Holding Nothing Back

*Note to readers: This story deals with the fetish of smoking. If that offends you, please find another story to read without wasting your time or mine by leaving a negative comment which will just be deleted. Additionally, please spare me the lecture about smoking and its associated health risks. In all cases, life comes with a death sentence. There are NO exceptions. What we do in between birth and death is a matter of personal choice. As long those choices are legal and harm no one else, they are the individual person's decisions and theirs alone.

Many men find women who smoke to be incredibly attractive for a variety of reasons. I'm not going to try and justify it because it's a fact. For those who find that unlikely, I can assure them the internet is full of videos and stories on this topic and they can find out for themselves.

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"Good luck, Sergeant Phillips," the command sergeant major told him. "You've been a good NCO. I hate to see you leave the Army, but I know you'll do well at whatever you choose do. Do you have anything lined up yet?"

"I'm going back to my hometown of Bellingham, Washington, which is north of Seattle and just south of the Canadian border. I'm already signed up for classes at the community college in town and after a year or two there I plan to go to the University of Washington in Seattle."

"Sounds like a plan, son. Stick with it and give it everything you got. You got a girl waiting for you by any chance?"

"No, Sergeant Major. I've been too busy since I enlisted to even think about settling down so no, there's no one back home waiting for me. But I can tell you this, when I do find someone, I'm gonna put everything I have into making it work. I won't be holding anything back."

"I've been married twice myself and have no intention of making a third mistake until I'm retired and can grow roots. Hell, you know what it's like. You were deployed over half of your four years on active duty."

"I was. Fifteen months in Iraq and twelve more in Afghanistan. That's enough for me."

Both men paused to remember their comrades who didn't come home alive as well as those who'd lost arms or legs or even both. Eric Phillips had seen the ugly side of the Army and he needed a break. Truth be told, he really enjoyed the camaraderie and he'd miss that part a lot. For now, he only wanted to go to school and find a woman who wanted to give back as much he wanted to give. He believed marriage was an all-in proposition. He just needed to find a woman who felt the same way. Okay, she had to be good looking, too, but Phillips knew that wouldn't be a problem as he'd had one girlfriend after another in high school and all kinds of dates and hookups on active duty when he wasn't deployed. Finding cute girls was easy, finding one as committed as he was might not be so simple.

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"So what are you going to do, honey?" Jay Campbell asked his daughter, Bradley.

"What can I do, Dad? I know it isn't me. I've tried and tried and tried, but he has no interest in me. None."

"Bradley? Have you seriously considered he might be gay?"

"Dad! Of course not. Why would you even say that? He just doesn't have any interest in being intimate." Bradley stopped and said, "Wow, when I say that out loud it sounds pretty bad, doesn't it? But seriously, I'm almost certain he's not gay. Almost."

"I only ask because he's very handsome, he dresses very fastidiously, and your house is incredibly well-decorated and clean. And cleaning the house is something I know isn't your doing."

"Dad! Jeez. Give me a break already. I clean the house."

"Sure you do, honey. So do I." Her dad had a cleaning service come in twice a week because he hated cleaning the house. Since her mom died, he hadn't had much interest in anything except his two girls.

Bradley shot him one of her patented if-looks-could-kill faces and her father backed off.

"Okay, so again, what are you gonna to do?" her father asked.

Without looking at her father, Bradley said solemnly, "I filed for divorce this morning, Dad." As she said those words out loud, she began to cry. Her father hugged her but didn't speak. "It's just so unfair. I was ready to give him anything and everything and I got nothing in return. Just pain and heartache and loneliness." She sobbed for a while then said, "I swear I'm going to be very careful before I ever get involved with anyone else again. I'm going to need to be sure he's the kind of man who will put everything he has into the relationship; someone who won't hold back anything." She cried a little more and finished by saying, "Who would have ever dreamed any man would say 'no' to his wife over and over and over?"

Her dad had heard it all before from her—over and over and over—and he was out of words. This had gone on for two years and while it broke his heart, he knew Bradley was doing the only thing she could. She'd dated so many guys and chosen so carefully.

