The flight to Scott took a little over an hour, but Sam felt like it took forever. She hadn’t remembered being this ill in a long time. Raleigh kept the air sickness bag at the ready and held her hair back as she vomited in not one, but three bags.
“Well, not the reaction I thought you would have on your second helicopter flight. I’m sorry you feel so bad, sweetie. We have about forty-five minutes before the flight crew will be ready for takeoff. Do you want me to help you to the bathroom to freshen up?”
“No, I can do it. I’m just embarrassed. Not what you wanted to see, I’m sure.”
“Doesn’t bother me at all. I just don’t like to see you suffering.”
“I’m sure the flight to Fort Bragg will be better. I’ve never gotten sick on an airplane before.” She laughed as she walked to the bathroom. “Although there is always a first time.”
As Raleigh watched Sam round the corner to the bathroom, his phone rang.
“This is Chief Fitzgerald. How can I help you?”
The voice on the other end sounded weird and he suspected it was recorded or changed in some way. “If you want to keep Sergeant O’Hara alive, you will drop this case.”
“Who the fuck is this?” he screamed.
“It doesn’t matter who this is. If you want your Sam alive, you will stop investigating this case and go back to Alabama.” The phone went dead.
What the hell? Why threaten Sam’s life? What is it about this case that garners so much attention? It makes no sense.
Raleigh threw his phone across the terminal in frustration as Sam emerged from the bathroom. She watched as his phone slid past her.
“Ok, I know I got a little sick but does that necessitate trashing your phone? I didn’t vomit on it, did I?” She laughed and picked up the phone. “Looks like it still works. Next time take it out of the Otter Box case if you wanna break it.”
Sam handed Raleigh the phone. He grabbed it and stuffed it in his pocket. “Damn phone is just frustrating. Half the time, the damn thang doesn’t work and the other half it loses signal. Didn’t mean to throw it at you, though. I was aiming for the wall.”
“Oh, that’s ok. You missed.” She congratulated him on his aim, giggling.
“If you want, we can go down the terminal and grab a bite to eat before we load up. There is a Subway, and I’m sure you gotta be hungry.”
“Ya, actually I am,” she confessed. “How long is the flight to Bragg?”
“We should arrive about twenty-one hundred hours. I still gotta call the hotel for a couple of rooms,” he admitted.
“I can call while you grab the sandwiches. Can you grab me a ham with lettuce, tomato, and mayo?”
“You got it. Be right back,” Raleigh declared.
Sam pulled out her phone, logged into a hotel app, reserved two adjoining rooms at the Marriott just off post, and waited for Raleigh to come back with the sandwiches. Sam watched thru the window of the terminal at the airmen as they did their preflight checks.
As she stood watching, Raleigh slowly and quietly snuck up behind Sam. “I’m back.”
Sam jumped and swung around meeting Raleigh almost nose to nose. “Are you trying to give me a heart attack?”
“Sorry, baby. I couldn’t help it. You looked so cute standing there. I didn’t want to disturb you or scare you for that matter, but it appears like I failed.”
“Ya, you failed all right.” As she laughed, Raleigh handed her the sandwich. “You wanna eat now or on the flight?”
“How much longer we got before we board?”
“Probably about twenty minutes. We got time now to eat.”
Raleigh pulled some seats and a small table together in a corner of the terminal. He laid out napkins and unwrapped the sandwiches. Sam smiled and asked, “A romantic dinner for two?” Raleigh winked at her, held his hand out to hers, walked her to the chair and pulled the chair out to seat her.
“Your dinner, my darlin’.”
As Sam sat, she looked at Raleigh. He does have a way about him, I can’t deny it. Is it his eyes? His eyes look so familiar, but that can’t be possible. I only met him days ago.
They sat quietly for the first time since they had met. Sam stared at Raleigh; he seemed so far away from her for the first time. It was like he was in an entirely different world than she was at that moment. His face grimaced with concern, and his eyes closed.
“Is everything all right?” she asked.
