* * *
Kira continued her swim and composed herself as she reached the bank on the other side of the pond. She jumped to her feet and ran full-speed to the next obstacle called Tough One. It looked somewhat like a medieval fort with a two-story cargo net at one end, followed by an angled pie-shaped ladder leading down to a “walkway” of precariously placed log beams, ending with another smaller cargo net to the ground.
Oh, shit! Kira took a breath. This one would be easier if she wasn’t soaking wet and covered by mud from the pond. Gathering all of her courage, she began climbing the cargo net, slowly at first but then faster as she got the hang of it. At the top of the net Kira looked down. Realizing she was about thirty-three feet off the ground, sweat broke out on her palms. She felt slightly nauseous as she made her way across to the center of the moving net. She swung over onto the top point of the inverted pie-shaped ladder. The rungs were three inches in diameter and slick as shit. Fuck me! She carefully lowered herself down, one rung at a time. Her heart was racing since the distance between each beam was nearly three-fourths of her body length. Finally she dropped onto the log walkway. Balancing carefully, she began to cross, beam by beam. Right beside her, another soldier miss-stepped and fell down between the logs onto the net below. Fuck, that had to hurt! she thought. She made it safe to the other side and scurried down the cargo net.
Kira could feel someone watching her as she dropped to the ground to start the next run. Looking up, she saw Stark. The realization that he was definitely there watching her was exhilarating. A sense of arousal swept over her as she realized she liked the idea. She wanted him to watch her. She set out on her run with her wicked thoughts keeping her company. She was tired, but thinking of him set her on fire. She ran hard and fast, definitely running toward something rather than away.
As she approached the clearing, the blond soldier reappeared. “You’ve made good time.” He smiled brightly at her, looking a little surprised. He had the confidence of someone for whom things always go well. “You can do this. You’re almost done.” Holt’s message was encouraging but his tone was patronizing as if he thought she was a sweet little thing.
Kira ran on and hoisted herself onto the lower log. This last major obstacle was actually called Dirty Name. I can think of a dirty name or two for this! The contraption appeared to be a series of three beams, each one higher than the next and about three feet apart. Shit, shit, shit! It was like a twisted, psychotic version of the uneven bars. She leapt into the air, grapping the second bar. Dangling off the ground, she struggled to pull her body weight up onto the second bar. Her tired arms ached. She felt weak and wanted to give up.
“Don’t give up, Kira,” Stark’s voice growled at her. That voice! Her body obeyed his command despite her fatigue. She pulled herself up onto the beam. “You can do this!” With all the strength she had left, Kira lunged for the last beam and hung on tight. Her fingers went white as they struggled to hold, her face twisted with pain and sheer determination. She pulled with her shaky arms. “Do it, Captain!” his loud voice commanded. She obeyed, pulling her body the last few inches up and onto the beam. I did it! Kira felt a flood of excitement…then the weightless sense of falling, a searing pain, then darkness.
Stark jumped up and ran to her as she lay motionless beneath the wooden contraption. He bent to help her. She looked so beautiful lying there amidst a sea of chestnut hair.
“What the fuck are you doing? Don’t touch her!” a young voice yelled in an attempt to sound authoritative.
Stark looked up to see the little blond shit who had helped her earlier.
“Stand back,” he continued. “I’m Captain Holt. I’m a doctor. Stand back so I can help her.” The man knelt beside her and started to do an assessment. Stark did not budge. Who the hell does he think he is? Seeing the little shit putting his hands on her made him see red.
The other medical officers and field medics rushed over and began to check her out. A sudden panic rose in Stark. He desperately wanted her to be OK. He wanted the blond-haired punk to back the fuck up, but just then, Kira opened her eyes.
“Damn, I guess I blew that,” Kira said shakily as she began to be aware of her surroundings.
“You did great,” Captain Holt said softly “We’re going to take you back to the ER. You’ve had enough for one day.”
“No, no, I’m OK,” she began slowly. “I want to finish the course. I’m not really hurt…well, other than my pride maybe.” Kira’s voice gained confidence as she spoke.
“Are you crazy? You could have been killed!” Holt scolded. “If this meddling e-dog wasn’t trying to get you to do things you’re clearly not ready for, you would have been fine.”
Despite her bewilderment, Kira saw the flash of steel and anger on Stark’s face. She got up quickly to show them all she was OK.
Stark stepped forward to steady her. He reached out and braced her gently when Holt reached up and grabbed his arm. “This isn’t your place,” Holt squawked at Stark.
While still steadying Kira, Stark grabbed Holt’s arm with his other hand and pulled him in close so fast and forcefully that Holt froze. In a deadly calm voice, Stark said, “Listen to me you, little piece of shit. You’ve been a captain for about a minute. And a doctor for about a day. You don’t have the balls….” Stark pulled Holt in closer and looking down into his widening eyes, Stark’s face darkened as he continued, “…to survive one day in a theater of war. You insignificant little fuck.”
