Katie turned away. “Girl,” she murmured to herself, “get a grip. You cannot go there.”
At that moment, a slow 1950s song began to play, causing a riot of catcalls and booing. Those couples who were married or engaged—or who had become involved in a relationship—were delighted that they now had an excuse to get up and hold each other without fear of being made the butt of ribald jokes.
Katie lowered her head, glanced at her wristwatch and decided to call it a night. She wanted to go back to her tent to sort out her thoughts, try to put some of her feelings in perspective in the matter of Joe Anderson. Just as she was preparing to put down her empty Coke can and leave, someone tapped her on the shoulder.
“David!” Inexplicably angry, Katie spun round to berate the young corporal one final time and stopped. Facing her was Joe Anderson.
“Dance?” he asked quietly.
At his question, Katie, like a fool, instantly became dumbstruck. Her head was swimming with disjointed thoughts and feelings, completely at odds with her usual logical and calm nature. Finally, she nodded her agreement and followed the tall figure out onto the temporary dance floor.
They stood staring at each other while a few other couples moved slowly around them, not seeing them or hearing the noise about them, then Joe put one arm around her waist and pulled her gently toward him, his other hand clasping one of hers.
Katie felt his warm hand on her back, his touch burning through the material of her T-shirt to her skin. The side of her cheek rested against his jaw and neck and she could smell the odor of sand and dust on his combat fatigues and feel the tense muscles in his arms as he held her. His legs pressed against hers, and as they swayed back and forth, her pelvis rubbed gently against his, touching then connecting again as they swayed.
She felt a burning warmth where their bodies touched and the sensual thought that if this man asked her to go to bed with him, she would, popped into her mind, causing heat to rise to her face. She glanced up at him and found that he was staring down at her with a small smile on his face.
“Hi,” he mouthed.
Smiling softly in return, Katie mouthed back, “Hi yourself.”
At her response, Joe’s smile widened and his gaze roamed her face.
As she recognized the warmth in his stare, Katie’s smile widened, filled with all that she felt for him. Joe blinked and responded by pressing his hand more firmly against her back, pulling her in more tightly against him. Katie in turn wanted her body to be against every inch of his and she pressed closer until they were barely moving.
She could hear some of the soldiers who were obviously with Joe calling out, “Go, Staff Sergeant,” and, “Get in there, Staff Sergeant,” and it amused her. However, it was becoming obvious that they were under scrutiny by a few people in the NAAFI and that their blatant attraction to each other would inevitably become the subject of some gossip.
The song ended and Katie did not want to let go. Will he walk away now? Is this it? She suddenly realized that he was speaking to her. She focused on his mouth and strained to hear what he was saying.
“Do you want to leave so we can walk and talk?” he was asking.
Katie nodded and together they walked toward the doors leading outside. Loud catcalls and shouts followed them as they wended their way through the crowd, and by the time Katie and Joe exited the building, Katie’s cheeks were scarlet with mortification. Her pace quickened as they reached outside and in a few paces, she was almost running. It was only when she heard Joe laughing behind her that she stopped her almost headlong flight and turned to face him.
“What?” she queried. “Why are you laughing?”
Joe immediately tried to straighten his face. “Well, that will certainly give people something to gossip about for the next few weeks.”
Katie was about to make a smart retort when suddenly she burst out laughing. “It certainly will,” she answered. “And my friend Wanda will be at the front of the queue. It’ll give her endless satisfaction and something to wind me up about for months.”
They continued walking along the dusty road, mindful of the vehicles speeding past and the many people hastening to and from their duties.
“Where would you like to go?” Joe asked her.
“You choose,” Katie answered. “Anywhere is fine with me.” She glanced up at him, watching his profile. He was staring ahead as though deep in thought, his face expressionless, and she quickly understood that this man did nothing without thinking things through thoroughly before making a decision.
