Explosion, p.4
Explosion, page 4
“I don’t know what happened,” I said shakily.
His lips softened and concern in his eyes turned to something else I couldn’t quite read. I was smart enough to realize I had a doozy of a panic attack.
“I’m sorry.” I lifted my hand in front of him to touch his face and froze.
Without thought, I had used the one with missing fingers. He took my hand and kissed the back of my knuckles above each finger whether it was there or not. I took a slow breath. Though I still wanted to hide my hand, Duke’s gesture broke through a barrier. He wasn’t repulsed.
He wiped away a tear I didn’t know was there. I buried my head in his still-naked chest and cried. Duke held me and it felt good. I’d cried so much and it was always alone, always when I didn’t need to be strong for those around me. He allowed me to fall apart safely while he held on. I didn’t need to be strong for him.
When tears turned to intermittent sniffing, Duke moved my hair aside and kissed my temple. He squeezed me a little tighter and then let me go. My body was stiff as I tried to stand. Duke gained his feet faster than any man his size should be able to and steadied me as the blood rushed back into my legs.
I looked away from him and felt his finger slide across my cheek. I gazed up. He smiled and I was able to smile back. Duke touched my nose and then turned and walked toward the bedroom. My appreciation of his backside helped clear a little more panic from my brain.
When there was nothing more to see, I used the restroom and made the mistake of looking into the small mirror above the sink. If Duke could keep an erection when seeing my unwashed and unpainted face along with a fro that had seen better decades, he had some kinky shit going on in his brain.
My hair needed a wash, deep condition scalp oil, and silk press. The Echo Style Gel in my bag wouldn’t cut it without a hair-dryer or flat iron. It took LaCoya, my stylist, two hours to bring my hair to its shining glory. It would take me two days.
I shook my head and watched the curly chunks rise and fall back into a scary hairy mess. My lips twisted and the look was complete. With a sense of relief, I smiled. Duke was a strong man if I hadn’t scared him away yet. He would stick around long enough to fuck my brains out. My earlier freak-out was reason enough for him to hold off from the deed. Having a woman fall apart before sex wasn’t something any man desired.
I squared my shoulders and entered the main room. Duke wasn’t back so I walked to the kitchen. The sink was strange. It had a pump handle. The faucet fed into a large washbasin. It was dropped into a hole cut into the counter. A drain at the bottom gave me the only clue it was a working sink. I looked at the confusing handle and pumped it twice. Nothing happened. I tried glaring at the contraption but it didn’t help.
I turned at a strangled sound behind me. Duke puckered his lips to hold back a laugh. He stepped over and lifted the handle up and down until the water flowed. It took about eight good pumps. He got to see my mean face for his trouble and he laughed again. The sound traveled through me and I couldn’t understand why it touched me so deeply. Maybe because he didn’t do it around anyone else that I had seen.
Uncomfortable with my thoughts, I placed my hand under the water and let the coolness run over the fingers of my right hand. Duke’s fingers dug into my shoulders and I arched my head back. He kissed my forehead and allowed me to sink my weight into him. When I knew I wouldn’t pull a freak-out like earlier, I turned and kissed him.
It was strange to be on my tiptoes. Most of my work was done in four-inch or higher heels. It always seemed to be short stubby men who could afford me. This was different.
So was the way Duke kissed. His tongue danced over mine and he breathed into my mouth. I tingled from head to toe. He treated my lips to a special tug of teeth that almost had me losing it by way of orgasm. If he could do this at the north end, my toes curled over what he could do between my thighs.
It was something I enjoyed with rare partners. Men paid for head and didn’t return the favor. If they paid for an hour, it was an hour dedicated to their worshipping.
Duke placed his arms loosely around me so I could step away if I needed to. I didn’t. It was easy to crush my breasts into his chest and press the vee of my thighs against his growing erection his pants did little to cover. I ground my pelvis, trying to gain leverage. Duke’s hands went to my ass and held me still when I went for another slow grind. In frustration, I pulled back from the kiss.
