Food was the last thing she wanted. Right now, all she longed for was her cool, air-conditioned CHU, a shower and her bed. But she didn’t say so. Instead, she followed Laura outside to the parade field, where the base routinely held recreation events for the coalition forces. Several enormous tents had been erected to provide some protection from the sun, and the highest-ranking officers on the base were busy dishing out burgers, ribs and corn at tables set up as serving stations. The lines of soldiers stretched two hundred deep, and Jenna knew it would be a long wait.
Other soldiers labored over massive barbecue grills, flipping burgers and hot dogs. A stage had been erected on the back of a flatbed trailer decorated with red, white and blue ribbons and bows, and country music blared from two large speakers. A group of young men entertained the troops with their version of a country line dance, while twenty or more soldiers, both male and female, danced under a nearby tent. Stretched over the makeshift stage was an enormous banner that read We Love U.S.A.
A large cargo plane screamed overhead as it made its final approach to the Kandahar airstrip, and in the distance, Jenna could hear the distinctive thwap-thwap-thwap of at least two military helicopters. The entire scene had an almost surreal feel to it, since nearly all of the men and women surrounding her were in uniform, and all of them carried weapons.
“Pretty nice gig, right?” asked Laura, as they stepped into one of the long lines. She rubbed her hands together. “I can already taste those ribs!”
The line was barely moving, and the outside temperature was well over one hundred degrees. Jenna’s uniform felt heavy and hot, and instead of giving her an appetite, the smell of the food made her a little queasy.
“You know what?” she said, putting a hand on Laura’s shoulder. “I left my duffel bag back in the auditorium. This line is hardly moving, so I think I’ll bring my gear to my room and grab a quick shower, and then come back.”
Laura frowned. “You sure? Do you want me to get something for you?”
“No, but thanks. In fact, you’ll probably still be standing here when I get back.”
“Okay, then. See you in a few.”
Jenna turned away, grateful to escape the pressing crowd and the noise, but she could feel Laura’s concerned eyes on her as she made her way to the auditorium. The big room was empty now, and the awards ceremony might never have occurred, except for the weight of the medal hanging from the front of her uniform. Hefting her duffel bag over her shoulder, she made her way slowly across the base to her housing unit. Her boots kicked up dust as fine as talcum powder in the desert heat so that by the time she reached her CHU, she was coated in the stuff.
Inside, however, her room was cool and dark and she dropped her gear onto the floor with a grateful sigh. She wanted to flop onto her bunk and sleep until the next day, but unless she washed the sweat and dust from her hair, she’d only end up having to wash her sheets and blankets, as well. She carefully removed the Bronze Star medal from her uniform and placed it on the shelf next to her bed. Then, stripping out of her clothes, she walked naked to the tiny bathroom at the back of her CHU and turned the shower to a lukewarm spray. Standing underneath the water, she shampooed her hair and quickly scrubbed the travel dust from her skin. She knew she should conserve water and keep her shower short. Instead, she allowed herself the luxury of standing for several long minutes just letting the water sluice down her body.
Only when the water turned from lukewarm to cold did she finally turn it off and step out. Grabbing a towel from the nearby hook, she pressed it against her damp face and neck as she walked back into the living area, and came to an abrupt halt.
Chance lay sprawled on her bunk, larger than life, his arms bent behind his head as he watched her. He still wore his flight gear, which told her he had just completed a mission. The knowledge that he hadn’t taken the time to strip out of the survival vest before he came to her CHU sent a thrill of pleasure through her, and it took all her restraint not to throw herself on top of him.
“Chance.” She clutched the towel against her chest, knowing it did little to hide her nudity. “You’re making a habit of catching me out of uniform.”
His eyes gleamed. “You bet.”
“You caught me by surprise.”
“Really? I’d say I caught you at a perfect time. In fact, it’s better than perfect because I don’t have to be back on the flight line until tomorrow morning, and your copilot told me you have the rest of the day off.” He studied her face. “How are you, Jenna?”
Jenna wrapped the towel around herself as best as she could without revealing too much, aware that it barely covered her breasts and bottom. Even as her entire body vibrated with awareness, she became aware of the small changes in him since she had last seen him. Although his eyes were warm as they traveled over her, Jenna thought he looked weary.
“I’m doing okay. But what are you doing here?” she asked, pushing a strand of wet hair back from her face. “I expected you to be at Kabul.”
“I was, but I heard there was an awards ceremony today.” Stretching his arm over his head, he picked up her medal from the shelf and admired it. “This is some seriously nice jewelry.”
Walking over to him, Jenna touched the bronze star where it lay in his palm. “Thanks, although I’m not sure I deserve it. Any other pilot would have done the same thing.”
