Text (Take It Off)

by Hebert, Cambria

  “There were more of them than there were of us. It became evident that they wanted to raid the weapons tent. They wanted to take all of our supplies and use them against us.”

  I said a dirty cuss word. He smiled.

  “Gidding radioed for backup, and I knew the men close by were able to hear the gunfire. It wouldn’t be long until we had numbers and weapons on our side. Unfortunately, the enemy seemed to know that too. They launched some sort of grenade right as, blowing up a couple tents and taking out one of the guys. It was Gidding. He was my friend.”

  He looked at me. “Sometimes at night, I can still hear him screaming.”

  I scooted a little bit closer. He pulled up his left knee and dropped his right foot onto the floor. I settled myself in the small opening between his legs.

  “One of the hostile’s made a run for the main weapon tent. Me and Prior went after him. Prior was the one with the new baby. As we ran, a couple of them appeared out of nowhere, aiming their weapons and letting go a couple rounds. Prior took a hit in the shoulder and the thigh. One of the bullets bounced off the ground and hit me in the calf.”

  He lifted up the sweats around his left leg and showed me a knotted white scar.

  “I let loose with all the ammo in my gun and took the fuckers out. Prior tried to keep going, but one of the bullets hit an artery in his leg. The blood… it was like a freaking fountain the way it spurted from his leg. I picked him up and carried him toward the tent, where I figured we would at least be shielded from more gunfire.”

  The image in my head of Nathan bleeding and limping while gunfire and screaming erupted around him made my heart hurt. I pictured the way he must have looked dressed in boots and cammies, carrying an empty gun and his friend who was clinging to life.

  “We made it to the weapons tent. I laid him out on the ground and tied my blouse around his leg as tight as I could. I screamed my head off for a medic and sent one of the guys who was running into the fray back out of it to hunt down the Corpsman.”

  Nathan looked up at me.

  “He didn’t want to die. He had everything to live for.”

  “Of course not,” I said sympathetically. I knew then that Nathan’s friend Prior didn’t make it. I knew that out there somewhere was a little girl without a father and a woman with a broken life.

  “I told him I’d get him out of there,” Nathan said, his voice breaking on his words.

  “What happened?”

  “I grabbed a new gun and started fighting, holding them back from the tent. Our guys got a leg up, the hostile’s were waning, and I knew they would be out of ammo soon. When the medic came into site, I grabbed another gun and ran out into the open. The fire started coming my way and I hoped it would create enough of a distraction for them to get to Prior.”

  He glanced up at me. “He died, Honor.”

  “That’s not your fault,” I promised him.

  “They were pissed they weren’t going to be getting our weapons… so they launched a grenade at the tent. I saw it falling through the sky. I knew what was going to happen. I yelled. I ran toward them all. I wanted to get Prior and the medics out of there. But I was too late. The entire tent blew in a massive blast. All that ammo…” he said, his voice trailing away.

  “You ran toward the tent?” I asked incredulously. “Even after you saw the grenade?”

  He looked at me. “Yes. I was the reason they were in there. Prior was lying in there because I told him he’d be safe.”

  “You couldn’t have known they would blow the place up.”

  “I should have thought that far ahead. I should have been in there to get him out.”

  I reached up and touched the jagged scar across his cheek. The scar he got while trying to save other men’s lives. He could’ve ran away. He could have ducked and covered.

  He didn’t.

  He almost died trying to save them.

  “I’m so glad you didn’t die,” I whispered.

  He stilled and looked me in the eyes. “I should have died with them. They died for my mistake. The blast was so strong it threw me backward. That’s what saved my life.”

  I sat up just a little bit straighter and took his face in the palms of my hands. He watched me through somber blue eyes as I leaned forward and pressed a kiss to the reminder of the night he almost died. The scar was puckered and raised a bit, so I kissed it again. When I pulled away, I ran my thumb over the scar just below his bottom lip.

