Icehole

by Kiera Dellacroix

  When Malory finally entered, she snickered at finding Little Lovecraft on the floor and picked her up to seat her on the chair. She threw a glance at the cot and smiled at finding the little doctor asleep in all of her clothes. Deciding to leave her be, she silently cursed the efficient McNeely and started relieving herself of her clothes.

  Corky woke up at the sound of running water and froze when she realized that Malory was in the shower. Torn between wanting to make a hasty exit and being present when the Commander emerged, she fidgeted and cleared her throat.

  “Good morning,” she ventured.

  “Good morning,” came the immediate bright response. “Decide to get up?”

  “Yeah,” Corky said. “Why did you turn off the alarm?”

  “McNeely, showed up first thing,” Malory said. “If he heard the alarm being shut off, he would’ve known someone was in my quarters.”

  “Oh,” Corky said, suddenly feeling grateful.

  “Your buddy Clovis and crew were up before dawn and down in excavation. Butler went down with them. He wasn’t pleased at being rousted for guard duty so early,” Malory said amusedly. “Neither was the Sergeant Major.”

  “They’re just excited,” Corky said defensively. “It’s an important find.”

  “Whatever,” Malory said dismissively. “Since you’re up, wanna join me?”

  Facing another dilemma, the doctor debated carefully. Part of her wanted to spring from the cot and shed her clothes and another part wanted to run from the room. “I think I’ll pass,” she said finally.

  “You sure? I know you’re dyin’ to see if my carpet matches my drapes. I’ll let you peek.”

  Her brow wrinkled in confusion for a few seconds and then her eyes rolled. “I’m sure,” she said shaking her head, glad Malory couldn’t see her grin.

  “Okay, your loss,” Malory said pretentiously.

  Corky shook her head. “You’re such a pompous ass,” she said with a chuckle. “I can’t believe how full of yourself you are.”

  “I’d like to be filled by you,” Malory retorted easily.

  To her dismay, she started to blush. “I’m going to go,” she said hastily.

  “Okay,” Malory said nonchalantly. “See ya later.”

  Corky narrowed her eyes at the shower curtain suspiciously, wondering what she was up to. Wary of a trap, she rose to her feet and traveled to the door. “See ya,” she said, and quickly left the room.

  “Heh,” Malory grunted nefariously when she heard the door close.

  ———

  Corky spent the entire day in a turmoil of emotions, performing her duties in an absentminded automation; her thoughts rarely straying far from the confounding Commander. The woman possessed a multitude of repulsive qualities and Corky was perplexed that she now found them charming when not so recently they would have and did offend her. There was also the lingering confusion left over from the night before, the damn woman exuded a hidden sexual energy that could singe the hair off her toes.

  Like it or not, she had fallen under the woman’s spell and the only option left was to either take it or leave it. The latter became more unappealing with every minute she spent in the Commander’s company and the former meant forging ahead with the confusing woman and letting the chips fall where they may. It was a frightening prospect with no guaranteed conclusion.

  At the end of her shift, she headed for dinner still halfheartedly debating alternatives, hoping she could share a meal and have a normal conversation with the woman. She figured the odds of an ordinary dialogue were about fifty-fifty, suspecting that Malory herself didn’t know what foot to lead with and flew by the seat of her pants.

  She was disenchanted to find the mess relatively empty with no sign of either the Commander or even Clovis to at least exchange pleasantries with. In fact, the only people present were Daly and Cohen so she got a tray and sat by herself, instantly descending into the plight of her dilemma once again.

  An uncertain amount of time later, Clovis dropped in the chair across from her with his meal. “What’s with the long face?” he asked jovially.

  She blinked and glanced at her watch, surprised to see how much time had gotten away from her. “Huh?”

  “You’re sitting there looking like your dog just died,” Clovis rumbled. “What’s on your mind?”

  “Oh, just thinking,” she said, trying to sound offhand. “How did things go down there today?” she added hoping to distract him.