His eyes shot open and he smiled at her. “Ya, everything is great. Just thinking about the trip. I haven’t been to Bragg in quite a while. It’ll be nice to see the ole girl again. Spent most of my Army career at Bragg ’til a couple of years ago. It will be nice to see some of the guys, too. I haven’t been much for keeping in contact since I left.”
“Well, it happens. Maybe you can contact some of them while we are there and go have lunch or something. We don’t meet with the general until Friday, and it’s Wednesday so you’re gonna have time.”
“We will see. I have other plans right now.” His eyes brightened and a grin spread across his face.
“Oh really?” She grinned back and took a big bite from her sub. “Never know what will happen. Maybe I have plans myself.” Sam winked, still sporting the smile on her face as she chewed the last bite from her sub.
“Yep, a good warrant officer always has a plan.” A sly grin covered his face from ear to ear before he stuffed the last bite of his sub into his mouth.
Oh, how I love that smile. Sam paused as she thought of what to say next, but her gaze was interrupted by a voice from behind her.
“Chief, we are all checked and ready to go when you are.” A tall, slim Air Force captain made his way toward them. He walked with a purpose, and the flight uniform fit tightly in all the right places.
Sam was quick to notice “That’s our pilot? Nice, very nice.”
Raleigh shot her a quick look of pure jealousy and Sam quickly took note. Jealous type, I see. Let’s give him something to be jealous of.
Sam giggled under her breath then said to the young pilot, “Well, darlin’, I’d fly anywhere with you.” She waited for Raleigh’s reaction.
Raleigh knew exactly what Sam was up to, and he wasn't falling for her little game. “You want me to give you two a few minutes alone?”
Sam scoffed at Raleigh’s reaction and stomped off toward the gate. Raleigh looked at the young captain with a raised eyebrow and laughed as he grabbed Sam’s bag and headed to the gate himself.
She couldn’t believe he even thought she would be interested in the captain. Who does he think he is? Does he think I jump from man to man whenever it is convenient? Oh, he infuriates me. I could just punch him.
He ran to catch up with Sam on the tarmac, touching her shoulder. Sam twisted around to face him. “What?”
“Everything ok, Sam? You seem a little upset at me. Did I say something wrong?”
“No, you are just an ass.”
“Why am I an ass?”
Sam stared at Raleigh, her eyes seeming to burn a hole straight through him. “Because I was just teasing, and you had to get serious.”
“Serious? Oh, darlin’, I wasn’t serious. No way I would leave you alone with another man. You’re mine.”
Sam could feel her heart in her toes as it beat faster and faster. What is it about you that makes me want you so badly? She often questioned her sanity when it came to men, but Raleigh seemed different, a lot different than she thought when they first met.
She watched as he loaded onto the plane and found a seat toward the back of the aircraft. He motioned for Sam to sit next to him. “Right here, girl,” he said as he patted the seat next to him. “This way I can keep a close eye on you, and we are far enough away from the cockpit that if we decide we want some alone time, we could easily crawl on the back of this five-ton truck and enjoy each other.”
“Oh, now that’s romantic. Next you will want to do it at the firing range with bullets flying over us.” Sam made herself comfortable in the seat next to Raleigh, then added, “Why don’t we do this? You keep your hands to yourself, and I will keep mine to myself. Then once we are alone, we can decide what to do from there. Deal?”
“Deal. I don’t like it, but I will do it.” He pouted. It was getting harder and harder to hear each other over the roar of the engines. The plane hummed and vibrated as it quickly took off. Sam closed her eyes and relaxed. It would be a few hours alone with Raleigh, and if she wanted everything to go right, she needed to keep him at a distance a little longer. She could tell he was getting sexually frustrated, because every time he looked at her she felt like he was undressing her with his eyes. Not that she minded; she did the same thing. She just wanted everything to be perfect. The playing around and the teasing had been incredible, but she wanted him locked in an embrace with their bodies warm and wet, entangled skin on skin as they made love for the first time. She didn’t want their first time to be in the back of an old dirty five-ton truck with their pants down around their ankles.
