Cinnamon

- It was. I like being close to you - I responded.

- Good. I like it too. -

- I miss you today - I sent her during a gap in the pre-lunch rush.

- Ditto. Would far rather be home with you right now -

I smiled. - You read my mind -

- I know I'm being greedy, but can you come round tonight again? -

- I would love to -

- Good. xxx. - she replied.

I put my head down and dug deep for the finish line. I helped Marco wherever necessary, cleaned, set tables, and kept the locals properly hydrated and caffeinated. Finally, it slowed down. I sat on a stool behind the counter, drained, and gratefully accepted the small plate of bacon and eggs that Marco brought me.

"Cheers, Marco."

He eyed me, grinning. "You should sleep more, Edoardo."

I shrugged, embarrassed.

"Ah, young love," he laughed. "It makes fools of us."

"More so me than most," I said softly. "She's amazing. "

"Si. She is. Remember what I told you."

"I will be gentle. If she lets me."

He laughed again, and went to start cleaning up the kitchen. I tidied chairs and tables, mopped the floor, and did the thousand and one other small menial chores necessary to keep the Cafe clean. Afterwards, I changed in to a clean teeshirt from the go-bag I stored behind the counter.

We locked up, and Marco waved me off as I slouched towards the tube. The ride south seemed interminable; I climbed tiredly up the stairs at Elephant and Castle and hunched down against the evening chill.

- 5 minutes out - I sent her as I started walking.

- Waiting for you, breathlessly - came her response. I grinned to myself, and picked up my pace slightly. A few minutes later, I knocked on her door; she opened it, stepped towards me, and wrapped her arms around me. It was some time before she let me go, stood on her toes, and kissed me hello.

And every second was special.

.:.

"I am feeling slightly sleep deprived," she said, as she closed the door behind us and pulled herself in closer to me.

"You and me both. I was stumbling around in a daze all day."

"Just because of lack of sleep?" she asked, mischievously.

"Hah. No. I guess not."

"Mm. Good. I spent the day wet."

"Really?"

"Soaked. Aching."

"Are you?"

"Uh huh," she said, as she guided my hand downwards under the inevitable miniskirt. "See?"

"Oh god," I groaned. "No panties again."

"Uh huh. Love being commando. But it's a bit of a problem when I'm walking around and all I can think about is cock. Your cock."

"Sorry not sorry."

"Don't be," she breathed. "Having it to look forward to forgives all ills."

"I didn't have energy to fetch anything."

"You're here. That's all I need."

She stood on tiptoe again to kiss me. "Supper's simple. Burgers. I didn't have much energy either," she said, apologetically.

"I think I'll survive," I replied with a grin. "You might need to pay a forfeit though."

"A forfeit? What kind of forfeit? I like forfeits. "

I put my hands on her hips, then spun her gently around. Then I pulled her back against me, one hand on her belly, the other stroking upwards under her tight top. "This kind," I breathed into her ear.

She arched back against me as I slipped my fingers into the left cup of her bra and squeezed her nipple between my fingertips. I could feel myself hardening against her, and she could clearly feel the same - she started to shimmy herself against me; my cock nestled against the cleavage of her bum as her miniskirt rode up. Natalie turned her head, pulled me to her, and kissed me as she ground up and down along me. Then, panting, she released me and fumbled at my zipper.

"Take your cock out," she moaned. "Take your cock out and take me."

"Right here?"

"Uh huh," she groaned as she managed to unzip me. She groaned once more as I pulled myself free of my underwear and pushed myself against her again. Then I guided her over to the kitchen counter, where she bent forwards until she was lying on the countertop.

"Do me hard," she whimpered. "Do me as hard as you can."

She reached behind herself to help me into her; she slid my head once, twice along her slit, then put me to her. "In," she begged. "Now."

I closed my eyes, hissing for breath as I slid into her. Not all the way, not at first, I was too dry still. But stroke by stroke I got deeper into her, until every thrust slapped hard against her thighs and evoked an answering grunt from her.

"Harder," she begged. "Don't hold... back. Don't. Just fill... me."

I took hold of her hips, placed my feet between hers, and started to thrust as hard and as fast as I could into her.

"Nat, not gonna last," I panted.

"Don't... stop..." she gasped back at me. "Don't... stop... oh..."

I leaned back, trying for depth, trying to fill her as she craved. She was whimpering now, swearing softly, bracing with one arm against the kitchen wall while the other was busy down between her legs. I could feel her muscles spasming as I pulled her hard back against me. I could feel her tightening on me. She started to moan, low, almost animalistic, deep in her throat. Then I felt her buck; she cried out, and pushed hard back against me. I felt her pussy spasm, spasm again, and as I pulled out and slammed into her my orgasm took me, and I arched forward over her, groaning as I came.

