by Tina Maurine
Ace was the first to speak, after taking a long draw from his beer. “So, everything fine with you two? Is your lover’s spat finally over?” He chuckled and I raised my beer to him, tipping it in a sarcastic toast.
“We’re fine. It’s just, this deployment can really get to ya sometimes, right, Sam?”
She nodded at me, smiling back.
“So, let me get this right. You guys worked for like three days on your detachment to Turkey—that’s it, and you were gone a week?” Incredulity heavy in his tenor. “What did you guys do Friday, Saturday and Sunday?” Lucas had reseated himself at the table after grabbing us all a new, ice-cold brewski from the fridge.
“Well, the officers and aircrew still had to fly two more days with the NATO forces, so we readied the birds the first day, packed up a shit-load of parts we never used, tools and materials, so we’d be ready to jet out Monday—then we did some sightseeing.” I paused to shovel another bite of calzone heaven into my mouth, washing it down with my beer, which seemed to get better and better with each swig I drew off it.
“Okay, so other than the coastline, which I’m assuming you liked, what was your favorite part you saw while you were there?”
I turned my head startled to hear a voice coming from behind me—a very familiar voice. My eyes connected instantly to deep pools of blue—stormy, grey-blue eyes that I had missed for too long, and yet not long enough to move on…
…if I ever could.
I sat paralyzed, glancing at everyone at the table and then turning to look back at Noah as he walked around to my side.
“Well, get up and come give me a hug!” His playful command came out in an emotionally laden tone, walking the line his voice took when it was full of lust and desire.
Oh. My.
I stood mechanically at first, and then I rushed him. My heart winning out over my mind, I threw my arms around his neck as he pulled me to him tightly for a full-body hug. Everything about me that felt skewed the last few days immediately righted themselves and our souls drew together like magnets, each recharged off of what the other offered. It was a truly carnal and nearly supernatural thing, how we connected so completely. So borderline indecently.
Noah’s arms wrapped around my waist, pulling me into his already thickening desire for me. His arm shifted, crossing my back, pressing my taut nipples into his thin, t-shirt clad chest. His hand, nesting at the nape of my neck, guided my lips towards his. I could feel his breath coming in short, hot pants—mirroring my own. His lips grazed mine, eliciting a shudder from me. Then he kissed me, delicately at first, then more fully. It was a kiss that didn’t just tell me things, it screamed confirmations about how much he’d missed me… and then our lips began a lascivious dance—pulling, drinking, robbing the other’s senses.
“Fuck, why don’t you just kiss her already?” Ace quipped, and then laughed as I heard his beer bottle tap two others behind me in a toast.
I pulled my ravished lips from Noah’s skillful ones, only able to drag in ragged breaths. My emerald eyes once again connected to his gaze—now a heated cerulean hue.
Goddamn, he’s hot. I lov... I caught myself before I admitted the depth of my feelings for him. I just couldn’t go there—Vi and Suri were still swimming around in the back of my mind. What had happened on Saint John?
He smiled a wicked little half smile at me before placing a chaste kiss on my forehead. He spun me around and, placing either hand on my hips, pulled my ass to him. I leaned back against him in a reverse full body hug—we didn’t need our arms for our bodies to connect completely. I blushed, remembering the things he had done to me the last time he’d placed his hands on my hips like this…
“So, Tessa…” Lucas cleared his throat, obviously turned on to a degree by what he’d just seen, which was understandable, seeing as how he was remaining completely faithful to his wife back home and it had been a couple weeks shy of three months since we’d left Jacksonville. “…about what Noah asked. What did you like the best while you were there?”
I pushed my ass off the substantially hard cock I’d been resting against and playfully negotiated Noah off the fridge door. “Anyone care for a beer?” I ended up pulling out a total of five, opened them and passed them around. I took a seat at the table, and Noah pulled up a chair beside me, taking my fork and shoveling a large bite from my calzone into his mouth.
