Reapers Conquer
Xanthe
“Go on, get out of here. I don’t need you and I don’t want you!”
By now, when Mack tried to push her away, Xanthe took it for the cry it really was. Instead of leaving or taking him seriously, she stood her ground and laughed. By now she almost knew the signs of his breakdowns and how long they generally lasted. The withdrawn, unresponsive to motivation or encouragement. Possibly triggered by media reports about troops fighting overseas. Other times it could be a change in weather that increased his pain, or because he wanted to walk outside in the sunshine or pick up something from the floor. It could be as simple as the nurse taking five minutes to respond to the buzzer or Xanthe being caught up with another patient.
Anything that was outside his control.
The withdrawn sulks would lead back into depression with perhaps a side track towards anger.
Knowing the signs didn’t help his support crew avert his attention. Occasionally, Xanthe would get a call away from her other patients to try and snap him out of his funk, or like today, get him to redirect it at her. She could take it. Heavens knew, when she snapped out of frustration or fear, it was directed at him.
“You’re like an old married couple the way you bicker,” Charli heard their shouting and popped her head in. “When’s he gonna put a rock on your finger and make it official?”
“We’re nowhere near that yet. First he needs to get out of here and into the rehab facility.” Xanthe shrugged at Mack. “But he has to stop acting like a baby and finish his exercises.”
“Well get back to work, Mack.” Charli laughed. “I mean think about getting out of here, a lot more privacy for you guys, although maybe you like the thrill of being caught.”
“Char!” Mack tried to silence her.
“Don’t try to shush me, I’ve always wondered, did you ever … you know, here?”
“Not that it’s any of your business, but no. If we got caught it would be my job for sure.” Xanthe said at the same time Mack reached for her.
“There’s no way I’d do anything to jeopardize her. Everyone’s been great at giving us space and stuff, but we are counting down the days until I escape to make this legit.”
“So he hasn’t even shown you his monkey, yet?”
“No and I’m going crazy feeling like I’m the only female on this base that hasn’t! Like how impressive can it be if it can be hidden under a singlet!”
“Don’t worry, Xanth,” Charli hugged her and looked over at Mack who had gotten over his black mood, “It’s worth it and he’s worth it. I heard the admin arranging transport papers to get him out today, so tonight could be the night!”
“Only if he passes his final tests and that means he’s got to put some effort in!” Xanthe threw a pillow at Mack. “If you love me, you’d do the work to get out of here. I’m one horny woman and I can’t wait for you forever!”
“That’s not what you told me last night,” she couldn’t help it, falling into his arms was still the best feeling of all, other than his panty-stripping kisses.
Mack
He lay down, exhausted while Xanthe left them to get a coffee.
The locomotor training had his body suspended in a harness with one of the physios or occupational therapists at his side helping his legs through stepping motions.
Having given everything in the name of getting a medical release out of hospital and into the Defence rehab facility, he didn’t know what he’d do if they turned him down. Like they did each month for the past four. One more test, always another impossible goalpost to reach or mountain for he and Xanthe to climb just to be able to do the thing he used to take for granted.
He wanted desperately to be able to lie in bed with his beautiful woman and claim her.
Mack knew he’d been a prick to Xanthe all day, actually he’d been impossible to deal with all week. After insisting that Dean push him until there would be no doubt in him passing the medical and independent tests, the man other wise known as “son of a bitch” took him at his word. Each night, his muscles cried out for mercy but as he and Xanthe started ticking off all the milestones, he could see the light at the end of the tunnel.
If only he could walk down and turn the bloody thing on himself.
This time, Xanthe returned with more than just coffee.
“I didn’t expect this sort of turn out. Lieutenant Mackenzie are you sure you want an audience of this size.” Dr Hunter addressed not only Mack but the assembled crowd in his room. “I mean, all I’m going to do is confirm the paperwork has come through posting you to the Soldier Recovery Centre in Brisbane.”
Screams from the nursing staff, loud whistles and high fives from the physios and all the damn “Son of a Bitch” that pushed him until he broke and then pushed him some more.
All for this moment.
Mack heard Xanthe inhale at his side. They had hoped for discharge from hospital but didn’t expect to be separated. Not by almost fifteen-hundred kilometres.
“Mack, that’s wonderful, congratulations,” only he heard the catch in her voice. They’d fought so hard and now it was about to get tougher. He might be getting out of hospital but the challenge of his injury, no he could almost say the word “disability”, was now going to be further complicated by distance – and he still couldn’t drive.
