The Lioness Read online

  He let out a laugh and stood. “Come on Rose, the only one I want to be with tonight is you, and only you.” She walked over to him and people parted. He pulled her up real tight, regardless of the others who stood there.

  Looking down into her eyes he saw the woman he had been wanting with such passion and force that it ate away at him for weeks. He couldn’t get a decent night’s sleep, couldn’t concentrate on his work. It had become a nightmare in Iraq. He had become sloppy with his work and not quick on his feet when he was with the soldiers. He knew if he didn’t take care of the problem, get it settled, he could end up getting himself killed. He needed to know what she felt, if she felt anything. So he had started looking for her and finally found out about this exhibit in Phnom Penh.

  Pulling her close, he saw her lips tremble and knew he had to get her out and away from the crowd. She was going to need quiet and apparently she was feeling the same way as him. “Come on baby, let’s go. I’ve got my Land Cruiser out front. We’ll go get a bite to eat and then find a quiet spot.”

  As they moved towards the door his former escorts came up. “We want to go, this place too quiet.”

  Ty looked down at Rose and then at the girls. “Sorry girls, you attached yourself to the wrong man tonight, go find someone else, I’m taken.”

  They snorted and said something rude in Khmer and walked off after turning and flipping their beautifully, long, straight hair.

  “Well I guess they won’t be part of your fan club.”

  “Honey, I don’t have one and if I did, you would be the only one I’d want in it.” He took her hand as they walked down the stairs and into the gathering dusk. The breeze coming off the river met them. They stood there watching the final rays of sun as it went down. He had wrapped his arm around her waist. Pulling her close, he felt a peace having her next to him again. It had been too long and he needed her. Looking down, he saw her eyes looking up at him. He felt her sigh and knew even from the little time they had together that she was feeling the same. They had clicked so quickly. Something came together in those first few days that had turned into months. They had become friends, close friends, enjoying each other’s company to the extent that when they went out to work on a story they seemed to read each other’s thoughts. They knew what each other was thinking, what the other was going to say.

  As he leaned down, he caught her lips for the first time in six long weeks and she came up and met his. Molding herself to him, she clung and kissed him back with such force he almost fell backwards. “Whoa honey, where’s the fire?”

  She laughed and smiled shyly up to him. “I guess I’m a little anxious, maybe you better be careful.” She looked down and he caught her chin. Bringing her face up he saw her smile. Her voice was low and husky. “I’ve missed you so, Ty. Missed everything about you. I wanted to go back, after I left Banda Aceh. You don’t know the struggle I had. I wanted to have them turn the copter around and bring me back. Deep down I knew you were right, it was more than even I could handle. All the death, the constant death that surrounded us. We could never escape it. We were surrounded by it. I saw it, smelled it, were smothered by it.” She looked away, across the river. “It was the first time I doubted my ability to do a good job. I was so affected by what I saw, I couldn’t handle it, but I was forever changed by what I saw and experienced. Then it made me think of us. I was wrong to take it out on you. I was trying to prove something.”

  “You never had to prove anything to me, Rose, you’ve done so much. Look at all the spots you’ve been in, the people you helped through your stories and photos. The awareness you have raised for the women and children that you’ve come in contact with. That’s why I wanted to work with you. I wanted a more human side to my stories. You did that, and you did it for me. That’s why, why, I was just scared for you. I didn’t want you getting sick again, after how sick you were in Afghanistan. It scared me and you had become so important to me. You meant the world to me.”

  So she had meant something to him. What about now? She looked up and saw her answer.

  “You mean everything to me, that’s why I came looking for you. I couldn’t sleep, eat or work. I was getting really sloppy with everything and there were a couple times that I almost bought it because of it. I had to leave and find you. Settle it once and for all, see if we have a future together.”

  He didn’t wait. He pulled her to him and crushed his lips to hers, taking, devouring, savoring the lips that had set him on fire back in Afghanistan, the first time he had kissed her.