  “The cave in sped up our progress considerably,” he answered happily. “We’re a couple of weeks away from the first section, we can’t wait.”

  She smiled at his obvious delight. “I’ll bet,” she said, throwing another glance at her watch. “You’re up here kinda early.”

  “We started early,” he said with a grin. “And I suspect our Commander has given the order to have our armed escort tell us when to pack it up for the day.”

  Corky giggled. “I’m sure she did, have you seen her today?”

  “Saw her laughing in the hall with McNeely outside of his quarters when I was coming to dinner,” he said casually.

  “Hmmm,” Corky grunted thoughtfully. “Well, I guess I’m gonna go find something to do.”

  “Okay, Corky,” he said amiably, becoming intently engrossed with the food in front of him. “See ya later.”

  “Bye, Clovis,” she with a chuckle.

  She made her way to Malory’s office and upon finding it and her quarters empty, she began a casual stroll around the compound with the hope of running into her. Her efforts proved fruitless as the Commander was nowhere to be found. Confused, she returned to her own quarters and flopped into her chair with a frown. Where could she be? She thought about using the radio but couldn’t come up with a good story to offer in case Malory wasn’t alone.

  Two hours of brooding later, she impulsively strode from her room and returned to Malory’s quarters; again finding them empty. Her face wrinkled in confusion, she retraced her steps from earlier and after having searched everywhere, there was still no sign of the Commander.

  Jesus, its almost eleven, where the hell is she? An idea suddenly formed and she returned to the lounge, finding Lieutenant Ring reclining in his usual spot on the sofa.

  “Lieutenant,” she said, approaching him. “Do you know where the Commander is?”

  He turned around sleepily. “Uhm... she’s with McNeely in his quarters.”

  “Thank you,” she said sweetly, exiting the room before a frown of gigantic proportions could take control.

  She had stomped halfway back to her quarters when it struck her that she was jealous and she paused to consider the notion. Tempted at first to dismiss it as overreaction, she returned to her room confusedly. Was she jealous and if so why? Did she miss something? Malory had said she had only had one lover, but weren’t they talking about women?

  The idea of Malory being with McNeely brought her blood to a boil and once the thought entered her mind, she couldn’t think of anything else. She tried to tell herself that she was blowing everything out of proportion and was probably wrong, but her imagination had taken hold and wouldn’t let go.

  She glanced angrily at the clock, it was half past midnight. Determinedly, she stormed from her quarters and was not surprised to find Malory’s room still empty upon arrival. Throwing caution to the wind, she marched doggedly in the direction of McNeely’s room, quieting her approach as she neared her objective. Stealthily, she paused outside of his door and listened closely for any noise that might emanate from within.

  Mumbled voices and then the distinct sound of the Commander’s laugh brought a full head of steam to Corky’s features and she turned to stomp crossly down the hallway, stopping when she heard someone step out into the hall from behind her. She turned a furious glance over her shoulder and was surprised to see Malory emerge, followed by Chief Reynolds and Sergeants Alvarez, Hanson, and Terrel; all of them laughing boisterously.

  Stunned, she came to a complete halt
, her jealousy vaporizing in favor of a very distinct feeling of embarrassment. She tried to slink away unnoticed and winced when she was called up short.

  “Dr. Rivers?” Malory inquired pleasantly.

  “Yes?” she said turning a hopefully innocent gaze in her direction.

  The men filtered by with polite nods, quickly leaving them alone in the hall.

  “What are you doing here?” Malory asked curiously, closing the distance between them.

  Corky thought frantically. “I couldn’t sleep so I was taking a walk.”

  Malory snickered. “Uh huh,” she scoffed. “What’s up? You looked angry.”

  Corky sighed. “I was looking for you,” she said truthfully. “What were you doing in there all night?”

  A triumphant smile. “Playing poker. What did you think we were doing?”

  “I don’t know,” Corky said lamely.

  “How did you know where I was?” Malory asked, a knowing look on her face.

  Corky shuffled her feet. “I asked Lt. Ring,” she said feeling somewhat exposed in the hallway. “Can we just go to my quarters?” she asked quietly.

