HIDDEN TRUTH : THE JACUZZI
Warning : vanilla, foot-play, missionary, emotional, fluff
A/N : the expression “my 9 months” is very often used by African mom to say “their baby, their child”
“Prove it then. The way that you love me.”
The words hung in the air between them for less than a heartbeat before Smoke closed the distance, his hand already cradling her face, sliding back through the maze of her braids until his fingers held the nape of her neck. He pulled her toward him with urgency, his mouth smashing hers in a crash that tasted of desperation and solace.
The kiss was passionate, his lips pressing against hers with a raw hunger that had been gnawing at his insides since the day she signed those damns divorce papers he foolishly lent her and walked out of his life.
Every sleepless night spent staring at his ceiling, the spanning time he had watched her from across a courtroom or a mediation table and forced himself not to reach for her, every moment his fingers had itched to touch her and he had shoved his hands in his pockets instead — all the souvenirs came rushing out through the way his mouth grazed against hers, demanding and unrelenting.
Annie choked on a moan, the sound low in the back of her throat.
Smoke’s hand released her face and leisurely descended, his fingertips trailing down to the loose collar of her oversized sweatshirt and slip beneath it. He roamed her warm bare skin : the delicate ridge of her collarbone, achingly familiar under his rough palm — Lower, skating over her ribs until he reached her curved waist where the sweatshirt had ridden up just enough to expose a strip of her deep brown complexion.
Smoke held her tight, his fingers splaying wide across her bare flesh, and pulled her toward him even insulting the protest of the rigid armrest between them.
Annie’s hands flew up to his chest, and for a fraction of a second his heart seized with the fear that she might push him away. Instead, her fingers curled into weak fists around the fabric of his shirt, bunching it in her grip as she yanked him closer like she was trying to pull him through the narrow gap separating their seats.
A whimper escaped from somewhere deep in her throat and this brittle melody shot jolt through Smoke, lighting up nerve endings he thought had gone numb.
He abandoned her waist to map the landscape of her voluptuous body, his palm sliding up the curve of her side where he could feel every dip, roll and swell. Then upward again, climbing higher until he cupped the roundness of her breast, full and weighty in his palm.
Annie arched into his touch, her back bowing off the seat, mouth parting in an invitation he crudely accepted.
His tongue swept past the barrier of her pouty lips, tasting the sweet-sour notes of the lemon ginger tea she had ordered at the airport. The kiss turned from desperate to consuming, from hungry to ravenous, and Smoke couldn’t seem to get close enough no matter how hard he tried.
The armrest digging into his ribs hurtfully reminded him that they were in a plane with fifty other people and most importantly Tiana — their daughter — sleeping an arm’s length away.
He broke the kiss and tilt his head, adjusting the angle, his nose dragging across her cheek, and then he was back on her with renewed intensity. His breathing came harsh and uneven through his nose, each exhale washing hot across her skin as he suffocated her with his embrace, as if he was trying to imprint this moment in both their memory.
Annie’s fingers climbed from Smoke’s chest to his neck, her nails scraping against the sturdy skin. He groaned against her swollen lips, pooling butterflies in her stomach
Smoke’s fingers traveled deep south, gliding over her generous ass before settling on her thigh. He squeezed her plush flesh hard — possessive, territorial, claiming. He continued to kiss her desperately. Annie was oxygen and he — Smoke — been deprived of for the past year.
The distant murmur of conversations from other passengers dissolved — To hell what they might thinking. This instant, nothing was important than Annie’s lips salsa-ing against his, her tongue wet and feverishly dancing with his in the familiar rhythm they had perfected over fifteen years of marriage — the small desperate whines she made that he swallowed down like sacrament, the way her body curved into his despite the harshness trying to keep them apart.
Then his lungs began to burn, screaming for air.
They broke apart simultaneously, both of them panting. Their foreheads stayed pressed together, lips hovering barely an inch apart, close enough that each ragged exhale mingled with the other’s. His eyes opened first, unfocused, and he found himself staring directly into her brown, dazed and dilated wide pupils.
God— Annie ! Don’t look at me with those eyes
For one fleeting moment, he simply let himself drown in it. In the faint purple-ish flush spreading across her dark skin. In the way her lips looked swollen and thoroughly ruined. In the fact that she had let him embrace her like that and she had responded with the same frantic hunger he was carrying around like a wound.
Then, slowly, gradually, reality came knocking his senses back.
Shit—
Every word he had whispered while he thought she was sleeping began replaying in his head in excruciating detail. The confession, vulnerability he had laid bare thinking she couldn’t hear him.
“You—” His voice came out ragged and barely audible. He gulped hard in his throat. “You heard everything.”
He didn’t framed it as a question because he already knew the answer in the way her breathing had changed earlier, her body had tensed beneath his hand while he was pouring his heart out like a damn idiot.
Annie nodded, shyly, her heart jumping in her chest.
His heart kicked in his chest, blood rushing hot under his skin, and that’s when he felt it starting. The heat pooling low in his stomach, the way his body was responding to their shared intimacy, the taste of her still on his tongue, the fact that she was sitting here looking at him with those damn big brown eyes all dazed and her lips soppy from his.
His length began to swell, filling out against the inside of his slacks in a steady throb he couldn’t stop even if he wanted to. His pants went from comfortable to taut in the span of a few seconds, the fabric straining as his bulge grew thick and hard along his thigh.
Elijah get your shit together nigga. You’re a man for God sake ! A father, a businessman, an OG. Have some respect for yourself…
Smoke knew he should say something. Apologize maybe. Explain himself. But his brain was working slow, too focused on the uncomfortable pressure building in his pants and the way Annie’s gaze hadn’t left his face.
He swayed in his seat, trying to adjust himself without being obvious about it, but the movement just made it worse. His cock pressed fuller against the zipper, the ridge of it clearly visible.
Annie’s eyes flicked down to his lap for just a second before coming back up to meet his.
Damn Annie? Is you coo?
Smoke’s face went hot. He needed to get out of this seat before Tiana woke up or a flight attendant walked by or that Annie said something that would make this whole situation even more impossible than it already was.
His shirt wasn’t loose enough to cover his crotch, and he surely not sitting here trying to have a conversation while his body betrayed him.
Smoke grabbed the armrest and hauled himself up, keeping his hips angled away from the aisle as much as he could manage in the cramped space.
“Keep snoring ma’am. I’m getting back,” he flapped, putting his false cocky, smug mask back on his face.
“Oh bitch— I ain’t snoring and you know that !”
He replied with a shook, turned sideways and stepped into the aisle, his hand automatically going to the front of his shirt to tug it down even though it barely helped. His erection sat obvious and phat behind his zipper, the bulge impossible to miss.