“Well, one day we went to Incirlik and the other to Adana, both pretty close to the base. We actually went to Incirlik a few times with a handful of guys and gals stationed there and some guys from the Royal Airforce. The small village-town was within walking distance about twenty minutes away, and there were some local bars—dives really—that stayed open late, especially if we were there spending money.”
“Yeah, I’ve been down Incirlik’s narrow, dingy, dirt road more than a few times, coming and going from ops out of Kuwait, but Adana’s markets are a whole lot more fun to get lost in, especially if you’re drinking, wouldn’t you agree?” Noah laughed, knowing full-well that I knew better than to get trashed and then try to sightsee and keep my bearings. I was way too much about being in control to let myself lose control in that kind of a situation.
Any situation really… unless Tad was the one taking away my control.
The slightest blush crept up my cheeks to my ears. I prayed no one noticed, so I quickly went on. “Yeah, I mean hanging with the crew at night was fun, and I bought a great black leather cigar jacket from Incirlik, but you’re right; if I’d had more time I would’ve definitely gone back to Adana… after all, it was only like five or ten miles away, and oh man, the shopping I could’ve done!” I giggled and Sammie snorted. She knew I was a total shopaholic.
“Get anything good in Adana? Buy anything extra that I could buy from you and send to my wife?”
“Oh, Lucas, I’m sorry, but the best thing I picked up was a pair of leather string sandals… the soles are made from tires. Oh, and I picked up a pretty marble backgammon board for my dad, and an ornate scarf for Tulla Dean.” I watched Lucas’s eager, hopeful eyes turn dismal. “Oh wait, I have some Turkish Delight that you can send her!”
Lucas looked at me cautiously, “What the fuck is a Turkish Delight—some kind of sex toy?”
Oh my Gawd!! Now that’s too funny…
“No, stupid,” I said good naturedly, as I laughed. “Turkish Delight is a gummy, marshmallowy treat made of dried nuts, fruits, syrup, and some other shit. It’s a national favorite. I personally hate the stuff, but to each his own. I bought a bunch ‘cause everyone was raving about how great it was—and Kupps bargained for it and got it for a really good price. It's known as lokum in Turkish—a word also used to refer to a voluptuous woman.” I giggled, “Now that I learned having a shot of elixir in some rug shop; Kupps actually knew where the closest pastane or souvenir shop was from there.” My soliloquy died on my lips and I quickly brought the beer to my lips and took a long hard draw, giving me plenty of time to take a breath and think…
Oh shit. Kupps…
Did Noah pick up on that or anyone else? FUCK! How many beers have I had? Four, maybe? Damn I should’ve eaten more…
I looked over at Sammie, and she raised an eyebrow at me, then at Lucas. He looked at me and cleared his throat.
“Oh, okay so Kupps is from your shop? You work with him?” Noah’s tenor hitched a bit at the end, obviously nervous about how I’d answer his questions.
“Yeah, pretty much.”
Okay, so Kupps was basically from my shop… I mean so what if he was the Division Officer? Nobody sitting at the table could really go about hearing what I had to say and then throw stones. Noah didn’t REALLY need to know all the specifics. Besides, he did just get back from seeing his baby’s mama, and I am SURE they fucked up one side and down the other… that is, after all, what Noah does well.
I hurriedly went on so that he wouldn’t continue along that line of questioning. “So, I have a few bars that you’re more than welcome to; in fact, the
re are probably enough for all of you to have some.”
I didn’t have to glance at Noah to feel his heated gaze on me. He gave me a rough squeeze on my thigh. I jumped just a little, and a nervous giggle escaped. “So, what did you guys do while I was gone for the week?” I eyed the table, and then looked squarely at Noah. “How was your visit with Pallavi and Suri?”
Noah stood up, lifting me by my elbow. “Join me in the hall, Tessa?” His steely tone left no room for argument. As he briskly led me toward the door I tossed out a flippant, “I’ll be right back, guys—don’t do anything I wouldn’t do!”
I heard someone shout, “That’s doesn’t really limit us very much!” and they all laughed.
