"But you just got back, Drake," Bragnae said, disappointed.

"I know, sweetheart. But there's a mission they need me for, and it can't wait," Drake told her as sadness filled his eyes.

Bragnae laid her hands flat against his chest, and looked up at him. "When do you have to go?"

Drake rested his hands on her lower back. "Not for a couple of weeks."

"Is it going to be a long one?" She asked, not sure she wanted to know the answer.

"It's going to be like the last one. But there is some good news," he said with hope. "I'll be going to a Marine Corps Base this time, so I'll have access to the internet. We'll be able to chat over video, and email back and forth."

Bragnae smiled. "That's a relief. Knowing I can talk to you and see you makes me feel so much better."

"Me too. But let's not let this ruin our night. The New Year just begun, and I want to start it off right." A playful smirk spread across his face.

Bragnae's hands roamed up to his broad shoulders before clinging to the back of his neck. "What did you have in mind?"

Drake leaned in to kiss her sweetly. "Why don't we go back to my place, and I'll show you."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Drake sat at a conference table listening to a fellow Marine brief him and a few others about the mission he would soon embark upon.

"Your target is the Ace of Spades, otherwise known as Mohammed Abdalla," the junior Marine reported. "It's been confirmed that he's killed several U.S. troops and allied forces, with his preference being military officers and other high ranking officials."

Drake studied the television screen as the Marine continued through his slides.

"We've determined the Ace of Spades has a known pattern of sniping three-to-five officers before he moves onto another location," the Marine went on. "Based on his prior movements and current location, we believe he'll be within 200 miles of Camp Leatherneck in the Helmand Province. When you get down range, the guys on the ground will be able to give you more up to date information of his current whereabouts, and other important facts for the mission."

As the Marine clicked to his next slide, the face of a murderous man filled the screen. His eyes were dark, matching his hair. Drake memorized every feature on his face, especially the scar slashing through his right eyebrow. This was the man Drake would have to hunt, locate, and kill. The Ace of Spades was an apparent expert sniper, but Drake was better, and he knew he'd be the one to complete the mission.

"You up to the task, Sergeant Walker?" A colonel across the table asked him.

Drake straightened his posture. "Yes, sir."

"Good to hear, Sergeant. I want to get this son of a bitch, and I know you're the man for the job," the colonel praised.

"Thank you, sir."

"Get your affairs in order, Sergeant. I'll see you in a few days to send you off," the colonel told him as he stood up.

Drake and everyone else rose out of their seats as well, and stood at attention until the colonel left the room. Drake gathered his things, left the conference room, and headed to Liam's office. When he got there, Drake knocked on the open door.

"Hey, you got a second?" Drake asked.

"Of course. Come on in, Drake," Liam replied.

Drake walked in and took a seat opposite Liam.

"How'd the briefing go? Did you learn everything you needed to know?" Liam asked, leaning back in his chair with his hands linked across his stomach.

"Yep. Pretty cut and dry. Get in. Shoot the bastard. Get out." Drake reached into his pocket pulling out two envelopes. "I don't think I'll get much time before I leave to see you again – I'm going to be spending the next few days with Bragnae, and then I leave, so I thought we'd better do this now."

"Absolutely. Definitely don't want to skip out on this little tradition of ours," Liam said, holding his hand out over his desk.

Drake handed Liam the envelopes. "This time, I have two letters. One for you, and one for Bragnae. If I don't make it back, I need you to give this to her."

Liam drew back the letters in his hand, looking them over. "Of course, Drake. But we both know it's not necessary because I will be handing these back to you when you come home."

"I'm looking forward to that, as always, Liam. Also, would you mind letting Bragnae know when I get to Afghanistan?"

"Sure."

"Thanks, man. Alright, I'm going to go start my weekend early," Drake said, standing up.

Liam stood and walked around the desk pulling Drake into a quick bro-hug. "Take it easy, Drake. Give 'em hell, and bring us home a win."

"Will do. Thanks, Liam."

Drake left work, and headed back to his barracks to shower and pack a bag. He stopped at a shop on base to pick up a bouquet of flowers before making his way over to Bragnae's place. After climbing three flights of stairs, he knocked on her door.

A few seconds later, Bragnae greeted him with a big smile. She stood there with her long hair pulled into a tight bun, still wearing her camouflage uniform. Drake beamed.

"Hey, stud."

