Special thanks to MedicLifeline for the wonderful suggestion of the weekend leave and the Bed and Breakfast, and also a big thanks to Hannah for all of her help so far.

Chapter 2

Dusty lay down on his bed that Christmas night as rampant thoughts raced through his mind, rationalizing what just happened to him. Regardless of everything that his mind told him, the only thing that mattered was the one thought that kept repeating itself. 'She kissed me. She really kissed me'. His memory replayed the tender kiss. He was going to tell her that she had cheated when she flipped him over into the soft, fluffy snow, but she had quickly silenced him. The mischievous look in her brown eyes was replaced by a soft and gentle stare, and her lips puckered when she hushed him. He remembered his hazel eyes watching her intently as she removed her gloved finger from his mouth and drew closer to him. Her warm breath blew across his ear as she whispered to him, and then before he knew it, her lips were lightly touching his. His only natural reaction was to wrap his arms around her, pulling her down closer to him. He had been so afraid that she would jerk her head away, claiming that there was some sort of misunderstanding; but instead, Cover Girl had not struggled against him and happily continued the kiss. Even after the kiss broke and he squeaked out his Christmas wishes to her, she had not moved except to reconnect their two mouths.

Rubbing his fingers across his lips, Dusty smiled, glad that he had used up his leave time earlier in the year, glad that he had spent Christmas on base, and glad that he had taken the initiative to push her into that snow bank. He closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep, dreaming of that wonderful moment when their lips met.

A month later, Dusty walked across base as he headed towards the motor pool. That breathtaking kiss from Christmas that he had shared with Cover Girl had led to many more intimate kisses. They had spent most of their free time together, either in the recreation room playing pool, at the card table getting beat by Ace at poker, or in either of their quarters watching movies or television and discussing their day. On his way to the garage, he met Scarlett as she headed towards the main building. "Morning Scarlett," Dusty greeted her.

"Good morning Dusty," Scarlett replied with a smile. When she had returned from her holiday leave right before New Year's Eve and learned of the shenanigans by the team's female tank jockey, she had been furious that Cover Girl had kissed Duke. However, Dusty had been able to talk civilly with the irate counterintelligence specialist before she could start World War III between herself and the ex-model. Scarlett had not believed Duke nor Shipwreck, who both accidentally encountered the new couple in the snow that Christmas night; but after hearing the same story from Dusty, she had accepted the truth although remained leery of Cover Girl's intentions. As the days progressed, she witnessed the attraction between the desert trooper and Wolverine driver, easing her heart and mind. According to Ace, both women had engaged in a semi-heated debate shortly after the first of the year, which both women adamantly insisted never happened. Regardless of whether the confrontation happened or not, all outstanding bets that there would be a fight between the two were dropped. "Did you get all of the arrangements made?" She asked, winking at him knowingly.

"Yes, ma'am. I sure did. Are you and Duke still sure about this?" Dusty asked.

"We're sure. You and Courtney both have this weekend free and have been approved for your weekend pass. Do it, Ron. An offer like this is not going to come along every day."

Dusty grinned, "Thank you very much, Shana. This is going to be a great get-a-way weekend for us. I really do appreciate what you and Conrad did."

"Well, what can I say?" She smirked. "I'm glad that someone will be able to use our reservations, otherwise we would just be out. Dash and Allie are both on assignment, and Snakes, Stalker, Gung-ho, and I leave tomorrow. You two just go and enjoy yourselves. The skiing and bobsledding is great, and the mountains are beautiful."

Chuckling, Dusty said, "I know. I saw the pictures and read through the brochure. Of course, I'll leave most of it up to Court, but I do want to do the sleigh ride and maybe the snow shoeing. I'm not too fond of skiing."

"The snowmobiling is great too, but it is all up to you. Mount Tim is a room that you may not want to leave," she hinted, watching Dusty's cheeks flush pink. "Have you told her yet?" She asked.