Still, her happiness for him was genuine and he as stroked her hair inhaling the coconut shampoo that he loved, Mack promised himself that he’d figure out a way to make it work.
“Doc, is there any way I can stay local?” He didn’t care if it wasn’t the best long term option as long as they didn’t get separated.
“I don’t think your girlfriend would want that,” Dr Hunter smiled as they feigned innocence. “Come on, I respect that you’ve never put me in an uncomfortable position by extending the nature of your ‘sleep overs’ and there isn’t one person here who isn’t wanting to keep you two together. That’s one of the reasons it’s taken so long to get you discharged. We were waiting for either Miss Davies to come to her senses and realize there are far more deserving patients for her special attention, or for this to come through.”
Mack grabbed the paper before Xanthe had a chance. He didn’t want to give up his opportunity for recovery, but he couldn’t imagine recovery without her by his side.
“What’s this?” before Xanthe took it off him.
“Brisbane, as a visiting medical officer? I’m not a doctor, I’m an occupational therapist.”
“I don’t know the technical, but if you are employed down there as a VMO then because you’re on contract there’s less rules about dating a patient of the facility. Mack won’t be your patient but he will be a patient and you will have a job.”
“Guess we’re moving in together, babe,” Mack tried not to see the apprehension, her clenched teeth and forced smile. Surely, this is what she wanted, to be together.
“Actually, you will be living at the facility and Xanthe will need to find her own accommodation.”
“Thank you,” Mack hated that the doctor could respond to her swinging hug and hand her off to all her friends and even some of his unit who had dropped by for the announcement.
“It’s after noon, so break ‘em open,” called Scout, dragging in a trolley full of cold beer with a few sodas.
Mack accepted the first cold one with the doctor’s nod. This was a bloody miracle.
Xanthe
Standing off to the side, Xanthe tried to take it all in.
Months of working towards and praying for this moment, and it happened so quickly.
Hospital discharge within the hour.
New job that she hadn’t even applied for.
Moving to Brisbane where her life would be forever tied to Mack. What if they didn’t work out and the darkness and depression that overwhelmed him became a constant part of their life. She didn’t want a life of him pushing her away only to force her to prove that she wouldn’t let him.
“You okay?” Dr Hunter offered her a drink. “I assumed you wanted this.”
“I do, I think,” she had held back and even skirted around the truth before but never outright lied to her boss. “It’s a lot to take in, but I really like it here on base. This is the job I wanted to do even before I met Mack.”
“Xanthe, look at the paperwork. Because you’re a civilian, we’ve had to do things a little differently. You’ll take a leave of absence from here and I think under the circumstances and if you need some time, we can ask for at least a couple of weeks to hand over your patients. Career wise, Brisbane is a great opportunity and if at any time if it doesn’t work out, you let me know and I’ll find a reason to cancel your leave and summons you back here. That way it truly isn’t you, it’s me.”
“Does Charli know how lucky she is?” she hugged him again.
“I’ll let you in on a secret, I really hated your boyfriend. He didn’t realize how many women were in love with him and so he didn’t care when Charli never got over whatever they had. Mack breezed into their lives and walked out not even thinking about the carnage left behind.”
“You never acted as if you hated him.”
“That’s because once you came along, firstly you hid the whole knowing him well. But every woman here knew they didn’t stand a chance. The way he looked at you was if his sun rose and set on your command. It was only going to be a matter of time before Charli opened her eyes to see who was right in front of her.”
“Oh, Alan, she knows how lucky she is and even if she hasn’t said it, Charli loves you.”
“Yeah, and as soon as I get Mack and his stupid monkey out of my hospital, I intend on asking if she wants to make it permanent.”
“Don’t,” Xanthe held his arm. “Don’t do it because of Mack. You’ll never know if she said ‘yes’ because of him or because she loves you. Ask her tonight, or even this afternoon. Hell, ask her now.”
“What if she turns me down?”
“What if she says, ‘yes’.”
“Xanth, I’m going to miss you.” Xanthe didn’t want the hug to end.
If only Charli could see the man who loved her, then again she was struggling with the same challenges. Was she really strong enough to take on Mack and what lay ahead? She thought back to all their texts before his accident, thousands of snippets into his soul saved forever on her phone. Two strong-willed and independent people coming together was never going to be easy, why should a wheelchair make any difference?
