Guarding Hearts

by Jaycie Morrison

  When she’d announced to her mother that she intended to live as a warrior, her mother had spoken briefly with her about choosing to live an uncustomary life, and how others would see her differently. Recalling this, Rain moved off the road and into the trees, sitting on a big rock and sipping some water while she pondered. Could this be what her mother had meant? Was the way of her heart the part that was uncommon ? She tried to find the truth of it. You deserved to be loved, Miss Warren had once told her. Would that ever happen? Would there ever be a man who awakened her heart, or was there another girl like Jessie waiting for her? Alone on the road, it seemed safe to consider such things. Even if her journey didn’t offer any solutions, at least it hadn’t offered any condemnation either. And though she wasn’t totally sure about what she would find on the reservation, she would keep walking. She hadn’t known then that the hope she’d felt after her encounter with the shopkeeper’s wife would turn to a despair so profound, it had almost killed her.

  “Rain?” A voice from the darkness of the hallway jolted her back to the present, and she stood. The woman whose unexpected presence in her life seemed answer to all the questions of her youth walked toward her. “Why are you still awake and out here all alone? Is something wrong?”

  Here it was. A time to tell Bett the terrible truth of what had happened next in her story. But as she took in a breath to begin, Bett stretched out her hand and yawned. “Please come to bed. You know I can’t sleep without you.”

  Without a word, Rain obeyed, letting Bett’s hands and her breasts and the warmth of their entwined bodies close the door on her past, even as she knew she would have to bring her beloved inside there before long.

  Chapter Five

  “Did everyone have a good time, do you think?” Kathleen had finished her nightly routine and was already in bed.

  Whit spit out her toothpaste and wiped her face with a hand towel before turning off the bathroom light. Kat wouldn’t mind the delay. She asked this when every gathering was over, so Whit knew it wasn’t an urgent question. “Sure.” She grinned at Kat as she slid in beside her. “Well, maybe not Boudreaux, since Gale whipped her ass at cutting cards.”

  Kathleen grimaced, remembering the money that Boudreaux had practically stolen. “I know you like Miriam, but I’d rather she not come to our next get-together. She’s just so…uncouth.” Disgusting was more like it, but if she said so, Whit might feel obliged to defend her friend.

  Whit took Kat’s hand and kissed it. “Whatever you say, babe. But we’ll need to be sure she doesn’t hear of it or she might show up anyway.”

  Kat sighed. Miriam Boudreaux was exactly the type who would do that. As opposed to someone with proper upbringing like Bett. Or someone who wouldn’t dream of imposing, like Rains with her dignified formality. She turned to face Whit. “I thought Bett and Gale hit it off nicely with Sophie and Patrice.”

  Whit laughed. “I think Gale hit it off with Lilly, and Bett preferred the adults in the room.” She rested her fingertips on Kat’s cheek. “I told you we’d get Rains here sooner or later. Did you get all the scoop you wanted?”

  Kat smiled, considering how little Rains had volunteered prior to the gesture of encouragement she’d gotten from Bett Smythe. “I doubt if even Bett has all the scoop on Gale. I’ve never met anyone as unwilling to talk about themselves. I’m not sure if she’s genuinely modest or just terribly reserved.”

  “Not all of us grew up as social butterflies like you, Kitty.” Whit let her fingers trace down Kat’s neck, teasing along the hollow of Kat’s collarbone. “And did you have a good time?”

  “Mmm.” It was often like this after their events. They’d both be wound up, so Whit would invent a story—often about one of their guests—that would lead to sex…and then sleep.

  “Did you notice Sophie making eyes at Bett?” Whit asked, putting her hand on Kat’s hip and rolling her onto her back.

  Kat knew this wasn’t at all the case. A soft, involuntary groan escaped her lips as she tried to determine whether she was relieved or disappointed that the story wasn’t about Rains. Clearly taking the sound as encouragement, Whit went on.

