Rescue Her Heart

by K C Luck

  "Three days on a tropical planet," she answered. "Just you and me."

  SMOOTHING THINGS OVER with Sergeant Baxter had gone easier than Nat had even hoped. After landing back on Prospo and requesting a quick meeting with the sergeant to explain her emergency leave situation, he had been more than understanding. "Sometimes a person just needs a break," he said. "Now, about the girl in baggy clothes out in my waiting room?" Nat had nodded and tried to make light of it.

  "Crashed on Taswa of all places," she said. "I barely found her in time." Baxter whistled.

  "No kidding. And the ED-90?" he asked.

  "Toast," Nat answered. "I don't yet know all the details, but I get a sense the woman has limited resources. I'd like to pay for the missing fuel on her behalf and be done with the matter."

  Leaning his elbows on the desk, Baxter clasped his hands together and pressed them to his chin thoughtfully. "I guess I could lose the paperwork on this one," he murmured. "But you owe me one, Captain." Nat grinned, and the sergeant returned it.

  "Deal," she said. Baxter laughed and stood up to come around the desk. Nat got up, and they shook hands. "So, three days here. Any plans?"

  "None," Nat answered. "Which is frankly just how I want it."

  Baxter nodded. "Those are usually the best vacations of all," he had said.

  Now, she and Catherine were in an Ubercab heading away from the spaceport. Catherine was shaking her head in disbelief. "So, just like that, I'm okay? No charges?" she asked. Nat smiled.

  "No charges," she replied. Suddenly, Catherine frowned.

  "But wait," she said. "Did you pay for the fuel?" Nat paused, already sensing her answer would not be popular.

  "I did," she said softly. Catherine closed her eyes and leaned her head back on the cab’s seat.

  "I never wanted that," she said sounding almost embarrassed. Then she sat up and fixed Nat with a serious stare. "But I'll pay you back. Every last credit. I promise."

  "If that's what you want, then okay," Nat said. This seemed to satisfy Catherine, and she went back to smiling. Nat wanted to smile too, but her next question was one she did not want to ask, even though she knew she had to. Nat took a deep breath and just got it over with. "So, where do you need to go? I assume you'd like to return home and change," Nat said and swallowed hard before the next sentence. "And check in with whomever." Catherine looked surprised and glanced down at her clothes as if forgetting she was still in Nat's t-shirt and sweatpants, which were rolled up at the ankles because they were inches too long. Then Nat saw her shoulders droop and she instinctively knew Catherine had no place to go and possibly no possessions other than what might have been on the ED-90 back on Taswa. Slowly, she took Catherine's hand, and the girl squeezed it almost desperately. She looked up into Nat's eyes, and Nat saw hints of fear and desperation there.

  "I don't have any place," she whispered, color rising to her cheeks. "I was going to Untas to start over."

  Nat did not hesitate. Right or wrong, taking care of Catherine was all she wanted. "Then you'll come to the hotel with me," she said. Catherine opened her mouth to protest, but Nat held up her free hand to stop her. "No arguing. Just like with the fuel, you can pay me back later." Catherine was quiet, and again Nat wondered if she had gone too far. Does she think I mean one bed? she wondered feeling awkward as hell. Oh God, how do I handle this? Since her every spare second was basically taken up by the Space Rangers, Nat did not have a lot of experience with dating and zero experience with straight girls. "I'll get us two rooms," she blurted at last. "I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable." Catherine turned to her and blinked with surprise.

  "You're not making me feel uncomfortable at all," she said. "It's just I can't believe all of this is happening. My life's been a little, well, it's been shit lately and now all of a sudden it's wonderful." Her face softened. "Because of you." Nat felt herself starting to blush and tried to shrug it off.

  "Just helping a friend in need," she muttered and then to change the subject, leaned forward to the divider window of the Ubercab and knocked. The driver slid open the portal. The sound of loud music blasted through.

  "What's up?" the driver yelled over the music.

  "Change of plans," Nat yelled back. "I want to go to the Royal Venus instead." The cabbie whistled.

  "Nice choice," he said and made a U-turn in the street. Other shuttles, cars, and mopeds honked and swerved all around him. Nat leaned back, and the driver closed the portal, shutting out the music again. She looked at Catherine whose eyes were wide.

