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Desdmona's Erotic Story Contests
2005 Erotic 2000-Word Short Story Contest
Honorable Mention

Homecoming

She paced outside the airport security gate for over an hour. Finally she spotted her husband striding toward her. She looked for the differences: the second silver bar of an infantry captain, more ribbons over his pocket. She treasured the bits of military cloth, and hated them. How he earned them made her proud. What they cost was obscene. When he got closer she saw that his eyes were drinking her in.

Then they were kissing, blinking back tears. He’s mine again. Home from the war. His face is scratchy, but he’s mine until... she wiped the dread thought away.

He took a long breath. “I love you.”

She spread her hands across his chest, for once careless of polished brass. “I love you.” She took her first deep breath since he had left.

Everything else they had to say would wait. He picked up his carryon and reached for something, then scowled and straightened. What was that about? she wondered. Instead she asked, “How was the flight?”

“Too long. But it ended right. ” He took her hand and grinned. “You got stuck meeting me?”

It was his old grin. Perhaps he hadn’t changed so much. “My dad told the rest of the family it was my job. Then your mother told about your father coming home from his war.”

At the baggage claim he dropped his carryon, establishing a place to wait. They made comfortable talk, paying more attention to being together than to what was said.

But she noticed that he wasn’t watching her. He would glance at her, then look elsewhere. She thought for a moment he was checking out other women, but that wasn’t it. And there wasn’t anything else to see in the cavernous room.

Before she figured it out, bags thumped down the carousel. His duffel looked like it weighed a ton, but he casually threw it over his shoulder. She picked up the carryon, and when he reached for it, she gave him her free hand instead.

He glanced around, puzzled. Then he scowled and started off.

When she offered him the car keys he said, “Why don’t you drive? I’m not used to the traffic.”

As they left the parking lot his eyes continued to scan. What’s he looking for? she wondered.

He glanced her way. “What now?”

“Everyone’s gathering at my folk’s place for supper. Mom said about seven. It’s four-thirty now. That leaves the afternoon for you to clean up and rest.”

“Sounds good.”

It took twenty minutes to get to the apartment. She let him in and he glanced around.

“Nice,” he said. “I need a shower and shave.”

She pointed the way. I forgot he’s never been here.

While the water ran she removed the cheerful sundress she had selected to greet him. It served its purpose. She shed her underwear. Then she sat at her dresser and brushed the ponytail out of her hair.

She looked in the mirror. Sixteen months, she thought. I wonder what changes he noticed. My hair is shorter, highlighted, and I worked off some weight.

She looked past her reflection. He came from the bathroom wrapping a towel around his loins. When he saw she was naked, he tossed it back at the tub. She stood and turned to face him. She gave her hair a few more strokes before she dropped the brush, watching him rise to her. Out of the myriad things she had dreamed of saying she chose, “I thought you’d want to relax before you took your nap.”

He chuckled and drew her into a hungry kiss. His cock slid unerringly between her thighs, parting her curls, brushing along her lips. She rode on top of it while their tongues thrust between their mouths.

“It’s not enough,” she said, and pulled him toward the bed.

“I don’t want to rush you.”

She pulled him down between her thighs. “I’ve been empty too long.”

“Are you sure you’re ready?”

“Fill me!”

He did, and she gasped. Inside, she was still a little dry. He fell on her, crushing her as he thrust. She threw her arms around him and met the thrusts, willing herself to respond. He’s gaunt, she thought. His muscles are hard, and I can feel the bones beneath.

He groaned, and the muscles turned to iron. He pulsed, deep inside her, and she welcomed it as the first drops of rain breaking a drought. It’s okay. He’ll take care of me later.

Instead of rolling off he pushed up on his elbows. Still joined to her, he looked down, again drinking with his eyes. His fingers twined in her hair. “Shorter,” he said. “I like it.” He caught up with his breath. “God, you are so beautiful.”

He bent and kissed her, caressing her lips with his. When his tongue probed, he resumed moving inside her. When he nuzzled his way down to her throat she sighed, “What are you doing?”

She felt his grin. “My wife.”

“But you already came.”

“It was a really long flight. Am I doing it right?”

“Lord yes.” He was moving against her center, stirring her ardor. He pushed up on his hands and looked down at her as her breathing deepened.

“I’ve imagined this for the past months, getting myself off. The sound of your sighs. The way the flush spreads across your breasts. The smell when you get excited. The way you tighten around me. The smile that comes when you’re close.”

Her eyes closed. Her dew flowed. He switched to deep slow strokes. Her fingers clenched his muscles as her inner muscles clenched around his thrusting cock. She cried out, “Oh. Lord yes!” He came with her, and their joining became her universe.

After forever, she fell back to the bed. She gasped for air while sweat cooled her ruddy skin. When she could think, she drew him down and embraced him. “Welcome home, lover.”

He kissed her thoroughly and moved to the side enough to let her breathe. “I love you,” he murmured and relaxed into sleep.

She checked the bedside clock; five-thirty. Half an hour until I have to shower. She spent it in his arms, touching, relearning him. She retraced the old scar on his side and memorized the new one on his shoulder. Then, reluctantly, she eased out from under.

When she finished her shower he was still asleep. “Six-fifteen, lazybones. You need to get dressed.” She pushed on his shoulder.

He slapped her hand away and leaped from the bed, searching frantically. She shrieked and jumped back.

As suddenly as it appeared the wild look left his eyes. “Christie,” he said. “It’s okay. You just startled me.”

“Damn. Ray, Mother warned me about that. I’m sorry.”

