Chapter 23

Their meal at the pub was good. Once more there was no break in their conversation. The air had been cleared on both sides and they were both totally comfortable with each other.

Sally became quieter when they arrived home. She did not want a nightcap or a hot drink and went quietly up to bed. Nick locked up and followed her. She was already in bed. Her playfulness of the afternoon had deserted her and she just lay on her back and glanced slightly nervously at Nick as he joined her. He was immediately aware of it.

"You've never made love before have you, Puss."

"No," she whispered.

"You don't have to now."

"I want to. It's just ... Oh, Nick, please be patient and gentle with me."

"I promise, my precious one."

He kept his word. He kissed her, stroked her, suckled her and whispered his love to her. When he finally entered her it was with infinite gentleness and in the end her passion matched his.

They lay in happy satiated silence for a good twenty minutes. It was Sally who stirred first. She tottered to the bathroom and then came back minutes later.

"Nick, my sweet gentle man, I love you more than ever."

Nick said nothing but held her to him. There was silence; happy, contented silence.

Nick was just drifting off to sleep when Sally asked softly, "Nick? Could we do that again?"

They did and fell asleep entwined.

Both, out of sheer habit woke at six-thirty. Neither wanted to budge but to stay in each other's arms.

Nick at last pulled himself together. Charlie was coming for him at seven-thirty. He extracted himself resolutely despite protesting whimpers from Sally, shaved, showered, dressed and went downstairs to make himself some breakfast. He did his standard: two boiled eggs, toast, marmalade and coffee.

The smell of coffee enticed a fluffy-haired Sally downstairs. She drifted into the kitchen and homed in on the cafetaire.

"Puss!" said Nick gently.

She turned immediately and came to him.

"Sorry, my darling," she said. "The smell of coffee was so enticing and I'm not used to having a love in my life."

"Nor am I and it makes me selfish." He kissed her softly. "Go and get your coffee."

She poured it and came back. "Room for a little one?" she asked and, without waiting for an answer, sat on his knee.

His arm went round her.

"Happy?" he asked.

She smacked his face gently. "Don't ask silly questions. I love you, Mr Braithwaite."

He smiled up at her. "Same to you, Miss Gardner."

"Nick, my love, before we go and buy the ring, will you make love to me again? It's not just the physical." She grinned. "That's magic but I just feel I want to feel that oneness again. That really is magical." Her face became totally serious. "I love you so much that I have to show it and this is really the only way at the moment."

"No, your eyes do."

"So do yours!" She buried her face in his shoulder.

The doorbell rang and, after a final impassioned hug, Nick left. Charlie concernedly asked him how he felt.

"Fine thanks, Charlie. I wasn't very lively yesterday but I'm back to normal now."

"And Miss Sally?"

"Right as rain too."

"Great."

Megan greeted him with a huge smile, leapt from behind her desk and hugged him.

"Thank God you're back in one piece," she said. "My David said you were both OK but I couldn't believe it until I saw you with my own eyes. How's little Sally?"

"She's fine thanks, Megan love. I didn't want her to be on her own so I took her home. She was quite sleepy yesterday but she was her usual bouncing self when I left this morning."

"Oh, I'm so relieved for you both."

"Megan, I don't want to leave her on her own today so I've just come in to pick up my car and then we'll both be in as normal tomorrow."

"Good thinking, boss."

"OK. See you tomorrow then."

With a wave he was gone. Megan hugged herself gleefully. Her David had been right. Nick had a new light in his eye. She had to tell Melanie. She closed her door and picked up the telephone.

Nick drove home. He had only been away half an hour but the excitement of being back with Sally made his stomach churn the whole journey. As he closed the front door behind him she leapt winding her arms and legs round him. She kissed him quickly and then laid her cheek against his.

"That was the longest hour of my life," she whispered. "What are we going to do if you have to go up to head office for the day or something?"

"Ah," replied Nick off-handedly, "you'll soon get tired of me."

That earned him a thump on the back.

"Don't you dare make light of my love, you cheeky bastard."

"I may be cheeky but I'm not a bastard." He smacked her bottom.

"No you're not." Her head came back and her brown eyes gazed into his. "You're a lovely, lovely man and you're all mine." She kissed him. "And I'll never, ever get tired of you. And don't you dare even think of getting tired of me."

"That would be an impossibility. I might get tired by you though," he grinned kissing her back.

She nodded, her eyes sparkling. "All the love-making we're going to do. Upstairs. Don't hang about."

She pealed with laughter and buried her face in his neck again. He carried her up to bed.

An hour later Sally had her first joint shower.

"Oh wow!" she murmured as he wrapped her in a towel and held her to him. "That was almost as good as making love."

Nick chuckled. "You wait," he said.

Choosing a ring took them longer than they thought. It was only at the third jewellers that they found it. Sally had fairly early on decided she wanted only plain diamonds so that she could wear it with any colour of clothing. The ones they saw in the first two shops were either too large for her small hands or, from Nick's point of view, too small. The one they finally found had a central, square diamond about an eighth of an inch across surrounded by numerous tiny ones. It was quite beautiful and although Nick winced inwardly at the price he thought it was perfect for her. Sally was totally thrilled with it but, with her background of poverty, she was overwhelmed by Nick's generosity. They were not left alone for her to be able to show Nick her gratitude and love but Nick read her eyes and was happy.

Afterwards they went to a supermarket and shopped for food.

"I'm not much of a cook," Sally told him, "so let's keep it simple, something we can just stuff in the oven." A thought struck her. "You mustn't expect me to do dinner parties yet. You'll have to keep using the Damsels for the time being."