"No, I want to surprise her. I think I'll just tell her that we are going away for the weekend and see what happens," Dusty answered, hiding his nervousness of what Cover Girl's response may be.

Scarlett caught the uncertainty in his voice. "I'm sure she will jump at the idea of having some 'alone' time with you," she reassured him. "If not, let me know. I'll talk some sense into her, one way or the other." The redhead grinned evilly and crossed her arms.

Dusty laughed, sure that Scarlett was right about Cover Girl's positive reaction to the trip. "I think I can handle this one on my own but thanks for the offer. I better skeedaddle before she wonders where I am," the desert trooper stated.

Scarlett nodded and continued to her quarters to pack for her mission. She was still not happy about going and having to cancel her and Duke's weekend plans at the bed and breakfast nor was she happy about being paired with Snake Eyes again, but this mission was going to need all of her concentration.

Dusty walked into the unusually quiet motor pool. He looked around, nodding to Clutch and Steeler who were busy working on a transmission in a Vamp. "Hey guys. Have you seen Cover Girl?" Dusty asked.

"Yep, she and Grunt are working on the Wolverine o'er yonder. You're not gonna steal my help, are ya?" Steeler joked.

Dusty approached them and said quietly, "After lunch, you've got her for the rest of today and tomorrow, but this weekend, she's all mine."

Steeler arched a questioning eyebrow at Dusty's comment as Clutch jumped into the conversation and retorted, "Mighty bold of you, Rudat. I made pass after pass towards her, and she turned me down every single time. You," he pointed at him with his greasy fingers, "you pushed her into a snow bank and ended up smooching. My luck stinks," the grease monkey complained.

Cover Girl had been working on the tank with Grunt but also kept glancing at the door. When Dusty walked in, she removed her coveralls and told Grunt, "I'll be back after lunch."

Grunt looked up at her and then looked around to see Dusty talking to the guys. "Sure you will, Cover Girl," he softly replied, giving her a half-smile.

"I will. Honest," she grinned and walked over to Dusty, Steeler, and Clutch just in time to hear Clutch's rant. "Aww Lance, I didn't realize you were a sore loser," Cover Girl cooed, wrapping her arms around Dusty's waist. Unlike when Duke and Scarlett started their relationship and tried to keep it a secret, Cover Girl and Dusty mimicked Lady Jaye and Flint's open relationship, except without the arguments and fights.

Dusty patted her hands as Clutch rolled his eyes. "Courtney, all I ever wanted was a kiss, but you denied me every single time."

Laughing, she abruptly retorted, "You wanted more than that Steinberg." As she unwrapped her arms from Dusty's waist, she told Dusty, "I'll be right back. I need to clean up."

Dusty watched her head for the shower room, shaking his head at Clutch's comment and previous actions of trying to persuade the tank jockey into going out with him. He had to admit that he felt sorry for all the women on the team. With Clutch and Shipwreck around, none of the women got a moments peace.

"You may have tried too hard, Lance. One of these days, she's gonna seriously hurt you when you make stupid comments like that," Steeler warned. "Now, get under there and help me out." He pointed under the Vamp before turning to Dusty and saying, "Dusty, you and Court have a nice lunch. By the way, we're going to Willie's tonight. You two should join us." The tank commander offered. He was genuinely happy for the tank jockey and desert trooper. Even though it seemed to be an odd combination for the two soldiers, it worked well.

"Sure, that will be fine. I don't think we've been there since New Year's Eve."

From under the Vamp, Clutch sneered. "Yeah, and you and her were too involved with each other, I don't think you even knew when midnight hit."

"We knew, Clutch. We just celebrated all evening," Dusty refuted, referring to the inseparableness of the two soldiers all night. That night, if what she didn't do to him on Christmas night hadn't confirmed the spark between them, she got her point across loud and clear. He had been out with her and the guys before but never allowed himself to notice how good she looked in casual clothes. New Year's Eve night, she had worn a pair of tight, black jeans and a snug cashmere sweater. With every song that they danced to, his heart had beat in his throat, as he had thoughts that he should not be having. While they had known and worked with each other for months, it had only been a week since they shared their first kiss. He knew of her past relationships, and he wanted this relationship to be special for both of them.

