Page 16 of Hearts Under Fire
“Will you tell me her name?”
Kate nodded. “Lorelei.”
Alexis hummed in her ear. “That’s a beautiful name.”
“I can barely remember her face anymore. I’m terrified of losing anyone else and not being able to remember what they look like.”
Silence greeted her. Alexis said nothing. Kate pushed on in the silence.
“Not to be insensitive, but I’ve heard you have a reputation. Even a nickname.”
“Oh? And what nickname is that?” Alexis’s question came through the darkness. Kate didn’t feel a change in her muscles. She’d half expected Alexis to tense up and get defensive.
“Lieutenant Love em’ and Leave em’,” Kate said, her voice soft, the name both an accusation and a caress in the darkness.
Alexis braced one hand on the back of Kate’s hips, and cupped the back of her neck with the other. Her thumbs still swirled, massaging Kate’s neck with gentle pressure. The sensation had Kate clamping down on her lip in a punishing bite, hard enough to draw blood. She fought down a groan and tilted her head into Alexis’s strong, capable hand.
“Maybe,” Alexis said quietly. “Maybe my nickname isn’t the whole story.” Kate felt Alexis take a deep breath.
“Everyone’s got trauma, Kate. I’m no stranger to loss.”
Guilt surged through her. Of course Alexis had lost someone. They all had. She stayed quiet, encouraging Alexis by remaining silent and willing putty in her hands.
“I lost my parents when I was ten. They died in a car crash, so I was raised by my aunt. She died of breast cancer fifteen years ago. I was an only child, and I don’t know if I even have cousins or other relatives. My family is mostly Native American, and once they moved off the res, they became isolated from therest of our people. I wasn’t born until later, so I never even got to see the reservation.”
Sadness coated her voice, and Alexis shook her head slightly, ruffling Kate’s hair with her chin. “So I joined the military at eighteen. A lot of Natives without a tribe join. I found friends. But like you, I was scared to let anyone in. I was lonely and young, so I figured, what the hell? Why not just enjoy myself and keep things casual. I guess I just hadn’t met anyone until now I wanted to change my single status and lifestyle for.”
What was unsaid rang through the air between them. Alexis hadn’t met anyoneuntil Katethat she’d even considered monogamy for. It scared the shit out of Kate. Alexis had never eventriedto have a serious relationship, although Kate couldn’t blame her. If she’d lost everyone she’d ever loved— Kate knew she’d be no match for the grief.
Amazed that she managed to date or be with anyone at all, Kate asked with genuine disbelief. “How do you manage not to get attached? Jesus, that must have been so difficult. I’m so sorry for all your loss.” Kate wound her arms around Alexis’s waist and hugged her tightly. She couldn’t imagine the anguish of such loss.
Alexis shrugged, her muscles stiffening beneath Kate’s hands. “Hasn’t been that difficult. I’m always honest and upfront with them. But women like to think they can change me. But, I feel differently now. Today. With you.”
She sucked in a soft gasp. “What did you just say?”
Clearing her throat, Alexis rephrased, going for the direct approach. “I didn’t have any real interest in a serious relationship with anyone until I met you. You do things to my heart, Kate.”
Kate didn’t know what to say. She was scared and her heart pounded. This was a very extreme circumstance they were in. Could the feelings be real? Or just heightened by thecircumstances? She felt as if she was falling in love, and that terrified her. So instead of thinking too much about it, she leaned in and captured Alexis’s mouth with her own. Their lips met, and Kate was ravenous yet again for Alexis. The last time, she’d been unsure and had been running on adrenaline and lust. This time, Kate was invested in feeling and basking in every single moment with Alexis. If Kate was going to trust her, she may as well let her in.
Reaching for her, Kate cupped Alexis’s jaw with one hand and wrapped the other around her back, snaking it up her spine to pull her in closer. Their tongues caressed, and Kate groaned at the feeling of Alexis’s hands roaming over her back. She wanted the clothes between them gone, but she refused to release Alexis long enough to take anything off yet.
Instead, Kate roamed her hand down to Alexis’s belt, undoing it with one hand and completely ignoring the buttons. Kate jerked the t-shirt out of Alexis’s waistline and shoved her hand up the shirt and under her bra, finally getting her hand on one of her small, perfect breasts. Her nipple was hard and pebbled and Kate lightly pinched and rolled it between her index and thumb. Alexis let out a surprised moan that sounded to Kate like a whimper. Heat flooded deep between Kate’s legs, and her pussy clenched at the sound of Alexis’s moans and panting breaths.
Kate clamped the other hand over Alexis’s mouth and pinched her nipple again lightly.
Alexis cried out again and thrust her breast into Kate’s hand. She trailed open-mouthed kisses up Alexis’s chest, then over collarbone to her neck. Kate lapped her tongue over Alexis’s carotid, causing her to jerk, then clamped her earlobe between her teeth.
Alexis pushed at Kate’s chest, separating them and going immediately for her shirt.
“Hold your horses, Little Lieutenant. I need these damned shirts off right now. I can’t stand it anymore. I need to feel you against my skin.”
Kate chuckled at the near desperate tone of her whisper. As Alexis’s hands roamed over her body and started to pull her shirt off, Kate’s ears picked up a new sound on the whistling of the wind coming from the base of the stairs.
The sandstorm had come. They were stuck here now, for who knew how long. Kate knew they were really alone now, and the likelihood of being discovered before the storm ended was almost zero.
That thought had Kate pulling Alexis’s lip between her teeth. She sucked her lower lip into her mouth and caressed it with her tongue before releasing it with a quiet pop. As she backed away, Alexis followed, resuming her pursuit to get them out of their uniforms. She yanked the buttons undone on Kate’s cargo pants, then pinned Kate to her with one hand, her mouth clamped to her neck, her other hand untying the laces of her boots.
Once everything had been undone, unbuttoned, or untied, Alexis rose with Kate in her arms.