He started walking toward the back of the plane, walking faster than he probably should have, his stride awkward because of the tightness in his slacks. Someone in an aisle seat glanced up at him as he passed and he turned his body away, hunching his shoulders.
The bathroom door seemed like it was an eternity away instead of twenty rows.
He kept his eyes on the destination, trying to not think about the awkward posture he might have right now.
Smoke pushed into the lavatory, locked the flimsy door behind him and immediately twisted the cold water tap, cupping his hands under the stream and splashing his face.
The chill hit his face in a shock of chill that did absolutely nothing for the trick happening below his abdomen.
His dick kept thickening in his slacks, sprawled hard along his thigh, filling out more with each passing second instead of calming down like he needed it to.
Smoke fixed his gaze on the mirror, staring at his own wet face, at the droplets dripping off his jaw. He wasn’t going to look down. If he didn’t acknowledge it, maybe his body would take the hint and quit acting like he was some teenager who couldn’t control himself.
Yet, the gentleman down there had other plans. His shaft pressed firmer, threatening to tear the fabric. The friction made it worse, sweetening the ache in his core.
Smoke gripped the edge of the tiny sink and kept his eyes up.
The kiss wouldn’t stop replaying in his head. Annie’s mouth opening under his. Her fingers digging into his chest. The way she had pulled him closer instead of pushing him away. He loved every fucking second of it. Losing his vagabond hands in the map of her curves was a pleasure he never satiated from.
Except Annie wasn’t his anymore.
He had seen her days ago with a man : Tall as she loved them, holding a door for her, stable too — based on the luxury of his car.
Well, money stopped being a pain for Smoke anyway. And he knew damn well, Annie didn’t give a shit about it.
Anyway, no use thinking deep into it on loop. His Annie had somebody now. Somebody who probably treated her better than he ever managed to.
Did that man knew her body like he does? Certainly no.
Could he make love to her, so deliciously, she loses her fucking mind? Impossible.
Is that fucker even aware of how much she adores being worshipped? How she loved her Eros spots eaten?
Was his tongue sultry enough to whisper filth and adoration to her ear?
Smoke grinned at his reflection.
Yeah— that lame nigga he saw days ago wasn’t him and could never be.
“Bet bro got at least a cuck kink, cause that’s how I’m gon’ turn him into.”
Annie is mine. Smoke decided, he won’t back down, no more.
Luxury sport car? Touche. He would buy three of them if that the plan — each sending her to different places.
Three quick knocks hit the lavatory door.
“Sir, we’re starting our descent.” The flight attendant’s voice came through clipped and professional. “You need to get back to your seat.”
“I’m coming,” he answered, confidence regained in his tone.
Smoke glanced down. The crotch had finally softened and he could head back out without preying eyes judging his morality.
He dried his hands on a paper towel and unlocked the door.
The cabin had shifted into landing mode, everyone buckled in and waiting. Smoke made his way back down the aisle at his normal pace.
When he reached his place, Tiana was still knocked out against the window, drool collecting at the corner of her mouth.
Annie glanced up as he slid into his seat — a teasing glint dancing in her chestnut irises.
“Ain’t your mama told you staring ain’t polite ma’am?”
“Neither is running away with tail between legs,” she shot back
Smoke arched a brow, tilting his head aside. “Who was running? I was peeing. You wanted to hold it for me or what?”
“Ugh— you disgusting. Bless the world and zip it.” Annie grimaced, rolling her eyes. Though in the cage of her chest, her heart sank in her stomach, beating faster and faster.
“Huh huh— you wasn’t saying that when I was squeezing your ti—”
Annie slapped her palms quick on Smoke’s lips, a warning glare throwing shots. “I swear if my daughter catch on your bullshit, Imma chop your balls off !”
She heard a loud gulp as she held his pleading puppy eyes. “You hear me Elijah? Nod.”
He nodded obediently, then she released him.
“Fuck Annie— I worked so damn hard to cool that shit down…” Her eyes traveled south between his legs to find him swollen again — bigger than minutes ago.
She flustered, throwing the blanket she had on his lap. “You such a pervert.” She mouthed, her lips twitching. “A perv and a brat.”
“A dog, a brat…you call me everything babe. Just put that damn collard around my neck already.”
He is good Savannah. That nigga knew exactly how to lit her fire. Her ass flat on the seat, she could hear all her holes breathing, beating.
“Behave Elijah. I’m waking your daughter up.”
Smoke squinted his smiley eyes, dropping the tablet on his lap, along with the blanket, to protect his indecency and prevent tornadoes of questions from Tiana.
Annie tapped gently on her daughter shoulders, cupping her face up onto the back of her seat.
“Lil mama. We soon arrived. Don’t you wanna see the plane landing?”
She repeated the sentence softly at least three times until Tiana emerged.
“Mmh—? Mama? We here?”
“Soon baby. Put your seatbelt back.”
Tiana rubbed her eyes with the back of her hand, yawning wide enough that her jaw cracked. She fumbled for the seatbelt hanging loose by her hip and clicked it into place.
“How long I was out?” she mumbled, still half asleep.
“Whole flight pretty much,” Smoke responded from the aisle seat.
Tiana blinked at him, then at Annie, her brain slowly catching up to being awake. “Y’all still alive? You ain’t kill each other? THAT QUIET this whole time? Goddamn. Miracle ! Let’s pray the Lord.”
Smoke blurred a laugh. Tiana was such a ki. Even when she was still a toddler she always find a way to piss her mother off. Smoke was proud. He worked well with this one.
“Don’t look at me like that old man…I’m goin to call the police—” the twelve years old said, trailing her sentence.
It was Annie’s turn to burst into laughter. She didn’t even hide it.
“Please do— Mmpft haha.”
“Bet. My pinkie telling me there are two girls here who gon’ sleep in snowy streets tonight…” He turned his back, shoving his pinkie finger above his shoulders.
“Oh no— papa…you know I love you. You ain’t a creep ! I swear— it’s all mama…”
“Oh you switch quick. Damn— I ain’t raising no snitch.” Annie jumping in, laughing tears dropping from her eyes.
Tiana beamed warmly. Having her papa and mama joyfully in each other space like this, fluttered her heart. Since they divorced everything fell apart in her world. She knew she was too young to understand their adult problems so she held back all her fears and anxiety. When her classmates mocked her for having split parents, she consoled herself with the fact that they loved her — exactly what her mama said. Still, seeing affection in their eyes like was everything she always prayed for.
“ANYWAY—” she pressed her face back against the window. “Ooh, I can see the ground getting closer! Look at all the snow!”
