Witness Protection: Moving Target

by Jet MacLeod

  While still holding Del’s hand, Angie rolled over to face her. She knew that Del had nowhere to go. She would have to look Angie in her eyes or fake sleeping. The vibrations of Del’s body would give her away and Angie knew it.

  “Del?” she asked her again, staring into her dark eyes trying to find out what was bothering her.

  “Yes?”

  “Tell me what’s wrong,” Angie demanded.

  Del just stared into her eyes. She couldn’t make out the brilliance of the sapphire color in the darkness of the tent, but she could guess what they were looking for in her own. She raised a hand to brush the still fresh auburn hair out of Angie’s eyes. She kept her gaze glued to the top half of Angie’s face. She figured it was safer for both of them that way.

  “Del…” Angie started to say.

  The pleading nature in her voice made Del wince in confusion. She pulled Angie closer to herself, wrapped her arms around her, and settled on her back, pulling Angie on top of her left side. Not once did she let her go. It was like she was afraid if she let Angie go that she would disappear or run away. Angie snuggled deeper into the crook of Del’s neck.

  She felt Del relax, but not loosen her hold. She felt the sigh as she heard it. She could hear the erratic beating of Del’s heart. Finally, everything started to click in Angie’s head. Del was turned on and so wired from everything that happened earlier. She needed a release and Angie was more than willing to do the job. She needed her own release. Their pent-up frustrations with one another were becoming too much. She wanted Del as much as Del wanted her. She could feel it.

  “Del, I’m going to kiss you,” Angie told her.

  She hesitated. Waiting for an objection, Angie just held her, just as tightly as she was being held. She raised her head from the crook of Del’s shoulder and neck to look in her eyes again. There was so much promise, so much worry, and so much want that Angie couldn’t deny her. She leaned down and kissed her.

  She tried to keep it soft and gentle, trying convey so much with such a simple gesture. She realized too late that she should have known better, but in that instant, she didn’t care. She wanted to kiss Del and she knew that Del wanted to be kissed. So, she did.

  Chapter 27

  Del woke up to an empty sleeping bag. She wasn’t tired, but she went on high alert when she realized that Angie wasn’t in the tent either. She scrambled out of the sleeping bag and to the tent door, stumbling out of the tent. When she righted herself, she saw Angie sitting on the tail gate with a cup of coffee.

  “Want some?”

  “Where did you get coffee?”

  “It is amazing what Cole packed in here,” she told her, pointing at the opened cubby hole.

  Del just stared at her for a moment, before she decided to walk over to the Suburban. She rifled through a bag, found a cup and some instant coffee. Angie handed her the pitcher of heated water and a spoon. She poured the water in her cup and started stirring as soon as Angie dropped the spoon into her cup.

  She sat down across the small fire that Angie had built and stared at the woman. She sipped her coffee and contemplated their next move. It was only a few seconds, but she had come to realize a lot about the woman sitting across from her.

  “What?” Angie asked her finally, smiling over her coffee cup.

  “Nothing,” Del mused as she finished her cup.

  “What do you want to do about breakfast?”

  “We still have some eggs and I think some English muffins. If you are okay with that, we can cook those. If not, then we will have to find some where to eat.”

  Angie seemed to ponder the idea for a few moments. It wasn’t she was against camping, but it had been a long time since she had done anything remotely like it. Spending time with Del proved to be a better adventure than she could have guessed. The woman intrigued her.

  “We can eat here,” she simply answered.

  If Del was surprised by her answer, she didn’t show it. She just reached over and made more coffee. As she stirred it, she stood up and walked back over the Suburban.

  “Did you sleep well?” Del asked her, as she rummaged through the cooler and other boxes.

  “I did.”

  “That’s good.”

  “Did you?” Angie asked her.

  “I did.”

  “Del?”

  “Yeah?”

  “Did I do something wrong?” Angie asked her, watching her body language.

