Before I knew it, it was here, the feeling of orgasm, pure ecstasy rocketing through me, better than I’d ever felt before. Bucking and gyrating I leaned into Darren, my body uncontrollable, convulsed by the intensity of the pleasure I was experiencing. I was moaning loudly, but it was beyond my control. It was the passion of an animal, pure and impulsive, not subject to our human rationality, a completely physical reaction to the bygone fury of our tryst.
As I leaned into Darren, I felt my body growing weak. On the tail end of orgasm, exhaustion was setting in.
“I’m about to come,” grunted Darren, his powerful strokes growing less purposeful as he felt his own orgasm exploding to the surface of his consciousness.
“Come baby, come inside me,” I said, feeling deliciously dirty at the thought, wanting it more than I’d even realized.
Then I felt his load shooting inside me, hot and sticky, swimming around in my folds. Darren held his cock deep inside me as he came, the feeling of his semen inside me making me gyrate again slightly, turned on by this warm, new sensation. He reached up and touched my chin, gently guiding my face toward his.
He held me there briefly, pausing to look deep into my eyes. I felt his breath playing across the soft skin of my face as I looked back at him, waiting, not knowing what he was after in that long exchange of glances. Without notice he moved in to kiss me. Parting his lips, I plunged my tongue into his mouth, a kiss of hot passion, with a desire enhanced by the intensity of the love-making that had just occurred between us, the perfect sex that had shaken both our bodies, extending the ecstasy to our very cores. When the kiss ended, I rested my head on his shoulder.
“I’m absolutely exhausted,” I said, my breath still short as my body recovered.
“Me too,” said Darren, kissing me gently on top of my head.
And now that we’d finally done what had been on both our minds, I felt comfortable asking straightforwardly a question I’d long wanted an answer to.
“Why did it take us so long to do that?”
“Well, babe. I last a long time.”
I picked my head up and saw Darren with a sarcastic grin on his face. I playfully slapped him on the shoulder and laughed.
“You know what I mean,” I said.
“Well, I don’t know. I was in the hospital only a few days ago. You’ve been busy at the shop prepping for Thanksgiving. I guess we just never found the time.”
“No, I mean, why now? Why did it take this long? Why not back in high school?”
Darren looked away, pondering my question for a moment. To be fair, it wasn’t exactly a simple question. We were different people back then, and who knew if we would ever find an adequate answer. I guess part of me just wanted to know how long Darren had felt like this about me, because given the recent events in our lives, I realized that deep down I had always wanted him like this, even when I was much younger. The Darren turned to look at me, finally settling on an answer.
“I never considered it an option really. I’d always thought of us as friends, and I didn’t want to do anything that might jeopardize that. If I’m being honest, I developed a huge crush on you around eighth grade. Yes, of course we were friends before that, but that was the year you came back from summer camp and all of the sudden you had developed these gorgeous breasts,” he said, pausing momentarily as he gave me a teasing squeeze. I laughed.
“But you never did anything?”
“No, I didn’t have the guts. What if you weren’t interested? You’d never made it obvious you liked me like that. You didn’t make it obvious until earlier today. So I told myself back then that we’d stay friends, that it would just never happen. And gradually that’s how things came to be, slowly my crush got less intense and I could see you as just a friend again. But that started the change when we started writing to each other. And when I first saw you in the hospital, I knew the crush was back and stronger than ever.”
“I’ve got a confession, Darren. Your buddy Paul wrote me a letter soon after you were shot. He told me a lot of things; he said you kept a picture of me out on the battlefield.”
“So you knew?”
“Yes, sort of.”
“I never stopped caring about you, Lauren. Even after we’d stopped talking, you were still important to me. You’ll always be, no matter what happens.”
We ate dinner that night, just the two of us. It was friendly and comfortable, and despite our unexpected tryst, none of the awkwardness seeped in. Where before we had nothing to say, now the lines of communication were opened completely. We talked about ourselves, each other, our plans for the future. Darren told me he was hoping to get a job analyzing intelligence; he said it was a skill he’d been able to develop overseas which he hoped to employ back in the homeland. He was leaning toward the FBI, but hadn’t written off the possibility of becoming a civilian military analyst. That way he could still be helping his brothers overseas fight the good fight.
When we’d finished we went back out to the couch and watched a bit of television, flipping around the movie channels and catching a bit of the last football game of the day. I’d been drinking wine since dinner, so I was starting to feel a bit tired, and before I knew it Darren and I were headed off to my bedroom, to share my bed for the first time. We made love again, briefly, yet passionately, our new familiarity with each other’s bodies informing our love-making, carrying it over to an entirely new level. Then we slept, such a perfect, restful, deep sleep, like none I could ever remember.
The next day I woke to find Darren sleeping next to me, looking so peaceful in the rays of sunlight that streamed in through the curtains of my bedroom window. I got out of bed and went to the window. It was absolutely gorgeous outside. It was Black Friday, a day I usually spent running around the mall looking for deals on Christmas presents for my friends and family. But today I had no desire to fight my way through the crowds. I knew Darren would never consent to being dragged around the mall, and I wanted to spend the day with him. I had the day off after all, and it seemed wasteful to spend it inside a noisy, crowded mall.
