65
Dirty Limericks
"Isn't it amazing how much fun two people can have just by taking off their clothes?"
-SOLOMON SHORT
Of course, we ended up in bed.
She unpinned her dark red hair and it fell in an auburn cascade to below her shoulders. She took off her blouse and her bra and I saw how pearl-smooth her skin was. Her breasts were rosy; they looked firm. She took off her underwear and I started to giggle. Her ass was freckled.
And she had the longest legs.
I wouldn't mind spending the rest of my life between those legs. She took me into her bed and into her body. I let go of my mind and let it happen. I dissolved into her freckled pink face, her tender red kisses.
She was a crimson ocean, stormy and wave-tossed. I was caught up in the rise and fall of her. I felt like a man caught in a whirlwind. My heart was racing-I could die here!-it didn't matter. I pulled myself up, pushed her knees up to her chest, and plunged in deeper. She wrapped her legs around me and began to gasp and laugh and cry. When she came, it was with a little shudder of delight, and then she pulled me close, hugging me even tighter as she held me and held me. I could feel her spasming and throbbing beneath me, around me, and I came too, exploding into her.
And then we collapsed into each other, rolling over onto our sides. I was still facing her, still inside her.
I let myself look into her eyes. She was beaming. "Hi," she said.
"Hi," I replied.
We lay there gasping for breath. "Now, I know," I said.
"Know what?"
"What it's like to screw a colonel. Always before, it's been the other way around."
She burst out laughing. "Believe me," she said. "It's far more fun screwing captains."
"Really?"
"Sure. You'll find out when you're a colonel."
"Mm, I love it when you talk dirty." I shifted my position, she smiled in response.
"Now, say general."
"Brigadier," she whispered.
"Oh, I can't stand it."
She giggled.
"Want to know something?" I said.
"What?"
"I've missed you."
"I've missed you too."
"You mean, I wasn't just a one-night stand?"
"No, you were; but whoever said that one-night stands couldn't be fun and affectionate too? You don't have to fall in love every time."
"Problem is, I did."
"Mm." She didn't answer that. "I didn't expect you to come back from that mission."
"Nobody did." I turned so I could look directly into her face. "You know, I used to wonder what it would be like to make love lo you."
"Really?" Her voice went soft. "What did you imagine?"
"Um . . ." I tried to remember. I couldn't. I started giggling.
"What?"
"I forgot."
"No, you didn't. You just don't want to say."
"No, really, I did."
"Captain, I could order you to tell me."
"Colonel, just about anything I would say right now would get me in a lot of trouble."
"Then I order you to say it."
"No, sir!"
She rolled me over on my back, so she was on top of me. She was surprisingly strong. She said, "What is it you're not saying? Tell me!" She saw the look on my face and pounced. "That one! Say it."
I said, "I love you."
She blinked.
"What did you say?"
"I said, 'I love you.' See, I told you it would get me in a lot of trouble."
She sniffed back the tears. "No-it's just-you caught me by surprise." She sniffed again. "The army takes a dim view of captains falling in love with their colonels. Well, sleeping with them anyway. I guess this is why." She smiled through the tears. "It's probably lousy for morale to see your superior officer crying."
I pulled her down to me and kissed her. She felt good. She made me feel good.
I stopped and looked into her face and said, "Well, it's true. I do love you. And you ordered me to tell you."
"I know. I have only myself to blame."
"For what?"
She gave her head a quick shake. Her red hair fell down around us both. "Never mind."
"No, go on-"
She shook her head again.
"Now, I order you."
She looked at me, impishly smug. "You can't order me. I outrank you."
"You can't pull rank in bed."
"Why not?"
"Well, for one thing . . ." I rolled her over on her back. Now I looked down on her. ". . . you're out of uniform. How do I know you're a colonel?"
"I fuck like one." Her expression was prim.
"Can't prove that by me. I've never fucked any other colonels."
"You want me to wait?"
"No, I want you to answer the question."
"What question?"
"The one you're trying to avoid. What is it you're not saying? I showed you mine, now you show me yours."
She saw I meant it and a sad look came into her eyes. She said, "I love you too."
"Really?"
"Uh-huh."
My jaw must have dropped. She reached up and pushed it closed. "Really," she insisted.
"I . . . I . . . " Now it was my turn to be flustered. I opened my mouth and a word fell out. "Why-?"
She shrugged and shook her head. "Beats the hell out of me. If I was going to pick a lover, you are probably the worst person I could pick."
"Thanks," I said.
"No, listen." She put a finger across my lips. "Jim, you are one of the dearest and sincerest and most committed men I've ever met. . . ."
"But?"
"There's no 'but.' It's all that sincerity and commitment that keeps getting you in so much trouble. I know I'm going to have my hands full trying to keep up with you."
"I didn't ask you to fall in love with me."
"So? I didn't ask you to fall in love with me either, but you did." She sounded sad. "So, here we are."
"Well, don't look so glum about it. I always heard that when two people fell in love, it's supposed to be a joyous thing."
"Oh, yeah. I forgot." She grinned up at me. "Wanna fuck?"
I couldn't help giggling. "I love you. I'll agree with anything you bring up."
"Really? Can I use my hands?" She used her hands.
"Uh . . ."
"Yes?"
I looked down. "I'm considering my response."
She followed my glance. "I like your response."
"Mm, do you?"
"I'm inclined to say so, yes."
"Well, I am prone to press the point-"
Our giggles were interrupted by the phone. It beeped loudly. We both said, "Shit!" at the same time.
"Wait a minute," Lizard said. "Let me see if I can reach it from here-"
"Here, I'll move with you-"
"I don't think this is going to work . . . "
"Yes, it will. Move your . . ."
"Oh, hell. Well, we tried-" She rolled away from me and scooped the phone off the nightstand. "Tirelli here."
Her expression clouded. "Say again? . . . Why?" She looked annoyed. "Yes, I'll be here. Yes, probably all night. Thank you." She hung up.
"Who was that?" I reached out for her.
"Dispatch." She didn't roll back to me. I let go of her shoulder. She seemed smaller now. Sadder. She sighed and said, "They were angry. I turned my beeper off. They wanted to know where I was." She lay down again, facing me, but her eyes were still distant. She rubbed her nose. "They told me to stay here for a while. They wouldn't say why."
I didn't say anything to that. I just waited. There was more. She reached over and patted me. "I guess we could do that. Couldn't we?" Her voice went soft. "I suppose we could think of something to do, couldn't we?"