  Del stopped looking for food and turned around. They had both been accustom to watching other people in their professions and right now they were watching each other. Del wasn’t like most people in the fact that she hid her emotions well, but her body would sometimes betray her and she knew it. She looked into Angie’s eyes and waited for the inevitable question that was coming. She didn’t know what to say. She didn’t know what to do. She had never been in a position like this, so she didn’t have any experience to fall back on.

  “Del, did I do something wrong?” she asked again, when Del hadn’t answered.

  “No, Angie, you haven’t done anything wrong,” Del told her.

  “Then, what’s with the … I don’t know…tightness,” Angie stated.

  Shit! Del thought, She’s noticed. She looked back at the tailgate, grabbed the eggs, and some pans. She headed back to the fire and tried to loosen her body on the way.

  “I might have slept weird,” she told Angie.

  “But you said that you slept fine.”

  “Angie, I was in the military. A decent night’s sleep is more than four hours. Most of the time I didn’t have a bag, a pillow or a piece of flat ground, so last night was a luxury.”

  “What about a bed?”

  “Those are just plain heaven for my body.”

  Angie nodded and tucked away the information. She knew that Del wasn’t telling her the whole truth but she decided to not push it at the moment. She learned that she had to pick her battles for anything, especially information, from Del. Now was not the time.

  “I need to use the bathroom. Will I be okay to go by myself or do I need wait for you? Cause I really need to go,” Angie stated.

  “You should be fine. I checked with the attendees. There isn’t anyone else here right now. It is so late in the season. Take this though,” Del told her, throwing a cell at her. “Call me if you need to. I’ll come running.”

  “I know,” Angie replied a little more huskily than she meant.

  Angie pocketed the phone and walked out of the camp towards the bathroom. It wasn’t more than two thousand feet away and Del could see it. She knew that she would be fine.

  While Angie was gone, Del scrambled the eggs and toasted the English muffins. She didn’t know whether Angie wanted butter or jam, so she got both out as she fished around for some plates. She was plating the food and thanking Cole, again in her mind, for the supplies, when she came back into the camp.

  Angie came up to Del with such a familiarity that Del was actually taken aback. She hadn’t realized what their closeness was doing to their relationship. Then she mentally started freaking out because she thought that they were in a relationship. Angie must have sensed the inner turmoil and decided to give Del a break. She took her plate and some butter, leaned over kissed Del on the cheek, and went back to the fire to eat.

  Del stood there dumbfounded. She couldn’t believe that Angie had just kissed her. Yeah, it was little more than a peck but the domesticity and intimacy of the gesture floored her.

  When she finally sat down back at the fire, Angie watched her. Del watched Angie watching her. She needed to know if she was doing it to keep her off balance or if something had happened between them that she couldn’t quite understand, yet.

  They had kissed last night. Angie had initiated it, but Del hadn’t told her “no,” this time. In fact, she actually lost herself in the kiss. It had been a delightful and she enjoyed it. She wanted to kiss her more, but she stopped herself before she over stepped a line that she herself had drawn betw
een them. It had gotten heavy and before the petting could get overly explicit Angie had turned away and fallen asleep. Del held her for hours, staring at the back of her head, willing her libido to quieten down.

  “Del?”

  “Yeah?”

  “You sure you’re okay?” Angie asked her.

  “I am just a little stiff. I guess I am not as young as I once was. We’ll need to get a mattress the next time we decide to camp out,” she told her.

  “Next time?”

  “I was thinking that we could go to Tahoe.”

  “You want to camp at Tahoe?”

  “Is that okay?” Del asked her, already mentally preparing herself for the “no.”

  “Sounds fine.”

  “We’ll have to stop for some supplies. I doubt that you will like eating that many MREs. It would give us a break. I can make the reservation at the lodge here. We could be there tonight, if you wish. It is a bit prettier there,” Del told her.

  “If you want,” Angie answered.

  Del didn’t reply. She didn’t know what to say. Angie was being entirely too docile this morning. She liked her fire. She liked her wit, but this woman was falling into line. She was giving Del whatever she wanted and Del was beginning to hate it.

  “You don’t mind camping?”

