Page 31 of Charlotte
We head back to my home the third day. A foreboding sense of unease seems to swallow me, but I don’t voice my fears to Hawk, not wanting him to worry. I just want to enjoy the time we have left together before the real world comes knocking on the door. I call Sara and Justin to let them know we are back once we have gotten settled in. Deadeye and the others have headed back to base in California feeling confident the danger to my safety is over for now. Early the next morning, the ringing of Hawk’s phone wakes us from sleep.
“Hawk here” Hawk answers the phone. He listens intently. He tenses next to me. His face falls and a frown forms on his brow. He reaches over and absently runs his fingers through my locks. An array of emotions pass across his face. They flash so quickly it was hard to register them all. Regret, anxiety, anger, frustration, anticipation, and love for me all cross his face as he listens to the caller on the other end of the line.
“Alright, I understand. I will be on the next flight out.” Hawk tells the caller. He hangs up the phone and sighs heavily as his shoulders slump. He turns to me and rolls me onto my side and pulls my back to his front. He runs his hands up and down my arms and side. He blows out a deep breath. I am scared at the range of emotions, but I want to give him time to process what he has to tell me. After several minutes, he relents to tell me that our plans have changed.
“That was Captain Olson. We have been called up for a mission.” Hawk drops the bomb I have felt coming for the last 24 hours. I hold my breath waiting to hear the rest. I know there won’t be much. He cannot tell me anything where he is going, how long he will be gone, or what he will face while there. I must be strong for him. The last thing he needs is for me to fall apart. I won’t have him worrying about me and our babies while he is fighting for the lives of himself and his teammates.
“I don’t know how long I will be gone or even where we are going yet. I will get the details once we are back on base, but I still won’t be able to tell you anything.” Hawk sighs again. He keeps rubbing my arm and touching my hair. I know that I have to assure him I will be fine while he is gone. So, I turn in his embrace to face him.
“Hawk, I know you wanted us to have more time together, but I will be fine while you are gone. I know that you, Deadeye, Straw, Ace, Wallace, Tank, Worm, Hack, Virus, and Mercury are more than capable to taking care of yourselves no matter what you are sent to do. I will miss you, but I know you will come home to us. I love you so much it hurts sometimes. I can stay here while you are gone. I will split my time between here and your parents’ home. Diane said I was welcome anytime. I will just take her up on her offer.” I chuckle as I finish in an attempt to lighten the dark mood that has descended on us.
“Charlotte, I would be honored and feel better if you stayed with my parents. Dad is retired Navy and despite his age he stays in shape and keeps his skills up to pare, but I don’t want you staying here alone. What if something happens while Sara and Justin aren’t here? You could fall and hurt yourself or become ill and not be able to get to the phone to call for help. I am still uneasy about Lopez. It just seems bizarre to me that he would suddenly drop his revenge. I don’t want to frighten you, but we have to be realistic.”
“Hawk, I will do whatever you ask me to do. I trust you completely. I need to know that you aren’t worrying about what is going on at home. I don’t want you to be distracted and get hurt or killed on your mission. I need you. Our babies need you. And even though he acts like a grown man, Brian still needs you.” I tell him as I slide closer to him to place a kiss on his lips. It is a hesitant kiss. I want to comfort him, reassure him of what he means to me, to our family.
Before I can register his intent. Hawk has rolled on top of me to consume me, body and soul. The kiss deepens and becomes sensual. I part my lips, letting him devour my mouth. His hands are moving over my naked body. I feel him harden between my legs and I arch my hips up to meet his groin. I moan in my lust and I hear him growl his need against my mouth. He breaks the kiss to move his mouth over my skin. I am lost in the moment. It feels like this is goodbye. A tear slips from my right eye, but I choke them back. I won’t ruin this moment with tears.
Hawk proceeds to bring me to climax several times over the next hour. Finally, when my body feels like Jell-O at a picnic on the fourth of July, he carries me from the bed to the bathroom. He fills the garden tub with hot water and turns on the jets. He lowers me into the tub and climbs in behind me. We sit and soak in silence for a while, when the water begins to cool, he washes me and pulls the plug to drain the tub. He then transfers us to the shower to rinse the bubbles from our bath away. He towel dries me and wraps a towel around me. Sweeping me up into his arms he carries me back into the bedroom. He drops me on the bed and heads to the dresser and gets clothes out for me. He comes back to the bed still not saying a word he dresses me in comfort clothes for traveling. Then he dresses in his military fatigues and combat boots.
