“So Syria, huh?” Julie said after a few more sips of her whiskey.

It was a subject we hadn’t broached yet. We had talked about the good old times all through dinner and even what she had been up to in the last six years, but neither one of us had brought up my time away.

“Yeah,” I said taking the last of mine in one swig.

“The whole time?” she encouraged.

I gave her a soft smile. It was only fair that I shared with her after she had been so open with me.

“No, not the whole time. First, it was boot camp. Even though I was always going to be a doctor, they make me go with the rest of the SEALs. I’ll just say it was a lot more intense than normal officer boot camp.”

“Then what?”

“Just some more training. I didn’t deploy for the first time until three years in. I had to finish my doctorate anyway. The deal was, they do the schooling for me, and I have to give them three years after that.”

“So what did you do the last three years?”

“Uh, first it was Iraq. After that, I was in Lebanon, but I wasn’t really there much.”

“What does that mean?” Julie interrupted truly interested.

“Well the base we were stationed to was in Lebanon but when the team went out on a mission if there was a temp hospital or clinic there, I would go with them. Otherwise, I did stay at the hospital on the base in Lebanon. That didn’t happen a lot though.”

“And then Syria?”

“Yep. We were there about eight months before I had to be flown out.”

“Are you allowed to tell me what happened?”

I pulled the bottle over from the side of the bar we were sitting at. The question was inevitable, and I wanted to tell her. It wasn’t something I had ever really said out loud. The only people I talked to about the bombing were the guys there with me; I didn’t have to tell them what happened.

I poured myself another dram and drank it in one gulp before pouring another.

“That bad huh?” Julie said as she watched me drain my cup. "I don’t remember you drinking so much before.”

“Yeah, the one thing the navy is really good at is building your alcohol stamina.”

I looked over at her through slitted eyes. I really didn’t drink much while I was active duty and even less now that I wasn’t. I would need the liquid courage to tell this story, however.

I realized at that moment, for the first time that night I noticed the ringing in the back of my ears. It was probably the first time since the incident that I had forgotten about it.

“I was in the temp hospital. I was there with the team, but there were also some marines and regular army station to our small base as well. A private came back with some shrapnel in his leg. He couldn’t be airlifted till the artery was clamped.”

I looked over at her again. I could feel the cold sweat on the back of my neck as the memories came flooding back. She instinctively reached over and took my hand in hers. I gave her a weak smile.

“No one knows how they got their hands on such long-range missiles. Where we were, the insurgents weren’t that organized. Well, I guess that was our mistake in thinking that. The first one hit right outside the tent.”

“Blew it all to shit. I woke up with all the equipment on top of me. When it threw me back, it skewered my leg on some equipment. Burst my eardrums too.”

“And the private?" Julie asked softly.

“I tried my best. He was still open when the blast hit. I tried to cover him when the second missile struck, but it did no good. He died from blood loss.”

She took my hand and laid it against her cheek kissing it softly. I pulled her close and kissed her forehead. I never thought I would survive telling that memory, but with Julie here it was a whole lot easier then I expected.

“And your leg?”

“Oh, I’m fine. Some scars and stuff but nothing terrible. My eardrums were permanently damaged so I wasn’t able to stay with the team. I had the option of being stationed at a regular naval hospital. My three years owed were up and Dad was going downhill, so I figured I should bow out gracefully.”

“What does that mean, permanently damaged?” Julie asked looking from one ear to the other.

I knew on the outside they looked perfectly fine.

"Just some hearing loss,” I waved off. “And a constant ringing,” I added quickly.

“Hawk that must be terrible.”

“Funny thing actually,” I gave a little laugh and scooted her chair closer to mine. “Usually I can always hear it, it's just this annoying thing in the back of my head. With you and Em though, sometimes I forget its even there.”

I watched as she looked me over, brushing a long hair away from my face. We were so close now that I could smell her sweet perfume and feel the touch of her smooth thighs rubbing against my own.

“It was hard for me, when I first came back,” I said twirling a lock of Julie’s hair.

I felt like we were discovering each other for the first time.

“First couple of weeks I was here, I didn’t know how to function. It was a nightmare. I had no purpose, no drive. Now…”

I let my voice trail off as I let go of her lock.

“Now Emma is my driving force. I know I have to keep going on for her. For you too, if you’ll let me,” I added looking her in the eyes.

I could see a tear glistening in her honey eyes. I worried it was because she was about to tell me that it wasn’t ever going to happen.

