Soldiers in Love

Chapter 4: War is Hell-1

CHAPTER 4: WAR IS HELLI LUGGED THE HEAVY GRAY bin full of cups, saucers and plates back to the back where Daniel stood at the sink up to his elbows in suds. He glanced over his shoulder to look at me.

“Hey,” he said, hurrying over to me, wiping his hands on his apron. “Why did you let it get so full? This is heavy.”

I shrugged. “Heavy bins help me build muscle.”

“Next time, ask me and I’ll come get it. I don’t want you hurting yourself or carrying extra weight.” A sudden lascivious light shone in his blue-green gaze. “Unless it’s me.”

My face flamed even as I laughed. “You’re so bad,” I said, shaking my head. “Besides, what will people think if I’m coming back here every five minutes with only one or two cups or something?”

He braced his hands on the edge of the gray bin. “Well I think Quanna will want details and Flo will have me fired.”

I shook my head. “She means well I guess.”

Daniel sighed and picked up the bin. “I guess.”

I grinned at him. “I guess I’d better get back. See you in a bit for a cigarette break.” I kissed him lightly on the lips before heading back out.

“I see you two are super cozy these days.”

I turned to see Flo coming up beside me with a handful of coffee mugs. “What is that supposed to mean?”

She shrugged. “Just what I said. Every time I turn around, you’re back there in his face. When are you going to listen to me that he’s bad news?” She snapped hard on her gum “What will it take to make you see? Maybe when he goes crazy on you?”

I felt myself getting angry. “And when are you going to leave him alone? Daniel is a good man. He’s not done anything to hurt me.”

“Not yet he ain’t,” Flo muttered under her breath.

I turned to look at her. “Look, Flo. I appreciate you worrying about me. But I’m fine. I promise.”

Later that evening, Daniel and I were curled up on the couch watching TV. I was comfortable in his arms and his fingers trailed lazily up and down my arm. Nothing could be wrong in the world tonight.

“I think I might quit working at the coffee shop,” Daniel said suddenly out of nowhere.

“What? Why?” I asked, looking up at him. “Is Tony giving you lip? He’s like that. You just gotta ignore him.”

Daniel smiled and shook his head. “No, it’s not Tony. He and I get along pretty well. But your friend Flo is making trouble for me. She’s always sneaking around, watching me. Making comments and stuff. It gets old.”

I patted his hand. “She does that to everyone.”

“That doesn’t make it right, Regan.”

I nodded. “I know.”

He stayed quiet for a moment, watching the movie. “She’s been telling you things about me, hasn’t she?”

I couldn’t lie to him. So I nodded. “Yes, but I don’t pay her any mind. She’s just an old busybody. She thinks that everyone is going to go nuts like her husband did.”

“He was a vet?”

“Yeah. He was pretty mean to her, putting her down all the time. I think he even hit her once or twice. So-”

“So she’s telling you that I’m going to be the same way? That I’m going to hurt you?”

“Yeah.”

Daniel cursed under his breath. He pushed me away and I sat up, looking at him.

“What gives?” I asked.

“Do you really think I’m going to do that to you?”

“No. I never said you would. Flo is just blowing hot air.”

He stood up. “Hot air that if spoken long enough and loud enough begins to take shape and forms seeds of doubt.” He stuffed his hands into his pockets. “I’m not like that, Regan. And I don’t want her filling your head with ideas of what she thinks I am.”

I stood and went over to him. “I don’t think that you’re that way, Daniel. I’m not listening to her BS. I promise.”

“People talk and -“

“So then prove her wrong.” I tugged on his arm. “Come on. Sit with me. We were having fun. Don’t let her ruin us.”

At first he held firm. But I wore him down with kisses. He settled back on the couch and I was instantly in his arms. He seemed to forget about Flo but I didn’t. It seemed the closer Daniel and I got, the more she talked us against each other. I for one wasn’t going to let her come between us.

After the movie ended, Daniel stretched his arms above his head. “It’s late,” he said. “I’d better get going.”

We went through this almost every night. He’d always leave after we’d make love. It bugged me that he never wanted to stay.

“You don’t have to go, you know,” I said as I walked him to the door. “You can stay here. With me.”

Daniel hugged me close. “I can’t. You know that.”

“Can’t or won’t?”

He sighed. “This is what I mean.”

“What?”

“Flo’s meddling.”

“It has nothing to do with Flo, Daniel. It’s just, well, you always leave. And you won’t let me drive you home. I hate for you to walk at night alone.”

“No one will mess with me,” he assured me.

“Daniel-”

“I just can’t okay?” He blew out a breath and ran a hand through his hair. ”I’m sorry, love. It’s just that I don’t sleep well at night. And I don’t want to freak you out or keep you up all night because I can’t sleep.”

I nodded, understanding his reasoning a little better. “I get it. No worries.” I wouldn’t press him. “Daniel?”

“Yes?”

“Are they that bad? The nightmares?”

He sighed and looked away. “They are horrible. Sometimes, they seem so real that I wake up sweating and cold. The few women I’ve been with couldn’t deal with it. So I simply didn’t stay over. It’s easier for everyone involved.”

Trying not to feel hurt, I hugged him and accepted his kiss. “Some other time maybe, right?”

He nodded. “I’m sorry, Regan. It’s not that I don’t want to spend the night with you.”

“I understand. No worries.”