The plane tilted slightly, banking as it lined up for final approach. Through the window, white-capped mountains stretched out in every direction, pine trees clustered thick on the slopes, and small towns dotted the valleys below.
“It’s so pretty,” Tiana breathed, her nose practically touching the glass.
The landing gear deployed with a heavy thunk that made the whole plane shudder. The flight attendants moved through the cabin one last time, checking that everyone was buckled in properly.
“Ladies and gentlemen, we’re making our final descent. Please ensure your seats and tray tables are in their upright positions.”
The plane dropped lower, the ground rushing up to meet them. Tiana kept her face glued to the window, watching everything with fascination.
Annie’s hand found the armrest between her and Smoke, gripping it tight as the runway appeared below them. Her knuckles went pale.
“Little baby…” Smoke hushed in her ear. “I gotcha.”
His hand covered hers strongly, palm flushed and protective over her white-knuckled grip.
The wheels touched down with a bump, then another, the plane bouncing a bit before settling. The engines roared as the pilots hit the brakes, slowing them down.
Tiana let out a little whoop. “We made it ! You still alive mama, we made it !”
Oh gurl, don’t make me start whopping your ass—
The plane taxied toward the gate, turning off the runway and rolling slowly through the airport grounds. Around them, passengers started pulling out their phones, unbuckling even though the seatbelt sign was still lit.
Smoke’s thumb traced a small circle on the back of Annie’s hand before he let go.
The plane came to a complete stop. The seatbelt sign dinged off.
Everyone stood at once, opening overhead bins, grabbing bags, crowding into the aisle.
Tiana was already on her feet, stretching. “Can we get food? I’m starving.”
“You just ate on the plane Gargantua,” Annie reminded her.
“First of all, that was hours ago ! And I was sleeping, so it don’t count.”
The door opened. People started filing out, shuffling forward with their carry-ons.
Smoke grabbed their bags from the bin and they joined the line. Tiana bounced on her toes ahead of them, impatient. Annie walked in the middle.
They made their way down the jetway and into the terminal.
|| 𝑶𝒏 𝑹𝒐𝒂𝒅, *** 𝑴͟𝒐͟𝒖͟𝒏͟𝒕͟𝒂͟𝒊͟𝒏͟𝒔͟𝒊͟𝒅͟𝒆,
The rental car Smoke had reserved turned out to be a night blue SUV with enough space for all their luggage and Tiana’s expected complaints about leg room. He loaded their bags into the trunk while Annie buckled Tiana into the back seat.
The airport sat at the base of the mountain range, and the drive up took them through winding roads that cut between pine trees so thick with snow their branches sagged down. The asphalt had been cleared but snow piled high on both sides, forming white walls that got taller the higher they climbed.
Tiana had her nose glued to the window, recording videos on her iPad.
“Oh— this house ! It’s got icicles longer than me—”
“Keep your seatbelt on,” Annie warned.
“I am just leaning Ma.”
She heard her mother sighed. Annie was overstimulated. It wasn’t an easy game dealing with a super-excited Tiana. Since the divorce, they — Annie and Tiana — rarely left their hometown, except for beaches nearby, so the little one was impossibly thrilled.
Smoke drove with both hands on the wheel, his attention split between the road and his phone GPS he stuck on the dashboard.
The route took them past a few small lodges and cabin clusters before the landscape thinned out and they were driving through realm full of trees.
“Aaah—” Tiana nagged, her chubby cheek still glued on the foggy window. “Hooow much longer?”
“The GPS says twelve minutes, Nana” her father answered.
She exhaled, clearly annoyed and disappointed. Through the glass, she could see the scenery blurring, some odd squirrels running randomly. The road curved and suddenly Tiana gasped.
“Oh my God— Papa ! Papa ! stop !”
Smoke’s foot moved to the brake, hitting it carefully. “What? What happened?”
Annie turned around alerted, extending her arms to reach for her daughter.
“Oups—“ Tiana squealed in her seat, “nothing bad—just…look !” She pointed outside.
Off to the right, a clearing opened up where the forest pulled back. A group of kids around Tiana’s age were skiing down a slope, their bright colors-pop jackets standing out against the white. At the bottom, a woman in a red puffer coat stood watching them, calling out something they couldn’t hear from the road.
“They’re skiing ! Can I go? Please?”
“Nana, we haven’t even gotten to the cabin yet,” Smoke retorted.
“I know, but they’re right there ! Look, they even got an instructor ! Please? Mama? Say yes…”
Annie stared above her daughter shoulder. The setup seemed safe : all the kids wore helmets and proper gear, and the woman seemed to be running an actual lesson rather than just watching them play.
“We need to unpack first lil mama.”
“I know ma’ ! I’m not saying right now. But after? Can I come back?”
“Baby, you don’t even know if they taking new people—”
“But we can ask? Please? You promised !”
Annie glanced at Smoke. The man had got his posture back on the road, he half-turned his face lifting one brow and shrugged.
“Fine,” the mother concluded. “We get to the cabin, you changing into warm clothes, then I’ll drive you back. BUT— I’m talking to the instructor first.”
“Yes ! Thank you ma” Tiana blew her a kiss.
“And you’re following every rule she gives you. I’m not playing lady.”
“I will, I promise !”
After minutes they arrived at destination. The cabin emerged at the end of a private drive that forked off the main road, tucked back in the trees with a view that gave up to a valley below. It was larger than the photos had suggested — full mahogany, all natural wood and huge glass doors that reflected the afternoon light.
A deck wrapped around the front and sides, and smoke already rose from the chimney.
“Seems like somebody came through and started the fire,” Smoke said, parking near the front steps.
They all climbed out. The breeze instantly seized them,carrying the scent of pine and burning woods.
“Waaw” Tiana exclaimed , staring up at the cabin with twinkling eyes.
“Get your bag, Miss” Annie ordered her. “Don’t just stand there.”
Smoke grabbed the keys from his pocket and unlocked the entry door. A welcomed heat spilled out to meet them.
The main room spread out wide with a vaulted ceiling, exposed beams running overhead, and furniture that looked both comfortable and fancy. The fireplace crackled on the far wall. To the left, a kitchen island with granite counters and stainless appliances. To the right, a hallway leading deeper into the cabin.
Smoke dragged, setting down the first load of bags inside.
“Can I see my room?” Tiana asked.
“Yeah Nana, wait a minute.” He led them down the hallway and pushed open a door near the end. “This is your room.”
The space had a queen bed with a large comforter, a dresser, and its own bathroom visible through another door. Glasses-windows peeped out at the trees.
“I get my own bathroom?” Tiana beamed, rising her voice of excitement.
“Yes baby. You get your own bathroom,” Smoke confirmed.
“Oh my God, this is so cool !” She answered running to the bathroom.