“S’okay.” He gazed at her, no makeup, her hair wet, and wearing a plain white teddy, and his body responded again. He checked the clock.

“I have to dry my hair,” she said. “We have to be at my parents’ house by seven. Your civvies are in the closet.”

He saluted, with his hand this time. “Yes Ma’am.”

Christie dried her hair and slipped into a classic white blouse and khaki skirt. Ray came out of the bathroom in slacks and a sport shirt. He sat on the edge of the bed to put on shoes. He looked puzzled, then irritated.

“What do you keep reaching for?” she asked.

“My rifle.”

“Why do you need a ... Oh.”

“Yeah. Got used to carrying one.” His eyes widened. “Wow. Have I mentioned that you’re beautiful?”

“Occasionally.” She returned his grin. “We still have to go.”

It was almost nine before the feast was over. The womenfolk gathered in the kitchen to wrap leftovers. Christie’s mother Annette glanced toward the patio and grinned. “A captain and two colonels solving the problems of the world. Molly, your son’s earned his place in the brotherhood.”

Molly nodded. “That makes your daughter one of us.”

“So it does. Christie, have you startled him yet.”

“Oh, Mom. Yes, once. Scared me half to death.”

“You’ll learn,” Molly said. “How is Ray’s shoulder?”

“Healed. He can do pushups.” Christie blushed.

“Pushups?” Annette said. “Molly, I do believe your son already got lucky.”

“Mom!”

Molly giggled. “The way Christie’s blushing, she really had her toes curled.”

“Mother!”

“We know how it is, Dear.” Annette glanced back at the men. “They’re lifting a glass to the brotherhood. We’ll all get laid tonight.”

“I suppose so,” Christie said.

The mothers turned to her. “What?”

“It’s just ... I don’t know. Ray isn’t paying attention to me the way he used to. Like when we’re talking.”

Annette nodded. “Looks around you, instead of at you?”

“Yeah.”

Molly sighed. “In combat soldiers have to stay alert. They don’t watch each other, they watch over each other. If they don’t ... ” she shrugged.

Annette added, “He’s not ignoring you, he’s protecting you. Your father was the same way when he came back.”

“Oh. How long did it take Dad to get over it?”

Annette shook her head. “I’ll let you know.”

“Battle stations,” Molly warned. “Here they come, girls. And they’ve got on their let’s-get-lucky grins.”

Twenty minutes later Christie opened the apartment door. Ray’s hands were already around her waist. By the time it shut he was fondling her breasts. “Slow,” he promised. She relaxed into his arms and let him caress her out of her clothes. By the time they reached the bedroom he had her naked and aroused.

She knelt and dropped his slacks and underwear around his ankles. His cock was already erect when she kissed it. “Oh, Babe,” he groaned. “I’ll explode if you do that.”

“Later, then.” She stood. “You promised. Take me slow.”

He kissed her and lowered her onto the edge of the bed so that her legs dangled off. He knelt between them and murmured, “Slow.” He kissed across her throat. He laved her breasts until her nipples throbbed. He kissed down, across smooth skin, into curly hair, to her center. There he used fingers, lips, and tongue to drive her wild. When she came he kept going. Her passion surged again, and again, and she skimmed from one climax to the next, clutching the bedclothes and arching to his caresses.

When she was glutted with orgasms, she pulled him up. “In,” she demanded.

He set his cock at her entrance. “Are we trying?”

She was still gasping. “Like we planned. No pills. I’m fertile. And ready.” She spread her legs wide. “Ready now!”

He plunged. She watched his expression as he took her. Watched him delight in her heaving breasts. Watched him marvel as his cock plumbed her depth. Watched his eyes roll back and his teeth bare as he sowed his seed on her fecund womb.

With a groan he fell into her arms. She held him with all her strength and prayed for the miracle of life.

“Slow enough?” he gasped.

She faked a sigh. “You soldier boys are all alike.” She scraped her fingernail down the cleft in his backside.

His cheeks clenched. He retaliated by nibbling the ticklish spot under her ear. When she shrieked it pushed him out. They crawled the rest of the way onto the bed, and he asked, “And just how do you know how soldier boys are?”

“Your mother told me.”

“Shucks, I can’t get away with anything.”

“Bull. You just got away with everything.”

“So I did.” He kissed her. “Do you think?”

“It’s not impossible, but chances are better later in the week.”

He grinned. “Guess I’ll just have to keep making love to you.”

“Poor baby. The sacrifices—”

He cut her off with a kiss, then spooned behind her and went to sleep.

In the darkness she could no longer keep the dread thought at bay. She smoothed fingers across her stomach and prayed for the biggest blessing she dared ask for. “Please, God. Let our child be born before Ray has to go back to war.”


Having successfully raised fiercely independent daughters, Sean MacReady and his long-suffering wife live in an empty nest in Texas. Sean is a professional writer with awards for Web site content, journalism, technical writing, and fiction. A lot of the credit for the quality of his writing goes to the also long-suffering members of his writing group. He has published fantasy short stories, completed several stage plays, and written two politically incorrect novels. Ruthie’s Club has seen fit to publish a couple of dozen of his stories at http://www.ruthiesclub.com. One of his longer stories, Stormy Wedding, is for sale at eXtacy eBooks (http://www.extasybooks.com/) where his novel Romance in Scarlet is nearing publication. His story “Treasures” won honorable mention in the Desdmona’s Shivering Short Story contest.


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Desdmona's Erotic Story Contests
2005 Erotic 2000-Word Short Story Contest
Honorable Mention