I went into the kitchen to make coffee. As I waited for the water to boil, my mind started wandering back to the night before. All sorts of emotions welled up inside of me and I thought of the way Darren had touched me, how he’d caressed by body and fucked me exactly how I’d wanted. I remembered how he had come inside of me. I poured out a cup of coffee and added cream and sugar. As I stood at the counter thinking about Darren, I grew wetter and wetter.
Suddenly, I didn’t want my morning coffee anymore. I went back into my bedroom and gently woke Darren up. And without a word we made love. I didn’t know it at the time, but it was the start of many, many mornings with this same pattern. And event though we grew familiar with one another, the passion never escaped us. Something about each time was new, unexperienced territory we were eager to explore, so long as we could do it together. Needless to say, I started showing up to work late on some mornings, but I didn’t mind. Things were going very well at the shop lately, anyways. And for the first time in a long time, work wasn’t the most important thing to me. I had Darren now.
CHAPTER 22
———
December 16, 2013
Paul,
I’ve been meaning to write you for awhile, but it’s been such a whirlwind since I got home that I really haven’t had the time. I just wanted to check in and see how you’re doing over there.
First things first, my surgery went exceptionally well. It was a long and tiring procedure, but I had a top-notch doctor and so far there have been no setbacks. I’ve been going to physical therapy once a week, and three weeks in I’m actually starting to notice a lot of my strength returning to my arm. The physical therapist thinks I’ve been making good progress and soon I’ll be headed back to the hospital to meet with Dr. Williams to get his opinion. All in all, I feel incredibly blessed to have returned home in one piece when there are so many soldiers who don’t have the privilege to say that. L
auren keeps saying I’m one of the “lucky ones.” Both she and I are praying every night that you’re one of the “lucky ones” too.
Speaking of Lauren, she’s the other reason I’m feeling so blessed right now. When I got out of surgery she was there to meet me. I’ll tell you what, it could have been the pain medication I was on, but she looked like an absolute angel when I first saw her. I couldn’t have asked for anything more.
At first I was confused as to how she knew I was coming home; I guess after that blast I’d forgotten what happened before they began evacuating me. A few days after the hospital, Lauren told me about the letter you sent her. All I can say is thank you. Without that letter, I don’t know if things would have turned out as well as they did.
A few weeks ago we had Thanksgiving together, just the two of us. I’d just had a fight with my sister’s boyfriend, a real piece of shit who goes by the name of Donnie. I almost lost my cool and socked him in his jaw. But Lauren stopped me. Something about her just makes me feel good, calm and happy. Without her I think the transition to civilian life would have been much more difficult.
I hope you find a girl like this when you get home. Every soldier deserves a woman like Lauren. Everything about her is perfect. She’s a phenomenal cook (she owns her own sandwich shop, actually, not sure if I told you that), she’s intelligent, and she’s absolutely amazing in bed. A gentleman never tells, so I’m not going to go into detail, but suffice it to say that I had the best night of my life recently. And the sexiest thing about her is that I want her more and more every day I wake up next to her. Even though I’ve known her for so many years, I feel like I’m just getting to know her for the first time. It’s a feeling I can hardly describe.
Anyway, I hope you and the boys had a good Thanksgiving. I know you didn’t eat any gourmet meals, but hopefully they dropped you off some Budweiser and let you relax for a bit. Keep your head up and let me know when you’re back home. Lauren and I definitely want you to come for a visit, maybe she’s even got a friend we can set you up with, if that’s something you’d be interested in. Oh, and Merry Christmas, buddy. Stay strong over there.
Semper Fi,
Sgt. Darren Henderson
CHAPTER 23
———
December 23, 2013
Darren,
Glad to hear you’re doing well and that you’re adjusting smoothly to civilian life. Things aren’t too bad here either. We’ve had a series of successful missions recently, six in fact without losing a single man to injury. Everyone generally seems to be in high spirits.
Thanksgiving here was about what you’d expect. The platoon cook tried to make stuffing and it was just about the worst thing I think any of the men here have ever eaten. One of our new lance corporals called it “the worst part of being deployed to Afghanistan.” We all had a pretty good laugh over that.
In the end, we had some cold beer flowing and it was nice to take a bit of a break, to forget, at least momentarily, that we’re in the midst of a war. After the recent operations, the fighting seems to have cooled a bit, and the insurgents seem to be on the run. But as you well know, they’ll regroup and come back with a vengeance. That’s how it always is.
I’m glad to hear that your surgery went well. Truthfully, I didn’t know how things would turn out when I put you on the evac helicopter. So it’s a huge relief to hear you’ve almost fully recovered.
As for Lauren, I’m very happy to hear that. If there’s anyone who deserves a girl like that it’s you. You’ve put in your time and paid your dues, it’s about time you caught a break like this. My only advice is don’t blow it. As for me, when I get home I may take you up on that offer. We’ll see, as of right now, I have no idea when I’ll be back in the States again.