There is a knock at the door. Hawks face falls briefly, but then he leans down to place a gentle kiss on my forehead, lingering just a little too long. Struggling to keep the tears from falling, I cling to his shoulders and breath in his scent deeply. I need to memorize every detail of him, his scent, his soul. He pulls back from me gently.
“I have to go now, love. They are here to take me back to Fort Campbell to catch a plane out back to base. Dad will be here in a couple of hours to take you home with him.” Hawk looks into my eyes. His eyes roam over my face, then down my body. His hand comes to rest on my lower abdomen. “I love you, Charlotte. I love our babies. I want us to get married as soon as I get home. I wish we had done it while we were here. I will be back home for you as quickly as I possibly can.”
“I know, Hawk. I love you too, soldier boy.” I smile up at him with love in my eyes. I want him to leave with a happy memory, not with me sobbing like my world is ending. I manage to keep the tears from falling even as I feel them pooling in the corners. We hold onto one another like it’s the last time we will be together. After a few moments, he pulls back and kisses me gently. He turns and walks out my room.
Hawk is gone. The tears are falling freely now, but I have to pull myself together and get ready. His Dad will be here in a few hours. My clothes are packed, and the suitcase is by the door in less than fifteen minutes. Now what do I do? My phone rings. It’s an unfamiliar number.
“Hello?” I say into the phone.
“Charlotte, darling? This is Jordan, Sr. I am afraid I am going to be later than expected. I have a flat tire, but I’ll be there as soon as I can. I can call Joe and see if he can come down sooner?” Jordan, Sr questions.
“No, Jordan. I will be fine. I’ll just read a book or something until you can get here. Don’t worry about me. I may call my friend Lisa and chat with her for a while. Be safe and I’ll see you soon.”
“Alright. Charlotte?” Hawk’s dad asks.
“Yes?”
“Stay put until I get there, ok? Don’t answer the door for anyone or let anyone know you are there alone. I hope this whole drug lord mess is behind you, but we don’t want to take chances. I’ll be there soon, darling.”
“I’ll be fine, Jordan. I appreciate you worrying about me. I’ll be waiting for you.” I say as the connection ends.
I decide to call Lisa and catch her up on all that has happened since I was abducted in the jungle. We talk for a long time. I have missed her and our talks. She could always help me to process my emotions and help me find clarity when all I can see is haze. After updating her about the awful time I spent in captivity the conversation turns to my new relationship.
“Sooo…tell me about your man.” Lisa demands with a laugh. “Don’t get me wrong. I am thrilled for you. Your face lights up when you look at him. Don’t get me started on the looks he gives you. They make me envious. I wish I had a man look at me with such love and devotion. Give me details about how all this came about.”
“Honestly, I have no idea how I got so lucky. You remember me telling you about the soldiers in the café at the airport?” I ask.
“Yes. I remember. You talked to them while waiting for the rest of us to get to the airport before we headed off to Guatemala.” Lisa replies.
“That’s right. Jordan was the one that kissed my hand. When I woke up in the safe house and he was there, I couldn’t believe it. I thought I was dreaming or hallucinating, but he was there.” I sigh as I recall the intense conversations we shared while waiting for me to be well enough to travel. “He remembered me from the café, too. He confessed he had been thinking about me too since we first met. He refused to leave my side while we were at the safe house. I was a stranger, but he cared for me like I was already his wife. Hell, better than I had ever been treated before.
“You know that I loved David, but he was not really the alpha male type like Jordan is. When Jordan gets it in his head that I need something, there is no changing his mind. He isn’t mean and doesn’t force me to do anything I don’t really want to do. He is just determined to do what is in my best interest. He literally fed me like a child when I was hurt and sick. Sometimes he still does and while it should have made me feel uncomfortable like less of an adult, it doesn’t. It’s his way of showing me just how much he cares for me.” I pause to gather my thoughts when Lisa asks what she really wanted to know.
“How’s he in bed? I’m assuming it is out of this world.” She laughs.
“Definitely. Its mind blowing and I’m not just saying that. It was always nice with David, but Jordan knows his way around the female body. The chemistry between us has always been intense from the moment I first met him, but when we are in bed. I forget everything, but his body on mine. He is a very generous lover. He makes sure I am taken care of first, before he takes any pleasure for himself. It is amazing.”
“Damn, now I’m even more jealous.” Lisa laughs softly. We talk on for a long time. I finally conversation turns to the pregnancy and the twins. She is still shocked, but happy for us.