Drake walked in and looped an arm around her back as he pulled her in for a brief, but heated kiss. "Hi, beautiful." He lifted the flowers to their touching chests, and presented them to her.

Bragnae's smile grew wider. "Aww, Drake. These are lovely," she said, bending down to take in their fragrant smell. "Thank you so much."

"You're welcome." He kissed her once more before letting her go.

Bragnae took the flowers from him, and walked to the kitchen. "I just got home from work. I had to stay later than I wanted to. We had a big mission to complete today."

"Oh yeah? Want to talk about it?" He asked, putting his bag down on a chair nearby.

Bragnae fished out a vase from under the sink, and filled it with water. "Well, I could talk about it, but then I'd have to kill you. Top Secret stuff, remember?" She gave him a wink before filling the vase with the flowers, and placing the arrangement in the middle of her kitchen table.

Drake watched as Bragnae released her hair from the tight bun, shaking it out over her shoulders. She unbuttoned her uniform top as she walked back over to Drake. He had seen her in formal and casual wear, in her dress uniform, and of course – his favorite – stark naked, but seeing her let loose after work was striking him in particular.

"I'm going to shower really fast, but then I'm all yours," Bragnae stood on her toes to brush her lips against his.

Drake slid her uniform blouse over her shoulders, bunching it tightly just above her elbows making her arms immobile. A cocky smirk spread across his lips as he yanked her to him again. As his mouth distracted her with a sultry kiss, his hands untucked her t-shirt, and undid her belt.

Bragnae giggled as he pulled back. "You always make taking off clothes fun."

Drake chuckled. "Alright, go take a shower, so we can get you dirty again."

Bragnae rolled her eyes at him, but smiled as she walked away. Drake offered a quick smack to her backside before she could get too far. He followed her into the bedroom, and went straight for the bed. He took off his shoes and laid down as she turned on the shower.

Drake let out a deep contented sigh as he peered casually around her room. He turned toward the nightstand to see a framed picture of the two of them looking back at him. He smiled as he saw little knick knacks around her room ranging from little crystal tumblers to books to stuffed animals. He thought to turn on the television but couldn't find the remote after briefly scanning the area.

True to her word, Bragnae turned off the water after a rather quick shower.

"Bragnae, where's the remote to your television?"

"It's in the nightstand drawer," she called back to him.

Drake planted his feet on the floor, and leaned forward to open the drawer. He spotted the remote instantly, along with a large, purple phallic-shaped object. He laughed to himself, and picked it up to examine it closer. There were two buttons at its base. He switched it on creating an intense buzz from the object. He pushed the other button which changed the rhythm of the vibration with each tap of the control.

Many ideas flooded his mind. He stood, and walked to the bathroom. "Hey, what's this?" He held the purple dildo proudly in his hand.

Bragnae finished brushing her hair before turning around. "Oh!" She gasped, turning slightly red from embarrassment. "You found it, huh?"

"Yeah, this thing is massive, Bragnae." He hefted it in his hand as he spoke.

"I used to have a smaller one, but I've had to upgrade it since we've been together."

"Really?" He questioned. "Do you use it a lot?"

"When you deployed the first time, I did," she walked over to pat him lightly on his cheek. "And any other time when I'm missing my hot boyfriend, and can't be with him I use it." Bragnae walked past him to her closet to pick out some clothes. "And you better believe that will be my best friend while you're gone this time too."

Drake felt tingly at the thought of Bragnae using the faux-dick in his absence. He imagined her writhing against the sheets, and moaning as it vibrated inside her. "And you've just given me a very nice image to conjure when I need to release some tension while I'm gone."

Bragnae hiked up a pair of lace panties dropping her towel on the floor. "Just so you know – it's nice, but it has nothing on you."

"I should hope not." Drake watched Bragnae's near-naked body with hungry eyes as she finished up a few things in the bathroom. Her full breasts bouncing with each step – her toned legs flexing. Talking about her using the vibrator, and seeing her now was making him hard, and he could no longer wait. "Bragnae?"

She stored away the after-shower creams and mists before turning to him. "Yes?"

He looked at her with thirst in his eyes saying nothing at first, which drew her in closer. "I want you to get on the bed."

She pulled back a bit in surprise. "What?"

"Go get on the bed. Now." He repeated with a firm voice.

A slow smile crept over her face. "Any particular way you want me?"

"Hands and knees. And lose the panties."

