Operation: Stripped & Stranded

by E Kay Sims

  I tossed the washcloth into the bathroom and went to the wet bar and washed my hands in the sink. Then I opened the fridge and pulled out some string cheese, sliced salami, a couple of water bottles, and another apple. I grabbed my knife from my pack on the floor and sliced the apple on one of the plates on the counter. I arranged everything on the plate and brought it back to the bed.

  I sat down beside her, handed her a water bottle, and then began to feed her bites of salami, cheese, and apple with my fingers.

  “You’re gorgeous, do you know that,” I asked her.

  Her eyes dropped and her cheeks flushed with embarrassment. I loved that about her. She was easily the most beautiful woman I’d ever met, but she didn’t seem to realize her beauty.

  “Um, no, but thank you,” she said shyly as her hand rubbed her scarred hip through the sheet.

  “I hate to rush through lunch, but we have to be back to class in fifteen minutes,” I said, finishing the remaining food.

  I took the empty plate to the sink and then looked around for my underwear. Shit, our clothes were scattered haphazardly around the room. I found her sports bra tossed over a chair and her leggings half under the bed. I gathered up her things and set them beside her on the bed.

  I got dressed quickly. “Have dinner with me tonight,” I said, looking her in the eye. I saw the hesitation there in her face. “The workshop will be over and then you won’t have to worry about your work ethics. I’ll just be another guy, not your student.”

  “Well…”

  “Look, after tonight, you never have to see me again––unless you want to, that is.” I looked down sheepishly.

  “Uh, well, when you put it that way, okay. I’ll have dinner with you.” She smiled shyly.

  “Great! I’ll pick you up around seven,” I said, trying not to show my excitement.

  “We should probably not show up in class at the same time.” She stood and finished pulling her leggings up then turned to find her shoes.

  I followed her to the door. “I’ll be right behind you.” I took her in my arms for one last kiss before opening the door for her.

  Damn it, I wanted her again! Too late, I realized I was falling for this woman. I had to figure out a way to convince her to see me after we went home. I was wanting more and more to get out of the Army and go back to school. Figure out my future and see if there was any possibility that Everett Zaffino could be a part of my life.

  If someone had asked me two days ago if I believed in love at first sight, I would have said without a doubt, absolutely not. But now, I wholeheartedly believed—and that scared the shit out of me.

  I sent Gil a text. Hey, buddy. I need the car tonight.

  No response, five minutes later, I sent another. You there?

  Gil’s silence led to a string of texts on my end.Dude, stop fucking around.

  I mean it, this shit’s not funny.

  You cocksucker! You better fucking text me back!

  Five minutes later.

  Dude! I’m serious! Now I’m worried. TEXT ME!

  I sent the last text before heading into the yoga workshop. I was pissed off at Gil, thinking he was fucking with me. But the more I thought about it, the more I started to worry because this was not his typical M.O.. He usually hit me back right away whenever I texted him, unless the time difference was a factor, which at the moment, didn’t apply.

  “Okay, everyone, welcome back. Please take a moment to silence your phones and get settled into your space. We’re going to do a quick review and then take a quiz,” Aurore announced as she made her way to the front of the room.

  Great! I’d just have to wait until after class to talk to Gil.

  EZEE

  My belly did flip-flops when Eric walked into the classroom. Not twenty minutes ago we’d been fucking like rabbits up in his room. Now I had to paste on my teacher face and somehow get through the next few hours. The day wouldn’t go by fast enough.

  Holy moly! What had I gotten myself into? My heart skipped a beat. I couldn’t believe I’d agreed to go out to dinner with him. I wasn’t kidding myself, I knew we’d end up in bed again before the night was over and I could barely contain my excitement. A sense of euphoria washed over me just thinking about Eric. I couldn’t remember ever feeling like this, not even when Xander Mikkelson took me to the prom my junior year. Not even when—later that night—I’d let him take my virginity. It had been stupid, really, but I’d had a crush on him since sixth grade. We’d only dated for three months. Afterward, I’d been so disappointed. I’d been the one to break things off. I just didn’t feel the same about him after prom.

