by Lorna Peel
Charlie stood on the landing. She saw the sleeve insignia of a Flight Lieutenant on his tunic before the red roses and cap in his hands. Slowly raising her gaze, she smiled. His face was flushed and he looked tired, but he was so handsome.
“Hello, Kate,” he said simply. “I brought these flowers for you. Ready to go?”
She took the roses and smelled them, then hesitated. “Thank you. Charlie, I hope you don’t mind, but I’ve cooked something here.”
To her relief, he shook his head. “Not at all. In fact, I’m glad. I’ll have you all to myself. Unless your flatmates are here?”
“No, they’ve… they’ve gone out.” Kate felt beads of sweat break out on her forehead but forced herself to be calm. “Come in, let me take your cap.”
“Thank you.” He stepped into the hall. “My tunic too, if you don’t mind.”
She closed the door, watching as he slipped it off, revealing a blue shirt, black braces, and a black tie.
“Thanks,” he said as he passed the cap and tunic to her and she hung them up on the hooks behind the door, feeling his eyes on her. “You look lovely, Kate.”
“Thank you,” she replied, turning back to him and noting the dark circles under his eyes. “Are you all right?”
“Tired, you know?” He shrugged. “I was in France, well, the French-Belgian border.” He rolled his eyes. “Bit of a baptism of fire. We were attacking bridges and German troops there. I was shot at by a Messerschmitt and just about made it back over here. I had to land the plane on her belly, bloody undercarriage wouldn’t go down.”
So he had been over there. “You are all right?” she asked again.
“I’m fine. I was more worried about my plane than anything else.”
“When I didn’t hear from you, I guessed. I was so worried.”
“I’m fine,” he said softly, sliding his arms around her and she rested her forehead on his shoulder. “I’ve missed you so much.”
“I have, too. I’m so relieved you’re safe.” His arms tightened around her and his head rested on top of hers. “I’m glad we’re not going out,” he murmured. “I want to just hold you and never let you go.” His stomach rumbled loudly and he laughed and release her. “Maybe I should eat first?”
“Come through to the kitchen. It’s nothing too elaborate, I’m afraid. Sausages.” She blushed as he followed her. “Do you like sausages?”
“I love sausages.” He grinned and she saw him glance at the table. “Wine and candles, too. You said it was nothing too elaborate. Is there anything I can do?”
“You can open and pour the wine, please.” She put the roses on the draining board and handed him a corkscrew before serving the food.
“This looks tasty,” he said, sitting down as she put his plate in front of him. “And these are the WAAF flats?”
“Yes.” She sat down opposite him with her own plate. “They’re not too bad.”
“No. What shall we drink to?” He raised his glass. “Peace again, I suppose?”
“Peace.” She touched his glass with hers.
Charlie had a healthy appetite, seemed to enjoy the none-too-exciting meal, and smiled in delight when she produced the stewed apple and strawberry jam. Between them, they devoured the lot and, bringing the remainder of the wine with them, they went into the living room. Kate sat nervously at one end of the sofa and watched as he eased himself down at the other end and poured her more wine.
“Thanks for your letter and the photograph,” she said and sipped her wine. “The girls all—” She stopped. She was about to say, ‘loved you’. “They were very interested, they questioned me about you.”
“And what did you say?” he asked.
“Wouldn’t you like to know?” she countered.
“Oh, Kate.” He leaned towards her, resting an arm on the back of the sofa. “I can’t believe I haven’t seen you for nearly six months. I missed you,” he added in a small voice, staring down into his glass. “And who knows when I’ll get to see you again.” He sighed, drained his glass, and set it down on the floor. “What are you being trained for?”
“Teleprinter operator.”
“At a Sector Station.” He nodded. “It would be too much to hope that it would be anywhere near my base.”
“You never know.” She finished her wine and set her glass down beside his.
“Well, I’m not too hopeful.” He slowly moved closer to her, his eyes searching her face. “Kate, can I tell you something?”
She nodded. Oh, God, what was it?
“Kate, I love you,” he whispered. “I think I fell in love with you the first time I saw you, but I didn’t want to admit it to myself. I just can’t stop thinking about you.”
“That’s dangerous,” she croaked and cleared her throat. “When you’re flying…”
“That’s why I had to see you. I came straight here. Mother and Father don’t even know I’ve got leave.”
“Oh.” It was make your mind up time. She looked into his dark eyes and felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. “I love you, too, Charlie,” she told him, his eyes widened in disbelief, and she had to nod encouragement at him before he leaned forward and gently kissed her lips. “Again,” she whispered.
He sat beside her, took her face in his hands, and kissed her again. She shivered and closed her eyes, feeling him shaking with anticipation. His lips moved down her neck and one of his hands slid down her body to her breasts, his thumb seeking out her nipples through her clothes.
Her body began reacting to his touch. She gasped, feeling her nipples harden as his other hand lifted the hem of her dress and his palm smoothed up the inside of her thigh. He found the tops of her stockings and explored the lace with his fingers and thumb. She found herself holding her breath and wanting to arch her back but not daring to in case he stopped when she heard a loud snap.