Seeing this side of Stark scared Kira. She knew he was Special Forces but had never realized what he was really capable of. She could see the restraint he was exercising and knew that he could break Holt, kill him in a second with those powerful hands. Hands that had held her so tenderly. She pulled away, breaking the tension between the two.
Stark turned to her and the devastated look on her face froze him instantly, shattering his heart. Slowly at first, she began to run.
The men stopped and watched her disbelievingly as she made her way to the finish line. She ran the last one hundred meters, with shaky legs, her heart racing and breaking at the same time. She realized that she and Stark could truly never be together. Hot tears stung her eyes as she flopped down for the final belly crawl. Under the barrier of the barbed wire, she fought her total dismay and aching heart to finish the course…and tell Stark good-bye. When she crossed the finish line she looked back across the field. Captain Holt stood there open-mouthed, staring at her. Stark was nowhere to be seen. He had gone.
CHAPTER 4
Kira poured herself into work after that embarrassing debacle at the confidence course, which ironically had done very little for her confidence. Regarding Stark, she was more confused than ever. He had been so, well, present after her fall—first attentive, then ferocious. And now she hadn’t seen or heard anything from him since. Captain Liam Holt, however, was becoming an ever-present intrusion in her life. In the six weeks since the course, he had found his way to her clinic at least once a day for various reasons.
“12:30, right on schedule,” Abbey scoffed disapprovingly as Captain Holt strode into the office. Dressed in scrubs and a white lab coat, Holt was very attractive. He was tall and well-built. Even so, his blond hair and blue eyes reminded her more of a preppy Ralph Lauren model than of an Army doctor. He brushed past Abbey and into Captain Riley’s office.
“Are you ready for lunch?” he asked Kira hopefully. “There’s really nothing worth eating here on base. We can take my car and be back before your afternoon appointments.” He stressed his car in about any discussion. The bright red BMW M6 convertible was hard to miss with its candy apple love-me paint. Kira was not impressed. To her the red convertible was too pretentious and insulting to those enlisted men like her father. They worked and gave their whole lives to this country and would never be able to afford a car like that. Lately he had managed to park beside her almost every morning. His gleaming red paint made the duct tape holding the passenger side tail light on her rusting pre
lude stand out like a sore thumb.
Kira evasively stepped in to the lab area where Abbey was finishing a urine specimen.
“A car like that says something about a man,” Abbey sneered. “Or at least about what he is lacking. How much compensation can he really need?” Abbey’s dislike for Holt grew daily.
Captain Holt followed Kira into the lab. “Let’s go, Kira, I’m really hungry. You can’t possibly want to stay on base.”
Kira didn’t really want to go but Holt was persistent. Silently she wondered what Stark was up to and where he had gone. Putting those thoughts away, Kira grabbed her jacket and agreed to lunch. Walking to the car, Holt placed his hand possessively at the small of her back. The sudden roar of a motorcycle caught her attention. A completely blacked-out Harley-Davidson drove by slowly, pausing at the stop sign. Every bit of chrome on the bike had been replaced by flat black including the spokes. The bike was dark and menacing but understated. No flash needed. Other people on the street paused to watch him roll by. They were all staring at him but the driver was looking directly at her. Her heart raced. Time slowed and stood still. Though the helmet was full-faced she knew it was him. The roar of her own heartbeat drowned out the sounds of the motor. Excitement coursed through her as she watched him drive away. She even stopped walking.
“Are you OK?” Holt asked.
“No” Kira said suddenly. She felt at once dizzy. How can I be this affected by this man? This is crazy! “You know what, I’m not feeling so well. I think I’ll go back in. Maybe we can catch lunch another day.” Kira turned on shaky legs and headed back into the clinic before he could say anything.
“What, no lunch at the Waldorf today?” Abbey grumbled. Kira was too unnerved by seeing him again to be irritated at Abbey’s words.
“Abbey,” Kira began cautiously, due to the other soldiers and officers in the office. “I took care of a patient a few weeks ago, for a post-deployment physical.”
Abbey’s face lit up and she was immediately paying attention. Playing along, she responded, “Oh? Yes, ma’am, Sergeant Stark. I think he had a wound on his arm.”
“Yes, that’s the one. Did we schedule a follow-up for him? I don’t remember seeing it.” Kira finished in a transparent attempt to sound professional.
Abbey got her the contact information to do a follow-up call. “Would you like me to call, Captain?”
“No, I think I should check up on him myself.” Kira took the info and went back into her office. She sat for some time staring at the number. Just call, she told herself. Kira felt as if she was standing on the edge of a vast ravine. The chasm was deep and deadly; one wrong move and she would surely fall to her death. Fraternization is a serious offence. If her fellow officers like Holt found out they could end her career and Stark’s too. I can’t do this. She picked up the phone and held it in midair. Then she hung it up again. I shouldn’t do this! God! I know better. A vision of the motorcycle rider staring at her flashed, and along with it, the dizzy feeling. That was him. Against her better judgment, she picked the phone back up and dialed.
“Hello.” A sultry female voice answered the phone. “Hello? Can I help you?”