Not that the idea didn’t have its place and its pleasures. But there was something about Raleigh, and she wanted everything to be perfect. He was perfect in every way, and not what she expected at all. He had come into her life and turned it upside down. He was the opposite of what she had planned for her life. Women and men alike loved him. He was like Rhett Butler from Gone with the Wind—the southern gentleman, so very charming, and a rascal all rolled into one hunk of man. She had always dreamed of being swept off her feet by her own Rhett, but all she ever got was the carpetbagger. Maybe it is my turn to finally have the love I’ve always dreamed about. Could it be possible? Is Raleigh my Rhett? Sam twirled her hair and sighed out loud. “Yes, I think he might be my Rhett.”
Raleigh turned his head, meeting Sam’s gaze. “What did you say?”
“Oh, nothing. Sorry, just thinking out loud,” she mumbled as she tried to cover her tracks and her thoughts. It was becoming difficult to hide her true feelings, but they had serious work to do.
“Oh, ok. Sorry, it’s just loud in here. I think I am gonna try and take a short nap. You should do the same. It’s gonna be a long night.” Raleigh closed his eyes and Sam felt her stomach twist up in knots. She loved looking into his eyes; they spoke to her heart whereas the words he uttered almost never matched what his eyes said. His eyes whispered loving, gentle, words. She felt safe and secure with him. But his words were sometimes harsh, not towards her, per se, but sharp just the same. The harshness came from being a leader of men. What she perceived as harsh was recognized as leadership to his men. She didn’t know why, but she decided it was time to stop asking questions and just follow her heart and listen to her body. They had a day and a half alone before they had to meet with the general, and she would use every minute of it. Getting closer to him was her number one goal. She wanted to know his heart and what he feared and what he loved. She hoped they could use this time to get to know each other, both inside and out.
As she closed her eyes, her mind wandered to the possibilities of the day and a half they would share. She wanted him to show her Fort Bragg, the Fort Bragg he knew, but she wanted to spend as much time as she could in his arms. The question was would he want the same, or was she someone he could just fool around with—the right now girl? He told her she was more than that, but it was hard to believe when she watched the way he interacted with other women. He seemed to want to keep them at a distance, yet pull them in closer to do his bidding. He was an enigma for sure. She wanted him and hated him at the same time; she didn’t want to get close, but she couldn’t help herself. She didn’t want to feel the hurt she felt in the past. She wasn’t sure she would recover if he hurt her. She couldn’t think about that; she wouldn’t think about that. He was different, and she set her mind to follow where her heart took her. Slowly her body relaxed and she fell asleep.
***
It wasn’t long before Sam was jolted awake. The squeal of the tires was loud and the plane shook as it landed on the runway. Raleigh was already awake. She knew because he had moved the bags. But when her eyes opened she could tell he had been watching her sleep. He had quickly turned his attention to the cockpit and away from her. When they stopped and the captain opened the back of the plane, they grabbed their bags and headed to the SUV that the general had ordered to be waiting on the tarmac. A soldier waiting for them grabbed their bags, loaded them into the back of the vehicle, and opened the door for them—Sam first, then Raleigh.
“Chief, what hotel are you staying at?” the soldier asked.
Raleigh looked at Sam. “What hotel are we staying at?”
Sam looked at her phone again and answered, “Take us to the Marriott near post. We are staying there.”
“That’s not far. I will have you there in a jiffy. Just sit back and relax. Is there any place you want to stop by before you go to the hotel?” the driver snorted.
“Nope, there is a hotel restaurant and a store in the hotel, so we will be fine, thank you. Just take us to the hotel; it’s been a long day,” Raleigh replied.
As the SUV pulled into the hotel carport, a feeling of sleepiness overtook Sam. She yawned more and more. Raleigh leaned in and whispered in her ear, “Soon, baby, I will have you in a nice, warm, cozy bed with my arms wrapped around you. We can just sleep. We need not do anything else. Let me take care of you, baby.”
Sam was just too tired to argue. “Ok, I’d like that very much.”