Charlie leapt to his feet, grabbing the empty wine bottle by the neck and looked ready to attack.
Kate gazed at him for a moment; his beautiful dark eyes were blazing fiercely as they searched the room, but she couldn’t help herself and dissolved into giggles.
“What the hell is it?” he demanded.
“I’ll show you.” She got up, taking his free hand, and led him into the kitchen where the aroma of their meal still hung in the air. In the corner, by the sink, a mouse lay dead in the trap. “Unfortunately, this place is crawling with mice.”
“Mice?” He gasped with relief and put the bottle down on the kitchen table. “I thought it was a gun or a bomb or something.”
“No, just mice.” She laughed. “Thank you for defending me, though.”
“You don’t have to thank me, Kate.” He took her hands and kissed them. “I’d do anything for you.”
“Then continue what you were doing just now and spend the night here with me,” she said, it all coming out in a rush, and he frowned at her.
“But you said…”
“I know, but I didn’t love you then the way I do now and I didn’t fear never seeing you again as much as I do now.”
Charlie’s face creased in an agonised expression. “I want to, so much, but—”
“Why not? Have you no condoms with you?” she asked and blood rushed into his face.
“Yes, but I… oh, God, why did I kiss you?” He circled the room, clutching his head.
“Oh Charlie, please?” she begged, tears beginning to spill down her cheeks.
“On one condition.” He swung around to face her, dark hair flying. “That it is because you love me. Not just because there’s a war on. Not just because you want to get it over and done with. ‘Good old Charlie, he knows how to give a girl a good time, he’ll show me what to do.’ I’ve been told to take you, seduce you, get you out of my system because you’re affecting everything I do. I want you so much, Kate, that it really is affecting me, but I need to know that it is because you love me.”
He ended on a whisper and she calmed herself for a few moments before answeri
ng him. “Angela, one of the girls I share the flat with, told me to let you have me because of the war because you’re a pilot,” she raised her gaze to the ceiling, “because you might die. I hadn’t even asked myself whether I loved you yet, but hearing her and seeing your picture, reading your letter – then thinking something had happened to you in France – I know now that I do. I’d be lying if I said that I wouldn’t even consider it if there wasn’t a war on, but it’s something we can’t ignore, Charlie. We both might die and I love you so much that if we hadn’t…”
She wiped her eyes with her fingers, then glanced down at them. They were damp from her tears, and she dried them on her dress.
“I do love you, Charlie. Do you honestly think I would have chosen for it to take place in a horrible mice-infested flat if I didn’t?” She gave him a little smile.
“Oh, God, Kate.” He ran to her and she clung to him as he stroked her hair. “I’m sorry. I’m scared, too. Something big’s bound to happen now – here in Britain. France is all but fallen and we lost so many planes over there that if they try and invade, I don’t know if we’ll be able to stop them.”
“Well.” She forced herself to be calm. “We must try and forget it all for as long as we can.” She saw tears and fear in his eyes, but he nodded. “My bedroom is this way.”
She led him out of the kitchen and into the hall, where he retrieved his wallet from his tunic, then into her room. Butterflies rioted in her stomach as she watched him pull the blackout curtains, then the awful flowered ones over them, before switching on a bedside lamp.
“Kate,” he began. “You told me at Christmas to… you know… and, well, I did.”
She nodded. She hadn’t expected him not to, but it still hurt.
“The thing is,” he continued. “I think I was very rough with her. I promise I’ll try and be gentle with you.”
“You can only try,” she replied and began to undo the buttons of her dress.
“Wait,” he called, darting forward. “Let me. It’ll be like unwrapping the best present I’ve ever had.”
She watched his face as he slowly opened the buttons, his fingers trembling and fumbling with nerves. He was concentrating intently on her and some of her own nerves began to fall away. There was no denying how he felt about her, especially when the dress fell to the floor and he quickly dealt with her slip.
“Good God.” His lips parted in awe as he took in the peach lingerie. “Is it silk?” he asked, running his fingers over her bra. “It is.”
“I was wearing this the first time you saw me,” she told him with a little smile. “Helen bought it for me.”
“Well, thank you, Helen.” He grinned and began to undo his tie until her hands stopped him.
“I like presents, too, Flight Lieutenant.”
She had never seen a grown man’s body before, and when Charlie’s was revealed to her, she stared at his long arms and legs, his broad chest with its few hairs, and his… She couldn’t help but flush and he laughed softly.
“Let me look at you.”
He removed her lingerie and gazed at her. More and more blood pumped into her face. The way he was looking at her with his eyes wide and lips open… She stepped forward and kissed him.
“Ready?” she asked and he just laughed again and shook his head as if all this were a little too much for him.
“Oh, God, yes.”
She pulled back the covers, got into the bed and Charlie got in beside her. It was a very narrow single bed and he was lying half in and half out so she lay down and he leaned over her. There was no danger of him falling out now.
He laid fingers over her lips, then smoothed them down her neck, between her breasts and over her stomach to down between her legs, and she gave in to the urge to arch her back towards him. They then made their way back up to her breasts and he gently encircled her nipples before lowering his lips to them.
