Promises to a Stallion (Kimani Romance) (18 page)

W
ith their wedding guests still dancing the night away, Tierra and Travis politely said their goodbyes and disappeared to a lavishly appointed suite at the Hotel Palomar. The artful boutique accommodations couldn’t have been more special. The rich, earth-toned color scheme was a wonderful backdrop for the wealth of roses that adorned the room. Only Travis knew just how much Tierra loved her roses.

Retiring into a jetted soaking tub, Tierra lay between Travis’s legs, the water washing away the urgency that had consumed most of their day. With his arms wrapped tightly around her torso, her back cradled tight against his chest, Tierra couldn’t remember having ever been happier.

“Thank you,” she whispered softly, peering up to meet his gaze.

“For what?” Travis questioned, pressing a moist kiss to the top of her head.

“For the most perfect day any woman would ever wish for.”

Travis smiled as he hugged her closer. “It was perfect because of you, Tierra. You don’t know how happy you have made me.”

A smiled pulled at Tierra’s mouth, saline glistening in her eyes. She clasped her arms around his, cuddling down against him. The two lay together for some time just enjoying the quiet of each other’s company. Tierra lavished beneath Travis’s touch as he cupped his palm full of warm water and trickled it down the length of her arms and over her breasts and abdomen. The light, feathery strokes of his fingers sent trickles of electricity through her, her whole body tingling with pleasure.

“Why don’t we take this into the bedroom,” Tierra whispered, her seductive tone low and teasing. “I have something I want to show you.”

Travis beamed. “I like the sound of that, Mrs. Stallion.”

Rising from the tub, Tierra passed him a large, plush towel. “I’ll be waiting,” she said, moving away from him toward the other room.

Minutes later when Travis stepped inside, Tierra was splayed out across the bed top, a red bra and thong set adorning her petite frame. The man smiled broadly.

“Nice!” Travis exclaimed, his eyes widening with desire. “Very nice.”

“Since you lost the receipt and I couldn’t return it,” Tierra said, her index finger trailing over the lace between her breasts, “I figured we needed to put it to good use.”

“I like the way you think, baby!”

Tierra shifted up to her knees, beckoning him to her. As she did, an erection lengthened beneath the damp towel tied around Travis’s waist, his member full and engorged. Travis let the towel drop to the floor at his feet as he moved himself toward his new wife. Just as he neared the bedside, Tierra gripped his hand with hers and pulled him to her.

Like a puppy on a leash, Travis followed willingly, dropping down onto the bed as Tierra rolled them over until she was lying sprawled on top of him. Her brilliant smile hinted at her intentions, sending a shiver of desire into Travis’s groin. Blood surged, making him harder than he ever remembered being.

Using her knees, Tierra pushed his legs apart. Her small hands took full control of his body, traveling hungrily over his flesh as she claimed possession of his sex, and his mind. Reaching for her, his hands were slapped lightly away.

“Don’t move, soldier,” Tierra commanded, pushing him back against the mattress.

“Yes, ma’am,” Travis whispered huskily, falling back against the bed.

Tierra’s lips followed where her hands led. She trailed hot kisses across his neck and shoulders, sweeping over his chest, back down to his taut abdomen. The heated teasing was like fire and brimstone against his skin. Travis began to rock and grind against her, his wanting about to erupt with a vengeance.

Pushing down against him, Tierra teased him with promises of what was still to come, her pelvis grinding against his. As his jagged breathing increased in tempo, Tierra continued her oral assault, stopping to dip her tongue into the curve of his belly button.

Travis cried out her name as Tierra took him into her mouth. Her sweet lips were wrapped around his manhood as her hot, serpent-like tongue slathered him with affection. It was almost too much for him to handle as he struggled not to explode, his whole body throbbing with anticipation.

“Not yet,” Travis groaned softly.

Tierra suddenly felt him, his hands everywhere, pulling her against him as he flipped her over onto her back, pushing her back against the bed. He gripped the cheeks of her behind tightly, a wild, abandoned look of pure desire staring down at her.

“Don’t make me come yet!”

Tierra pulled herself against the center of the bed as Travis knelt down between her thighs. Before she could inhale, she felt his tongue searching, and she marveled at the soft strokes he painted against her skin. The sensation was incredible as she pushed herself against his mouth, wanting more. Then, just as she felt her temperature rising, her pulse starting to race, the length of his body hovered above her and she gasped as the length of his manhood pushed against the door of her femininity and eased its way inside. Travis entered her easily, claiming what was rightfully his.