On the off chance they could make it work, she knew Mack would be worth it.
“So, Xanthe what’s the first thing you’re going to do now he’s been released?” Jodi asked, Scout’s arm comfortably around her.
It was as if they could read her thoughts, the blush started at her toes but when it reached her face, the room started laughing.
“The unit has a surprise for you two.” Reith opened Mack’s cupboard and started stuffing all his gear into a duffel bag while Scout released Jodi long enough to go into the corridor and bring in a wheelchair covered in army camo.
“Come ‘ere, babe,” Xanthe found her spot on the side of his bed. Close enough not to accidently sit on the legs he couldn’t feel, but still able to have his arm around her waist. If it was night, all she’d have to do was swing her legs around and sleep in his arms.
“We figured your first time, at least as a legitimate couple, deserves an army escort. Figuring that there is no way Xanthe’s car would fit your wheelchair, we’ve organized a couple of guys to follow you to Xanthe’s place and make sure you get settled in.” Reith zipped up the bag and threw it to Scout.
“The second part of the surprise should be no surprise. Apparently you are such a shit-house patient that the hospital couldn’t wait to get rid of you. To make sure you don’t come back, all the paperwork was fast tracked to get you your own wheelchair.”
Xanthe watched as Mack refused all help, lowering the bed, putting the board in place and transferring his frame to the chair. They had been practicing for weeks and still it was fifty-fifty whether he’d need her help. As soon as he landed in his own set of wheels, he was acting like the Mack of old, dangerously wheeling around the crowded room to the cheers and squeals of the staff who were now friends.
“Guys, how did you get it, I got told it was stuck in Sydney for another week or so.”
“Rip knew a guy who knew another guy who picked it up and delivered it a couple of hours ago.”
Xanthe didn’t expect to see tough, army guys so emotional saying good bye to one of their own. When Captain Greenwood arrived to escort his man to the waiting jeep, it all got serious. He was really leaving his unit.
Her fingernails cut into her palm as she tried to hide her growing anxiety. Nervous about how Mack would be able to maneuver around her bedsit, what would they have to talk about now he was out of hospital. What if they tried and he couldn’t, perform? She could only imagine his frustration and anger and there would be nowhere for her to get some space.
Still, there wasn’t a dry eye when Rip lead the call, “Rule one.”
“Reapers come,” the unit, including Mack shouted in reply.
“Rule two.”
Xanthe felt the love between these men as they formed arms around shoulders before the reply, “Reapers see.”
“Rule three!”
“REAPERS conquer.” Everyone in the hospital would have heard the cry.
“And don’t forget,” he paused for them all to join in, “We never leave a Reaper behind.”
Mack
He hated being a fucking invalid.
Pretending that it was okay to rely on his unit to carry him from Xanthe’s car to inside her apartment. Plonking him done on her bed as if it was some great big joke. Doing him a favor – after all wasn’t that he’d been wanting to do, be in her bed anyway?
Effective tomorrow, it wasn’t his unit anymore.
By some strange accident of paperwork, it would be three days before his transport to Brisbane would be organized, and Xanthe had three days of forced leave in lieu of overtime.
He needed to stop the hate from churning in his gut and threatening to ruin what little fucking happiness he still had. Seriously, he doubted she ever wanted to move to Brisbane, especially not with him. Why would she want to be shackled to some ex-army loser?
Jealousy had always been his worse trait and it was growing rapidly with all the thoughts of what Xanthe could be doing, or thinking and about whom. What was she doing outside with the guys, surely it didn’t take this long to say a quick thanks and see you ‘round.
If only someone had thought to leave his chair on the door side of the bed so he could at least get in it and see what was keeping her so long. Again, for the millionth time today, he hated being a dependent, half-man invalid.
The front door slammed shut but before he could get her attention, Xanthe locked herself in the bathroom. All he could do was stare at the room he’d only been in once before. He couldn’t even get to the television controls sitting half a room away on a table.
He hated his life.
What was the fucking point of living when this was the best it would ever be.
Then the door opened and he found his reason.
Xanthe, in a gold, almost nude kimeno falling just below her knees. The soft ruffle around the edges framed her gorgeous face, and he could only see the front being held together by a single tie. He could manage that.
She had gone heavy on her eye makeup, her long lashes batting their way across the room to their bed. Her tight bun relaxed into a long ponytail.
