Protecting Olivia

CHAPTER FORTY NINE

ETHAN

I sneak behind the barrier that is between me and my target, my gun aimed at the midsection as I hide from view, aiming momentarily before pulling the trigger and hearing the disgruntled groan of my victim. Smiling victoriously, I rise from my hiding space and give a small wave before darting off through the darkened room to find my next victim, hearing Kaley cursing me loudly as I duck behind another padded barrier and set my sights on Lucy up ahead.

I take aim at her small frame and place my finger on the trigger when I hear a loud beep and look down at my chest, only to see the lights on my vest have gone out. Spinning around, I watch as Livy runs away from me, her laughter heard over the children and adults that run around the space. I sprint after her, knowing that no one will be able to get me before my lights come back on. I reach her in no time, wrapping my arms around her waist and pulling her off of her feet. She squeals amidst her laughter as my lips find the edge of her ear.

"That wasn't very nice," I whisper loud enough for her to hear. She spins around in my arms as soon as her feet touch the ground.

"All's fair in love and war," she sings, stepping away from me as the lights of my vest come on for just one second before disappearing again. My jaw drops as I see Livy dash away from me again, her laughter louder now as I realise, she shot me for a second time. I go to chase after her when a loud horn sounds and the lights flicker on. Livy walks towards me, swinging her weapon in front of her as she sways her hips, the mischievous smile on her face showing me what a little devil she can be. She winks as she walks straight past me and towards the exit.

Not wanting her to keep the upper hand, I spin on my heel and close the distance between us. Sweeping her up in my arms I run towards the exit as she giggles loudly, her arms wrapped around my neck. I grin down at her, leaning in to peck her lips softly, unable to contain my happiness, even if she did kill me. Twice.

I deposit Livy back on her feet after we enter the room and start to remove my vest and gun as the others trickle in. It was the last game of the day, a free for all for all of Matthew's friends and us adults as well. After placing the vest and gun in their allocated spots, I take a seat and wait for the scores to come up, no doubt showing myself, Seb, Lance and Jordan at the top. Livy sits next to me and I pull her closer, pressing my lips to her head.

These last few weeks have been the best of my life, being able to call Livy mine again, being around both her and Matthew every chance I got. For the last week I've stayed with them every night, barely returning home. The first two weeks we were together, it'd been only every few nights that I would stay, until Matthew told me that he thought it was dumb that I wasn't there all the time. I couldn't have agreed with him more. And, with the upcoming deployment in less than a week, I wanted every second I could get with both of them.

Everyone crowds around the room, waiting for the scores of our last game to come up on the screen. As it flickers to light, there's a collective squeal from the girls making my stare at the screen in shock. Seb, Jordan, Lance and I were all at the bottom of the screen, being beaten by not only the girls, but all of the kids, including Hayley who is barely eight years old.

The team glances around sheepishly, as everyone congratulates Lucy on winning the round, unable to fathom that we would be beaten at what we do for a living. Livy wraps her arm around me and pats my shoulder.

"Oh, it's okay, your still my big strong soldier," she patronises making me mock glare in her direction before I pull her into my lap and nip at her ear lobe. She laughs and turns her head towards me, placing a chaste kiss to my lips making me forget the humiliation of being beaten by a bunch of kids.

"We went easy on you," Lance puffs his chest out making us all nod in agreement, though I know it wasn't true. We probably took it too seriously, making sure we had clean shots instead of just shooting everything in sight.

We trail out of the room and into where Matthew's party is set up, covered in blue balloons, party bags and hats, streamers and an assortment of finger foods for him and his friends. Livy and I make our way over to where Matthew is, knowing that the hostess at the centre would be there momentarily with his birthday cake, a large football shaped cake to match his growing passion for the sport.

We stand either side of him as everyone sings, Lucy snapping photos as Matthew blows out the candles, a massive smile on his face as he looks down at the cake in front of him. He'd told me that he hadn't had any birthday parties in the past few years, not having many friends while he was spending so much time in hospital. Livy and Mia tried to make it special for him every year, even if it was while he was laying in a hospital bed. I'm glad that he got this, this year, and that I could be a part of it.

I knew that Livy would still do something special on his actual birthday, and that Mia was planning a trip over to Perth for the occasion, not just to see Matthew but to spend time with Brandon as well. From what I had heard, they had started getting quite serious, despite the long-distance relationship.

With my arm permanently glued to Livy's waist, we say goodbye to Mathew friends as they get picked up when the party ends, Matthew is beyond happy due to the over indulgence of sugar and the fun that they all had. As the last of the guests leave, we make our way out and head back to Livy's place, Matthew chattering excitedly the entire drive home.

*

In the soft moon light that drifts through the small opening in the curtains, I study Livy's features, committing every inch of her beautiful face to memory. In just a few hours I will have to leave the comfort of her bed, remove my arms from around her and leave the country. I wasn't looking forward to it. For the first time since I joined the army, I didn't want to go. But I had a duty that I couldn't neglect, and as much as I wanted to stay in this room with Livy forever, I knew the clock was ticking before I had to depart.

Leaning forward, I kiss her soft, enticing lips, lingering for a moment, enjoying the feel of them against my own. I feel her mouth move against mine, her lips encasing mine before her tongue swoops in and caresses mine. I smile as I return her kiss that becomes more urgent and encompassing. She pushes on my chest, forcing me to roll onto my back as she straddles me, her hands digging into my hair as mine skim across her naked skin.

I can feel her moist centre grind against me, making me harden instantaneously, my need for her growing as my hands wander around her body, feeling the skin of her back, her stomach and her breasts. She pulls away from the kiss and I take the opportunity to let my lips wander down her slender neck. She sits up, arching her back as I capture a nipple in my teeth, pushing my hips up against her and feeling her wetness coat my swollen member.

Her soft hand wraps around me, stroking slowly as I groan against her breast. Livy wastes no time in lining me up and sinking down onto me, a low moan escaping her lips that I muffle when I pull her down to capture her delicious mouth. She swirls her hips, taking me deeper than I thought possible. We move in sync as I move my hips on an angle to hit that spot that drives her wild. I marvel at the sweat that laces her skin, her flushed cheeks and dilated pupils, the look on her face as she falls apart and I follow shortly after her, filling her with my seed as she squeezes around me, milking every last drop greedily.

Livy collapses on top of me and I wrap my arms around her, holding her as tight as possible. Closing my eyes, I breathe her in, taking the moment to enjoy the feel of the woman I love, knowing it will be a long time before I can have her in my arms again.