Black Smoke (23 page)

“He will now. You should be a counselor. Your skills are remarkable,” he said full of pride for her.

Sam opened her eyes and looked at him. “You think so? I never thought of that. I’m not sure I could deal with all the sadness though.”

“Yeah, there is that,” he said yawning.

“You should get some rest. You look exhausted.” His eyes had dark circles under them and he needed a shave. Sam couldn’t resist the urge to run her hand over his beard. She lifted her hand to his cheek and let her hand lightly skim the thick hair.

Kong turned his face and kissed the palm of her hand when it came close to his mouth. She had a few calluses, but for the most part her palm was as soft as a flower petal. Sam let her hand rest there, savoring the feel of his lips on her skin. Heat began to build in the pit of her stomach.

When Kong wrapped his large hand around her small wrist, visions of her petite body being pressed against his filled his head. He wanted her, no question about it. If they were anywhere else right now, he’d take her, slowly and carefully. He’d fill her small body with his and show her what heaven really was.

“Excuse us,” Ricochet said from the curtain. “You want us to come back later?” he asked sitting on the end of the bed.

“Could ya?” Kong said glaring at him.

“Nope. Hey that guy you heard talking in the mess tent. You didn’t happen to get a name did you?” Ricochet asked.

“No, why?”

“There’s a group of guys hanging around outside. One of them has a camera,” Boomer chimed in.

“Great.” Kong looked at his watch, seven hours until the plane arrived. “Who’s in charge around here? We need to get a hold of him and see about putting some MPs at the front door.”

“I’ll do it. You look like shit. Get some sleep,” Ricochet said leaving the room.

“Maybe we can move her to a more private area of the hospital?” Boomer suggested.

“This is a MASH unit Boomer. They don’t do private,” Sam said with a disgusted voice.

“And I won’t take a room that’s needed for someone in serious condition. Look if you guys are that concerned about it, I’ll just leave through a back door. Surely there’s someplace around here that I can hide out?”

“I don’t think you should be moving around. You just had surgery on your leg.” As far as Boomer was concerned, the subject was closed.

“I feel fine Boomer. Find me a place to hide and I’ll go.”

Boomer looked from Sam to Kong. “What do you think?” he asked Kong.

“It’s the lady’s leg. It’s her decision.”

Boomer grunted, then left to find a place to hide for the next seven hours. “It was her decision that put her there in the first place,” he thought to himself. As soon as he thought it, he cursed himself. He was tired and frustrated. And that was no excuse to take it out on her.

Kong leaned forward in the chair and put his head down on the side of the bed. Sam lifted her hand then hesitated. She told herself that running her hand through his hair would relax him, help him to sleep. But deep down she knew she wanted to feel his hair in her hands once again. When she began stroking his head, he moaned. A deep throaty moan.

“You’re going to drive me crazy doing that.”

“Shhh, relax.”

It only took him a minute to fall asleep. Her soft touch was therapeutic, almost melting the tension from his body. If her hands felt this good on his head, he would lose his mind if she ever touched his skin like that.

An hour later, Ricochet returned to the room, followed by Boomer. It seemed the two were in constant perfect timing. Sam wondered if outside of work, they still showed up everywhere at the same time.

“Head Doc says he doesn’t have time to worry about someone’s privacy now. Too many injured from this afternoon to deal with,” Ricochet said flicking Kong’s ear.

Kong’s opened his eyes, but didn’t bother to lift his head. “Can’t blame him.”

“There is nothing on this base that can be considered a hiding spot,” Boomer informed him.

“Okay. So we do our best here. Same plan as before. No one in unless they pass us first,” Kong said yawning.

“You get some more sleep. We’ll watch on the other side of the curtain. Ya know, just on the other side of this flimsy piece of cloth. So if the two of ya get any ideas about bumping uglies keep in mind, we can hear ya.” Ricochet’s smart mouth didn’t go unappreciated by Sam. Her laugh was full and real.

Chapter Eighteen

It was one-forty-five in the morning when Boomer’s voice woke Kong up. Sam was sleeping with her hand resting in his hair. Kong gently lifted it and placed it on the bed. Now that he was awake, he could hear the stern authority in Boomer’s voice.