“Maybe,” he conceded. “But they didn’t. You did.” Still holding the medal, he closed his hand around hers until the bronze star was pressed between their hands. He drew her down until she sat perched on the edge of the mattress by his hip. “You earned this, sweetheart. Never think that you didn’t.”
Jenna raised her head and looked at him as he lay back against her pillow, and the expression on his face stole her breath. Without conscious thought, she leaned forward, her gaze dropping to his mouth. More than anything, she wanted to kiss him, to feel his lips beneath hers. He grew still. A droplet of water fell from her hair and splashed onto their joined hands, breaking the moment. Jenna pulled back, her breathing a little uneven. Slowly, Chance opened his fingers and released her hand, before replacing the medal on her shelf.
“Why don’t you get out of that vest?” Jenna suggested, eyeballing his flight gear. She knew firsthand how uncomfortable the harness and survival vest were.
“Is that an invitation?” he asked softly, a crooked smile lifting one corner of his mouth.
Yes.
“Here, stand up and I’ll help you,” she said, rising to her feet. She watched as Chance stood up and began unfastening the vest, and then helped him shrug it off and drape it over a nearby chair. “Now, unzip that suit.”
Her fingers went to his flight suit, but his hands covered hers, stopping her. She looked up at him in surprise.
“Jenna, sweetheart,” he groaned. “I volunteered to escort a transport helicopter from Kabul to Kandahar because I knew you were returning today, and I needed to see you. I’m trying to behave myself, but—” He gave a strained laugh and scrubbed a hand over his face as he raked her with one heated look. “You’re making it real hard.”
“Well, I certainly hope so,” she murmured, letting her gaze drop pointedly to his crotch.
“Jesus.” He laughed, and before Jenna could guess his intent, he caught her by the shoulders and pulled her toward him, searching her face. “God, I missed you.”
He kissed her, a slow, deep kiss that had Jenna sliding her arms around his shoulders and straining to get closer. He buried his hands in her wet hair to gain better access, and Jenna heard herself moan softly in pleasure. She slid her tongue against his, reveling in the hot, slippery feel of him. When Chance finally lifted his head, she felt a little disoriented and clutched at his shoulders for balance.
“I hated the way we left things,” she admitted, searching his eyes. “But I did a lot of think
ing while I was gone, and I made some decisions.”
“Come here,” he muttered.
Jenna made no protest as he pulled her onto the bed and lay down beside her, tucking her against his side. Her towel rode up over her thighs and she tried unsuccessfully to tug the edge down again.
“Leave it,” Chance said. “I like the view.”
There was something arousing about the fact that he still wore his flight suit while she was naked beneath the towel. As she looked down the length of their bodies, her legs appeared slim and pale against the fabric of his olive jumpsuit. Jenna couldn’t resist rubbing her foot along the length of his leg. He gave a soft groan and turned to press a kiss against her temple.
“You’d better talk fast,” he growled softly.
“I love flying helicopters,” she began, “and the military has enabled me to do that beyond my wildest dreams. But when I was out there that night, helping to bring that wounded soldier in, I had a taste of what my father must have experienced when he flew in Vietnam.”
Chance grunted.
“After we buried my dad, I was going through the paperwork for his helicopter charter business and I found a letter that he wrote to me when I first received my commission.” She paused. “You were right, Chance. He really did love me.”
“Of course he did,” Chance murmured, kissing her forehead. “What did the letter say?”
Jenna sighed. “So much. He wanted me to know how proud he was that I had chosen to follow in his footsteps, but more than anything, he wanted me to be happy. He said that he made a mistake leaving the military, and he always regretted it.”
Chance lifted his head to look down at her, his face sympathetic. “That’s tough.”
“Yeah. He left because his family wanted him home, even though he wanted to stay in. Anyway, it got me thinking about the reasons why I joined the military in the first place, and I realized that, as much as I love flying helicopters, I became a Black Hawk pilot because I thought it would make my father happy.” She was silent for a moment. “I’ve had a great career and I’ll always be glad I joined, because if I hadn’t then I would never have met you. But I’ve decided to put in my paperwork and get out.”
Chance looked stunned. “You’re kidding.”
“I know this must seem sudden, but when I was home, everything fell into place. I love Cape Cod. I love working with the public, and I want to take over my dad’s helicopter tour business.”
Chance gave a disbelieving laugh. “I don’t know what to say. You’re a great pilot, Jenna. Are you sure about this?”
“Absolutely. But I won’t give up flying Black Hawks entirely. I thought I might join a National Guard unit.”
“Do you think a weekend a month and two weeks every year is going to be enough?”
Jenna smiled. “I think it will provide the balance that I’ve been looking for. This way, I can keep my certifications current, but I’ll have time for…other things.”