  I’d dated here and there, but I could count on four fingers, including Eric, how many guys I’d been with sexually. No one compared to Eric. He was in a class of his own. Fuck! They’d broken the mold when he was created! What on earth could he possibly see in me? I was nothing special, and I’m partially disfigured with my scarred hip and limp. How could any guy find me attractive after my accident? Eric was the first guy I’d been with since my surgery three years ago.

  I didn’t want to think beyond tonight. Just live in the moment, like we say in yoga. One moment at a time. I told myself that I deserved this—some excitement, to have fun with the sexiest man alive and not worry about tomorrow. I’d give myself this gift and have no regrets, just this once. Then I’d go back to my calm, boring life and cherish the memories forever.

  Little did I know how wrong I was, but at the time, I was blissfully ignorant.

  PIPER

  I

  gazed into Gil’s eyes as we danced together to the strains of Ronan Keating’s I Hope You Dance in front of the car’s headlights, our naked bodies pressed together under the starry desert night. Despite the evening chill in the air, I was unusually warm in Gil’s arms. His blue eyes tried admirably to hold my gaze, but eventually, they fell away, his shyness getting the best of him. He attempted to hide it by burying his face in the crook of my neck. A gasp of pleasure escaped my lips when he nibbled my shoulder.

  I knew he was feeling overwhelmed. So was I. “This is my favorite spot, you know?”

  I was glad when Gil looked at me again, intently listening to me.

  “It’s a quieter section of the Canyon. Tourist-free, fairly untouched, and it feels untameable. But at some point, everything is tamed. The key is to make sure being tamed doesn’t mean the end of freedom. I’ve avoided relationships in the past, partially due to the nature of my work, but also because I didn’t want to feel trapped. I didn’t want my dreams or my goals in life to become second to a guy’s.” I stared directly at Gil, making sure he understood my next statement. “You don’t make me feel like that. You could have told me that in order to make this work, I should pack up my bags and go with you to Oregon. Instead, you’re talking about inconveniencing yourself for me.”

  “It’s not an inconvenience, beautiful. I want to be with you.” Gil traced his fingers along my arm.

  “I know. But you want to be with me on our shared terms. You’re not dictating to me how it has to be. You haven’t given me an ultimatum. I respect that.” I pulled him in for a kiss, snuggling into him as one of his hands splayed across my naked back and the other cupped the back of my head, his fingers threading through my silky tendrils.

  “I would never ask anyone to give up their dreams. I think that’s wrong,” Gil whispered.

  I chewed my bottom lip as I bent to pick up his shirt. I wrapped the comfortable cotton around myself. It was so much nicer than that darned gown I’d been wearing for so long. Hugging my arms around myself, I strode over to the car and pressed the button to bring the top down. I met Gil’s questioning gaze with a upwards quirk of my mouth. “Join me.”

  We climbed into the back seat together and I urged him to lay back with me, my back to his chest. I felt spoiled as his arms encircled me, his hands gently caressing my body and his face close to mine.

  “Are you cold?” he asked against my ear.

  I n
odded. “A little.”

  Gil rubbed my arms rapidly in an effort to warm me up. “Nighttime in the desert is beautiful.”

  “I agree. I’ve camped out here many times. My sister and I love escaping the city, to—” I caught myself.

  “Are you telling me more about yourself?”

  I shrunk down. “I guess so.”

  “You have a sister?”

  I clamped my mouth shut.

  His breath tickled my ear as he whispered, “Your secret’s safe with me.”

  Heat flooded my cheeks. Shit, I honestly was falling for this guy. Was I ready to say goodbye to him? I almost couldn’t bear the thought of getting back into the swing of things once he went to Oregon. Never mind the fact that I probably wouldn’t have a job at Elizabeth’s anymore, not after breaking the biggest rule of all of them—do not, under any circumstance, meet with a client outside of the club. I’d stolen a client from the club, for crying out loud. How was I going to explain myself?

  “Did you and your sister ever do any stargazing?” Gil asked.