“You’re no fun,” I said breathlessly.
His answer was the sexy twist of his lips that got me every time. I sighed and gave an exaggerated huff.
“You win. I need coffee.”
Duke released me and reached up to one of the high shelves and lowered a coffee maker. He opened a canister that contained coffee and filters. Within a few minutes, the smell filled the small area. He took two mugs off pegs at the back of the counter. When the coffee finished brewing, he filled them both and handed me one.
Carrying my coffee, I followed him outside after he nodded to the front door. I stepped out to sunlight and a vast, slightly barren landscape. As far as the eye could see, there were hills and valleys spotted through desert mountains. Trees, no more than ten feet high, sparsely covered the ground and blended into the landscape with shrubs and cacti.
In daylight, I could see another storage container the same size as the house. It had vaulted solar roof panels built into it. Duke’s truck wasn’t out front and the only place it could be was inside the steel building. He quickly showed me the unit. It opened from both ends. One being a storage for batteries and the other a garage just big enough for his truck.
On the back side there was a wood railing and stairs that led to a deck. Duke took my hand and led me up the steps. There was a porch swing and two chairs. I walked to the railing and looked out over the rocky valley.
Primitive and amazing. I could breathe. I rested my coffee on the deck, then stretched my arms out and did exactly that. Closing my eyes, I allowed the fresh air to fill my lungs. When I opened them, Duke was watching.
“Beautiful.” I breathed in the freshness. “I could stay for an extended period of time if there’s a mall within an hour’s drive.”
Duke threw his head back and laughed, the sound so uniquely him. We finished our coffee in the double swing looking over the valley. I wasn’t sure why this man came into my life now but I was glad he had. He allowed me to heal in my own time and I never had to pretend. Even with Mak, I did. I didn’t want her pity or guilt. Duke, and his quiet presence, calmed the inner rage and fear that boiled inside my soul.
We finished our coffee and Duke led me back to the house. He pulled out my new phone from his pocket and handed it to me. I hadn’t seen my true phone in ages. I lived off that phone and it contained all my contacts. This showed my true emotional state. My cell phone was my life and I hadn’t missed it.
Duke pulled another phone from his pocket and tapped on the screen. The phone in my hand was silent but the incoming text showed.
“I need to show you around the area. Hiking shoes?”
I couldn’t help my change in expression. The word hiking was like saying snakes and spiders. All should be banned from normal society.
Duke looked down at my feet which were in platform flip-flops and shook his head.
“I have athletic shoes in my bag.” It was the best I could do.
They were the shoes I wore when me and the ladies went after Fernandez.
He sighed and gave a quick nod. I trailed behind him to the bedroom, knowing I wasn’t getting out of this. He went through my clothing bag and pulled out jeans. He added a T-shirt from his bag. I guessed my cute tees didn’t pass muster. He also dug out my running shoes, tipped them over, and sneered at the tread, then tossed them on the bed along with a pair of socks.
There were small dark stains on them and it didn’t bother Duke. He had to know it was blood, most likely Goose’s. I was next to Goose when Duke blew his brains out. I’d felt nothing and still felt nothing. The shoes would do.
Duke sat on the bed and pulled on socks and a pair of hiking boots that were under the shelves inside the bedroom. The room had a soft light shining from one of the lamps. The lack of windows didn’t really bother me. I felt safe and the feeling of safety wasn’t something I’d had in a long time. I changed clothes and put my hair into a scrunchie so it wasn’t flying into my face.
Next, I followed Duke to his truck. He pulled out two backpacks from the cab and adjusted one on me. We went back inside where he loaded a few things into mine including a towel, added two containers of drinking water to the sides, and zipped it up. He did the same to his and shrugged it on.
He grabbed our last two bananas which only had a good day or two left and put them into my bag. We walked around to the area below the deck and I saw a narrow trail. Duke led the way and I reluctantly followed. The temperature was rising and it would be hot. I wiped the first glisten of sweat from my brow.
