“P lease tell me it’s safe to come in this time.”
E stuck his head in through the door after he rapped on it.
“Are we behaving today? And more importantly, do I need to secure some legal representation—you know, somebody specializing in sexual harassment in the workplace?”
I looked at him and gave him my best deadpan expression, letting him continue on with his spiel, as he seemed to be enjoying himself immensely.
“Although, you must realize it will be a bit tricky as legal just happens to be related to the woman you’ve been trying to shag at the workplace.” He mimed a grimace. “Sounds pretty bad, like you’re going down, mate.”
He stood there flapping his gob happily in the doorway, until I couldn’t listen to him for another second.
“All right, are you done yet?”
E came in and sat in one of my chairs. “Do you mind?” he asked, gesturing to his shirt pocket where he kept the smokes.
“It’s fine,” I said, watching him light up and take a drag.
He grinned at me. “Well, I’m waiting.”
“And you can keep on waiting, too, because I’m not talking.”
E cocked one brow at me. “You christened the en suite too? Impressive, bro. When you jump, you really go in at the deep end.”
“Piss off,” I told him. “How in the goddamn hell do you know that? Those suites aren’t monitored.” He’d been harassing me for years about why I never used the en suite the way he used his. I’d always told him it was a waste of money on me because I’d never take a woman there. Now, he’d made me a liar.
He laughed. “I saw Elaina coming out of yours, looking very…hmm…how to describe her overall demeanor…” He tapped two fingers to the side of his head. “I know! She looked very…satisifi—”
“Enough! You been taking fuckin’ acting lessons there, E? Better not hold out for a career in film though, because you’d suck at it. Stick with your day job, please.”
He ignored me and kept flapping on. “Come to think of it, you look a little more relaxed yourself. Like you’ve worked some of the edge off. Was the bed comfortable in there?”
“You can stop now. Please stop before I have to shut you up. And, it will look very bad if I have to go to the brig for killing the boss, which nearly happened yesterday, by the way.”
He laughed some more, shaking his head, but then he gave me a genuine smile, something he didn’t do very often. “I’m glad for you. I really am. She’s lovely and you both deserve this.”
“Thanks.” I sighed deeply. “Six years is a long time to wait for someone. But we’ve worked everything out now, and…well, I’m just not letting her out of my sight again.”
He nodded thoughtfully, losing the teasing tone and becoming serious as he smoked his clove cigarette in my office. “Six years…yeah, that is a long time.” I could imagine where his mind may have taken him in the moment. Poor bastard had been through the worst kind of hell and survived it intact, when most men would have ended the pain and taken the easy way out. Lots of veterans came back with demons and did just that. His experience in the war amounted to the very worst there was, but yet, Captain Blackstone still had bollocks of steel, and the Victoria Cross to prove it.
“You love her.” He didn’t ask, but simply made a statement.
“Completely.”
“Ahh.” After another moment of reflection he asked, “How did you know you loved Elaina?”
“It’s not something you have to figure out, E. The decision is made for you. When the right girl comes along…you’ll already know.”
He shook his head in dismissal as if he couldn’t imagine such a thing ever happening to him. Lots of women had tried their best to catch him. I’d witnessed it for years, but I’d never seen him even look at any of them beyond a shag or two. Everyone knew Blackstone did not do repeat business with pussy.
I remembered to ask him why he’d come to find me. “Hey, what were you on about yesterday when you busted in here, anyway? You never said what was so important.”
His expression changed again. This time to one of pride. “Guess which firm got tapped to secure the RF at the Games?”
“Her Majesty?” I couldn’t help bolting up out of my chair in excitement for what this meant for BSI. This was bloody huge.
“Yeah. They asked us to do it.” Ethan was grinning from ear to ear.
How did you like your breakfast? xo N
Since Elaina ran the switchboard, texts on her mobile were hard for her to manage. So were calls, so our best mode of communication was going to be email when at the office. Oh, I could still see her at her station via the bank of security cameras that played out doings all over the floors housing Blackstone Security International, but the most important one for me would always be reception area on the executive level, forty-four. I had Elaina programmed to display on the biggest monitor in my office.
She didn’t care for me spying, so I didn’t advertise the fact to her, but I sure loved to be able to look up and see her while I was at my desk working. It just made me happy to be able to see what she was doing, who came into the offices, watching her move around and talk to people. I’d been starved for so long, it was painful to have to look away sometimes.
I loved the cherry scone, but I loved my clothes most of all. Thank you for the note too. You made me have tears. P.S. Good ones xxE
Her sassy comebacks made me smile, and made me hard. I would have gone out to reception and picked her up, carried her back to bed and made love to her again, if I could have gotten away with it.
I have an important question to ask you. xo N
I knew she would hit me with something snarky and hilarious right back. That was the fun part. Anticipating what she would say, and knowing it would be a surprise anyway.
