Killing Honor by S. M. Butler

I’d been hoping I’d be able to usurp more time with him before I had to give him back to the Navy.
    “No,” he answered. “We’re in the middle of a big mission. We have to keep going until it’s done.”
    “Oh,” I replied. “I see.”
    Now he glanced at me, his intense gaze just warming me. “It’s not another deployment. But it’s important for me to be there.”
    Silence between us reigned as he continued to feed Riley. Jackie continued with her “da da” sounds and mixed them with muted airplane noises.
    “I’m not going anywhere.”
    “Okay.” I didn’t know what else to say to him. I couldn’t tell him no. It wasn’t my place, and likely, it wouldn’t do any good anyhow.
    “I’m gonna go get dressed.” Brody stood up and walked out of the room.  I watched him leave, wondering if it was something I did that made him leave, that upset him. He’d barely been able to look at me. I let out a long sigh and moved over to the seat that Brody had vacated to finish feeding the girls. This homecoming wasn’t anything like I’d hoped.

Devyn
    Occasionally, the girls latched onto a movie and watched it until I had to buys new DVD. It could be annoying but this time I didn’t mind, because it gave me some precious moments to clean up the mess in the kitchen, which I finished just as Brody returned from his shower.
    He wore low hanging sweatpants, little droplets of water sliding down from his face down his neck to his bare chest, following a trail I wanted to follow with my tongue.
    How was it he could be gone for two years and still, he could make me weak-kneed? The guy was downright sinfully gorgeous. He glanced at the living room as he came into the kitchen, and then his attention directed to me. “They’re quiet. And still.”
    “They like that movie. A lot. It keeps them occupied.”
    He grinned fierce and proud. Whatever had been bothering him had apparently been resolved, because he strode over, wrapping his strong arms around me as soon as I was in reach. He buried his head in the crook of my neck, while I slid my arms around his torso and held him close. A long tremble left his body. He was so warm, and encompassing and we stayed like that for a few moments of blissful quiet. I never wanted to let him go.
    When he pulled back, gooseflesh erupted on my skin by the sudden cool air rushing in between us, exacerbated where his hair had dripped water on me, or water had soaked into my clothing.
    I curled the corners of my lips up, attempting to be reassuring. “You okay?”
    He took my hands in his, his thumbs stroking over the back of my hands. He left tingles all along where he touched. He hadn’t answered my question. “What do you want to do today?”
    “Whatever you want,” I told him, watching his fingers as they smoothed over my hands. “You have two days before you have to go back to work.”
    He stiffened, apparently not very excited about the prospect of going back. “Yeah.”
    I couldn’t blame him for not being happy. I wasn’t either. I wanted him home with me, to hide him away from the world for myself. The military had kept him from me for two years. I wanted him forever.
    “Let’s go out.”
    “To where?” I asked.
    “I don’t know.” He shrugged, his eyes down on our joined hands. “If we stay here, we’re going to be fielding visitors all day long.”
    I couldn’t dispute that. “True.” As soon as news spread that Brody was back—and it would, knowing Brody’s mom—all our collective family and friends would be dropping by. The Battles family was tight knit, much different than mine. And I loved them for that. But the truth was, I just wasn’t ready to share Brody with them yet. “What about the museums?”
    He made a face. Not a good one.
    “Okay… Beach?”
    “I’m a SEAL, sweetness. I’ve seen enough of beaches.” He shook his head. He pursed his lips in thought. “Somewhere with people. Family. Somewhere happy.”
    “What about the