Smoke turned to Annie who was standing in the hallway. “We got the Master bedroom’s upstairs,” he explained to her, guiding her up a staircase off the main room.
The master room took up most of the second floor with two king-large beds positioned across from each other with nightstands between them. A second fireplace was placed on a wall surrounded by fluffy couches and a coffee table. From where she stood Annie could also see a sitting area by the windows, and a bathroom that had both a hot tub and a separate shower.
“There’s a jacuzzi too” Smoke said, pointing through a wooden door inches aside from the fireplace. “They must have a how-to-use guide.”
The space in which it sat got glasses doors that gave on the forest…
Annie stride toward the mini-steamy room. The jacuzzi was covered by a charcoal fabric, there was a medium bar against the back wall, it shelves already filled with bottles — wines, rum, bourbon, and even soft like Martini, syrups.
“Eh—? Ain’t know they got us drinks too.”
“Of course…” Annie rolled her eyes, swaying her hips back to the main Master room.
“I swear.” He approached, holding her shoulders, his mouth close to her ear. “No complains though. I’m glad they put your favorite there…a rosé wine.” His lips brushed fleet along the nape of her neck, leaving swollen kisses.
“Elijah…” Annie turned to face him. Forehead against forehead. Nose on nose. She breathed hot against his lips.
Smoke threaded his fingers between the lines of her boho braids, drawing his lips close to hers, then —
“MAMA ! MAMA ! Can we go now ? Watcha doin’?”
Tiana’s voice carried up from downstairs. Impatient.
Annie hiccuped and bounced off Smoke’s embrace, her heart achingly and frantically hammering in her chest.
“Go get your ski pants on and find your warmest socks. And your gloves. I’m heading down baby !” She screamed, calling back to Tiana.
“Hmm— you unpacking?” Annie demanded, returning her nervous attention to Smoke.
“Yeah…I got it…” He scratched the back of his head. “Y’all best be careful on those roads.” He said, giving her the car keys.
“We will.” Annie responded, already strolling down the stairs.
Annie drove her daughter back down the mountain, their drive often interrupted by laughter and chattering about what tricks Tiana would try, ways to impress her mates and whether those kids would be nice.
“You know damn well !” The twelve years old, bragged throwing signs.
“Ouh—now who taught you that?”
“Me? Nobody.” She whistled, refusing to hold her mother’s gaze.
“Jesus Christ ! Tiana Moore don’t go throwing gangs signs at these white chalky kids please !!”
“AND a black girl. I saw her !”
“Now I understand, that’s why you wanted to go skiing that bad. You wanna befriend her.” Annie smirked, knowingly.
“Of course ! Who wanna stay home with you two? Ion want da cops taking me as witness if you killed each other.” She popped out her iPad again, recording anything from the passenger seat’s window.
“I’m not killing anyone girl.”
“Except Doc Kimmie.”
Annie sucked her teeth, “don’t bring the lady up, Tiana.”
“See? Don’t worry we gon hide the corpse well. I got great grades in Sciences !”
“O—kay, I ain’t birth no Michael Myer…let’s calm down”
The clearing came into view and Annie pulled off onto a spot where a few other cars were parked.
The woman instructor was crouched, her glasses loose on her European Caucasian nose. She was helping a young black pecan-skinned girl to adjust her helmet.
“Oh? Ain’t she the lil girl you thought you saw?”
“That’s her !” Tiana beamed, ready to jump out the car.
“Hold on captain. Wait there a minute.”
Annie descended off the SUV, walked over, her boots crunching in the packed snow. “Afternoon ma’am.”
The woman looked up and smiled. “Hi ! Can I help you?”
“My daughter over there,” Annie began, pointing in Tiana direction, “would love to join your lesson. She’s twelve, she had skied before but only once…so I wanted to ask if it’s okay for her to join the kids. If there’s fees, I can pay right away ! She really really want to join.”
“Absolutely ! I’m Jane Auburn, I run the children ski program here. And it’s totally free ! The program had been created by the ***’s Association for promoting winter sports, you don’t have to pay anything.” She pulled off one glove to shake Annie’s hand. “We do mixed skill levels from beginner to expert. And to be fair almost all the kids are starting too, so she’ll fit right in.”
“Oh thanks Lord ! I appreciate it Ms. Auburn. By the way, I’m Annie Kennedy. We’re staying at the cabin about two miles up.” Annie pulled out her phone. “Can we exchange numbers? I will give you mine and her father’s too, just in case something happens.”
Jane pulled out her own phone and they shared information.
“Is there any medical notes I should know?” The instructor asked.
“She don’t have any allergies except nuts. Physically, no injuries or anything that can prevent her from doing the activities. She’s competitive though, so she might try to show off.”
Ms Auburn laughed. “Good to know. Right now it’s the afternoon-night game, we usually play until about seven-thirty, but parents can come fetch them before, or last check at eight.”
“Seven-thirty is perfect, I or her father will come get her. I will send you a text beforehand, thank you so much Ms Auburn !” Annie turned to the little girl with the helmet on, “Goodbye princess !”
“B—Bye ma’am…”
Oh ! A shy one. Tiana gon’ work very hard with this one.
Annie smiled and walked back to the car where Tiana was waiting, excited.
“Aight ! You can go. Don’t forget to listen to Ms Auburn. She is the instructor. You don’t do throw gangs signs…Imma need to have a word with Stack later…”
“No— it’s not uncle Stack” Tiana stuttered, flaring her nostrils.
“Yeah.. whatever, your nostrils tellin’ me otherwise. Listen gangsta, you don’t do ANYTHING stupid to impress the other kids. You say NO if anyone becomes a lil bit too touchy…and you CALL ME QUICK.” Annie tapped the back of Tiana’s iPad. “Don’t go near any dangerous slope, you hear me? Cause I know you, huh. If you are tired or feel uncomfortable with a game or the vibe, you stop. Got it?”
“Yes Commandant ! Yes ma’am !” Tiana pocketed her iPad and straightened like a military officer.
“Good. I’ll be back at seven-thirty. You got four hours to ski and have fun baby. I love you.”
“Thank you mama, I love you more !” Tiana hugged Annie, kissed her mom’s cheek, grabbed her own skis from the trunk and ran toward the group.
Annie watched long enough to see Jane greet Tiana and introduce her to the others. Then she climbed back into the SUV, started the engine, and headed back up the mountain.
—
The drive back up the mountain took less time than the trip down, Annie’s hands grew confident on the wheel now that she knew the curves and grades of the winding road. The SUV’s tires crunched through packed snow as she drove the final lane, tall pines pressing close on either side with their branches sagging under the weight of snow. Sunlight filtered through the canopy in scattered beams that made the cold powder sparkle like crushed glass.
