The Elite: The Complete Series of Boomer and Player (With Bonus) (21 page)

The silence got my heart racing and my steps quickened as I made my way down the hall towards my bedroom. Either he was in trouble…or he was about to be…

As soon as I entered my bedroom, a low whine and a scratching sound from the bathroom caught my attention. I groaned and flung the door open. “Hunter!”

There was no telling how long he’d been trapped in the bathroom, but the overwhelming odor that assaulted my nose let me know it had been far too long. He jumped all over me, and I dropped my hands from holding my nose to reach down and pet him. His big blue eyes were wide and frantic and I could tell he was spooked.

“Oh, Huntey.”

I looked past him as my hand absently rubbed his head, to see the extent of the damage. The bath mat was shredded into a million, white cotton threads, the rack of spare toilet paper rolls had been knocked over and decimated, and there was an alarming amount of water splashed all over the floor, coming from the toilet, as though he’d drank from it, shook his head, and flung the toilet water over every inch of the space. Lastly, my eyes spotted the source of the smell. Right on my pink bathrobe that had been tugged from the hook behind the door.

I squeezed my eyes shut and sighed slowly. “What am I gonna do with you?”

He licked my cheek and I smiled. The worst part about puppy love was that I couldn’t stay made at him for too long.

* * * *

Later that night, after getting Hunter’s mess cleaned up, and making myself a salad for dinner, I was flipping through channels on TV mindlessly when a call came in over my video chat service. I nearly dumped my plate from my lap, as I lunged to answer the call from Jack, pausing only for a moment to make sure there were no traces of spinach stuck in my teeth.

“Hi!” I answered, my heart surging high in my chest, as a wide smile broke out across my face as his video stream became clear. It didn’t seem to matter how many times I saw Jack—or, how much I saw of him—he blew me away every time. His chiseled features, dark eyes, and easy smile were enough to undo me before he even said a word.

“Hey, baby,” he replied, his own grin matching mine.

I smiled at the comfortable nickname and quickly tried to recall if he’d called me that before. “Whatcha up to?”

He shrugged, his easy smile remaining in place. “Not much. We’re still traveling right now and spending more time talking about what we’re gonna do, rather than actually doing anything. But, hey, that’s the way these things go.”

Secretly, I was glad he was still traveling. It meant he was out of harm’s way, and although I hated the distance between us, at least I wasn’t worried about his safety. At least, not yet. “I wasn’t expecting you to call. It’s pretty late there, isn’t it?”

“Yeah, but my shipmate is off playing poker with some of the other guys tonight, and I have the room to myself. Couldn’t pass up a chance to talk to my favorite girl.”

“Favorite girl, huh? What’ll Princess say?” I teased, loving the way he made me smile. “Speaking of Princess, I need to borrow her for a while. Hunter is back to his old self, and after the number he did on the master bath today, it’s either gonna be doggy boarding school, or more lessons on how to be a well behaved doggy from Miss Princess.”

Jack laughed and the sound relaxed away the last of my anxiety from the unpleasant surprise that afternoon. “That bad huh?”

“Let’s just say, Bed Bath & Beyond is going to get a significant amount of my paycheck this weekend.”

“I’m sorry, baby.” He laughed again. “So, what are you two doing now?”

“I’m finishing dinner and channel surfing. Hunter’s passed out on the couch, apparently destroying the bathroom really took it out of him.” I rolled my eyes at his sleeping form beside me on the couch.

“Man, I wish I was there.” The longing in his voice stirred something inside me, tightening a knot somewhere deep down.

“Me too,” I replied, my voice barely above a whisper into the phone.

“Soon, baby. Soon.”

I nodded, but could no longer find my voice. I didn’t want to throw doubts around and speak my fears and anxieties to life. A part of me knew that Jack wouldn’t blame me for my feelings, but I knew that he had enough on his plate and didn’t need me to add to his list of worries. It was better, if at least for the time being, everything we talked about was easy and pleasant. There would be time when he got home to tackle the more serious issues of life.

Jack picked up the conversation again, filling in for my silence, and told me a story about a prank one of the guys on board the ship had pulled. I was only halfway listening, but did my best to nod along, as the other thoughts in my mind continued to whiz at a hundred miles an hour.