“Sorry, only people in are doctors or nurses,” he said for the third time.

“Don’t get your shorts in a twist. I’m leaving,” the man said.

Kong didn’t believe him. They’d be approached by a phony doctor next. He had to do something fast. Kong walked over to the curtain. “Ricochet, go find some rolls of gauze.”

“On it.”

“How’s it going Boomer?”

“He’s the third one. They’re up to something Kong. It’s the same group I saw outside earlier.”

“Hold ’em off a few more minutes. I have a plan.”

When Ricochet returned he slipped his arm through the curtain. Five rolls of gauze in his hand. Kong took them then went to the bed to wake Sam. Her eyes fluttered open as he lifted her hand to his lips. The sweet kiss he placed on her knuckles made butterflies come to life in her stomach.

“What’s up?”

“The wolves are at the door. We need to do some quick cover-up work. You with me?” he asked showing her the bandages.

“You’re kidding?”

“Nope.”

“You into bondage Lieutenant?” she asked with a grin.

Kong’s hands faltered. “Never tried it. But I’m game if you are?” He may have sounded like he was kidding, but his body was ready. Kong wrapped Sam’s hands first. She was small-boned, so even if her head was covered, her hands would give her away. He made sure to put plenty of wrap around them so they looked bigger than they were. When that was finished, he started on her head. He left an opening for her mouth, but completely covered her eyes.

“You okay?” he asked when he finished. His next step was to pull the covers all the way up to her neck. She still looked small underneath the covers, so he pulled some of her pack and an extra blanket from the cubicle next to hers and bunched them under the blankets. Now she looked larger.

“It’s no different from being buried in the ground,” she said through the wrapping. “Just don’t leave me laying here and take off.”

“I’m not going anywhere without you. Couldn’t even if I tried,” he added to himself. An hour later there was a loud bang and shouting coming from out front. Kong knew this was it. They expected it, a diversion so they could get just a few seconds to snap a picture. “Go ahead, give ’em what they want,” Kong whispered out to the others.

“Man, I hate actin’ like a fool,” Ricochet whined.

“Sam, you awake?”

“Who sleeps through a racket like that?”

“Good, I’m gonna hide under the bed. It won’t take them long, they’ll snap a few pictures then we’re done with them. Two hours and we are gone.”

“No problem. Want me to moan in a low voice or something?”

Kong could hear the sarcasm in her voice. Just to see what she’d do, he leaned down next to her ear and let his hot breath seep through the bandages. “When I want you to moan baby, I’ll make you moan.”

Sam’s heart raced. “We’ll see who makes who moan,” she whispered back.

Kong was blown away. No matter how hard he tried to rattle her, she managed to rattle him back with her wit. Strong, self-assured, witty and beautiful. God he was in trouble. He dropped to the floor, slid beneath the bed and pulled one of her blankets down over the side to cover himself. As if right on cue, Sam heard the curtain pull back. She heard the snap of a shutter, then a low curse. Sam made a very deep moan come from her throat. When Kong heard it, he poked the underneath of the mattress with his finger. Sam moaned again. The intruder let out one last profanity, then scurried off.

Ricochet’s voice echoed through the halls. Kong reacted. He slid from under the bed and listened. “Watch where you’re going pinhead.” Kong smiled. Ricochet should have been an actor.

“Is it all over?”

He looked down at her pink lips surrounded by the white gauze. Kong licked his own, then leaned down. “Not yet. Hold very still.” He pressed his lips to hers. Sam jumped then relaxed. It wasn’t a brushing of the lips, but a full hard kiss. “Not like this,” she cried in her head. She wanted to see his eyes. She had to see his eyes when he kissed her. While her mind shuddered, her arms reached out and wrapped around his neck. God, he tasted sweet, like a piece of candy. Her bandaged hand slipped down his chest and rested over his heart. It was beating hard against his chest. She tasted spicy, exotic, like something you would only find on an island. Her lips were smooth and baby skin soft. The fact that she couldn’t see him made the whole experience that much more erotic for him. Now the moan coming from her throat was hot and sexy. Kong took the kiss deeper, urging his tongue between her lips. When she parted them for him, he was lost.

