands on her butt. "Then we're having sex in the pool."
Sarah laughed wickedly, not reacting badly to his words nor his hands on her butt because she'd looked around for any teammates once they came up for air herself. "After how you just touched my boobs, I'm feeling the same way right now."
Chuck blew out a sigh. "Ahhhh… it's a shame we're sharing the hotel with the lads because I'd love nothing more than for us to have a good time and enjoy ourselves right now."
"Me too," she agreed, drawing out a sigh of her own, and attempting to force a smile which showed no teeth.
"I don't know how I'm gonna compose and control myself once they all come out, though," he admitted.
Staring into his eyes, she asked, "Why?"
"Because, Sarah," he said but he paused to glance down at her bikini set. "You look more jaw-dropping in this bikini than I've ever seen you. God, you're so perfect."
Sarah's breath caught at his words, and her skin started to clam. Swallowing away the sudden lumps in her throat, she said, "I have been having the same thoughts about you. You are too."
He suppressed a laugh. "Sarah, I'm an ordinary guy compared to you."
She instantly shook her head. "You're not," she declared without hesitation. "I told you in my apartment just before we were about to make love that there's nothing simple about you. You're a perfect catch and what makes you so perfect is that you don't even know that you are, nor will you probably ever. I could never like a guy who loved himself."
"Then I'm the luckiest guy in the world," he said with a grin the size of a banana.
"Yeah," she said, nodding. "You are."
He held his grin.
She returned the warm gaze.
The lovers then paused briefly, each glancing to see if their teammates had arrived yet.
They hadn't.
"I wonder what's taking them so long?" Sarah asked as they returned their glance onto each other, his hands still resting firmly on her butt, which felt nothing short of amazing for both of them. Sarah would already have had her hands on his butt, too, if it weren't so risky. The lovers were safe enough for Chuck to have his hands where he did because it could only be seen what he was holding if people were behind Sarah. But nobody could enter from there. Instead, they had to enter from behind Chuck, where Sarah kept checking every few seconds, just in case...
"They probably went to the 24-hour gym first," he suggested.
She nodded.
"I thought about it briefly myself," he admitted. "But in the end, I decided I wanted to get in my shorts and jump straight into here without delay," he said, erupting in joy.
"Me too," she said, matching his happiness.
"I'm glad they're not here just yet, though, 'cause it's allowed us some time together," he said. "But I have a request to ask of you," he said as his playful face broke out.
"What is it?" she asked, lifting her head as she stared into his alluring eyes.
"Please, never, ever wear leopard around me again," he said, puffing out a sigh. "Because I've had nothing but arousing thoughts about you since setting eyes on you."
An elegant smile lit up her face. "I'm sorry, Chuck, no deal," she giggled. "As long as we're off-duty, I suddenly have an urge to wear it even more now that I know it gets you going."
"You're gonna be the death of me!" he instantly said, removing a hand from her butt to point at her instead.
"You should have picked another lover instead then, shouldn't you?" she said, biting her lip, staring into his eyes.
"No, I shouldn't have," he said back instantly, matching her stare and returning his hand to join his other one on Sarah's butt once more. "Because I'd have to be by far the dumbest guy on the planet if I ever looked at another woman instead of you."
She bore him a loving smile. "I'll hold you to that."
"Oh, so you intend to keep me then?" he said, holding her stare, grinning.
Smirking, she said, "That depends whether you behave like a good boy or a bad boy."
"Which would you prefer?" he said, suppressing laughter.
Smiling as they held their lover's stare, she said, "That would be telling, wouldn't it?"
He nodded. "Fair enough. I'll just have to guess then," he said but paused briefly as they checked for any sign of their teammates again. Looking back at each other, he said, "In public, you want someone well mannered, someone you can be yourself around, have fun with, and not be embarrassed by. Someone who will buy you flowers and make you feel special. Hmm... Let me guess: I'd go for roses, but that's too typical of a guess for someone as sophisticated as you are, so the roses are for romance, while gardenias are your go-to pick me up when feeling low."
"Wow," she said, amazed, as she moved her hands up to rest on her face in shyness. He'd managed to read her to perfection. I picked a good one
"How am I doing so far?" he asked.