Cover Girl washed the grease off her face and hands before she brushed out her shoulder-length auburn hair. Spraying some Sweet Temptation body spray, Dusty's favorite scent, she exited the washroom and grabbed her jacket. Dusty met her at the door, smiling as she approached, and they both walked outside into the crisp winter day. The sun was shining, and some of the snow and ice was melting off the pavement. They entered the main building, headed for the cafeteria. Stopping by the empty recreation room, Cover Girl pulled Dusty inside and pushed the door shut. "I missed you," she revealed, smiling as she gazed into his hazel eyes.

The desert trooper snickered and pinned her against the closed door. "You just saw me five hours ago at PT," he teased. Seeing her brown eyes burn through him, he knew the rough and guarded façade that she portrayed when she was around the guys was lowered; and right now, she was the woman that he fell in love with all of those months ago, even though he never did anything about his feelings until last month.

As she smirked at his comment, he surprised her by lowering his mouth to meet hers and kissing her gently, inhaling the fragrance that she wore. His mind clamored to him, 'Sweet Temptation, oh so very tempting'.

Cover Girl returned his kiss, deepening it and melting into his embrace. After they separated, she softly said, "I still missed you. Besides, that kiss said that you missed me too."

"Yes, I did," Dusty confirmed, kissing her again. "We better get going since you need to be back in twenty minutes."

"I suppose. I would love to have a longer lunch," she grumbled, pulling the door open as they both walked towards the kitchen. They were taking an early lunch and the chow line was not long nor was the dining room full. They each grabbed their tray of food and sodas before Dusty led them to an empty table. The two soldiers talked about their day so far, the projects that they were working on, and their afternoon schedules.

"I have to go out into the field after lunch, but I should be back by 1900 hours. Ralph said the guys are going to Willie's tonight. I told Ralph we could go, but it is up to you," Dusty told her.

Nodding her head and finishing the last bite of her sandwich, she washed it down with her soda before she said, "That sounds fine. We haven't been to Willie's since New Years, and I seem to remember having a wonderful time." She flashed him a sexy smile and was happy to see his reciprocating smile.

A few other Joes walked over with their trays and started to chat with the two. As Cover Girl finished her lunch, she listened to Wild Bill recount some of his adventures at his Uncle's ranch when he was growing up. She glanced at her watch and sighed. Standing up, she said, "Sorry guys, but I must get back to the garage." She winked at Dusty and said softly, "I'll see ya tonight."

"Bye, Court. I'll let you know when I get in," Dusty said, watching her turn to leave.

"Bye, Cover Girl," the guys at the table said before Footloose elbowed the desert trooper as Cover Girl walked away, "Dude, you are too lucky. You are in deep."

The guys at the table laughed. "You better get eating, Footloose. We need to be out in the field in thirty minutes," Dusty told him as he ignored the ribbing and teasing from his teammates. He secretly knew how lucky he was, but he was not one to press his luck or gloat on his good fortune.

"You got it, man. Everything is loaded and ready to go," Footloose confirmed, eating his lunch and listening to the conversation around him.

At 7:30 that night, Dusty called Cover Girl's quarters. When she answered, he said, "I'm back. When will you be ready?"

"I'm always ready," Cover Girl laughed on the other end of the telephone. "Actually, it was a late day. I just got home a little while ago. How about an hour?"

Smiling, Dusty said, "An hour sounds great. That gives me a little bit of time to relax and unwind."

"Great. See ya soon," she said, hanging up and settling back down in her nice, warm bubble bath. "I'll be ready in an hour, have no fear," she whispered to herself.

