by Lucy Gage
“You ready to head home?” he asked.
“Mmm. Yes. Want to get takeout on the way? I know this great Thai place.”
“You embarrassed to be seen with me?” he joked.
Meg turned to look at him. “Are you kidding? If I knew we had unlimited time together, I’d parade you around for all the world to see. But we don’t. You have to leave in a few days. And you’re gone after that for what, a year?”
“Nine months.”
“Well, long enough that I won’t get to see you again for a while. I’d like to have you to myself as much as I can.”
“But we have to eat. And if we eat out, we can still sit and talk. We’ll just have to wait to get naked until after. Does this Thai place have dine-in?”
Meg groaned. “They do. But if we eat there, then I can’t use your washboard abs for a plate. Which means I can’t lick Thai peanut sauce off you.”
Neil laughed, but she could tell the idea aroused him. “Tell you what, we can go to the Thai place for dinner and then get dessert for home. We’ll stop at the grocery store for ice cream sundae supplies.”
“Can we get hot fudge? Caramel? Whipped cream? Cherries?”
“And whatever ice cream flavor you want. We’ll use our bodies as dishes for that.” He winked.
“Sold. Did I tell you how hot you are, soldier?” she asked, her lips hovering over his.
“Not recently. But I’ll take what I can get.” He kissed her then, deep, slow and sensual. Before they got carried away, Meg sat back.
“Oh my. We should really get off this beach before I do something that will get us arrested and likely get you booted from the Army.”
“Let’s go, then. More privacy in the car,” Neil said as he stood, a tent in his shorts.
“Hey soldier, maybe you should put your shirt back on. It might make that,” she gestured discreetly to his shorts, “less obvious.”
“Good idea,” he said and laughed as he pulled his shirt over his head.
She liked him. So much. Was it too much? She didn’t know, but it could be, if he didn’t like her quite the same. And yet, though her head wanted her to step back a little, her heart and her body told her head to shut the fuck up. Because whatever this was, she wanted to see it through to the end. Even if the end meant this Saturday, when she dropped him at the airport.
Chapter 13
His cell played Friends in Low Places from the nightstand.
Owen.
“Sarge,” Neil said, groggy. “What the fuck are you doing awake at this hour?”
“Why, Captain Murphy, have you gone soft? It’s 0500 here. I’m getting ready for my run. You’re still in bed?”
Blinking the sleep from his eyes, Neil looked at the clock on Meghan’s dresser. 8:03. He heard the shower start. She must be getting ready for her client meeting.
“Shit. I can’t remember the last time I slept this late.”
“What, did you tie one on?”
Neil laughed. “No.”
“Hook up with some coed? Max set you up with his leftovers?”
Shaking his head, Neil sighed. “No. I haven’t seen him yet. I did meet someone, though.”
“Oh? Was the wedding a failure? I thought your aim was to talk to the elusive Meghan?”
Neil was silent for a moment, letting his lack of words speak for him. His perceptive best friend knew him well, had known him long enough that he’d get it.
“No fucking way! You’re banging her?”
“It’s not like that.”
“Don’t tell me you’re head over heels, Murph.”
“Owen, come on. You know me.”
“Which means you are. Shit. You’re leaving in less than two weeks. What the hell are you going to do? Does she feel the same way you do?”
“I don’t know. I think so. I mean, the first night, she said as much. But she was pretty drunk, so she doesn’t remember a lot of it.”
“You seduced her when she was drunk?”
“It wasn’t the way it sounds. We spent most of the wedding reception together and she wanted to go upstairs with me at the end of the night.”
“And given where you were going, it was hard to say no.”
“I almost did. I didn’t want it to be like that, Owen. You know how long I’ve wanted her.”
“What changed your mind?”
“For one, Danny. He told me he didn’t think it was about her being drunk. For another, she looked at me with these confused eyes and asked if I was actually into her, because she was getting that vibe and my hesitation made her question it. So I kissed her.”
