Rugger: The Huntress (The Grey List #3)

Chapter 11

ELEVEN

Wrapped in my sheets was how I wanted Rugger day in and day out. However, I understood that neither of us had chosen a life that would allow us that much grace. Two days away from our duties and tucked in the highest, humanly-possible points of the mountains had done us both justice.

“Too much?”

Rugger descended the stairs with her hair wrapped up in a sleek ponytail. The red reindeer ears I’d added to her wardrobe in the event she was feeling as festive as I was sat atop her head.

Her dark skin paired well with the colors that had been chosen to celebrate the final holiday of the year. It was pure. It was soft. It was free of blemishes.

Stunning.

I shook my head. “No. Not at all.”

I extended a hand and captured hers before pulling her in toward my side. Together, we made our way into the living room where the large blanket was spread near the tree. I lowered my body to the floor and guided Rugger down onto my lap.

“Thirty.”

“Thirty?” I asked, leaning into her frame.

“Gifts. There are thirty gifts under this tree.

“Thirty-four.”

She chuckled, “Close enough.”

“There are four, barely visible boxes underneath the tree. You were very close.”

“I’m assuming you want me to open them all tonight?”

“Christmas ends when the clock strikes twelve tonight. You have all day, love. But, yes, I’d like for you to begin.”

Suddenly, I understood my parents' excitement while waiting around for me to tear open the gifts they’d carefully considered and wrapped with the love they harbored for us daily. All thirty-four gifts had been selected for a number of reasons. Deep down, I hoped she loved each one of them.

Rugger reached underneath the tree and grabbed a medium-sized box. She pulled it into her lap where she spread her legs slightly, forcing me to open mine as well. The ripping of black paper was followed by the inhaling of a large pocket of air.

“Baby–” Gazelle whined as she continued to tear through the paper.

In her hands, she held a black leather Prada Nappa Biker jacket. Her eyes twinkled under the warm lights of the Christmas tree.

“What do you think?”

“I think it’s gorgeous.”

Pride swelled my chest as I lifted my head and then lowered it several times.

“Next.”

I nodded toward the next gift, closest to us. She grabbed the small box and tore into the wrapping. It produced a Cartier bracelet that had her smile reaching her eyes. The third box produced a black Louis Vuitton backpack.

“You didn’t have to, Psalms. You really didn’t have to,” she explained, turning to face me as she held a new set of Prada frames to match the jacket she’d been gifted.

She doesn’t understand. I concluded as I pulled her closer to me.

“Yes, Gazelle. Yes I did. You’ve provided me with immense joy, I’d be regretful if I didn’t.”

I closed the camera in my hand, stopping the recording session to admire Rugger through the naked eye. She was flawless.

Lord, what have I done to deserve such grace? I questioned the Man above. His favor was upon me. Rugger helped me understand the concept better than I ever had. Until she came into my life I doubted His favor existed, f or me at least .

“A penny for your thoughts.”

Gazelle’s rasp reeled me back into the moment.

Our moment.

Her moment.

A moment I wanted to last an eternity .

I cleared my throat, but was still unable to conjure the words that would accurately describe my thoughts. My feelings.

I’m in love .

“Sonnie–”

She propped her head up on her palm. Her elbow pressed into the mattress beneath us.

“Yes?”

“You play?”

Her head tilted, signaling toward the saxophone in the corner, near the fireplace.

“Sometimes,” I admitted, “When my head is foggy and my thoughts are jumbled.”

“Like now?”

I nodded.

With one slow, dramatic movement, the cover was pushed from her frame. Her nakedness summoned my attention. I watched as she slid from the bed and stood tall on the wood floor next to it.

She sauntered toward the other side of the room. Her fingers rounded the saxophone as she bent over, removing it from the resting spot next to the fireplace. When she returned to the bed, she placed it in my hands. She laid down and pulled the covers over her body again.

With her head in her palm, she admitted, “My head is foggy and my thoughts are jumbled. My heart is heavy and my chest hurts at the sound of your voice.

“I’m confused, yet there’s more clarity in the moments we’re alone than I’ve ever experienced in life. I’m falling and I’m fighting at the same time. And, for the first time in my life, I am afraid of something other than losing a sibling or parent to the government or the grave.