His strokes were slow at first, an easy tempo against the walls of her flesh. Sinking deeper and deeper into the fleshy folds, his pace quickened, the elongated strokes filling every niche and crevice until there was no more of him for her to take and no more of her left to fill.

His loving became fast and furious, his want of the woman controlling every move. Their orgasm was intense, coming in perfect unison. When Tierra screamed, pleasure sweeping through her body, he collapsed, the essence of her name rolling over his tongue. Lying with their bodies cradled tightly together, neither one of them wanted to imagine the moment when it would have to end.

T
he young soldier announcing he had mail lifted Travis’s spirits beyond reason. The last three months had truly taken a toll on his spirit, and knowing that he still had five more to go wasn’t doing him much good. He couldn’t begin to explain to anyone how much he missed his wife. Being so far from Tierra was beginning to wear him down.

The large box and bundle of letters were exactly what he needed. Exhausted, he couldn’t begin to imagine anything lifting the funk that had settled down over them all. The night before had been particularly challenging. Sirens had blared as a Taliban rocket attack across the Kandahar Air Field sent them all spinning for the second time in a week. Units had moved into cement-reinforced bunkers waiting for an all-clear. The near-death experience had him and his platoon on high alert, and the anxiety was challenging.

Retreating into his quarters, Travis ripped open the first of what seemed like a dozen or more letters. The government seal on the first envelope indicated its seriousness, requiring his full and immediate attention. Short, sweet and to the point, Travis digested its contents, mulling the information over in his head before replacing it in its mailer.

He slid it beneath his pillow, making a mental note to share its details with Tierra the first opportunity he had. A smile pulled at his lips as he sat the other letters onto his lap.

Tierra had promised him she would write every day and every night, detailing how her day had gone. She’d been back to school for some time, and her letters kept him included on the little faces who spent time with her each and every morning. He laughed at the antics of her kindergarten class, and with each salutation, Tierra telling him she loved and missed him, his heart ached to get back home.

Two hours later Travis had read each letter twice, annoyed that mail took so long to reach him that it would be another week or more before the next stack of letters would take him back to Texas and the woman he loved, if only for a brief time.

Those first few weeks back had been the hardest. Travis had actually imagined himself throwing in the towel and going AWOL to ease the hurt of it all. Private Porter had thought to challenge him only once, but it hadn’t taken much for Travis to convince him that he was not the man and this was not the place. Eventually, Private Porter had let go of his animosity, finding solace in the arms of a young woman far from his home. Just weeks earlier, the soldier had been transferred to another platoon. Travis had shaken his hand and wished him well, both men moving forward on very different paths.

The large box beckoned for his attention. The Ross Oscar Knight Photography logo adorned the return address label. Travis’s excitement increased substantially as he pulled out a pocket knife and flipped open the blade to slice the taped seam.

Reaching inside, he peeled back layers of protective tissue paper to expose the leather-bound wedding album. The commemorative book had been embossed with his and Tierra’s names and the date of their wedding ceremony. A full grin spread like fire across Travis’s face as he pulled it from the packing material, easing it onto his lap. He’d been anxiously awaiting this package since he and his good buddy Ross Knight had shaken hands goodbye, Ross boarding a jet to Italy to shoot another wedding. Travis hadn’t been able to express what it had meant to him to have his friend share in such a special time in his life.

Lifting the cover, Travis beamed at the first picture of him and Tierra together. She’d been extraordinarily beautiful in that incredible dress that had meant so much to her. He’d been quite dashing himself in his dress blues, the military uniform honoring everything he believed in. They made a pretty couple, if he said so himself.

Turning each page one by one, Travis was even more enamored by the wealth of beauty before him. It was a thing of sheer joy manifested upon the pages, and Ross had managed to capture in images emotion that could barely be captured with words.

The visuals were overwhelmingly breathtaking, capturing the embodiment of colors and textures that had meant so much to Tierra. Ross had made the most simple aspects of their wedding ceremony look so darn pretty. Travis could only imagine how Tierra had reacted when her own photo album had arrived. What had translated to film couldn’t be denied. It was truly a wonderful piece of photo-telling.

