“Gunnies run the corps, and I worked like a dog to make it, but yeah, there are times when I feel like a glorified babysitter. I hear it all: my wife's sick, I bet all my money on a chicken race, my cat's got herpes…”
Lelia laughed. “I must say, I haven't heard the last one: and am pretty sure I don't want to.”
Patrick joined her in laughter while his hands continued to work their magic on her neck and shoulders. She hadn't known she was so sore, and realized she must have gotten battered a bit in the accident. As the tension flowed from her body, she sank languidly against him. His smoky scent enveloped her, oddly comforting and arousing at the same time.
When his hands moved up and loosened her braids from their customary chignon, Lelia felt she had to protest. His murmured “hush, sugar” was so soft and melodic she paused, and as his fingers moved over her scalp, she couldn't muster the energy to object further. He combed his fingers through her braids, massaging her neck and scalp, pressing his face against the long, thick braids as though he couldn't resist. She'd had no idea that her scalp was so sensitive, though she suspected that this man could touch her elbow and make her melt.
“Did I ever tell you how much I like your hair?” He raised a braid to his lips. “I wish you could wear it down like this all the time.
Lelia turned to look at him. His sharp features had softened in relaxation. His lips looked fuller, and she suspected he was responding to her nearness much as she was responding to his. “It's against regulations.”
“Yeah, I know. Probably a good thing too. They're hot. Guys would be freaking out all over the place. We wouldn't get anything done.”
Lelia couldn't help laughing. She'd never thought of her braids as anything but an inconvenience. Every time she had them done, she swore she'd get her hair cut. It took hours, and she was usually short on time. Watching the expression on his face now, she was glad she'd never taken that drastic measure.
And so it went, on and on, stroke after stroke, his fingertips exploring her sensitive neck and scalp, her every nerve ending awakening to his touch. As arousal worked its way down her body, leaving her practically vibrating with need, she felt him groan deep in his chest as his lips slid along her neck. Her response was automatic. More than anything she wanted this embrace. His masculinity reached out to her, making her want to lean on him and unburden herself. Somehow she knew she would be safe, and just for this one night she needed safety more than anything. She'd deal with the rest later. His hands moved up to cup breasts that were almost unbearably full. The need to arch her back and press against those hands was almost overwhelming. His erection throbbed against her back, and she pressed her thighs together, trying to quell the aching need to feel him thrust deep inside her wet pussy. The wetness growing there was an open invitation that could never be met. She reluctantly reached up to place her hands over his.
“You're right,” he whispered against her neck as a shudder worked through his body. “This isn't the place. God, but it feels good.” He nipped delicately at the cord of her neck, making her cry out with need before he pulled away as though forced. She felt bereft when he rose from the sofa and exited the room without a word. She resumed her previous position with her knees pulled to her chest, feeling abandoned but knowing it was best that he left. When he returned with a blanket, she couldn't contain the slight smile. It would make an effective barrier against the arctic chill of the waiting room, and any further exploration from his hands. Lelia sighed, grateful for his restraint, but knowing deep in her heart that she really hadn't wanted him to stop. He started talking again about his life in the corps, and before she knew it, they were cuddled together, back to front on the sofa, sharing stories of their similar military adventures.
Their voices hushed, more intimate than either realized, they continued talking long into the night. It was almost dawn when one of the nurses shook them awake to share the good news that Khadi was shaken up and bruised, with a mild concussion, but had suffered no lingering injury.
* * *
Lelia stood in the doorway of the gym, transfixed, unable to look away from Patrick's graceful movements. She realized that he was doing kata, a rhythmic set of martial arts maneuvers. However, she'd never seen kata done like this. Each move was made with such grace and style that his body seemed to vibrate like a musical instrument. She could almost hear the beat in her head. Each pivot of his hips, each motion of his hands, was calling to her, and she couldn't resist the call. He turned again, drawing his hands toward himself in ever-tighter circles. He continued the turns; there was no break in his maneuvers, but she knew immediately when he saw her. The expression on his face altered just enough to alert her that she'd been spotted. He continued the kata, not acknowledging her presence. Knowing that she should leave, Lelia stayed anyway, mesmerized by his moves. Since the night of the accident, she'd made every effort to avoid being alone with him. They'd crossed a boundary that night, and she'd struggled to return to their previous borders. Still, she was drawn to this man.
Almost against her will, she joined him on the mat. They moved in tandem, their moves choreographed. Each movement, each punch, moved in a sweeping, graceful motion. Lelia shivered as energy flowed through her body. She began to perspire. To the untrained eye, kata didn't seem particularly strenuous, but the muscle control necessary to execute the precise movements took a great deal of strength and power. Time drifted into nothingness as her mind emptied of all thoughts other than the movements of her body, and those of his.
Then, as though following some involuntary signal, they began sparring. She tried rudimentary blows to measure his ability, but she knew from their previous session that he was more than up to the task. The punches and strikes became more forceful as they each struggled to find any vulnerability in their opponent. Patrick fought by the Marine Corps martial arts rule book, which should've been a disadvantage against Lelia's more free-style fighting method. Though she could predict his next move, his almost supernatural speed kept her from capitalizing on it.