  "Are you kidding?" she asked with a voice full of wonder. "The Royal Venus? That place is so beautiful, but my God, it will cost—"

  Nat cut her off with a smile. "Don't say it. This is my vacation, and I haven't taken one, well, to be honest, I've never really taken one," she said. "If I want to splurge, I will." Catherine laughed and clapped her hands.

  "I can't believe this!" she said, so excited it made Nat's heart happy. No matter how many credits it set her back, she could care less. You only live once, she thought and remembered how close she had come to dying not too long ago. It is time to do some real living.

  Nat kept that same thought once they arrived at the Royal Venus. Rather than take just any room, she asked for a deluxe luxury suite with a premium view of the ocean, no matter the price. The desk clerk smiled warmly at the request and took Nat’s credit card with pleasure.

  CHAPTER 8

  CATHERINE

  "Oh, shut up! You have got to be kidding me," Catherine said as she walked into the luxury hotel room. It was so beautiful and spacious she found it almost overwhelming. "This is impossible." Nat laughed from behind her as she followed Catherine.

  "Not sure about impossible, but yes, this is gorgeous," she agreed. Catherine thought gorgeous was an understatement. The suite was multiple rooms, all with high ceilings, plush carpet, and spectacular furnishings. Catherine skipped happily to the center of the large room and spun in a circle with her arms out. The place was magical. It made her realize just how dismal the flat she had shared with her dad above the corner grocery store was in comparison. Don’t worry about that right now, Catherine thought. Just appreciate all of this.

  “I take it you like the place?” Nat asked. Catherine stopped and looked at the woman, the one who saved her life and took care of her and now brought her here. My hero, she thought and laughed as she stepped over and threw her arms around Nat's neck.

  "I love it," she said. "I have never felt so special." Catherine saw Nat's smile fade, and her eyes became serious in an instant. They ran over Catherine's face and then stopped to meet hers to hold there.

  "You deserve to feel special, Catherine," she said. The moment held, and Catherine felt so many emotions churn through her she did not know what to do next. Before she could act on any of them, Nat gently took Catherine's arms from around her neck and stepped back. Catherine watched the woman put on an awkward smile. "So," she said clearing her throat. "Which bedroom do you want?" Catherine blinked with surprise.

  "You mean there is more than one? How many rooms does this place have?" she asked. Nat genuinely laughed at Catherine expression and took her hand.

  "Come on, let's explore," she said and pulled her toward a doorway. Catherine giggled and followed along as they stepped into a giant bedroom with a king-size canopy bed and floor to ceiling windows with a view of the ocean.

  "Ohhh," Catherine said. "Can I have this one?" Nat nodded at her with the sweetest look on her face.

  "Yes, you absolutely can," she answered. Catherine let go of her hand and ran to flop onto the bed. The mattress was so soft Catherine sighed with delight. It will be like sleeping on a giant cloud, she thought. Nat came to the side of the bed and looked at her and Catherine almost reached out to pull her down but then hesitated when she saw the hardness in Nat’s eyes. It was clear the woman did not want to be on the bed with her and feeling a little embarrassed, Catherine sat up.

  “Sorry,” she apologized. “I’m a little
overwhelmed.”

  "Maybe we should order some room service," Nat said steering the conversation onto a safe topic. "I know you must be hungry."

  "Famished," Catherine said and could not believe they were going to actually order room service. It was all so extravagant and fun. "What can we have?"

  "Whatever you want," Nat answered. "What do you like?" Catherine wondered if she should order something fancy to look sophisticated in front of Nat but then thought better of it. Catherine was authentic if she was anything else so she smiled and nodded.

  "Pizza! Loaded, please." Now it was Nat's turn to look surprised, but then she laughed, and Catherine watched her walk over to the comm link for the room. In a moment, she had room service on the phone and was ordering a pizza with all the works.

  "And do you stock Mars Select Reserve?" Nat asked over the link. She listened and then nodded. "Perfect. Two wine glasses please." Nat hung up and turned back to Catherine. "I guess I should have asked, but do you like red wine?" Catherine shrugged, but in reality, had never tried it or any alcohol to be exact. Watching her dad drink himself to death was a bit of a deterrent. Still, if Nat liked it, she would happily try.

  "I won't know until I have some I guess," she answered.

