Page 19 of Trusting the Team

“We haven’t seen you in a while, figured best to come by and make sure Lowell didn’t have you tied up,” Duke said.

Ferret snuck up behind her, the entry side Lowell had run through, wrapping his arms around her, and lifting her up off her feet. “Maybe not tied up, but if it’s possible I think you’re skinnier.”

“Well, you know how to flatter a girl,” Dari answered.

“Get your hands off my woman,” Lowell spun and slapped at him.

“When do you hear?” Trey asked joining Chaos at the table. Dari rummaged around in the fridge pulling out cheese and salami, grabbed crackers and dumped it on the table.

“I hope soon,” she shrugged.

After the team was seated around the small table eating pizza, she disappeared quietly to the balcony. “She’s not ok,” Hammer said.

“Nailed it,” Trey responded, followed by a litany of smacks from the team.

“Do we need to say something?” Chaos asked Lowell.

“No. The Commander said they were taking our rescue debrief with hers. It’s got to be soon; it’s been weeks already. Even Phantom’s Admiral’s Mast was only delayed a couple of weeks so he could sweat.”

“She’s fierce, she’ll come out of this alright,” Trey commented.

“I wishyou’d talk to me,” Lowell slid into bed, pulling Dari back into him.

“I’m just nervous. I’ll never say I’m sorry, so I don’t know how that leaves the balance.”

“I don’t think I’ll ever get over the shock of realizing it was you that walked into that cave. The anger, desperation, and failure when I saw that man hit you, your feet in the air. Pride watching you walk through the snow with the team, having stashed all that stuff on you to help us. Having pulled off the whole thing! They would be crazy to lose you.”

“You’re saying that because you have to.”

“No, I don’t know anyone who wouldn’t say that. Even that asshole who put his hands on you was thinking that when he showed back up to an empty cave.”

Dari turned to face Lowell, “Can you just love me?” This time they didn’t feel rushed, his lips fell on hers and kissed slowly, intimately. His hands and body stretching her out underneath him. When he pinned her wrists above her head, she didn’t waiver; she felt everywhere he was touching her, loving her. Even when he slid inside her, he was slow, methodical. When she tried to speed up, he slowed her back down, when she fought, he growled. Jaw tight, he pushed her through her first orgasm. Then he licked, sucked, and finger fucked her through a second. The third, he jerked her hips against his, slamming his cock into her soaking cunt. Her hips arched and he kept up a pounding pace, driving into her until they both came. Exhausted, panting, and sweating they split apart. Lowell got up, dragged Dari across the bed, into his arms and took them into the shower. He set her down and started washing her hair, she leaned back into him. Then her body. He toweled her off, braided her hair and tucked her into bed, going back for his own shower.

She rolled into him when he laid down, “Are you smelling me?” She nodded and rested her head on his shoulder as he finished pulling the covers up over them.

10

MADDOX

Maddox was walking toward Ferret in the parking lot of his office. An older man stopped her, “What are you doing here?”

“I was invited.”

“Did you know I was here?”

“I don’t care anything about you,” Maddox took a step back. He grabbed her arm, as she turned to face him, Ferret interrupted.

“Everything ok?” He immediately dropped his hand.

“It’s fine,” he answered.

“It always is,” Maddox shot hatred from her eyes. Then turned again, this time to leave with Ferret.

“You want to talk about it?” Ferret asked when they were out of earshot.

“I should’ve known I’d never get rid of him,” she said more to herself than to answer Ferret.

“Wait,” Ferret stopped, “what?”

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