  They had been working together for about a month and they had had one of those days, actually it had been a string of days and they were finally back in Kabul after a road trip following the army around, looking for Taliban. Rose had gotten some really good shots of kids and women. She was drawn to them and the violence and hurt they experienced each and every day. He had come in after they had each chilled out for a while and he found her lying on her bed, the one and only one he could find for her. He had a cot as did everyone in the house. He had gone scouring the countryside looking for something, anything that could be used for a bed. She lay there with her iPod on, listening to something. She was typing up a storm, fanny up, gently swaying to the beat of the music. He had stood there for what seemed like forever, looking at her, enjoying the scene that played in front of him. Getting drunk on her movements. Everything slowed down for a few brief seconds. Her laying there in the light of her iPod and some candles. She created quite the picture. The more time he spent with her, the more and more he was attracted to her.

  “Busy?”

  Rose turned and smiled. “No, I was just putting stuff in my journal. I’m done with my blog and done writing to the folks.” She sat up and Ty had a hard time focusing on her face. It was the only time he actually saw her legs or skin. All day she was covered from head to toes pretty much. Now her legs showed all their glory and they glowed in the candlelight. Her hair gave off a shine after showering. They had both been pretty grungy after their trip, covered with miles of dust and sweat.

  “Come on, sit down, I’ve got a treat. I have some hot cocoa and there’s a thermos here with hot water. We can have a cup and play some scrabble or maybe strip scrabble.” She looked at him impishly and smiled.

  “I’ll take that hot cocoa, since we don’t have anything stronger.” He sat and watched as she got out two mugs and made up the cocoa and added some marshmallows. Coming over, she handed him the mug. “I wish I had more to offer but my stores are small. I keep stuff like this just for special occasions or to have with friends.”

  Ty watched her as she sat down again. She sat further up, next to the wall, legs tucked up. He caught her looking at him over the mug. He felt a current running between them.

  Trying to sound offhand after her comment on the strip Scrabble, he looked over to the floor and saw the small travel scrabble she had. It was amazing, they had so much in common. She was addicted to the word, loved to read, loved crossword puzzles and word searches. She loved the New York Times crossword puzzle. Her folks scanned her one a week, knowing she probably didn’t have that much down time to work on it. She passed one on to him. The thing that cracked him up the most was they kept an ongoing Scrabble game going. If they left, they left off where they had stopped. They were now needing to start a new one.

  “So what about a game, of Scrabble?

  **********

  They were laying there facing each other and he had put down a word. She was dozing and he cleared his throat. Watching her come to, she looked at the word and snorted.

  “That’s not a word. Where in the world did you get that made up word?’

  “A.B.E.L B.E.T.H.M.A.A.C.H.A.H is a word in the Old Testament.”

  She snorted and looked at him to see if she could tell if he was pulling her leg. He actually looked serious. “So tell me what Abel beth maachah is and how in the world did you learn that?”

  “It was just something I remembered from my father and his Bible stu
dies, don’t ask me why. He was a pastor outside Savannah. Died at his desk, studying.” He looked down, swallowed and fiddled with the letter tiles. “You know that was what he was studying when he died so I guess that’s why it stuck with me, house of oppression. That’s what Beth means, house. It was north of Palestine.”

  Rose scooted closer and touched Ty’s cheek. He looked up and she felt swallowed up by the warmth of his deep brown eyes. “God your eyes are beautiful. Just like deep, dark chocolate. You’re warm all over.” She felt a thrill in the pit of her stomach. He was so handsome and so sweet, not the playboy she had thought him as. He was so down to earth.