  “When Rains was in with Lilly and Patrice was talking with you in the kitchen, I saw the two of them go into the back bathroom. Sophie was asking Bett to help with her bra, saying it was coming unfastened. But based on the way they’d been sneaking glances at each other all night, I knew something else would come of it, so I followed them, standing in the hallway just outside the door. It was open a bit and I could see through the crack.

  “‘Bad news,’ Bett tells her. ‘One hook has ripped out and the other is about to go. You might as well take it off.’

  “Sophie turns her back. ‘Could you help me with these buttons?’

  “Bett starts opening the back of Sophie’s dress, her fingers lightly caressing the newly revealed skin as she works. Sophie squirms a little, arching her back as her breathing gets a little quicker. When the dress is unbuttoned to Sophie’s waist, Bett slips it off her arms, letting it fall loosely down her front. Then she slides her hands up Sophie’s back and flicks open the remaining hook. Sophie gives a little sigh as her breasts pop free of their bonds, and she shrugs the bra off. When she turns to face Bett, I can see her nipples are hard. Clearly, Bett notices too because she licks her lips and says, ‘You have beautiful breasts.’”

  This was true. In fact, they’d both commented before how Sophie often wore lower-cut dresses to show them off. Kat was aware that Whit’s hand had slipped under her nightgown and was making its way toward her breast. She felt her nipples tighten in anticipation. Whit probably felt it too, because her voice was a little breathless when she spoke again.

  “‘Thank you,’ Sophie says. Then she sighs. ‘Patrice has been busy with a big case she’s working on that she hasn’t paid much attention to them lately.’

  “‘Oh, that’s a shame,’ Bett says. She moves a little closer. ‘Would you mind if I…’ She hesitates and I see Sophie’s lips part slightly, as if she is about to beg for Bett to go on. ‘It’s just that Gale’s breasts are much smaller, and yours are so wonderfully full and round and I—’”

  This was also true, Kat had to admit, even though she didn’t like that pretend Bett spoke disparagingly of Gale’s breasts. Whit went on quickly enough that she could let it go.

  “Sophie takes Bett’s face in her hands. ‘I’ve been watching your hot mouth all night, imagining how it would feel on my skin. If you would, just this once.’ She lowers her voice. ‘And no one would know, I promise.’”

  It was always this way in Whit’s stories. A one-time thing, no one hurt, no one the wiser. Strictly fantasy, Kat knew. Real life wouldn’t be like that; there were always consequences.

  “Bett moves in, watching Sophie’s face until her lips close gently on a nipple. Sophie lets out a little cry of pleasure and Bett’s mouth moves quickly to her ear. I’m not sure what she says, but she probably cautions Sophie to be quiet. Sophie nods and Bett lowers her mouth to the other breast, sucking a little harder this time.”

  Kat cried out as Whit’s fingers squeezed her nipple. “Shh,” Whit cautioned, as if they were both players in her pretend scenario. She pushed Kat’s nightgown up until it bunched around her shoulders and sucked lightly on the other breast before continuing.

  “Watching Sophie thrust herself into Bett’s mouth is making me incredibly hot. Almost without thinking about it, I push my hand inside the front of my pants. I am wet already, but I want to keep watching, to take my time, so I let my fingers rest there, not moving.”

  Caught up in the vision, Kathleen’s hand found the vee between Whit’s legs, silencing another moan at the warmth radiating from her. Whit squeezed her other breast as she took a few shaky breaths. Kat could practically feel her holding herself back from moving.

  “So now,” she went on after a few seconds, “Bett gets her thigh between Sophie’s legs, and Sophie hunches a little faster each time Bett switches to the other brea
st. Suddenly, Bett pulls away and says, ‘I want to put my mouth somewhere else on you.’

  “‘God, yes,’ Sophie breathes. ‘I think I might die if you don’t.’”

  Kat rolled her hips in anticipation, a pulse growing at her center. One time on her honeymoon when her husband had kissed her there, she’d pushed him away, horrified. But after she’d been with Whit for a little while, she’d been talked into trying it again. Whit had taken her time, starting slowly, teasing her way around Kat’s folds and pausing now and then to tell her how sweet she tasted and how she loved the feel of her in her mouth. Kat was almost breathless by the time Whit had focused her tongue on the one spot that Kat had barely been aware of before they’d met, and she’d come so hard she’d almost blacked out.