“Okay,” she finally said just above a whisper.

“Okay?” I asked a little surprised but also relieved.

“Yeah,” she nodded.

I kissed her then softly. I wanted to savor every taste every sensation of her. She leaned into my touch, and I felt the weight of her breast brush against me.

“Come upstairs with me?” I asked pulling away from our kiss. It came out heavier then I had planned.

Julie gave a shy smile and nodded. I stood and took her hand before she could change her mind.

Quietly I led her up the narrow stairway and to the master bedroom. I waited for her to slip out of her shoes before pulling her into my arms.

I let my fingers run along her open back and tease along her low hemline.

“It’s been a long time, Hawk.”

I could hear the nerves in her voice.

“Me too,” I said reassuring her.

I was full of need however, and I had a feeling I wasn’t going to savor this as much as I should. I took her mouth hungrily and pulled her hard against me.

I was pleasantly surprised to feel her meet my ravenous need. I scooped her up into my arms and turned to lay her on the bed.

I pulled at her till her ass was almost to the edge. Kneeling between her legs, I reached up the short distance under her skirt and pulled off her lace panties.

“Are you ready to see how you feel about this beard?” I asked.

I didn’t wait for an answer, however, instead, I tugged her skirt up the last remaining inches and plunged between her thighs.

“Oh, fuck!” She called from somewhere above me.

She was so sweet, and already a little wet. I used my hands to spread her thighs even farther apart as I plunged my tongue into her. Julie moaned in satisfaction as I pumped my tongue in and out of her wet center.

I felt her hands tangle in my hair and I wrapped her legs around my shoulders. I gripped her hips as I helped her rock against my mouth. I could feel her thighs tightening, and I knew she was close.

I began to move my head up and down as I plunged into her so that my coarse whiskers rubbed up against her tender bean. She gave a sharp gasp then and stilled as she spilled her juices into my mouth.

I lapped her up happily and waited for her to come down from her orgasm. When her breathing steadied, I stood over her. I let her watch as I removed my shirt and pants.

She sat up then and chose to remove my boxer briefs on her own. I sprang out right at her eye level. I knew it was something she had seen plenty of times before, but I was still satisfied to hear her hungry moan as she took me with both her hands.

She stroked me up and down a few times as I watched her. Looking up at me, she bent her head and licked just my tip. I wound my hands in her hair now. I wanted her mouth on me, but at the same time, I wanted to cum inside her pussy.

I reached behind her neck and found the clasp that held her top on. With a swift movement, I unsnapped it waiting for her breast to burst free.

Much to my disappointment they didn’t.

“Sorry, we used a lot of adhesives to keep the girls in,” she said with a little laugh.

I knelt down in front of her again, completely nude. Slowly and delicate I peeled away the tape and reviled her breast to me one at a time. She laid back when I was done, and let me slip the dress the rest of the way off of her.

Scooting back on the bed, she laid before me a naked goddess.

I hadn’t turned the light on when we came in. The blinds were open, and the light of a full moon came in as slits across the milky white of her body. Her hair was splayed around her in dark waves reaching to just above her perked nipples.

I had a sudden urge to take her and stay frozen admiring her all at the same time. My need took over, however, and I came to sit between her legs.

Resting on my arms, I came down over her taking her mouth with mine. She arched up in satisfaction, and I could feel the tips of her nipples brush my flesh.

Reaching under her I positioned myself, and in a swift motion, I plunged deep into her all the way to my hilt. She gasped at the shock of it.

I should have pulled back, or slowed down, but I didn’t. My body took over, and I dove deep into her again and again. Her shock was replaced with soft sounds of satisfaction.

I could feel her digging hard with her nails into my back with every thrust of my dick. I didn’t care if she made me bleed, I would spill my seed deep inside her.

I lifted her up so that she was sitting on my lap with her legs wrapped around my waist.

“Take it, baby. Take it from me,” I encouraged.

She rocked her body on top of me. I squeeze her ass pulling her deeper inside me with each of her thrusting motions. She arched her back and moaned.

I took the opportunity to take her hard nipple into my mouth. She reached her hands into my hair and encouraged me to take in more of her hard nipple. I rolled it between my teeth, and she tightened around me.

I heard her scream my name as her body clinched. I grabbed her hips and kept up the rocking motion. I was swelling thick, and her tighten climax sent me over my own edge. Gripping tight to her hips, I thrust hard into her one last time as I spilled my own juice deep inside her.