Just before I fell asleep, my phone’s text message alert went off. It was from Daniel.

I’ll figure out a way for us to be together. I swear it.

______

I sat in my apartment, looking over the syllabus for the final project for my painting class. I wanted to do something really special, to wow my professor and get a good grade. But I just couldn’t think of anything to paint. Maybe if I get up and walk around, maybe get a drink of water, perhaps something will come to me.

My eye caught a picture that was hanging on the fridge. It was a picture of me and Daniel that we’d taken one the boardwalk the night of our first date. I must admit, we looked good together. Except for the smattering of gray hairs, he didn’t look his 36 years. He didn’t act like it either. He was pretty active, inside and outside of the bedroom.

I missed him. I hadn’t seen him in a couple of days. He’d been working and I’d been in class. I’d talked to him on the phone, but it wasn’t the same as lying in his arms and hearing his voice in my ear. And suddenly, I was struck with an idea.

I went back into my bedroom and picked up the picture of him in his dress uniform. Every time I looked at this picture, my heart started racing. He was so handsome in his dress blues. Suddenly, I knew what my final project would be. Hurrying back into the living room, I sat at my easel and began to draw.

The sound of my phone ringing startled me from my work. I glanced at my watch, surprised to see that I’d been working for two hours straight. I picked up my phone, glancing at the caller ID. A smile broke out on my lips when my guy’s face flashed across the screen.

“Hello?”

“Hello, darlin’,” Daniel answered.

Gosh his voice sounded good to my ears. “How are you?” I asked him. “How was work?”

He blew out a breath. “Busy. I think everyone in the city wanted coffee and pastries today. And to top it off, I didn’t get to take a cigarette break.”

I laughed at his pitiful voice. “Aw I’m sorry. Well, class wasn’t a breeze either. I have a big project due for one of my classes. It will count as my final grade.”

“Oh yeah? Then maybe I should let you get back to work.”

“No! Don’t hang up yet. I-I miss you.”

I imagined his lips turning up at the corners. “I miss you too, darlin’. I want to see you if you can get away from your project.”

“That sounds good. I could use a break. What do you have in mind?”

Daniel paused and I could see him running his hand through his hair. “I was thinking maybe dinner. At my place. Unless you want to go out somewhere.”

“No,” I said quickly. “That sounds good to me. Some one on one time with you? Hell yes.”

A few hours later, I pulled into the parking lot of his apartment building. I couldn’t wait to see him. I’d missed him so much these last couple of days and I was so looking forward to some alone time with him and getting some kisses.

Daniel opened the door and I was in his arms before the door closed good. We kissed as if we’d been apart for years instead of just a few days. I cupped his cheeks, driving my tongue between his teeth, kissing him with all the pent up desire that I felt. His arms tightened around me and he pulled me closer to his warm body.

When he pulled back, he cupped my cheeks in his hands. “God, I’ve missed you,” he whispered. “I didn’t realize just how much until right now.” He gestured to the table. “I got Chinese. I hope you like that.”

I nodded. “That sounds nice,” I said quietly. But I didn’t want any damn food. I wanted him. We hadn’t made love in a few days. And I found that I was hungry for him. And yet, I didn’t know if I should ask, demand or just push him on the bed and have my way with him.

Turns out, food wasn’t high on his priority list either. His hands roamed over my back down to my hips. He pulled me close and I sighed as his hardness pressed into me. I wound my arms around his neck and we stared into each other’s eyes.

“Make love to me, Daniel?” I murmured.

“It will be my pleasure, ma’am. And yours.”

The dinner was forgotten as he scooped me into his arms and laid me on the bed. I opened my arms to him and he lowered himself on top of me. Our lips met and he rocked his hips against me, driving me crazy with desire for him. I tugged at his shirt, pulling it free of his pants. For once, he wasn’t wearing a button-down but a long-sleeved shirt that was easy for me to get off of him. He pulled away, starting to cover himself but I tugged the shirt away from him.

“Don’t hide,” I reminded him.

He nodded, relaxing in my embrace. Our lips met again and I let my hands roam freely over his naked torso. His skin was warm and I suddenly wanted to feel him against me. I pushed him away enough to sit up and pull my shirt off. I dropped it to the floor and pulled him back down. Daniel moaned softly as our chests brushed against each other.

Daniel kissed his way down my body until his mouth found my breast. My hands sank into his hair and I groaned as he gently began to draw on the small bud. My back arched as he switched to the other side.

“Daniel,” I murmured.

He glanced up at me. “I will, darlin’. Don’t worry.”

His hands bunched the material of my pants, pulling them down over my hips, down my legs and off. They landed on the floor along with his shirt. And if I had it my way, his pants would soon follow.

That was my last coherent thought as he lifted my legs over his shoulders and buried his face between my thighs. I never knew pleasure like the one I was feeling right now. Daniel didn’t stop until he’d wrung an intense o****m from my body. Only then did he release me to slide up my body again.

Only this time, he moved fully on top of me, settling between my legs. I knew this was the way it was supposed to be, but this was the first time that he’d done that. Once he slid inside me that thought moved to the back of my mind. I’d think on it later when I didn’t have other things happening.

I met him thrust for thrust until a slick sheen of sweat made both our bodies slick. Daniel’s lips found mine and he moved faster and harder against me until I finally exploded around him a second time. Moments later, he groaned as his release claimed him.