Where was he anyway?

Regardless of wherever Neil was, I had to shower as soon as possible and dress in my work-out gear so I could hop on the train for home.  I couldn’t very well show up to my workstation in what I’d worn the previous day, and I certainly couldn’t wear trainers and sports bra with my skirt from yesterday either.  I needed appropriate clothes to work in, and even though it would make me late to go home and get them, it couldn’t be helped.  I looked at the time again and bolted for the shower.

Washing my body in Neil’s shower was almost something I didn’t want to do.  In a way, I was washing him away.  So much sex last night.  He’d made good on what he’d said to me in his office yesterday… I want you in my bed so we can fuck all night long…over and over until you’re a slave to it—just as you used to be.

He’d gotten his wish.  I was a slave to it again.  And we had.

I hurried in the shower, becoming more nervous about the time.

When I stepped back out in the bedroom I saw there had been a sneaky delivery.

The bed was made and laid out upon it was my Burberry wool dress, brown on the top with a black skirt, boots, and my blue plaid overnight bag.  I checked the bag and found my brush and hairdryer, make-up kit, knickers, bra, perfume, tights…everything I needed to prepare myself for the work day.  Amazing.

He really was good.

I saw a note poking out from under the bag.

Cherry,

Thank you for staying.  For that precious gift you gave to me.  I can’t ever take back what I said to you last night.  It’ll never change for me.  The evidence is inked onto my skin forever.  And onto yours too.  I love you, beautiful girl.

xo N

P.S. I snuck out and got some things from your mum so you can get ready for work.  I’m stealth that way and she loves me tons, plus she always answers my texts.  (don’t be jealous)

P.P.S. If you’re wondering where I am, it’s down in the training facility [where I seduced you] having a work out.  I need to keep strong so I can continue to take care of you as a good man should.  XOX


I pulled his letter to my chest and held it there.  And cried for how happy my man had made my heart.

23

“Please 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 door way until I couldn’t stand it 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, mate.  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…hmmm…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 suck at it.  Best to keep your day job.”

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, mate.  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.

* * *

TO:  emorrison @bsiltd.co.uk

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.

TO:  nmcmanus @bsiltd.co.uk

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.

TO:  emorrison @bsiltd.co.uk

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.

TO:  nmcmanus @bsiltd.co.uk

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 pleasant to have to imagine the texts that went back and forth between my mother and my man last night.  Bleh.

That’s the Cherry Girl I knew and loved.  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, her 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.

TO:  emorrison @bsiltd.co.uk

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?  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.

TO:  nmcmanus @bsiltd.co.uk

I think you forgot to ask me the question, Captain. Focus, please.  :P

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.