  “No, I don’t. I’ll admit that I haven’t been since I was a child. But, there can be something very therapeutic about it. It can be a religious experience if you let it. I’ve forgotten how quiet and wonderful that nature can be,” Angie replied.

  “You went camping as a kid?”

  “What can I say? I was Girl Scout. We went every summer until Mother deemed that it was no longer befitting someone of my station to do that. Then camping turned into weekends at the family lodge in Aspen or at the summer cottage at the Cape.”

  “That isn’t camping.”

  “I know that,” Angie replied.

  “So you seriously don’t care about sleeping on the ground?”

  “Not as long as I get to share a tent with you,” Angie told her.

  Del sat up straighter. She was a little taken aback by Angie’s straightforwardness, but she knew that she shouldn’t be surprised. Angie just gave her a smile and wink. She didn’t know what Angie was after, but she could only hope that it wouldn’t break her heart.

  Angie got up from her seat. She walked over to Del and pulled her against her own body. She looked into the fierceness of Del’s chestnut eyes and smiled at her. She held her closer when she felt Del start to pull away.

  “Del, calm down. It is just a little camping. You are acting like I am going to do something dastardly to you in your sleep. Trust me, Del. I am not going to do anything to you that you don’t want me to do,” Angie told her.

  Del stopped cold. Now, she knew that Angie was flirting with her. She turned back to the Suburban and tried to forget about what was happening. She tried to dampen the feelings that were brewing inside her. She knew that she shouldn’t want Angie the way she did, but Angie was making it harder every day. She was making it damn near impossible.

  “Del,” Angie stated, still so very close to her, and still coming closer.

  “Angie…” Del warned as she felt Angie’s hands moving around her waist.

  Angie didn’t heed the warning. Instead, she wrapped her arms around Del tighter. She leaned into Del’s back. She felt her begin to melt as her breasts fit perfectly into Del’s back. She leaned forward and felt her warmth seeping into her. It reminded her of how easily she had fallen asleep after she kissed her.

  “Del, you don’t have to fear me.”

  Del spun around in her arms. As their eyes met, she couldn’t help herself. She leaned down and kissed Angie. It wasn’t that they didn’t want to kiss. Far from it, they both wanted it and they shared that sentiment as they devoured each other’s mouth. She felt her hands moving up Angie’s body. She couldn’t remember when she grabbed Angie’s waist, too, until she found herself nearing Angie’s ribs.

  Angie knew that she was going to freak out. She could feel Del giving in for now, but she knew that as soon as her brain caught up with her libido, she would shut down. Angie didn’t want that to happen. She knew that Del wanted her and she wanted Del, too. She just had to keep Del’s mind occupied long enough to get what she wanted. She just hoped that she could do it.

  Del dug her fingers into her flesh at Angie’s ribs. She heled onto her like she needed her to breathe. She slipped her tongue into her mouth and felt Angie’s moan. They pulled each other tighter. As Del moved to deepen their liaison this time, Angie wove her hands into Del’s hair. Del wasn’t going to stop this time. They had played at this for far too long and she wanted to know how good Angie actually tasted.

  This time Del wasted no time. Her mind wasn’t going to stop her. She gathered Angie up into her arms and Angie allowed her. She moved from the Suburban and towards the fire pit. She kicked over a bucket of water on the small fire as they passed by. Angie just laughed until Del picked her up and almost threw her into the tent. She didn’t have time to ponder what was going to happen as Del came in right behind her. She pulled Angie back to her as she arranged them on the zipped together sleeping bags.

  Angie held on. She remembered how wonderful everything felt in the hotel room. She knew how great it felt to kiss Del the night before. And, she was hoping to know more.

  Del reached out tentatively and touched Angie’s face. She stared into the infinite depths of her beautiful sapphire eyes and anchored herself there. As she held her, she resolved to give into the temptation of Angie and what she could give. It was a lost cause. They were perfect for each other and Angie knew it. It has taken Del a while to get used to the idea, but now, laying there with Angie, touching her, she knew it was for her best.

