Battered But Not Broken

"Well, I certainly can't," Mandy said, the frustration evident in her voice.

"You'd be surprised what you can do with a little bit of practise," the other woman replied. "Will it be the three of us, or just me and him?"

"The two of you," Amanda said quickly. "We're going out for our anniversary, and then coming back here. You will be his present."

The conversation turned to money and after some negotiating, they settled on a price for Elizabeth's services.

"Oh, one more thing," the call girl started. "For any kind of penetration, he must wear a condom."

"Of course," Mandy replied. She had just assumed that was the case. "Do people really go without one?"

Elizabeth shrugged and gave a mischievous smile. "Some do. The last time one of Laurie's girls let a client do her without a condom, she fell in love and left the business."

That was two weeks ago. Mandy and Elizabeth had made some last minute plans and worked out the details for this evening. And things were unfolding exactly as Amanda had anticipated.

Brent's jaw hung open.

"Good evening, General." Elizabeth walked seductively over to where the couple stood. "Colonel Stephenson."

"Who . . . who are you?" Brent stammered.

"Honey, this is Elizabeth," Amanda said softly.

"You? . . . You know her?"

"Of course I do, silly." There was a sadness in Mandy's smile. Sadness because she knew that it should have been her in the cocktail dress. It should have been her stepping into Brent's arms. Not Elizabeth. Not this surrogate. "I asked her to come over for tonight. She's . . . she's here for you."

"What for?"

"Perhaps you would like a drink?" Elizabeth asked. Her voice was sultry, and smooth with practised grace.

"I think we all need one," Amanda said, her husband still at a loss for words.

Elizabeth turned and Mandy saw Brent's eyes linger on her slim waist and shapely rear end. She enviously watched the other girl lift a bottle of champagne out of the ice bucket and pour three glasses. Mandy wheeled herself over to her spot next to the couch. Brent sat down. Elizabeth took her place on his other side.

She was close enough to be intimate, but not smothering. Brent downed his entire glass in one gulp. Elizabeth and Mandy shared an amused glance.

"I want you to have the most memorable anniversary ever," Amanda broke the silence. "And Elizabeth is going to help us."

"What is she going to do?" Brent managed to mumble.

It took great effort, but Mandy winked at the other girl.

"You," Elizabeth said, a touch of laughter in her voice. Tentatively, she reached over and stroked Brent's hand. He unconsciously recoiled. The call girl didn't look offended or surprised.

Mandy had to take a deep breath. In any other time, she would have jumped up and throttled any other woman who dared to touch her husband in such a manner. But not tonight. Elizabeth was there atherinvitation.

She was going to take Amanda's place in their marital bed. Not because that's what Mandy wanted. Because that's what her husband deserved. He had given up his career for her. He never left her side. He waited on her every need.

Even after seeing combat in Iraq and over three hundred jumps, he was still handsome and in great shape. When he talked to his old Army buddies, she could hear the dismay in his voice. She knew how much he missed it. The camaraderie. The excitement. She knew because she missed the Army as much as he did. Where her retirement had been forced by her injuries, he stepped away on his own. Immediately and without hesitation. She was determined not to let him regret it.

Amanda Stephenson knew that her husband missed the sexual part of their lives together. She missed it, too. Yet he never complained. He sucked it up and trudged on. And she was determined to repay him for everything he had given up. For one night at least.

"I . . . I don't think that would be a good idea," Brent said, his eyes lingering on Elizabeth's body. Her dress was low-cut and accentuated her perfectly toned body. Her skin was soft and smooth. She could have been inMaximorFHM. Instead, she was sitting on their couch in the living room.

"Elizabeth, why don't you get ready for us?" Mandy said, having anticipated this.

The other woman gave them a charming smile and she retreated into the master bedroom. Amanda and Brent watched her swaying hips.

"What the hell is going on?" Brent asked once the door had closed.

"I got her for you, honey," Mandy said, having played this conversation out in her head. After twenty-seven years together, she knew her husband better than anyone

"I don't want anyone but you."

"I know, Brent," she reached out and took his hands. "I know. And I love you for it. I love that you were willing to walk away from the Army for me. I love that you are there to take care of me, even when I don't think I need taking care of."

She paused and wheeled herself back. So Brent could see her broken body.

