"I have a surprise for you," Captain Lewis Nixon spoke into my ear, and I was grateful that he couldn't see the goosebumps below my uniform.

Lewis Nixon was a handsome officer from a wealthy family. I'd know him from home, and we were both pleasantly surprised to meet again in Aldbourne, where I had been re-assigned from a field hospital to Easy Company.

He'd gone to Yale, and he was a bit too smart for his own good sometimes. His drinking habit was well known, as he was never without a flask of his precious Vat69. I was glad that he was best friends with Dick Winters, as the quiet Pennsylvania man seemed to balance him out a bit. He could be a brilliant intelligence officer, but I think that without Winters, things in Europe could have gotten pretty bad for Lewis Nixon.

Just the same, it was hard not to like the guy. He had an affable nature that made him easy to talk to, and our personalities just seemed to fit from the moment I met him at Yale. We'd instantly become friends, partly because he was intrigued that I rebuffed his advances. He was, without question, the biggest flirt I'd ever met and he made no effort to hide it. I knew he'd married a girl from our hometown, but later conversations revealed that it was a loveless, unhappy marriage, and I half-wondered if that hadn't contributed to his decision to volunteer for the paratroopers.

He'd recently received a letter saying that Kathy, his wife, was divorcing him and, after some brooding over all of the things she was taking, including his dog, he seemed relieved. I was happy for that, at least. He was a good man, and he truly did deserve to be happy.

I'd been waiting outside the makeshift showers, ready to take my turn as soon as the boys had finished, when Nix walked up behind me and put his hands on my waist. I turned toward him, curious about this surprise he spoke of, and tried not to let my knees buckle at the mischievous twinkle in his eye that I'd grown to love. The guy could drive any woman crazy, and he knew it. He relished it, as a matter of fact.

"You might just be so grateful that you finally give me that kiss you've been dying to give me since we met," he winked, walking toward a nearby building.

"You wish, Lewis. I couldn't imagine anything you could do that would make me that happy."

"Oh, I could imagine any number of things I could do that would make you that happy."

This was us. We spent most of our conversations, at least the ones when he was partially sober, trading playful snark and sarcasm. There was a buzz between us that he had always played on, and I had always tried to ignore. It had been there at Yale, and we never acted on it. It was there when we met again at Aldbourne. It had only gotten worse since the news of his divorce, and I was slowly losing my willpower.

I realized that I was watching his ass in his uniform pants as I followed him up the stairs, and I looked up quickly, only to find that he had caught me. I blushed as I followed him through a bedroom and into a bathroom.

"See something you like, sweetheart?"

"Shut up, Lewis. Where are we?" He grinned and spun around, holding out his arms.

"Your private shower, sweetheart. I found it earlier today. The only building in town where the plumbing to the shower still works. I already put some soap and stuff in there for you. Now, if you don't mind, I'm gonna go get a shower too."

I threw my arms around his neck, kissing him on the cheek. "Lewis Nixon, you're amazing!"

He grinned down at me, wrapping his arms around my waist and hugging me back. "Told ya you'd be happy. Gotta take care of my girl."

"You know you can just use this shower. You don't have to go back downstairs. Besides, I need somebody to stand guard so none of the guys 'accidentally' walk in on me."

"You want me to stay?" he asked, surprised.

"Well, yeah. Why should you not get to benefit from this private shower when you're the one who found it?"

"You know, you're absolutely right! I should get a reward for being so amazing." he joked, leaning back against the vanity with a smug grin on his face and motioning me toward the shower. I narrowed my eyes at him.

We'd played many varieties of this game before, always trying to see which one of us would blink first. Surprisingly, it was usually him. He tried to come across as this suave, confident playboy, but with me, that always seemed to go out the window. He always got shy when I called his bluff. I wasn't worried.

I kicked off my boots and pulled my white t-shirt over my head, revealing my brassiere, and caught him swallowing hard as he crossed his arms in front of him. I grinned, knowing that I had him, and unbuckled my belt, using my thumbs to slide my pants down over my hips. As I stepped out of them, down to my bra and panties, I heard him suck in a breath. I let my hair down out of its ponytail, shaking it loose over my shoulders, and moved to turn the water on in the shower.

I stood up straight as I felt his body behind mine. His fingertips ghosted along my skin, sliding my hair back off my shoulder as I tilted my head, feeling his lips press against my exposed neck. This was not part of the game.

His tongue ran along my collarbone, and my breaths grew short and shallow as I gasped, "Lewis, what are you doing?" Sucking the tender skin of my neck into his mouth, he bit down softly and I moaned, reaching back to tangle my hand in his hair. I felt him unhook my bra with one hand, and tugged gently at his hair as his hands slid around to caress my breasts.

