Chapter 31
31
Lars
As we left the barracks, Rachel said goodbye to the other troops.
Several of them looked at me when she had her head turned, raised their eyebrows, and grinned. Attaboy!
I just shook my head. It’s not like that.
I ignored their looks of, Yeah, RIGHT, and walked out of the barracks with Rachel.
We found Gunnar outside talking with a couple of other guys as they passed a pipe between them. The smell of pot was thick in the air.
The other soldiers immediately turned away, looking guilty as hell, but Gunnar just beamed and held out the pipe. “Change your mind p>
“No,” Rachel said drily.
“You don’t know what you’re missing! Afghan kush is the best p>
“I’ll have to take your word for it.” She stuck out her hand. “Gunnar, it was a privilege to meet you p>
“Same here!” he said and took her tiny hand in his giant one. “Have a safe trip home p>
“Thanks p>
We left him and began strolling towards the main entrance of the base.
“So,” I said, “what’s your real name p>
“I can’t tell you that p>
“Well, you’re half Italian – but your mother’s Italian, so it’s probably not an Italian name – ”
“You see? I shouldn’t have even told you that p>
“Why? Afraid I’m going to come after you?” I teased.
“No. Just a precaution in my line of work p>
“Seriously?” I asked, a little surprised. “You can’t tell me anything p>
“No. So far as you’re concerned, I was never here p>
I looked at her closely.
She gazed back straight into my eyes.
“You’re serious,” I realized.
“I am p>
“Well, that’s unfortunate p>
“Why p>
“I was hoping to see you again someday p>
“Seeing as you’re in the Swedish Special Forces and I’m in British Intelligence, I somehow don’t think that would – ”
Suddenly, far away in the darkness, there was a muffled BOOM.
“What the fuck!” Rachel shouted.
As she whipped around towards the sound of the explosion, she lost her balance slightly and pressed up against me.
Her body was firm and muscular, mostly –
But her breasts were soft and feminine as they pressed against my arm.
I liked the feeling.
A lot.
“That’s why I didn’t want you to be out here drunk,” I said with a smile.
Another BOOM! was followed by the distant chatter of gunfire.
“Are they attacking the base?!” she asked.
“No, mostly just being annoying p>
She glanced up at me, silently demanding an explanation.
“They shell the perimeter of the base around the same time every night,” I explained. “Don’t worry – they don’t usually get close enough to hit us p>
“…usually p>
“Every so often, a mortar gets through and hits a building – but that’s pretty rare. If they come too close, they know the perimeter snipers will shoot them, so mostly it’s a bunch of noise and not much else p>
BOOM!
Bratta-tatta-tatta-tat!
Rachel stared out into the darkness. “Well, I’m glad you were here to tell me what the fuck that was, or I’d have thought we were about to be overrun p>
Only then did she finally pull away from me.
It had been nice while it lasted.
If I wasn’t going to be able to sleep with her, then it was nice to feel her body against mine – if only for a moment.
“I’m glad, too,” I said.
We finally reached the visitors’ quarters. I walked her inside and we stopped outside her room. We could still hear mortars exploding in the distance.
I extended my arm to shake hands. “Nice to meet you, Rachel Bauer. Or whatever your real name is p>
She looked at me and smiled incredulously. “You’re seriously not going to try anything p>
It was a statement more than a question.
I lowered my hand since she made no effort to take it. “You said you weren’t going to sleep with me p>
“I did, didn’t I?” she said in amusement, like she was recalling some inconsequential decision from years ago.
“You did. Which is too bad p>
“Is it p>
“It is, actually.” I smiled and turned slightly as though I was about to leave. “You should get some sleep before your flight leaves p>
She looked deep into my eyes. “Actually… considering jet lag… it would probably be better for me to stay up until the flight leaves p>
I turned back all the way to face her. “Is that so p>
“It is p>
“I can keep you awake,” I murmured.
She looked at my lips, then back up at my eyes. “…you can, can you p>
“Mm-hm,” I said as I took a step forward, circled my arms around her waist, and kissed her.
Her lips were soft… just like her breasts as they pressed against my body.
She returned my kiss with equal enthusiasm. After a few seconds, she opened her mouth to me all the way, and my tongue gently slid inside her mouth.
We French-kissed for almost a minute until she broke it off.
I figured that was it –
Until she fumbled for the key in her pocket, hurriedly unlocked the door, and pulled me into the room after her. As soon as I was inside, she clicked on a bedside lamp and shut the door.
“I thought you said you weren’t going to sleep with me,” I teased her.
“Who’s planning on sleeping?” she asked, then cupped my face with her hands and kissed me.