If her husband wasn't gay then none of this made any sense to him. While Jay wasn't really excited about sex any more himself, he could still vividly remember how good it was when his wife was alive. It had been very pleasurable for both of them, and he couldn't imagine turning his wife down even once let alone every time since the honeymoon. Even then, they'd only had sex a couple of times and Bradley said it wasn't much to talk about. His hope was that his little girl would eventually find the right guy who would love her the way she wanted to be loved because the one thing he was sure of was that Bradley was a giver and a pleaser. How her husband could reject that kind of love was baffling to say the least.

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Every once in a while, there's an Indian Summer in Western Washington and the warm, beautiful August weather hangs on for another week or two into September. This was one of those years.

Eric had one whole week of college behind him and was heading to his Psych 101 class when he saw her. She was sitting outside looking at Mount Rainier which was crystal clear in all its majesty. She saw she was painting it, and he stopped well behind and watched. She was really good. And she was cute. He couldn't be sure, but she looked like she might be a little older than he was, but age wasn't on his priority list when it came to women.

He moved a little closer then finally said, "I'm envious."

She turned around briefly then turned back to her canvas. "I can't paint at all," he said.

An instant later, she did a double take. "Oh, my God. I thought you were someone else for a moment."

"Is that a good thing or a bad thing?" he asked as he stood next to her.

"You're not gay are you?" she asked without looking up.

Eric laughed and said, "No, I'm pretty sure I'm not gay. Why, is that a crime or something?"

"No, it's not a crime. So are you pretty sure or...sure?" she said as she continued painting.

"Why do you ask? Are you gay?"

"I don't discuss those kinds of things with perfect strangers," she told him as she continued to fill in the mountain.

Eric saw a coffee cart outside and said, "It's been a long time since anyone called me perfect, but thank you for the compliment." The girl's laugh encouraged him so he said, "If you'll let me buy you a cup of coffee, I'll come back and talk to you. If you're nice, I'll even tell you my name and then we won't be strangers—perfect or otherwise."

"Just coffee," she said as she turned to look at him again. As Eric walked away to buy coffee she couldn't help but see the parallels. He was handsome, had short, dark hair, was dressed very...what was the word her dad had used? Oh, fastidiously. But he was really cute, he had a sense of humor, and she really wanted a cup of coffee, so why not?

"I'm Eric, by the way," he said as he handed her a cup. "There's cream and sugar if you like."

"Just black is fine, Eric by-the-way," she said as she pulled off the lid and took a sip.

"A sense of humor. I like that. And you can paint. That's really beautiful," he said as he pointed to her painting. "Just like you."

Bradley turned her head toward him then lowered it slightly and raised one eyeball. "That was cheesy. Thank you, but still very cheesy."

"Cheesy? Okay, maybe. But that doesn't make it any less true. You are very pretty. Do you have a name?"

"Uh, yes, I do have a name. It's Bradley. Bradley Campbell—and not by the way."

"Bradley Campbell. Okay, so you have a boy's name but since you don't look like any guy I've ever seen, I suppose that works." Bradley feigned a huff and dismissed his comment.

"Would it be presumptuous to assume you're an art major?" he asked as he sipped his coffee.

"It would," she said. She painted a few more strokes then said, "But it would also be true. How about you? What are your big plans, Eric by-the-way?"

"Well, I just got out of the Army in June and I have one entire week of college under my belt, so with all that experience, I really hate to start bragging about myself. I mean, you'd be so impressed I wouldn't even have to try and win you over."

She sat her brush down and turned to face him. "Win me over? Good luck with that. But I have to admit you are funny." She took a sip of her coffee then picked the brush back before saying without looking at him, "And from what little I know, I'm willing to admit you even seem to be kind of nice."

"Is that all?" he asked as he took another sip from his cup.

"Fishing for a compliment are we?" she asked.

"You can't get a bite if you don't throw out a line," he said smiling.

"Okay, you're cute, too. Satisfied?"

"No, but that's a nice start. I said you were pretty so I was kind of hoping for handsome, but cute will do."

"Don't press your luck, soldier," she told him. "Just so you know, I'm recently divorced and not looking for a relationship."

"I'm sorry about your marriage. I'm also sorry you're not looking."

