New Beginnings, page 24
Tristan had never seen anything more breathtaking than watching the fluctuation in Courtney’s eyes as she climaxed. She quickly wrapped her arms around Courtney, kissing the side of her head as she collapsed against her, completely consumed and nearly breathless. The feeling of Courtney’s heart pounding against her chest, was unexpected, but incredible just the same. “I love you,” she whispered.
It took a second for Courtney’s body to recover and the fog to lift from her brain. As Tristan’s words began to register, she lifted her head, searching her eyes. The sincerity she found in them was more powerful than any physical connection she’d ever felt. She softly pushed Tristan’s shoulders until she was lying flat on her back. Then, she bent her head, claiming her lips in a slow, seductive kiss with light, teasing touches of her tongue and gentle nips of her lower lip as she carefully moved from straddling Tristan’s hips, to lying on top of her.
Tristan ran her flat palms over the smooth skin of Courtney’s back, from up under her hair, all the way down to her ass, reveling in the full skin to skin contact. Tristan chased in protest when Courtney pulled her mouth away to place delicate kisses and tantalizing traces of her tongue around her chest, teasing her pink, erect nipples. Tristan’s heightened senses were already on overload from their passionate lovemaking. Her pounding heart and heaving chest gave way to quivering in her stomach and throbbing between her legs as Courtney’s mouth and tongue drifted down her stomach, then veered off to her hip bones as she slid herself lower, skimming along the body underneath her until she settled between Tristan’s legs.
She lifted her head, biting her lower lip between her teeth in a teasing smile as Tristan’s heavy-lidded eyes landed on hers. She reached up, running her fingers up over Tristan’s trembling abs from each side as her palms rested on her hip bones. The heady scent of her need made Courtney want to ravish her, but she moved agonizingly slow instead, keeping her eyes locked on Tristan’s as she traced her tongue from the back of her knee, up the interior of her smooth thigh, stopping just outside of the inviting lips, glistening with wetness, and begging to be kissed, before starting over with the opposite leg. Tristan’s hips lifted slightly, urging her mouth closer.
Gradually, Courtney flattened her tongue and passed it carefully over the top of her succulent lips. Tristan’s entire body trembled, and her head snapped back against the mattress when Courtney’s tongue licked down the center, then back up again, parting the silky folds. She reached down, running her hand through the long, wavy hair fanned out to the side as Courtney’s mouth closed over her clit, gently sucking before her tongue swirled in lazy circles. Each pass of the velvety tongue where Tristan needed it, felt painstakingly slow.
Courtney’s hands pressed down on her hips, keeping them from thrusting up to meet her mouth as warm wetness coated her tongue. Tristan moaned faintly in protest as she pulled back, removing her mouth completely. Their eyes met once more as she began crawling back up Tristan’s body, caressing her lips over her stomach, then her breasts. One of Courtney’s hands was on the outside of Tristan’s shoulder while the other settled between their bodies at the opening of her legs. She leaned down, pressing their mouths together in a torrid kiss as her fingers slid through the wet folds and gently entered her.
The taste of herself on Courtney’s tongue while feeling her inside, pushed Tristan over the edge of what felt like Niagara Falls. The waves of pleasure kept crashing over her, one after the other. Courtney pulled back from the kiss, and Tristan gazed up at her breathlessly while lifting her hips to meet each thrust of her fingers…until there was nothing left.
Courtney eased out of her gently and curled into her side as Tristan wrapped her arms around her and sighed. “I love you,” she murmured, looking up at beautiful green eyes staring back at her.
Chapter 33
Courtney woke and stretched her sore muscles like a Cheshire cat, thinking about the night before as a grin spread across her face. She reached out, running her hand over the cool sheets next to her and realized: one, that she was alone, and two, someone was humming or singing. Having no idea where her clothes were, she pulled on a t-shirt and shorts from Tristan’s dresser and left the room in search of coffee and Tristan, and in no particular order.
*
Tristan’s hips swayed as she hummed along to the song in her head while rummaging through the refrigerator. She’d hated leaving Courtney asleep in the bed, but she looked peaceful with a thin smile on her lips, and her growling stomach was threatening to wake her. The soft sound of footsteps made her raise a brow. “Are you trying to sneak up on me?”
“I highly doubt that’s even possible,” Courtney chuckled.
“You are probably correct,” Tristan replied, moving to the pot to pour steaming black coffee into two mugs. She added a spoonful of sugar to her mug and stirred it. Then, she smiled at the brown eyes looking back at her as she turned around, handing one of the cups to Courtney. “I don’t have cream, but there’s milk in the fridge, and the sugar is in that bowl.”
Courtney stepped up next to her, also adding sugar to her mug. Then, she poured in a little bit of milk and twirled the spoon around, changing the color from black to a lighter brown shade.
“About last night…” Tristan started.
“It was magical. Do I wish every night could be like that? Absolutely, but I know they won’t be, and that’s okay. I meant everything I said.”
“I was just going to say you snore.” Tristan shrugged, then wrapped her arms around Courtney’s waist and pulled her close. Courtney set her mug down and put her arms loosely around her neck as their lips came together in a soft kiss that relit the embers still smoldering from the night. “I meant everything I said as well,” she murmured.