“And?”
“And, Jesus, it was like being sucker punched. I almost let it go too far. On the dance floor of a family wedding. In uniform.”
“Damn.”
“Right? God, Sarge, she’s…everything.”
“Have you seen her since?”
“I’m in her bed right now.”
“At her place? Really? Wow. What does that mean?”
“She asked me to spend the week with her. As if I’d have said anything but yes. I wanted to dance around like a giddy little girl.”
Owen laughed. “You’re such a pussy sometimes.”
“Fuck you. We’ve been hanging out ever since. She has to work this morning.”
“What does she do that she can take that much time off?”
“Family therapist. She moved all the appointments she could that were still on her schedule. And she has this conference where she’s presenting. There’s a dinner Thursday night and a panel Friday.”
“She rearranged her life for you.”
Neil choked up for a moment. He was still in awe of that. So much of that first night was fuzzy or blank for Meghan, and yet, she felt enough that she’d made time for him.
“Yeah.”
“This sucks.”
“You’re telling me.”
“I’m sorry, buddy. I wish I could give you the right words, but you know I don’t bullshit. And after Tiger…”
“I know. But you can’t live your life worrying about the what ifs. You have to take it head on, right? Tiger wouldn’t want me to look at his example and see it as what not to do.”
“No. He’d never want that. You think he’s up there? Pulling some strings for you?”
“Maybe. Or maybe it was just the right time.”
“How can you think that when you’re leaving for war?”
“Because I have faith, Owen.”
“Okay. Yeah. I guess you need it, right? I have to run, so I’ll talk to you when you get home. I called because Willis said to tell you to report as soon as you’re back. More orders came down yesterday.”
“Is he going to pull my leave?”
Neil’s heart raced at the thought. He wanted – needed – all the time he could get with Meghan before he shipped out.
“No. He said it can wait until you come back, but he wants to see you as soon as you return to post.”
“Thanks, Sarge. See you in a few days.”
“Later, Murph. Good luck.”
Neil took a deep breath as he set the phone on the table and sank back into the sheets. He banged his head on the pillow for a few seconds, eyes closed. Shit. He really hoped nothing else would change in the next few days to get his leave cut short.
“You okay?” Meghan said from across the room.
His eyes flew open and a grin spread from cheek to cheek. Her hair lay on her scalp in wet waves, face free of any traces of makeup, fresh, natural, and as beautiful as ever. Naked, he relished the sight of her body, long and lithe, supple in the most important places. God, she was perfect.
“I’m excellent now.”
She walked toward the bed, a naughty smile on her lips. “Yes, you are. But I meant is there a problem? I didn’t mean to eavesdrop, but I caught the end of your conversation. Do you have to go back early?”
Her face dropped as she sat by his side. If he did end up needing to return early, at least he could
be glad that she’d be disappointed by the fact.
He shook his head. “No. Not so far. It could change, but Owen said it won’t, according to my CO.”
“But you’re worried it might?”
He nodded. “Yeah,” he said, touching her face. “I’d like to stay as long as possible.”
“I’d like that, too.”
She leaned in and kissed him, lips brushing gently across his own. It lit a fire in his groin immediately. For her too, apparently, because she dove at him then.
“Make love to me,” she breathed.
“You never have to ask me twice,” he said.
**********
Half an hour later, Neil stood behind her as she fastened earrings, his arms around her waist, lips on her neck. She wished she could rejoin him in his nakedness.
“Stop that,” she breathed.
“You don’t mean it,” he teased.
“No, I don’t. But if you keep doing that, I’ll be late meeting my client. I just have this one appointment this morning and a phone call to make to a school guidance counselor, then I’ll be back and we can resume where we left off a few minutes ago.”
“Let’s do something today.”
“What do you have in mind?” Meg asked as she turned in his embrace. God, delicious didn’t adequately describe naked Neil. The longer she knew him the more sexy and more beautiful he became.
