CHAPTER THREE
Our little tryst this morning didn’t take too long. We still have plenty of time for breakfast. Mike and I shower together. We spend a long time kissing and slowly soaping each other up. When the rapidly cooling water drives us from the shower, Mike shaves using a new razor from the pack I have to shave my legs. He scrubs his teeth with a bit of toothpaste on his finger. Then, he combs his hair with his fingers. Despite the fact that this is my house and he has to make do with what he can find, he is as neat and put together as when I first met him the night before. In fact, he is ready ten minutes before I am.
We stop for breakfast at Huddle House on the way to the base. “I won’t be able to see you for a few days, but I will call as soon as and as often as I can,” Mike says over our plates of eggs.
“I really enjoyed my evening. And this morning,” I say with a smile.
“So have I, Daisy,” Mike says. “How did you come by the name Daisy?” Mike asks.
I smile. “Mom said Dad gave me the name. When I was a baby, Dad called me his little spring daisy or something like that. People have been calling me Daisy for as long as I can remember.” I still miss my parents, but this morning the ache doesn’t seem as sharp as it does sometimes.
Mike smiles. “I can see that,” he says.
I feel like he is going to say something else, but then changes his mind. I realize that I know almost nothing about Mike other than he is in the Army and a few other inconsequential details. Maybe the next time I see him, I can get a little more out of him. The ice has been broken between us, so it should be easier.
We talk about nothing of importance until six, when Mike makes good on his promise and picks up the tab for breakfast. Despite my offer to pay my share, he still refuses. I drop him off in front of his barracks, so he can change out of his civvies and report. I know he won’t want a big production, but I simply must kiss him goodbye. The kiss is swift, but sweet. I look forward to many more kisses from Mike. I am just getting back into my car when Teri arrives with one of Mike’s friends. I wait while they exchange the same quick kiss that Mike and I shared. Then, I saunter over to Teri, as the two men walk away with only one backwards glance.
“Good night?” I ask.
“The best,” Teri say dreamily. “I’ve changed my mind about soldiers. You?”
“Better,” I say and I wonder if I have the same slaphappy look on my face that Teri does. “Want to get together for lunch and compare notes?” I ask.
“Yes, but I need a nap first. Dan wore me out last night.”
I begin to giggle. “I know the feeling. Have you talked to Kat?”
“No. We should call her and…never mind. Here she is. We can ask her.” We wait while she makes her goodbyes with a long, sloppy kiss. I’m surprised and mildly alarmed, as she turns toward us. I have never seen Kat so out of sorts and rumpled. Then, she smiles. “What happened to you?” Teri asks as Kat walk up.
“I didn’t have time to get cleaned up this morning,” Kat purrs. “We fucked, literally, the entire night. I haven’t been to sleep, yet. I’m exhausted. Glenn said it would be two or three days before we could hook up again which is good, I need the rest.”
“Teri and I are having lunch to swap stories. You in?” I ask.
“Oh, yeah,” Kat purrs.
I grin at Kat’s tone. I can hardly wait to hear how Teri and Kat’s night went.
***
Instead of lunch, the four of us meet for dinner. We invite Beverly to join us. As we eat, we laugh and tease over our sexual exploits the night before. I almost feel sorry for Beverly. Her evening turned into a bit of a dud compared to ours.
Glenn, Kat’s date, is the macho man. Kat tells her story first and while she relates all the lurid details in a whisper, I can imagine them fucking in every conceivable position all over her apartment. And when Glenn couldn’t get it up, he teased her with fingers and tongue to keep her on boil for the entire night. Kat claims she lost count of her orgasms after eight. I’m not sure I buy that, but as Kat tells her story I can tell Beverly isn’t pleased that she missed out on the action. I smile to myself. Now she knows how I feel sometimes.
Teri goes next, telling how she hooked up with Daniel. He and Teri were the athletes. They only went twice, once last night and again this morning, as Mike and I did. They were long marathon sessions that, according to her, left them bathed in sweat and gasping for breath. I’m almost jealous that I couldn’t hold out long enough to get all sweaty with Mike, but I am hoping for another chance.
As Teri finishes her tale, everyone looks to me. I want to hear Bev’s story first. Beverly’s story is a non-event. She and her guy did end up in a tumble; but, according to her, he was not a particularly good lover. She glosses over her adventure in order to get to me.
I finally tell my story. I tell how Mike took me places I never knew existed and tutored me in the ways of pleasure. We are all good friends, but Beverly is my best friend and confidant. She knows that I am somewhat naive about sex. As I fill them in on all the details, I can see her smiling at me. She understands that I only needed someone like Mike to show me what I have been missing.
“I never understood, before last night, how good it could be,” I finish almost dreamily. Just thinking about Mike, and the things he did to me is making me wet again.