"Oh... oh... oh..." she whimpered under me, writhing; I moaned in answer, unable to form words as she rode me through my climax, then slowed to a stop, panting under me. I slipped a hand under her and pulled her back against me, then leaned forward to kiss her through the disheveled mess of her hair.

.:.

"Do you feel pillaged yet?"

I laughed softly into her neck, loving the way she pulled herself in against me.

We lay, naked, between some fluffy blankets we'd arranged haphazardly onto her couch. Natalie had turned down the lights to the faintest possible glimmer, and we were nesting to a backing of more blues.

"A little bit," I admitted. "Certainly feel like I've had a thorough workout."

"Mm," she murmured. "Good. Because I don't know if I can walk in a straight line."

She squirmed in closer to me, and I felt her move her thigh over mine. "I don't know how I'm going to get up tomorrow. I just want to stay here, with you."

I kissed her forehead. "You're bad for my work ethic," I said. "Very, very bad."

"Oh, I'm completely wicked, I know," she breathed. "But I blame you and your voice and your smile for this."

"Just my voice and my smile?"

She trailed her fingers down over my chest to my cock, and I took a shuddering breath.

"Maybe not just those," she said with a shudder. "But they're what started this."

"I am so glad I plucked up the courage to talk to you."

"Ditto," she breathed. "I was getting really scared I'd have to make the first move."

"Well, either way."

"Uh huh."

I lay, enjoying the sensation of her breathing against me; the heat of her body on mine. Her faint perfume of neroli oil mingled with the headier scent of her sweat, and I could feel the need for her building in me again. But for now I was content to just hold her against me, savouring the feel of her proximity.

"I spent so many nights playing with myself while thinking of you, you know."

"I'd be lying if I didn't say the same," I replied softly.

"I wonder how many people in the world miss out on this due to just not speaking up."

"Many, I'd guess."

"Poor, poor people." She squeezed my penis gently. "I wonder if they know what they're missing out on." Natalie slowly started to stroke me, teasing my slowly-stiffening cock with her fingers.

"I'd love to watch you play with yourself," I breathed.

"Mm. Problem is that I like this bit of you too much. I'd never be able to keep from climbing onto you. Or begging you to just put it in me."

"That's really nice," I groaned, arching slightly.

"Oh, you like this, do you?" she whispered.

"Almost as much as I like being in you. Just knowing it's... you touching me..."

"Uh huh. Tell me what you're thinking of."

"You under me... on the counter..."

"I loved that. Being taken like that." She wriggled against me, and then took my hand and guided it to her lips. "I'm always wet near you. Even when I was just buying coffee, before we'd... been together. I was... oh, god, oh god that's nice... I would spend my day... uhn... wet. So... distracting."

She let go of me, threw her leg over me and pushed at the couch. I helped her roll on top of me. She reached behind herself, fumbled for me, then lifted up on her knees. "Want you," she whimpered as she guided me to her. I reached up to her glorious breasts and took her nipples between my fingers, squeezing as I arched and she lowered herself and took me into her. "Eddie," she moaned. "Oh god, Eddie, I wish you could feel this the way I do.

I pulled her down to me, needing the heat of her kisses, craving the curves of her body on mine. She started to grind on me, driving my aching shaft into her, panting with each stroke she accepted, kissing my mouth, my cheeks, my forehead, then just clasping herself to me as she rode me, both of us uncaring of anything now except being joined.

"Oh, oh, oh," she whimpered into my neck, and I moaned in reply as I started to buck, to thrust, deeper and harder into her.

"Come for me," she begged, "come in me, make me yours...make me... make... oh..."

I pulled her hard down against me, crushing her to me as I started to drive myself into her, every stroke evoking a hoarse grunting moan from her. I was close and building. My cock was a rod in her, my balls tight as if in a vice. I couldn't even think of stopping. She bit me, dug her nails into my ribs, and started to shiver, to convulse as I lifted us physically off the couch with each furious thrust I gave her.

"Oh... oh... oh God... Oh God, oh... fuck me... oh, oh fuck..."

And then my belly locked, and I cried out as I came, buried in her, her pussy clamping down on me as the ripples of her own orgasm took her and broke her.

It was quite some time before either of us could move.

.:.

"You're such a bad, bad man," she breathed, as she kissed me goodbye. "I am so tender down there I don't know how I'm going to walk."

"Sorry," I breathed, blushing.

She laughed, and kissed me again. "Don't be. I'm addicted to you."

"What are your movements today?"