"Pretty good," she admitted.
"Now comes in private, where your desire and arousal escape into the romantic within you, and it engulfs you. And this, I know, beyond all doubt, because I've already seen your libido and sex drive, and trust me, I'm not complaining!" he said, suppressing laughter.
Sarah snorted in joy. "So does that mean I want a good boy, or a bad boy, in private?" she asked, her glance darting at his lips, feeling a sudden yearning to kiss him.
"A bad boy," he said, grinning. "Actually, a naughty boy, but only occasionally and only in private. Because a lot of the time you love to be in control too."
She giggled affectionately. "You're too posh to be a bad boy," she teased. "With your gentlemanly Cheshire manners and your upper-class accent."
Chuck suppressed immediate laughter. "Oh, so you finally admit I'm from Cheshire then, huh?"
"Only until tomorrow," she said in joy, rotating her glance between his eyes and his lips, still yearning to kiss his face off. Their conversation so far had lit a deep fire inside her for him, he'd successfully managed to stimulate every inch of her mind, and with each passing day, she grew more attracted to him.
He sighed into her face, shaking his head, but he squeezed hold of her butt, which caught her breath. "Me and you are through."
"Aww, and just as things were getting interesting," she said, moving to place a hand to grip hold of his manhood between his shorts.
As the lovers held their intimate stare, Chuck instantly said, "Sarah, I'd like to retract my last statement immediately! Nem con?"
Sarah nodded, smiling into his eyes. "Nem con, because I'm far from finished with you, lover boy."
Chuck grinned at her before moving towards her, and she quickly met him halfway.
She closed her eyes as they began to kiss, losing herself in the moment, her arousal for him growing by the second as their lips detached and reattached, their tongues meeting and expressing their growing desire held towards each other as she stroked his arousal through his shorts.
Once they parted for air, she fought hard for every breath she took, attempting to compose herself from the extreme intimacy she'd just shared with him.
She wanted to go right back in for more, but in their break, she'd realised that, for a moment, they'd surrendered themselves to their desire for each other, and their teammates could have caught them in the process.
It appeared Chuck knew it too. Looking over his shoulder briefly, he returned to look at her. Grimacing, he said, "That was probably a bad idea where we are right now."
"Yeah. It was," she agreed, nodding, still fighting to regain normalcy in her airways. "We'll finish this later. I'll come to you once we leave here."
Chuck nodded, finally letting go of Sarah's butt.
Sarah, likewise, released her grip on his arousal through his shorts.
And, it appeared, not a moment too soon either, as the lovers were disturbed by someone saying in an accent they knew all too well, "Oi, oi, what are you two up to?"
Sarah and Chuck turned to look at Big Dan, who had entered the poolside with Jamie and Bryce.
"Trying to drown her for calling me a scouser," Chuck said back.
Sarah smiled while Jamie and Bryce suppressed laughter.
"He's too posh to be a scouser, Sarah," Big Dan said as he came to a stop halfway up the pool with Jamie and Bryce.
"You're my new favourite friend!" Chuck said, grinning at Big Dan.
Chuck turned to Sarah again briefly. "Sell it," he whispered.
Sarah nodded.
Chuck then moved to push Sarah under the water.
She allowed Chuck to push her under without any resistance.
Returning her head up to the surface after a few seconds, she instantly discharged a hard slap across Chuck's head.
Big Dan instantly snorted while Jamie and Bryce entered immediate fits of laughter.
However, Chuck complained, "Ow!" looking at Sarah in disgust.
Sarah snorted. "You said sell it, beautiful," she whispered.
Chuck nodded in concession. "Well, that slap was one way to get rid of the tent in my shorts."
Sarah smirked as the lovers shared one final glance before they turned their attention back onto their teammates, and in perfect timing, too, because they instantly witnessed Big Dan suddenly pushing both Jamie and Bryce into the pool, who naively had their back turned to the big Geordie.
Chuck, Sarah and Big Dan erupted in a fit of laughter, and Jamie and Bryce soon came up from underneath the water, and the pair of them entered coughing fits.