  “Relax, Del. I am not going to hurt you. I know that you are afraid to feel, but there is nothing wrong with what you are feeling. It is perfectly natural. It is amazing.”

  “Yes, it is. And, I am not afraid anymore, Angie. Well, let me rephrase, I’m not afraid of you.”

  Angie laughed. She saw the happiness forming in Del’s dark chocolate eyes. She reached up and touched her face, caressing her cheek. She tried to tell her so much with her touch. She knew that is she tried to tell her with words that she would fail, and failing was something that Angela March did not do.

  Del lean forward and kissed her. It was sweet and simple. She wasn’t trying to conquer. She wasn’t trying to own her. She was trying to let her know how much she felt for her. It was a hard thing to do so gently. She was used to hard, rough loving, and Angie was better than that.

  “Del, do me a favor,” Angie stated, breaking the kiss.

  “Yes?”

  “Stop thinking already.”

  “Sorry,” Del replied and smiled as she kissed her again.

  Angie pulled her body closer and melded her own to Del’s. She could feel the heat of her body. Slowly, she moved her hand from her face down to her shoulder. She couldn’t believe what she was doing. She was felt Del giving in a little more each second and it felt wonderful.

  Del decided that she wanted to actually touch Angie. It was good in theory, but actually doing it was another story. She had kept herself at bay for so long that now when she had finally given in to the temptation she was afraid to actually touch Angie. She was afraid because she thought that Angie would disappear as soon as she touched her.

  She reached out and touched her cheek again. She buried her heart in the feeling that Angie was real and it let her move forward. She leaned over and kissed her. She let her passion flow through her mouth and into Angie. It was amazing. She pushed the kiss deeper, harder, as she felt her bravado catching up with her emotions. As she felt Angie moan against her mouth and smile into the kiss, she deepened it further. She thrust her tongue into Angie’s mouth.

  “Del…”

  “I know,” she replied, smiling but never breaking the kiss.

  Her hands found their way t
o Angie’s waist. She couldn’t pull her any closer if she tried, but she needed to feel Angie against her. Her fingers found their way up the denim covered hips to the edge of her shirt. Del’s fingers teased the skin below the hem. She could feel Angie’s skin begin to goose bump. She enjoyed the soft skin underneath her callused hands and the sounds that it was eliciting from her mouth. She was in awe of how her skin moved with the tensing and flexing of Angie’s muscles. She splayed her fingers across her torso.

  “Take off my shirt, Del,” Angie commanded.

  Her fingers glided across the soft and warm flesh until she found the hem of Angie’s shirt. Her fingers wrapped themselves up the fabric. Del ripped it off her body in a flash. When her eyes feasted on Angie’s alabaster skin in the morning sun and shadows of the tent, Del about lost her mind. She couldn’t hold herself back. She leaned forward and kissed her collar bone. She nipped lightly at skin below her mouth.

  Angie’s hands buried themselves in Del’s brunet hair. She effectively held her head there, reveling in the feelings that were overcoming her. If Angie could catch her breath long enough, she would vocalize the need, the desire, and the love that she felt building inside her. She wanted more, more of Del, more of her touch, more of everything. Somehow, Angie reached behind herself and removed her own bra.

  Del’s eyes went wild. She couldn’t believe the awesome sight before her. Angie was topless, completely topless. She reached down and grabbed Del’s hands. She pulled them up her torso and placed one on each of her breasts. Del’s eyes were completely blown. She looked at the azure pools watching her and let out a breath she didn’t know she was holding.

  “Oh, Del,” Angie moaned as she started to knead the flesh beneath her hands.

  Angie wasn’t going to let this be a one sided event. She wanted to touch Del, too. She reached between them and started to unbutton the polo that Del was wearing. She stared into Del’s eyes as she pulled back to watch Angie toy with her shirt. When Angie finally got it unbuttoned, she skated her hands down the front of the shirt, allowing her nails to scratch the cotton until she got to the base of the shirt. She pushed the shirt up Del’s front and as she pushed it up, she made sure to rake her nails up Del’s torso.