Bragnae immediately turned around with her back against his front, just barely touching him. She hooked her thumbs around the top hem of her panties, and slowly pulled them down, bending at the waist and pushing her ass against him as she did it. Bragnae stepped out of them, and flashed a look at Drake over her shoulder before walking to the bed to do as he commanded.

Drake watched as she positioned herself just as he asked – her body facing the headboard. She looked over at him as he stood in the doorway. Her long, black hair hung from one side, her breasts fell forward, her lower back dipping just before her glorious backside. He felt his jeans tighten at the sight of her.

She bit her lip as he finally made his way over to her. Drake caressed a hand across her back and down her body until he found the warmth between her legs. He teased his fingers around her opening and up to her clit prompting a whimpering moan from Bragnae. His fingers slid into her easily. The silky wetness guided them to the sensitive spot inside her causing her to gasp as he applied pressure and friction to the area.

"Is that the spot, Bragnae?"

"Mmhmm," she replied as her breathing increased.

With his other hand, Drake brought the vibrator up to her clit, and turned it on. Bragnae jumped slightly at the new sensation, but offered an approving moan as she sank into the pleasure he was providing. He removed his fingers, replacing them with the exceptionally large dildo. He pushed the tip in slowly making her moans grow louder. Soon, he had pushed in the entire vibrator, moving it in and out of her at a gradual pace.

"Do you like that?" He asked.

"Yes," she panted. Her head hung down as if the pleasure had incapacitated her strength to hold it up.

With the toy securely in place, Drake moved to the foot of the bed, and laid down on his back, shifting so he was under Bragnae. He tilted his head to lock eyes with her.

"You are so sexy, Bragnae. I love watching you react to pleasure," he said to her with a playful smirk.

She smiled at him unable to speak.

"Sit on my face," he told her. Drake's hands found her hips as he guided her pelvis down to him.

As soon as she was in position, Drake placed light kisses along her inner thigh working his way to the center. His tongue lightly dragged against her hot skin, swirling around her clit. A loud moan escaped her lungs as he continued to flick his tongue against her.

With one hand on her hip to keep her steady, Drake moved the other to the vibrator shifting it in and out of her as he worked. His pace was steady at first, but he increased his speed as Bragnae's volume grew louder.

"Oh. My. God. Drake. Yes... God, yes," she sputtered.

Drake's tongue persisted, summoning an incredibly loud scream from the woman who hovered above him. He gently pushed her hips up again before sliding out from under her.

"Stay like that, Bragnae." He instructed as he began to shed his clothes.

She trembled in an effort to hold herself up. "That felt really good, but I'm so weak, Drake."

"I can tell," he said, placing a hand under her stomach to support her as he pulled the vibrator out of her, and tossed it to the side of the bed.

Drake placed his hands on her ass, massaging gently allowing his hands to move down her thighs to her calves, and finally to her ankles where he wrapped his fingers around them. Suddenly, he yanked her legs out from under her making her fall face down into the bed.

Bragnae's gasp was one of both relief and surprise. Drake crawled on the bed widening her legs with his knees as he moved above her. He leaned down to place sweet kisses on her back and up to her neck. She let out soft, breathy moans as he loved on her body.

Drake grabbed his rock-hard dick, and lined himself up to her before pushing into Bragnae. A grateful moan released from both of them as he moved in and out of her. Her velvety, warm haven pulled him in as he glided easily with her satiny fluid.

Before he increased his speed, he stepped lightly with his knees around her legs, pushing them together again. He immediately felt her walls tighten around him causing him to groan aloud. He pressed into her rocking his hips against her.

"Holy shit, Drake. That's... amazing. Right there. Oh, my God," she said against the mattress. Her hands clutching the sheets around her.

He felt her start to hug him from the inside, and he knew she was close. Thank God, because I am too. Drake gritted his teeth, tightened his abs, and moved with a purpose feeling the pressure build inside him. Shit. Shit. Shit. Not yet. Wait. Wait!

In the next second, Bragnae let out a muffled scream into the bed. Yes! Go. Go. Go. Drake thrusted once more prompting his sweet release into pure serenity with a loud groan. His cock pulsed and pumped his hot liquid into her to as his entire body went limp. He was careful not to crush her as he rested on top of Bragnae, breathing heavily.

"Goddamn, that felt great," he panted, detaching himself from her, and collapsing to the bed.

Bragnae lazily moved to snuggle against him. "Yes, it did. I love you so much, Drake."

"I love you more, Bragnae," he replied, kissing the top of her head.