How did I get myself into these situations?
Duke weaved down into the canyon below like he’d done it many times. I slid on some loose dirt and realized the lack of tread on my shoes was reason for his earlier sneer. I kept my footing after that by watching where I stepped.
Duke stopped so I could catch my breath. It was then I noticed the color around us. The surrounding rocks were beautifully marked by time. Gray, orange, and yellow separated centuries. Something pinged inside me in a strange way. I was a city girl but could appreciate this beauty. From Duke’s laughter over my mall comment, there wouldn’t be people to visit a mall if there were one. We were in the middle of nowhere.
Too bad. There was always the possibility I could grow accustomed to the great outdoors. Okay, that was stretching it. I squared my shoulders. I could do short adventures even if they included sliding through dirt.
We continued until Duke stopped and kneeled, looking at the dirt. He beckoned me forward with a finger and pointed. There were small prints in the sand. He pointed at the two front prints, then the two back which were single file with one foot slightly turned whereas the two front feet were evenly spaced. I had no idea what it was.
Duke took out his phone and typed into it.
“Rabbit.”
Oh no. I hadn’t considered this could be a hunting expedition.
“You’re not going to kill it for food, are you?” Horror possibly changed my tone.
He shook his head with a smile and continued walking. We crossed a dry wash about thirty yards wide and continued up a sandy embankment that left me slipping and sliding until Duke grabbed my hand and pulled me up. After that, we went uphill. I was out of shape and quickly left gasping for air.
“Stop,” I finally managed to get out.
Duke led me to an old log to rest. He handed me a water from my pack and I drank greedily.
“You need to know I’m not a hiking kind of woman,” I said after catching my breath and relieving my thirst.
He typed into his phone.
“Doing great.”
“You are full of shit. You could probably do this entire hike without stopping. I haven’t been to the gym in months.”
“It’s not much farther.” He ignored my complaining and drank from his water bottle after he typed into his phone.
His Adam’s apple moved beneath the skin and sweat trailed down his neck. I couldn’t take my eyes away until he caught me staring. I quickly looked at the rocks beside us. They were so interesting. He nudged me a moment later and we started walking again. He showed me more tracks and I took a guess.
“Goat?”
He shook his head with a smile.
“Deer?”
Duke nodded and pride filled me which was silly. Maybe I needed to be silly every once in a while. He pointed at the rise of a steep incline that had boulders at the top.
“Is that the destination?” I asked hopefully.
He typed into his phone.
“Almost.”
“You may need to carry me back.”
He took my hand and practically dragged me to the top. When only a few large boulders separated us from what was on the other side, he stopped and placed a finger over his lips. It was a weird thing to do. He bent low and climbed a few extra feet. Placing his hand down to me, I took it, and he pulled me to the ledge.
Down in a steep canyon nestled into the rock was a huge crater or crag or whatever it was, filled with water. A small movement to my left drew my eyes. A fox crept toward the basin. Its head darted in all directions, then it took a sip.
Duke tapped my shoulder and pointed to his phone.
“We got lucky and caught this guy drinking.”
I nodded and he typed again.
“Want to go swimming?”
“There?” I said aloud because I was so surprised and pointed over the ledge. He typed again.
“The coyote will be gone. You scared him away. Nothing to stop us now.”
I wouldn’t tell him I thought it a fox. I wasn’t exactly up on my wild animals and my fox outfit was used for fur play so I took a guess. We walked along the rocks until there was a path and we could go downward.
He was right and the coyote was long gone. There was a natural bowl in the rock and it was even bigger than I saw from up above. We took our towels out and stripped off our clothes. Duke jumped off one of the rock ledges and cannonballed into the water. I was smiling when he came up for air.
“I take it you’ve done this before?” I asked and peeled off my shirt, tossing it on my pack with my jeans, shoes, and socks. “I know this water isn’t sterile.” I shimmied out of my underwear and unhooked my bra before I performed the same cannonball from where he jumped.