  "Fair enough," Nat said. "Well, we have about a half hour, what do you want to do while we wait? Check out the view? Watch television?" Catherine tilted her head and considered the question. Then she had a thought.

  "Does this place have a bathtub?" she asked. "I would love to clean up and relax. I'm a little sore."

  "After the crash you had, I'm not surprised, and yes, I am certain this place has a bathtub. Let's look," Nat said and led the way to a different doorway. It was, in fact, the bathroom, and like the rest of the suite, it was huge and luxurious with a soaking tub sitting in the middle of the marble floor. Catherine sighed. More heaven, she thought. "Well, I'll leave you to it," Nat said with an awkward tone as she backed quickly out of the room. Catherine turned to see the door close and worried she was somehow upsetting Nat but was not sure how or what to do about it. With a sigh, she resolved to talk about it with her after the bath but for now, was going to enjoy a good soak.

  As the water ran hot and filled the tub, Catherine stripped down and climbed in. It felt exquisite. The room where she grew up did have a bathtub but it was shallow, and there was never enough hot water. This was worlds apart. As the level rose, she let her mind drift while her hands roamed over her body. She could tell she was growing skinny from not eating enough, but as she cupped her breasts, she was glad to feel they were still full and firm. Her thumb rubbed over a nipple, and it tickled her so that she squirmed a little. She realized they were surprisingly sensitive and hardened immediately in the hot water. Catherine touched herself again, and this time the tickle was more of a throb. Gasping with surprise, an image of Nat suddenly came to her. The tall, strong woman with the great body wrapped around her in the bed back on the spaceship. Catherine frowned a little, feeling confused but also excited. What if it was Nat’s thumb brushing my nipple right now instead of mine? she thought, and another more intense throb rolled over her only this one did not stop at her nipple but ran all the way down her belly.

  Instinctively, Catherine followed it with her fingertips until she was poised just above her lips. She hesitated. It was not like she hadn’t touched herself before. On a few nights, when her dad was out on a bender, she would be reading a book with a love scene. It would turn her on, and she would rub her body to try and release the ache. Now she had a similar ache, only this time the wanting was much more intense. But Nat is just in the other room, she thought. It wouldn’t be right and yet ... The thought of Nat so close by sent a tingle up Catherine's spine and she gave in to the wanting. Slipping her finger down, she rubbed a circle around her clit, finding it hard and swollen. Suddenly she was so turned on she squirmed. With a fingertip, she flicked the mound gently, and it felt so good she nearly cried out. Suddenly Nat was all she could think about, and she froze. Would Nat touch me like this if I asked her? Catherine was not sure. There were so many mixed signals. And do I want her to? Catherine was never attracted to women. So why am I aching for her? It was not right. I need to stop, Catherine thought with almost a sob. It is not fair to either of us. She pulled her hand away and was trying to control her breathing when there was a light tap at the door. Catherine jumped feeling guilty.

  “Yes?” she squeaked out.

  “The food is here,” Nat said through the door.

  “Oh, okay,” Catherine said with a sigh of relief. What if she somehow heard me in here? Catherine thought. She would die of embarrassment. "I'll be right out." There was no answer, so Catherine figured the coast was clear, and she hopped out of the tub. A fluffy, white rob hung on a hook near the shower, and Catherine donned it with glee. It was too big, but that did not matter. She snuggled it all around her as she tied the belt and relished the soft cloth against her naked skin. More heaven. This place is too much.

  Catherine went into the living room and saw Nat standing just outside the open doors leading onto the balcony. She held a glass of wine and had changed out of her pilot's uniform into jeans and a t-shirt. Hearing Catherine, Nat turned and smiled. Catherine smiled back and flounced over to the closest couch to plop down in a cloud of terrycloth robe. "Good bath?" Nat asked. Catherine could not contain a sigh.

  "Wonderful bath," she said, and it was all she could do not to finish the sentence with "but I missed you."