  “Sure,” Malory said brightly and followed the little doctor down the hall with a cocky smile.

  Corky trudged through the halls feeling monumentally stupid and worse, she didn’t have to turn around to see the smile on Malory’s face; she could feel it. When they entered her quarters, the Commander respectfully chose the chair and seated herself primly, turning an expectant look on her companion.

  Corky sighed and took a seat on the cot, leaning her back against the wall. “Why didn’t you tell me you were going to play cards tonight?” she asked quietly.

  “I didn’t get the chance,” Malory said with a shrug. “McNeely asked me this morning and before I could say anything, you lit out of my quarters like your ass was on fire.”

  “Oh,” came the quiet response.

  “If you had told me you wanted to get together, I would have turned him down,” Malory offered. “So tell me, you looked mad enough to blow an ovary, what’s the matter?”

  “Nothing,” Corky said quickly.

  “Gimme a break,” Malory scoffed. “You can tell me anything,” she added softly.

  Corky started to play with the hem of her sweatshirt. “It was stupid,” she said quietly.

  “What was stupid?”

  “I thought you and McNeely were...uhm... you know,” she admitted uneasily.

  Malory smiled brightly. “You were jealous?”

  Corky nodded silently.

  “My, how territorial,” Malory teased.

  Brown eyes shot up. “You don’t have to be so smug,” she accused irritably.

  For an answer, Malory leaned down and started to unlace her boots, pulling them off and placing them under the chair along with her socks and standing to remove her sweatshirt.

  Corky watched nervously. “What do you think you’re doing?” she asked, watching the sweatshirt fall to the ground and hands drop to start unbuttoning her fatigues.

  “Bustin’ a move,” Malory said nonchalantly, stepping out of her pants and standing immodestly before the doctor in her underwear.

  Corky couldn’t find her voice as her body began reacting strongly to the almost nude Commander who dropped to her knees in front of her and began unlacing her boots. She watched helplessly as they were removed gently and her hands were grasped, pulling her forward. Totally powerless, she let Malory lift her arms above her head to remove her shirt and her bra quickly followed without protest. A soft whimper preceded the removal of her pants and soon she found herself completely naked and waiting to be claimed by the woman kneeling in front of her.

  “You’re very beautiful,” Malory said heavily, grabbing the doctor gently around the hips and pulling her forward.

  Corky opened her mouth to reply but was silenced by lips that descended upon her own and hands that wound themselves in her hair. The intensity of Malory’s attentions gave the impression of being devoured and she surrendered willingly, pulling her closer and urging her for more.

  Malory relished every sensation, delighting in the taste of the doctor’s mouth, exploring every crevice with her tongue, taking a sensual pleasure in the texture of her teeth, the roof of her mouth, the softness of her lips, and the warmth of her breath as it mingled with her own. Her hands dropped to the small of her back and pulled her gently forward until her thighs rested on the edge of the cot, dropping her attention to the pulse point on her neck and eventually, to her rapidly rising and falling chest.

  Corky fell back wantonly against the wall to allow Malory free reign over her body, consumed by the urgent need the Commander conveyed and her own freefalling libido; wrapping her hands tightly in Malory’s hair when she felt a breast being suckled teasingly and pulling her forward when she was drawn into her mouth. Her body tingled exotically as her nipples were teased until they hardened painfully and tender teeth chewed on them lovingly. She gasped loudly in anticipation as Malory began a trail down her chest, her mouth and tongue showing an interest in every detail they encountered and when a chin urged her legs apart, she complied without hesitation. Malory’s arms dropped to assist and her legs were thrown over the Commander’s shoulders with abandon, the air surprisingly cold against the suddenly exposed wetness of her thighs. Breath exploded pleasurably from her mouth the instant she was tasted; ecstasy making her shiver when Malory emitted a satisfied groan of her own, as if finally given something long denied.

