“Scarlett!” I yelled out, opening the door to the cabin. The room was filled with the smell of fresh pine and night air. “Scar!” I raced up the stairs, eager to see her face. I threw open the door to the bedroom to see her sound asleep. Red sheets draped over her body, emphasizing her curves. The moonlight illuminated her delicate features. Could this stunning creature truly desire me? A boy who grew up in squalor.

      I walked back downstairs, and as I passed by the kitchen, I noticed a piece of paper. Did she write me a note? I looked over her graceful handwriting. She was trying to apologize for the kiss; she was also trying to fight these powerful feelings.

    I stood at the bottom of the staircase, deliberating my next move. My mind was clearer on the front lines, having bullets fly at me than it was right now. I glided up the wooden staircase, careful not to wake her, and into the bedroom. The vision of her beauty silenced the racing thoughts. The need to be close to her again took over my mind and body as she lay there, a real-life Aphrodite. Could she be mine?

    I couldn’t help but climb into the bed next to her. Pulling her tight body close to mine, I tenderly kissed her neck, and I closed my eyes, never more at peace with her in my arms.

Scarlett’s POV

      I wouldn’t have to wait long to get my answers. Mason’s body was warm. His scent drew me closer, feeling him crawl into the bed with me. My heart smiled; my body relaxed, melting into the contours of his. His lips tickled my neck as we fell asleep. Is this what being cared for really feels like? Could this be love?

     Morning arrived swiftly. We still lay in each other’s arms. I rolled over to see he was already awake, patiently waiting for me to stir. “Hi.” The sleep in his voice was sensual.

     “Hey there.” My eyes smiled, looking into his. “I was worried I scared you away.”

      “You can’t get rid of me that easily.” His perfect smile lit up the room.

     “Good.” Combing my fingers through his hair, I pulled him in for another kiss, hoping to continue where we left off the day before. Mason wrapped his hand around the back of my head, taking in every ounce of the moment. I pushed him onto his back, rolling myself on top of his solid body, straddling him. My petite hands massaged his strong shoulders and pecs, his caressing my thick thighs and round bottom. The intensity was electric, our lips moving in synchronicity, our bodies moving as one. His calloused hands were rough, yet soft to the touch, tickling my back, pressing me closer to his body. His tongue was wet and inviting, ever so gently gliding across my bottom lip, as if asking for permission to enter. I nibbled his bottom lip before releasing and moving down his neck, then his ear lobe. A moan escaped his lips. I knew then I had him right where I wanted. He was mine, all mine.

     “We can’t go further than this,” He whispered in my ear while I was ever so gently nibbling on his neck, while he attempted to hide that he was getting hard. “Not yet.”

     “Do you always have to make things so difficult?” I joked while moving my lips down his taut chest to his firm abs.

     “Just trust me, okay?” Mason pulled me back up to his face, eyes full of lust and a yearning for more.

     “If you say so…” I kissed him once more before rolling off and gazing at his Adonis-like figure. “I could get used to this.”

     Mason sat up in the bed and looked down at me. A look of pure happiness crossed his face that I had never seen before. “Me too.”

     I rolled out of bed and began to saunter to the restroom when I heard a *thwack* across my butt and felt my skin jiggle down my thigh. I turned and saw Mason smiling ear to ear. A giggle escaped my throat. “Really?”

     He burst into laughter. “I’m sorry, I couldn’t help myself. It is a perfect ass.”

     “I know.” I joked, walking away, shaking it a bit more, his eyes on me, before closing the door to the restroom. A cold shower was in order after that.

      Later in the day, we decided to take a walk around the surrounding forest and get out of the cabin for a bit. Walking along the rocky red trails, we spotted a herd of elk unwinding by a peaceful stream; the calves playing in the water, their mothers watching us attentively, weary of us stepping too close. A mix of firewood and lilac filled the warm air. The light pink clouds were outlined with silver and blue.

     “So, how did you meet my dad? If you don’t mind me asking, if I’m allowed to ask.” I craved to know more about this man who I was seemingly falling for.

      Mason’s face grew long, thinking about how to answer my question. “Well, he saved my life.” He glanced at me, then down to the gravel trail.

    “Wait, what?” I was surprised. I never knew my dad had saved anyone. Apparently, there was a lot I didn’t know, though.

      “Yeah, back in Afghanistan, while I was in the Marine Corps.” He looked up, eyes dazed like he was back in that moment.

      “Can you tell me more?” I felt sheepish asking that question, trying not to pry. “If you want.”

