Free The Lonely Hearts 06 The Grunt 2 by Latrivia S. Nelson Page A

fact, just because of one little kiss.  Brett bit his lip and slipped a hand over her breast, teasing her rigid nipple. He amused himself with the fact that she wasn’t wearing a bra.  
    “Does all of you hurt?” she asked, looking down at his mighty steel erection pushing up his nightgown like a tent.
    Brett looked down at his hard on and back at Courtney.  “Feel like getting a little creative?” he asked, ignoring the low throbbing pain in his leg.  Screw his leg.   They could cut it off right now if they needed to, he just wanted some alone time with this wife.
    “I thought you’d never ask,” Courtney said, reaching over him to turn off the light.
    Not even 30 seconds later, Brett let out a painful groan. 
    “What’s wrong?” Courtney asked, reaching above him to flick the light back on.
    Brett moved her head and mocked a cry.  “It hurts,” he said, completely defeated.
    Courtney chuckled.  Her mother was right.  All he needed was one opportunity.  “Oh, baby.  We don’t have to do anything tonight.”
    “I want to,” Brett huffed.  “I really, really want to.”  Nevertheless, in his mind, he knew it was a bad idea.  Sure, his body said yes and was definitely responding to his drop-dead gorgeous wife, but his wounds were singing a different song. He had to heal first before he could do extracurricular activities.  Still, he had to try.  He had to say at least that he had attempted, otherwise, what kind of man would he be?  There was a half-naked woman in his hospital room ready to pleasure him and all he could do was talk to her?  What a crock!
    “There will be other nights,” she explained, pulling down his gown and trying very hard to ignore his erection.  It seemed even bigger now that it had been months since they had been together.  Her eyes shifted up to his face.  “In fact, there will be a lifetime of other nights.”
    Brett was glad for her.  He was glad that Courtney was his wife and not Amy.  He was glad to have someone really give a damn about him, even if he was in the worst shape ever.  With her, no matter what, there was no pressure…ever.  She simply allowed him to be, and he knew what an unbelievable find she was.  Strangely enough, it only made him want her even more. 
    Down boy.
    Growling, he looked over at the window seat and smacked his lips.  “Will you at least stay with me tonight?  I don’t want you to leave me.”
    Courtney pulled up a chair right beside his bed and sat down in it.  “I’ll be here until they send you home,” she promised.

 
    Chapter 6
    “The lie is a condition of life.”
    - Friedrich Nietzsch
     
    At dawn, Jeffery Lynn Lawless’ eyes flashed open abruptly.  Lying on his back with the covers tucked perfectly around him, his arms flat beside him like anchors, and his head planted in the middle of his crisp white pillow, he looked up at the ceiling and began to count back from 60.  Always 60.  
    He needed at least one minute to adequately adjust from the dark, murky abyss of his past - painted in hauntingly realistic nightmares so vivid that he couldn’t tell the difference from dream state and reality - back to the normalcy of his current otherwise peaceful life.   That one minute of brief mediation kept him from moving from a ghoulish nightmare to an embarrassing conscious flashback. 
    Unfortunately, that kind of episode happened even more now that he was newly retired.  The shrink said that it was because he had more time to think back on his life.  He, however, felt that it was because he needed more to do than just mill around his house with his hands idle.
    Even after 30 damn years, the nightmares didn’t just stop the way that many had claimed they would.  It was as if miraculously because of retirement he was supposed to get better, no matter the emotional wounds, no matter the young lives lost, no matter the time that could not be purchased or begged back.  Lying naïve bastards.   He still had