  Before I could stop myself, I leaned forward and gently kissed the underside of that lip, aiming directly for the scar.

  He made a soft sound and brought his hands up to cup my face.

  The oven timer chose that moment to beep.

  He didn’t let go; he didn’t move a muscle.

  “Your pie’s ready,” I whispered.

  He helped me off the couch and I pulled the nicely browned and bubbly pie out of the oven and set it aside to cool. When I turned to race back into the living room, I bumped into his solid chest.

  I hadn’t realized he followed.

  He slipped his hands beneath my arms and lifted me onto the counter, stepping between my legs. Without a second thought, I wrapped them around his waist, pulling him just a little bit closer.

  His hand delved into my hair and his mouth descended upon mine.

  The scent of apples and cinnamon mixed with his heady pine scent and my eyes slid shut as his lips moved over mine. He kissed like he did everything else, with honesty and no holding back.

  His lips were thick and full, insistent and soft. Every inch of my mouth surrendered to him as we met again and again and again. Nathan moved one hand around the base of my neck and used his thumb to tilt my chin up a little bit more, granting himself more access as his tongue slipped inside and began exploring my mouth.

  I grabbed ahold of his biceps and hung on, squeezing his muscles and answering his kiss. I used my tongue to stroke his and lick across his luscious bottom lip and sucked it into my mouth and teased it with my teeth. He groaned and slid me across the counter until I wasn’t really sitting on it anymore, but I was being held against him by his strong arms.

  My center was pressed against his rock-hard abs, and I felt the center of me begin to throb like my heartbeat was suddenly coming from down there. Moisture slicked my panties and he kissed me even deeper. I locked my ankles together behind his back and he groaned, stepping away from the counter completely and carrying me out into the living room.

  He didn’t lay me out on the couch like I thought he would. Instead, he sat down and kept me in his lap. The change in position brought me up against the solid erection beneath the fabric of his sweats, and without thinking, I rocked against it.

  A shudder moved through him and he pulled away and reclined against the cushions.

  I was breathing heavy when he spoke.

  “We should slow down.”

  No. No we shouldn’t. I’d never felt like this, um, ever, and he wanted me to give it up?

  “This isn’t why I came over here.”

  “Why did you?” I asked, my voice still entirely breathless.

  He swiped at my lower lip, frowning at the area that was still slightly swollen. “Because I wanted to be sure you were okay. I hadn’t planned on knocking, but I saw your light come on.”

  “You understand,” I said.

  He nodded slowly. “Some. I understand what’s it like to be in a situation you feel you have no control over. I know what it’s like to fight for your life even when death is trying to claim you.”

  “You also know what it’s like to feel guilty you survived when someone else did not.”

  He sat up abruptly, our chests bumped together, and he splayed a hand across my upper back. “I don’t want you feeling guilty, Honor.”

  I lowered my eyes. “I do. We both know Mary is dead.”

  “He’s going to pay for what he did to her. To you.”

  I leaned against his chest. He was so big that I fit against him with no
problem. I tucked my hands between us and rested my head against his shoulder, curling in as close as I could. “Why don’t you try and get some sleep?” he murmured, stroking the back of my head.

  “M’kay.” I agreed, snuggling even closer.

  He chuckled. “As much as I like you where you are, if you stay like that, your ribs are going to hate you in the morning.”

  “Don’t care,” I mumbled.

  His chest rumbled with his quiet laugh and I felt his lips graze the top of my head. “Up you go,” he said, standing up and bringing me with him.

  I groaned.

  “Where’s your room?”

  “Last door on the right,” I directed when he turned down the hall.

  The bathroom light was still on, providing a soft light illuminating the bedroom. Holding me with one arm, he threw back the covers with another and deposited me in the center of the bed. Nathan tucked the covers up around me as I sank into the pillows.

  “Are you leaving?” I asked, wanting him to stay.

  “I’ll take the couch.”

  “Really?”

  “Unless you want me to go.”