“Out or in?” she pulled at the hair strap threatening to free her soft locks.
Ordinarily he’d want her hair free-flowing and caressing his body with every arch of her passion. Tonight, the last thing he needed was for her hair to get caught up in his legs or anything to remind them both he was less than worthy.
“In.”
For months, he couldn’t predict when his erection would surface and when it would leave him hanging. He could sleep for nights with Xanthe in his arms and get nothing, but one would magically appear when he was watching the news.
The sight of her dressed for him, had done the job.
“Do you mind?” she offered him a glass of wine.
He was already regretting the two beers with the boys and shook his head, “Enjoy, have one for me.”
She stood where her kitchen met her living area and bedroom, nervously sipping her wine. The awkwardness between them of the first night returned, only this time there would be no recall to hospital. It was now or never, and they’d always remember if he botched their first time.
Fuck. No fucking pressure.
His body didn’t perform well under pressure, anymore. He needed to lighten the mood, patting the empty side of the bed, “Now where were we? I’m pretty sure we had a whole discussion about what it would take to get you into bed.”
Xanthe laughed and ignoring all the space, slowly crawled from the base of the bed up his body to kiss him. “I’m pretty sure I asked you to give me a reason.”
“Well, babe, the reason hasn’t changed,” if she didn’t stop kissing him, it wouldn’t be just his legs that couldn’t be controlled.
“I can’t remember what your answer was,” he didn’t need any help in getting hard, not when she started nuzzling his neck and the front of her kimino threatened to gape open.
“I told you that you’re the only woman I want to ever see my monkey.”
“Well, I’m sure some of the nurses who bathed you have seen it since then. You should have let me.”
“Think of how special right now is. I get to do the whole unveiling.”
“Why do I think it’s been a huge beat up?”
“Baby, you can beat me any time,” he tried to smile, “But if you beat me below the waist, I won’t feel it.”
“Then how about I play with what you can feel.”
He groaned as she bit his nipple through the black hemp, unbuttoning his shirt and pushing it aside. Her finger tips played with the bottom of his singlet, pulling it up a couple of centimeters and then dropping it back down to kiss him again.
If this was a year ago, he would have spun her on her back and made her pay for teasing him like this. Instead, he was powerless, no he couldn’t think like that in case it lead to …
Of course Xanthe noticed, “Someone’s taking a short nap? Good, because it’s going to be a long night an you’re going to need all the rest you can get.” Expertly, she removed his pants. He’d given up on the tight-fitting jeans of old for hippy style draw strings. Then, without blinking and without even drawing attention, she removed his medical equipment until he lay naked except for the singlet.
“So, are you going to tell me the story about this monkey, or do I need to see it for myself?” Even though he couldn’t feel her hands rub up and down his legs, he needed her to keep going. Pretend as much of this was normal, treat him like a man until he could love her in the way she deserved.
“It seemed like a good idea at the time. All the guys I was recruited with decided to go into town and get tattoos. Most of them wanted wolves or bears or dragons with obscure Asian symbols. Some wanted tribal patterns.”
Carefully, sensually, Xanthe straddled him while he talked, her hands everywhere and encouraging his hands to explore her smooth legs as the kimino fell to the side. One tug at the string and she’d be all his.
“Anyway, I didn’t want to go for something deep and meaningful. I heard somewhere that I was born in the year of the monkey, so that’s what I asked for. The tattoo artist asked me if I was lucky and the guys said I was the luckiest bastard at pulling women. So, well you might as well see for yourself.”
Xanthe reached over for a pair of small scissors from her night stand and sliced up the front of his singlet. She started, “I figured for a special occasion, you could donate your clothes for a good cause.” As the fabric fell away, the bed shook with her laughter.
“This! This is what I’ve been waiting months to see!” He flinched as she traced the outline of the cartoon monkey sitting at a card table with its hands over it’s face, and tail leading quite nicely between Mack’s legs. “So what’s with the fours and nines and why are they all hearts?”
“Apparently my monkey cheats with cards the way I cheat with women. The four and nine are lucky numbers for the year of the monkey.”
“And the see no evil?”
“Yep, apparently whatever I’m doing, the monkey can play but not watch.”
“So start playing.”
Xanthe
She didn’t know who was the most nervous, but at least the monkey really did break the ice and giggling was as good an aphrodisiac as anything. All the stress and nerves fell away as she lay back down on top of him.