Glancing down to his wristwatch, Travis tucked his album beneath the pillow on his bed. Grabbing his equipment, he headed for the communications room and the computer and Web cam that enabled him to see Tierra once each month.

The time each soldier had was limited, and Travis imagined that it would take an act of God to keep him from his scheduled appointment. He knew that Tierra was already logged into her computer waiting for his connection, and he was determined not to disappoint her for their date night.

Sitting at the desk in her spare bedroom, Tierra turned on the laptop that rested there. As the unit powered on, Tierra moved to the room’s large mirror to check her face and makeup. She wanted Travis to see her at her best.

She smiled, her reflection shimmering with the happiness that spilled from her eyes. All she wanted was for Travis to see her happy. Since his departure, she’d worried nonstop. She’d probably cried just as much. She hadn’t thought it possible to miss a man as much as she found herself missing her man. Every morning she counted down the days to his return, anxious for the moment when he would set foot back on Dallas ground and back into her arms.

Their last days together had been the best days of Tierra’s life. The quick excursion to Mexico had allowed them to relax in each other, the honeymoon before the honey. Hours after landing back in Dallas, Travis had stood before a congregation of their family and friends and had claimed her, just like he’d promised to do. They had pledged their love and loyalty to one another, the minister proclaiming them husband and wife. The moment had been witnessed by the people who loved them best, and Tierra couldn’t have imagined a more perfect wedding.

She took a big inhale of breath as she moved back to her seat, logging onto her computer. Next to the laptop a framed photo of Travis smiled at her. It had been her favorite photo from the wedding, Travis’s friend Ross capturing the one moment that had meant the world to her.

After meeting the man, Tierra had understood why having Ross capture their special day had meant so much to Travis. Ross had listened to their story, had felt the joy in their experience and had promised to deliver a portfolio that would leave them speechless. Ross had shared stories of his and Travis’s friendship with her, and it had taken no time at all for Tierra to consider the man her friend, as well.

When Ross had asked her what she wanted most from their wedding photos, she knew that there was one single moment he could capture that would mean more to her than any other. Tierra had asked him to capture Travis’s expression the first time he saw her in her gown, heading down the aisle in his direction.

Reaching for the framed photo, Tierra delighted in the sheer beauty of it. Each time she studied the image, she was in awe of the emotion that seeped out of Travis’s eyes. Ross had captured every ounce of love the man had for her, and when she looked at the photograph what she saw in Travis’s eyes had been manifested a hundred times over.

That moment encompassed what she felt most when Travis looked at her. The wealth of his gaze made her feel beautiful and exceptionally special, his stare warming her spirit like nothing else.

The computer beeping pulled at her attention, and her excitement rushed forward as Travis suddenly appeared on the screen.

“Hey, baby!” he said anxiously. “How are you?”

Tierra reached with one hand to adjust her own Web cam as she beamed back at him. “Hi, sweetheart. How are you?”

Travis nodded. “I’m good. I miss you, though. I miss you so much, Tierra!”

“I miss you, too!”

For twenty-five minutes, the couple chatted eagerly about everything and nothing. When Travis was tapped on the shoulder and advised that his time was up, it took every ounce of effort for Tierra not to burst into tears. Before their connection was disconnected, Travis called her name.

“I told you I had a surprise for you, right?”

“Yes…”

“Darling, I got my papers today. My transfer came through. I’ll be leaving Afghanistan next week. They’re sending me stateside, baby! I’ll be in Texas, at Fort Hood, for the rest of my tour.”

“Really?” Tierra exclaimed, her excitement at the prospect overwhelming.

“Two weeks, my darling, and I’ll be able to hold you in my arms again.”

The tears spilled down over Tierra’s cheeks. “I love you,” she said, wishing him well until the next time they spoke.

“Promise?” Travis asked, teasingly.

Tierra smiled, blowing him a kiss across the Internet lines. “For the rest of your natural-born days,” she answered.

Winking, Travis blew her a kiss back. “I love you, too, Mrs. Stallion. I love you, too.”

As the computer screen blinked, the connection lost, Tierra clutched her photo to her chest, her eyes closed as she fought back tears. Travis was coming home, and in that moment she couldn’t imagine anything sweeter. He was coming home to her.

She kissed his photo, making plans for when she next saw her man. She’d given him her heart and had promised him forever. She’d made promises to a Stallion, and she intended to keep each and every one.