Cranefly Fiction -- 2016 onward

[cranefly]

Strident Embraces

     Stop, she told him as his hands cupped her small breasts, but she spoke it softly, and in Swahili ("Wa cha"), so he wouldn't understand, because she didn't really want him to stop; but he stopped nonetheless, looking annoyed and frustrated.
     "Where did you learn Swahili?" she asked.
     "In the Peace Corps.  Twenty-three years ago."
     Twenty-three years ago, longer than she was old.  She gazed up into his face, admiring his chiseled features, his wise crinkly eyes, the scars hinting at dangerous adventures...
     "Pretend," she breathed, leaning against his chest.  "Pretend you never went to Peace Corps."

Dedication:  Let's dedicate this one to romance novels.  No, really.

"Strident Embraces" (11,000 words), written April-May 2017