"Brent, we haven't made love in three years," she started, her voice shaking. "Do you remember the last time? It was in that bread and breakfast in Savannah. Right before I shipped out to Afghanistan. The sun was coming up . . . we made love in that bed and again in the shower."

Mandy wiped a tear away at the pleasant memory. Brent tried to smile.

"We'll never make love again." Her voice cracked. "Not like that. It's taken two years for me to be able to dress myself and get around in this goddam wheelchair. I can barely feel anything below my ribs and I can't move to walk, much less have sex."

"If I can't have you, I don't want anyone else," he said, tears in his own eyes.

Amanda steeled herself to say the words. "Brent, Iwantyou to do this. I want this for you. You deserve it. I fell in love with you the moment we met. I knew we were going to be together forever . . . But I know you miss being intimate. I do. I miss it because I'll never be that way with anyone again. But you . . . but you can. And you should. I want you to do this."

"I . . . I don't know if I can," he whispered.

She wheeled herself over to the couch. With great exertion, she lifted herself from the wheelchair to the spot next to her husband. She swatted his hands away when he tried to help her.

Cuddling up in his arms, Mandy lost herself to his strong embrace. She choked back the tears and knew he was doing the same.

"Brent, go to her," she whispered. "Elizabeth is everything I am not. At least for tonight."

"Mandy, I—" he started, but she put her finger over his lips to silence him.

"This is your only chance, sweetheart," she said. Her voice fell into its "command" mode. Both she and Brent could turn it on and off at will. It elicited an automatic response in soldiers that brokered no discussion, no argument. It was very useful when they needed to get people to do things they normally would not do, such as assault a machine gun nest or have sex with someone other than their spouse. "Tonight is your free pass. If you don't take her, you'll never get this chance again."

She saw the hesitation in his eyes.

"Go, Brent." He started to say something but she silenced him again. Her voice softened. "Go . . . I love you."

Almost robotically, he stood. Amanda watched him approach the door to their bedroom. He lingered at the handle before finally pushing it open. She heard him draw in a sharp breath.

The soft glow of candlelight radiated out of the other room. His eyes locked in the direction of the bed. For an eternity, he stood there. Unmoving.

Go on, she coaxed him in her mind.Go to her.

He half turned, as if he were going to walk away. His posture indicated indecision. The house was silent save for the blood pounding through her veins.

Without a word, Brent stepped into the bedroom and closed the door. On the couch, Amanda started to weep. Cradling her head her hands, she choked back sobs.

What have I done?she asked over and over in her mind.

It's for the best,another part of her said.Brent shouldn't be stuck with a cripple for the rest of his life.

The minutes ticked by. She imagined what was going on. The other woman . . .the whore. . . was undressing her husband. She was stripping for him. She was arousing him.

Her lithe body. Her pert breasts. Her flat belly. Her slender waist.

She wasperfect.

Even Mandy had to admit that. Brent would be crazy not to want to fuck her. And she had enabled him.

Her self-pity and self-loathing was interrupted when she heard the bedroom door open. Her head shot around.

She started to protest as Brent crossed the room in a few swift, deliberate steps. Without warning, he scooped her up in his arms and carried her to the bedroom. He was still in his dress uniform, his collar and tie untouched.

When they got to the door way, she saw the bedroom was filled with candles. Their soft glow bathed Elizabeth in an ethereal light.

The other woman was laying across the bed, the sheets pulled down. She, too, was dressed, her shapely leg showing through the slit of her dress.

"What are you doing, Brent?" Mandy asked.

"We're going to make love," he said simply.

"I can't," she whispered.

"I'll bet you can," Elizabeth said softly. With a feline grace, she rolled off the bed and stood.

Brent carried her across the bedroom and set her down in the chair next to the walk-in closet. He and Elizabeth shared a look then he retreated from the room, closing the door behind him.

"What are you doing?" Mandy asked Elizabeth, a little bit angry. "We had an arrangement to—"

"Your husband made me a counter-offer," the other woman replied simply. She began digging through the closet. Mandy could only sit there in stunned disbelief. A second later, she emerged holding a sheer nightgown. It had always been one of Brent's favourites. "Let's get you undressed."

"Stop . . . Elizabeth . . . don't—" Mandy stammered.

"Brent won't make love to me," Elizabeth said. "Unless you're with us. He loves you more than life itself. He's happy being able to finally spend time with you. Oh, he misses the sex, but he's willing to never have anyone else again if it means keeping you."

