Lori Avocato - Holiday Op

"Oh, crud. Seems as if my mishap has taken its toll on the chocolate bar. “

"Give me,” he said, and soon the bar had redeemed itself as Slick touched the mostly melted delicacy and placed his finger near her lips.

She licked it off, amazed at how sensual melted chocolate could be in the right place and the right time and with… the right guy.

"Yum. He smiled, repeated the gesture over and over, going from his lips to hers until an empty wrapper sat in his hand.

Prue leaned over and kissed him.

Very faintly in the distance, the whirr of chopper blades cracked the daylight air. The dust devils had retreated and she'd never even noticed.

Outside their lean-to the New Mexico sun cast golden rays across the grease bushes, mountains, and the cluster of Saguaro that stood for hundreds of years of beauty.

Her heart sank at the sound of her rescuers.

Because, right now, her only rescuer sat across from her with a look on his face that seemed to match what she felt inside.

If only they'd had a bit more time together.

What would happen when they arrived back on base?

What would become of the special bond that had formed in their fantasy desert?

What would become of Kodyn Lang and Prudence Hamlin?

What indeed?

As the chopper's sound increased, she watched Slick undo the upper pocket of his uniform and reach inside. “Sorry, Captain, I nearly forgot."

With that he pulled out a sprig of… mistletoe… leaned over and with the ‘essence of the gods’ above her head, kissed her lips. “Merry Christmas, Prue."

He'd never called her that before.

Now she knew what was going to happen when they arrived back to safety, to their base.

Their base.

Apparently the gods were correct.

Go, gods!

Thank goodness for mistletoe.