“I’m scared that everything could go overwhelmingly right and unfathomably wrong. I’m terrified of stepping into my femininity fully, wholly, and trusting you completely— yet, I am ready to. It’s almost as if my head and heart aren’t leaving me much of a choice.

“I’m a mess, Sonnie. But, I’m your mess, now. So, play for me. Play for me until it all feels better. Until I feel better.”

The sincerity in her tone led the saxophone to my lips. I pushed out slowly, releasing the first note. 6lack was the very first artist to cross my mind. Words began playing in my head as the tune played through my instrument.

I’ma write you my best song…

It’s gone take me all night long.

I was up late by myself.

I weaved my head to the melody. The hairs on my arms and neck stood.

I ain’t never need no help.

I will love you when you’re old…

And you lose the words you spoke.

Chills ran up and down my spine, making my body tingle all over. The silence surrounding the sound of the sax intensified each note it produced.

Time will never wait on us.

But it never can age our love .

Gazelle’s foot grazed my leg. Back and forward, she rubbed it letting me know she was here. She could hear every word I spoke through the music. And, those jumbled thoughts we shared were arranging themselves well. The fog was clearing and the fear was fleeing.

The prize you’ll find a lover and a friend.

Baby I’ma love you like stan, stan, stan,

Ah man .

Until every lyric of the song had circulated through my brain and the sax, I played. And, when the song came to an end, I hated it more than the words that were at the tip of my tongue. I lowered my instrument onto the floor beside the bed.

Gazelle patted the pillow next to her. I filled it instantly. Her lips pressed into mine the second my head hit the pillow. When she pulled back, she stared down at me.

“Sometimes?” She whispered.

“Now.”

I was no stranger to the sax. It was my instrument of choice as a kid and I hadn’t wanted to put it down since I picked it up at the age of five. My mother had taught me how to play. Since her death, it wasn’t often I felt it in my hands. Between my fingers. Against my lips.

“That was beautiful.”

“I have an assignment,” I confessed. “I’ll be gone for seven days.”

I could hear her heart shatter in her chest. I closed my eyes, silently promising to never administer whatever level of disappointment I’d just unleashed again.

Rugger’s silence was telling. She was attempting to remain neutral about the news because she understood my line of work better than anyone else, yet she was feeling things. Big things. Bold things.

“Say something–” I encouraged as a sigh released hot air from my mouth and nose.

“Make it back to me. That’s all I ask. That’s all I’ll ever ask. Make it back to me.”

“You won’t ever have to worry about that, love. I’ll always make it back. You’ve given me every reason to.”

“Good,” she yawned.

She scooted closer and placed her head on my chest. I lowered my arm onto her shoulder.

“Get some rest,” she demanded.

“You first.”

My fingers slid up and down her arm at a snail's pace. Though I hated the idea of leaving Rugger behind for an entire week, I was well aware that she would in the blink of an eye. She was dedicated to her craft. So was I, but she made shit a little more complicated. A little less exciting. A lot more of an inconvenience.

Her breathing altered, assuring me that I could finally rest. I closed my eyes, hoping sleep would find me. It wasn’t long before it did.

I stepped into the hotel room with the brown sack in my hand. The deli sandwich had taken me a full day to hunt down but I was hoping it was worth the search. Two bodegas in the area had proven that an underwhelming deli sandwich was truly possible.

I was midway through my assignment and the perfect combination of meat, cheese, and toppings were detrimental to the success of my operation. It was almost as important as the rifle itself.

I sat the bag on the table and began to undress. Sandwiches were best after a few hours, when the sauces, seasonings, and topping had marinated and combined for a spectacular collaboration.

Stripped down to my briefs and socks, I entered the bathroom. I twisted the knob on the shower to warm the water. The day had been long and the night would be even longer. A deep cleanse was necessary before the work officially began.

My reflection halted all movement. Staring back at me was a man who was almost unfamiliar. Though he resembled the one I’d grown to know over the years, his eyes were different. His skin was different. His stance was different. His arm… it was different .

The permanent ink marked Gazelle’s territory. The imprint of her teeth resulted in a beautiful work of art. I brushed my right hand across the markings.

Three days.

Six hours.