"You fucking twat!" Bryce complained, with his tone cracked because he continued to cough as he did so.
"You tell him, Speedy, mate!" Jamie said in agreement as he and Bryce shot Big Dan looks of disgust.
Chuck, Sarah and Big Dan continued chuckling before Big Dan soon ran towards Jamie and Bryce's positions, and he jumped over their heads into the pool, causing a huge splash which sent a tidal wave at Jamie and Bryce as he did so.
"Fucking hell!" Jamie said in a mixture of complaint and shock at just how much splash Big Dan had produced.
Sarah and Chuck snorted as they remained paused in the deep end.
Big Dan soon came up from out of the water.
"If I'd have known it felt this good, I would have skipped the gym and just came straight here," Big Dan said, glancing between his four teammates.
"That's why we did," Sarah said.
"I agree, mate," Jamie said. "All of us need and deserve this after the shitting lockdown we've all been stuck in."
Everyone nodded when the five teammates became aware of Cole, Chris and John Murray entering the poolside.
"Trust the old timer to come out last," Big Dan said, snorting as he looked at his team leader.
Chuckles erupted amongst the team, except Chris, who pointed at Big Dan and said, "Right, I'm gonna have you!"
The chuckles continued as Chris approached the pool with purpose, dive-bombing in just like Big Dan and Chuck much earlier as he did so.
Entering the pool, with Cole and John Murray following him close behind, Chris approached Big Dan, and the teammates began to scuffle with each other.
Their exchange lasted a long moment as the laughter, and close togetherness continued until the playful tussle stopped, and the team set about their activities within the pool.
X-X-X-X-X-X
A short while later
The full complement of Red Team arrived one by one to rest against the edge of the pool in the deep end.
With their shoulders relaxed against the edge, the unit sighed in delight.
"We should do this more often off-duty instead of drinking all of the time," Sarah suggested as she kicked away into the water from where she rested.
"That's not a bad idea, Sarah," Chuck replied, kicking his own feet into the water.
"Yeah, it's not actually," Jamie said. "We'll have to spend a day at the water park in Hereford as soon as this fucking nightmare lockdown is all said and done."
Jamie's teammates all muttered instant agreements.
"I feel eight-ninths complete, though, because we're missing Ghost," Big Dan joked.
"He came into the unit with style," Cole said with pride.
Snorts erupted amongst most of Red Team while Bryce said, "Don't remind me of that twat!"
Everyone except Chuck winced while Chuck abandoned his position against the edge, and he stepped out to look at Bryce. "Hey you!" he said, pointing at him. "For that, you're up again as the decoy next!"
"Agreed," Chris quickly said. "Because I've now had enough of the laddie's whining."
Approving laughter erupted from everyone except Bryce, who promptly complained, "Oh, fucking hell!"
The laughter significantly extended as Jamie said, "You should have kept your mouth shut then, shouldn't you?"
Everyone promptly agreed.
Big Dan then stepped out to look at his teammates. He pointed with his thumb towards the sauna and steam rooms and said, "Who's for the sauna then?"
"Sounds good to me," Chuck said instantly.
"Me too," Sarah quickly agreed.
"I'm looking forward to seeing all of you sweating already," Cole said with a snicker, pointing at all of his teammates.
"Not half as much as me, mate!" Jamie said back, chuckling in excitement.
The eight teammates promptly abandoned their positions in the pool.
Walking together, they excitedly approached the sauna.
Pausing just outside the door, the teammates turned to look at each other as Cole pointed at John Murray and said, "He's sweating already!"
Laughter erupted while John replied, "Och, he who laughs last, laughs best."
"We'll see about that. You'll be first out the door," Cole said, chuckling rowdily.
"Fellas, fellas!" Big Dan interrupted the proceedings of his teammates. "Not even in your wildest dreams will any of you outlast me!"
"We'll see about that," Bryce said back.
Everyone winced in approval.
"Ooh, Speedy Gonzales fancies it!" Jamie said excitedly.
The laughter continued as the unit entered the sauna, and they moved to take seats on the wooden benches.
Big Dan was the last to take a seat, and he moved to sit next to the wooden bowl and spoon filled with water, firmly intending to be in charge of the proceedings.