  One of Corky’s hands sought out the edge of the cot to brace against the inevitable while the other tightened its grip in Malory’s hair demandingly, an unspoken order to remain where she was. The sensation of Malory’s attentions were beyond all of her previous experience and she could feel the Commander’s pleasure in the act through the ravenous exuberance of the mouth feeding upon her. Malory’s moans were almost as loud as her own, and when a hand left her thigh and the Commander set her knees further apart on the floor, she felt the approaching edge viciously. Malory’s excitement was so obvious that it was like receiving a shot of adrenaline knowing she couldn’t restrain from petting herself.

  When she came, it was with a power that left her neurotic and it was prolonged significantly as Malory’s arm tightened around her waist, refusing to let go. Her whole body jumped spastically with every caress and she found herself screaming with the pleasure of it, pulling on the hair in her hand possessively to force closer contact. Exalting in the vibrations traveling the length of her sex from Malory’s muffled cries, her lover entangled within the tremors of her own release and grinding into her ecstatically. She rode the wave until she was unable to endure any longer and finally dropped a hand between her legs to intervene, going limp in exhaustion, her body shining with perspiration.

  As she caught her breath, she was pleasantly aware of Malory still diligently trying to get past the blockade of her hand. Tenderly sucking on her fingers and occasionally probing for an opening between them. She tardily released the grip still knotted in Malory’s hair, surprised at how severe her hold had been and blinking regretfully when the Commander whimpered softly at the reprieve.

  “Malory,” she said gently, her voice hoarse.

  “Hmmm?” Malory purred.

  “Did I hurt you?” she asked , petting her head apologetically.

  “It was a nice hurt,” Malory said easily as she chewed softly on the end of a denying finger.

  “I’m sorry,” Corky said sincerely.

  “Don’t be.”

  “Come lay with me,” she ordered, about to start the process of resituating herself but paused when blue eyes raised and looked at her dotingly.

  “I love you, Corky,” she said clearly.

  Corky’s breath froze within her chest and she was surprised to feel moisture rise in her eyes.

  Malory rose to her feet and removed her bra, tossing it across the room as if it irritated her and stretched like a cat in front of the doctor’s desirous eyes. Her outstretched a
rms returned to cup her breasts and stroke them lightly before sliding a hand into her underwear to touch herself. She sighed lightly at the contact and brought back moist fingers that she sampled with her mouth.

  Corky observed her behavior in unconcealed fascination, arousal again stirring within her powerfully as Malory suckled her fingers inquisitively, seemingly unaware of being watched so closely. Apparently satisfied, the Commander lowered herself onto the cot and wrapped gentle arms around her contentedly.

  “Why did you do that?” Corky asked, unable to curb her curiosity.

  “I wanted to see what we would taste like together,” Malory hummed happily.

  “And?” she asked intrigued.

  “Superb.”

  Corky released a satiated sigh, bringing a hand up to quickly wipe at her eyes and burying her face in the Commander’s chest, nipping at her breasts playfully. “That was ...uhm... that...” she struggled.

  “Fuckin’ amazing?” Malory offered brightly.

  “Well, I won’t argue with you there,” she admitted, abruptly going stiff in alarm when a loud, persistent knock banged on the door. “Oh, God,” she whispered, jumping out of Malory’s embrace and anxiously looking around for her clothes.

  “Hide,” she hissed at the Commander who appeared amused.

  “I’ll do no such thing,” Malory whispered.

  Corky pulled her sweatshirt on over her head and shot the Commander a threatening look. “Oh, yes you will.”

  “Nope,” Malory said, stretching out along the length of the cot.

  Corky shot her a venomous look as she buttoned her pants. “At least go stand over there where you can’t be seen,” she said pointing to a spot.

  Malory sighed. “Fine,” she said offhandedly, rising and walking over to stand with her arms crossed over her chest.

  Corky took a deep breath and ran her hands through her hair to straighten it before she opened the door, only to find an empty hallway. Confusedly, she poked her head out and looked in both directions. Spotting no signs of life, she stepped back in to close the door and froze.