Page 90 of Surface Pressure

Waves of pleasure washed through her, building and growing. Autumn gasped. She grunted. She whined. The noises were like sweet nothings to Soulara’s ears. She didn’t want them to stop. But it was getting harder to focus. Autumn was so good at this. Soulara pressed her forehead to Autumn’s shoulder, taking sharp breaths in.

She was so close.

“Soulara,” Autumn whispered.

“I know.”

Soulara kept her hand moving, knowing that Autumn was as close as she was. She turned her cheek and pushed lips to lips and tongue to tongue. Autumn hummed into her, body and soul joined together as they stood in the water on the shoreline, together, just the two of them in a world that was so chaotic and scary. In a world that wanted both their heads.

Autumn went first. Her fingers stilled. Her body rocked, fast at first and then slower as the orgasm dissipated on its own. Soulara kissed her cheek, her neck, her lips. It wasn’t long before Autumn was back at it, moving her hand against Soulara, in her, a new fervor in her moves.

Soulara cried out loudly. Her voice raced down the beach as she tossed her head back. The wind caught at her skin, tugged in her hair. Her nipples hardened instantly and Autumn dropped her mouth to them, feasting on her exposed skin. Soulara held onto Autumn’s shoulders tightly, staying upright and not falling over.

“We must sit,” Soulara managed to whisper, exhaustion seeping into her body. The weight of the war, the pain of the decisions she’d had to make lately, all of it came crashing down on her. She could barely move her legs. Her feet were so heavy. Autumn slung an arm around her back as they walked toward the beach, finding a large flat rock to sunbathe on and warm up.

Soulara turned on her side, tucking herself into Autumn’s arms. “We need to talk about this war.”

“I don’t want to be at war with you.”

“But we are at war.” Soulara calmed herself.

“I know.” Autumn kissed the top of Soulara’s head. “You’re going to have to take me back.”

Soulara tensed. That would put Autumn in extreme danger. “They’re already threatening you.”

“They are,” Autumn agreed. “But I’m no use to you here.”

“You’re safe here.”

Autumn snorted. “Safe and useless. Let me help.”

Milan’s words echoed in her mind. Soulara tried to push them away, but they only got louder. Cringing, Soulara nuzzled in even closer to Autumn’s side. “Okay.”

“Just okay?” Autumn tightened her grasp.

“Yes.” Soulara nodded. “How can you help us?”

Autumn grinned. Her cheeks tinged pink, her eyes so light and happy. Soulara had never seen her look like that before.

“What?” Soulara asked, needing to know what put that look on Autumn’s face.

“It’s nothing. It’s just…” Autumn fully blushed. It was adorable. “It’s just that I love you.”

29

Autumn couldn’t believe she had said the words. Not once in her life had she ever said them to someone and meant it. She had been forced to say them to family, a ritual performed only for others. They were never said in the quiet privacy of their living space. Actions never enforced the sentiment either.

But she wouldn’t be like them.

Autumn walked through the halls with a smile on her face. She tried to school her features and return to her role as the serious token female in the troop, but her lips refused to obey.

“Walton.” Marshall interrupted her thoughts, his hand on her arm, forcing her to stop walking.

That took the smile from her face.

“What the fuck happened to you?”

Was that concern in his eyes?

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