“I see the lady isn’t wearing any panties!” It seemed the more Mack played with her legs as they kissed, the harder he got.
“I figured they would only come off with your kisses, so why bother.”
“Indeed,” and there he was. The Mack she remembered from their first night with kisses so wild she didn’t need anything else. “You’re still overdressed,” he pulled at the string exposing the rose gold nipple rings, linked together by his chain.
“I didn’t even notice you’d taken it off,” he ran the chain through his fingers. “Fuck you’re hot.”
She had a drawer full of things they could have needed, lube and a script of pills the doctor had shoved in her bag without her even asking.
All she needed was Mack resting against her stomach until at last his kisses forced her to arch her hips ever so slightly until she could squeeze him between her thighs. “Are you ready?” scared that if this didn’t work, it could set both of them back irreparably.
“Come closer,” he whispered, “I don’t want my monkey to watch.”
“I bet you say that to all the girls,” she started before they moaned in sync as she slid down, capturing him, fully and deeply. “Oh, Mack.”
He was everything his reputation proclaimed, and more.
The injury may have taken his legs, but Xanthe had never been with a more generous, passionate or well-built lover. His ice-blue eyes held hers and not once did she want to close them or look away. Not when it had taken so much to get here. With each rise of her hips he sighed but when she glided back down and he gave a slight tug on the chain, it was her turn to cry out.
Not having to pay caution to other patients or medical staff who could wander in at any time, they were finally free to be together.
She needed more, sitting up so she could explore the fullness of his naked chest as a lover for the first time. Watching and then massaging his abs as they contracted with each of her thrusts.
If Xanthe thought that she would be in control of the pace, she was wrong. Hours with weights building up his already strong arms meant that Mack could lift and raise her hips at will before slamming her down with such force that her cries grew louder until she felt the tremors start.
“Spin around,” he demanded, holding her firm until the edge calmed. “I’ve held that beautiful ass next to me in that damn hospital bed, I want to watch those cheeks spread for me.”
Xanthe held her pace while he twisted one nipple ring from behind and found her bud with his other hand. It took a few strokes to get her rhythm and balance but once she let her legs do all the work, her hands found their new favorite toy, rolling each ball gently until his cries were louder than hers.
This time nothing was going to stop her from coming, Mack pumped her hips a couple times more before he removed all doubt what he was still capable of.
Exhausted and overcome by the raw and unfamiliar emotion, she carefully lay back, not releasing him but craving the closeness of his arms around her stomach.
“That was …” she leaned around to kiss him, carefully so he didn’t slip out. Now that she had him, she never wanted to let him go.
“It was, but I wish I could have ...” he started before she tried to turn and silence him with a kiss, “done more for you.”
“Do I look like a woman unsatisfied?” She massaged his hands over her body, “The way you hold me, the way you fill me.”
“I’ll never be able to give you children.”
“We have time, can’t we enjoy this,” damn it, she rolled over to face him. “After all the time waiting for this, can’t we spend hours and hours making love, having sex and everything in between? I want to go out on a date with you, a real date. Have you realized we’ve never had one of those!”
“Don’t you want kids?”
“Of course I do, and I want them with you, but right now I’m naked in bed with The Mack and I want to experience all his gears. So get back to work!”
Mack
He’d never cried over a woman, but he came damn close to crying for Xanthe. She would never know him as the fucking wild sex machine he used to be. Unless a miracle happened, he would never be able to pin her against a wall and hammer her home.
The best he’d ever be would be on his back and hope it would be good enough.
She deserved better but was too much of a nice person to realize it. He knew that while they were stuck in their bubble of two and kept the world at bay, they had a chance. But as soon as her old friends met him, and they started going out in public, the world was a judgmental prick. He should know, he used to be one.
“Hungry?” she caught him off guard with the question.
“Yeah, what are we having?”
“Depends, what are you making me?”
He laughed, “You are kidding – the guy in the bed is going to cook?”
“No, but the guy in the wheelchair is gonna help. The kitchen isn’t big, but you can get the chair in and still spin around. I’m sure you can still use a knife and either balance the board on your lap or use the table.”
“I’d like to balance something else on my lap,” he couldn’t believe that he was getting hard again, talking about food, still lying on the bed and rubbing her back. His hands went lower and teased her cheeks apart.
“Honey, if you go there, don’t complain about being hungry,” she twisted around, her eyes were still faded with passion, “And what ever you do, don’t stop.”