Amanda started to say something but the words failed her.

"I think it's very sweet," Elizabeth smiled, unbuttoning Mandy's uniform. "I wish that one day I could find a guy who will think the same thing about me."

"I can't," Mandy said again. "I can't make love."

"Only as long as you believe that," the other woman said, a hint of reproach in her voice. Moving quickly, she didn't give Mandy the opportunity to protest or react. She simply stripped her down. Elizabeth finished undressing Amanda and slipped the nightgown over her head. Her head swimming, Mandy blindly did as Elizabeth directed.

"My body . . . I can't feel anything," Amanda whispered.

"Notanything?"

"Well . . . not much," she frowned. "The helicopter crash broke my back. I've got a little bit of movement . . . and some feeling . . . but it's like everything from my ribcage down had a big shot of Novocain."

"But you can feelsomething?"

"Not a lot."

"We'll that's better than nothing," Elizabeth said and she sat down next to her. "Amanda . . . you have a rare gift: A man who would give his life for you. And youcanhave an active and satisfying sex life. It's just going to take some practice."

"How can you know that?"

"Do you think you're the only paraplegic in the world?" she said with a slight laugh. "One of my best clients is a man who got hit by a car when he was ten years old. He's fantastic in bed, even if he can't move his hips. He's had to get better at everything else. And so will you."

"What are you going to do?" Amanda asked softly. Fearfully.

"We . . . Brent and I . . . are going to make love," Elizabeth replied gently. "We're going to make love to you."

"I'm not a lesbian," Mandy blurted out.

"Neither am I." The other woman gave her an amused smile. "When was the last time you made love to your husband?"

Mandy swallowed hard. "Four months before the accident. . . . Almost three years ago."

"Why haven't you had sex since then?" Elizabeth asked.

"Because I can't."

"That's a crock of shit, Amanda, and you know it. What's the real reason?"

"How can he want me?" Mandy whispered. "Look at me, Elizabeth . . . How can he want this?"

Elizabeth wrapped her arms around Mandy and held her as she sobbed. It was one of those hard, cleansing cries. Amanda had never allowed herself one before and here she was, in the arms of a call girl, bawling like a baby.

"Amanda, you need to trust me," Elizabeth said after a few minutes. "Your husband thinks you're the most beautiful woman in the world. You can't go back to your lives before . . . but that doesn't mean you have to give up everything, either. I won't do anything you don't want, but you have to give me a chance. Do you understand?"

After a second, Mandy nodded her head. Her breathing was under control.

"Say it."

"I understand."

"Good," Elizabeth reached out, wiped Mandy's tears away and gave her a comforting hug. "Now let me go get your husband."

As Amanda sat in the chair, she watched the beautiful woman cross the room, open the bedroom door, and step out for a second. Mandy heard her talking to Brent, then they both returned to her.

Her husband gently picked her up in his arms and carried her to the bed. He set her down in the middle, her head resting on the pillows. Elizabeth slipped into the bed next to her. Together, they watched Brent undressing in the soft light.

"He's so handsome, isn't he?" Elizabeth whispered.

"Yes, he is," Amanda's eyes never left her husband.

"So strong . . . so manly," the other woman purred. "He's a wonderful lover, isn't he?"

"Yes." Mandy's voice was so low, she was hardly sure she had said anything. As if hypnotised, she watched her husband hang up both of their uniforms. His stomach was flat, his arms and legs rippling with muscles kept toned by hours upon hours of physical conditioning. He was built like a distance runner, the typical physique of Airborne soldiers. He was used to carrying 70 pounds of gear—before the parachute—and jumping out of planes. Even after leaving the Army, he kept up his training regimen and had the body of a man twenty years younger.

"What's your favourite thing that he does?"

"I love it when he eats me out," Mandy whispered. "Oh, god, Elizabeth! He's fantastic!"

"I'll bet he is," the other woman ran her fingers down Mandy's shoulder, her fingernails dragging across her skin. A chill ran through Amanda's body. Herwholebody. "And call me Liz."

"Okay." Neither of the women had taken their eyes off of Brent.

"What else do you like?"

"I like it when he does me hard," Mandy breathed. "From behind. He's like an animal sometimes . . . he just fucks and fucks and fucks . . ."

"Does he pull your hair?"