When the private driveway came into view, Annie pushed on the pedals and parked the engine in a rough growl. She stepped into the cold, adjusting her scarf tight around her neck.
“Jesus— it’s friskier than hours ago.”
She started walking inside when she heard Smoke’s voice. He was standing on the deck that wrapped around to the side of the cabin, his back to her, phone pressed to his ear. His breath came out in visible clouds as he spoke. She couldn’t really catch on the conversation as words carrying across the distance in fragments : “committee meeting scheduled for the… yeah, I reviewed the projections…numbers are…I’ll see about…”
Numbers. Numbers. Money. Money.
That’s all she was hearing from that conversation. Smoke’s tone had that particular edge when he was in his director mode : clipped, professional, the easy fucking drawl he always carrying, somehow disguised into more formal speech.
Annie stopped midway with one foot on the bottom porch step, her hand on the railing. She could walk around to where he stood, let him know she was back, that their daughter settled for a good swing but something about the way he held himself — shoulders squared, free hand gesturing to whoever he was talking but clearly couldn’t see him — told her this wasn’t a quick conversation.
“Shit— ain’t nobody gon stay under this damn cold except him.”
Annie climbed the steps, slipped inside the living room. She managed to the kitchen island and served herself a glass of water before heading up.
The stairs creaked under her weight as she climbed. The pain she carried in her foot since airport was persisting fiercely now, making it hard for her to not grit her teeth.
Annie sighed of relief when she pushed the Master room’s door open. With slow motion, she dragged herself to one the two beds’ edges and sat. She bent to unlace her boots. The left one came off easy enough, but when she tried to pull the right boot free, pain shot up her leg sharp enough to make her hiss.
“Gnn— come on now. “ She eased the boot off slower and carefully until her foot finally breathed free. Then, she peeled her sock away, revealing the throbbing damage : The skin around her ankle had darkened into deep shades of purple and blue-black, the bruising spreading in mottled patterns that made her flesh look weird.
She pressed her thumb against the puffy tissue and immediately regretted it. The pain blazed up through her calf and down into her toes.
“Fuck— that son of bitch really stomped me hard.”
Annie flexed her foot and cursed again. She remembered the jacuzzi Smoke had shown her earlier in that private lounge off the master bedroom with the glass windows looking out at nothing but trees and snow. Hot water and pressure jets wouldn’t heal the bruise, but at least she would stop feeling her heartbeat pounding through the injury.
Annie stood and reached for the hem of her oversized sweatshirt, pulling it up and over her head in one clean movement. Her braids caught briefly in the fabric before tumbling down her back. The bedroom air was cooler than downstairs, and goosebumps immediately rose across her arms and chest.
She reached behind her back and unhooked her bra, letting the straps slide down her shoulders, then on top the sweatshirt. Her breasts settled full, heavy and naturally low-sitting on her chest. Her nipples tightened in the cool air, dark deep-mauve brown peaks on the cocoa of her skin.
She unbuttoned the zipper of her pants working it over the curve of her hips. The fabric caught on her thighs before she could shimmy it past and step out completely.
At last, she took off her panties,slipping the comfortable cotton down her legs and kicked aside with the rest of her clothes.
Annie stood naked in the middle of the room, her curvaceous body on full display in the afternoon light coming through the windows. The extra weight she had gained back after beating cancer, had settled into her ass, arms, thighs and stomach, chubb-ing the lines of her figure. Stretch marks decorated her skin with lightning strikes, silvery against her deep brown complexion. Her thighs touched at the top, and her belly curved outward in a way that used to bother her but not anymore.
She grabbed a towel from the bathroom and wrapped it around her body, tucking the corner between her breasts to hold it in place.
Annie strode to the jacuzzi lounge Smoke had shown her earlier. She pushed the door open and walked inside.
The jacuzzi itself sat in the center of the room, large enough for four people easily, its surface still covered by the fabric that kept the heat in. Steam rose from the edges where the cover didn’t quite seal, wisping up into the freezing air of the room.
Annie approached it and ran her fingers along the edge until she found the fasteners. She managed for the first one, then the second, moving around the perimeter until she done with all four.
Annie had to use the strength of both her hands to lifted the cover off the jacuzzi. Instantly, steam billowed up, carrying with it the artificial mineral smell.
The surface of the water rippled a little bit from the jets running underneath, and she could see the whole setting.
She dipped her hand in to test it. The water was hot, the kind of heat that couldn’t quit burn her skin but was sufficient to cool down her ache and stress.
Annie unwrapped the towel from around her chest and draped it over a table beside the Jacuzzi, to which she positioned herself at the edge.
She lifted her uninjured foot first, dipping her toes in before dropping it in fully. Annie did the same for the injured one, moving slower and more careful as the water veiled her swollen ankle.
The relief was needed and overwhelming. Her muscles loosened, tension draining out of her tensed, tightened parts. Annie gripped the edges of the jacuzzi and crouched down inch by inch, the water climbing up her calves, over her knees, past her thighs, until she was sitting fully submerged up to her chest.
She let out a groan, her head tipping back against the curved edge of the tub. The heat paved its way into her bones, into the ache that had been living in her lower back since the flight.
“Aaah…” she exhaled, relaxed.
Annie adjusted her position, scooting slightly to the left until she found one of the jets. She lifted her injured foot and placed it directly in front of the stream of water, letting the pressure pulse against her ankle in a steady rhythm that hurt and felt good at the same time.
The jacuzzi was arranged in a way that anyone sitting in it would naturally face the glass windows and the forest view beyond. Which meant Annie’s back was to the door leading into the master bedroom.
She emptied her brain, letting herself sink deeper into the water until it reached her shoulders, her braids piled loosely on top of her head with a few strands already escaping to curl against her neck from the humidity.
Maybe this little escape wasn’t a stupid idea after all.
Smoke had finished his call with the loan committee ten minutes ago, confirming the timeline for Ajani Morgan’s renovation project and the documentation he would need to submit before the holidays.
He had seen Annie pull up in the SUV while he was still on the phone. He had watched her step out of the car, adjust her scarf against the cold, then pause when she heard his voice carrying across the snow.
She had stood there for a moment with one hand on the porch railing before deciding against interrupting him and heading inside.
Which was probably smart, given the conversation he had been having.
When he finally pocketed his phone and walked inside, the cabin was quiet except for the crackle of the fire in the main room.
“Annie?” he called out, not too loud but enough for her to answer if she was nearby.
Smoke checked the kitchen first, nothing but a glass of water standing on the counter. He moved through the living room, glanced down the hallway toward his daughter’s space, thinking that maybe Annie was there checking if Tiana unpacked properly.
Still nothing.