    “I don’t mind. I don’t really tell this story much. I was directly on the front lines, fighting against the Taliban.” His voice was hard and emotionless, like he was trying to distance himself from the memory. “We received intel there were survivors pinned down in an active fighting zone. A small girl, a boy, and a man, most likely trying to escape when their families and neighbors were shot down. We had assumed they were mostly unharmed. Most of my men saw it as a suicide mission, but there was no way I could leave them there to die. The enemies were posted in the surrounding houses and buildings. There was no way to really tell where they were until the shots began. But I couldn’t leave them there to die. They were innocent. Fate had chosen them to live, and there was no way I could sit around and wait for them to die.” The vengeance in his voice was now audible. “I was able to rally a handful of men to come with me, one Humvee, that was it. The plan was to set off smoke bombs, so we could remain invisible. At first, it was going as planned. All the smoke bombs went off, the Taliban just began shooting everywhere. We had precisely 90 seconds to get the survivors in the Humvee and back out to cover before the smoke would start to dissipate. We lifted several dead bodies off the children, who were mostly okay physically, despite a few bruises and scratches, and I handed them off to my men. But the older man, he was in terrible shape. It was my job to get them all to safety, but he couldn’t walk and had to be dragged out from under a pile of more corpses. Both his legs were irreparably damaged and would have had to be amputated, but I refused to leave him behind. He was begging me to help him. Our time was running out. The driver of the Humvee had no choice but to back out without us. So, I did what anyone would have done, I threw him over my shoulders and just started running. The closest cover I could get us to was 50 meters away, then another 100 meters to where we could be picked up. Bullets were coming from every direction, flying all around me. One caught me directly through the shoulder. When we took cover behind the building, I tried to radio my team, but they shot my radio, probably saved my life, thinking about it. The smoke was gone at this point. I had two options; wait there to be killed or worse, taken prisoner, or I could pick the man back up and just keep running through open fire and have a chance at making it. So I threw him back over my shoulders and bolted. I took quite a few bullets, but the one that knocked me down got me right into the back of my thigh. The man landed on top of me, I didn’t know it at the time, but he had taken a bullet too and was already gone. I laid there, bleeding out, trying my best to stay focused, stay awake, I crawled behind a blown-up car and sat myself up, waiting to die. Next thing I know, someone was slapping my face yelling at me to wake up.  It was your dad. He wasn’t even supposed to be there, he was flying over to another base when he got word of the rescue mission and wanted to help. He got me to safety, where they flew me to a hospital and got me into surgery, had your dad not been there, I would be a dead man. The military wanted to give me an honorable medical discharge, due to all the injuries I sustained. But I wasn’t done, I wasn’t ready to quit. It was my passion to help people and help our Nation. When your dad heard I wasn’t going to be allowed to go back to the Marine Corps, he offered me a job working for him, making a hell of a lot more and actually getting in there and doing what I love.” Mason looked over to me, a smile finally crossed his face.

     I was speechless. How could a man go through all of that and who knows what else, and still want to go back? “You really are one hell of a man.” I bumped into him and wrapped my arms around his waist. “Thank you for sharing that with me.”

    We continued our walk, sharing stories of our childhood. Everything felt right for the moment. It was like we were in our own world, just the two of us. We were in our own little bubble. Unfortunately, that wouldn’t last much longer.

    Mason’s radio began beeping, bursting my daydream. “Come in. Over.” His tone changed from fun-loving to professional.

     “We have intel on the enemy. We may have spotted them moving west. Over.” I didn’t recognize the voice on the other side. It must have been another person on the team.

      “Awaiting further instructions. Over.”

      “Standby to Standby. Charlie Mike. Over and Out.” The radio went silent.

     It confused me. I looked at Mason’s face for answers, but he remained stoic. “So, what does that mean? Are they headed our way?” My stomach churned and my heart raced. Did they know where we were?

      “It means we wait and stay put unless told otherwise.” It seemed like it was no big deal.

     “But who is moving west? Aren’t we to the west?”

     “Scarlett,” Mason faced me and rested his hands on my shoulders, “I am here to protect you. There is an entire platoon of agents out there making sure you are safe.” His cologne reminded me of the ocean at sunset, relaxing my nerves as he held me tight. “I would do anything for you.”  

      “You promise?” My voice stood strong despite the danger we were in.

      “I promise.” Mason took my hand and led me back towards the cabin. “Your birthday is tomorrow. What do you want to do for your big 21? Within the limits of what you can do right now, of course.”

        My birthday! I completely forgot tomorrow was already my birthday. With everything going on, it hadn’t even crossed my mind. I had always imagined my 21^st would be spent with friends, out on the town, getting drunk and having fun. Never in a million years did I think I would be in a small town in Colorado, stuck in a cabin, with people trying to kill me. “I honestly have no idea.”

      “What would you be doing if you were back at home?” Mason questioned.

     “Probably drinking with the girls, barhopping downtown, and dancing the night away.” A frown formed on my face, thinking of my friends, who probably think I’m dead.

     “Well, what if I can convince your dad to let us go out tomorrow? I heard there is a fair in town, and I could probably let you get a few drinks, since who doesn’t want a drink on their 21^st birthday?”

      “If you could get me out of this damn cabin for a day, then you really would be my hero.”

     “Bet.” Mason quickly picked up his radio and changed stations. “Falcon, come in. Over.” A cheesy grin crossed his face, waiting for a reply.

     “Eagle. Go. Over.” My father’s voice broke the static.

     “Are we clear to go into town tomorrow?”

     “Affirmative. The town has been sectioned.”

     “Tango-Yankee, over and out.” His grin turned to a full smile. “Who’s your hero again?” Mason chuckled.