BEAST

  At the house Maggie hurried to her and meowed for some loving. Christopher shook his head as Ashleigh reached own to scratch the feline’s neck.

  “Not sure how you won her over. She’s always been skittish around others.”

  “Mags took care of me when you were gone.”

  Christopher took her hand and pulled her up and pulled her close where he wrapped his arms around her body. “I’m going to take care of you now.”

  He leaned down and lightly rubbed his bandaged lips against her cheeks.

  “I want to kiss you so bad.”

  “You are kissing me.” She murmured, her eyes closing.

  “I want to taste you…” He whispered.

  Ashleigh sighed. She slipped her hand beneath his shirt and felt him shudder. She loved that he reacted to just her touch. She unbuttoned it and he pulled it off and tossed it onto the couch. Ashleigh kissed his chest as her hands ran slowly down his back and over the swell of his ass.

  “Mmm.” Christopher moaned when her lips found his little nipple. She circled it with her wet tongue while Christopher’s hands moved along the front of her blouse, cupping her breasts. Moving quickly he tugged at her clothes until she was down to her bra and this he quickly unsnapped until her breasts had spilled from the cups.

  “God…” he moaned. “So beautiful…” Christopher brought his head down to her golden brown breasts and its dark brown nipple, already hard in anticipation. Christopher opened his mouth and brought it down on the nub and Ashleigh’s body began to tremble.

  His mouth on her felt so amazing. And then his tongue swept over the sensitive flesh repeatedly and Ashleigh’s back arched. She clutched at his arms, digging her fingers deep into his skin.

  “Chris!” He grunted and moved back from her nipple. She worried that she might have hurt him, but he immediately lifted her into his arms and stalked to the bedroom. He placed her on her feet and quickly finished undressing her. When he slipped off her panties he inhaled the scent of her lust and groaned.

  “Oh, Ashleigh…lay down, baby.” She climbed back onto the bed and watched him standing above her, still in his pants and she writhed on the bed in anticipation for what she knew was coming. He wanted to taste her and she wanted so badly to be tasted…

  Christopher dropped to his knees and hooked his hands around her thighs and pulled her until her bottom was hanging off the end of the bed. Ashleigh’s feet went to his shoulders and she spread her thighs wide and began to shake, no, her body quaked with need.

  “Please, baby…” She moaned. Christopher pushed his bandages from his lips, his eyes glued to the sight of her wet crease. He didn’t care if his bandages became saturated with her juices, he would carry her scent around with him gladly. He spread her lips and moaned at the sight of her swollen, silky folds. Christopher leaned forward and lapped at her opening. Ashleigh’s body jerked and she cried out in pleasure. His tongue travelled along each fold, languishing in the exquisite taste of her, a taste that he’d yearned for over the last few months.

  It didn’t take long, when his mouth closed over her clit, Ashleigh’s body bucked and she pealed out a loud cry seconds before her body exploded in orgasm. Immediately, Christopher pulled down his pants and he entered her slick opening, slick but still so tight. How could she still grip him so tightly after the number of times they’d made love? He groaned as he sank into her and rapidly pumping his hips against her.

  “I love you, Ashleigh! I love you!” He cried as her legs closed around his hips and gripped him tight. “I love you so much!”

  He felt her body begin to tremble and shake again. He couldn’t believe that he’d brought her again so quickly, but she was clutching him and her hot canal spasamed around his shaft.

  “Don’t stop, don’t stop, don’t ever—” She suddenly pulled his head down and Ashleigh kissed her man’s lips for the first time in months. She was careful but she needed his kiss. Christopher cupped her face and gently kissed her lips as he pushed deep into her and deposited the last of his seed deep into her body.

  “God, Chris…when these bandages come off. He sat up on one elbow and began unwrapping them.

  “Stop! What are you doing?” She yelled.

  “These bandages gotta go. They aren’t necessary and I have the elastic mask on. Help me take this shit off.”

  She reached up tentatively and began unwrapping the bandages. When they finally got down to the elastic mask Ashleigh blinked in surprise. His facial structure was so different. She couldn’t tell what his nose would look like but he actually appeared to have one. It was covered with a protective shield. She reached up and touched his messy curls and grinned.

  “I love your hair.”

  “I can’t wait to wash it and shave.” He bent down and kissed her nipple. She gasped and then giggled.

  “Your lips are really swollen and bruised. We didn’t hurt them did we?”

  “I don’t care.” He moved to kiss the other nipple.

  “Christopher.” She spoke seriously. “I care.”

  He rolled over onto his back. “Okay, Sweetheart. I’ll take it easy with the lips.

  She came up on her elbow and gently traced along his face.

  “Does that hurt?”

  “Mmm, feels good. My face itches. I can’t wait to get this off.” She watched him intently. He looked differently already. His teeth were straight, he had a nose.

  “I’m not going to be some male model when it’s all said and done.” He whispered. “You do understand that, don’t you? I’m not going to ever be the handsomest guy in the room-”

  “Do I care about that?” She gave him a severe look.