He remained silent as they walked, and Katie felt uncomfortable at the lack of conversation. As if he sensed her thoughts, Joe glanced at her and smiled again. “Don’t look so worried,” he said. “I don’t bite. In fact, I’m known to be the perfect gentleman.”
“Since when,” Katie retorted teasingly, “have the US Marines recruited gentlemen?”
“Ah, our reputation precedes us,” Joe returned. “A sad fact.” He paused. “You know, I had it all worked out, what I was going to say to you if I saw you tonight, but it’s all gone to hell and back.”
Katie laughed. “Ditto,” she replied.
“I know somewhere we can go,” he suddenly said. “My men set it up to use when they have downtime and they want to get away from each other. It’s nothing special—the usual sand and dust—but it’s quiet. Do you wanna go there?”
“That’s fine,” she said, heart sinking a little. So, he was going to be like all the rest, trying to get into a woman’s knickers. Well, he was going to be disappointed. She was not going to put out like some of the other women on camp. As though he had sensed her thoughts, he reached out a hand.
“Hey.” He placed a finger under her chin and tilted her face so that she was looking up into his. “It’s a place to sit and talk,” he said. “Nothing more.” His eyes were so gentle that Katie knew instantly that he was speaking the truth. She nodded and cleared her throat. She went to move on but he stayed her movement again.
“I have to say something first,” he began, “about last night, out on patrol. I need to apologize for the way I acted. It’s just that you appeared from nowhere and scared the crap out of me. I wasn’t expecting to see you out there in a firefight, and the thought of one of those bullets…? Well, I’m sorry.”
Katie smiled. “It’s my job, Joe,” she explained gently. “I have to follow orders the same way as you do. I have to go where they send me.”
“Yeah, I know,” Joe responded, “but…” He stopped talking.
They continued walking along a short distance then Joe grasped her arm again, guiding her away from the road across hard–packed, dusty ground to where high stacks of wooden pallets were arrayed in rows. On passing the first row, Joe turned left then left again, and continued walking straight until they eventually reached the last row of pallets.
They stepped into a clearing where some thoughtful person had used a number of the wooden pallets to create a square windbreak with a gap left to enter its interior. Inside the windbreak were oil drums tipped onto their sides to act as seats. Beyond the clearing, Katie could see the lights from the rows and rows of tented accommodations.
Joe led her through the gap in the upright pallets and into the square space created by them. It was semi-dark and quiet, surrounded as they were by the tall stacks of wood, and the area did offer some form of seclusion for those that needed and wanted it.
“Take a seat,” Joe said, and gestured to one of the oil drums. “Not exactly a coffee bar, but it serves its purpose when someone needs a little peace and quiet.”
Katie started to move toward one of the oil drums, conscious that Joe was standing, watching her. At that moment, from the direction of the tents, came some music, drifting out onto the night air. The song was a slow one and poignant in its lyrics and tune.
Katie paused, listening and swaying slowly to the music, enjoying the humid air against her bare skin. She glanced up at Joe as he came to stand in front of her and the
y stared at each other for long seconds, both buried in dim light and shadow. The music seemed to swell around them and other background noises seemed to fade away into silence.
Joe suddenly reached out and took her hand in his. He paused as if unsure of what he wanted to do next, then pulled her gently toward him. Katie went willingly and stood so close to him that she could feel the rough material of his fatigues. His eyes were black in the darkness.
Katie held her breath, waiting for him to speak or to kiss her. He did neither of those things. Instead, one arm went around her waist, the other clasped her hand, and he started to sway to the music swelling out into the night. Katie followed him and they moved together, both sets of booted feet stirring up the dust on the ground.
Katie could feel his hand burning through her T-shirt where it rested against her back. His other hand, holding hers, was rough and firm. She closed her eyes, drinking in the feel of his body against hers. She could feel his warm breath against her cheek and moved closer to him, seeking to feel more of his body against hers. She felt the muscles of his arm holding her flex and grow tighter and the hand against her back made contact more firmly, pulling her even more tightly against him. She nuzzled her head under his jaw line and found that her mouth and nose were bare centimeters from the skin of his neck. She could smell the pure warm odor of a man and the sensations that this aroused were almost overwhelming.