"Right then, let's spice things up a bit, shall we?" Big Dan said, looking around at all of his teammates. "The first one to leave the sauna has to walk back to the changing rooms stark naked."
Laughter erupted within the unit as brave faces broke out.
"Fuck it," Chuck said, grinning. "It's not gonna be me anyway, so why not?"
"I couldn't agree more, mate," Jamie said.
Big Dan moved to take the water bowl into his possession. "Who's gonna crack first then?" he asked, looking around his teammates.
"I'm sticking with my original guess," Cole said, grinning as he pointed at John Murray. "Because he is sweating already!"
The laughter continued as Big Dan smirked before he scooped some water into the spoon and threw it into the hot rocks as he sadistically looked around his teammates once more.
The instant discharging of heat caused most of the unit's faces to flush, and the team began to survey each other in search of who would first crack.
"Actually, I think I agree with Cole," Chuck soon said, looking at John Murray. "He's definitely gonna crack first. He's too used to the cold climate of the Scottish Highlands."
Some heads started nodding while Cole pointed in immense endorsement at Chuck.
"Och, I'm gonna make all of you wee bastards eat your words," the Scot said.
Taking another immediate spoonful of water, Big Dan said, "We'll see about that, fella." he then threw the water onto the burning rocks again. "Aw, that's lovely, that is," he said in delight as he did so.
The instant discharging of heat so soon after the first salvo took effect on most of the Red Team again.
The unit then paused for a few minutes to acclimatize to the facility's rising heat.
"If it's not John like all of us think it will be," Jamie said a short while later, glancing around the team. "It would be very awkward for Sarah if it's her who's first."
"It won't be me," Sarah said with confidence as she began to smirk.
"For Chuck's sake, let's hope it's not," Big Dan teased.
Most of Red Team snorted, while Sarah shot Big Dan a glare, and Chuck pointed at him and said, "Don't fucking start!"
Big Dan did his best to control his amusement, satisfied with his latest remarks before he took another instant spoon of water and threw it on the rocks. This spoonful of water was the biggest he'd flung so far.
Most of the team groaned in immediate complaint because he'd not long thrown his last one, while John Murray said, "Ya wee bastard!"
Intense laughter erupted within the team because they all knew it was already getting to the Scot, and they'd only been here for a few minutes.
"How much longer until he makes for the exit then?" Bryce asked.
Pointing at Chris, Big Dan said, "That old timer won't be long behind either, fella, look at him. He's falling asleep on us."
Laughter quickly filled the sauna again as Chris pointed at Big Dan in contempt.
A few seconds passed until Big Dan—still taking immense pleasure in seeing his teammates suffering—prepared another spoonful of water.
"Oh, for fuck sake, not again!" Jamie suddenly complained.
Rapturous laughter broke out over Jamie's complaints.
"It sounds like Jamie won't be far behind John," Sarah declared, snorting.
Grinning sadistically from ear to ear, Big Dan said, "I couldn't agree more, Sarah, and the rest of you won't be far behind both of them."
Big Dan then instantly threw the latest round of water onto the burning fire, which immediately affected the already sharply rising temperature and humidity within the therapeutic facility. "Aw, that is so lovely, that is!" he moaned out in pleasure.
Cole, Bryce, Chuck and Sarah—the only ones other than Big Dan still enjoying how hot and humid the sauna was quickly becoming—laughed in approval.
"How's it going there, Speedy, fella?" Big Dan asked suddenly, glancing at Bryce, sensing he was enjoying it just as much as him.
Still laughing away, Bryce said, "Great, mate. Look at all of them all sweating."
On receiving the cue, Big Dan looked at his six other teammates, smirking as he did so. "I think they need some more heat, fella, don't you?"
Bryce nodded immensely. "Make them sweat, mate!" he said excitedly.
Grabbing another scoop of water with the spoon, which led to multiple teammates putting their hands on the temple of their heads, Big Dan sprinkled the next salvo of water onto the burning hot rocks to increase the heat and make his teammates sweat.
"Fucking hell!" Chris complained, unamused.
"I've never seen someone add so much water into a sauna so fucking quickly!" Chuck complained, shaking his head, looking at Sarah.
