Sappho's Commando

EIGHT (RUBY POV)

Iselen sits down on the bench, puts her EarPods on before lying on her back and grabs the weights. Even from here, sitting on the rowing machine a few steps away from her trying to catch my breath after a long work out session, I can hear the song Free Me from Neffex blaring through her earbuds. She told me once that this music gives her all the positive energy she needs to work harder and it's pretty obvious that it works. When the lieutenant colonel focuses on her movements, she seems to forget about the rest of the world.

The strong muscles in her arms flex every time she lifts a weight, tensing and relaxing, her pale skin coated with a thin layer of sweat shines under the artificial lights, her perfect boobs seem to be about escaping from the prison of her sports bra and her hard abs make my mouth water. I understand why that Italian girl looked so mesmerized by them, I'd really like to touch them with my fingertips to feel their softness and strength too... but that would be a mistake. If I lay a hand on her, I won't be able to stop. Iselen gasps and lifts the weights one more time, clenching her jaw while I watch her hypnotized.

I don't want to ruin everything I've achieved so far in exchange for some hours of unbridled lust in her bed. For the first time since I joined the army to stay away from my controlling family, I'm very happy. I'm not in this team out of obligation, it's a real pleasure instead. What we're doing is important and everything is going well, our last missions were a success and the NATO bosses are really happy with us. Colonel Larsen is working hard to earn their trust and get new missions to match our skills. It feels good when they praise us for doing a good job instead of being judged constantly because I can't reach a ridiculously high standard of excellence.

Iselen gasps again, clenching her abdomen muscles, and I hold back a moan biting my lower lip. Damn it, why does she have to be so hot?

The day I saw her walking through the door of the NATO headquarters waiting room, I felt an instant attraction. None of the other women in that room had the same impact on me, I have a 6th sense to judge people at first sight and I soon noticed Tara's boldness, Dakota's slightly arrogant attitude, Hanna's caution... Iselen walked in the room with firm steps, her uniform was flawless, she kept her back straight and head up and her manners were exquisite. She looked like something out of the dream of a strict and demanding senior officer: the perfect soldier.

I thought she'd be an unbearable snooty and, yet, my eyes were drawn by her lips and I could picture myself in a bed with her, messing up her perfect pixie haircut with my fingers, turning her into a quivering mass begging for mercy. I could feel my fingertips tangling, the urge to touch her was almost impossible to resist and, when she walked down the corridor next to me, I could smell her perfume, a subtle essence that turned my brain into jelly. She still does that sometimes, when she gets too close and smirks mischievously.

My 6th sense failed this time: Iselen is not the arrogant and strict woman I pictured in my mind although she is the perfect soldier. I focused on doing my job during the first weeks, as usual, trying to isolate myself from my mates, keeping the girls at a safe distance so I couldn't hear their comments, opinions and criticism about me. That's the same behavioural pattern that helped me to survive my childhood and teen years and that turned me into a shy, introvert and insecure woman. I always tried to hide it, pretending to be tougher than I really am, pretending that I don't care about other people's opinion or that I don't feel hurt when they talk shit behind my back.

This behaviour helped me to survive in the army and medical school too but it prevented me from making good friends, it's not easy to gain my trust or get close to me emotionally, but Iselen managed to do it somehow and I realized soon that I admired her and respected her as the team leader and my mate. The pretty Spanish lady managed to make me feel comfortable, she dazzled me with her charm and smile, she included me in the team conversations and jokes in a subtle but kind way, and the girls followed her lead. And now, finally, I have real friends and I'm enjoying it. I'd give my life for them... I don't want to ruin this. If the Valkyrie finds out that we're hooking up behind her back, she'd kill us.