  “They move over to the toilet. Now I’m watching them in the mirror and I get a clear look. Sophie puts the lid down and sits. ‘Hurry,’ she whispers. ‘Someone might come soon.’

  “Bett kneels on the mat in front of her and lifts Sophie’s legs onto her shoulders. ‘Yes,’ she says. ‘And it’s going to be you.’

  “She dives in and Sophie’s got one hand in her hair, tugging her in closer, and with the other hand she’s holding on to the seat. Bett’s got both hands around the full base of Sophie’s tits, pushing them, pulling them, rolling them side to side, matching the movements of her mouth. At this point, I can’t wait any more either. I start rubbing myself, knowing I’m gonna get off any minute.”

  Kat took her cue, slipping her fingers into Whit’s wetness. As much as she wished that Whit could talk and pleasure her at the same time, she never felt more powerful than when she took control of Whit’s body this way, letting Whit thrust against her a few times before she pulled away, waiting. She suppressed a smile as Whit grunted in frustration before she returned to the story.

  “Uh, so then I hear Sophie start hissing, ‘Yes, Bett. Right there. Right there. Oh God, yes,’ and Bett makes this little growling sound and starts pinching Sophie’s nipples again. ‘Yes,’ Sophie’s voice turns into a breathy wail. ‘Yessss.’ I see her head go back and every part of her body stiffen. Then I have to slump against the wall, because I’m coming too, and my legs won’t hold me up any more.”

  Kathleen took her quickly, because she could tell how badly Whit needed it, and making her wait any more would be cruel. At these times she could admit the story was never the point. It was entirely a means to an end. Still, a few moments after the last shudder passed through Whit’s body, she asked, “What happened then?”

  Whit’s voice was almost sluggish at first. “Bett was closing the last button on Sophie’s dress when Lilly started crying. Sophie turned and put her hand between Bett’s legs. ‘I’m sorry we don’t have time for you.’

  “Bett took hold of Sophie’s hand and gave it a little squeeze before she let go. ‘That’s okay,’ she said. ‘I’ll get it taken care of at home.’” Whit smiled and raised onto one elbow. “Just like you will, my pretty kitty.”

  This was another common element to Whit’s stories. Single characters went on searching for their true love, but partners always came back together. Whit had a deeply romantic heart, Kat realized, almost disconcerted that she hadn’t thought of her that way before. Then the warmth of Whit’s mouth closed on her, licking through her slick excitement before swirling lightly on the rigid prominence. Her last thought before she began calling Whit’s name was to wonder about her own heart. Was she right to fear some faithlessness might be growing there?

  * * *

  The evening of her first shift back on nights, Lieutenant Whitman would practically have to drag herself across the base. After parking her jeep in the growing darkness, she was surprised to see Miriam Boudreaux walking toward her. Even more disquieting, she didn’t think she’d ever seen Miriam Boudreaux so angry…and that was saying something. Boudreaux routinely griped about regulations and often bitterly criticized other officers, but Whit had never heard anything like the fury her friend directed at Gale Rains.

  “That tight-assed redskin is trying to get with Sara. I can tell about that, believe me. I got the sixth sense, you know.”

  Whit wasn’t sure about either of her friend’s claims, but she knew to keep quiet and let Miriam go on for a bit before offering any comments.

  “She tried to cheat me at cards. But I got the last laugh on her.” Boudreaux sneered as she pulled two five-dollar bills from her pocket and waved them victoriously. “So then I see her talking with Sara over by the fireplace. She’s trying to get even with me by taking my woman. But it’s a sure bet that’s not going to happen. I’ll take that bitch down if it’s the last thing I do.”

