“I need it to protect David,” Cassidy reasoned.
“How about I buy you each a gun, and you can teach her how to shoot?” I suggested to Coach Hope.
“There are some guys I know who teach shooting for a living. I’ll get them to teach her,” Coach Hope said.
“Will you help me buy a gun?” Cassidy asked her dad.
He just nodded. Now, this was the type of shopping trip I was willing to go on.
◊◊◊
After the dojo, we all drove to Shiggy’s house. Hana was there to give Brook, Cassidy, and me Japanese lessons. She made hamburgers for dinner, which pleased me to no end. I’d been craving one ever since I’d returned to the States.
Of course, Cassidy told Brook about getting a gun, and Brook wanted in on it. That was what I liked about Brook; she was up for just about anything. I would have to see if she enjoyed fishing. I knew she was handy with a shotgun.
Hana spent our session reviewing everything we’d forgotten over the last month. I was glad she’d be there to work as my interpreter. I also planned to have her help me learn my lines for the commercials I was going to be in.
After our language lessons, I dropped off Coach and Cassidy. Brook had me drive in the back entrance so we could go to her cabin. She had me start a fire in the fireplace while she got me a Mountain Dew.
“What have you been up to?” I asked.
“I’ve been taking flying lessons. They offer them at the place we took skydiving lessons.”
“You evil little girl. You did that without me?” I asked.
“It was your decision to take Cassidy with you to Cuba. You didn’t imagine I would just sit around working on my tan, did you?” she asked.
“I worked on my tan for you,” I pouted.
“Cassidy told me. She sent me pictures.”
My eyebrows shot up.
“She did not.”
“Oh, she did. It was part of the deal,” Brook said mysteriously.
I knew she was dying for me to ask about the deal, so I didn’t. Cassidy would tell me.
I waggled my eyebrows at her.
“Want to play ‘you show me yours, and I’ll show you mine’?” I asked in a husky voice.
The hint of a smile touched Brook’s lips. I scooted closer to her on the couch and leaned in so my mouth was near her ear.
“I think you and I should make a deal. We should agree to do unspeakable things to each other, all in the name of pleasure. I think you want to make this deal with me,” I whispered.
I reached over and ran the back of my fingers up her neck and just behind her ear. Then I turned my hand over and grasped the back of her neck. Brook took a sharp breath and looked a little worried. I suspect all that kept her from running was that I’d never harmed her, and she knew I wasn’t capable of something like that.
“Tell me I can do anything to you, that you desire me and want me to make your body sing. Tell me you want my deal,” I whispered.
I let my hot breath caress her neck. I pulled her closer so our cheeks touched. She tried to kiss me, but I held her in place.
“You know what I want. Do we have a deal?” I asked softly.
“Yes,” she hissed.
“Close your eyes,” I ordered.
Brook did as I asked. I pulled off my t-shirt and used it to make a blindfold.
“Come with me.”
I took her hand and led her to the big fluffy rug in front of the fire. Then I slowly undressed her and paused to take in the vision that was Miss Brook Davis. I leaned down and began to lick and kiss her neck. This always turned her on. She leaned her head back to give me better access. Brook reached for me, so I pulled back.
“Uh-uh. Just stand there.”
I could tell she was a little unnerved. Her hands made little fluttering motions, and then she let them drop to her sides. I walked around her, admiring her form. Brook wasn’t tall enough to be a model, but she had an athletic build. It only made sense, with all the physical activities we did together.
As I circled her, I would randomly reach out and barely touch her. The first few times, she jumped at each unexpected caress.
“Did you miss me?” I asked.
“Yes.”
“Are you ready for me to ravage you?”
I smiled when she quivered like Cassidy did when she thought she was going to get to hurt a boy. It was similar to what Duke did when he spotted a squirrel. The building anticipation was almost too much for her.
I reached for her, scooped her up, carried her to the bedroom, and tossed her on the bed. Brook let out a startled squeak. I made good on my promise and began to try to give Brook as much pleasure as I could. I gave up on the game when her hands reached for me. She then pushed my t-shirt off her head so she could participate.
“Get undressed,” she ordered.
I gave her a crooked smile and did the undressing Olympics. I was soon on my back with her straddling my face in the classic 69 position. It was obvious that we’d missed each other. She didn’t make it easy for me, but I focused and made sure I gave as good as I got. I tapped her thigh to warn her, and she just had enough time to pull off me before Mr. Happy erupted.
I hadn’t quite finished when she turned around and mounted me. When I saw that her eyes were clamped shut, and she shuddered, I smiled. From there, it was game on.
We were both true to our word. We more than fulfilled our deal.
◊◊◊
Chapter 10 – A Total Douche-Nozzle Thursday June 16
I received a Google Alert for Craig Wild. His mother had put out a statement.
“We’re devastated by the loss of Craig, our beloved son and brother,” she’d posted on Wednesday. “He was a wonderful, courageous person who overcame so much hardship in his short life. We miss him. Thank you for the outpouring of condolences and words of kindness.”
I stared at the message on my phone. I forwarded it to Saul with a note asking what the studio planned to do for Star Academy 2 and 3. They would obviously have to write him out or replace him with another actor. The upside was that even though he was the lead character, it was really an ensemble cast. The $1.5 billion Fast and Furious franchise had had to deal with a similar situation when Paul Walker was killed in an auto accident. I was sure they had a plan for something like this.
My phone rang.
“Beth, I was just thinking of you,” I lied.
“Uh huh, I bet you were. I decided that I would take the bull by the horns and ask you out since you seemed to forget about me.”
“It wasn’t like that. I’ve been busy,” I tried.
“With Tracy, Pam, Zoe, Brook, and Cassidy, I believe.”
Tami! Damn her and her network of spies.
“And tonight I set aside for you,” I tried again.
“I tell you I love you and want to spend the rest of my life with you, and then you skip the country. When you come back after a month, you conveniently forget about me.”
I don’t think laughing was the right move, but she was laying it on awfully thick, and I simply couldn’t help it.
“David!”
“Oh, please. You’ve known I was home for the same amount of time.”
“Fine, be that way. What time are you picking me up?” she asked.
“How about we do a late dinner? I promised Cassidy I’d take her shopping. Why don’t I pick you up at 8:00?”
“Tell Caryn I want to go somewhere nice,” she teased.
“Why don’t you just tell her where you want to go and cut out the middleman?” I suggested.
“Fine.”
“Fine,” I shot back and hung up on her.
She sent me a text with a smiley face on it.
◊◊◊
After baseball practice, Paul, who had just made it back, took Coach Hope, Cassidy, Brook, and me to Dave’s Firearms. His store looked like a red barn. On our way there, Coach Hope told us about the man we were going to meet.
“Gunnery Sergeant Hartman was a drill instructor for fifteen years. Drill Instructor duty is considered one of the most honored and valuable positions a Marine can hold; the DI is critical in making young men and women into Marines. He has retired from the Corps and is now a professor at State.