"I should know better than to ask, but okay, I'll bite. And why is that?" she asked with mild bemusement.

"Because I'm the kind of guy who's going to give everything he's got to his marriage. There'll be nothing held back. Well, once I find the right girl, that is. But if you're her and you're not even looking, then we'll both miss out of the chance of a lifetime."

Bradley was so taken aback by what he said she couldn't speak. She couldn't even think.

"Hey? You okay?" Phillips waved his hand in front of her face. "Yoo-hoo? Anyone home?"

"So you're really not gay?" she asked again.

"Nope. 100% guaranteed. You?"

He asked her out before he left, and although she'd promised herself she'd wait at least six months before agreeing to a date, she'd said yes as soon as he asked. The following summer, they were married in a small, private ceremony with her dad and his mom in attendance. The two single parents had scraped together enough money to help them with the upcoming move to Seattle for the Fall semester.

Bradley was indeed a few years older than him. She was 27 and Eric was 23 when they exchanged vows. What she loved most about him was his total dedication to her and the way he accepted her need to be completely devoted to him. Most couples seemed to want a marriage where they led their own lives with some overlap in the middle. Not her and not Eric. Both of them wanted to have as much overlap as they possibly could and from the long, passionate talks they'd had about love, romance, intimacy, giving, and sharing, any doubts Bradley could tell this was the guy she'd been waiting for. Any doubts she'd had about jumping into a rebound relationship were completely dispelled. She was head over heels in love with Eric and he with her.

Love was easy. Financially, things were a bit harder. Eric had the GI Bill to cover his tuition, books, and fees and a little left over to spend on rent. They lived in a dumpy little apartment that was often noisy and sometimes scary, but neither of them cared as long as they had each other. He worked a few hours a week on campus but college took up most of his spare time. What little he had, he wanted to spend with his wife. Bradley worked part time while he was in class, and somehow they managed to get by.

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Eric stumbled from their tiny bedroom into the kitchen to pour himself a cup of coffee. He'd completely forgotten it was his birthday until he saw the card by the coffee pot with his name on it. He took a sip then sat down and opened the card. As he did so, he smiled in anticipation of what this year's special gift might bring.

The personal note inside said: Happy birthday, sweetheart! I love you so very much! XOXOXO, Bradley

There was also a small note which fell out when he opened it. On it was the word "Coupon." Below it was written: The bearer of this coupon may redeem it for any sexual favor of his choosing. Yes, you read that correctly—any favor. There was a large smiley face next to it.

In tiny little print it read: coupon expires one year from today.

He smiled again, sat the card aside, and drank his coffee. Bradley came up with the idea shortly after they were married and Eric loved it. That first year, he'd asked her for anal sex. She wasn't thrilled about the act itself, but she was only too happy to do something special for the man she loved. It was a bit painful but not nearly as much as she'd feared. Anal would never something she'd ask for, but it was tolerable enough that she'd offered her glory hole to him several times since.

When her birthday rolled around, he did the same for her. Each time, the giver offered the birthday boy or girl some special thing they wanted. It didn't have to be sexual, but it almost always was.

Each of them had had one exception to that general rule. The next year, Eric had asked for tickets to a Seattle Seahawks game and to his great delight, Bradley saved up enough money to buy two of them. She didn't care much for football, but she'd gone to the game with him and at least tried to learn what was going on. For him, that was almost as important as the other things she'd done to fulfill her one-time, annual promises.

Her exception was to ask for tickets to Seattle's ballet company and Eric dutifully bought them and went with her. He had no idea why she cried during the performance of the Nutcracker, but that didn't matter. He put his arm around her and pulled the kerchief from his pocket and handed it to her. That night, he got very, very lucky.

This year Eric was determined to bring up the only subject he'd never talked about with his wife. On the one hand, he felt bad for not sharing everything with her. On the other, he couldn't help but think this was something she wouldn't even consider and while being turned down wouldn't kill him, it would be a tough pill to swallow.

Working in his favor were two things. The first was her unflagging willingness to do damn near anything for him. Sure, he was equally happy to virtually anything she wanted, but this might push her willingness to its limits or beyond. The second was that she'd kept something from him until just recently and he couldn't help but wonder it might be the subject of her next birthday request.