Suddenly, he spun away from her, then whirled, startling her, moving so quickly she had no time to react. His right hand darted forward, and Lelia parried the blow instinctively, swinging her own arm up to block. The force of his punch sent her staggering backward. Then, in a blur of motion that she could do nothing to countermand, he landed a kick to her midsection. She knew he'd pulled his punch considerably, but she still collapsed to the mat gasping for air. They'd been sparring for a long time, and she felt it in every trembling muscle. She made no attempt to resume their session, feeling little motivation to get up again.
Patrick immediately dropped down beside her, his hands going to the tie that held her keigogi in place.
“Are you okay? That kick wasn't supposed to touch you. It was supposed to be short. I miscalculated,” he said, untying her uniform.
Lelia batted his hands away. “I wasn't hurt, just winded a bit. Though I probably will have a lovely souvenir of my stay in the States tomorrow,” she quipped, then immediately rebutted her statement when his hangdog expression made her feel guilty. “No, I was just teasing you.” She rubbed her torso, which was a bit sore from the blow. “I'm sure I won't have a bruise in the morning.”
Patrick studied her for a long moment, then shook his head. “I knew I shouldn't have sparred with you again. I could have hurt you seriously.”
“Patrick, I told you I'm not hurt in the slightest. I take a harder beating from new recruits every week.”
“Ohmigod, newbies.” He gave an exaggerated shudder. “I'd rather go into combat every day than fight one amateur. They're going to be the death of me.”
Lelia laughed in agreement. “I'm actually amazed that one of them hasn't broken my neck.” She nodded toward his black belt with its distinctive red vertical stripe. “How long have you been teaching?”
“A few years. I got qualified because I thought it would help my career. I've always been involved in martial arts, so it came natural to me. How about you? Aren't you a bit young to be in charge of the whole Guard? When I was told you guys were coming, I expected the squad leader to be much older.” A grin split his face. “I was expecting a regular old battle-ax, instead I got…hubba hubba.” He waggled his brows at her suggestively.
Lelia cuffed his shoulder but laughed at his absurd expression. “Hubba hubba? That's terrible. I'll have you know I've been in the Guard since I was a kid. I was fortunate that the previous squad leader was my mentor. When she was killed…” She took a deep breath, blinking back sudden tears. It had been almost five years, but she still missed Sergeant Halil desperately.
“Wow, what happened to her?” Patrick asked, leaning forward.
“Assassination attempt against the Colonel. We lost nearly half our Guard that day. That's why so many of my soldiers are so young. We had to start over again from scratch.”
“I'm so sorry. I've lost some of my men over the years. It really doesn't get any better.” He reached out as though to touch her, then visibly changed his mind, dragging his hand back and crossing his arms with his hands trapped in his armpits. “I didn't think your soldiers were all that young; most of them seem to be around your age.”
“I left most of the younger ones at home. There was no real reason for them to come here, and they're still very green.” Lelia frowned. Colonel al-Fariq hadn't really protested when she told him she was leaving some of the younger soldiers in Laritrea. She'd expected a strong objection and had been prepared for a lengthy debate, but there had been none. She shrugged. Maybe the Colonel had been occupied with other things. She'd been too busy getting the other soldiers ready to investigate any further.
He stared at her for a long moment, then asked the question she'd been dreading. “What are you doing here? I thought we were supposed to be avoiding one another?”
Lelia shook her head, tempted to lie. But knowing he would see through it, she finally answered with the simple truth. “I don't know why I'm here. I knew you would be here, knew I should avoid you, but I came anyway.” She lowered her head, preparing to rise from the mat.
Patrick placed his hand on her chin, raising her face. Before she could even catch her breath, he lowered his mouth to hers. She gasped against the incendiary sensation that raced through her body at the touch of his lips against hers. His answering groan rumbled in his chest as he pulled her closer; her arms automatically went around his neck. She returned the kiss, giving him her tongue when he demanded it.
She couldn't get close enough to him. The feel of his body against hers made her want to scream in frustration because they couldn't get any closer. In one frantic motion, Patrick laid her down on the mat, moving himself on top of her so quickly she felt a moment of vertigo. She moved against him urgently, not really sure what she wanted, but knowing he could give it to her.
Patrick slipped a hand between their surging bodies to untie her keigogi. She wore nothing but a thin T-shirt beneath it. He lowered his head, sucking one of her puckered nipples between his lips in a motion that was almost painful, but only made the heat between her legs burn even higher. She couldn't help arching her back to bring her nipple into even closer contact with the ecstasy that his mouth gave her, but then she ground her throbbing clit even harder against his engorged cock. Even through the heavy cotton of her keigogi trousers, she could feel the thickness of it.
Though still a virgin, Lelia was far from naive. It was impossible to live in a barracks full of women, even chaste ones, and not gain some knowledge of sex. Even as she rubbed herself more urgently against him, she knew precisely what was happening when her first orgasm exploded across her trembling body.