Focus. You only have a few more minutes, and you want more than that with him. Hell, he can give you more than that.
“Can we do something outside?” Neil asked.
Meg smiled. “Of course. Um, do you like hiking?”
“I love hiking. Where were you thinking?”
“Have you ever been up Mt. Washington?”
He laughed. “Yeah, once. I don’t think we have time to hike it today. We’d need more preparation than this, and to leave earlier.”
“If we hiked from the base, yes. But if we drive to the top, we can hike down to Lakes of the Clouds and back. It’s a clear day. Should be excellent visibility.”
“Sounds like a plan. How about if I drive you to work and take the car to get us supplies. I’ll have everything ready by the time you’re done with work.”
She kissed him quickly. “You’re so smart. The closet in the guest room has some of my hiking gear, and the rest is down in the basement. Grab what you think we’ll need. I trust your judgment.”
“Do you? And why is that?” he asked as he threw on clothes. He pulled a black t-shirt over his head and torso and Meg fought the drool.
“Uh, because you’ve probably trained to hike in worse conditions than we’ll face. Besides, you didn’t hesitate. That tells me you’re not worried. And if you’re not worried, then you know what you’re doing.”
Neil grabbed her and planted a steamy kiss on her lips. “Did I tell you how hot it is that you’re as observant as I am?”
“No,” Meg replied, breathless. “We should get going, before I let you get me naked again and I miss my appointment.”
He sighed. “Definitely. Let’s go,” he said, taking her hand and heading toward the door.
Meg laughed as they made their way to her car. “Did I tell you how hot it is that you can be as no-nonsense as I am?”
Neil smiled. “We must be perfect together,” he said with a wink.
Meg wiggled her brows. “I guess so,” she said. Why it didn’t freak her out that he said something like that, she had no idea. But it didn’t. In fact, it made her happier than she’d been in a long, long time.
If ever.
**********
They stood at the head of the trail that led to Lakes of the Clouds, the Appalachian Mountain Club hut that sat just below the peak of Mt. Washington, highest spot in New England. Meg had been here before, both in car trips – with her parents and the Wards – and on hikes.
While her dad traveled all over the Northeast for work and as far away as Ohio, she and her mom passed the time on weekends hiking as many mountains as they could. During college, she’d hiked at the southern end of the Appalachian Trail, meeting her mother in Georgia and then traveling north one summer. They’d hiked all but the middle-most segment. Meg hoped to finish it someday.
Meg regaled Neil with her hiking adventures as they drove from where her house was located, in Gorham, Maine, to Mt. Washington. They arrived in time for lunch and ate at the base before making the steep climb up the Mt. Washington Auto Road in her Accord.
Standing at the trail-head, they looked across the expanse of the Presidential Range, at the majestic New Hampshire mountains.
“Makes you feel small, doesn’t it?” Neil asked.
Meg turned to him and smiled. “It does. I always love being at the top of a mountain, not because it makes me feel like a god, but because I understand what a speck I am in the universe.”
“Exactly.”
That they could be so in sync in so many ways blew Meg away.
“Where have you been all my life?” she asked under her breath, almost to herself, as she reached for his hand.
Neil said not a word, but his smile and the way his eyes danced behind his sunglasses, they echoed her sentiment.
“Would you like me to take your picture?” a woman asked.
Meg and Neil both turned to look at her. “That would be great,” Meg replied. She removed her camera from her pocket and handed it to the woman.
Instead of slinging his arm around her, the way a hiking buddy might, the way she and her mom always did, Neil wrapped his arms around her waist and rested his chin on her shoulder. He kissed her cheek and she looked at him, smiling.
Meg said, “Ready.” They mugged for the camera and after a few clicks, the woman handed it back.
“Hiking down to Lakes?” the woman asked.
“We are,” Neil said.
“Then I’ll see you two there. Enjoy your hike. Couldn’t have asked for a more perfect day up here.”
