Page 13 of Trusting the Team

“You kicked the shit out of my shin at Ace's. I'm pretty sure I've loved you since.” Slowly he cupped her face, bringing his lips down to hers. What started tentatively on his part shifted quickly. Dari's hands framed his face, pulling his lips tighter against hers. He wrapped his left arm around her waist, grabbed her left thigh with his right hand and swung her around to the bed. She bit his lower lip, heard his gasp, felt his hard on jerk. Her body was on fire, she wanted more. He pushed his hands under her shirt, fanning his fingers out to feel her as he inched higher. His lips on her lower belly, moving up her abs as he pushed her shirt up. She keened and arched into him. He pushed her shirt higher, his thumbs pushing the cups of her bra down, exposing her nipples. He settled over her left and sucked, Dari’s hips jerked reflexively. She felt him smile, taking notes in his head. He moved to the right, she tried to grind her hips to his. He moved up to her throat and finished pushing her shirt up, pinning her hands above her head.

Dari panicked, started to struggle, “No, stop!” Lowell let go, getting off the bed. He waited for her to rearrange her clothes and sit up.

“I'm sorry, I thought,” Lowell started.

Dari shook her head, “You didn't do anything wrong.”

“Is this a ‘it’s me, not you' conversation?” He could not buy that she did not feel what he was; her reaction to him was perfect.

“Can you sit down?” Lowell sat down on the bed, and they shifted to look at each other, sitting cross legged. “I didn’t know I could feel like that,” Dari started.

Lowell scrambled, “Are you a virgin?” Dari hesitated. “Dari, I didn't--"

“It’s not like that,” Dari interrupted. “I met Gumby and his team in Afghanistan. We were all held in the same place for several days. The guys had been caught at the end of a mission and I had been sold by my uncle.” Dari took a deep breath.

“Dari, I'm not going anywhere. I'm safe.” Dari's eyes jumped up to his, too close to what Phantom said to her.

“I didn't know I could feel that way after what those men did to me.”

“So, you've never been with anyone, since what happened in Afghanistan.” Dari nodded. Lowell licked his lips in hesitation, “Honey, how old were you?”

“Nine,” she exhaled at barely a whisper. Lowell looked over her head at the headboard, he figured the closest he had ever been to ‘seeing red’ was right now. Dari got up to walk past him, she needed to go. It would be too much; to feel what she felt and disappoint both of them at the same time.

He reached out and grabbed her hand, she went to pull it away and he grabbed her wrist, “Stop. I want you. We can figure this out, it'll just take time." He pulled her down between hisknees, cradling her. “I will work tirelessly to get this right,” he smirked.

She scoffed, “I need to go home. Gumby's going to think I moved in at this rate.” He kissed her temple and let her go. She needed to come to him on her own.

5

DARI

The next girls’ night out, Wolf and the team allowed them to have another try. When they walked in, Lowell was sitting near the door with his friends. The women sat down, and the first round was finished. “How are things with your man?” Caite asked.

“Fine,” Dari answered.

“Fine?” Zoey asked.

“Is he spending the night?” Avery asked.

“No,” Dari looked at them, “I wouldn't know how to have him over and not be able to-"

“You aren't having sex?” Sidney asked incredulous. “I thought you were going to burn down the beach house!”

“Oh, come on,” Dari responded.

Kalee tilted her head, “I've seen the look Phantom and you share. You and I have some similar background.” The women collectively looked at Kalee in surprise. “Sidney's the only one of us that hasn't met her man during one of their missions. You like him, right?”

“Yes.”

“So, what advice do we have as a collective for Dari, ladies?” Kalee finished and they started round two of drinks.

Zoey started, “Bubba and I waited too long. I wanted to jump him, but he wouldn’t make a move.”

“Same,” Avery said.

“Make the move,” Sidney said. The women nodded. Dari looked at Kalee.

“Life is short,” Kalee started. “We don't know what's going to happen.”

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