The power she held over him was dizzying and terrifying at the same time. He didn’t know whether to run, or give himself completely over to her. The voices coming down the hall snapped him back to reality. When he pulled away from her, she moaned in protest.

“Don’t worry baby, I promise we’ll pick that up when we get home,” he whispered.

“Count on it,” she whispered back.

Ricochet and Boomer strolled through the curtain, then stopped and began to laugh when they saw Sam wrapped like a mummy. Kong chuckled with them, she did look funny.

“What’s so funny?” Sam asked.

“You baby girl,” Ricochet snorted. “Ya look like ya should be sealed inside a pyramid.”

“Laugh it up boys. When I get out of here I’ll kick all your asses.” Her threat only made them laugh more.

“Did it at least work?” Boomer asked between his own snorts.

“Yeah, you should’ve heard the guy when he realized he was snapping pictures of our mummy. It was all I could do to keep from laughing. Then smart ass here let out a moan, like she was suffering or something.” Kong’s cheeks hurt from laughing and smiling. But he was proud of her, anyone could see that.

“If you guys are done laughing at me, I would like to take this stuff off now. I need to get ready for the plane.” Sam was anxious to leave Afghanistan and this broken-down bed. She wanted her own lush pillow and her soft, colorful comforter wrapped around her. Not to mention the hot bubble bath she talked about with Kong.

The three men continued to snicker as they each unwrapped a portion of her body. Kong took her head and Ricochet and Boomer each did a hand. When she was finally free of the white bindings she let out a long breath. The cooler air felt good against her cheeks and she clenched and unclenched her fingers, stretching them.

“Okay gentlemen. I need my clothes. Everyone on the other side of the curtain please,” she ordered as she swung her legs over the side of the bed. Ricochet and Boomer respectfully exited and waited in the hall. Kong remained behind. “Funny,” she thought as her legs dangled over the edge of the bed. Her leg seemed to be getting better by the hour. The burning pain was gone, now it only felt as though she’d been kicked. When her feet touched the floor, she carefully allowed her weight to settle on the leg. No pain shot up it, just a bit of pulling from the stitches but otherwise nothing. She noticed Kong watching her, his brow furrowed slightly. Then his eyes moved to her arm. Sam pulled the sleeve of gown up and pushed her fingers into the bandage that covered her bullet graze. Nothing. Her eyes met Kong’s, his brow still bunched. Sam peeled the bandage off and to her surprise, she found only a red streak across her arm. Again, she pushed her fingers on her skin. No pain, nothing. Now her brow furrowed as she looked back at Kong.

“I guess I heal fast,” she muttered. Bumps and bruises had always healed fast for Sam, but these weren’t simple bruises. These were flesh tearing wounds and she was healing at record speed. “I don’t understand.”

Kong pulled her pack from under the bed and handed it to her. “We’ll talk when there aren’t so many ears around. I think you should know a few things.” She had no idea how she healed so quickly and he felt she had the right to know.

“What things?” she asked curiously.

“Later.” Kong stepped through the curtain and stood with Ricochet and Boomer. “God I’ll be glad to get outta here,” he said.

“What happens when we get back to Cannon’s base?” Boomer asked in low voice.

Kong hadn’t really given it much thought. Normally when they completed an op they returned to their base and helped train rookies until they were called again. The idea of leaving when they got to Cannon’s made him uneasy. He wasn’t ready to leave Sam yet. He wanted a few days with her, to get to know the woman behind the black mask better.

“I don’t know. I’d like to stick around for a few days, make sure Sam’s healing okay.” It was a lie, he saw she was healing fast. Then the words echoed in his head. “‘Her journey isn’t over yet, protect her.” Those words lay under the surface of his skin like an itch he couldn’t scratch. Ricochet glanced at Boomer. They knew Sam was healing incredibly fast, almost miraculously and had discussed it. Something was different about her, something they couldn’t put their finger on. They knew Kong was aware of it as well but he seemed to have a better grasp on what was happening than they did. The only question was, would Kong cut and run, or would he stick around? Each had their own opinion on the subject. Ricochet thought Kong would want to leave as soon as possible. Boomer felt he would stay a few days.