Well mister, you should know that I always say ‘no’ first, to anything and everything, as a general rule. xxE
P.S. You should also know that it is not at all pleasant to have to imagine the texts that went back and forth between my mother and my man last night. Bleh.
Christ, if she only knew how many times I’d stopped by her house to help her mum when she was still away in Europe. If Ian had been off on a business trip somewhere, their mum would ring me and ask for help. And I was always happy to stop by and help the woman who’d welcomed me as a son from the very first time we’d met. But, what nobody ever knew about was how I would go into Elaina’s bedroom and look around. Sometimes, I’d touched her things, even smelled them, to see if I could find any trace of her still left behind. I didn’t like remembering that part, but felt that it was too important of an experience to ever forget. If I remembered how much we’d lost, then it would help me to make sure it never happened again.
I still had more of my plan to put into action, and wouldn’t stop until it was fully executed.
You’re going to want to say ‘yes’ to this one. Trust me. As for the texts between your mum and me? Don’t think about them. See? No problem whatsoever. Easy. xo N
She got busy with some clients who came through, and it was a while before she could respond. I loved to listen to the sound of her voice speaking in Italian or French on the international calls, too. It was sexy as hell, and made me so proud of her for what she’d made of herself with no help from anyone, just her own initiative.
I think you forgot to ask me the question, Captain. Focus, please. 😛
I couldn’t wait to get her to my place that night. First time. My real bed. Total privacy, and the luxury of knowing where in the hell she was and what she was doing for the whole night long. And, how she was getting to work the next morning (with me), and how she was getting from work back to my place again (with me). Huge fuckin’ window, with a city lights view of London. Just thinking about it got my cock throbbing. My Cherry Girl and I had a date in front of that window coming to us.
May I drive you home tonight, Cherry?
Her reply came back to me instantly.
Yes you may. (I love it when you drive me) *blushing*
I checked the time and blew out a sigh. Five more hours. Five more hours before I could make good on my promise, and have my blushing girl right where I wanted her.
Elaina
“When may I look?” I asked impatiently. “I want to see everything.”
“In another moment. Almost there.” Neil had a hold of my hand, leading me through his flat.
I kept my eyes closed, well…only because he told me to do it. One of the unspoken, but clearly understood quirks about us—an element of that made us work so well—was the way in which he was never indecisive with me. He always knew what he wanted, how to ask for it, demand it, get it, or if he must, how to take it. This combination of his large, commanding presence made the whole package of Neil a devastating elixir.
He liked to surprise me with little things and to spoil me. He’d helped me pack enough clothes to last through the next few days of work, without the panic of one of those weird nightmares where everyone has clothes on but you. Hate those.
After leaving my house and kissing Mum on the cheek, and thanking her for allowing him to take me away, he’d wined and dined me at Gladstone’s, being the romantic, thoughtful man he’d always been, and still was. The wine, and the mouthwatering vision of him across the table, had left me a little intoxicated, and I knew I couldn’t be in safer hands than his. But, at that moment, he had my scarf over my tightly closed eyes and was leading me along blind, to something inside his flat he wished to show me.
“Now?” I asked again.
He stopped us and moved behind me, placing me where he wanted me with his hands on my upper arms. Next, I felt the silk of my scarf being untied from the back of my head with his large fingers tugging gently on the fabric. I loved Neil’s fingers. They worked a kind of magic on me. He touched me with them and I became a hot mess, desperate for him to do other things to me with more parts of his body.
My eyes were still closed.
“You can open them now, Cherry.”
It took me a moment to utter any words.
“I—I can’t believe how beautiful it is.” The dark night was illuminated by the millions of fairy lights of London.
He stayed quiet.
“This is what you wanted to show me first?” I reached out a hand and touched the glass. “The view out the window.” It was indeed, stunning. A whole wall of glass extending out over the city, both the old and the new, lit up and shining against the stark midnight-blue sky.
“Yes.” I felt him step back and break contact with me.
I turned my head and saw he’d moved to a padded bolster cushion and sat down on it.
“Do you remember what I asked you to do for me the first time we made love at Hallborough?” he asked softly.
“You wanted me naked against the view in the window.”
“Yes, that’s right, Cherry. You do remember…”
“I do, Neil.” I stretched my arms up behind my neck and dragged my palms up through my hair at the back of my scalp. “And now?”
I saw him swallow deeply and his eyes widen. I liked to hear his commands, so I waited for him to tell me. I loved the look on his face right then, too. Like a fierce golden beast waiting until the perfect moment to pounce upon his prey. I was the prey. Lucky, lucky, me.
“Strip for me in front of this window, Cherry. All the way down to your skin…so my London view is finally the way I’ve always needed it to look for me, in this house. This window—this view—you in front of it. Do that for me now.”
