Semper Fi (23 page)

Jim gripped Cal’s thighs, rocking his hips up and fucking Cal with low groans and gasps, their eyes locked together. Sweat gathered on their skin, shining in the pale light as they grunted, moving faster and harder, Cal slamming down onto Jim’s cock as Jim surged up into him.

When Jim hit the right spot, Cal cried out. “Yes. There.
There.
Again.” He reached for his cock, jerking it in time to Jim’s thrusts, desperate for completion even though part of him never wanted it to end. But the animal desire drove him on, overpowering him.

With a cry, his balls drew up and he exploded, spurting onto Jim’s chest, splattering his chin. Limbs trembling, Cal shook and gasped Jim’s name as the pleasure coursed through him.

Jim was so stiff and ready, and Cal squeezed down. With a shout, Jim came, his head tipped back and eyes closed as he shuddered. His release was hot and wet deep in Cal, and Cal wanted to keep him inside for as long as he could. Panting, he leaned his palms on Jim’s chest as the aftershocks faded.

With a shaky hand, Jim cupped Cal’s face. “Thank you.”

After kissing gently, they held each other close, and Cal imagined their hearts beat in unison.

Mosquitoes buzzed incessantly, and Jim batted them away from his face. As the early rays of dawn penetrated the jungle canopy, the flies came to life in the squalid heat. The stench of the dead invaded Jim’s nose, and he breathed shallowly. It was no longer such a shock—the sight and smell of bodies—but Jim hoped he’d never get used to it.

The river, no more than thirty feet across, was littered with the Japanese, who had kept coming, wave after wave. Too close for mortars, so Jim, Cal and Sully had fired on the enemy with their rifles and what little ammunition they had, thankful for the machine gunners.

Beside Jim, Cal cleaned his rifle silently. Sully, feverish and likely infected with malaria, leaned against a tree with his arms wrapped around his knees. He muttered, jerking restlessly, and finally Jim asked what he was saying.

“Wanted to die.”

Cal raised his head, and he and Jim shared a glance. Cal cleared his throat. “What’s that, buddy?”

Sully didn’t seem to hear, his eyes fixed on some faraway point. Jim took a candy bar from his sodden pack and crawled over to the boy. “Here, have some breakfast.” He unwrapped the chocolate and held it up to Sully’s mouth. “Go on. You’re fine. We’re all fine.”

“I know.” Sully took a bite, chewing slowly. “It’s those crazy bastards. It was like they wanted to die.”

“Not that they wanted to. They just weren’t afraid to.” Cal spoke quietly.

“For what? I mean, what the hell are we doing here?” Sully’s sunburnt skin flushed even redder.

“We’re protecting the airfield,” Jim answered. He knew that wasn’t what Sully was asking, but he had no other answer to give.

Sully didn’t say anything else, but at least finished the candy bar. After he tossed the crumpled wrapper toward the river, he blinked. “Where’d that come from? All they’ve given us is that damned rice.”

“I had it from before. Don’t really like chocolate.” Jim could feel Cal’s eyes on him, and willed Cal not to call out the lie.

“Thanks, Johnny. That hit the spot.” Sully wiped his stained sleeve over his forehead. He closed his eyes and fell into a fitful sleep, still sitting up.

When Cal arched an eyebrow, Jim just shrugged. “He needed it more,” he whispered.

Cal was about to reply when their attention was drawn to a fellow Marine splashing into the fetid water, wading straight to the bloating corpses of the enemy. When he reached the first, he yanked open the man’s mouth.

Joe’s drawl drifted across the water. “What’cha doin’ there?”

The Marine, who Jim didn’t recognize, grinned. “Lot of these bastards got gold in their teeth.” He held up a pair of pliers. “I’m gonna go home a rich man.”

Jim’s stomach churned. He’d heard others talking about collecting souvenirs, and many of the men were desperate for an officer’s saber. He could understand the satisfying feeling of triumph such items could bring, even though the thought of robbing the dead didn’t sit right. But this was something else entirely.

Cal shook his head. “All yours, pal.”

Joe snorted. “Not all of us got your kind of money, Hollywood.” Yet he didn’t move from his tree stump.

As the Marine continued from body to body, the rain began. At first it was a welcome relief from the heat, but the short bursts of rainfall had been getting longer. Cal sighed and shrugged his poncho over his head. “Ever feel like we’re never going to be dry again?”

“Absolutely.” Jim put on his own poncho, not that it did much good.

“My uniform’s starting to rot. If we don’t get the chance to dry off soon we’re going to be fighting the Japs stark raving naked.”

Jim chuckled, even though the thought of Cal naked made him feel a strange surge. He shuddered. “Not enough quinine for all of us either. If the Japs don’t get us, these mosquitoes will.”

“Silly place to have a war if you ask me. Most uncivilized,” Cal said before glancing at Sully, who slept with his mouth open. Cal inched closer to Jim and lowered his voice. “We’d better keep an eye on him.”

Jim nodded. “How long do you think we’ll be out here?”

“Hard to say. Let’s just hope the Japs give up on that airfield sooner rather than later.”

The rain didn’t deter the gold hunter, who continued on, tossing bodies aside once he’d yanked out their teeth or determined them to be of no use. Some of the men cheered him on. Cal leaned into Jim’s side, and Jim was glad of the warm pressure.

“What’s that?” Joe pointed upriver.

Jim squinted into the driving rain. “What?”

“It’s water, Joe. Lots of it,” Cal replied.

“Ya don’t say, Hollywood.” Joe harrumphed, but smiled. “In the water. Coming toward us.”

Moving onto his knees, Jim peered intently. After a moment he made out a V shape. “I see it. Yeah, coming this way.”