“I’m glad for you, Daisy,” Bev says, putting her hand on my arm. Beverly is only two years older than me, but far more worldly. “It’s about time you found someone that can do right by you.”
“I’ve been done right all right,” I sigh, causing the other three to laugh.
“Did either of you two get anything out of your dates about what they do?” Teri asks. “Dan wouldn’t tell me a damn thing. I didn’t even know he was in the Army until I found out we had to go back to my place.”
“Same here,” I say.
“Mine, as well,” Kat chimes in. “Glenn would only tell me they were TDY to Benning. What’s TDY mean Daisy?”
“Temporary duty. Or as my dad used to call it, temporary duty, yonder,” I explain. “Mike said they were from Fort Bragg in North Carolina. They came here for training for the next eight weeks.”
“Oooh,” Teri purrs. “Eight weeks. I may not be able to walk after that, but I hope they give them lots of time off.”
I snicker. “I doubt it. TDY for training probably means they are going to be pretty busy; but, I’m with you. I would really like to see Mike again.”
“Listen,” Beverly says to get our attention. “If one of them calls you, see if he has a buddy, okay? I’m feeling left out. I want in on some of this!”
The three of us laugh at Beverly’s predicament and agree to help her out if we can.
***
Monday evening, I’m on the way home from work when my cell rings. Every time my phone has rung since Saturday morning, I snatch it up. Each time I hope it’s Mike. Each time I’m disappointed, but this time I’m not.
“Hey, Daisy,” Mike says when I answer. He sounds really tired.
“Mike! I’m so glad you called. I’ve been wanting to talk to you.”
“Really? What’s up?”
“Nothing. I was just hoping we could get together again soon.”
“I would like to, but we just got in. We go back out tomorrow at oh-four thirty. How about a quick dinner tonight?” he suggests.
I pull into a parking lot to turn around before I answer. “I would love to do that. Pick you up at the same barracks where I dropped you off?”
“Yeah. That would be great.”
“Mike, is everything okay?” I ask, worried that something is wrong.
“Yeah. Just tired. They’re kicking our ass.”
We continue to talk, as I work my way back to the base. Because I am an employee on the base, I am waved through the gate with no problems. Mike is settling into my car in less than fifteen minutes.
He is sunburned and he looks exhausted. “Are you sure you are up for this?” I ask, as he gr
eets me with a quick kiss. I had hoped we would be able to work in a quickie at my house, but I can tell Mike probably isn’t up for it tonight.
“Yeah. I gotta eat sometime. And the company is a hell of a lot better than the chow line.”
I smile. “What do they have you doing?”
“Training. I thought I told you.”
“You did. I mean, what kind of training?”
Mike is quiet for a moment. “I can’t say. I’m sorry.”
“You can’t or you won’t?” I ask. I don’t know why he is being so evasive, but it bothers me a little.
“In this case, maybe it is the same thing,” Mike says. “It’s just some training to help me do my job better. That’s all.”
“And what’s your job? You neatly dodged that question the last time I asked.”
“Soldier.”
I pull the car into the parking lot of the TGI Fridays. It’s close and the casual atmosphere won’t make Mike look out of place in his uniform and boots. “This okay?” I ask.
“Perfect.”
“Soldier isn’t a job, Mike,” I say. “Dad was a soldier, but his job was in intelligence.”
Mike sighs. “Can we change the subject? Daisy, I can’t talk about what I do, okay? It’s not that I don’t want to tell you. It’s that I can’t tell you. You should understand that if your dad was an intelligence officer.”
“You’re some type of covert ops or Special Forces, aren’t you?” I ask. “Okay, yeah, I know, you can’t tell me,” I say when Mike doesn’t answer, which is in itself almost as good as him saying yes. “It’s just that I don’t anything about you, Mike. I would like to.”
I park the car and we walk in. Since it is a Monday evening, the place isn’t all that busy and we are seated immediately. “Not much to tell,” Mike says as he stretches out in our booth with a soft sigh.
“How long have you been in the service?” I ask.
“Almost four years now. I just re-upped for another tour.”
“So, you’re going to be career military?”
“Yeah. Probably.”
“Where’s home?” I ask. If he would just talk to me, I wouldn’t feel like I’m pulling teeth to get anything out of him.
“Fort Bragg.”
I grimace at him. “You know what I mean.”
“Little Rock, Arkansas. Actually, a little town not far from there called Searcy.”
“Family still there?”
Mike pauses for a long time. I can see him thinking over his answer. “I don’t have any family. Not anymore.”
Something about his answer doesn’t ring quite right, like there is more to the story than that. I can see pain in his eyes and I wonder what he’s not telling me.