"Let's not leave this bed until you have to go," she suggested, closing her eyes.

"Agreed."

~

A few days later, Drake and Bragnae were at the deployment processing center saying their goodbyes before Drake had to leave, once again, on his deployment.

"How come Liam never comes to see you off?" Bragnae asked.

"It might mess up the outcome of my deployment. We have this thing – kind of like a lucky routine – where we do and say the same things to each other before each deployment, and then I come back, and everything's good."

"What about me? I've come to see you off twice now, which was not part of your departing routine before. Won't I mess it up?" She asked.

Drake kissed her on the forehead. "You are a completely different story. Your love keeps me safe, and you are always my lucky charm – no matter what."

Bragnae smiled. "You're so sweet. However it works, I just want you to stay safe, and come home to me. The sooner, the better!"

"This one won't be as bad as the first one we went through together. We'll get to talk, and see each other, and you have a rough idea of when I'll be back," he told her, running his fingers through her dark hair.

"Oh, that reminds me," she perked up. "I would like to be here to greet you when you come home this time. Last time, you surprised me and that was amazing. But now, I'd like to give you the warm welcome you deserve – that every service member returning home from a deployment deserves."

Drake smiled down at her. "That sounds really nice, Bragnae. I'd love to see you as soon as I get off that bus."

"So, how will I know when that will be?"

"Um, Liam will have a number to call – it's like a recording system that the deployment center operates. They'll update the recording when they get word that we're coming back. Liam can tell you the day, but the recording will keep you updated on specifics like location and time," he explained.

"Okay, good. So, will you be able to let me know when you get there this time? So I know you made it safe?"

"I don't think so. I asked Liam to let you know because they may have us doing some other things before we have a chance to settle in. I don't want to leave you hanging."

Bragnae sighed contently, and wrapped her arms around his waist as she snuggled against him – his arms coming around to cocoon her. "At least I'll have that. I'll be eagerly awaiting an email from you whenever that will be," she squeezed him tighter. "It seems like all we ever do is say goodbye, Drake. I hate this."

Drake drew back, and lifted her chin so her eyes met his. "I do too, but it's going to make the next time we say 'hello' even sweeter, right? Maybe this is just a test to see how strong we can be. The goodbyes suck, but when we get to be with each other again, it'll be even better than before."

"So, you're saying that all these other couples that don't have to deal with their significant other leaving for undetermined lengths of time to enter hostile territory have no fucking clue what it means to truly miss their other half? And because we do, we'll be the strongest couple?"

Drake chuckled. "That's a bit savage, Bragnae. The capacity to miss someone is relative to everyone's individual situation."

"Drake, you're ruining my moment," she scoffed. "I'm trying to say that we're this badass couple, and we will rise above it all. Can you just play along?"

He smiled and shook his head at her. "God, you're cute. I'm going to miss you." He looked into her amber eyes, and felt a twinge of pain in his chest at the thought of having to leave her yet again. He hated it. He didn't want this moment to end, but at the same time, he needed it to be over so he could be back in her arms again without the deployment looming over his head.

"Sixty seconds, Marines," someone shouted in the distance.

Bragnae winced at the announcement. She put her hands on either side of his face, and pulled him into a deep, loving kiss. Her lips were soft and warmed his entire body. Drake tried to soak in everything in that moment – to memorize the way she felt, tasted and even the sweet little moans she made when he deepened the kiss with his tongue.

Drake moved his lips to the spot where her jaw met her neck, leaving a delicate kiss before stopping to whisper in her ear. "I love you, Bragnae."

When he pulled back, she had tears in her eyes, but did her best not to let them fall. "I love you too, Drake. You have the Marine Corps' orders, but don't forget about mine: Come home safe to me."

"I never disobey orders, especially yours," he reassured her. "I'll be back soon. I promise."

They shared one last desperate kiss before Drake picked his bag up, and made his way to the bus. After he sat down, he looked out to see her still standing there, comforting herself with her arms wrapped around her body. He couldn't stand to leave her again. If this deployment was going to teach him anything, it was that he knew he didn't want more of these moments spread out over however many years he thought he'd remain in the Marine Corps.