  “I just want you to be prepared.”

  “I am and I don’t care.”

  CHAPTER 10

  Several days later, as they drove down to Ft Campbell Kentucky to have the last of the bandages removed, Ashleigh intertwined her fingers with his. She was scared, she didn’t know what to expect. All she knew is that no matter what she would love him.

  They held hands as they headed for Dr. Singh’s office and Ashleigh felt his grip tighten a bit. She knew that Chris was nervous and she gave his hand a reassuring squeeze. Dr. Singh didn’t make them wait and they were surprised that a webcam was set up directly to Dr. Weitz’s office. There were also several other doctors in attendance and Christopher was informed that he would be the subject of an article on severe cleft palates in adults.

  His response was an embarrassed shrug. “I never liked getting my picture taken but if it’ll help others.” Ashleigh noted that his country drawl was more pronounced and she had to fight not to run up to him and throw herself into his arms. Maybe she was a perv but she had grown accustomed to seeing her over-sized fiancé wearing a mask. It was kind of sexy and she joked that he should take up wrestling and then they sat around making up funny names for his pro wrestling career. The winner was El Bestia!

  She tried to stand back out of the way as Christopher sat on a stool with a light shining in his face but Dr. Singh wouldn’t have that and wanted her to stand right next to him so that she could see every move that was made.

  Using surgical scissors, Dr. Singh made a cut upward from Christopher’s jaw near his ear to his hairline. He did the same on the other side and removed the material from the back of Christopher’s hair. Dark red curls sprung up and Ashleigh grinned. She couldn’t wait to run her fingers through his silky curls, maybe he’d let it grow out for a while before going back to the military cut.

  Christopher watched Ashleigh’s anxious expression. The only thing he cared about is that she would like the results. He felt the mask loosen and Dr. Singh removed it from his hair. He wanted to reach up and run his nails through his scalp and scratch like an old hound dog, but resisted. He held a mirror in his lap but closed his eyes when the Doctor had him tilt his head back so that he could remove the rest of the mask from his face.

  He used some sort of probe to loosen it from his chin and Christopher knew that h
e would have a fairly thick beard as a barrier between his skin and the mask. It’s where the mask touched skin that it pulled some. The pain was negligible, though, after the torture of having his skull rebuilt and his face peeled back, not to mention having a brand new nose forced into place. He held his breath as the mask was loosened around his lips and nose. The doctor tediously ran the probe around the circumference of the mask, still allowing it to stay in place. The room was so quiet that the only sound heard was the breathing of the occupants of the room.

  “Are you ready Lieutenant?”

  “I been ready.” Everyone chuckled at his response.

  He opened his eyes and looked at Ashleigh who gave him an encouraging smile. Dr. Singh lifted the cotton and cloth adhesive mask from his face and his skin began to tingle as the cool air met his freshly uncovered skin.

  No one said a thing. Dr. Singh used the probe and lifted the bandage over his nose and that did pull and sting a bit. When that was removed Dr. Singh moved back on his stool and just stared. Christopher looked at Ashleigh and was only met with a look of confusion. His brow furrowed at the way they were looking at him, so quiet. He suddenly remembered the mirror and quickly lifted it to see what they were seeing.

  Christopher’s eyes widened. He brought the mirror closer and squinted and then pulled it back trying to take in everything at once. He couldn’t remove his eyes from the sight before him.

  His face was perfect.

  He looked at Ashleigh again and she had tears in her eyes. She smiled and quickly wiped them away.

  “Hi Christopher.”

  He smiled. “Hi Ashleigh.” And then he reached out and pulled her into his arms. She kissed his lips and then burst out into tears.

  “Them happy tears, babe?” He asked a bit worried.

  She nodded enthusiastically. She pulled back and laughed and placed the palms of her hands on his bearded cheeks.

  Ashleigh was in a state of utter disbelief. Not only had they corrected his cleft palate but they had given him the nose that his deformation had taken, they had repaired the concaved look that had caused him to have a gorilla appearance and they had given him a beautiful set of full lips. And Ashleigh was hard pressed to see any scars, just something that looked like faint creases which were easy to overlook.

  His perfectly chiseled face was covered in a thick, rich auburn moustache and beard and with the frame of his dark red hair he looked like a rugged lumber jack. Ashleigh’s heart began to thump rapidly in her chest. To her, he was the most perfectly beautiful man that she’d ever seen. Even with his unruly hair and unkempt beard, Christopher looked like a movie star.

  Dr. Weitz could be heard from the video feed. “Perfect.”

  Dr. Singh lifted his curls and examined his hairline and he and Dr. Weitz conferred back in forth using technical terms that Ashleigh and Christopher quickly lost interest in. She held his hands and stared at him in amazement. He chuckled at the sheer surprise on her face and then he lifted the mirror and studied his features again.