  I lifted up the covers, inviting him in. “I want you to stay.”

  He stood there looking down for long moments. “Fine. But no funny business,” he said as he stripped off his shirt. “I got a reputation to protect.”

  It was the perfect opening for a smart-ass comeback. Too bad I was too busy staring at his incredibly chiseled chest to make one. I was pretty sure he didn’t have an ounce of fat on him. His dog tags hung between his sculpted pecs, giving them even more definition. And he had a tattoo—the letters USMC spelled vertically down the side of his well-defined abs.

  I was almost sorry when he slid between the sheets because I couldn’t look at him any longer.

  I said almost.

  The feel of him against me was even better than the picture he made standing beside me. I threw an arm across his waist, my fingers flirting with the waistband of his pants.

  “I’m only staying because you’re feeding me pie for breakfast,” he said a moment later.

  I smiled into the darkness. “And here I thought you never lied,” I said.

  He laughed. “Technically, it’s not a lie if you already know the truth.”

  “What’s the truth, Nathan?” I whispered, tucking myself closer to his side.

  “There’s nowhere else I’d rather be.”

  No more nightmares bothered me that night.

  26

  Nathan

  Sunlight filtered through the drawn shades in the room, casting a golden glow over the entire space. Honor was lying right next to me, her entire body pressed up against mine. It was the first time I’d ever slept in a bed with a woman the entire night.

  Usually, when I was in a woman’s bed, it wasn’t for sleeping, but for sex. And yeah, I wanted to have sex with Honor so badly I could barely think straight. If she was anybody else, I would have had her naked in less than two hours.

  But she wasn’t like anyone else.

  I turned and took in her sleeping face. Her head was turned toward me and dark chestnut-colored hair was spread out across her pillow, one long strand falling over her eye. One of her hands was tucked between my arm and my side and the feeling of her fingers curled against my bare skin sent another wave of longing through me.

  I needed a cold shower. But I wasn’t about to get out of this bed. I guess I was going to have to take my torture like a man this morning. Hell, I was going to like it.

  Her skin was unlined and smooth, with cheekbones that were high and broad, creating a heart shape out of her face. Her lips were a pale peach color and were just slightly parted in her sleep. From this angle, it appeared the swelling around the bottom was gone.

  Kissing her last night had been fucking awesome.

  It took everything in me to restrain myself, but I knew I had to go slow. We’d only known each other for a short time and the circumstances of our meeting had not been… traditional. Some man had just abused her and I wasn’t going to push her any further than she wanted to go.

  In sleep, she sighed contentedly, and I brushed the wayward strand of hair away from her face. A guy like me could get used to a girl like her.

  Her eyes blinked awake and the blue orbs focused on me, her lips curling into a smile.

  “Hey,” I said, brushing at her hair again.

  “Hi.”

  Was that a hint of shyness in her tone? I turned onto my side and slid down so we were face to face. Then I went in for a kiss.

  “Wait!” she gasped, burying her face into the pillow.

  “You didn’t complain last night,” I muttered.

  Her giggle was muffled against the pillow. Then she said, “Mooony brooothhe.”

  “What?” I laughed, trying to make out her words.

  She lifted her face. “Morning breath!”

  I grunted. “I got it too. Now come over here and give me a smelly kiss.”

  “No!”

  I arched an eyebrow, but she wasn’t looking at me. She was still hiding in the pillow. As gently as I could, I hauled her up across my chest and grasped her face between my palms. “Kiss me.”

  I didn’t wait for her to obey. I went and got what I wanted. At first she tried to kiss me timidly, barely opening her mouth, almost giving me a chaste little kiss. Yeah, that wasn’t cutting it for me. So I kissed her one way and then changed direction and went the other. Using the tip of my tongue, I licked across the center of her lips and she moaned, giving me the perfect opportunity to slip inside.

  After that, she forgot about her supposed morning breath and kissed me with a reckless abandon that actually made me forget to breathe. I was a guy. I was supposed to be in control of the situation. But Honor had taken over the driver’s seat and was leading me around with every single stroke of her hot little tongue.