As the bus pulled away, he put his hand up to the window, and watched her wave back, wiping a tear away from her cheek. Drake's chest tightened, and he felt a lump form in the back of his throat. There was always a risk he wouldn't return home, but he would do all in his power to make sure he'd come back to Bragnae. She would forever be his motivation to stay alive – no matter what.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A few days later, Bragnae was waiting outside a restaurant in the American Village for Liam, Maxwell and Hana. The newlywed couple had shut themselves in since the New Year to enjoy their impromptu honeymoon, but decided it was finally time to reemerge into society and see their friends again, or so they said.

"Hey, Bragnae. Where's the happy couple?" Liam asked as he walked up to greet her.

"Hi, Liam. They're not here yet, which is kind of unlike them. I was just thinking about calling Hana to see where they are," Bragnae told him, digging her phone out of her purse.

"Ten bucks says they're still at home, and they're fucking," Liam predicted, a cocky smirk appeared on his face.

"Uh, I don't think I want to take that bet because you're probably right." They shared a quick laugh as Bragnae placed the phone on speaker. It rang four times before Hana finally answered the phone.

"Bragnae! We're coming, I promise!" Hana shouted into the phone.

"I bet they are," Liam remarked.

Bragnae held back a giggle, and playfully hit Liam on the arm for his comment. "When do you think you'll be here? Liam and I can go in and get a table for all of us now."

"Um, we... we'll be there..." Hana spoke absentmindedly as if she were distracted. "We'll be there in about ten minutes."

"No! Make it twenty!" Maxwell interjected.

Liam stepped closer to the phone. "Maxwell, get off your wife, and come join us for dinner."

Bragnae laughed, shoving the phone towards Liam, so the newlyweds wouldn't hear her. While she tried to regain her composure, they heard Maxwell and Hana start to have a conversation on their own.

"Maybe we should make it thirty minutes," Hana suggested, sounding breathy.

"Do you think they'd bring us leftovers?" Maxwell asked in a soft tone.

This sent Bragnae into an even bigger laughing fit. Liam rescued her by taking the phone and stepping back. "Hey guys, you two just stay there, and we'll catch up another time. Okay?"

He waited for a few seconds before Hana spoke again. "Yes... yes!"

"Ohhhkay," he said before hanging up the phone. "I don't think they know we exist anymore."

Bragnae had doubled over from laughter with her hands resting on her knees, and tears coming out of her eyes. As Liam approached her again, she finally stood up, and wiped her eyes carefully as to avoid messing up her make-up.

"Oh my God, that was hilarious," Bragnae said, taking a deep breath.

"Well, good for them. They both deserve to have some fun together," Liam said, handing the phone back to Bragnae. "You still want to go eat?"

"Hell yes. I'm starving."

Liam and Bragnae walked into the restaurant, and asked for a table. The hostess led them to a booth, and handed out menus, while staring at Liam the whole time.

"Um, your waitress will be right with you, but in the meantime, if you need anything, just let me know," she told him, not at all paying attention to Bragnae.

Bragnae smiled to herself, and shook her head.

"Do you know what you want?" Liam asked.

"I've been dying for a cheeseburger. You can't find them too many places on the island, and I heard this is the best place to get it."

"Yeah, that sounds good. I think I'll do that too," he replied as he perused the menu.

A second later, their waitress strutted up to the table standing more to Liam's side of the booth. "Hi there. My name is Tammy. Do you know what you'd like to drink?" She asked him.

"Yes, we actually know what we'd like to eat too, but I'll let her order first," he told the waitress, gesturing to Bragnae to order.

"Thanks, Liam. I'll have a Kirin beer, draft please, and a cheeseburger with everything on it," she told the waitress, who was all too eager to turn back to Liam after writing down her order.

"And for you, sir? What can I get you?" She asked in a more seductive than professional tone.

Liam folded his menu. "I'll have the exact same as her."

"Are you sure there's nothing else I can get you?" She prodded.

Liam barely glanced at the waitress when he responded. "No, that's it."

Bragnae watched as the waitress rushed off. Instead of delivering the order to the kitchen, she found another waitress, and whispered in her ear, which prompted the other one to turn in their direction.

Bragnae shook her head, and turned to Liam. "Is it hard being a blonde Adonis?"

Liam chuckled. "What?"

"All the women in here are fawning all over you. Does it ever get old?"

Liam folded his arms across his chest, and gave her a confident smirk. "You tell me. Does it every get old for you, Bragnae?"

"What? Me?" She asked.

"Uh, yes. Any time you walk into a place, guys are always looking in your direction."

"No, they're not."