Twenty feet from where the Marine mined for gold in Japanese mouths, one of the bodies suddenly shook wildly and then disappeared beneath the murky surface. Intent on his hunt, the man continued on, not noticing amid the pouring rain.

“What the fuck was that?” someone cried out.

Cal shot to his feet. “Jesus Christ, it’s a croc!” To the Marine in the river he shouted, “Get out of the water!”

“There’s another one!”

“Holy cow!”

“Get your ass back here!”

Cries rang out, and the man splashed back to shore, whooping as if it was a game. Jim’s gaze was riveted to the carnage as the crocodiles ripped into the corpses. He heard the exclamations of the other men and the triumphant crowing of the gold hunter safe and sound, but couldn’t look away.

“Could be us. Probably will be. Gonna be me,” Sully muttered, awake again and trembling.

Jim tore his gaze away, but swore he could still hear the crunching and tearing flesh.

Cal sat beside Sully and threw his arm over the boy’s shoulders. “Nah, those crocs aren’t interested in you, kid.”

A ghost of a smile teased Sully’s lips. “Why’s that?”

“You kidding? You’re all gristle and bone! They’re meat eaters! You’re safe as can be.” Cal patted his own stomach, which was as lean as any man’s in the unit. “Now me, I’m in trouble. I bet I’d taste absolutely delicious. Especially with a good merlot, but I don’t think those bastards are too picky.”

Sully laughed, and Joe joined in, talking about how tasty he’d be to the crocs as well. But Jim had to close his eyes, overcome by the notion of Cal being torn apart by one of the beasts. He hated the thought of Cal dying here with the flies and maggots devouring him as efficiently as the crocodiles might.

“Jim?” Cal’s hand grasped his arm. “You okay?”

Forcing a nod, Jim opened his eyes. Cal peered at him, his brow furrowed, and Jim resisted a wild urge to reach up and smooth it out. “Yeah. Fine.”

Over the rush of the rain and splashing of the crocodiles at feast, a growing drone settled into their bones and filled the thick air. A voice called out, “Christ, in this weather? Give us a fucking break!”

“If they wait for a day without rain we’re gonna be stuck in this jungle forever!” Someone answered.

As one, they gathered their equipment and hurried away from the river, back into the slit trenches farther into the jungle. Jim urged Sully in first, grasping his arm when Sully stumbled. Then Jim dove into the muck, Cal right behind him. Their bodies were pressed close, and Cal’s arm slid about Jim’s waist as they ducked their heads. The approaching aircraft grew louder, the whine of the bombs masked by the rain. Yet there was no mistaking the shudder of the earth as the explosions began.

As Jim stirred, he became aware of a heavy warmth against his side, and a leg thrown over his own where he was sprawled on his back. The memory of what he and Cal had done flooded back with a spark of desire that sent blood rushing to his cock. He opened his eyes to find Cal watching him with his head propped on his hand.

Smiling, Cal caressed Jim’s chest. “Morning.”

“Morning.” The pale light of dawn brightened the horizon through the window. “I think this is the first time you’ve woken up before me.”

Cal chuckled. “Probably.” He leaned over and brushed their lips together. “But I like watching you sleep.”

Jim would likely have been embarrassed to hear anyone else say that, but he only smiled. While he’d considered Cal his best friend for years, now that he’d been
inside
him there was a new intimacy that made Jim’s heart soar. “I don’t mind at all.”

“Good, because I’m not planning on stopping.”

“Enjoy it while you can.”

Cal’s smile faltered, his hand frozen where he’d been tracing lazy circles on Jim’s chest. “Are you sorry? I thought…I thought we both—”

“No, I didn’t mean it like that.” He took Cal’s hand, threading their fingers together. “I just wish it could always be like this. Waking up together. But when the children are back…”

“Right.” Cal exhaled heavily. “I know. It’s the way it has to be. We’ll make it work.” His smile returned.

Jim had to swallow hard over the lump in his throat. “I don’t know what I ever did to deserve you.”

“I’m the lucky one.” Cal kissed him again. “Feeling okay?”

Jim nodded. “Better than okay.” He touched Cal’s chest, playing with the dark hair scattered there. “I didn’t think it could be like that.” It was positively surreal to be lying naked in a bed with Cal and for it to feel so
right
.

Cal kissed him lightly. “All that and much, much more. We’re only getting started.”

“It was…okay for you? I’m a bit out of my depth.” Cal had certainly seemed satisfied, yet Jim couldn’t help but worry.

“Better than okay. I told you, you’re a natural. It’s different with you, Jim. So much better.”

The question that had quietly been circling Jim’s mind for some time tripped off his tongue. “There hasn’t been anyone else?”

Cal frowned. “I haven’t been living as a monk the last three years, but…”

“No, I mean anyone else you cared for. You didn’t think we’d ever be together, so was there anyone else you thought might be…special?” Now that the question hung in the air, Jim wasn’t sure what he wanted the answer to be.

“Would it bother you if I said yes?”

The thought of Cal with another man stabbed him to the core with jealousy. “Yes. But I know that’s not fair, and I’d never want you to be lonely.”

“The truth is, I’ve been with other men over the years. But I knew a long time ago no one else could hold a candle to you. I tried to forget you. Tried to move on.” He traced Jim’s lips with his fingertips. “In my wildest dreams, I never thought you’d want me back.”

Jim’s heart clenched at the thought of how painful it had been for Cal keeping his feelings bottled up for so long.
Feelings for me.
“I want you so much. Truly.”

Then they were kissing again, and Jim spread his legs and tugged Cal on top of him. Their tongues met, mouths open as they explored each other. The feel of skin on skin, of Cal’s body against his, was dizzying. He touched every part of Cal he could reach.