  "That is what I wanted to hear," Nat said, and she set her wine on the coffee table near Catherine before walking to the room service cart near the door. Catherine noticed a second empty glass and the opened bottle of wine. Deciding to take the bull by the horns, she helped herself to a long pour. Picking it up, she smelled the liquid and grimaced. Looking up, she saw Nat coming back with the pizza box. The woman laughed at Catherine's expression. "An acquired taste," she said. Catherine was not to be deterred. If Nat liked it, she would like it. Taking a tentative taste, the wine slid smoothly over her tongue. It was a little fruity, but not sweet. Not horrible, but not her favorite either. Better than scotch though, she thought, remembering her dad's drink of choice. She tried some of it once when she was fourteen to see what it was like. It tasted so bad, she could not even get it down. This was far better.

  "I think I could learn to like this," she said and drank again. A warm glow was already starting in her stomach, and she loved it. She saw Nat pick up her own glass and sip as well. Their eyes met for a moment, and Catherine decided it was time to get things out in the open. Lifting her chin, she took one more drink for courage and then set the glass down. "So, Nat," she started. Nat raised an eyebrow.

  "So, Catherine," she said. Catherine giggled. The wine was really making her feel even happier than before.

  "So, Nat," she started again. "You like girls, don't you?" For a second, Nat did nothing, and Catherine started to feel a little awkward, but then the woman slowly nodded.

  "Yes," she said. "I very much do." Catherine nodded feeling bolder than usual. It has to be the wine, she thought.

  "I thought so," she said. "Well, I want you to know you are special to me. I owe you everything." "But?" Nat said quietly.

  "But I am not attracted to women," Catherine finished and picked up her wine to drain the glass. Once it was empty, she reached for the bottle to pour more and peeked a look at Nat to see if she was mad. Catherine was relieved to see the woman looked thoughtful, but not upset.

  "Duly noted," Nat said. "And we should probably eat something before you have much more of that." She motioned with her chin toward the wine. Catherine giggled again, unable to help herself. Nat was so nice all the time. Truly a great friend. Leaning back with the wine, Catherine drank a little more before snuggling deeper into the couch cushions.

  "Whenever you want," she said and watched as Nat plated two slices and handed one to her as she sat down on the couch a few feet away. Catherine drank more and rolled her eyes.

/>   "Don't be like that," she said and scooted over to sit right beside Nat. "I didn't mean you had to sit across the room, silly." Nat took a bite of pizza and Catherine could tell her friend was frustrated. Not sure what to do about it, she had more wine. Nat pointed at Catherine's pizza.

  "Eat please," she said, and Catherine could hear in the tone it was not a suggestion, but an order.

  "Okay," she said. "Sorry." Catherine ate the pizza, and it was the best she ever tasted. It seemed like everything at the Royal Venus was magic.

  CHAPTER 9

  NAT

  Nat was furious at herself. She knew better than to get caught up in some fantasy about being with the young woman she first saw on some surveillance video. I was making something out of nothing from the very beginning, she thought and started to feel like a fool. Slowly, she stood up from the couch and walked to the windows at the balcony. Pulling the sliding door open, she stepped out and let the sea breeze roll over her. Closing her eyes, she listened to the waves crashing and took a deep breath. I am a decorated captain in the Space Ranger Corps. I am a warrior. This is nothing. Nat opened her eyes and exhaled. There was a sound behind her and Nat turned to see Catherine standing in her robe at the door. She looked confused and a little upset. "Nat, I'm sorry," she said. "I didn't think you would get angry. I just, well, I'm not—" Her voice trailed off, and Nat gave her a small smile.

  "It's okay, Catherine," she said. "I'm not angry. Just a misunderstanding. Now come on and check out this view." Catherine obliged and came to stand near her. They stood there in silence for a minute, and the only sound was the ocean.

  "I can't believe how beautiful everything is," Catherine said in almost a whisper. "This view. And the rooms. God, even this robe." She plucked at the cloth. "All of it." Nat looked over to see the girl gazing up at her. "Thank you," Catherine said. "Thank you for everything." Nat sighed and put an arm out for Catherine to step into. Together they walked back into the hotel suite, and Nat led them to the couch. Catherine sat down, but Nat was not interested in sitting. She was too restless now. Picking up her wine, she finished the glass and checked the bottle. They would need to get another one soon if the plan was to just stay in and drink too much. That is a dangerous idea, Nat thought and set the bottle down. She looked at where Catherine was sitting and noticed the woman was watching her with uncertainty. It was the last thing Nat wanted to see on the woman’s beautiful face. After thinking a moment, she had an idea.