  The face was familiar to him though he’d never seen it before. It was the face of his family; the similarities that each person in his bloodline had. He could see his dead brother Wayne and he could see his Daddy and Butch and his other siblings and aunts and cousins. He smiled to think that this face might even look a bit like the baby that was growing in Ashleigh. He was thankful that Dr. Weitz had not tried to make him look like some stranger but just what he had always meant to be…well maybe with a few improvements. And that was fine by him.

  “This…feels like a dream.” He said while staring at his reflection. His eyes moved to Ashleigh, his mouth standing slightly ajar. “Is this real?” He felt an emotional well of tears in his eyes and alarmed he quickly blinked them away. “It looks good. I can’t believe how good it looks.”

  Ashleigh squeezed his hands. “Christopher, YOU look good. That’s you, baby, all you.”

  He looked into the mirror again and let out a deep breath filled with pent up emotion. His; his nose, his lips, his almost invisible scars. This was…him.

  Dr. Singh and the other attendants discreetly moved away to allow him to become acquainted with his new looks. They continued to confer with each other in quiet tones.

  He looked at Ashleigh again and saw that she was equally emotional. “This is not freaking you out, is it Sweetheart? I know I look like a different person-”

  She could no longer resist the urge to run her hands through his silky curls. She hugged him against her and sighed. “I’m far from freaked out.” He was different but she could still see her Christopher there, familiar and comforting. His eyes were still the warm dark and light that mesmerized her, and when he smiled up at her his lip twisted in that familiar crooked smile of his.

  No. She hadn’t needed him to change. But he had needed it.

  They spent more time than either of them wanted taking pictures of his new face and receiving instructions on care. But Christopher couldn’t even think about heading back home until he had visited with his commander.

  “Ashleigh, do you care? I don’t know when I’ll see him again.” Soon he’d be released and Christopher wanted to tell him about his meeting with the team. He also wanted to show off his face. The Commander was a pivotal part of him looking brand new and he wanted to share it.

  “Not at all.” She actually wanted to see the Commander again. He had been nice to her. Christopher had forgotten that he hadn’t explained about the Commander’s injuries and when they were invited into the room, her face dropped at the sight of what remained of his arm.

  Bruce Kopke looked from Ashleigh to Christopher. “You got to be shittin’ me…” His mouth was hanging open in complete surprise.

  Ashleigh perched herself on the side of his bed and Christopher was surprised that she talked to him like he was an old friend. And he could have hit the floor when the old sob smiled and blushed when Ashleigh leaned forward to kiss his cheek goodbye.

  “I’m not surprised that the team doesn’t want to lose you, Beast.” The Commander spoke as they headed out the door.

  Christopher grinned. “I’m not Beast anymore.”

  Bruce cocked his head in surprise. “You do know that we called you Beast because of how you are out on the field, right? The way you went through Crucible and everything else you tackle is what makes you a beast.”

  Christopher shrugged. “I guess I didn’t know that. But it didn’t bother me. I don’t mind being called Beast by you guys…” He left the rest unsaid and headed out of the room.

  Ashleigh slipped her hand in his as they walked out of the medical facility. She glanced at him and considered how wrong it was that she so desperately wanted to make love. Why did it feel a little bit like she was cheating on him? Would he be jealous if she…liked his face?

  Two women walked past them as they walked hand and hand to the car and both began squealing and giggling. They looked behind them and Ashleigh saw that the two grown women were almost tripping over their feet craning their necks to look at Christopher.

  “He is so hot!” They were whispering and giggling. Ashleigh rolled her eyes and Christopher looked at her in surprise.

  “Did you hear that? They said I was hot?”

  “Baby,” She heard herself whine. “Didn’t I always make you feel like you were hot?” Crap, she hated the sound of insecurity in her voice. This was not a repeat of DeAngelo. Christopher wasn’t waiting to bang every good looking girl that passed him by. Christopher didn’t want her to be his fluffy girl and she would never ever be a fluffy girl again.

  Christopher reached over, tilted her chin up and studied her eyes. “Ash, I love you. I’ll never want another woman, do you understand? You are all I’ve ever wanted.” She nodded and tried to smile. “What’s wrong sweetheart? Are you sure that my face doesn’t bother you?”

  “It’s not that. Christopher I love your face so much!” She said in a rush. “Oh baby, but I don’t love the old you any less. I swear it-”


  He threw his head back and began to laugh. “Oh Ashleigh, honey, I want you to totally accept my new looks! I did it for you, for us!” He leaned forward and gently kissed her. “You’re the one that reminded me that this face is all me.” Ashleigh’s eyes closed as she eagerly returned his kiss. Oh god, she wanted him so badly. He gave her one last peck before withdrawing. She noticed that his grey eyes had darkened.

  “We have to go visit Mom and Dad. They are going to be anxious.” He said, either trying to convince her or to convince himself.

  “Oh…yeah. Of course.” Damnit, she wanted to jump into the next available dark corner and bang the hell out of him!

  “We won’t stay long,” he promised.

  “No. We should. They’re just as anxious about the surgery as we are.”