Twelve minutes .

The countdown for my return had begun the minute I stepped on the plane. Her absence was felt. It plagued me every hour of the day. There hadn’t been a single one that she didn’t cross my mind.

Thoughts of her lured me to sleep in the wee hours. Still images of her I’d captured in my head played like sweet dreams as I rested. Her perfume kept my pillow smelling like an autumn night filled with her laughter and light.

I shed the remainder of my clothes and stepped into the shower. For twenty minutes, I scrubbed my body and considered the best way to complete the mission at hand so I could make it back to the woman I couldn’t scrub my thoughts of.

A fluffy white towel dried me from head to toe. The cleaning of the room once my time expired would be a task within itself. I kissed the skin of my teeth at the thought of it.

Two days. I promised myself. The clean up begins .

Staying behind to undo all that had been done would put me behind schedule. It would prolong my stay and my time away from Gazelle. That was not in my best interest or hers.

When the bullet left my chamber, I would be packing my rifle and heading out of the door. Three hours later, I’d be in Clarke, climbing into Gazelle’s guts.

My dick hardened at the thought of sliding into her. It had been three and a half days too long. The new year was in two days. By the third of January, I would be by her side.

Bzzzz.

Bzzzz.

Bzzzz.

I shifted in the direction of the square table in the small dining area of the hotel room. Two black phones sat next to each other, evenly spread at the very edge of the table. Both were leveled and perfectly aligned.

Until now .

The larger of the two buzzed, losing its position. Its influence led the other phone to part from its position as well. My eyebrows furrowed on my forehead and pushed toward the center of my face.

From where I stood, I observed the ringing device with a tilted head and curious eyes. It wasn’t until it stopped ringing that I made my way across the room to retrieve it. My assignment had been handed down from my superiors. I hadn’t gotten it from the database. I wasn’t on contract with anyone else, so the phone that was ringing left me baffled. It was the smaller phone connected to the kill in progress.

I snatched the phone from the table. It began buzzing in my hand. This time, I didn’t hesitate or question the caller’s reasoning before opening the phone and placing it against my ear. Soundlessly, I listened.

“Open the door.”

The line died and so did my concerns. I was at the door in a split second. I tightened my towel around my waist as I peered through the peephole. After confirmation of the presence behind the door, I snatched it open.

Gazelle waited patiently behind the thick wood with her hands gripping the seams of the black trench she wore. Her hair was in a ponytail that hung down her back. The Prada shades I’d purchased her for Christmas shielded her eyes.

She pulled her hands apart, exposing the three-piece lingerie underneath the coat keeping her warm. My eyes trailed from those big, round eyes to her long, slim neck. They stopped at her pebbled stones peeking through the black lace of the bra and then continued down her stomach until they reached her partially exposed pussy.

The sheer fabric allowed me to see straight through the panties to the plumpness beneath them. Saliva pooled in my mouth. I swallowed the overflow to quench my thirst and rewet the roof of my mouth. Her thighs seemed to go on forever until finally, I reached the black leather boots that started two inches above her knee.

“Good evening, Sonnie.”

The rasp of her voice summoned every strand of hair on my body. They stood at attention. My blood rushed to the veins of my dick, hardening it even more than it was already.

“Good evening, Gazelle. You shouldn’t be here.”

“But, I am.”

Lusty eyes stared back at me, challenging my entire existence. Unable to deny my craving for her, I reached forward and snatched her into the room. I used her back to close the door. Her body slammed against it. I secured the latch and lock, simultaneously.

My lips crashed into her, fulfilling the yearning I’d been suffering from since I discovered the nature of my assignment and how long it would keep us away from each other. I peeled her coat from her shoulders and allowed it to fall onto the floor.

“Thank you,” I whispered against her.

Time wasn’t on either of our sides, but I made a mental promise to make the best of every second. My body jolted in the other direction from Rugger’s forceful shove. As I registered what was happening, her bra fell to the floor.

She angled her head toward the bed. Her command was clear. I stepped backward, unable to pull my eyes from her. She was a fucking work of art. One of the wonders of the world. The most beautiful one.

And, I was the only person in her audience. Day in and day out, I had the privilege of observing her true essence. I was in God’s favor and in Rugger’s too.

