Page 10 of Invaluable

7

Kyle

As an officerof SEAL Team Seven, I planned our missions. The logistics, the equipment, the operations, every detail. I didn’t take a vote, I made the final decisions. Tonight, I was planning an important operation—Operation Rapunzel.

With her now long blonde hair, the name fit her to a T. After handing out assignments, I ditched Pat and Vic, and went to Sara’s room. My guys were trained well enough; little instructions were needed. I needed to see her before she left on the convoy. With any luck, she’d be waiting forme.

Luckily, she followed my instructions; her window was open. And it was dark. This was too easy. I climbed into the opening, careful not to wake her fellow cheerleaders or the virgin patrol mistress in the adjacent rooms.

Sara was curled up on her bed, her hair wild, her eyelids closed. The day’s events had definitely taken a toll on her. She wore a pink tank top with no bra and white pajama bottoms. I stared at her from the window. Her nipples were erect, and I wanted to suck them until she screamed myname.

I continued to stare around the room and at the walls: barren, white, thin. Nothing could happen in here. I didn’t want to waste any time. In two quick strides, I was at the bed. I bent and kissed her, gently rousing her from her sleep.

She rubbed her eyes and stretched her back. And I placed my finger over her lips, urging her to stay quiet.

Before she knew what was happening, I scooped her into my arms and smuggled her out of her room. She was so light; my seabag was heavier thanher.

I snuck her behind the barracks, across our communications building, to a row of empty bunkers. She kept silent, and clung to my chest, waiting to see what I’d donext.

I placed a finger to my lips again and motioned for her to climb up the stairs to the top of the bunker. Her eyes grew to the size of saucers, and I chuckled softly. “I’ve got you.” It was quite comical that at six-feet-five and two-hundred fifty pounds she thought I would possibly let her fall. Still, she hesitated at first, but began her ascent, as I followed closely under her, my face just inches from her roundass.

Once up top, I pulled a thick sleeping bag out of my backpack, threw it down, and pulled Sara close to me. “I’m a regular Boy Scout,” I laughed, and she grinned, showing me a shy smile.

“Wow, how’d you know about this spot? Better yet, how many ladies have you brought uphere?”

“Just you, sweetheart. But this is known internally as the hookup bunker. It’s far enough away from the barracks and watch spots to be inconspicuous. Occasionally I come up here to relax or pray, but I do that alone. It’s hard to find any peacehere.”

Her head tilted in a thoughtful way. “Pray? Are you religious?”

“Yes, ma’am. Son of a preacher man. After my dad left the Corps, he became a man of God. What about you?” It was nice finding out more abouther.

“I’m Southern Baptist. But I haven’t gone to church since I was in high school,” she admitted, her eyes downcast.

I moved a lock of hair out of her face, bringing her head back up so she could meet my eyes. “It’s okay that you haven’t gone in a while. Personally, I lost my way when I was playing ball.” My cheeks burned, a physical reminder of my shame. It was harder to take your own advice than to dish it out. “The women, the money, the drugs, shit, the lifestyle. I’m no saint, but seeing so much life and death really makes you want to believe in something bigger than yourself.”

Her lips widened into a smile, and she snuggled on my chest. She fit perfectly. There was an ease in talking to her that I hadn’t had with another woman in years. It felt like I’d known her forever. She didn’t make me feel like half the prick I really was. As if she saw the good in me even if sometimes I couldn’t see it myself.

Leaning in, I gave her a chaste kiss. There was no urgency behind it; I just wanted to be close to her, share the moment with her by my side. It was one hell of a scene. I took in the moonlit sky. Its many stars. The rarely quiet Afghani mountains. No commotions. Just quiet. Justus.

“So, what’s your deal? Why don’t you have aman?”

I was only teasing her, but she looked away from me. She did that often. As if she doubted herself a lot. Or somewhere down the line, she was told she was a disappointment and she believed it. Didn’t know why. I thought she was pretty damned cool. Whomever made her feel that way was a fucking imbecile. It was sobering to see we all had our hang-ups. We carried that extra weight on our backs as validation, trudging through life without justification, just feeding off of the bullshit we werefed.

“Oh, I don’t know,” she began, “it’s nothing dramatic. I’ve been so focused on practicing once I made the squad that I didn’t have time to date. I go to school full time, so a lot of my time is spent studying. Work mornings at a preschool, I dance, and work out the rest of the time.” She continued to talk but stayed looking away. “I had a boyfriend my first two years in college, but he was a bit controlling, didn’t want me to try out. I guess he was afraid I’d leave him or get hit on. He left me when I made the squad. So after we broke up, I didn’t want to date another guy who would be against my dreams.”

“Sara?”

“Yeah?”

“Look at me, sweetheart. I’d like to see your face while we’re talking.” She tilted her face in my direction. “Much better.”

She let out a calmed breath, and wet her lips. “What about you? A Navy SEAL and a former football player? You must have women throwing themselves atyou.”

I laughed. There was my girl. “I’m not gonna lie, I’ve had my share. But once they found out I played ball, they only saw dollar signs.” Her nose scrunched at the comment. “I had a girlfriend for a bit when I was playing, but once I told her I wanted to leave football and join the Teams, she bailed. So I’ll be real with you, Sara. You’re gorgeous, a sweetheart, smart, and I’m glad you’re here, but I’m not looking for anything serious. It’s nothing personal. This job just has a way of destroying relationships. It wouldn’t be fair to get involved with you when I’m deployed nine months out of the year. I don’t want to lead youon.”

She swallowed and pursed her lips in thought. I felt bad but I prided myself on being honest about my intentions, about every aspect of my life. And I believed what I was saying. I was married to the Teams. I pledged my life to this job. A hookup with a beautiful woman was my reward for all the ways my career took over every aspect of my personal life. I needed her, I needed this release.

After an uncomfortable pause, she moved in closer and straddled me. “It’s okay, neither am I. Fair catch?”