Meg looked at Neil then, a huge grin on both their faces. “No, you really couldn’t,” he said. And though the conditions were excellent – temps in the 50’s with only 25mph winds – she knew Neil didn’t mean the weather on the mountain, but the company. Meg agreed.
**********
By the time they drove through North Conway on the way home, darkness had settled into the Valley. “It’s the next one on the right,” Meghan said, pointing to a building on the right with a round room. The fragrance in the air – garlic and tomatoes, fresh baked bread and spices – meant that the place served pizza or at least Italian food.
“What is this place?” Neil asked. His growling stomach craved pizza, now that his nose had inserted the idea in his brain. In less than two weeks, he’d be hard-pressed to eat the good stuff for a while.
As she stepped out of the car, she said, “They make brick-oven pizza. The crust is divine and the ingredients are as local as possible. Sometimes, the flavors sound weird and disgusting, but they’re always delicious. We have one on the Portland waterfront, but I love coming here after a long day of hiking. It fills the hole left by an invigorating hike. Add a great, local craft beer, and it’s damn close to heaven.”
Neil looked at her, rumpled from a long day of travel and hiking, still flush with the sun that had kissed her cheeks and with her hair randomly escaping the elastic holding it. Without being self-conscious, she he pulled her wallet out of her backpack and said, “Sound good?”
He couldn’t help but smile. “Sounds perfect,” he said. Good food, good beer and Meghan? What could be better than that?
After dinner, sated from the food and the company, Neil cradled Meghan’s hand in his as they strolled to the car. He backed her into the side, pressed his body toward hers and rested his hands on her hips.
“What?” she said, her arms snaking around his neck.
“Thank you.”
“For?”
“For giving me another great memory to take with me. This was one of the best days I’ve had in a long time.”
She kissed him sweetly. “Thanks for doing one of my favorite things in the world.”
“I love it, too. Now, every time I hear the name Washington, I’ll think of you and think of today.”
“Will you?”
He nodded. “I will.” Tilting his head, he captured her mouth with his own, devouring her lips, their tongues warring for dominance.
When they leaned apart for air, noses and foreheads touching, Meghan said, “What was that for?”
“The perfect end to the day.”
“Oh, I think we can still improve on it,” she said, moving her arms down his chest, around his waist and cupping his ass.
“And how is that?”
Pulling his hips closer to her own, she said, “I think you can guess.”
Not here, he thought. Please don’t tell me you’re into public sex like Beth.
His face must have betrayed his thoughts. “At home, silly,” she said. “I heard what you told me about getting in trouble for stuff like that. Besides, I’m not into sexual performances, intentional or not.”
He breathed a sigh of relief and couldn’t help the grin. “I’m glad to hear you say that,” he said, rubbing his nose against hers. “I don’t get why that’s so appealing.”
“Me either. Let’s head home, so I can make your day even better.”
“That sounds like an excellent plan.”
“If you’re good, I might even be nice to you while you’re driving again,” she said with a wink as she sat in the car.
Neil laughed and shook his head. Any question as to whether this would be the best week of his life had long since been dispelled.
Chapter 14
So much for being sexy in the car, Meg thought as Neil lifted her in his arms and carried her into the house. She’d fallen asleep only minutes after they’d left North Conway, and felt guilty that poor Neil had to drive home, in the dark, after a long day of hiking, with no company save the radio.
“I’m sorry,” she said, still sleepy.
“No apologies, sweetheart. I’m used to being awake for a long time after an exhausting day. Part of training. Let’s get you to bed.”
“You’re coming to bed, too?”
“Of course.”
He undressed her, stripping the hiking gear from her body, helping her crawl under the blankets. Nestled into the Egyptian cotton sheets, Meg was being lulled to sleep by the scent Neil had left behind on his pillow. His pillow, she thought, and smiled. I like that. She felt his huge arm curl around her waist, his hand brushing her breast. She snuggled into his front with her back, her bottom rubbing against some of her favorite parts of him.