I screamed a mouthful of water when the freezing temperature hit my skin. I came up choking with the sound of Duke’s laughter in my ears.
Chapter Seven
Duke
The picture she made when she came out of the water startled me. I always thought her beautiful but even choking, she was stunning. I hadn’t laughed in years and she brought it out without trying. Drops of water clung to her hair like diamonds and I’d never made a comparison like that in my entire fucking life. If I could get the image out of my head of her breasts bouncing before she hit the water, my dick would appreciate it.
“It’s freezing,” she yelled after spitting out several mouthfuls. “How deep is this?” she asked and sank down a little, though I knew she couldn’t touch. My grandfather brought me here for weekly baths whether we needed them or not. To a young kid, “not” was a good way to live. In the winter, there was a forty-gallon washtub that was set up in the kitchen. With no water heater, it was a long process to heat the water and fill it. Summers were easier.
If Cori would stay, I wouldn’t leave. I leased the cabin near the clubhouse so I didn’t become a hermit like my grandfather. Dax needed a hand and I wasn’t ready to leave civilization behind. I easily could with Cori, though. I checked that thought. Cori was city through and through. If I grew my beard long and wrapped a bandana around my bald head, she wouldn’t recognize me. Her world was money, suits, and ties.
A splash in my face brought me out of my thoughts. I splashed her back and she sunk low so her head was covered. The next thing I needed from her was trust. I put my hand toward her when she came up for air and she grasped my fingers. I took two exaggerated breaths and plugged my nose. She laughed.
“You want to go under water? I’m not the best swimmer,” she said at my nod.
We took several deep breaths and I took her hand and pulled her down. This could be done in twenty seconds if she didn’t panic. I kicked my legs and took us deep to an outcropping of rock and then pulled Cori under the shelf with me. She resisted just a bit but with a solid tug, she let me lead her up. We came out in an underwater cavern. The stone walls were hundreds of thousands of years old. A small split between boulders above let in a sliver of light. I waded to the side and lifted myself from the water. I pulled Cori up to sit beside me on the ledge.
She had no problem with her nudity. If I were honest, I didn’t have a problem with it either. The cavern was cool but after the water, it seemed warm.
“How did you find this place?” Cori asked.
I took her right hand and opened her palm. I traced a g and she said it aloud. I traced an a, then I added the f and she said grandfather.
“This is your grandfather’s place.”
I pointed at my chest.
“Your place. Were you close with him?”
Sadness touched me. I wished my entire life that he had been my father. I gave Cori a nod before showing her the camp gear I had lugged in a year ago. It consisted of a sleeping bag, solar lantern, sterno fuel, matches, and a few cans of food. I’d placed everything in plastic, duct-taped the hell out of it, and got it into the chamber dry.
“Is this your secret hideout?” she asked softly.
I touched her nose, then pushed her chest with one finger.
“This is my secret camp?” she asked, surprised.
I tipped my chin and grinned. Everyone needed a truly safe place. I also showed her the waterproof bag of weapons hidden between some rocks I kept on an upper ledge in case the water rose higher.
“Fallout shelter,” she said, again softly though her voice echoed.
This time my nod was firmer. If she knew she always had a truly safe place to run, maybe it would ease her fear. After everything was resituated, we jumped back into the water. This time Cori followed and I didn’t hold her hand. Our guns and phones were unprotected. I had seen no human tracks so I wasn’t really worried but that’s how people died. Right now, someone wanted Cori dead and I had to keep her safe.
We dried off by spreading our towels on the warm boulders and lay down. Our packs hadn’t been disturbed. We pulled out the food inside and ate.
“You know my hair will never be the same,” Cori said after her stomach was full and she was comfortable.
I rolled to my side. The sun shone down on her dark skin and the drops of water that hadn’t dried shimmered. I knew what her mouth tasted like but not her skin. She may not have worked out in months but you couldn’t tell. Her toned body accented every inch of endless flesh and begged to be worshipped. I loved her height and her firm tits and ass.