"Neither have I. He's a sadist who likes seeing us suffer," Sarah replied, smiling at Chuck, though she was starting to feel the effects of the intense humidity and the rapidly increasing temperature.
"All is fair in a battle, Sarah," Big Dan replied before changing his glance to Bryce. "Isn't it, Speedy?"
Bryce nodded. "They had it coming thinking they could take us on."
"I'll remember that if you leave before all of them do, fella," Big Dan cautioned.
"So will I!" Cole quickly said.
Shaking his head, Bryce said, "I was born for this shit, mate!"
Big Dan smirked again in approval before looking around at the rest of his teammates, who were starting to suffer.
After a few seconds more, Jamie admitted, "I can't take much more of this!"
"Me neither, fella!" John Murray said instantly.
Chuckles erupted at their declarations, while Chuck said, "I thought you were looking forward to seeing us sweat, Jamie?"
"That is an excellent shout, fella!" Big Dan said, pointing at Chuck. "For that, I think he needs another spoonful of water, don't you?"
Grinning, Chuck said, "I think he does, mate."
Still smirking away, Big Dan fetched another scoopful of water with the wooden spoon. Hovering the spoon over the hot rocks, he paused to survey each of his teammates—but mostly Jamie and John.
Dropping the water against the rocks, he continued watching their faces, observing as John Murray finally reached his breaking point.
"We have a development! Someone's about to tap out!" he teased in excitement.
Everyone except Jamie and Chris—who were close to tapping out themselves—turned to look at John Murray.
After a few seconds, John Murray quickly stood. "Ya wee bastards!" the Scot exclaimed before rushing for the exit.
Rapturous laughter quickly erupted from Big Dan, Bryce, Chuck, Cole and Sarah, while Chris and Jamie were unable to laugh because they couldn't take much more of the now excessive heat and humidity either!
"Unlucky, fella!" Big Dan said, muting laughter for a long moment, which Bryce, Chuck, Cole and Sarah shared.
A few seconds later, Jamie stood and said, "I'm off as well, and I'm heading straight for the fucking pool to cool meself down before I burst into flames!"
Jamie quickly made for the exit as Big Dan, Bryce, Chuck, Sarah, and Cole shared a new wave of intense laughter.
"Oh, I love seeing them sweat!" Cole said gleefully.
Turning to look at Cole, Big Dan tormented, "You don't look so good yourself, Cole."
"Neither does Chuck," Bryce said suddenly. "I wonder which of the best mates will leave first?"
Big Dan turned to look at Chuck on receiving Bryce's cue. "You're right, Speedy. He doesn't. But as for your question, I'm more interested in which lover will leave first, fella. Will it be Chuck? Or Sarah?"
Bryce laughed strongly in approval, with it being just him and Big Dan still significantly enjoying themselves.
While Chuck and Sarah shot Big Dan a glare and said in sync, "Piss off, Dan!"
Big Dan smirked sadistically in reply before collecting another spoonful of water.
And as soon as Big Dan had collected the latest spoonful, Chris instantly stood and rushed for the exit.
Big Dan could only hold his smug look as he threw the spoonful of water onto the burning rocks.
Turning to look at Bryce on completion, he said, "Aw, isn't that lovely, fella?"
Bryce nodded, suppressing laughter.
While Sarah, Chuck, and Cole were now seriously starting to feel the effects of the far too excessive heat and humidity within the facility. They could each take a prolonged period in the sauna, but Big Dan had already heated it up like a million times in such a short space of time, which meant that their bodies didn't have time to adjust themselves to the added intensity.
The five teammates remained in the baking heat and intensely steamy sauna for the next three minutes until Big Dan fetched another spoonful of water, attempting to flush out additional contenders.
"Oh, for fuck sake!" Cole complained as he put his head in his hands, and Chuck and Sarah repeated the action.
Throwing the water onto the hot, burning rocks, Big Dan looked at Bryce and winked at him.
Bryce smirked in reply, thoroughly enjoying seeing all of his teammates sweating, just like Dan was.