Courtney reveled in the feeling of being in her arms, before pulling away to go back to her coffee.
Tristan took a sip from her mug, then set it back on the counter behind her. “Nice clothes, by the way.”
Courtney shrugged. “They’ll do. I mean, I prefer Gucci, but…” She rolled her eyes and bit her lower lip between her teeth.
“Good luck with that,” Tristan laughed, then asked on a more serious note, “When do you go back?”
“Middle of next week. You?”
“Not far behind you. My team is probably on the way home right now. We’ll rendezvous and redeploy together.”
“Do they know?”
“About Loki?” She shook her head. “Fowler does. I plan on telling the rest of them before we go back this time.”
Courtney nodded.
“What about us?”
“We’re going to have to go to the colonel and come clean with our relationship when we both get back,” Tristan sighed.
“You’re not my commanding officer, Tristan. I don’t see where this is a problem.”
“I know I’m not, but we’re under the same command at the moment, and work with each very closely.”
“Okay, but there’s no conflict of interest. I don’t have a say in what you do with your team, and vice versa. Plus, you can’t recommend me for promotion, so that doesn’t matter.”
“You’ve thought this through, haven’t you?” Tristan smiled softly and reached out, brushing her hand over Courtney’s cheek.
“Yes, as a matter of fact, I thought about it my entire plane ride home. I love you, Tristan. This…us, it’s what I want. It’s why I came here to find you.”
“I love you, too,” Tristan said, grabbing her hands. “We’ll deal with the Army when we get back to the Army. Okay?”
“Roger that.” Courtney smiled.
“What are you doing this coming weekend? I know Thanksgiving is in a couple of days…” Tristan asked, changing the subject.
“Um…you, I hope,” she teased, smiling brightly.
“That can definitely be arranged,” Tristan replied, also smiling. “But first, I need a date to a wedding.”
“Oh, really.”
“My cousin is getting married Saturday. His mother and my mother are sisters. Anyhow, I wasn’t even supposed to be here, but after the adoption and my leave, I’m actually going to be in town.”
“That’s good. We miss a lot of family things with deployment.”
Tristan nodded.
“I’d love to go. I’ll have to go back down to my place in Georgia for a dress, or are you going in uniform?”
“When I realized I was able to go, yes. My first thought was my dress blue uniform. However, my mother informed me yesterday morning, the bride’s cousin who was supposed to be in the wedding with his son, had to back out at the last minute due to a death in his wife’s family. So, she put Loki and I in their places. We actually have a tux fitting later this afternoon,” she sighed. “I’m a groomsman, or groomswoman, whatever the hell it’s called, and Loki is the ring bearer. Instead of a nice subtle by the way, this is my son…we’re getting thrown into the middle of everything and will be on display.”
“Aww. I’m sure your family will be thrilled.” She smiled brightly. “So, I guess I’ll have a lot of eyes on me, too.”
“I didn’t think about that,” Tristan sighed.
“Are you ready to come out as a couple?”
“My family has known I was a lesbian for years, but you’ll be the first person in my life they’ve ever met. So, yeah, we’re going to stand out like two lesbians on a Hallmark card. Are you ready for that?”
Courtney laughed hysterically. “I guess I’ll need to go get a dress!”
“It’s formal, or semi-formal, if that’s a thing.”
“I’m sure I have something. What are the colors?”
Tristan shrugged.
Courtney chuckled. “Well, is it day or night?”
“Both, I think.”
“For a Delta Force Team Leader, you sure are lousy at paying attention.”
Tristan shrugged. “Why don’t you come with us to the fitting? Unless you want to get back to your family. I completely understand. They probably think I’ve kidnapped you.”
“I want to be wherever you are,” Courtney said, wrapping her arms around her again.
“I hope you still feel that way after meeting my mother. We’re picking Loki up from her on the way to the tux store.”
“Can’t wait.” Courtney grinned, kissing her once more.
*
Tristan pulled the Jeep into the driveway of the two-story, colonial house and killed the engine. “Her bark is worse than her bite,” she said, turning in her seat to face Courtney. “But she can cut you in half with her eyes.”
“I’m sure I’ll be fine.” She smiled. “On another note, my mother was overly excited when I talked to her this morning. I’m pretty sure she’s told the entire family about you.”
Tristan nodded. “What about your father?”
“He’ll warm up to you once he spends more time around you.”
“Maybe we should introduce him to my mother.”
Courtney laughed.
Tristan swung her door open and got out.
“Is this where you grew up?” Courtney asked as they headed up the walkway towards the door.
“Yeah. It sort of reminds me of the McAllister’s house in Home Alone.”
“They all do,” Courtney replied, looking around.
Tristan squeezed her hand as she knocked on the door. A few seconds later, her mother pulled it open. The smile on her face thinned out as her eyes landed on Courtney and their linked hands.
“Mother, this is Courtney Hewitt.”