He took the stairs two at a time, his hand trailing along the wooden banister. The master bedroom door stood open, he saw her discarded clothes piled on the ground — scarf, sweatshirt, bra, pants, everything she had been wearing dumped in heap.
He lowered to take them on the bed when he heard the low mechanical hum of the jacuzzi motor, water churning and bubbling behind the closed door of the lounge.
Stay there, nigga. Leave that woman alone. A voice muttered in his mind.
Just peep a bit. Don’t you have balls? Another one screamed louder.
Smoke took off he shoes, backing off to drop them at the Master room’s threshold. Then, he crossed the bedroom, his feet almost making no sound on the floor. The lounge door was half-opened, driving the steam to his face — humidity clinging to his skin immediately.
He stood there for a moment like a fool, drinking on the sight of her.
Annie sat in the tub with her back to the door, completely naked, water lapping at her shoulders. Her braids were piled loosely on top of her head with strands escaping to curl against her steamy neck.
Her brown skin glistened with moisture, droplets running down the elegant curve of her spine, tracing paths he craved to follow with his tongue.
One of her foot was propped up on the edge where a jet of water hit it directly, the ankle visibly swollen and discolored.
Smoke headed forward, his steps silent on the tile floor. He stopped just behind her, close enough to see the way her shoulders rose and fell with each breath, to smell the cocoa butter lotion she always used mixed with the mineral scent of the water.
He crouched down slow, leisurely, patient, until he was at her level, his mouth hovering near her ear.
“It’s swollen, after all,” he murmured, letting his hot breath brush against her sensitive skin, his lips trailing lower, barely grazing the nape of her neck.
Smoke pulled back from her neck and circled around the jacuzzi to where her injured foot rested on the rim, water dripping steadily from her skin. He sat down on the edge beside her, the cool tile pressing through his pants, and reached for her ankle with a gentleness that felt almost reverent.
Her foot settled into his lap, slick from the water, and he wrapped both hands around it. They were delicate in his palms despite the ugly swelling that distorted the joint.
His thumbs found the puffy tissue, began moving in languid circles, barely touching at first, just grazing the surface of her flesh to map the damage before applying any real pressure. The inflammation seemed to run deep into the muscle and bone.
Annie winced of pain, biting her lower lip to blood.
Smoke let his hands wander higher, fingers splaying wide across her calf. He massaged it slowly, his palms gliding over her wet skin with a friction that sent heat radiating up through his arms. Each squeeze of his hands lingered longer than necessary as he coaxed the tension out of her body little by little.
Annie choked on a moan, quiet but unmistakable. Her body locked up instantly after, going rigid like she had given something away she shouldn’t have. Heat pooled low in Smoke’s stomach, spreading through his groin in a rush that made his dick start to fill out against the damp fabric of his pants. However, he didn’t stop. His hands traveled to her sole, fingers pressing into the soft spot, then swirling between her toes.
Annie squirmed, whimpering again, louder this time, her head falling back against the tub’s edge while her lips parted on gasps she couldn’t hold in.
Smoke’s cock went from half-hard to fully erect in seconds, throbbing and swelling thicker and harder until his slacks’ zipper bit into him uncomfortably. The wet fabric of his pants clung to him, outlining every inch of his length, and he had to resist the urge to reach down and adjust himself. He shuffled his hips, trying to adjust himself without being obvious about it, but the movement only made him more aware of how aroused he became from nothing more than touching her foot and listening to those damn sounds spill out of her.
He cupped her heel in one palm and brought her foot higher into his lap, setting it directly over the bulge pressing insistent against his thigh.
She had to feel it — his stiff, hard as stone dick beneath the damp fabric, the way his arousal pulsed with each beat of his heart, how much power she still hold on him.
Annie breath went ragged, her parted lips puffing steamy clouds, the fog draping her protectively.
Smoke rubbed each of her toe, sultry and sluggishly. His thumb traced the sensitive space between them, lingering there while his other hand sensually stroked up and down the length of her sole.
“Your ankle’s a little purple…” He grunted
“Elijah…” His name left her lips like she was testing how it felt to say it after long time.
Smoke leaned forward, bringing her foot up toward his face. His lips found the bruised skin first, pressing a kiss just above the fleshy discoloration. Then he moved higher, his mouth traveling over her instep while his tongue darted out to taste the water still clinging to her skin.
She tasted clean and faintly mineral.
He pressed his lips against the pad of her big toe first, before his mouth opened wider, taking it fully inside. His tongue swirled around the digit languidly, the wet heat of his laps warming her skin while his hand cradled her heel to keep her steady.
Annie’s breath caught in her throat, her spine stiffened before a mewl tore loose from somewhere deep in her chest. Her fingers dug into the jacuzzi’s rim, gripping hard enough that her knuckles pushed against the brown of her complexion.
Smoke released her big toe with a soft pop and moved to the next one, drawing it between his lips with the same unhurried intensity. His tongue mapped the shape, tasting mineral water mixed with the natural salt of her body, feeling the way her foot flexed involuntarily in his grip.
“Gnn…”
Another tune escaped Annie, higher this time, more desperate, edged with need she couldn’t disguise. Her head tipped back further against the cup of the tub, her lips parting on uncontrolled and ragged breathes.
Smoke moved to the third toe, then the fourth, giving each one the same treatment. His gaze stayed fixed upward. He watched her chest heave faster with every flick of his tongue, watched her thick thighs squeeze together beneath the churning water, watched her teeth sink into her bottom lip in an useless attempt to maintain some composure.
By the time he reached her pinky toe, Annie was trembling. Her breathing came in short, uneven bursts, and when he sucked it, letting his sultry tongue linger there.
“Oh Elijah…” she whimpered his name
He released her foot carefully, guiding it back down into the hot water. Then he stood from where he had been perched on the jacuzzi’s edge, rivulets streaming from his drenched pants while steam coiled upward around his frame.
Annie’s eyes tracked him as he rose, pupils blown wide with desire that made her look almost dazed.
Smoke’s hands went to the buttons of his shirt, working them loose one by one. The steam made everything harder to grip, but he didn’t rush. He pulled his shirt open, revealing hard-stoned, chiseled torso.
Annie watched him, her eyes followed the path of his hands as the shirt slid off his shoulders and dropped to the floor.
He unbuckled his belt next with a metallic clink. The wet fabric of his pants made everything difficult, the material stuck to his sturdy thighs, refusing to cooperate as he worked the zipper down.
Annie dropped her gaze south, tracking every movement, her tongue darting out to moist her lips.
This man right here? Hers. Yeah, in his whole fine ass self. And it was crazy how much one year didn’t change anything.
