Raine Miller - Cherry Girl

“Thank bloody hell.”

“Neil, you’re forgetting the facts.”

“Oh?”  He raised a brow at me.

“Yeah, that fact that the Morrison clan claimed you long ago, and we’re never giving you back.”

He liked that. And kissed me for a long time afterward just to show me how much he liked it.

Later we had an opportunity to talk a little about the others who’d come before.  That part wasn’t so nice, but needed to be discussed and I’m glad we did.  I didn’t want him under any illusions that I was an untouched virgin.  I’d been with a few guys, and most recently Denny Tompkins, and felt he should know the truth.  I saw the tightening of Neil’s jaw as I got that off my chest, but still knew it had to be shared.  He needed to know.  My Denny was his Cora.

My only consolation was that Neil despised my former boyfriends just as much as I’d loathed him with Cora, and others over the years.  I hated that bitch.

The most important aspect in all of this though, was how much we wanted to be together and needed what only the other could give to each of us.  Now that we’d had a taste of how it could be, no other would ever do.  For me, it was Neil…or nobody.  He loved me in spite of my past and I felt the same for him.

We held onto each other our first night together, whispering in the dark, sharing our dreams and unburdening our demons.  With Neil’s arms around me, I drifted off to sleep peacefully.  This time the scent of him was real when I breathed him in.

So much hope was riding on the future back then. I didn’t imagine anything could take him away from me after such a hard-won victory.

Life wouldn’t be so unfair to Elaina Morrison after all I’d already endured.

His love was something I never questioned on my part and I did have it.  I can look back now, and say with complete conviction, that I definitely had Neil’s love.

I had it for a short time.

Far, far too short a time.

I had Neil’s love until fate swiped it away and took from me…again…until I was lost once more.  Alone.  Once more.

That month with Elaina was the happiest time I could ever remember. I don’t have many memories where I was truly happy.  I lived for the day and got along the best I could.  It’s always been my way.  But the time with her trumped everything else I’d known up to that point.

I’d known longing.  Hell, I’d been longing for Elaina since forever so it didn’t feel any different.  I just had to wait on her for a time, and then…I got to be the luckiest man in the world when everything came together for us.  I finally got my chance to tell her what she meant to me.

I had my girl now and she loved me too.  We were together and we had forever to stay that way.

There were many things to learn about each other, despite the comfort of being with a person you’d known for ages, and yet, there were still mysteries.  I could spend my life discovering her and never grow tired of the journey.  This I knew.

The first person we told about us was Elaina’s mum.  Well, finally the two of you have sorted out what the rest of us have known from the very beginning. That was the first thing out of her mouth, along with a shriek and hugs all around.

It was a wonderful thing having a family that wanted you.

Her brother, Ian, was next on the list to share our news.  He was happy for us and showed a similar reaction as Elaina’s mum but with a bit of You shagging my little sister, now, mate? thrown in with a challenge.  I assured him as best I could, but…yeah, better if we two didn’t discuss that part.

Well, I wasn’t technically, but that would be changing.  We couldn’t keep our hands off each other, and the shagging would definitely be happening sooner rather than later, at that point.

The problem was, I didn’t have a long time before my leave was up and I went back on another tour.  There was a great deal of ground to cover in those few short weeks, and I wanted everything to be perfect when we were together for the first time.

I took Elaina for the weekend to the Somerset coast at Kilve.  A fellow officer I’d met in the SAS had a sister who ran a bed and breakfast there.  He’d mentioned the place to me on more than one occasion.  Thankfully, when I gave Hannah Greymont of Hallborough Park a call, I was able to secure a booking.  I was as sure of my plans away, as I was of my destiny…

“How did you find this place?” she asked in awe as we came up the gravel drive.

“One of my mates, a fellow officer in the SF told me about it.  Blackstone’s his name.  His sister owns the house with her husband.  Pretty amazing isn’t it?”  And it was.  The Gothic stone house in front of us was a country mansion that rivaled anything you’d see on the BBC.

“It’s beautiful, Neil,” she said quietly, “a perfect place to bring us.”

She looked so gorgeous next to me, all graceful and fine in her blue dress and long sexy legs curved in the seat of my car.  I had picked up on some vibes, though.  My girl was feeling a bit shy and I had a pretty good idea why.  I’d take care of that little problem just as soon as I got her alone in our suite, though.  Very slowly and with great care.  Down, lad!  I really had to focus on the ultimate goal of this trip and what my purpose was.  And it wasn’t just to get her into bed, taking our relationship to the next level, although I’m sure it looked that way.  It was bloody difficult to focus when she looked like she did.