Cherry Girl (Neil & Elaina #1)(26)
Author: Raine Miller

Now this was a mind f**k in the purest sense. I was barely able to keep myself contained, my mind and my body operating at odds and totally independent of one another. My Elaina—the woman I’d never stopped loving, the girl who’d captured my heart all those years ago, and who I’d painfully LET GO—was here before me claiming to be newly employed at BSI.

Fuck me into next week! And then some more.

My thoughts were totally lost in a jumble of shock and disbelief.

Eons might have passed, I don’t know, but yes, this was indeed a f**kin’ blow to my sensibilities. I needed a drink, or a pitcher, or maybe I’d just sleep in the pub tonight. And I definitely felt a headache coming on.

“I—I didn’t know…” she began. “Nobody said—I—I’m—ahh…”

I didn’t register what she was saying because I couldn’t. I just stared.

So, here she was again right in front of me. As beautiful as ever. More beautiful even than I remembered. No longer a girl of eighteen trying to find her way, but a woman of twenty-five with the confidence to go with the maturity.

Her confidence might be a tad lacking at that very moment though. Those midnight-blue eyes reminded me of a deer caught in headlights. It took great effort on my part to keep from touching her. To reach out and embrace her was instinctual, and I wanted to, but I controlled the urge and waited for some kind of response from her. After all, she’d been the one to leave me hanging without letting me have my say. The wound from that gash to my heart was still there, freshly ripped open and dripping metaphorical blood down the front of me. I’d waited this long, I could wait some more.

“Wh—what are you doing here?” Her throat moved as she swallowed hard and made me want to put my mouth there and taste. I craved the experience of remembering the flavor of her skin, but more than anything, I wanted her to acknowledge me again. I wanted her to have to look at me, to talk to me, to accept me being near her. And, if I knew anything about Elaina, it was that she would try to flee from me again.

“I’m Chief of Operations here at BSI.” I let that sink in for a moment and watched her beautiful complexion grow pale before my eyes.

“You work here.” It was not a question, but a statement, as if she were trying to convince herself of this bit of news.

And I know just how you feel, darlin’.

She pulled her hand through her hair and drew it down to rest in the hollow of her throat, like she was trying to protect herself. Interesting watching her terrified reaction to my bomb drop. Strangely, it made me happy at the same time. If she was instinctually seeking protection from my proximity then it meant that seeing me again was having some sort of effect on her. Good. If she was this affected by me just being there, then it had to be nothing compared to what I was experiencing in her presence. For so long, I’d wanted to be this close to Elaina again. So long. It almost felt surreal to finally get my wish after aching for it to happen. Years, I’d waited. I’d figured it would happen eventually because I was still close with her family, but I suppose I couldn’t really prepare myself for the actual reality. And, not like this. Working together in the same office? Jesus, God, and all the angels!

I felt numb.

I was indeed numb as I spoke my answer, not really quite sure how to break the news to her, when she was right in front of me.

“Every day since its founding over five years ago.” I nodded slowly, trying to keep it cool with her. “I served with E—Ethan, in the SF.” I gestured with my hands up. “Yeah, all this was waiting for me when I came home from the war.” But you weren’t, were you, Elaina? I could be a bastard when I felt like it, and I have to say, I felt like it right then. Fuck, but I was entitled to something more than this stilted, chilly reunion. I’d known her since forever and we were reduced to this awkward silence and distance after where we’d been together? But that was the problem wasn’t it? The part where we’d been together. And all the intervening years when we hadn’t.

The whole thing was pretty f**ked up. But, I was used to that in my life though. Lots and lots of f**ked up had made its presence known to me over the years. I didn’t remember a time when it hadn’t, but Elaina was never part of all the bad in my life. She was the good. Only good…at least that’s how I remembered it…until the very end. The ending of us had nearly destroyed me.

I hoped for some kind of reaction from her, something. Anything at all would do.

“Oh, okay…” Her eyes flickered over me for an instant and then down and to the side. This was all definitely a surprise for her, too. Good. Again.

I saw her breathing hitch, and remembered what she’d been like when I’d had her beneath me and about to come. Those sexy breaths of air as she’d shuddered around me. The tight grip of her pu**y squeezing around my c**k when I was inside her…

I couldn’t help what I said to her next. “Looks like we’re going to be workmates, Elaina.”

“Ahh…yeah.” She did something that I wasn’t expecting then. She bit down on one side of her bottom lip and pulled it into her mouth a little, a look of discomfort flashing across her face as if experiencing pain. That’s what it looked like at least, and I felt some kind of small victory. The comment about this job “waiting” for me was a dickhead move on my part, but it came out of my mouth and I wasn’t calling it back. It was the truth even if it gave me no satisfaction. She moved to pass me in the space of the pathway. “Frances is expecting me in her office…we’re going over some contracts I’ve just translated…”

“Would those be them?” I pointed to the floor.

“Shit.” She dropped down again and started grabbing up the pages, the short black skirt she wore riding up quite nicely along her legs as she worked. She was clearly embarrassed and I could see the flush in the tops of her cheeks as they reddened.

My c**k reacted the instant I saw the rosy blush appear in her skin. Just like old times.

I bent down to help once more and caught a whiff of her perfume, the scent taking me right back to six years ago as if only mere moments had passed. “Do you think you’ll be able to get that file down the hall to Frances or shall I escort you?”

Inhaling sharply at my comment, she snatched the last paper from my hand and shoved it sideways into the folder. “I should be able to make it this time, thank you,” she said with a bite of sarcasm.