A few days ago, they were engaged in some very heavy petting before making love and Bradley was using his upcoming birthday request to get him off. She was stroking his cock and French kissing him as she said, "So what will I be doing for you this year, sweetheart? Will you be tying me up and spanking me? Will you dress me up like a French maid and force me to service you?"

That kind of talk was hot and it definitely did get him off, but it wasn't what he wanted. The next thing she said surprised him. He was fingering her pussy and massaging her clit when he said, "The bigger question is what you might ask for. I bet there's something you haven't told me yet." When he said that, Bradley moaned softly. "Hmmm. Sounds like there is something you need to share with me."

He increased the pressure on her clit making her gasp. "Oh, fuck!" she whimpered. "How can you tell?" she asked as her breathing quickened.

He had no idea what it might be but he kept digging. He slid two fingers in and went for her G spot. "You know you want to tell me, right honey?" he teased pushing her to her limits.

"I can't say it," she said. "You'll be upset."

Eric used his thumb on her clit as he kept ringing her G bell. "You know you can't hide anything from me, Bradley. Come clean or I won't let you cum...at all."

"That's not fair!" she pouted. "I'm so close. Don't stop."

Eric stopped everything and Bradley moaned loudly. "Tell me and I'll let you cum."

"Oh, God," she whimpered. "Don't stop. Don't make me tell. Please!"

"Uh-uh. No more anything until you share this."

Bradley was pushing against his hand as hard as she could. When he withdrew it she tried to grab it and put it back where she wanted it. "Uh-uh. You're not strong enough to get your way. But if you tell me, I'll do this again." He slid his two fingers back inside and repeated what he'd been doing 2-3 times making his wife moan loudly before he pulled out again.

"Okay, okay. I'll tell you. Just put your fingers back inside. Please? Please, honey?"

Eric agreed to lightly rub her clit but nothing more. Bradley purred as she said, "That feels so good."

"You're stalling," he said as he stop touching her.

"Okay! I'll tell you."

He began circling her clit again as she said, "I've just always wondered, you know, what it would be like if...if...I could, you know...do this with another girl sometime. Are you up...."

Before she could say 'upset' Eric slid his fingers back inside and hammered her G spot while flicking her love button. Bradley's body tensed and Eric said, "That would be so fucking hot to watch, baby." Her body went completely rigid and he felt a shudder rock her from head to toe.

"Oh my fucking GOD!" she screamed. "Yes. Yes. Yes!!!!"

Eric was so turned on by the thought of her with another beautiful woman that he came without being touched. Bradley had no idea he had until a few moments later when she felt the warm, sticky goo on her body.

"So I guess that didn't upset you?" she said as she made big show of letting one long string of cum dangle over her mouth before licking it off her finger.

"Uh, you could say that," Eric said as he lay there trying to catch his breath.

They hadn't talked about it since, but it seemed reasonable to conclude it would come up again on her next birthday. The only thing he asked her while they were still in bed was why she hadn't told him sooner and if she'd ever shared it with anyone else.

She told him honestly she felt a little embarrassed about it in spite of his repeated assurances that nothing was off limits, sexually speaking. At least as far as discussing it, that is. She said she'd never told another soul about her little secret and that really surprised him because her sister, Amanda, was her best friend, and they shared everything. Okay, there was clearly at least this one exception, but Eric knew they were very close. They were fraternal twins who looked like sisters but were otherwise nowhere near identical.

Looks was where the similarities ended. Both of them were gorgeous girls and always had a never-ending stream of guys hitting on them. But while Bradley was shy and bashful, Amanda was exactly the opposite. Bradley preferred to spend time at home while Amanda was a party girl. Bradley liked ballet, dancing, music, and romantic comedies and...sex. Amanda liked boys, drinking, boys, partying, boys, smoking, boys, and she also liked...boys. She'd never been married and had no such plans. And why would she? She could have pretty much any guy she wanted and as long as that was fun, she was content to hook up and enjoy it. Her attitude was as foreign to Bradley as Bradley's was to her. Amanda couldn't imagine ever settling down with one guy and Bradly couldn't imagine anything else.