“All right, baby, I’ll let you get some sleep,” Jack said, a few minutes later. “Give the devil dog some love from me.”

I laughed softly. “I will.”

“Night, baby.”

“Night, Jack.”

The call ended and I was left with a guilty pit in my stomach, instantly wishing I’d been more engaged in the conversation instead of letting my own neurosis get the best of me. Once Jack was done traveling to wherever he was going, I knew his chances for regular phone calls would likely go down. He’d already warned me of that fact.

I leaned over and rested my head on Hunter’s side. He barely even stirred at my touch. I picked up my phone and on a whim, decided to send Jack a little reminder of how much I missed him.

Chapter Four

Jack

“Damn,” I whispered, staring at the picture Holly had emailed to me after our conversation the night before. During our conversation, I’d caught sight of what she was wearing, and she’d confessed that she’d been sleeping in the shirt I’d stowed away in her luggage on the morning I left Holiday Cove. So, after our call, she’d sent a selfie of her lying on the couch with Hunter, wearing the simple, grey shirt with the caption at the bottom, “We miss you.”

The dark blue letters that spelled out US NAVY on the front of the shirt were molded to her breasts as she lay back on the couch and her long, tanned legs stretched out, making it clear that the shirt was the only thing she was wearing. Beside her, Hunter was lying in a curled up ball, and I smiled at the pup’s familiar face, before my eyes darted back to take Holly in. I lingered on her perfect tits, wondering if she was even wearing a bra. It didn’t look like it. My cock went rock hard, thinking about how it felt to bury my face between her bare breasts and the feel of her tight nipples under my tongue. The way she’d arched and moaned at every touch, as though she was getting a drink from a tall glass of ice water at the end of a long trek through the sun scorched desert.

She’d needed me. Craved me. Devoured me.

Frustrated by my overwhelming need for release, I clicked out of the image and lay back on the bed. Lions was gone, but I had no idea how long I’d have the room to myself. After a glance at the closed door, I sat up and opened the image again, stunned all over again by the raw sex appeal of what she probably thought was a sweet image. My hand moved down the front of my shorts and I touched myself, keeping my eyes glued to Holly’s photo. As I stroked myself, the memories of the two nights we’d spent together came roaring back, and it didn’t take long till I was ready to come.

A beeping interrupted my stroke and I opened my eyes to see a call coming in. I opened my eyes, and with a frantic lunge off the bed, I pulled my shorts back on, covering my hard-on as best as I could, and swished my cursor across the screen. My heart went into an even more frantic pulse when I saw Holly’s name and picture on the incoming call. I knew I didn’t have much time before I needed to get to my meeting, but I couldn’t ignore her.

I clicked on the call and the screen blacked out. The timer of the call started, but there were no images or sound. I tapped the edge of the computer with my fingertips and silently prayed for it to load properly.

“Holly?” I called to the blank screen, not sure if I’d caught the call in time.

“Jack?”

A sigh of relief tore through me and I sagged onto my elbows, bowing my head to the screen. “I’m here, I just can’t see you. Can you see me?”

“No…”

I checked the signal and realized the internet connection was low. “My connection isn’t very good. Man, baby, I wish I could see you.”

“Me too,” she agreed, her voice sounded lower than it had the night before.

“I’m over here missing you like crazy. I got the picture you sent from last night and let me tell ya, while I appreciate it something fierce, it’s making me wanna go up and steal a jet to get back to you.”

She giggled. “You like, huh?”

“You have no idea. Right before you called I was trying to figure out how to put out the fire you started.”

“Oh really?” Her voice changed from sweet to the subtle smokiness she had when we were in bed together. “What’dya come up with?”

I smiled, thinking to what I’d been doing right when she called. “If we had a video connection, I could show you.” She laughed and the sound of her giggles washed over me, wrapping me in a peaceful comfort.

“I wish you could. I’m still wearing the shirt…actually…”

Nothing but lust swept over me and my hand pushed back down the front of my shorts. “Keep talking, baby. Tell me what else you’re wearing. Anything?”

“Not. One. Thing.”

I groaned and stroked myself, quickly regaining the pressure I’d built up before the call. “Are you wet, baby? Touch yourself for me. Pretend it’s my hands. My tongue.”