She was unprepared when Chance rolled onto his side to face her. His features were taut as he kissed her, and Jenna arched against him, silently telling him she wanted more. Chance dragged his mouth from hers.
“You should know that I’ve done some thinking while you were gone, too,” he rasped. “My current commitment is over in a year. Last week, I contacted my recruiter and requested an assignment as a test pilot in Connecticut.”
Jenna gasped. She didn’t ask if he was serious, because she could see by his face that he was. “But you chose your unit at Fort Bragg so that you could be closer to your brother. Why would you go to Connecticut?”
He gave her a lopsided grin. “Why do you think?” He shrugged. “The military needs test pilots for the new Apaches and I need to be closer to you.”
Jenna knew the Apache helicopters were manufactured in Connecticut. The army maintained a full contingent of active-duty pilots at the facility, their only job to take the newly minted helicopters on rigorous test flights to ensure they were fully operational before the military would agree to buy them. As a test pilot, Chance would work a more or less nine-to-five job, and have many weekends free.
“Oh my God. I can’t believe it. Will you be happy doing that?”
“Sweetheart,” he growled, “I will be ecstatic doing that, because it will mean I can spend time with you.” He smiled wryly. “Of course, when I requested the assignment, I thought you’d be with your aviation unit in upstate New York, but Cape Cod works even better.”
“So, you’ll be just a few hours from where I’ll be,” she mused.
“Yes, ma’am. We can spend weekends together, and I can get time off to come up and help you out with the charter business, if you’d like.”
“Won’t you miss the excitement of flying combat missions?”
Chance was thoughtful. “I’ve flown more than one hundred combat missions. The real thrill comes from knowing you supported your guys on the ground, or helped to stop the insurgency. As a test pilot, I’ll help ensure that the military gets the best helicopters possible to perform those missions.”
“How long would the assignment last?”
“Three years, and while there’s a chance I could get deployed during that time, we’ll at least be able to see each other on a regular basis.” He stroked the back of his knuckles over her bare arm. “What about you? Will operating a charter business make you happy?”
“There are some things I’ll miss about the military, but that’s why I think joining the National Guard is a good choice. I’ll still get to fly Black Hawks, but I’ll also be able to have a personal life. I love Cape Cod and the islands,” she said, smiling. “Some of my best memories are of the summers I spent flying charters with my dad, so yes, I think this will make me happy. But you know what I’m looking forward to the most?”
“What’s that?”
“Not having to hide our relationship. I think part of the reason I avoided men in uniform is because subconsciously I was holding out for a hero—someone like my father, but without all the baggage. Someone like you.”
“Sweetheart,” he growled softly, rolling over and pinning her to the mattress, his eyes hot and glittering, “I don’t consider myself a hero, but if you want me, then I’m all yours.”
“Oh, I want you,” Jenna assured him in a sultry whisper, tugging the towel free from her body. “Here, let me show you how much. But I warn you…this mission could be dangerous.”
“Bring it on,” he growled softly, nuzzling her neck. “I’m more than ready. For now and for always.”
* * * * *
ISBN: 978-1-4592-2710-1
Copyright © 2012 by Karen Foley
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Excerpt from To the Limit
1
THE MOTEL ROOM looked as tired as Captain Sam Brody felt after his endless flight from Sumter Air Force Base in South Carolina to Alamogordo, New Mexico. Of course, the bachelor party he’d been to last night might have something to do with his exhaustion. Seemed everyone Sam knew was hooking up or getting married.
He tossed his duffel on the garish bedspread and joined it a moment later, glad to be sitting on something relatively soft. The transport plane he’d hitched a ride with had been incredibly uncomfortable with all the turbulence, and the taxi he’d hired at Holloman Air Force Base had evidently been cobbled together with chewing gum and shocks made from empty soup cans. His car, packed with all he owned in the world, was due to arrive in a few days. In the meantime, he’d find an off-base furnished apartment.
He had ten days of leave ahead of him before he started life at the new base, with a new wing, new line of command, new everything. The only thing he knew for sure about moving to this small military town was that someone he used to know lived here. The wife of an old friend.
Sam shut down that line of thought quickly. He was too damn tired to let his memories sidetrack him. What he needed was some food, a beer and a bed. He opened up the drawer of the nightstand and pulled out the phone book. It was about a quarter of the size of the one in Texas. He sure as hell wouldn’t miss the weather, although he’d probably miss the humidity in the middle of a dry-as-dust summer in the desert.
Most of the delivery foods he found were pizza, so he picked a familiar chain. After ordering a large cheese, he wasn’t shocked at the laugh he got when he asked if beer was on the menu. But he’d seen a market a block away, so no worries.
Uniformly Hot! Volume 1 from Harlequin: Letters from HomeBreaking the RulesComing Up for Air Page 52