  Boudreaux’s voice carried even when she whispered, and at this volume she was practically a one-woman PA system. “Let’s take a walk.” Whit was glad she’d given herself extra time to get to work. Perhaps as a moving target, her friend would be harder to overhear. She guided Miriam toward the grove, hoping it wouldn’t already be occupied at this hour. The thickset woman didn’t comment further as she struggled slightly to keep up with Whit’s pace. Whit absently speculated on how to make Lieutenant Boudreaux realize that if she took better care of Sara, she wouldn’t have to worry about her interest in someone else. Wasn’t that how it was supposed to work? Once they had outpaced the other evening walkers, Whit asked, “So how do you know that Rains is interested in Sara romantically? Maybe they just had a friendly chat.”

  Boudreaux snorted. “You think I can’t tell when my woman has someone else on her mind? Sara’s acting all cool, but she’s got some kind of secret going on. And if she don’t wise up, I might have to take her out along with that Indian bitch.”

  Whit knew nothing would be gained by pointing out that Rains was obviously in love with Bett Smythe, and it was highly unlikely that mousy little Sara Vernon would turn her head. Once Miriam was convinced of an idea, it was very hard to change her mind. “What are you going to do?” she asked, wondering how worried she should be. Frequently her friend was all talk and no action.

  Boudreaux’s sneer returned. “Wouldn’t take nothing for me to blow her ass to the happy hunting ground, or wherever it is her kind goes.”

  That wasn’t good. When Miriam started talking ballistics, she was serious. “Hold on now, buddy.” Whit tried for calm. “You’ve got to be careful, thinking like that. No matter what Rains deserves, you don’t want innocent bystanders to get hurt.” When Boudreaux snorted, Whit added, “Plus, anything like that will lead straight back to you. You’ll need a fall guy.” She clapped her hand on Boudreaux’s shoulder. “Promise me you won’t make a move until we have time to plan this out. I’ve got to get to my shift and I can’t spend any more time on this right now. But I’m working nights all this week, so I’ll have some time to think about it soon. Let’s talk again tomorrow or the next day.”

  Miriam Boudreaux narrowed her eyes. “You not gonna turn on me, are you, Whit? ’Cause we need to stick together. Your woman could be next, you know? I saw her giving that half-breed the eye more than once at your house the other night. Might be your dolly wants a little taste of a different flavor, eh?”

  Whit dropped her hand from Miriam’s shoulder, taking in a breath as she tried to control the rush of anxiety. Surely that couldn’t be true? But she’d been around Boudreaux enough to appreciate that every now and then, there was surprising validity in Miriam’s observations.

  Watching her friend closely, Miriam Boudreaux saw exactly what she’d hoped to see. Whit was agitated by her suggestion, which meant she could count on her loyalty in getting rid of Gale Rains. It was too bad, she thought—not for the first time—that Whit wasn’t her type. Someone with that kind of passion would be a fun tumble. She met her friend’s eyes, nodding. “Don’t you worry, pal. We’re gonna make sure this all goes our way. You come by ordnance tomorrow morning when you get off and we’ll make a plan, okay?”

  Whit merely nodded and Boudreaux walked away, trying to set her mind back to getting even with Rains. But
a familiar itch at the back of her thoughts wouldn’t let her go. Without a doubt, she knew exactly what it was…sex. Boudreaux had always known she was different, and not solely because she liked women. She liked sex. More than liked, she craved it. Nothing else in her life compared to the feeling of power she got in taking another woman, not even the bullets and explosives she monitored every day. Sometimes her conquests acted afraid, but she knew that once she touched them in the right way, they’d come to feel about it like she did. Once they gave up trying to be in control, she could free them from their fears. Sometimes she pictured what it would be like to get back in touch with some of her earlier seductions, imagining the words of appreciation and gratitude she’d receive. But no, she didn’t want to worry about detaching herself from their affection, since most of them would have come to realize there weren’t better lovers to be found. Because she knew, despite her promises and, sometimes, even her best intentions, that she wasn’t made to be monogamous. Her tastes were too wide-ranging, her interests too varied, to be satisfied by a single woman. Although there was one in particular she’d give almost anything to try.