As the music swelled around them, Katie raised her head and found that he had tilted his head down and his mouth was bare inches from her own. “Do you know you’re driving me crazy?” he murmured.
The world seemed to stop for a moment then moved on, and she nodded. “I feel the same way,” she replied, her voice husky.
Then his mouth came down on hers and Katie responded instantly and without reservation. His mouth was firm, yet warm and gentle at first, but as the kiss progressed, his grip on her back tightened and his kiss became deeper and harder. Katie responded, and matched his ardor equally, and their hot breath mingled and their breathing quickened.
A small part of Katie’s mind squeaked a warning but the reckless part of her thought insanely that if he wanted to make love to her, she would do anything he wanted her to do.
She suddenly withdrew her hand from his and put it up behind his neck, her fingers entwining in his hair. Joe put his free arm around her waist and pulled her closer to him, so hard that he staggered backward.
They were both unaware of the song drifting into silence until Joe drew back, leaving Katie feeling strangely bereft. Joe’s breathing was rapid and there was a rueful smile on his face. He still held her tightly against him. “Well, this has caused a clusterfuck if ever there was one,” he announced his voice husky and choked with emotion.
Adrift in her own sensual feelings, the words suddenly penetrated Katie’s mind and she burst out laughing. “A clusterfuck?” she echoed.
“Charlie Foxtrot, colloquial not-so-military slang for a big problem,” Joe replied, grinning.
The smile slowly vanished from Katie’s flushed face. “Am I a problem, Joe?” she asked slowly.
Joe kissed the top of her head. “No, Katie, you’re not, but I think the brass is not going to like one of their marine staff sergeants dating a UK corporal medic. And that guy who was pestering you is not going to like it either.”
“David? Oh you saw that, did you?” Katie said. “He’s not going to be a problem. I told him that I wasn’t interested and I think he got the message. As for the brass? Well, what they don’t know won’t hurt them.”
Joe’s answer to her reassurance was to lower his head and kiss her again. He kissed her until she was breathless, until her face flushed, her eyes gleaming. At last, he raised his head and smiled regretfully.
“I think I need to take you back to your tent. I have a patrol tomorrow night so I can’t see you. It’s only a twenty-four hour, a short one, so I’ll be back on Thursday night.”
Katie’s heart sank. Another patrol, and for twenty-four hours. Only one day by Joe’s standards but a lifetime for her. Now their feelings for each other were out in the open, she experienced a new fear for the safety of this man. She wanted to stay with him, envelop herself in these new feelings, spend the night with him if she had to, but common sense prevailed and she knew that this was impossible, besides breaking regulations.
“Be careful…” she began, but a finger Joe placed on her lips prevented her from finishing the sentence.
“Don’t wish me luck or say be careful, please, Katie. That’d be a snake bit.” When Katie frowned up at him, he laughed. “Sorry. Slang again. It means unlucky.”
Light suddenly dawned on Katie’s face and she forced a smile. “Sorry. I get it.”
He suddenly put the palm of his hand against her left cheek. “Don’t worry. I’ll be back. I’ll see you Thursday night, here, at 2000 hours. There’s something on at our PX if you want to go with me?”
Feeling his warm hand on her skin, Katie turned her head slightly and kissed it. “I’d love to,” she responded.
His hand twitching at the touch of her lips, Joe withdrew it from her face. “You’re asking for trouble doing that,” he said gently. “C’mon. I’ll take you back to your tent.” Taking her hand, he led her from the wall of pallets in the direction of the accommodations.
They reached the neat rows of drab colored fabric and stopped when they neared Tent D, the entrance facing onto a path worn down by hundreds of feet.
Joe turned to face her and took her hands. “I’ll be going then,” he said, “but you’ll see me in a day. Stay safe, okay?” He looked as though he was going to say something more, but seemed to think better of it.