Liam scoffed. "Come on, Bragnae. You don't notice that? I find that hard to believe. What about the dick-in-a-suit guy from New Year's Eve. And there's been plenty more, I'm sure."

Bragnae shook him off. "You're wrong."

Liam looked at her for a long moment. "Well, you're either lying about not noticing, or you're naïve as hell. So, which is it? But be careful of how you answer this, Bragnae, because it could change my opinion of you."

"Good thing I don't give a shit about your opinion," she smirked.

Liam smiled. "Oh no? Then why are you avoiding the question? If you don't care what I think, it shouldn't matter what the answer is."

Bragnae narrowed her eyes at him, and took a moment before responding. "Okay, fine. I was lying. I do notice when guys look at me, and I know that I'm hot."

"I knew it," he said, laughing.

"Laugh it up, buddy. So, are you going to tell me how this changes your opinion of me, or what?"

Liam's face grew more confident. "Oh, I thought you didn't 'give a shit' about what I think," he said, using air quotes to emphasize his statement. "That is what you just said."

Bragnae tried to hide her smile. "I'm a big, fat liar about everything, Liam. I love the attention, and I do care what people think of me. Now, spill."

He chuckled again. "Wait a minute. Let me soak this in. Not only was I right, but Bragnae also cares what I think of her." Liam leaned back and closed his eyes. "Mmm, this feels good."

"Liam, I'm about two seconds away from kicking you in the shin."

His eyes snapped open as a tight smile spread over his lips. "Okay, okay," he said leaning forward. "So, there's a few things I now know about you because you lied. One, you enjoy having people validate that you're hot, so that means you're fishing for compliments, which makes you vain."

"I am not vain," she retorted.

"You're either vain, or insecure. Which one is it?" He cocked his head, and looked at her expectantly.

She let out a defeated sigh. "Okay, I'm vain."

"I'm on a roll tonight," he smiled. "I'd make a great interrogator, don't you think? It's pretty easy for me to get you to spill your guts."

Bragnae crossed her arms. "Don't get too cocky over there."

He considered her for a moment. "There's one other theory I had about this whole lying-about-not-knowing-how-hot-you-are thing."

"Care to share?" She gestured impatiently.

A sly smile adorned his face. "I think, maybe, you wanted to know what I thought of you. You're curious if I think you're hot or not."

She narrowed her eyes again, trying hard not to show him how much she was enjoying the conversation.

"And even though you don't 'give a shit' about what I think," he began, leaning forward against the table. "I think you're the hottest fucking woman on the face of this earth."

Bragnae beamed at him, but quickly pursed her lips together to swallow her smile. "You're really smooth, aren't you? Do you use that line on all the women you want to pick up?"

Any trace of joking or playful bantering left his face. "No. Just you. And I'm not as smooth as you think."

"What? Oh, come on. You pick up women all the time."

"It's because I'm attractive. You know first-hand how much of a dick I can be to women. And you didn't fall for it. It's kind of like a Jedi mind trick. My good looks can only carry me so far before someone sees past the bull shit. Only weak minds fall for my lines. Not you though," he told her, looking at her with more care than before. "You're different, and way too smart to be duped by some asshole trying to hit on you."

Just then, the waitress came over to drop off their beers. "You're food will be right out. Can I get you anything else while you wait?"

"No, thanks," Liam responded, staring at Bragnae the whole time.

She grinned as the waitress scoffed off. Bragnae enjoyed that his attention stayed on her despite the waitress' poor attempt to corral it herself. Liam was smart, and to be fair, he was also honest. He knew exactly how to talk to women, and she could see that. And yet, she liked the way he spoke to her.

"Liam, I've seen women that want to keep coming back to you. Take Madeleine, for instance. When I first met her, she told me she was out to find the hottest guy with the biggest," Bragnae paused, nearly forgetting herself, "Ego, and then she'd quickly move on to the next one. But she came back to you. So, you're either a smooth operator, or you're actually a nice guy under that façade. So, now it's your turn to tell me which category you fall under."

Liam scoffed a laugh. "Bragnae, Madeleine stuck around because of my big dick. Something you also know, and praised back in Kyoto." He smirked at her accompanied by a wink.

She blushed as her mouth fell open in surprise. "I knew you'd throw that back in my face!" She reached for a napkin, and wadded it up before throwing it at him. They both laughed.

"Yep. It sure was a nice little ego boost that night. I mean, I know what I've got, but it's nice to know it can impress others too."