Kira froze and her heart sank. He has a girlfriend…or a wife! Panic set in. Her first instinct was to hang up, but curiosity and blind jealousy took over. “This is Captain Riley from the TMC clinic. May I speak with Sergeant Stark?” Kira mumbled weakly. No wonder he didn’t want to kiss me. God, I have made such a fool of myself. What a mess! A wave of nausea hit her like a brick.
“Hmm, he must have made some kind of an impression. He’s in the shower, but trust me, he’s doing just fine.” The lascivious voice purred into the phone, reminding Kira of a late night ad for phone sex.
Kira’s blood ran cold, and felt as if all the air had been sucked out of the room. “OK. Um…t-t-thanks.” She stammered as she hung up the phone. Maybe that wasn’t him on the bike. Maybe she was going crazy. Kira sat there, tears stinging her eyes. She fought to keep them contained. Sadly, she pushed the folder aside.
Abbey appeared at the door. “Everything OK?” Seeing the pale skin and the expression on the captain’s face, Abbey changed tactics. “You know, this is a four-day weekend. You should get off-base for a bit. Head up to the mountains and do some skiing. You’ve been talking about that since you got here.”
“That’s a good idea,” Kira said, putting on a brave face. Putting her full emotion into skiing and then getting shitty drunk at a mountain pub would be perfect. “Actually, Abbey, that’s a great idea.” Between afternoon patients, she started making plans. Kira was rather proud of her self that by the last patient she had all the details worked out. After giving Abbey a brief itinerary, Kira took off to get ready. She threw what she needed in her beat-up Honda and set off toward the mountains. If the weather held, she would be there by nine, maybe ten at the latest. She yearned for a sense of freedom. Driving the winding roads, she rolled the window down to feel the crisp air. She embraced the beauty of her surroundings and willed herself not to think of Stark.
* * *
Stark opened his front door. He was still seething with rage. The sight of the little shit’s hand on the sexy curve of Kira’s back right above that perfect ass sent him into a rage. Feelings he had tried to block for the last six weeks came flooding back with a vengeance. Why do I even care? I barely know this girl. He had gone for a ride on his motorcycle to try to forget her. To let go. The last six weeks had been hell. He hadn’t been able to stop thinking about her during his entire training mission. He kept seeing her, that vision of her sprawled on the ground looking up at him. There was something about her. He knew what he wanted was wrong but he couldn’t remember wanting anything more. He didn’t know how he had ended up at her clinic, but there it was. Driving up, he’d seen her and he’d wanted to go to her. As he got closer he saw Holt too, coming up behind her, touching her as they walked to that fucking candy-ass car. He could barely breathe. So she was with him. But the look in her eyes as she had returned his stare had seemed to beg him to come to her. He’d felt her stare holding him. He had wanted to jump off that bike and take her. Feel her. But he couldn’t. Painfully, he remembered the look on her face when he’d lost his temper at the confidence course. He’d seen fear in her eyes when he’d shown the rage he felt. He knew that if she really knew him, she would leave anyway.
Mags came running, jumping into his arms and breaking the spell. “Hey there, little girl, I missed you too,” he said, laughing. Mags planted kisses all over his face as he knelt down, ruffling her fur. The sight of Maggie always brought him back from whatever was haunting him. She had been his rock, his saving grace for the last ten years. Without her, he knew he would have died. Her bright eyes and speckled fur always made him smile.
“So you are back,” a sultry voice called from the living room. Paige sat on the couch with a glass of wine, reading a magazine.
“Hey, Paige. Thanks for looking after Mags for me,” Stark said, walking into the kitchen to get a beer.
“You OK? You look like you’ve had a rough day,” Paige began, careful not to ask too many questions. She had learned long ago that after some missions it was best to leave him alone. “I hadn’t heard from you, so I didn’t know you were back till that captain called from the TMC.”
“I was on a training…What? Who called? When?” Stark asked, surprised.
“Today, about an hour ago. She sounded all nervous, like a school girl, not a captain. You always do leave them flustered.” She laughed. “I think her name was Riley.”
Stark almost dropped his beer. She called! What could she want? His mind was racing. “What did she say?” He blurted out, with no attempt to hide his desperation.
“Whoa there, tiger! You actually like this girl?” Paige asked, alarm bells going off. “You haven’t been serious about a girl in…well, ever. Have you fucked her yet?” she snapped.
“Not now, Paige.” He began searching for the TMC number. “Did she leave a number
?”
“No, but don’t worry I told her you were doing just fine,” she retorted, hurt and accentuating the last words, stressing the implication.
“Damn it, Paige!” Stark yelled, now frantically searching for the number. Finding it, he dialed, praying someone would still be there. His hand tugged hard at his hair in exasperation.
Abbey had just finished the rest of her paper work and was looking forward to a long weekend with her husband. She started to leave but went back for her purse. As she paused for a moment, glancing in the captain’s office, the phone rang. Leave it! she thought. It’s time to go. She turned to leave, but something drew her back.
Stark September (Stark Trilogy Book 1) Page 4
