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place.” And it was signed, “J,” as in “John.”
    McKee felt her heart start to beat a little faster. There was no “usual place.” Not really. But there was an apartment where their one and only night together had been spent.
    McKee stuffed both notes into a pocket, walked out into harsh sunlight, and began the hike that would take her around to the north side of the hill and what she hoped would be a very special reunion.
    Efforts to clear tons of debris out of the streets had begun, but it was going to take years to rebuild the city, and the citizens were understandably resentful. Most were rebels who had been locked in battle with the loyalist militia when the Legion arrived. Then the Hudathans landed.
    It wasn’t clear how much the aliens knew about human politics, but Avery believed the ridgeheads had been intent on exploiting the situation on Orlo II, and McKee figured he was right. In any case, the locals had been invaded
twice
. Once by the Hudathans and once by the Legion. That meant they had suffered a great deal and felt a sense of resentment toward all off-worlders. So McKee understood the dirty looks, the muttered insults, and the obvious anger in the eyes of those she passed on the street. None of which boded well for the days, weeks, and months ahead. If fighting the rebs had been hard, then occupying the planet was likely to be even worse. So McKee felt a sense of relief as she stopped in front of a lightly damaged building, took a quick look around, and went inside. It felt good to get in off the street.
    A narrow flight of stairs carried her up to the second floor, where a hallway led her to the extremely expensive apartment John had rented once before. There was a note on the door. “C. Please come in.”
    Avery liked to call her by her real name when they were alone even though McKee felt mixed emotions when he did. Cat was a creature of the past, but to deny her was to deny her family and the way in which they had been murdered. So McKee put all of that aside as she knocked on the door, turned the knob, and pushed it open.
    Soft music was playing, and like most homes on the hill, the apartment was equipped with blackout curtains. They were pulled so that the only light in the simply furnished main room came from more than a dozen candles. They flickered as the breeze from the hallway hit them. McKee paused to look around. “John?”
    â€œI’m in the bathroom.”
    McKee closed the door, put her assault weapon on a table, and made her way back to the bathroom. The door was open, and more candles were burning. And there, sitting in the tub, was Major John Avery. He smiled as he raised a glass of wine. “Hi, Cat. Come on in. The water’s fine.”
    â€œYou arranged for the pass.”
    â€œYes, I did.”
    â€œWhat if I missed the note on the bulletin board?”
    â€œThen you would have found the one in your hooch. Now stop talking and take your clothes off. That’s an order.”
    McKee’s eyes locked with his, and a smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. “And if I refuse?”
    â€œThat would mean extra duty—in bed.”
    McKee laughed. There was a chair. She sat down in order to remove her boots. They were followed by the pistol belt and her uniform. Then, clad only in Legion-issue bra and panties, she approached the tub. “Oh, no you don’t,” Avery said sternly. “You were ordered to remove
everything
.”
    McKee made a face as she reached back to undo the bra. The panties were next. Avery nodded approvingly. “That’s better.
Much
better. Come here.”
    McKee put a foot in the water, found it to be to her liking, and stepped into the tub. Avery’s arms were waiting for her. Slippery skin met slippery skin as they came together, lips met, and water sloshed onto the floor.
    One thing led to another, and, before long, McKee found herself making love with an altogether