Bragnae rolled her eyes at him. "Whatever. I refuse to believe women only stick around because of what you have in your pants. I think you can be really nice – when you want to be."

"Being a nice guy never got me anywhere. Nice guys always finish last, and I always finish first," he grinned.

"Bull shit. It's just a cover. I would even venture to say that when you found someone you really cared about, you'd even let her finish first like the secret gentleman you are." Bragnae sat back in her seat feeling confident.

Liam looked at her with contemplation. "I guess you'll never really know, now will you?"

There was a sudden silence between them as they stared at each other. Was it disappointment? Maybe it was resignation, or just an awkward end to the conversation? Bragnae swallowed before reaching for her beer to take a drink. Liam did the same before clearing his throat.

"So we're just a couple of self-absorbed assholes who really are good people underneath, huh?" He asked playfully.

"It would appear so," she replied, holding her glass up to him. He clinked his against hers and they took a drink.

The waitress returned with their burgers, taking extra care with Liam's plate to allow a few extra seconds in front of him. "I hope everything is to your liking. Can I get you anything else to go with your meal?"

Bragnae suddenly felt very annoyed by the waitress' constant flirting. She was obvious and bad at it. Before she could stop herself, Bragnae felt words bubble up inside her, and begin to spill out.

"Excuse me," she spoke with a clear attitude.

The waitress hesitantly turned around. "Yes?"

"I find it incredibly rude that you're ignoring me. I'm your customer too. And why do you assume I'm not with him?"

The waitress' mouth gaped open but no words came out.

"You're trying to flirt with him, aren't you?" Bragnae continued to prod. She felt extremely heated, and didn't quite understand why, but she couldn't stop herself.

Liam's eyebrows shot up in surprise as the waitress looked to him for support of any kind.

"I-I'm sorry. I just..." the waitress trailed off, not knowing how she should finish the sentence.

"Maybe you should be more considerate next time," Bragnae told her with a stern look.

Before Bragnae could say anything else, the waitress turned on her heel and hurried away. Bragnae exhaled a breath as she looked over at a stunned Liam across from her.

"Damn, Bragnae."

"What? Were you going to fuck her?" She asked, leaning forward pointing her thumb away from the table.

Liam shook his head without hesitation. "Nope."

"I just hate when people assume things, you know?"

Liam stared at her. His lips pursed together with an expectantly look on his face.

"What?"

"You sounded awfully protective just now," he said, taking a moment before speaking again. "Like she was going for something you wanted."

Bragnae sat back against the booth. Oh, God. Is that what happened? "Well, I just think it's rude. We're having a conversation, and she just comes over and starts flirting with you, and pretending I'm not even here."

"Okay," he submitted. "It's a good thing you said all of that after we got our food. Otherwise, she might have really fucked it up for you." He smiled at Bragnae.

She giggled, and they both dug into their food.

A little while later, a different waitress dropped off the bill without showing favoritism to either one of them.

"Let me get this," Liam offered as he picked up the check.

"You just want to leave the waitress a big tip because I was mean to her," she teased.

Liam smirked as he fished out his wallet. "I will do no such thing."

"Uh-huh," she smiled. "Well, thank you for dinner."

Liam waved her off as Bragnae's phone buzzed. She reached in her purse for the phone to see an email notification from Drake. She beamed as she opened her email to read his message.

"What's going on?" Liam asked.

As Bragnae finished reading the short email, she looked up at Liam. "It's Drake! He sent me an email saying he wants to video chat in an hour."

"Oh, cool. Glad he's able to do that."

"I agree. Last time it was rough not being able to communicate with him at all."

"He's in a bit more of a civilized area this time around, so he's got a few more luxuries than he's used to when he deploys," Liam told her. "Well, you better get home, so you can talk with him."

Bragnae smiled and practically leapt out of the booth. She and Liam walked outside to hail a cab.

"Thanks for a really fun night, Liam. It was nice to hang out and laugh like we did," she told him.

"Likewise." He smiled kindly at her.

A cab pulled up to the curb. Bragnae hesitated.

"You go ahead. I'll get the next one," he told her.

"Thanks, Liam." She squeezed his arm affectionately, and headed for the cab.

~

As soon as the taxi dropped her off, Bragnae bolted upstairs to her room, so she could start up her lap top. She and Drake set up Skype accounts before he left, so it'd be ready to go for whenever he could talk. She hadn't heard from him since he left a few days ago, aside from Liam telling her he made it to his destination safely.