  “Not so much.” I laughed. “More like, we came out here to get drunk and gossip about boys and bitchy girls at school.”

  “Then let me teach you a few things. Do you know the Saucepan?”

  I glanced up at him in confusion. “The Saucepan?”

  “Sorry, ahhh…” he trailed off for a moment. “I mean, the Big Dipper.”

  “Everyone knows the Big Dipper. You call it the Saucepan?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Why?”

  “Because it looks like a saucepan.”

  “No, it looks like a ladle, actually,” I corrected.

  “So, it should be called the Ladle, then?”

  My shoulders shook as I laughed. “It’s the Ladle!”

  “Did you know it’s a part of something bigger? It’s actually part of Orion, the huntsman whom the ancient Greek god, Zeus, placed into the stars for his heroism. The… Ladle—”

  I giggled.

  “—is actually upside down and makes up his belt and one foot. There’s his other foot, his bow, his head, and his arm.”

  I followed the tip of Gil’s finger as he pointed to each section of Orion in turn. “He’s big.”

  “Yeah, he was a giant.”

  “A giant, heroic huntsman?”

  “Yep.”

  “You know a lot, Gil.”

  He shrugged, self-conscious. “I read a lot. There’s not much else to do in Deep Lake except go swimming in the lake or watch the television when the signal is working properly.”

  “I imagine there’s a lot of fucking going on in a place like that,” I pondered.

  “Maybe if you want to become the centre of all the gossip. I tended to keep to myself for the most part.”

  “Of course you did. You’re my quiet man.”

  “Your quiet man?”

  I hugged his arm and snuggled my face into his neck. I inhaled his scent, committed it to memory. Nope. There was no way I wanted to let him go. I had to come up with a solution that would mean we could stay together and didn’t ruin his dreams, either. “Yep. All mine.” I looked up at him. “Is that okay?”

  “No objections from me.” Gil’s fingers rubbed into my scalp as he kissed my forehead.

  Before I knew it, I was slipping into sleep, and from the sound of Gil’s steadying heartbeat and breath, he was as well. It was the second time I had ever fallen asleep on top of a man.

  EZEE

  T

  he hot water from the shower felt amazing, easing the tension from my sore, tight muscles. I let it run down my back on the massage setting for ten minutes before I finally dumped the hotel shampoo into my hands and lathered up my hair. It smelled of citrus—clean and refreshing—and the label said it was lemon verbena. I inhaled deeply, enjoying the scent as it filled the shower. This wasn’t the typical, cheap hotel crap, either. It was quality, like everything else at The Palazzo.

  I washed and rinsed my hair twice before using the shower gel of the same scent to scrub my body. I turned to face the spray to rinse off the soap. When the hot stream hit my sensitive nipples, I jumped back as memories of Eric’s mouth and tongue on me flooded my brain, sending delicious jolts of awareness throughout my body and straight to my core.

  I was so looking forward to tonight!

  I quickly finished my shower then wrapped a towel around myself before I rummaged through my suitcase for something sexy to wear—well, sexy for me, anyway. I’d brought only two modest cocktail dresses and one of them I’d worn the night I’d met Eric.

  I’d have to wear the red, stretchy one tonight. It was one of those infinity dresses that was all the rage with bridesmaids lately and could be worn eight different ways. It complimented my slim figure and emphasized what curves I had with its criss-cross wrap style, tying at the waist. Easy to get into and out of….

  I was startled when the bedside phone started to ring.

  “Hello,” I answered the call.

  “Hey, I just wanted to say thank you again for staying the extra day and covering for Shelby.” Aurore’s voice filled my ear.

  “Sure, you’re welcome. I was glad to do it. Thanks for covering my room expenses,” I replied.

  “Are you sure you won’t join me and Shakti tonight for dinner?”

  “Yeah, I’m uh—”

  “Well, I hope you’re going out with Thor, at least!” She laughed.

  Embarrassed, I stammered, “I uh, well, um… about that.”

  “Look, EZee, the workshop is over and there’s no judgment here, okay. Fuck, if I was single––and hot like you––and had the same opportunity, I would jump on it, literally!” Her laughter barked loudly through the receiver. “And besides, you never have to see the guy again after tonight.”