One leg was placed in front of the other, over and over until she reached the bed where I sat at the very edge. She stood in front of me, unmoving.

One.

Two.

Three.

Four.

Fiv–

Patience failed me. I gripped the lace band of her panties and pulled downward. One leg after the other, she stepped out of the thin fabric. Her arousal was loud. It was demanding. And it was precious. Just like her pussy. Just like her.

She leaned forward and unraveled the towel from around my waist. The fall to her knees was graceful. She took me into her mouth the second her knees touched the floor beneath her.

Fuck.

My eyelids lowered involuntarily. Her ponytail fit perfectly in my hand. I guided my dick into her mouth as she relaxed the back of her throat to receive more of me. With each stroke, the trail of saliva from her mouth grew thicker, glossier, and more bubbly.

Fuck .

Her bobbing head was creating magic. I closed my eyes completely, allowing Gazelle to completely devour me.

Mentally.

Physically.

Emotionally.

Quite fucking literally .

The back of her hand slapped mine from her head, forcing my eyes open. She used the same hand in collaboration with her other one to wrap around my dick. Together they paired with her lips and tongue to take me for my entire soul, leaving absolutely nothing up for grabs.

Those orbs I’d grown to love stared up at me, demanding everything I had. Heart. Mind. Body. Bank account. Soul. Because everything was rightfully hers, I began to transfer ownership immediately.

Don’t look at me that way . I begged, wanting to tear my eyes away from her but it was impossible.

My ass cheeks clenched as I felt my nut rising. I gripped the sheets on the bed, praying to be spared. The combination of her lustful gaze, powerful suction, dripping wet mouth and soft hands had my head spinning.

Fuck!

As if she had access to my thoughts and understood my ending was near, she released me at once. On her feet, she stood. With the back of her hand, she swiped the saliva from her mouth, chin, and neck. She flicked the access off her fingers and pressed her hand into my chest.

I scooted further onto the bed. When her hand fell beside me, I halted, waiting for instruction. Suddenly, the roles had been reversed. She wasn’t under my ruling. I was under hers.

She dented the mattress with one boot. The other followed shortly after. Rugger climbed up and pushed her body forward until my back was against the sheets. Her fingers wrapped around my neck.

She lowered her pussy onto me, not stopping until her lips were on top of mine. I freed my tongue. The cold air touched my tastebuds. Shortly after, her secretion sat them ablaze. Back and forward, she gyrated her hips, riding me as if I was a mechanical bull.

Though silence suited her, pleasure was written all over her face. Her features were contorted. Her bottom lip was tucked inside of her mouth. Her pearly white teeth were on display.

Her lids grew heavier. Her movements slowed to a creep. And her spine bent, allowing her head to fall backward. She was nearing her climax.

She took me by surprise when her pussy was extracted from my mouth. It was replaced with her lips. And, below, I felt her plumpness sliding up against my hardness. Hungrily, she cleaned her juices from my top lips, the corners of my mouth, and my chin.

She found her balance on the tips of her boots. Her right hand captured my dick and placed it at her center. She worked her pussy against the tip of my dick until her juices granted my access to her canal.

Up.

Down.

Up.

Down.

Up.

Down.

She milked me of my nut. Her extraction rewarded her with relief of her own. Her body convulsed as my semen gathered in her womb. Together, we laid with unsteady breathing sounding in the quietness.

No one said anything. There was nothing that needed to be said. Yet, everything was understood.

When her labored breathing grew steady, Gazelle lifted her body from mine. My dick slid out of her pussy and slammed against my left leg. My body jolted a final time. I watched as she collected her things.

First, she clipped her bra in the back. Next, she pulled her panties up her legs and over her pussy. Lastly, she pulled her trench onto her body and buttoned each button. She tied the strings in the front and slid her shades back on her face.

Though I couldn’t see those dark rounds, they were on me. One final time. Before she spun on her heels and made her way to the door on teetering legs. Within seconds, she’d disappeared and I was still in the same position–unable to move, unable to speak, and unable to believe I’d been blessed with such a special gift. Rugger was the epitome of a woman in my opinion. And, without a doubt, I knew she’d be in my life for the rest of my days.

That’s her . I realized. That’s my wife.