I steadied my racing heart and slowly stripped for my man.
He watched me do it in silence, in stillness.
I imagined this was something more for him than just a prelude to what was certain to be an orgasmic explosion at its conclusion. This was our second beginning.
Only his eyes followed my movements. They tracked my arms as I removed my dress and dropped it to the floor. They lingered on my legs as I unzipped my boots, then peeled off my tights. They glittered when my bra came off, and flashed when my knickers were released from my hand, to land silently somewhere on the heap of garments littering the furry rug beneath my feet.
He leaned back in his position on the bolster and looked at me some more, his elbows propping up his big body, legs stretched out in front of him, ankles crossed. He seemed in no hurry to rush me, but content to savor something he’d wanted for a long time.
I gave him as much time as he wanted, content to wait for the next request.
“Turn around, and look out at the view,” he said on a breath.
I did it, totally confident in the knowledge that nobody but Neil would see me. The photographer in him had organized this, so there would be no backlighting. I knew my man well.
I heard the sounds of zippers and belts and clothes coming off. The thud of shoes and trousers being discarded, the clink of metal, as things were abandoned to wherever they happened to fall.
“Move your legs apart and put your palms forward on the frame of the glass.”
A shiver rolled down my spine as I complied with his request. I waited for something to happen, becoming more aroused and needy by the second, when suddenly, I sensed him very close, although I’d not heard him moving toward me.
I could smell the spiced, clean scent of him, and I heard a long, controlled breath being released along my back.
Then…his tongue took a long, wide lick forward up the seam of my pussy.
I shouted through the contact, unable to muffle the cries of extreme pleasure as he devoured my sex with his mouth. I arched back to give him better access and gripped the window frame to keep myself upright.
He was relentless with his mouth. And his fingers—gripped my hips firmly, kneaded the flesh, and held me apart so he could continue to fuck me with his tongue, until he knew I was climaxing. Oh yes, he would know when it happened. His lips would feel me, and his tongue would taste me. Any second it would happen…
So when he pulled away, I nearly fell down to the floor and wept.
I must have made sounds of protest, because he growled at my ear, “I know, beautiful girl…I know.”
Then his cock took the place where his tongue had just been.
We both shouted together as his enormous length burrowed all the way in, bumping the wall of my cervix with a sharp luxurious sting.
“I love you so much…” he moaned at my shoulder, as he reared back. And then he powered forward violently.
The pace was wicked, the thrusting fierce, the pleasure intense, as he found his rhythm with me. I floated away to a place where thinking was not possible, nor important. We both knew where we were and what we were doing.
It was finally right.
So very right…when Neil fucked me against the panoramic window of his flat, that looked out upon the city of London, in all her nighttime glory… So very right…when Neil claimed me for the second time in our lives.
He brushed his hand up and down my hip absently as if he didn’t want me to forget he was there.
As if I could ever forget when he was touching me.
We were now spooning on our sides in front of the window, snuggled into the thick fur rug on the floor. The rug was so decadently soft, and although I appreciated its cushioning from the hard floor, I didn’t need its warmth. I had my man right up against me to keep me warm. My body was burning with heat anyway, from what we’d just done together, and continued simmering for a good long while. I didn’t feel like I could ever be cold again.
“Thank you,” he whispered at the edge of my shoulder, pressing his lips there before moving them on to the next spot, little soft kisses on my skin in a trail up my shoulder to my neck.
“My pleasure,” I purred.
“Yours and mine,” he said.
“I’ve still not gotten a tour of your flat yet, you know.”
“You’ve seen the only part that’s ever really mattered to me, though.”
“The window was that special to you, Neil?”
“Yes.”
He was quiet for a moment and then he said, “You don’t really need a tour anyway.”
“Why don’t I?”
“Because this is your home now. You live here.”
I stiffened in shock. “I don’t remember being asked such a thing.”
He rolled me onto my back and leaned over me, his hand coming up to hold one side of my face. “Cherry, will you live here with me? Make this your home? With me?”
His chocolate eyes glittered down at me, his thumb brushing back and forth over my cheekbone. The love in his eyes answered every question I needed answering. I knew he loved me, as I loved him. I didn’t really need him to ask me, because I knew I was home. Home was Neil. I wasn’t the young girl he’d loved before, though. Long years had changed us both, but my answer was really, very easy, and simple.
“I love you…so yes,” I answered him with a kiss to those precious lips of his that knew how to love me so well.
Neil got up first, then, bent down to pick me up from the rug, kissing me sweetly, as soon as he was on his feet. He smiled at me, and then he started walking, carrying me off somewhere, down the hallway of my new home.
I didn’t care where, and could only imagine his intent was to show me the bedroom where I would be sleeping from that point on.