Chuck tried to brave the latest temperature for as long as he could, but it soon got to him, and with the increase now being too much for him, he looked at Cole and Sarah and said, "If we all leave together, then they can't mock any of us for leaving first. So how about it?"
Cole and Sarah quickly nodded.
"Right, let's do it. On three?" Chuck asked.
Cole and Sarah nodded once more.
After the countdown's conclusion, Chuck, Sarah and Cole instantly rushed out of the sauna.
"In a bit!" Big Dan called out at his three departing teammates.
Turning to look at each other, Big Dan and Bryce shared a smug, victorious glance.
"Just you and I left, fella," Big Dan said.
Bryce nodded. "I told you none of them could take us on, mate! I knew it would be just us left. They didn't have it in them."
Big Dan nodded. "I have to say, fella, I'm impressed with you."
Bryce suppressed a laugh.
"But this is where your luck now ends, fella, 'cause you won't be beating me…."
A few minutes later
Chuck, Sarah, Jamie, Cole, John and Chris were all inside the pool, now cooled down after the sweating expedition that Big Dan had made them all suffer through!
The six teammates had paused all activity and had eyes on the sauna when the door started to open. Bryce quickly exited, followed by Big Dan.
Laughter erupted among the six, now knowing that Big Dan had won, but because of how soon after Big Dan followed, they knew it couldn't have gotten any closer.
Bryce and Big Dan briefly disappeared as they rushed to a standing shower just outside the sauna for immediate cooling, now caking in intense heat and humidity after their grueling expedition!
Arriving in view of the six members of Red Team waiting in the pool thirty seconds later, Big Dan said, "Fucking hell! He's got ice in his veins, him! He almost beat me! I was literally about to get up and bail out when I saw him stand and rush for the exit first!"
The unit shared laughter as Big Dan and Bryce promptly rushed to jump into the pool to join their teammates.
Now all in the pool, Red Team paused in the deep end for a few minutes, each unwinding until Chris looked up at the clock in the pool then said, "It's after Midnight. We should crack on."
Everyone nodded as they exited the pool.
Once they were standing poolside, Bryce looked at John Murray and said, "Time to get those shorts off, mate!"
"Ya wee bastard!" the Scot said back instantly.
Laughter erupted as Big Dan said, "He's right, fella. You were first out, so get them off!"
"He was right oot after me!" John Murray said, pointing at Jamie.
"A bet's a bet, fella," Big Dan said.
"Exactly, mate!" Bryce said.
Shaking his head, John Murray said, "Och! I'm not scared anyway, you tossers!"
The Scot quickly pulled down his shorts, leading to cheers from Red Team as they watched on as he quickly rushed back to the changing rooms stark naked.
The seven teammates shared heaps of laughter until they arrived at the changing facilities, where they linked up with John Murray again, now back in his shorts.
"Does anyone fancy a nightcap at the hotel bar?" Cole asked, glancing around the squad.
"That's not a bad shout at all, fella!" Big Dan said, pointing in approval at Cole.
"Yeah, why not, mate?" Jamie said.
Cole looked one-by-one at Bryce, John and Chris, who all nodded.
Turning his attention to his best friend, Cole said, "Well, how about it, Chuck?"
"Nah, Cole," Chuck said, shaking his head. "I'm knackered. It's been a long day."
Cole nodded, unwilling to force Chuck to do anything, especially considering they had critical training exercises at 09:00 hours.
"How about you, Sarah?" Big Dan asked.
Sarah quickly shook her head also. "I'm tired too. I need my beauty sleep."
Instant mutterings of disagreement broke out amongst her teammates, while Jamie gave a verbal reply and said, "I don't know about that, mate. If any of us on this team doesn't need any beauty sleep, it's you."
Everyone, including Chuck, quickly agreed, while Sarah smiled at Jamie.
"Right, as time is short, we'll leave it here," Chris said, looking around his team. "Chuck, Sarah, goodnight, the rest of us, one or two MAX, and then we'll be hitting the sack just like them."
Cole, Big Dan, Bryce, Jamie, and John all nodded, while Chuck and Sarah replied, "Goodnight…."