"Yes . . . and when he cums, his fingers dig into my ass and he rams it into me . . ." Amanda became aroused at the memory, her nipples crinkled up. Her heart began to race, her palms began to sweat.

"No, don't take those off," Elizabeth called as Brent started to push his boxers over his hips. "Put a robe on."

He turned and took in a sharp breath when he saw the two women laying in the bed. Amanda was on her back, her chest rising and falling in shortened breaths. Elizabeth lay beside his wife, her hands running absently up and down the other woman's body.

"Come over here, Brent," Liz said gently. "That's it . . . lay down next to us."

Amanda was in the middle. Brent reached out and their fingers intertwined. Liz took her other hand and put it on his neck.

The couple caressed each other gently. Both were oblivious to the other woman in their bed except when she subtly nudged one of them into action. They kissed hungrily, their passion for each other slowly re-awakening.

Their love was never in doubt. Neither had ever questioned that.

Mandy's hands went to Brent's shoulders and she pushed his robe down. Her fingertips brushed his weathered skin. Her fingertips, as sensitive as ever, traced the curves of his muscular arms and broad shoulders.

He cupped her face with his hands, his lips never leaving hers. Elizabeth pulled Amanda's hair back, giving Brent a good look at his wife's beautiful eyes. His gaze was soft and loving. But deep down, his eyes burned with a renewed fire and hunger.

Time seemed to stand still for Brent and Amanda. In the flickering candlelight, they only had eyes for each other. They kissed again and again.

Without missing a beat or seeming to intrude, Elizabeth undressed each of them. They broke their lips only to pull Mandy's gown over her head. The call girl kept them touching and moving and never let Mandy feel self-conscious about her missing legs or mangled hand.

"Touch him," Elizabeth whispered in Amanda's ear.

Brent moaned as his wife began to stroke his cock to a full erection. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close.

Amanda jumped slightly when she felt an extra pair of hands cup her breasts. She let out a surprised yelp when Liz pinched her nipples.

"I guess someone likes that," Elizabeth blew in Brent's ear. "Your turn."

"Oh, god, Brent," Mandy moaned. Her head fell back into the pillows as Brent and Liz touched her all over. From her breasts up, she had full sensation. Her skin crawled and goosebumps ran the lengths of her arms.

She had to bite her lip to keep from screaming as two mouths enveloped her breasts at the same time. Amanda's hands ran through both her lovers's hair as she pulled their faces to her chest.

The tingling started at the base of her neck and Mandy swore it went all the way down to her toes.

Finally, Liz pulled back as Brent kissed his way into the valley of Amanda's chest.

"Do you feel that, Amanda?" Elizabeth asked. "Do you feel how close your husband is to you?"

"Yes," she moaned softly.

"Can you feel this? Can you feel me touching you?"

"A little," Amanda said softly.

"Watch me, Brent," Liz instructed. "Watch me rub her there . . . and then watch her face. You'll know when you hit the right spot."

"But she can't feel it . . . can you, honey?"

"Yes." A tear rolled out of the corner of her eye. "I can feel it. Not like before . . . But I can feel her touching me."

"You just have to work a little harder and take it a little slower," Elizabeth said gently. "You try. . . . Go on . . . Touch your wife, Brent."

Amanda closed her eyes as ripples of pleasure started in between her legs. Before, she would have been screaming like a banshee as hard as Brent was pressing against her, but it was a start.

A cold jolt between her legs brought her back to the present.

Elizabeth was squirting some lube onto her pussy.

"Because Amanda has decreased sensation, she won't get as wet as you're used to," she said to Brent. "You're probably going to have to keep some lube handy. Always use a water-based lubricant. And don't be afraid of using too much."

"That's it, sweetie," Mandy moaned. "Right there!"

"Watch this," she heard Liz whisper.

Mandy gasped when she numbly felt something enter her pussy.

"Use two fingers," Liz said. Amanda's eyes were hooded over with growing pleasure. They locked onto Elizabeth's big brown orbs. "Rub her clit on the outside and push up on the inside. Now you do it."

Brent's fingers replaced Elizabeth's. Mandy began to shiver. She never thought she'd feel this way again.

Her hands clawed at the pillows.

"That feels so good," she moaned.

"Can I . . . can I lick her?" Brent asked tentatively.

"You can do anything you want," Elizabeth said reassuringly. "Everything you used to do, you can do right now. Just remember that you have to take your time and not rush."