The Russian Billionaire’s Secret(175)
When their passion was totally spent, he lay with his head on her breasts and she stroked his hair.
“Welcome home, solider.”
“I think I'm just going to say this was my coming home party.”
Chapter 3
You Are My Escape
Hours later, Eric woke panting. The dream that had haunted him since his return to American soil had returned. Somewhere through the fog he could feel Celeste stroking him chest and shoulders. He curled into her and pulled her close. She felt safe and warm. She smelled like strawberry shampoo and sex, their sex. Flashes of new memories crashed into him as she wrapped her arms around him. His heart rate slowly began to return to normal.
“You're okay, baby,” she cooed to him and he pulled her closer.
He opened his mouth to apologize for waking her or maybe to kiss her, but he found himself doing neither. Instead, he told her of the dream and of the event the dream nearly mimicked perfectly. He told her about losing two of his closest friends over there and of the guerrilla soldiers who shot down a woman and two small children for just being in the wrong place at the wrong time.
“It's like it's burned into the back of my eyelids and every time I go to sleep it comes to life,” he said pulling her closer to him. “I thought when I came home I could just pick up where I left off, but now I don't even know what the hell I'm doing. How am I supposed to wake up everyday step into a pair of jeans and live like I don't know what's going on over there?”
“You don't,” she kissed his forehead. “You get up everyday knowing what you fought against and the changes it made. You get up everyday and know that we have our freedom because of the sacrifices you and others have made. You live life to the fullest you can and you take it and squeeze out every bit of happiness you can.”
“You make me happy,” he said before he could stop himself.
“I'm not going anywhere, Eric.”
“Thank you,” he said and then paused. So much for playing anything smooth now that he had his second nightmare that day in her home. “Thank you for tonight.”
“Thank you,” she said and gave him a soft his.
He kissed her deeply drinking in the affection that poured from his lips. Her touch wrapped around him as their bodies pressed together. For the first time since returning home, the Middle East was across the sea again and not buried somewhere deep within him. They eventually fell back to sleep wrapped up together after making love for the second time that night.
The next morning, Eric woke with the sun despite his late night awakening. For awhile, he watched Celeste sleep. She looked content and peaceful and he wondered if he could really drag her through all of his baggage. She didn't deserve that. She was beautiful and funny, strong and caring. She deserved so much more than him. He dressed quietly and let himself out locking the door behind him.
Three weeks later, Eric awoke from his reoccurring nightmare again. He reached out through the darkness searching for Celeste. He wanted to pull her warm body close to his and let her scent surround him. She wasn't there. He flopped onto his back and looked up at the ceiling. Of course she wasn't there. He hadn't spoken to her since the night they spent together and tried not to think about her either.
Although he had become skilled at suppressing desire and emotion during his time overseas, he couldn't get Celeste out of his head. He thought about all the things he'd never know about her. Some of them were silly like how she liked her eggs and coffee in the morning and her favorite song. Others bothered him more. He'd never know her story. He'd never meet her parents or see her walk down the aisle in a beautiful white gown that framed her figure perfectly. He'd never know what she wanted to name her first child.
Deciding to take a shower, he walked down the hall and into the bathroom. The clock on the wall said it was shortly after midnight. As he stepped under the hot water, he wondered if she was still awake or was she sleeping peacefully. Had she thought about him since that night? Was she pissed at him or was he haunting her thoughts as she did his?
He turned his back to the water and let it beat against his back. The tension lessened as the hot water seeped into his skin. Could he have really fallen in love with a woman he had just met? Was it even possible? Or had he simply attached himself to her because she felt warm and safe. Just being around Celeste calmed his nerves. He tried to think of another person who had that affect on him and couldn't. Sure, before the war he had friends that he could be himself around, but even with them he knew what not to bring up. There are things in life that you simply keep to yourself or so he thought until he met Celeste.
Eric stepped out of the shower and dried off. He dressed quickly and sneaked downstairs to avoid Bubbles wanting to follow him out into the yard. The golden retriever had become his shadow since he returned home.
He paced the length of Celeste's porch three times over trying to decide if he should wait until morning before disturbing her. If he waited until morning would he lose his nerve? What would he say even if she did answer the door?
“Everything alright, Eric?” the door opened suddenly and Celeste stepped onto the porch.
She wore a long t-shirt that barely covered her panties. He pulled her into a hug before he could stop himself and breathed a long sigh of relief when she hugged him back.
“I just needed to talk to you,” he said stepping back. “I'm sorry about..”