X-X-X-X-X-X
Chuck moved to sit on the bed inside his room in a shirt and jeans, having given his excuses to get out of the nightcap. He hoped Sarah was still interested in an after-party of their own because, otherwise, he would be regretting very much having turned down Cole's invitation!
He remained paused in the position for a minute until he heard a knock on the door.
Moving to stand, a grin lit up his face. However, despite having a fair idea that it was Sarah outside, he remained cautious and alert.
Chuck approached the door, cautious but optimistic. Opening the door, he didn't even get a chance to see who it was because Sarah quickly entered inside, pushing the door shut after her.
The teammates and lovers turned to face each other.
"You took your time," he said, grinning. "I was about to give up and turn on the adult channels," he joked.
Choosing not to give him a verbal reply, instead, she took hold of his shoulders, turned him, and she pushed him to slam against the door.
Suppressing a laugh at her actions, he said, "Feisty one you are."
Still not giving him a verbal reply just yet, she pushed herself into him and locked their lips together.
Now kissing, she quickly pushed her tongue against his lips, demanding entry into his mouth.
He was only too happy to oblige, opening his mouth as soon as he felt her tongue trying to push through him.
With his mouth now open, she wasted no time, entering it as soon as it was, searching for his tongue as the lovers began to make out.
Still pinning him against the door, she intensely ran one hand along his torso while taking hold of the zipper area on his jeans with her other.
Chuck, meanwhile, was doing some groping of his own, with a mixture of his right hand on Sarah's left ass cheek and his left hand with a firm hold of her right breast, through her white blouse.
Once the lovers parted for air, with both of them hot and sweaty already, Sarah stared lustfully into his eyes and whispered hoarsely into his mouth, "Chuck, after what we did in the pool, I need you inside me, right now."
He suppressed laughter, holding her stare. "Sarah, I'm going to give you all of that and more! Trust me on that. But I'm also disappointed. You should know how to contain yourself more," he couldn't help but tease her, wanting her to explode in desire even more than she already was, because a turned on Sarah was the most arousing thing he'd experienced in his life so far.
Seeing the funny side in what he'd said and knowing he would give her what she wanted momentarily anyway, she said, "Says the guy who had a cucumber sticking through his trunks and his hands on my butt for like five minutes."
"Well, Sarah," he said but paused as he took hold of both her ass cheeks again. "With a temptress such as you, how could one keep his hands and arousal to himself?"
"Shut up and kiss me!" she commanded back as they stared into each other's eyes, their faces less than an inch apart.
With not an ounce of teasing left in him, he crashed his lips back into hers, picking her up by her butt as he did so.
Carrying them both to the bed—the lovers remaining locked in French kissing as he walked them, her hands running all over him in intense desire—he soon expertly positioned them so that he was now hovering over her on the bed.
Reluctantly parting their lips for air, they fought hard to regain their breath.
Resting his forehead against hers, he looked down at the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen. "God, you're so beautiful," he declared in awe, grinning down at her.
Moving her hand to caress his hair, she held his stare, swallowed the lumps in her throat away caused by how beautiful he truly made her feel, and shyly said, "Thank you. You are too."
They held their burning gaze, the intensity of the words they'd just spoken sucking additional air from them, their skin already excessively clammy.
Soon adjusting themselves to kiss once more, Sarah broke their latest kiss much quicker than before.
Gazing up at him in immense yearning, she whispered, "Chuck?"
"Yeah?" he asked, his tone soft and gentle—just like hers.
"I want you to make love to me tonight," she said, staring exposed into his eyes.
And make love, they did!
AN3 Thoughts? Let's find out if interest really is wavering or not. I must insist on continued expressed feedback being mandatory if continuation through to the end, especially with so long left to go. I would very much like to write those 100+ remaining chapters. However, I will only do so with continued encouragement for the story to continue, simply because I lose excitement to continue to tell the story once engagement starts drying up. I don't believe I'm asking for too much, and I would do the same thing to other authors as a reader if I could find the time to read stuff.
AN4 The next chapter will contain training of a simulated terrorist attack in Manchester, and then in the aftermath, Chuck and Sarah will prepare for their first date. Oh, and the conclusion of today's chapter means they've now had sex four times—not three—before it!