She sucked in a breath. She’d never felt anything like this before and moaned for the first time as his lips pulled at them. He moved from breast to breast whispering her name, his hands smoothing over her body, producing goosebumps wherever they had been.
Not to be outdone, Kate rolled him onto his back and slid on top of him. Kissing his chest, she explored him with her hands, watching with fascination as he writhed and moaned her name.
“Wait, wait, wait.” He laughed and kissed her lips. “Here.” He rummaged through his wallet for a condom, passed it to her and lifted the bedcovers.
“Charlie, I-I—” she stammered, unable to take her eyes off his erection. It was huge, and she didn’t know what to do with a condom.
“All right,” he said softly, taking the condom back and rolling it on. “Ready?” he asked and she nodded. “Open your legs.”
Obeying, she tried to relax as he moved over her but couldn’t help but tense as he began to push into her. She squeezed her eyes shut. It was hurting. Was it supposed to hurt and hurt this much?
“Kate?” He stopped and smoothed hair back off her forehead. She opened her eyes and he smiled down at her. “Kate, it does hurt a little the first time.”
“I’m sorry.”
He shook his head. “You’ve nothing to be sorry about. Do you want to stop?”
“No.”
“All right. Try and relax.”
She nodded and felt him push again. She yelped as she felt a stinging pain and instinctively tried to close her legs.
“Kate, it’s all right,” he whispered. “Just relax. I’ll stay inside you for a minute so you can get used to me.”
Groaning a reply, she opened her legs again. He felt huge inside her and she wriggled to make herself comfortable, then sank back against the pillow, forcing her muscles to accept him. She ran her hands up his arms, exploring his biceps and shoulder muscles as he bit his bottom lip, and she realised how much strain his self-control was under.
“Charlie?” she whispered. “I’m all right, you can…”
“You sure?”
She nodded and felt him pull out a little and push in again slowly. She swallowed. That didn’t hurt quite as much. He pulled out and pushed in again and her muscles began to relax. She was being stretched but it wasn’t hurting now. He began to gradually increase his thrusts and she moaned. Pulses of electricity hit her and she squealed with pleasure just as his body jolted against hers.
Neither stirred for some minutes. She felt his breath on her breasts and didn’t want him to move. When she finally felt him stir, he kissed her breasts, then raised his head and smiled at her.
“Kate Sheridan, I will love you until the day I die.”
Not the wisest choice of words, she thought but didn’t care. He meant it and she smiled.
“I will, too,” she murmured, stroking his hair.
“Oh.” He exhaled a contented moan and laid his head down again. “I love you. I love you.”
Kate woke first in the morning, heard Charlie’s slow but steady breathing beside her and smiled. Her stomach rumbled and she got out of bed, feeling her thighs ache a little. She didn’t want to open both pairs of curtains in case she woke him so she searched for her dressing gown in the dark. She couldn’t find it but found his shirt, put it on and went out to the kitchen. The kettle was just about to boil when she felt arms closing around her and hands cup her breasts. Charlie planted kisses on the back of her neck before turning her around and kissing her hungrily on the mouth.
“If only I had a camera.”
She laughed. “Another recruitment poster?”
“I want to be the only person to see you like this,” he whispered. “You are so beautiful.”
Half-afraid they were going to get carried away, she stepped back reluctantly from him and went to a cupboard.
“Tea, bread, and marmalade for breakfast, sir?” she asked. “Or are you a porridge man like my father?”
“No.” He laughed and sat down at the table. “Tea, bread, and marmalade will be fine.”
“I have training today,
you know?” she told him and he nodded.
“I have to see Mother and Father, too. Oh, Kate.” He grabbed her around the waist and sat her on his lap. “Write to me, won’t you? Tell me where you are?”
“Of course I will,” she replied softly, stroking his stubbled cheeks. “You don’t think I’m going to forget about you now, do you?”
He smiled, opened the shirt and kissed her breasts. He slowly slipped it off her shoulders and gazed at her in delight. “You are so beautiful.”
“I love you, Charlie, but I’ve to be washed and dressed and out of here in half an hour.”
He nodded sadly then shrugged. “Oh, well. At least it was one way of getting my shirt back.”
When he was gone, Kate felt lost without him. She had never shared anything like that with anyone before. She wandered into the bedroom and smiled at the rumpled bedcovers before making the bed. She was getting dressed when the door burst open and Thelma, Angela and Sylvia rushed in.
“We’ve just seen him,” Thelma squeaked. “He’s even more handsome in the flesh.”
Kate blushed and they laughed.
“You did it, didn’t you?” Angela added. “Kate?”
“Yes,” she whispered happily and the three girls squealed.
“What was it like?”
“Oh, Angela.”
“I shouldn’t have asked you that. Actually, we heard.”
“What?”
“The three of us—plus Tina, and the girls in her flat—we all had ears to the floor. God, Kate, you weren’t half noisy.”
“Angela!” Kate sank onto her bed, clutching her face.
“Fooled you.” Angela laughed. “But.” She held up her hands before Kate could throw something at her. “Make the most of it. We get told where we’re being posted to today.”
“Oh.”
“Sorry to bring you down to earth with such a bump.”