After logging on, she went to the bathroom, primped her hair, and checked her make-up before changing into a revealing top that pushed her breasts toward her throat. She took off her jeans, so she was just in her panties as well.

A few minutes later, her skype account began ringing. It was Drake. She accepted the call, and within moments, his handsome face appeared on the screen. He was wearing his desert camouflage uniform, and had ear-buds in to listen to the call. He smiled brightly at her. He is so sexy.

"Hi, Drake!" She said, enthusiastically.

There was a few seconds delay, and his video was a bit pixelated. "Hey, sweetheart. How are you?"

"I'm good. How's it going so far?"

"Not bad. It's the first chance I've been able to sit down at a computer since I got here. I really miss you," he told her as his face transformed from a clear picture, to a fuzzy one, and then back again.

"I miss you so much, Drake."

"You're looking really good, Bragnae. I'm glad I get to see you right now."

Bragnae smiled and stood, pushing her chair back, so Drake could see her body through the camera. "Do you like my outfit? I picked it out just for you." She slowly spun around showing off her lacy thong, and then leaned against her desk to show off her cleavage.

Drake bit his lip. "I love your outfit. I wish I was there right now to take the rest of it off."

Bragnae let out a teasing moan. "I wish you were too."

"I found the letter and pictures you packed in my bag again," he told her with a smirk.

"Oh yeah? Do you like the pictures I took for you?" She flirtatiously asked, knowing damn well he did.

Drake blew out a concentrated breath to regain his composure. "Hell yeah. They were a bit more risqué this time around. Do I get to see some of this lingerie you were wearing in the pictures when I get home?"

"Oh, honey. That was just a preview of what you're going to get when you come back. Just consider it a little more of an incentive to get home safely and quickly."

"Consider me motivated. I can't wait to get back and fuck the ---- out of y---," Drake said with poor reception interrupting his sentence.

"Oh, Drake, you're cutting out." Even though she could fill in the blanks, it would have been nice to be able to hear him clearly.

"I'm sorry, Bragnae, the connect--- is get--- mess--- u—." Drake's reception was getting worse with each word.

She tilted her head to the ceiling, and sighed with frustration. Drake's picture was becoming blurrier with each passing second as well.

"I don't know if you can hear me, but I wanted to say that I love you, and stay safe," she told him in hopes that he received the message.

The Skype call dropped, and Bragnae sat back in her chair feeling deflated. It was nice she was able to have the small conversation that she did with him, but it was still dissatisfying to have the call end abruptly before they could finish speaking. Bragnae reminded herself to be grateful for this opportunity, instead of letting sadness ruin the moment.

She waited a few more minutes in case he called back, but no such luck. Bragnae went into the bathroom and took off her make-up and got into her pajamas. She climbed into bed just as her phone went off. Lunging for the device, she saw it was an email from Drake. She opened the app.

Hey beautiful,

I'm sorry the call dropped on us. The connection was getting weak because a lot of people are getting on to call their families now. I just wanted to say that I love you and I miss you more than words can explain.

You looked so fucking hot tonight, and I'd give anything to be there with you right now to show you how much I miss you. I'll be thinking about you and your sexiness tonight before I go to sleep.

I'll let you know when we can Skype again. I love you, Bragnae. Sweet dreams.

Drake

Bragnae smiled at her phone, and typed out a quick reply to him. She reread his message three more times before putting the phone back on her nightstand. She turned off the lamp, and laid back against her pillow. Images of Drake flashed in her mind. She missed him, but she was grateful to have the knowledge that he was safe and coming home in just a couple weeks.

She sent a few quick prayers asking for Drake to remain safe during his deployment, and closed her eyes. As soon as she did, the thought of Liam popped into her head. Something he said tonight stayed with her. "You sounded awfully protective just now. Like she was going for something you wanted."

Bragnae wondered why she was so annoyed by the waitress. Was it really that bad that she was flirting with Liam? He was single, and she was also presumably single. So, what was the problem? Bragnae contemplated that thought for a moment. It was bothersome to her that despite being extremely happy and more than content in her relationship with Drake, that she didn't want Liam to have that sort of attention from other women.

Am I truly that vain that I need his focus on me as well? Maybe it's just because Drake's gone, and I'm a little lonely. I'm sure that's it. As Bragnae turned over on her side to snuggle a pillow, she knew no matter what she told herself, there was something about Liam that demanded her attention, and she was powerless to ignore it.