“Patty Malloy,” she said, holding her left hand out so that Courtney would have to let go of Tristan to return her shake. A sly move that didn’t go unnoticed by Courtney, nor Tristan. “Please, come in. Loki is in the den, watching TV and playing Guess Who.”
“Guess Who?” Tristan questioned as she closed the door.
“Yes. I still had it in the closet from when you were a kid,” Patty replied as she led them through the house to the den off the kitchen.
Loki jumped up and ran over to Tristan, hugging her, then latching onto Courtney. “Look, I beat Pip three times! She taught me the right questions to ask!” he exclaimed, setting it up to show them.
“Pip?” Tristan questioned, raising a brow at her mother.
“We were trying to think of a name for him to call me. I told him my initials used to be P.I.P. before I was married to his grandfather many years ago. He decided it fit, so I’m Pip.”
Loki paid them no attention as he set up the game. “Courtney, will you play with me?”
“Uh…yeah. Sure.” She smiled and sat down on the couch, opposite of where he was on the floor.
When Patty nodded to her daughter, Tristan knew she was in for a talking to. “I’ll be back in a minute. You two have fun,” she said, then followed her mother down the hall to the study that used to be her father’s home office. Patty closed the French doors when they stepped inside.
“Who is this woman?”
“My girlfriend. We met on deployment. She’s in the Army also. Anyway, to make a long story short, we fell in love when neither of us expected it. I never told her about Loki, so when I went on leave without a word, she took leave too, and came to find me. She’s actually from Hope Mills.”
“I see. Obviously, he’s met her.”
“Yes. She went with us to the zoo recently.”
“How does she feel about him? You have a lot more to think about now, other than yourself. That little boy has already been through so much in his short life.”
“Really? Are you gonna go there?” Tristan shook her head and sighed. The last thing she wanted to do was argue with her mother, or disrespect her in her own home. “She was surprised, but that didn’t stop her from trying to get to know him right away. She knows we are a package deal, and instead of running, she’s here…in our lives.”
Patty sighed. “I hope you know what you’re getting into.”
“If I told you I think I might wind up marrying her, would that be better?”
“Are you? You barely know each other, am I right?”
“I’m not proposing right now. But it’s on the back of my mind. Loki needs the stability of a family. I’m not parading people in and out of his life. If things don’t work out with her, I’ll raise him alone. If they do, then he’ll have two loving parents.” She put her hands on the sides of her face and rubbed her temples.
“You look tired.”
“I’m stressed out.”
“Maybe she should give you and Loki more time together before she joins the picture.”
Tristan ignored her mother’s statement. “Why didn’t you ever remarry after dad? It wasn’t because of me, I left home not long after.”
Patty sighed. “I don’t know. Your father was an outstanding man.” She put her hand up when Tristan tried to speak. “I know he made some terrible mistakes, but he was the love of my life. We built a great life together. I just wasn’t sure I could ever have that with anyone again, and part of me never wanted to find out.”
Tristan nodded. “That’s understandable, but if you don’t give someone a chance, how will you ever know?”
Patty shrugged.
“I love you, mother, and I love Courtney. I’m asking you to give her a chance...for me, and for Loki. She’s a great person, and she’s good with him. You’d actually like her if you got to know her. She’s charismatic and tenacious.”
Patty nodded. “I take it she’s coming to the wedding.”
“Yes, she’ll be there. Is that going to be a problem?”
“I’ll find her a seat at the family table for the reception.”
“I hate to change the subject,” she lied. “But how was the overnight with Loki?”
“It went well. We spent some time in your old room. I think getting to know more about you, and our family, is helping him. He certainly had a lot of questions when I pulled out the old photo albums of our family, plus the Malloy and Pratt families.”
A small sense of relief washed over Tristan. Above everything else, she wanted to make sure Loki was comfortable and starting to feel like they were his family. “That’s great,” she replied.
“Rooms are blocked at the hotel for family who don’t live in town for the night of the wedding. I’m planning to come home. Would you mind if I brought Loki back with me? Grace has a room saved for me; you should take it.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes. The last thing I want to do is sit around drinking cheap wine with Grace’s friends.”
Tristan laughed. “Okay. Thanks. We’ll probably all go early and get ready there, then.”
“That’s fine. I believe most of the wedding party is doing the same,” Patty replied. “I assume you and Loki will be here for Thanksgiving,” she added.
“Yes. Although, we will probably go see Courtney and her family at some point.”
“She’s welcome to come with you.”
Tristan was about make a snide comment but realized her mother may actually be extending an olive branch. “Thank you. I’ll see what she has planned and let you know,” she said as they walked out of the study.
“Yes! I win again!” Loki cheered from the den.
“Looks like you taught him well, Pip,” Tristan chuckled.
Patty smiled. “He’s a smart boy, but he could use some manners, and bathroom etiquette.”
“We’re working on that.”
“He’s in good hands.”
“Are you ready to go?” Tristan asked as they stepped into the den. “We have to go try on clothes for a wedding.”
“Pip told me,” he said, cleaning up the game. “Courtney, are you coming, too?”
“Yes.” She smiled.
“Cool!” he cheered.
“Take the game home with you, but bring it back next time you come over,” Patty said.