After a second, a soft moan slithered into my ear and shivered down my spine. I remembered the way she smelled—the way she tasted. I closed my eyes and worked myself faster, getting almost to the brink, and then slowing down again, not wanting to squander the moment.

“Holly, you know what I like even better than you in my shirt?” I asked. “You without a shirt.”

“I’m taking it off, right, now.” Her voice was husky and breathy. “Mmmm, that feels good. I love the way bare skin feels on the sheets. Don’t you?”

“Yes, I do. I wish I could see all that beautiful skin.” I grit my teeth together, staving off the release. “Baby, tell me, are your fingers wet? Did you do what I asked?”

“Yes, Jack. God, I’m so wet. And tight and
hot
.”

“Fuck.” I squeezed my eyes closed even tighter, imagining her laying on a bed, her legs parted, with her fingers slipping up and down her sweet pussy. “Shit, baby, I can’t hold on much longer.”

She whimpered, the sound turning to a moan and the vision of her in my mind changed. She was in front of me, on all fours, her legs spread so I could see her wet pussy, glistening and ready. Her back arched and I shoved inside her, my cock thick and hot between her lips. “Jack, I want you. So bad.”

I nodded, unable to speak. Every ounce of energy was spent keeping the vivid daydream alive. On the other end of the call, Holly continued to moan and whimper and I felt myself go. With a groan, I released into my own hand, still imagining it was her tight pussy, and with a shudder, I spent myself until I went limp, all the pressure relieved. Only then, could I think again. Holly was still moaning and I grinned over at the computer. The screen was still blank but I could imagine her.

“Baby, if I was there, I’d run my tongue all over that sweet pussy. I’d lick up every bit and taste everything. I’d suck your sweet clit and make you scream.”

Holly’s breathing came faster, her moans turning into quick, needy pants. I grinned harder and leaned in, dropping my voice to a gravely whisper. “Baby, stick your fingers inside yourself. Two or three if you can. I want you to fuck yourself hard and fast with your fingers.”

“Mmmhmmm,” Holly purred, before she groaned and cursed.

“That’s it baby, harder, harder.” I waited, letting the sounds of her arousal get me worked up again. “Okay baby, let it go, come for me. I want you to come all over the bed.”

Two quick pants turned into a cry of pleasure and moans, then bubbled into a delirious giggle. “Oh my God…Jack…”

“Yes, baby?”

“Wow, I’m just—wow.” She panted into my ear.

“God, that was so hot, Holly. Damn.” I shook my head, the tremors still reverberating over me.

“Whoa. I can’t believe we just did that…” she replied, and I could hear the smile in her voice. “Shit…what if my neighbor heard me? I’ve never been that…loud.”

I laughed at her whispered confession and the stark contrast between her loud, voracious cries just minutes before. “You just wait till I get back home again. Your whole building is gonna know you’re gettin’ some.”

She giggled. “We’ll see about that.”

“I can’t wait.”

“Me either…”

The aftermath of the phone sex fun deflated all too quickly, and I found myself missing her even more than I had before we got on the phone together. My satisfied smile faded as the mood shifted within me. “I’m sorry this is so hard, Holly.”

“Hey, where’s that coming from?”

I put my elbows back on the desk and leaned forward, pressing my head against my balled fists. “I don’t know. I just didn’t realize how hard this was going to be.”

“I didn’t either, but it is what it is. Right?” Holly said, her voice deflated.

I squeezed my eyes closed again, silently hating myself for throwing doubt and my own fears on what had been, up until that point, a good time. “You’re right. I know you’re right.”

The computer speakers were silent and after another beat, I opened my eyes to check and make sure the connection was still good. The timer indicating the length of the call was still counting up, confirming we were still connected. Less than three weeks in and we had already run out of things to say.

Back in Holiday Cove, things between Holly and me had been so easy and effortless, and it made it easy for us to get to know each other. It had felt like there weren’t enough hours in the day to say all the things we had to say to one another. I hated to think that now that we were an ocean and thousands of miles apart, those easy free-flowing conversations had come to an end. Especially since what was left in their place were stilted, awkward, and forced moments that put an even darker shadow over an already dark situation.