Smoke peeled the pants down over his hips, the damp fabric dragging against his skin and catching on the thick muscle of his thighs, before falling atop his shirt.
His boxers were soaked through, clinging to his outlined bulge. The erection pressed obvious and thick against the fabric, straining hard enough that the waistband sat low on his hips from the weight.
He hooked his thumbs into the elastic and pushed them down, freeing himself completely.
His cock stood hard and swollen between his legs, the head flushed darker than the rest of his brown-pecan skin. It curved aside, so big that Annie’s gaze hung there for a long moment before driving back up to meet his eyes.
“Oh Annie Petula Kennedy don’t act like it’s our first bang time.” He teased playfully.
Smoke kicked the boxers aside and stood there naked in front of her, steam wrapping around his body like a veil that did nothing to hide what he was offering.
“You just gon’ stare?” he continued, groaning.
Annie crashed her mouth on Smoke’s with a hunger that had been building up since the day she had stopped being able to touch him like this. Her lips moved against his with a ferocity that matched the steam rising around them.
Smoke’s hand slid up from her waist to thread through the damp braids hanging loose against her nape, his fingers curling tight to cup her exactly where he wanted. His tongue swept into her mouth, claiming her caress as she matched his strokes.
Her hands roamed across his chest, nails dragging lightly over his skin in a way that made his muscles tense beneath her touch. She explored the hard planes of his torso like she was relearning territory she had once known by heart : the dip between his ribs, the ridge of muscle leading down toward his hips.
Smoke broke away from her mouth to trail kisses along her jaw, coasting lower to find the spot where her neck met her shoulder. He sucked it leisurely, teeth grazing her flesh to make her gasp. Her whines were melodies to his ears, and the sound of them throbbed straight into his groin where his cock jerked fat, fully engorged and insistent between them.
Annie’s head swung back to give him more access, water lapping at her collarbones as she shifted. She took his length in hand, her fingers girthing around his pulsing dick with a grip that made him grunt against her throat.
She stroked him sluggishly, her palm gliding over the soggy skin of his cock. Her thumb swept across his gooey sensitive head, and Smoke’s hips bucked forward involuntarily seeking for more friction.
“Shit, baby…”
His hand abandoned her hip to cup her large breast, the weight settling into his palm as his thumb found her hardened nipple. He rolled it between his fingers while his mouth continued working the tender skin of her neck, and Annie arched into him, whimpering.
“Elijah…” she mewled, moaning.
“I’m here with you baby…let me make you feel good…”
Smoke’s free hand ran under the churning water, skating over the plush of her stomach, grazing down her until his fingers found her slick folds. He groaned when he discovered how set she was, her arousal coating his fingers as he circled her swollen clit.
“You this wet for me already?” he murmured against her ear, his finger pressing harder.
“Yes…Pa’….yess—” she whined. “God, yes…”
“You feel that?” he murmured against the shell of her ear, his finger pressing more insistently. “You want this as bad as I do?”
“E—Elijah…” she cried, nails scratching his back.
Smoke slid two fingers deep inside her honeypot, feeling her inner walls clench around the intrusion. She was scorching hot and so tight that his cock throbbed in her grip just imagining being buried there instead.
Annie rocked against his hand, riding his fingers while she tried to maintain her hold on him. The water splashed higher with their movements, waves hitting the sides of the tub and sending more steam billowing upward.
His thumb worked her clit while his fingers pumped in and out, hitting that spot that made her whole body shudder. Annie’s moans grew louder, less controlled, her hand squeezing his length harder as she lost herself in his thrusts.
“I need you,” she panted, her forehead dropping against his shoulder. “Elijah, I need—”
“I got you, baby. I got you.”
Smoke’s fingers stilled in her pussy, and he pulled back just enough to look at her face. Annie’s eyes were heavy-lidded, her lips swollen from kissing, her breath coming in short gasps that made her chest heave against his.
“You feel how much I missed you?” he asked, rasping as he pressed his erection harder against her stomach, letting her feel every thick inch.
Annie’s eyes fluttered closed for a second before opening again to meet his. “Yes…”
“Say it, pumpkin.” His fingers flexed inside her, making her gasp. “Tell me you missed this. Tell me you missed me.”
Her hand tightened around his length, stroking him very slow. “I missed you,” she breathed out. “God, Elijah, I never stopped missing you.” Tears pricking her eyes
Something cracked open in Smoke chest at those words, his heart hammering insanely against its cage. He leaned his face near her eyes, kissing the salt water streaming from her eyes as he withdrew his fingers from her cooze.
“I love you baby. I love you so much Annie…So much it’s hurt…”
Smoke gripped her hips with both hands, lifting her curvaceous body through the water with ease
Annie wrapped her legs around his waist immediately, locking her ankles on his back. The position brought her core directly against his erected cock.
Smoke moved through the jacuzzi until his back hit the built-in bench seat. He sat down heavily, Annie still wrapped around him, and the new angle shifted her weight so she was straddling his lap with her knees planted on either side of his thighs.
His hands slid up her back, one tangling in her braids again while the other gripped her ass to hold her steady.
Face to face.
Nose to nose
Cheek to cheek.
His lips hushed on hers.
“Tell me again,” he demanded, his voice rough with all these emotions he wasn’t trying to hide anymore.
Annie’s hands came up to frame his face, her thumbs stroking over his cheekbones. “I never stopped, Elijah. Not for one single day.” Her voice broke on the last word. “I love you.”
“Pumpkin…” He hiccuped, panting. His eyes burned, tears threatening to spill over. “I can’t breathe without you. I love you, Annie. Tell me you still mine.”
“I’m yours,” she whispered, her own eyes shining wet in the low light. “I’ve always been yours.”
Smoke kissed her desperately. Whether it was lies or truths, he drank all on her lips. Annie kissed him back just as desperately, her body rolling against his in the water.
He reached between them, gripping his cock to line himself up with her entrance. The head pressed against her flushed and slick slit.
“Please,” Annie breathed against his lips. “Elijah, take me…”
He pulled her down onto him in one slow, deliberate thrust that buried him to the hilt inside her.
The moment he filled her completely, a cry tore from Annie’s throat. His grip on her hips tightened, fingers digging into her pudgy flesh hard enough to leave marks. He stayed buried deep inside her for a long moment, letting her adjust to the stretch, feeling himself the way her body snared around his cock.
“Fuck, Annie…” His voice came out strangled. “You feel so good, baby. So fucking good.”
Annie’s hands moved to his shoulders, nails biting into his skin as she began to move. She lifted herself up slowly, feeling every inch of him sliding out until just the head remained inside, then sank back down. Water sloshed around them with her jams, spilling over onto the tile floor.