  He took her hand and held it as he held her eyes. He wanted to reach out and pull her to him, kiss her. Her lips were so pink, her skin so white, just like cream. He felt a strong tugging, a need to touch her and more. She was watching him as he held her hand. He started to gently squeeze it. Then he took it and kissed her knuckles, letting his lips linger on each one, keeping his eyes on her, seeing her breathing come quicker, in gentle puffs. Then he took one finger and took the tip to his lips and gently kissed it. He heard an “Oh.”escape her lips. Taking all of her finger in his mouth and sucking on it, he let his tongue play with it, enjoying the site of her as she closed her eyes, making soft whimpering sounds. It was now or never.

  He leaned over and took her lips, softly at first, and kissed her. Enjoying the first thrill of the touch, the velvet touch, and her response. He looked down and she had taken and entwined her fingers in his hand, squeezing to the tempo of his kiss. Like a knitting cat. She was aroused and so was he. He went in closer, puller her in and she brought her hand up around his neck, holding, caressing, sighing as he let his lips kiss her lips and face. Then he was back and letting his tongue just barely taste her. His tongue, just in, tasting her lips, tasting the chocolate and mint. She must have just brushed her teeth before he came into her room.

  “Mm, Mint chocolate chip, you taste just like the ice-cream.”

  She broke the kiss and looked at him. “Do you like the taste?”

  “Enough that I want more of it.” He took her lips and felt her need rise along with his. The temperature of the room rose, or was it them and their bodies? The raw need to be together and feel something other than hate, death, and destruction that they encountered day in and day out?

  **********

  “Boy, you kiss even better than I remember. Talk about where’s the fire. You were scorching there a moment ago.” She looked up into his eyes and saw what she had missed. The warmth. There had always been such warmth, except the day she had yelled at him and had stalked off. Then she had seen him hurt, but she hadn’t been thinking clearly. They had been at it for a couple weeks and it was always the same. So much death and she had blown a gasket, having a severe meltdown. She had to leave and what he had said had only been the icing on top of the proverbial cake.

  She pressed into him. “I’m so glad you found me. I really missed you, missed our talks, our times of scrabble, your meltdown kisses. You’ve always taken me to places with just your kisses. Just like a smorgasbord.”

  He smiled and hugged her close. “Where you staying?”

  “At the Amanjaya, overlooking the Mekong, just down the road actually. Where’s your stuff?”

  “I just arrived. Hadn’t set up base yet since I wanted to find you first. My stuff’s in the back there.”

  “Well, we could go get something to eat at the River House. They have everything there to eat, and then we could go back to my place and you can settle in there or visa versa. Just let me know, I’m fine with whatever.”

  “Let’s go get something to eat and catch up, then we can go back and check in. I’ll take care of everything. I have a week and then I have to be back in Baghdad.”

  Rose looked up into his face. He was so precious to her. To go back into the conflict.... he had admitted that he had almost gotten hurt. A week, a week was a long time and a very short time, depending on which way she looked at it. She would make the best of it and figure her schedule out so she could be there with him.

  He saw her look and knew what she was thinking. He was going back into the fray, she was going to be somewhere safe. That’s the way he wanted it, though he would have to be careful how he worded it. The dangers for reporters and photojournalists were high. He had seen it too many times. He had seen the death of men like himself, killed in line of their work or worse, kidnapped. Recently he had seen an aid worker killed by a roadside bomb. She had been one of Rose’s friends. He knew what Rose was thinking. “It will work out, then we’ll have forever.”

  She hugged him, held him like there was no tomorrow. “I’ll be okay. Let’s go get something to eat and we can talk.”

  “Yeah and....”

  She smiled up into his face. “Hope you came prepared.”

  “It’s my motto.” He heard her gently laugh. “Well I strive for that. You’ll see. I brought a whole case.”

  “Talk about house a fire!” She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him soundly, laughing all the while. “I’m so glad you found me.”

  “He leaned his forehead down to hers. “So am I baby, so am I.”

  **********

  Rose sat back and sighed. This was better than she had expected her night to be. She had figured on spending the night alone, like usual, then crashing. Now Ty was here, looking at her, studying her and looking very much like the cat that swallowed the canary.

  “You look happy Ty. Did you get enough to eat?”

