Loss and Longing

 Three nights later Stevie was a little nervous as she waited for Grant to arrive at her house. Her mother had spent the afternoon in the kitchen. Stevie had done what she could to help and she could tell, her mother was going all out to impress him. She smiled to herself as she was shooed out of the kitchen and she went to check she had packed everything she’d need.

Stevie had told her mother two days ago that she’d be staying at Grant’s house and apart from giving her a smile, Nina had offered no comment. No one needed to be anywhere in the morning so Stevie was happy as she could be on that score, about not being there. She was certainly looking forward to waking up with him. But first she had to get through this meeting and as the door bell rang, she prayed they’d all like him.

Stevie opened the door and smiling at Grant, she said “hey.”                                

“Hi” he said and he bent to kiss her.

As she shut the door, he said “you still staying over?”

She grinned and nodded.

“Good” he said with a smile.

“Come in and meet everyone” she said as she grabbed his hand and led him down the passage “hopefully they’ll behave.”

Grant chuckled “you make them sound like kids.”

“Two of them are” she said.

“Ah, good point” he said with a laugh.

Nina met them at the kitchen door and Stevie watched her mother’s face with amusement as she introduced Grant. She expected some surprise, she was still a little surprised herself when she looked at him. He was so gorgeous. And she certainly got that, but Stevie had also expected to see approval. However that was not what she saw on her mother’s face and she frowned. Taking Grant into the living room to meet her siblings she left him there for a minute, to get some drinks and took the opportunity to have a private word with her mother.

The Christmas Present

Later having worked up an appetite they sat close together on the couch and shared a plate of left overs. “Can I ask you a question?” Sharni said, having had enough to eat and laying her fork down.

“Sure” he said continuing to eat.

“When we first met you mentioned you were married once, can I ask what happened?”

His expression went serious and without looking at her he said in a hard tone “oh the usual stuff, betrayal, pain, divorce.”

“I’m sorry” she said wondering if his wife had cheated on him. Poor guy. She couldn’t begin to imagine how that felt. She’d had many relationships of varying length in the last ten or so years but none of them had ended that way. And being married must make the betrayal that much more painful. “How long were you married?” she asked.

“Five years.”

Sharni didn’t know what else to say and in the sombre mood that ensued she regretted bringing the subject up. Not that she didn’t want to know, she was glad he felt able to tell her, but it could have waited. She didn’t need to ruin such a magical night. 

Then all of a sudden Mitch started talking “Marie, my wife, my ex-wife” he corrected himself and Sharni could tell how difficult it was for him to say.  “She was offered a job interstate. A good job. She didn’t want to turn it down. I didn’t want to move. She left and for a while I couldn’t forgive her. I did things I regret.”

Sharni drew in her breath and her heart skipped a beat as she stared at him. He had betrayed her not the other way around. 

But before she could gather her thoughts he was talking again.

The Christmas Present

Lying naked together afterwards Mitch eased back and inspected her from head to foot. When his eyes moved back to her face and he met her gaze again, Sharni raised an enquiring eyebrow at him.

 He smiled and said “just taking stock, I didn’t get the chance before.”

“And?” she said returning his smile.

“As I said earlier, beautiful,” his expression was serious.

Sharni blushed, “thank you.”

He gave her a quick kiss and with a rueful grin he said “you know I didn’t mean to do that the minute I walked in the door.”

“No?” she teased.

“No” she said his smile widening.

“So how do you explain it?”

“You. I’d been thinking about you all day, wanting to be here with you and then when you kissed me, I just couldn’t control my response.”

“I’m glad you couldn’t” she said.

“I just don’t want you to think this is all I’m after. I want to get to know you. Spend time with you. I like you as a person.”

“So we won’t be doing this again?” she said pretending to misunderstand him and feigning a seriousness she didn’t feel.

“I bloody well hope so” he growled.

She laughed. “It’s fine Mitch. I was as much to blame for this” she said indicating their current state of undress, “as you and I’m not worried it’s all you’re after.”

He smiled “good.”

“But as for me, well that’s another story. For me, it’s all about the sex” she teased with a wicked grin.

He laughed, “in that case maybe I should just shut up?”

“What a good idea” she teased and leaning over, she brought her mouth down hard on his.

The Christmas Present

“How was your day?” Mitch asked after dragging his mouth away a little later. His gaze remained glued to her lips and his breathing was erratic, while his hands held her hips hard.

Sharni was watching him with a similar intensity and in the same distracted tone as he’d just used she said, “good thanks, you?” They were talking but neither of them were concentrating on the words being spoken.

“Not bad” he said “but not as good as this.”

Sharni took a deep breath, “no not as good as this” she said and almost before the words were out of her mouth they were kissing again.

Mitch moved his mouth to her ear, his breathing was ragged “you’re so beautiful Sharni. You know I want you, right?”

“I want you too” she said and she felt the tremor that passed through him.

“I don’t want you to feel pressured” he said kissing her throat. “I want this to be right for both of us. If you want to wait…..”

“I don’t feel pressured” Sharni said tilting her head to expose more of her neck to his mouth.

“I mean I know we’ve only known each other for what wouldn’t even amount to a day in actual hours but…..” his lips moved along her jaw.

“It feels like much longer” Sharni said finishing the sentence for him as she began to shake with need.

“Yes” he said. “I like you Sharni, really like you.”

“I like you too Mitch” Sharni said “and I want you now.”

“Oh god yes” he said and there was no more talking for a while. With his mouth never leaving hers, their clothes were removed and discarded and like they two halves of the same whole they came together. Their bodies uniting in a heated but tender exchange where each gave as much as they received.

Going Home

Part 114

Turning Grace over Josh frantically checked for a pulse and finding it took a deep breath. He lifted her up and carried her out into the lane where there was more light, but where he could still watch the gunman. Checking her left arm Josh could see the wound and pulling out a dressing, applied pressure to stop the bleeding. Then glaring up the lane he wondered where the hell the ambulance was. As he looked back to his left he could see the gunman hadn’t moved, just as bloody well too, Josh thought. If he so much as twitched he’d take great delight in shooting him. Even though he was only young and obviously scared, he’d shot Grace and if he caused any more trouble he wouldn’t hesitate to stop him. Then hearing footsteps in the lane Josh turned to see Lawson and Dom hurrying towards him.

Taking in the scene Lawson pointed to the gunman in the alley “Dom get him out of here.” Then turning to Josh he asked “bad?”

Josh shrugged “don’t know she’s lost a bit of blood.”

“The ambo’s will be here in a minute” then hearing the sirens approaching he turned his head and added “make that now. You going with her?”

Josh nodded.

“Thought so, okay keep me informed and we’ll come to the hospital when our shift finishes.”

Nodding again Josh replied “thanks.”

“Well you’ll be no bloody good to me anyway, will ya.” Lawson said with a wry smile as the ambo’s put Grace onto a stretcher.

Walking next to the stretcher as she was loaded into the ambulance Josh took a breath as some of the tension he felt was relieved now that help had arrived. But he wouldn’t be happy until he knew she was going to be okay.

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