Without his legs, he concentrated on using Xanthe’s body for her own pleasure. Rubbing him between her cheeks with one hand, the other moved to the front, tormenting her with the lightest of touches.
“What kind of kisses do you have for a girl without panties,” she bent around, stopping one hand but giving him full access to her ass. Even with her body contorted, his mouth still claimed hers with all the passion and fury he had been holding back. When she bit his lip, he returned the favor, tongues joining as she ground against his hand. Fingers finding their place when she let him. The only hold he had was keeping his cock between her cheeks. Smothered in her softness.
Kisses, more kisses.
Fuck, he couldn’t be ready to explode again, not this soon.
Furiously he worked his fingers to find her, bring her to the same point, he wanted to come together, again.
With a cry, she raised her hips to take him, his fingers still working their magic. Feeling her silk surround his cock, he couldn’t take it any more. He grabbed her hips and took her with passionate abandon until he felt her squeeze around him and shudder before he found his own.
This time as she lay on his chest, he released her ponytail, confident that even if her hair got in the way, they’d figure out how to make it work.
Xanthe
“I could get used to this naked chef routine,” she passed him the bread rolls to cut open before putting under the grill. “Although I think you need something bigger than a pillow to rest the board on your lap!”
“The one thing I used to crave on base was old-style hamburgers. I can’t believe you remembered and this is the first meal for a man released from the hospital prison.”
“Well, you rolled a good patty although I would have put more tomato relish in them.”
“Woman, you put BBQ sauce not relish.”
“Actually, you put Italian seasoning, heaps of salt and garlic and tomato relish.”
“We’ll do it your way this time, but next time we’re having burgers my way.”
“Shut up and get the buns ready,” her hair fell across the board and bread as she stole another kiss, squealing in delight as he grabbed her ass. “Let me go or the patties will burn and you’ll blame the sauce.”
Instead of sitting around the small table to eat, she set up their plates on the edge and refused to get out of Mack’s lap. He had started to get self-conscious about his legs losing muscle tone but she refused to see him as anything other than the man who turned her on, mind body and soul. She wasn’t going to baby or babysit him, but she wasn’t going to let him play the victim either.
There was one more surprise she had for him after dinner. Until then, feeding each other torn pieces of hamburger in between more kisses would get them in the mood for her surprise.
“We’re making a huge mess,” he brushed strands of lettuce from her hair and from his chest.
“Wanna make some more?” she teased, having a great idea that would lead to the surprise.
“Any time you want to baby, at times I never thought I’d get it up, but now I can I don’t want to waste any opportunity to show you my full appreciation.”
“Well, appreciate this,” she squeezed the bottle of BBQ sauce over her breasts, shivering at the cold drizzle against her warm flesh. “You said you like BBQ, then prove it.”
“You crazy woman,” she giggled when he grabbed the bottle and drew a line from her breasts to her pussy. “Do you think I’ll over dose on sauce and switch to tomato just for you?”
“I know that you’ll never finish cleaning me.”
“You don’t know how stubborn I can be,” she moaned as he bit one ring, lashing his tongue around her nipple. “Now where should I start.”
Xanthe slowly massaged him, trying to keep it light and steady even though her body was crying for mercy. Methodically, he cleaned each breast while stroking the inside of each thigh, from her knee up and stopping just before she wanted him to start.
“How much do you want to get clean?” he growled, taking a swig from his water bottle. Was he going to tip the rest over her? Surely not.
“Very much,” she tried to read his eyes.
“You better hope the table is steady, sit up,” he had already pushed the food out of reach and Xanthe hoped she knew what he was about to do because if he was as good at that as he was at everything else, well …
He took one long swab of the BBQ sauce from her pussy and offered her his finger. “One lick and I’ll do the rest.”
“You just lost your hand,” she held his arm and sucked at his finger as he went below. Pulling her to the edge of the table so nothing could stop him from deeply penetrating her with his tongue and other hand. He ignored the sauce and concentrated on what mattered to him, to her and them.
All the while, she played and sucked his finger as if her life depended, only when she was about to come again, did she give him his hand back to use. Fingers inside, and his tongue at the ready. The table almost gave way with her shudders but she didn’t care.
Sliding, exhausted, back into his lap, Mack held her tightly as she hid her face in the nape of his neck. Whatever had happened here today, it was more powerful than she expected. Any doubts she had about what their sex life could be like had been well and truly erased.