  “Enough, I’m stuffed. My mother would be happy to know I’m eating well. You know how it is when you are on a job, not eating on time or lucky you get anything depending on where you are. A couple nights we just had rations, we were out doing patrols. I saw a few more skirmishes that time, more then I liked. I’m glad you weren’t with me.” He looked over at her and took her hand. “It’s no place for you, you really ought to think twice about whether you really want to go there.”

  Rose leaned forward and was moved by his concern. “I don’t want to be there for the stories. You know it’s the first time I’ve felt like that. I simply want to come and be with you, to be there when you come back. I want to be your support network.”

  “God, how is a guy supposed to turn that down? I want you there and I want you so far away, somewhere tucked safely away so I know I can go to bed at night and know you are safe.” He took her hand and kissed it. “I won’t say no though. It’s up to you. We’ve been through that before and I don’t want any problems with us again because of it. I just care about you too much and don’t want to lose you ever again.” He picked up her hand and kissed it, watching her eyes in the candlelight that softly lit their table.

  “Let’s not talk about it now or think about it now. I want to enjoy what time we have.”

  Ty glanced over Rose’s shoulder to see if he could see their waiter. He saw him and flagged him down. After telling him they were finished, he looked at Rose. “Do you want to go straight to the hotel or go dancing? The only other time we’ve danced was in Turkey.”

  Rose smiled and saw the look in his eyes. It would be nice to go straight back, but going out dancing would add a little fuel to the embers that were there building. She was in great need of Ty and what he was capable of doing. His touch, his kiss could set her on fire. He had the most magical lips in the world and that was from just kissing, never mind the rest of the meltdown, mind-blowing sex that followed. She sighed and smiled.

  “Let’s go dancing for a while. There are a couple of places on Street 51, one is Heart of Darkness, the other is Chilli’s Stardust Disco. That would probably be the place, though I’ll warn you, you’re going to draw attention, I may have to fight off the ladies.”

  “Listen honey, all I want is you, so let’s go dancing and have a good time till you say so, then we’ll go back and, well not to crash. I have plans.”

  **********

  The place was hopping when they got there. They had
stopped briefly at the hotel so he could drop off his bags and Rose could change. She wanted something lighter on. She knew the place was going to be hot, with all the people who came to dance. She was glad she had changed. Jeans would be fine but she had worn a sweater to the FCC and now with her tank and heels, she was more in tune with the others who were there.

  As she had thought when they walked in, people stopped and looked. Some of the Khmer girls that were sitting looking for companions for the night, got up. She steered Ty away to a table close to the wall. She gave them a look that made them understand he was with her and she wasn’t sharing.

  “I saw that fancy footwork and the look those girls gave you said it all. They were deeply offended.”

  “Good, let them be offended. I couldn’t care less. I’ve been wanting you for too long to have them hanging around.” They sat down and a waitress took their order.

  “Are you sure that’s all you want?”

  “Mm, positive, I’m not much into drinking and I don’t want to get too buzzed while I’m dancing. I want to know what tonight is all about. I don’t want to miss a beat.”

  She looked at him and smiled. “Wait a minute, I want to go see if they have something a little slower for us to start with.” She was up and walked over to the DJ. Talking and watching as he scanned down his list. She smiled and nodded and then came back to the table. “Come on, I have a few lined up.”

  “How did you manage that?”

  I know his sister.”

  They walked and the first notes to “Hold Onto Me” by Daryl Hall came on. “Where did he find that gem?” Ty asked.

  “I don’t know, must be a Daryl Hall fan around, I love his voice, him and Brian McKnight, well you know....”

  “I know baby, you have the same taste as me.” He moved her out onto the floor and they danced. More dancers came and they moved with the beat. He felt her body mold to his as he danced with her. Looking down in her eyes, he mouthed the words as they danced. The words, the music, fit his mood and spoke his heart. He loved her and now she was here with him.