Smoke let her set the pace at first, watching the way her face twisted with pleasure every time she took him deep. Her tits bounced with each roll of her hips, water droplets clinging to her dark nipples, and he couldn’t resist leaning forward to swallow one in his mouth.
He fed on her breast, his tongue swirling around the peak while Annie’s rhythm languished above him. She moaned his name, moving with desperate ache.
“That’s it, baby,” he encouraged her, his voice throaty. “Take what you need from me.”
Annie’s pace quickened, her hips grinding down harder with each slump. Smoke felt everything : the way her walls clenched around him with every thrust. How her thighs trembled from pleasure. The way her breathing went ragged and broken.
He released her breast and claimed her mouth again, swallowing the cries she was making as she rode him faster. His hands guided her hips, helping her maintain the punishing rhythm she had set.
“Elijah…” She broke the kiss to gasp his name. “Oh God, Elijah…”
“I know, baby. I know.” His own control was slipping, his hips starting to thrust up to meet her downward movements. The angle drove him deeper until he pound her G-spot, making her whole body jerk.
Annie cried out, her fingers scrambling for purchase on his wet shoulders. “Yes ! Right there, don’t stop—”
Smoke planted his feet firmly on the bottom of the jacuzzi and took over, holding her in place while he drove up into her with hard, deep strokes.
“You mine, Annie,” he growled, his eyes dark with lust and possession. “Say it. Say you mine.”
“I’m yours!” Her words came out as almost a sob. “I’m yours, Elijah, I’m—oh fuck !”
Her body seized around him, her orgasm hitting hard and sudden. Smoke felt her walls clamp down on his cock in a way that nearly dragged him over the edge with her.
“That’s my girl,” he praised, his thrusts slowing but not stopping, working her through it. “That’s my beautiful baby.”
Annie collapsed against his chest, her face buried in his neck, her body still shaking with aftershocks. But Smoke wasn’t done. He shifted their position, wrapping one arm around her waist to hold her close while his other hand gripped the edge of the tub for leverage.
Then he started stroking again —slower, but deep. He rolled his hips making his dick swirl inside her.
“Mm…ah…ah” Annie planted, moaning against his throat.
“Pumpkin, I love you,” he whispered sweetly again. “I can’t breathe without you. I love you so much Annie, I can make a song out of this
“Silly…” she shied a smile. “Don’t turn into 50 cent with me in your arms.”
“Oh baby, you my candy shop. It’s gon be complicated…”
He kissed her tenderly while driving erratically his length into her pussy.
“Annie, I’m—fuck, I’m close—”
“Don’t stop,” she begged, her hips meeting his thrusts again despite her exhaustion. “Please don’t stop, baby—”
Smoke’s hand left the tub’s edge to tangle in her braids, pulling her head back so he could look directly into her eyes as he felt his release flooding hot inside her.
He buried himself as deep as he could go and held her there, his cock pulsing in her vagina as he continued to fill her with everything he had — every last drop —. Annie’s arms tightened around him, holding him just as close while he shuddered through it.
They stayed locked together like that for minutes, then Smoke’s forehead dropped against Annie’s shoulder, his arms hugged around her waist to keep her anchored to him. He was still inside her, neither of them ready to separate yet.
“I meant it, Annie.” He said quietly against her skin. “Every fucking word.”
Annie stroked his hair, gentle and soothing. “I know baby. I meant it too. I missed you.”
They stayed like that, holding each other, until Annie’s gaze drifted toward the glass windows on the far wall.
That’s when she saw it.
A snowstorm had started at some point during their lovemaking— Annie couldn’t say exactly when because she had been too lost in Elijah to notice anything beyond his touch. But now, with her head resting on his shoulder, she could see it clearly through the floor-to-ceiling glass.
The flakes came down thick and fast, so dense they formed an almost solid white curtain that obscured the forest beyond. The wind had picked up too, she heard it growling, striking everything on its way.
She saw a branch snapped off one of the nearby pine trees with a crack loud enough to reach them inside. It tumbled down through the whiteout and disappeared from view.
Annie’s body went rigid against Smoke’s.
“Baby?” His voice came lazy and satisfied, fingers still drawing idle patterns on her lower back. “What’s wrong?”
She didn’t answer immediately, her eyes fixed on the windows. Another gust of wind hit the cabin hard enough that she felt it, the whole structure groaning slightly under the pressure. More branches were bending at dangerous angles, some of them breaking under the weight of accumulating snow.
Her heart skipped a beat as she stormed out violently out the jacuzzi.
“Annie?” Smoke straightened, worry in his tone. “Talk to me.”
“The snow…”
Smoke turned around and cursed “Shit.”
The storm had intensified dramatically. What had been clear skies and light flurries when Annie dropped Tiana off less than two hours ago had transformed into a full-blown blizzard. The kind of weather that shut down roads and left people stranded.
Another tree branch gave way with a splintering sound, this one larger than the last.
“Elijah…” Annie practically ran through the lounge. “Our baby—”
“She’s fine,” he tried to reassure her, but his voice lacked conviction. “You dropped her to that instructor, remember? They probably got the kids inside somewhere safe when it started—”
A massive gust of wind slammed into the cabin, cutting him off mid-sentence.
In the distance, barely visible through the whiteout, Annie saw a movement, something large sliding down the mountainside. An avalanche? No, maybe just snow sliding off a roof. She couldn’t tell.
“Oh Elijah, I’m not staying there !” She precipitated in the Master bedroom, Smoke trailing her.
“Annie.” He called for her while she rummaged her bags for clothes . “Look at me. Breathe.”
“I’M NOT LEAVING MY FUCKING NINE MONTHS UNDER THIS SMOKE,” Annie shouted, gasping. “Tiana’s out there in this—”
“She’s not out in it. She’s inside. That instructor wouldn’t keep kids outside in weather like this—”
“You don’t know that !” Her voice cracked. “What if they were still skiing when it hit? What if they couldn’t get back in time? What if—”
Her phone started ringing from the lounge and she stumbled out, almost slipping down.
“Lemme take it darling.”
“No.”
The screen lit up with the caller ID.
MS. AUBURN
Annie’s heart stopped.
She answered stressfully, bringing the phone to her ear with a trembling hand. “Hello? Ms. Auburn?”
The connexion lagged through the line with many interferences: “—Kennedy? We—”
“Hello??” Annie’s rose her voice with desperation. “Ms. Auburn, I can’t hear you ! Can you hear me??”
“—storm came—” “—trying to—” “—the kids—”
“What about the kids? WHERE’S MY BABY?!”
“—can’t— looking for—”
BIIP.
The line went completely dead.
Annie turned around to face Smoke, terror flashing in both their eyes as they shout simultaneously :
“TIANA !”
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