The Mack was everything his reputation had proclaimed, and more.
Only, it had taken her falling in love before they got to this point.
Now, her fear was that having proven to himself that he was still all man, Mack would go back to the player he once was, and leave her heartbroken in his wake.
Mack
He couldn’t keep this up. Xanthe had put a full day in at work and was still ready to fuck like a wildcat and lay back and purr like a kitten. She might plead exhaustion, but those were only words.
To try and make sure he could escape the hospital prison, he’d pushed himself hard in every session over the last days and ramped it up today. Now with the excitement of leaving, and giving everything to Xanthe, he was buggered. If the chair wasn’t holding him, he’d quite comfortably slide onto the floor and sleep for a month.
Xanthe was kidding herself if she thought this was the life she wanted. No, now she’d done her job and got him through the early parts of rehab. It could only get worse for her now she’d be faced with his “chair” every time they left her house.
He’d need the chair to get to the car, to go shopping.
They wouldn’t be able to just drop into a bar if there were steps or if the door way wasn’t wide enough. No more walking along the beach or bush walking.
No more kayaks, hell he probably wouldn’t even be able to go sailing ever again.
Kids, well he knew the stats. He also knew the statistics for a marriage surviving, let alone the stats for veterans, substance abuse and PTSD.
Hell, with him her life wouldn’t be boring, but it wasn’t the life he wanted for the woman he loved.
Loved. Pure and unselfish love.
To protect her from his future, he had to man up and love her enough to let her go.
But when she sat up, diluted pupils still recovering from being “cleaned”, his heart renewed with energy his body didn’t possess. Messed up hair with bread crumbs, traces of smeared sauce, and never had a woman ever looked so beautiful, or enticing.
“Hey,” he shrugged.
“Hey, yourself.” He watched her legs shimmer from the table, handing him his water bottle before she went back into the kitchen and poured herself another wine. “Want one?”
“Why not, whatever doesn’t kill you …”
“Gets you plastered.”
“Do you want to be?” The eternal bitterness and self pity couldn’t stay hidden for more than a couple of hours. Another reason she’d be better off without him.
“What?” she handed him a glass.
“So plastered you forget that you’re with a cripple?” He didn’t mean to say it, at least not tonight but he had an awful habit these days of unleashing the messed-up crap in his head.
“I want the gentle buzz that a couple of glasses of a quality wine gives me. I want to enjoy the contrast of a deep shiraz with the sharp bite of an aged cheese.” She downed her glass and poured another. “I want to spend the next three days here with you, showing off all the new lingerie that I bought with you in mind, and never got a chance to model before you so rudely interrupted our conversation by being blown up.”
“I think you’ve just proven to yourself that you can satisfy any woman at any time. You don’t need to walk into a room to be able to sweep a woman off her feet.” The reticence he had felt from her was misplaced. It wasn’t about his legs, it was about trusting him not to leave.
“I’m still a cripple,” he had to say it.
“And tonight, I’m going to get gently buzzed, lie down on that bed and thank God that he left enough of you for me to sleep with.”
“Ouch,” he didn’t know how to take it.
“What do you want me to say – that I don’t know that you’re in a wheelchair? Of course I do. Does it matter – well its changed things but so did meeting you. I changed the moment you took my phone off me and asked me for something only a lover would know. Things changed between us the night we slept together on that bloody uncomfortable lounge without having sex, even though I know both of us were thinking about it all night.”
“Xanthe, I’m sorry …”
“No, damn it. You can’t just stand there and …”
“Sit there,” he laughed. “Remember, we’re still working our way up to standing.”
“You bastard,” Xanthe grabbed his face to kiss him, their laughter breaking the mood. “What I was trying to say is that on every level, being together has changed us. We’ve already faced this change, now that you’re out of hospital, we’ll see if we can handle it.”
“You said you had a surprise for me.”
“Yeah, then follow me.” The woman didn’t cut him any slack, forcing him to turn his own chair and follow her to the bathroom. The lip up to the tiles had been smoothed by a small ramp, just enough for him to work his chair up and through. The surprise were the suction handles around the walls and a long bar in the shower next to a bench style chair with a bar at the back and one side.
“What’s this?”
“Apparently the nurses fight over watching you do the shower transfer. Now, it’s my turn.”
“There’s nothing to see.”
“How about you let me be the judge.”
