22. Chapter 22

Chapter 22

Ryder

W aking up, I feel a light tickle on my arm. Opening one eye, I spot Meghan's beautiful face smiling down at me. She doesn't realize I am awake yet, so I am going to play along with her for a minute.

She gazes at my tattoo. It's a frog skeleton, outlined in black. For most people, it is a strange image to have inked on your arm forever. For me though, it represents so much. In the SEALS, a frog skeleton tattoo means you have lost a SEAL brother. It holds so much meaning and memories for me. It's a reminder to never forget where I've been, where I'm going, and those who lost their lives to protect us all.

Finally, I can't stand not speaking to her. "Do you like it?" I ask.

Meghan almost jumps, alarmed that I am awake now.

I chuckle at her surprised reaction.

"I do. What is it?" she asks, examining the design.

"It's a frog skeleton," I say. I go on to describe to her what it represents. She nods along, smiling as I tell her the story about how we all got drunk one night when we returned home and all of my brothers went and got the tattoos.

"I think that's sweet," she says.

We sit there silently for a minute, just enjoying the moment. That's when it hits me. I didn't wake up in a cold sweat this morning. Now that I think about it, I don't recall any terrifying dreams filled with gunshots and screams.

"What are you thinking about?" Meghan asks, examining my face.

"This is the first morning in years that I have woken up without having a nightmare," I tell her. It sounds silly, but Meghan opened up to me, so I will always be honest with her, too.

Her eyes glisten and for a moment, I think she is going to cry.

"I was thinking the same thing, too. I have woken up countless mornings, yelling and crying after having a dream about a fire or Wade's death. But, today I didn't," she says, smiling at me.

I sit up and pull her onto my lap. Meghan's ample breasts fall in my face as she straddles me. There is nothing between us right now, and my dick is ready for more action. Glancing down, Meghan bites her lip, an act that she knows drives me wild, and then she kisses me.

We spend the next thirty minutes making love again.

After Meghan and I shower together, I left her apartment in time to go home and change my clothes. We have a staff meeting this morning to discuss the events that happened at the Port last night. When Meghan began opening up to me last night, something strange came over me. I had never wanted someone as badly as I had wanted her. And, it broke my fucking heart that she worried about me. Yes, my job came with risk, but everything did. You could get hit by a car crossing the street. I never lived my life with fear, but I also didn't want to make Meghan worry about me. She trusted me enough to open her heart up to me, there was no way I was going to fuck that up.

Now, sitting at Salvatore Security Forces for a morning briefing, I sip a cup of stale coffee I got from the break room.

Lance had left for Virginia, so we are left in the trusty hands of Brett, the new second in command here at this office.

Matt takes a seat next to me and he holds his own styrofoam cup of coffee. Brett makes his way to the front of the conference room and we all get quiet.

"From yesterday's notes, it appears that one of the Port workers is aiding in the illegal shipment of contraband. Ryder and Matt witnessed an argument take place and two other security details noted that they had witnessed suspicious activity. We believe a new shipment will come in tonight. Because of this, I want everyone on duty. Ryder and Matt are already scheduled for a shift, so everyone else will serve as undercover officers and be waiting for the takedown with local law enforcement," he stated.

I felt my adrenaline spike as I realized I would finally get to utilize my skills. Taking down the bad guys was what I was trained for.

Later that day, I was still amped up from the news that I would get to really be back in action. I also couldn't stop thinking about Meghan. Her body was beyond amazing and being inside of her was better than I ever could have imagined.

Needing a release, I moved into my shower and turned on the cool water. My dick was already hard from the naked images of Meghan that seemed to now be ingrained in my head. Grabbing my cock, I began to rub up and down my hard length. More than anything I wished it was Meghan's mouth or pussy on my cock, but I would just have to pretend for now. As I pumped faster, I had to use one hand to hold me up against the shower wall. As the water cascaded down my body, I roared out Meghan's name as I came. It wasn't as good as being with her, but at least my body wasn't shaking from so much energy coursing through my veins. That quick climax would suffice for now.