  “Yeah,” is all I managed to get out, grateful I didn’t have to explain. Not to mention relieved that she wasn’t pissed at me.

  “Just be careful, okay?”

  “I will, I promise.”

  “Call me later and let me know how it went,” she finished, hanging up before I could respond.

  I looked at the clock on the bedside table. Six-forty. Shit! I still needed to do my makeup and dry my hair before Eric arrived to pick me up. I’m not one of those girls who is fashionably late. I’m the one who is always on time, if not, a few minutes early.

  I rushed around the room and finished getting ready. I barely finished buckling the straps on my high heels, and my hair still damp, when I heard a knock on the door at exactly seven p.m.

  Deep breaths, deep breaths. I smoothed down the front of my dress as I tried to walk calmly to the door. I took one more breath before I opened the door. “Hi.”

  There Eric stood, dressed in a dark suit and tie. Wow! The guy could seriously model. His gaze swept down my body and back up again slowly as he took in every inch of me. To my relief, the look in his eyes told me he more than liked what he saw. Suddenly, I was as nervous as a schoolgirl on her first date.

  “You look stunning.” His words were low and deep, and sent ripples down my spine.

  “Thank you, you look very handsome, yourself,” I said appreciatively. “I’ll just grab my purse.”

  I found it on the hall table and double-checked that I had my room key and some cash before stepping into the corridor. Eric held his arm out to me like a perfect gentleman. I rested my hand in the crook of his elbow as the anticipation of the evening started to build.

  Once again, I had to remind myself to breathe deeply and slowly as we headed toward the bank of elevators.

  “I hope you won’t mind eating here at The Palazzo. Unfortunately, my roommate took the car and isn’t responding to my texts.” I detected a slight note of irritation in his voice, but it was gone quickly with his next words. “I thought maybe we could take a gondola ride after dinner if you’re up for it.” He pushed the button to call the elevator. “I made reservations at LAVO. I hear they have a great selection of Italian food.”


  “Oh, yum! I’ve been wanting to go there ever since I got here but haven’t had a chance.” I barely curbed my enthusiasm, not wanting to seem too eager.

  “Heard they offer a great ribeye and creamed spinach––my favorite meal of all time.” He helped me into the elevator.

  “Good to know,” I said, storing the information for future reference.

  It didn’t take long before we were seated at our table at LAVO. The night seemed to be flying by, no matter how hard I tried to savor each moment and make it last.

  ERIC

  “H

  ow’s your wine?” I asked her between bites of steak.

  “It’s delicious, thank you. And so is the veal parmigiano.” She cut another bite and offered it to me on the end of her fork.

  She was right, it was delicious, I thought as I chewed it slowly. So far, the conversation had remained simple, just small talk. But, I was enjoying myself immensely just being in her presence.

  “Are you heading home tomorrow?” I asked.

  “Yes, I’m leaving in the morning. I have about a fourteen-hour drive back to Eugene, Oregon.”

  “Really?” I asked, surprised. “I have a place in Corvallis.”

  “No kidding?” She looked a bit surprised.

  “Yeah, I’m from there, originally. Right now I’m stationed up in Washington state just south of Seattle.”

  “Oh, at JBLM?”

  “Yeah, you know it?”

  “Yes, I was in the Air Force, though I wasn’t stationed there,” she replied. “I did my training at Sheppard in Wichita Falls, Texas, and then was stationed at Hill Air Force base in Utah and from there, Aviano, Italy.”

  “Wow, I had no idea you were former military,” I said, more than a little surprised.

  “Yeah, I don’t go broadcasting it, you know?” She smiled ruefully. “I got hurt while on active duty––not combat related, mind you.” She took another bite and finished chewing before she continued, “I didn’t have a very good military experience. I mean, if I hadn’t gotten hurt, I’d still be in. But the care I received after I got hurt was deplorable. They did a botched job on my surgery and my physical therapist afterward was a sexual predator.” She looked away, not meeting my gaze.