Fuck, he hated her watching, had refused to let her know how hard this transfer had been to figure out. Only when the physio told him that his head had to be pointed in the opposite direction of his ass did he start to get it. Balancing on the edge of the chair took strength and trust, and more than once when he was learning, he ended up with a bruised backside and banged head.
None of that mattered now, as long as he could make it look simpler than it was. Get into position, move his legs, then prepare for “dismount”.
His arms rippled as he took the strength to raise his body and swung over to meet his legs on the shower chair. The chair brakes held and he tried to hide his sigh of relief.
“Oh, babe,” Xanthe adjusted the shower rose before straddling him. Pouring and then rubbing the shower gel over their bodies. “That was incredibly sexy to watch. I can’t believe you were holding out on me all this time.”
“I didn’t want you to see my monkey.” Not the truth and he knew she knew it.
“The monkey is mine, now. As is this, and this, and this,” as she kissed all around his chest and neck. He reached for the shampoo and rubbed it through her hair while she did the same for his. Carefully, he brushed the suds away from her eyes, running his fingers through the wet, long locks.
“You are incredible,” he kissed her nose.
“Don’t you forget it.”
How could he, she was his life.
He didn’t know if she felt his sobs as he held her close and let the water wash over them. She was his life but he had nothing left to offer. No career, no future.
Only the love of a broken man.
Xanthe
She wrapped the kimino around her, cuddling into her man as he read through the papers that came with his posting.
“So what does it mean?”
“The Army is giving me every opportunity to recover, but let’s face it, I’m not going to be able to go back over there and be a real soldier.”
Previously when he talked about the future, there was a slight whine, but this time his voice was firmer, more matter of fact.
“What does a soldier do? Come on, tell me.”
“They train and fight.”
“What was the call for your unit? Reapers Come, Reapers See …”
“Reapers Conquer and never leave a Reaper behind,” he finished. Still, his voice was cautiously determined.
“Well, I think you proved that you conquer. You left the field alive, and you fought to stay alive. You fought to wake up and I watched you fight every day to get out of that hospital bed.”
“It doesn’t matter,” she had to act fast before she lost him back into the darkness.
“Do you really think that you’re the only soldier that is undefeated but a little knocked up? All the guys talked up your training, how you motivated them to push harder in the gym. You didn’t need your legs for that – just the power of being you.”
“What are you saying?”
“That until you get through whatever this rehab place can offer, you won’t know what sort of soldier you can be. It will be different, but so is our sex life and that wasn’t so bad, was it?”
He had pushed the papers away and cradled her until they both fell asleep for the first time in the privacy of a bedroom.
“Damn,” she hissed as the strawberries fell out of the second croissant.
Mack was still sleeping and she was trying to quietly recreate the lover’s breakfast from the café. Slicing the strawberries was easy, even tossing them through Cointreau before packing them into the sliced croissant – that was where she went wrong! With the large slice, of course the fruit fell out when she tried to dip it into the French toast mixture.
Opening the last packet of croissants, she hollowed out the inside from a small hole just big enough to push through strawberries. This time, they were easier to flip through beaten egg before frying. The mascarpone cheese had softened enough to lightly whip with a fork and the chocolate sauce only needed a minute in the microwave.
Mack awoke to the sound of the coffee grinding as she turned the croissants for the final time.
“I’ve always wanted breakfast in bed with a beautiful woman.”
“Then don’t go anywhere, and I’ll bring breakfast to you,” good, he was starting to get back his sense of humor.
“Aren’t you a little overdressed?”
“This old thing?” she twirled to give him the full impact of the black mesh tube dress with the front panel giving a full view of her side boobs and tied at the back. Black frilly, lacy pants completely covered her ass. Her highest black patent heels, small white apron and white cuffs completed the outfit.
“I thought it matched the breakfast,” she squealed as he grabbed her ass instead of meekly taking the offered plate. “Easy, tiger. You need to get your strength up.” She fed him an alcohol drenched strawberry.
“Food before fucking?”
Xanthe tasted the sweetness on his lips as he once again proved her panties didn’t want to stay up. Dropping them to the floor, she pulled the tube dress a little lower and returned to the bed with her own plate.
“As long as there is fucking, heaps of fucking,” she loved the way she could talk dirty with him and all it did was raise the temperature of the room. “But one of these days, you’re gonna have to take a girl on a real date.”
“Come here,” she barely had time to put the food to the side before he had her right where she wanted to be. Again.