"Shhh. No questions," he cooed into my ear, his mouth moving to my neck again. One hand slid down below the waist band of my panties, and I could feel him smile against my skin when he found me already wet. "So I'm not the only one who wants this," he teased, stroking me gently until I was almost whimpering with need.

I turned my head, looking up at him with hazy eyes, and he kissed me hard. As his tongue slid against mine, I could feel the rumble of desire in his chest and I wondered why I'd never kissed him before. I wanted to turn around and pull him to me, but he wouldn't let me. He still had one hand inside my panties, alternating between dipping a finger inside me and massaging the little bundle of nerves that made my head spin. The kiss just kept becoming more heated, and he was talking into my ear, telling me to give in and let it go. My body had begun to move against his fingers, as if I no longer was in control. I felt the release washing over me, seeing stars as Lewis whispered encouragement against my lips.

When I could breathe again, I spun on him, pulling his tank top over his head and scattering kisses along his chest as my hands moved to his belt buckle. I caught his eyes as he watched me kneel in front of him, pushing his trousers over his hips as I went.

"Kas, what are you...? Oh, fuck," he groaned out, putting a hand on the wall to steady himself as I took him into my hand. He only allowed me to continue for a few seconds, just long enough for him to look down and meet my eyes, before he pulled me back up into his arms. "What the fuck are you trying to do to me?"

He released me quickly, backing away and pulling up his trousers. He almost pushed me into the shower before hurrying out of the bathroom and slamming the door. My face burned with embarrassment. What had I been thinking? It was all supposed to be a game between us. Lewis Nixon could have any woman in the world. Why would he want me? I let my tears mix with the falling water as I ran the soap over my body, trying to cleanse myself of the humiliation.

I don't know how long I stood there. My eyes were closed when I heard the shower curtain move, and I opened them to see Lewis standing in the shower with me, now fully naked. He offered no explanation as he slid his hands over my hips and to my ass, lifting me up to wrap my legs around his waist and pressing me to the shower wall. He almost seemed angry that he hadn't been able to stay away, and his lips found mine again in a bruising kiss, our tongues fighting for dominance. His hard desire was pressed against the apex of my thighs, and the closeness was adding fuel to the fire.

He ground up against me roughly, accusing, "You've been teasing me for so fucking long, Kas. I can't stand it anymore. I want you. Right here, right now."

I could barely breathe. He looked wild, with his hair dripping as the water poured over our bodies, but I could see that he wasn't drunk. His eyes burned into mine, completely sober and full of lust, and for once in our relationship, I couldn't think of a witty response. I opened my mouth and the words that came out shocked us both.

"Take me then, Nix. Right here, right now."

As usual, he blinked first, and half out of instinct, started trying to talk me out of it. "You sure this is what you want? No frilly stuff. No music and flowers. Just me pressing you to a shower wall in some bombed out house? Because if you change your mind, I…"

"Dammit, Nix, shut the fuck up! You want it. I want it. We both have for a long time. Now, either take me or get the hell out of my shower!"

I had barely finished speaking when he moved, slamming my back to the wall as he buried himself inside of me. "Oh my God," I heard him gasp, not slowing his movements at all, or giving me any time to adjust to his size. I was going to have bruises on my back from the wall, I was sure, but as the pleasure took over, I didn't care anymore.

I didn't hear him shut off the shower, or notice him walking out of the bathroom, but I felt the bedsheets beneath me. His movements became gentler and more deliberate, and it felt like every thrust hit that spot inside of me that had me crying out in pleasure.

"You feel so good," he mumbled against my mouth.

"Oh God, Nix, so do you. Please…"

"Please what, baby?"

"Don't stop. Please don't stop."

"I won't," he answered, increasing his pace at my words, "Not until you're screaming my name."

That measured confidence was back in his voice, but the kiss he gave me was slow and gentle. He was pushing me to the edge over and over again, only to draw me back. My body began moving against him, my hips meeting his thrust for thrust. We were both getting close, but neither of us wanted it to end.

I felt my body begin to tremble, and he began whispering to me, "Fuck, baby. You're so close, aren't you? Let it go for me. Let me feel you. That's right. Who's making you feel like this, huh? Tell me."

I could hold back no longer. My answer and my release came in gasping cries. "Nix, oh my God. It's you… it's always been you."

That did it. He growled into my neck, as he let himself go inside of me. Finally spent, he looked up at me and gently tucked my hair behind my ear before kissing me again.

"What does this mean, Lew? Anything?" I asked, almost afraid of the answer.

"No, babe, it doesn't mean anything," he answered, smiling at my crestfallen face before continuing, "It means everything. The German army surrendered today. If we have the points, which we do, we can go home soon."

"We?"

"Yeah. We. You and I. I told you a long time ago that you were the next Mrs. Nixon. Did you think I was kidding?"