Katie moved closer to him, seeking to feel his body against hers again. “I’ll be thinking of you and waiting,” she said softly and kissed him gently on the lips. His hands tightened on hers and he made a move to put his arms around her but she stepped back, smiling gently. “Get out of here, Staff Sergeant Anderson, before you get caught out of bounds and before we get seen.” She backed away from him, her eyes drinking in his tall figure.
She heard his soft chuckle. “Yes, ma’am. Goodnight, ma’am. Sweet dreams,” was his last, softly whispered remark.
Reaching the opening to her tent, Katie stopped. “You too,” she whispered.
Joe returned back the way they had come and Katie watched him go, feeling a sensual craving to have his arms around her again and his mouth on hers. As his camouflaged body disappeared into the black and white of the flickering lights, she felt disappointment that he didn’t look back. Sighing, she turned, and ducking slightly, entered the humid confines of the tent, releasing the toggles that allowed the tied back flaps to fall down into place.
The tent was in darkness with everyone asleep. Katie undressed, put on her nightwear and climbed into her sleeping bag. She lay for a few minutes, fingers touching her lips gently where Joe had kissed her, thinking back over the last few hours, remembering the heat of his mouth and his tall muscular body pressed against hers, remembering the intense feelings that his kisses had aroused in her, and she shivered with delight. Her last thought before she drifted off to sleep was that she would be seeing him on Thursday, and she murmured to herself, “Please God, keep him safe.”
Chapter Eleven
Awakened at her usual time, Katie allowed herself a few minutes’ relaxation in her bed before she had to get up and begin her busy day. Eyes shut, the foremost picture in her mind was Joe. She could, with crystal clarity, picture the previous night—the clearing with the wooden pallet fences, the music playing from someone’s distant iPod or radio, and their dance followed by the long kisses. In the confines of her sleeping bag, which was already becoming too hot, she shivered with the remembered feelings that the kisses had stirred in her.
She had never felt like this about anyone before, and the strength of her emotions brought a sense of unease in her stomach. Questions popped into her mind. Does he feel the same way about me? He did say that I�
��m driving him crazy, but is he stringing me along? What is going to happen between us? But, Katie argued with herself, Joe was older—more experienced, a seasoned veteran of past conflicts—and she sensed that he was not a shallow person, would not intentionally hurt her. Once again, she envisioned his rugged face and his deep blue eyes, and again she shivered with remembrance. She knew without a doubt that her feelings for the staff sergeant were serious, very serious, with a depth that frightened her.
“Please,” she whispered. “Please, God, keep him safe and bring him back to me.”
Not wanting to dwell any further on thoughts of Joe going out on patrol again or their newfound openness regarding their feelings for each other, Katie rose from her bed and went for a showers.
After showering, she arrived back at her bed space and saw Wanda making up her bed and opening up her sleeping bag to air it. “Morning, Wanda,” Katie called out as she put her toilet bag in the locker alongside her camp bed.
“Hey,” Wanda returned, “and where did you disappear to last night?” Katie’s friend glanced at her and raised an eyebrow, winking knowingly.
“None of your business, nosy,” Katie responded pertly and began to straighten and open up her own sleeping bag.
“Now don’t be mean,” Wanda returned in an offended tone. “I know who you left with anyway.”
Katie turned swiftly to face her friend, “You do?”
Wanda nodded slowly, “Oh come on, Katie. Half the camp probably knows as well.”
Katie sank down onto the edge of her bed, feeling uneasy. “Oh, Lord!” she exclaimed.
“Well, what did you expect?” Wanda continued, exasperated. “You left way too early in the evening, the place was packed and, to top things off, you left with a bloody staff sergeant. To make matters even worse, you couldn’t have got a damn bayonet between the two of you when you were dancing.”
Katie remained silent for a minute or two then glanced back at the other woman, smiling cheekily. “Well, Joe did say it was going to be a clusterfuck.”
For the Love of a Marine Page 12