As the hour ticked by, they each got ready in there respective quarters. Dusty splashed on some aftershave and grabbed his jacket and keys. He walked across the lot to the female barracks, climbed the stairs, and knocked on Cover Girl's door.

"What did she say?" Scarlett asked in a whisper from her doorway.

"I haven't told her yet. I will tonight," Dusty answered quietly, glancing at Scarlett and then looking back as he heard the twisting of the doorknob. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Scarlett slip back inside her room and shut her door. "Evening, Beautiful," Dusty greeted Cover Girl.

"Evening, Desert," Cover Girl replied, pulling him inside. Once the door was shut, she leaned in and kissed him hungrily.

Returning the kiss, Dusty pulled her tightly to him. The thought of skipping Willie's crossed his mind; but he knew that if he did that, they would only do things that he wanted to wait until the coming weekend to do. "Come on, let's go," he said softly, gently pushing away from her and holding her jacket for her to slide into.

Pouting, Cover Girl slipped her arms into the sleeves and turned around to give him a quick kiss before she zipped up the jacket and stuffed her keys into her pocket. "Let's go, if you insist, but I could…"

Dusty laid his finger over her lips, silencing her just like she had done to him several weeks ago. "Don't say it. I have something I want to discuss with you on the way to Willie's."

Her brown eyes brighten as she nipped at his finger covering her lips. "Okay, what?"

"Patience, my dear," he teased, laying his arm across her shoulders as they descended the steps and headed to the jeep. Opening the door for her, Dusty waited until she was inside before he went around to the driver's side and got in the jeep. He started up the engine and popped the vehicle into gear. As he drove out of base, he nodded to the guards on duty.

"Well?" She asked impatiently. "What do you want to discuss?"

"This weekend," he answered, glancing over in time to see her eyes brighten. "We both have weekend leave. What would you say if I told you that I made plans for us? We leave here bright and early on Saturday and would return late Sunday."

"Really!" She said excitedly. "I would love that. Where are we going?"

"Uh uh uh," he reprimanded, shaking his finger from side to side. "It's a surprise."

"Oh, Ron. I hate surprises, you know that," she huffed, slouching back into the seat.

"But you will love this one, I promise you," Dusty confidently said, casting a sly look over at the sulking beauty beside him.

"Will you give me a hint?" She impatiently asked, meeting his eyes with her own probing eyes.

"No can do, Courtney Krieger. Just trust me, please," he requested, wrapping his right hand around her left hand and squeezing it gently.

Reluctantly, she nodded and they changed the subject to the activities of their busy day. Once they pulled up to Willie's, they walked inside, just as the band was warming up. It was "Oldies Night" at Willie's, and the band would rock the house down with its renditions of classic oldies. Shortly after they met up with Steeler and the other Joes, the band began to play Van Morrison's song, "Brown Eyed Girl".

"Come on, Court. I need to dance with my 'Brown Eyed Girl'," Dusty whispered in her ear and took her hand, leading her to the dance floor.

Smiling, Cover Girl willingly followed him and then wrapped her arms around him tightly, staring up into his face for a moment before laying her head on her chest. She could feel Dusty's breath blowing in her ear as he quietly sang some of the words, "It was you my brown-eyed girl, you my brown-eyed girl. Do you remember when we used to sing?"

Cover Girl laughed as Dusty sang part of the refrain, "Sha la la la la la la la la la la ti da." Interrupting his song, she pressed her lips against his and kissed him. His arms tighten around her as he eagerly responded to her kiss, losing himself in the passion that flared between them. When he pulled back, he could see the love in her eyes. "You shouldn't do that to me here," he whispered, somewhat teasing but also being very sincere.

Raising an eyebrow, Cover Girl asked, "Is it too tempting?"

"You have no idea," he answered, pulling her close and settling the tip of his chin on the top of her head.

Cover Girl sighed contentedly, feeling her body next to his as they swayed to the conclusion of the song.