Page 27 of The Beauty Shop (Heroes of War #1)

Battle, Conflict I’m here, in one piece.’ He reached into his pocket and pulled out a handkerchief. ‘Here, dry your eyes and I’ll take you back to the guest house.’

His face was smeared with grime, the acrid smell of smoke clinging to his uniform, his hands ingrained with dirt and grease, yet his calm presence anchored her.

‘The pilot’s pretty beat up, but he’ll live.’

‘All thanks to you.’ She sniffed, wiping her eyes.

‘The canopy was jammed. Poor guy couldn’t get out.’

‘But you could have been . . .’ She stopped herself and swallowed. He was a hero, and the relief she felt overwhelmed her. He took her hand and pulled her to her feet.

When they reached the guest house, Mac led her straight to her room. ‘Maybe you should have a rest, you’re in shock. I’ll get you some tea.’

‘Don’t leave me. I don’t want to be alone.’ She looked at him, misty-eyed. ‘Please Mac, just hold me.’

He held her gaze, pushed the door shut behind him, and reached for her outstretched hand. He led her to the bed and lay down, shuffling across to make room for her. She turned to face him as he cradled her in his arms.

‘I thought I’d lost you, and I couldn’t bear it.’ She gazed into his eyes as he stroked the hair away from her face and dabbed the fresh tears from her cheek. He leaned in and pressed his lips to hers, soft and gentle, and Stella gave way to the passion that had been building inside her like a volcano. He kissed her neck and moved down to unbutton her shirt, kissing her chest.

Stella gasped. ‘Make love to me.’

He raised his eyes to hers. ‘Are you sure?’

She pulled him to her, kissing him more passionately than ever, exploring the softness of his mouth with her tongue. His lips remained on hers as his fingers fumbled with the buttons on his shirt. He stood up, unbuckled his belt, and let his trousers drop to the floor. Taking Stella by the hand, he gently pulled her up, planting a soft kiss on her brow. Her gaze raked over his smooth chest, and she slipped her hands inside his shirt, easing it slowly over his shoulders, the sleeves skimming his arms before it swished to the floor. She looked into his eyes and noted a fierce intensity burning there, and he pressed his lips to hers, firm, filled with fresh hunger.

Unhurriedly, he traced his finger across the swell of her breasts, then eased her shirt off. He unzipped her skirt and moved closer, stretching his arms around her back to release her bra. He gasped. ‘You’re so beautiful.’ He kissed her breast before scooping her up in his arms and laying her softly on the bed.

Her heart pounded faster as the blood surged through her body. Thank heavens she was wearing the cream satin underwear and not those awful regulation woollen knickers. Stella’s mind swirled with a mixture of desire and vulnerability. As he looked down at her, she felt exposed, yet completely safe in his gaze. His hands roamed over her skin, igniting every nerve. She reached up, running her fingers through his hair, pulling him closer, wanting to feel every part of him.

The world outside faded away, leaving just the two of them, intertwined in the dim light. She lost herself in his touch, each movement drawing her deeper into a realm where only they existed. He kissed her again, his lips trailing down her neck, sending shivers through her spine.

He reached for his trousers, and dragged a French letter from the pocket, ripping it open. Moments later, he gently nudged her thigh apart with his knee and guided himself into her, watching her face as he did so. She let out a small wince of pain, held her breath for several seconds, and squeezed her eyes shut. Opening them, she looked directly at him, his dog tags dangling in front of her, cold metal skimming her chest. He moved slowly, easing her into the rhythm, kissing her lips and breasts. The burning sting ebbed away, replaced by a wave of pleasure that washed through her entire body. She arched her back, driving him deeper, gasping and digging her nails into his back as she moaned. Then, when he touched her down there, she was so startled by the sensation that burst into being and blossomed within her. She cried out, releasing the last of any inhibitions, rocking her hips in time with his, their bodies entwined.

In that moment, all doubts and fears melted away. There was only the profound connection between them, a bond that transcended words, a promise of forever. He gazed into her eyes, tracing a line down her cheek with his fingertip, then his mouth found hers in a long, lingering kiss before he rolled onto his back, cradling her in his arms.

‘I love you,’ he said, catching his breath.

‘I love you too.’ She felt a slight chill and pulled the blanket over them as they lay watching the sunset through the window. ‘I never expected it to be like that,’ she said as her gaze swam in the hues of salmon pink and lilac infusing the sky.

‘Like what, honey?’

‘Perfect.’

***

Later that night, Stella was unable to sleep, and she lay listening to crumps in the distance, along with the ack-ack bursting into the darkness as aircraft droned into the night. The south-east coast was getting a pasting. Naked, she rose and tiptoed to the window. Startled by another crump, a fiery glow rose in the distance, illuminating the horizon, and then Mac was behind her, his firm body warm against hers, his arms slipping around her, and she leaned into his muscular chest. ‘I wonder where it’s happening tonight.’ She stroked his leg, marvelling at the sparse covering of wiry hairs across his muscular thigh.

‘Looks like it’s on the coast. Could be Hastings, although I reckon it’s a little further east. Jerry getting rid of the surplus before they fly home.’ He kissed the top of her head.