Semper Fi,
L.C. Paul Samuels
CHAPTER 24
———
The next few weeks with Darren went amazingly well. We settled into our new life together, a relationship we’d never explicitly acknowledged, but fulfilling nonetheless. The routine was comfortable, and the best part was that even the monotonous tasks of daily life had this new, vital light shed on them. Everything seemed more colorful and brighter than before, as if it were in bloom. It felt like springtime even though it was mid January.
Everyday we woke up and made love. We ate together, Darren would sit in the shop while I worked, looking for jobs he was interested in on his laptop. Sometimes at lunch we’d sneak home for a quickie. Later at night we’d go home and I’d cook him dinner. Now that I was cooking for two it gave me a chance to make a number of new recipes I’d been dying to try.
Once a week I took him to physical therapy, where undeniably he was making progress. And a few weeks after he’d first arrived home, we embarked on the three hour drive up to the military hospital to see Dr. Williams, who told him that his rehabilitation appeared to be ahead of schedule. He pulled me aside outside the room in which he was examining Darren and thanked me.
“There’s no question you’re had a huge part in his recovery. He’s lucky to have someone like you looking out for him. Not every soldier has that. A lot of them come home to no family or girlfriend at all. If they’re wounded it makes recovery all the more difficult. The psychological aspect really takes a toll, and it can even impede physical recovery,” said Dr. Williams, idly making a few notes on the form attached to his clipboard.
He went in to see Darren and told him that given his current progress, there was no need to make another trip back to the military hospital; he would refer us to a doctor in our area who would see Darren through the rest of his rehabilitation, which at the current rate wouldn’t be much more than a month.
“So you’re telling me that a month from now, I’m gonna have full use of my arm?” asked Darren excitedly.
“That’s correct. Now, since it hasn’t gotten much exercise, you’ll probably feel a bit weaker than you’re used to. It won’t be noticeable in normal, day-to-day activities, but if you go to the gym and workout, per se, or go toss a football around, you’ll maybe find you can’t lift as much as you used to, or throw a pass as far as you could before. But all that’s temporary, if you keep working at it you can build back to your previous levels.”
I could see Darren’s eyes light up. I knew how bored he’d been while he was cooped up in the apartment all the time and that he needed an outlet for physical activity. Now that he had the go ahead from the doctor I knew he’d really be psyched to get back into action.
Driving back in the car that afternoon I think both of us felt completely at peace. We already knew Darren was getting along just fine, but hearing it from Dr. Williams really brought us an extra sense of comfort.
A few days later over dinner, Darren mentioned an interesting opportunity to me. His former football coach, Eric Peterson, had reached out to him about taking a position coaching the varsity team at Harrisonburg High School, the high school Darren and I had both graduated from. Coach Peterson had been promoted to athletic director, and having heard Darren was back in town wanted to know if he might be interested in coaching.
“Now, of course, this isn’t a permanent sort of thing,” said Darren. “The pay isn’t all that much, and long-term I’d like to end up back in intelligence. But for the time being, I figure why not? It’d give me a chance to get back out on the field. And it won’t be too much of a time commitment, so I can start prepping for the FBI interview process, and maybe even take a class or two since I’ll have free time during the day.”
“I think that makes sense. I think you’ll really like it and it will give you a chance to catch your breath before you jump back into another high-intensity job.”
“Exactly,” said Darren, swirling a forkful of fettuccini alfredo. “And you know what the best part is?”
“No, what?”
“Once Christmas break is over we’re going to head back into the gym to do some conditioning for spring training. And at that point I’ll only have a few weeks left of
PT, so I’m gonna get to join the boys for their workouts. I’ll be back in prime shape in no time.”
I smiled at him. He was so cute when he got excited like this. Football was one of his passions and I knew he’d make an excellent coach and a good role model for the boys on his team. I was also happy because I didn’t know what would happen if Darren ended up getting an analyst job with the FBI. We lived in a small town, and there was no crime here that the laid-back local police couldn’t handle. I knew that any position with the FBI or any other agency like it would probably take Darren away from me. That was something I didn’t even want to think about, and as long as he was happy here, it wouldn’t become an issue. So I did everything I could to encourage Darren in his coaching position.
In the end, everything was going really well. Christmas has come and gone in a flash. Angie had stopped by to celebrate with us. After she dumped Donnie, Angie and Darren had finally made up. I could see the joy in both their eyes every time they saw each other. The bond they shared, brother and sister, was something I couldn’t help but smile at. Growing up with Angie, protecting her and guiding her, had really taught Darren how to treat a woman.
I really liked Angie, too. Truth be told, I could see her as one of my bridesmaids. I caught myself at that thought—I was getting way, way ahead of myself. Darren and I had never talked about anything like that. Even though I felt strongly and I knew that Darren felt strongly too, I had no reason to assume he had any intention of marrying me, certainly not anytime in the near future.
Hopefully, in the short time I had with Darren, I could show him I was serious about a future together. I could only pray that he felt the same. I’d become so dependent on his presence at this point that I could feel myself becoming attached to the idea of a future with him. If that future didn’t materialize, I didn’t know what I would do.
Waiting for Her Soldier Page 7