“I’m sorry to hear that,” I finally say, deciding I have pressed him enough tonight. I don’t want to come across as nosy and upset him. We really struggle for conversation, since so many subjects are off-limits. I don’t want to talk about my past, since it still hurts so much and Mike has made it clear he doesn’t want to talk about his. He can’t talk about his job and mine is just boring. We finally settle on talking about current events, but what I really want to talk about is us. I want to talk about how he makes me feel and how I want to feel him touching me again. Instead, I can feel a distance between us. It worries me, but I try to not let it show. I have been hoping Mike wouldn’t be a one-night stand, but it’s looking like that is what it will turn out to be.
As we eat I can’t stand it anymore. I have to know. “Mike, is everything okay?”
Mike looks at me. “I guess. Why do you ask?”
I plop the sandwich on my plate. “I don’t want to pry, but you don’t want to tell me anything about you. I don’t know how to take that and I worry that you are brushing me off. I know you can’t talk about your job, but you don’t want to talk about your family or anything else.” I frown in frustration. “I would really like to get to know you better, but if I’m bothering you…”
“Danielle,” Mike says, using my real name, “there is nothing wrong. I’m not trying to brush you off, okay? I like you and would like to spend as much time with you as I can, but right now it’s hard. I think we are going to get a break Saturday and Sunday. I would like to see you, if you are willing. We can talk then, okay?”
I feel like a heel now. Mike is obviously tired, but he called me and is having dinner with me. He could have just as easily ignored me and I wouldn’t have known the difference. “I’m sorry, Mike. I just…” I stop and pout, feeling guilty.
Mike reaches across the table. He holds his hands open until I place mine in his. “It’s okay. Don’t sweat it, okay? Part of it is I’m just so damn tired. But another part of it is…well…I have made some mistakes. I’m not very proud of what I have done.”
That gives me pause. Mike seems like such a great guy. I try to imagine what mistakes he could have made. I have been very careful to stay away from even a hint of trouble since Mom and Dad died. I’m very aware of my lack of a support network, so I hope I’m not getting involved in something that I will later regret. I can feel myself pull back from Mike just a bit emotionally. “Okay. I would like that,” I say.
Mike smiles, as he grips my hands gently. "Don't worry, Daisy," Mike says softly. "Everything is okay."
"I'm sorry," I say, feeling like some insecure little girl.
"Don't be," Mike says gently. "It'll get better. You'll see."
CHAPTER THREE
The conversation goes a little better after that, but we don't dally before I return Mike to his barracks. Despite our initial awkwardness, his goodbye kiss in the car is warm and tender. His soft brush of my breast, as we kiss, causes me to murmur in surprise and delight.
I hear nothing from Mike for the next four days. I try to not let the lack of communication bother me, as I go about my life. I still fear that he got what he wanted from me, so I won't hear from him again.
I'm sitting at my desk, preparing to leave for the weekend when my phone rings. It’s nearly five o’clock on a Friday. "Daisy Fuller," I say crisply.
"Ms. Fuller. I would like to make an appointment to meet with you," the voice on the other end of the line says.
"Certainly, sir. When would you like to meet?"
"I can meet you in about twenty minutes."
I roll my eyes in exasperation. "I'm sorry, sir, but we close at five o’clock. Perhaps one day next week?"
"I can't wait until next week! I need to see you as soon as possible!"
I'm just about to tell him to kiss my ass, politely of course, when it clicks. "Mike? Is that you?"
"Yes, ma'am."
I burst into giggles. "You had me going there for a minute. I was about to tell you to kiss my ass."
"That works for me. For a start anyway."
I feel a flash of heat at the thought of having Mike’s lips on me again. "Should I come pick you up?"
"I need to shower, but I’ll be ready by the time you get here."
"I'll head there straight after work."
"Hurry."
It's amazing how such a simple little word can turn me on.
***
I sneak out a couple of minutes early and hustle over to Mike’s barracks. He said to hurry, so that’s what I’m doing. I’m almost giddy at the chance to see him again. I’m not entirely certain why I’m so excited to see Mike. This is just a summertime fling before he goes back to North Carolina and nothing more. It couldn’t possibly be that he nearly turned me inside out with pleasure the last time we spent some time alone, could it? I feel a stupid grin break out on my face. Nah. Couldn’t be that.
I roll to a stop, just as Mike steps out of the barracks. He’s got a small satchel that I hope contains a couple changes of clothes. When he slides into the car, I lean over and he kisses me. His hand goes to the back of my head to hold my lips gently to his.
“That’s nice,” I say, as I pull back.
“Very,” Mike agrees. “Where do you want to go to dinn
er?”
“I thought I would cook for you.” If I have my way, we’ll never leave the apartment this weekend.
“You don’t have to do that.”
“I want to.”
“Wow. A home cooked meal. I’ll have to be extra nice to you this weekend.”
“Not too nice, I hope,” I say with a grin.
As we drive back to my apartment, Mike places his hand on my thigh and caresses it softly. He’s totally different today than Monday and I wonder at the change.
A Ranger's Love: A Military Erotic Romance Page 3