Raleigh grabbed the bags and walked up to the reception desk to check in. Sam was feeling a bit groggy and sat down while she waited for him to get the room keys. As she waited, she thought about what Raleigh’s reaction would be to the adjoining rooms. I hope he doesn’t freak. Sam’s nerves were now on high alert.
“Come on, darlin’. Let’s get you into bed.” He held his hand out to hers and walked her to the elevator. “We’re on the twenty-first floor—adjoining suites—smart move, Sergeant. I love the way you think.” Sam leaned on Raleigh’s shoulder as they rode the elevator up to their rooms. Raleigh wrapped his arm around her and held her tight. She felt incredible to him. He had never felt so calm and at peace till he met Sam. She centered him.
Arriving at the rooms, she looked at him and said, “Ok, my darlin’, which room would you like to stay in tonight? Your choice, baby.”
“Doesn’t matter. I just want to lie down next to you.”
Raleigh opened and held the door for Sam and then pulled the bags in as the door closed. Sam, feeling exhausted, plopped onto the huge, king sized bed, lying half way on and half way off. Her feet dangled off the edge, and Raleigh knelt down and unlaced her boots. As he pulled each boot off, he rubbed each foot. She cooed as he continued to rub her feet. “Oh, wow. That feels great, baby. Don’t stop.”
“Remember those words, Sam. I wanna hear them a lot the next few days.”
As he unzipped his ACU jacket and got comfortable at her feet, he rubbed her calves. She felt herself relax even more. “Might be easier to work those kinks out if you change clothes. Why don’t you get out of that uniform? I will be right here waiting. Won’t move an inch. I’ll go ahead and change myself if you don’t mind me moving from my spot,” he said.
“No, go ahead, baby. We’ve been in these uniforms all day.” She got up and grabbed her suitcase and picked a t-shirt, boy shorts, panties. Sam then turned on the shower. “I’m gonna shower. I gotta get this travel dirt and uniform stink off me. Wanna join me?”
Raleigh about fell off the chair to run to the bathroom, but he stopped himself. “You sure you want me to join you, baby?”
“I asked, didn’t I?”
“Well, yeah. But…”
“Tell you what, I’ll leave it up to you. I will be here, baby, but just so you know the water feels wonderful and I could use someone to wash my back,” Sam said after stepping under the warm water in the shower.
Does she know she is killing me? Oh yeah, she knows.
Raleigh stood in the doorway of the bathroom watching Sam as the water poured over her body. Her hair was completely wet and fell down the middle of her back. She stood facing the shower head, water pouring over her face; her eyes were closed and she held her hands up and smoothed them over her hair. As she moved her hands over her wet hair, Raleigh took her up on her offer. He quietly moved behind her in the shower and took his hands and smoothed them down from her shoulders, past her breasts and down the sides of her torso to her hips. Sam’s back arched into him and she pressed her ass into his groin. Raleigh was stiff and ready for her, but he backed off.
“Not yet,” he said. “Turn around and face me. Let me see your beautiful face, baby.” Sam turned to face Raleigh and her heart skipped. She placed her hands on his chest and ran her fingers over his chest as the water poured over him. He bent slightly and cupped her face, pulling her to him to kiss her. Her lips were warm and wet, and the taste of them made him want her even more. Raleigh held back. He wanted to take her right then and there, but he wanted their first time to be so special. They were both tired and Sam was still recovering from her head injury. They had time, and he wanted their first time to be one for the books. He wanted to blow her mind and wanted her to want him more than any other man ever. Because for him, she was the only woman alive and the only woman he would ever want for the rest of his life. He just needed to convince Sam of it.
Raleigh picked up a shower puff and soaped it, then slowly ran the puff over Sam’s body. He leaned in touching her ear when he spoke, “Baby, let me take care of you. Relax and let me take control.” Sam gave herself over to him. As he ran the puff over her body, she could feel her body give into him; never in her life had she offered herself so freely to a man. She was glad it was him, there was something that spoke to her heart. She needed him just as much as he needed her; she could tell. She was glad it was him.