‘Mac, I can’t bear to think of you flying again.’ She hugged him tight.

‘Whoa there, you’re crushing the life outta me, woman.’ He laughed, cupping her chin with his hand as he brushed his lips over hers. ‘I love you more than anyone else in the world, but I came here with a job to do. And now I’ve got you to come home to, you can be sure I’ll do whatever it takes.’

‘Promise me you’ll come back.’

‘Stella, I hope I will, but you know I can’t promise anything.’

‘I need you to. Please.’ She laid her head on his chest, which rippled on the wave of his deep sigh.

‘I promise I’ll do my best. I’d do anything for you, you know that.’ He brushed her head with his lips.

Anything except take a desk job. A numbness crawled into the hollow of her stomach. If only they could stay like this, or just have another day or two together. She clutched at time greedily, knowing it waited for no one and invariably ran out. She closed her eyes, drinking in the smell of him, revelling in his warmth on her skin, imprinting every inch of his being in her memory to cherish later. But it would never be enough. She wrapped her arms around him, breathing him in as an unsettling darkness grew inside her.

‘Wait right there, honey.’ Mac prised himself away, strode over to his jacket and pulled something from the pocket.

As he sauntered back, wearing nothing but his shorts, warmth flooded her entire body. She flicked a glance at the jewellery box in his hand, and her heart raced. He led her to the bed and sat down beside her.

‘Stella, I’ve loved you from the very first moment I saw you across that crowded dance hall, and I’ve been waiting, hoping ever since.’ He stroked her face with his right hand, then cupped her chin, brushing her lips with his. ‘I love you so much it hurts, and I never want to be parted from you again.’ He got down on one knee and took her left hand in his. ‘Stella Charlton, would you do me the honour of becoming my wife?’ He flipped the box open.

The breath hitched in Stella’s throat at the diamond that captured the incandescence of the moonlight. ‘Oh, Mac.’ Tears welled in her eyes. ‘Yes, yes I will.’

Mac plucked the gold ring from its velvet perch, and as he slipped it on her finger, a bond like a silken ribbon wrapped itself around them, binding them together at last.

‘My mother will think I’m mad. We hardly know one another.’

Mac’s smile faded as he gently took her hands. ‘I know you. You’re the gal sailing through my dreams. It’s your face I see every night before I fall asleep and every morning when I wake. And when I’m flying, you’re there with me, through the clouds, across the Channel, following the glint of the Loire River all the way there and back again. You’re right here.’ He patted his heart. ‘Always.’

A single tear pearled on Stella’s lower eyelashes, wet, tickling, and bounced onto her cheek. Mac gently brushed it away.

‘I can’t make it without you. I can’t do any of this without you, honey.’ His dark blue eyes bore into her soul, and his brow furrowed, each ripple carrying the burden and grief of war.

A vice clamped her heart, and she swallowed as she lifted her hand to cup his cheek. ‘You don’t have to. I’ll be with you every step of the way.’

***

As Mac drifted off to sleep, the sounds all around became acutely sharp. The whoosh of a passing car, voices followed by laughter. Footstep’s tip-tapped along the corridor, then a door slammed. Outside the wind stirred the trees, and the leaves cackled back, but he didn’t mind. He was flying. The old Curtiss Jenny was light and lithe in his hands, soaring over the prairie beneath the burning sun. Soaring into a fog, dark and thick, slipping into the freezing cockpit of the Texas Rose . A familiar voice buzzed in his ear and then a suffocating heat consumed him. He gasped just as a hand reached out, pulling him close, and he danced with the girl with blonde hair and green eyes.

With a start, he woke to find Stella’s hand upon his chest, smoothing out his metal dog tags. Her lips formed to speak as she shushed him, her eyes on his, soothing. His breathing was rapid and shallow, and his gaze darted around the room, but no one else was there. He focused on her eyes and sucked in slow, deep breaths as his breathing steadied.

‘You cried out,’ she whispered.

Sweat beaded on his brow. He sat up and planted his feet on the cool, wooden floorboards. Stella padded across to the window and heaved up the sash. A cool breeze flowed and wrapped itself around him. Mac sniffed. The familiar perfume of the Beauty Shop, roasted flesh, would it ever leave?

Stella got a handkerchief and wiped his brow. God, what must she be thinking? ‘Thanks,’ he muttered, taking hold of her hand, and pulling her towards him. He buried his head against her chest as she wrapped her arms around him, and he caught the floral scent of her skin and drank it in. The night held the memories, releasing them in pieces like ghosts. An icy chill draped across his shoulders, and he lay back, his head sinking into the pillows, pulling Stella down beside him.

He closed his eyes as she rested her head on his chest. It was moments such as these when he wondered what he was doing going back to the 91 st , risking everything he had. He kissed the top of her head. ‘I love you, Stella, more than anything.’

‘More than flying?’

He gave her a squeeze. ‘I reckon that’s a whole different kind of love, but yeah, more than flying.’

She snuggled into him without another word. His body was heavy and ached for peace, though as much as he tried, he couldn’t sleep. His heart sank at the thought of leaving her again. Service life kept you all bound up in rules and duty, making moments of happiness like this rare and fleeting, but they were priceless.