  Her hands began to explore my chest and her feather-light touch drove me wild. I couldn’t help the way my hips thrust up off the mattress against her, and I froze when my erection brushed up against her belly. I didn’t want to scare her.

  She didn’t act upset. In fact, she liked it. Her hips automatically drove forward to meet mine.

  My eyes shot open.

  Yeah, I was a strong guy, but I wasn’t a freaking saint.

  I gave her one last lingering kiss and then pulled back and looked up into her face. Her cheeks were flushed and the swelling around her eye was almost completely gone.

  I lifted my head and pressed a kiss to the corner where it was most bruised. “How ya feeling?”

  She grimaced. “Sore.”

  “It’s always worse the next day.”

  She laid her head against my chest and groaned. Then she stilled. “What’s the matter?”

  “You’re not wearing a shirt.”

  “I’m offended you just noticed.”

  “Oh, I didn’t just notice,” she purred. Her lips began pressing kisses up the center toward my neck.

  I swear she left a trail of flames in her wake. I groaned. Heat licked up my thighs and my rock-solid length jerked in response. I don’t think I’d ever been so hard. It was almost painful. All I could think about was driving myself deep inside her until all the lust within me was spent.

  When her teeth closed around my earlobe, I pulled her away. “You have no idea what you’re doing to me,” I ground out.

  She smiled a lazy, sleepy smile. “I think I might have an idea.”

  I swatted her bottom. “Get off me, woman.”

  She titled her head and squinted at me. “You sure you’re not gay?”

  I snatched up her hand and pressed it to the evidence of me not being gay. “Unless you’re secretly a really hot dude, then no, I’m not gay.”

  Her eyes widened a bit and then her mouth fell open in a little O. “That’s, umm,” she said and cleared her throat. Then she giggled. “That’s some pretty large evidence.”

  “Damn straight,” I said arroga
ntly.

  “You sure you don’t want to stay in bed?”

  I couldn’t believe the words that were about to come out my mouth. “Yes. I’m sure.”

  She made a harrumphing sound and rolled over. I got out of bed before I dove myself at her and did what I told myself I wasn’t going to do.

  I looked down as I stood. The tent in my pants wasn’t something I could hide. Damn. I was going to be frustrated all damn day now. I went into the bathroom and splashed some ice-cold water on my face, rinsed out my mouth, and used the facilities.

  It was chilly this morning so when I came out of the bathroom, I snatched up my shirt and yanked it on. Honor was still in bed.

  “My entire body feels like a giant bruise.” She moaned.

  “Up you go,” I said and lifted her off the mattress and held her in my arms. On my way to the door, she pointed to a pair of fuzzy looking boots.

  “I need my slippers.”

  I bent and she grabbed them, and then I carried her out into the kitchen where I deposited her on a chair at the table. “I’ll make you some coffee.”

  She put on her slippers as she told me where she kept the coffee, and I got a pot brewing. The apple pie on the counter called out to me, and my stomach grumbled. As the coffee brewed, I spied the bottle of pain meds the doctor gave her at the hospital, and I set them in front of her along with a glass of water.

  “Those will help with the soreness.”

  Dutifully, she swallowed her pill and then I poured her a cup of coffee and handed it to her with the creamer.

  “You’re a pretty handy guy to have around,” she said, stirring her coffee and creamer together.

  “I know.”

  She laughed and it made me turn my head to look at her. She looked tiny sitting there at the table with her hair all a mess and a steaming mug cradled between her hands. Even with bruises on her face, she was beautiful to me. Without thinking, I strode across the room and swooped in to plant a lingering kiss on her cinnamon-flavored lips.

  When I pulled back, her eyes looked a little dazed, and I mentally patted myself on the back. Good job, Nathan.

  “You have any ice cream?” I asked, snooping through her freezer.

  “No.”