"Some work south of the river, then back to central."

"Will you be near the cafe?"

"I'll see if I can swing by," she said with a smile, "but the problem is that if I'm going to do that I'm going to want to do things to you that mean I'm going to need a change of panties."

"Minx."

"Uh huh, and proud of it," she grinned. "Here," she added mischievously, as she wrapped a pastel rainbow scarf around my neck. "This will keep you warm and protect you from other women."

I laughed. "That's never been something I've had to worry about."

"Nevertheless," she intoned, "mine."

I leaned into her and kissed her, and when I broke away it was Natalie who was blushing.

"You need to go," she whispered. "You need to go now or we're never going to get to work today."

I laughed, then turned to go.

"Eddie?"

"Nat?"

"See you later, lover."

I grinned and waved, and stepped off towards the tube. I looked back once; she was watching, and she blew me a kiss and closed her door.

Marco had beaten me to work, and he adopted a pose of mock-outrage complete with his typical what-the-fuck-asshole hand as I slunk into the cafe. But he laughed at me as I tried to apologise, and gave me an amused "Buongiorno" and a pat on the back before he scuttled off into his kitchen. I turned on the machines, cleaned them, set out my tools, delivered Marco an espresso of penance and then dealt with the first few customers of the day.

I'd just finished the nine o'clock pre-work-rush when my phone vibrated and fell off the counter. I picked it up and glanced at it, then stopped. Two voicemails and a whatsapp message.

- Please pick up -

I swore as it vibrated again in my hand. Another voicemail. O2 was clearly having problems with their network in the city. As I tried to dial Natalie an SMS came in.

- Oh God Eddie please answer -

I stared at the message, and felt the crawling tendrils of panic. "Marco, can you cover the counter for a minute please?"

"Yes," he shouted back.

I ducked outside, and huddled under the awning. I dialled, and took a deep breath as I waited for her to pick up.

Ring. Ring. Ring. Click.

"Oh Eddie. Oh thank God it's you."

Her voice sounded strange.

"Nat? Jesus, sorry, the cell network is fucked this morning. I didn't get your calls. What's wrong?"

"I've... just got some very bad news from home and..."

She started to cry; harsh, painful sobs.

"Natalie? What is it? Where are you?"

"Hiding in a ... bathroom at a clients. I... I have to go deal with this and I can't... I needed to hear your voice so I... so I could try to keep it together."

"Home? The flat?"

I heard her gasp a breath. "Holland. Leiden. I need to get home but I... can't."

"What? Why not?"

"I can't afford the ticket. " She started to cry again. "I send most of my money home, Anna... she lets me stay almost for free. I... I don't have any savings and I can't get home to mama and I need to and I don't know what to do..."

"Nat, send me your details, I'll get you booked on the first flight I can find from City Airport."

"Please... I... can't let you do that."

"Nat... it sounds like you need to be home. You can pay me back whenever. I want to help. Please, Natalie, please let me do this for you," I begged. "Give me your details and let me do this little thing for you. Please."

I heard her take a shuddering breath. "My... My name is Natalie Meijer. With an i... and a j. I'll... I'll send you my passport page. I... Eddie. Thank you. I hate that you have to do this for me. But thank you for doing it. I can't thank you enough for this. Oh, god, thank you..."

"Nat. Take a breath, slow down. Send your passport and your email through to me. Listen to me. I'll book you on the first flight I can find, ok? Catch your breath. We'll get you home. I'll phone you with the details. Take a deep breath and be calm. I'm going to find you a flight right now and I'll phone you as soon as I have. Ok?"

"Ok."

"I'll talk to you right now."

I hung up, and headed inside. "Family emergency," I said to Marco in answer to his quizzical eyebrow. "Do you know what the quickest way would be to the Netherlands from here? I need to help get her home."

"FlyBe or KLM," he answered. "Maybe Lufthansa too. They all fly to Amsterdam."

I went to work, found her a flight to Schiphol, and booked it and an onward train ticket to Leiden Centraal station. I got the confirmations, forwarded them to the email she'd sent me, and then dialled her again.

"Hey," I said, as she answered. "Where are you?"

"Still hiding. I'm... I'm a fucking mess. Can't fucking stop crying."

"You may be a mess, but you're my mess. I've sent you your flight details. Nat, you need to be at London City Airport by two - there's a KLM flight to Schiphol that will get you there by four and then a train ticket from Schiphol to Leiden Centraal. They're returns and I've set the return dates for a week from now, but once you know more you can move them."

Silence, and faint hiccoughing sobs.

"Nat," I said softly, "Nat, you don't have time for this. You have to go, now. Cry on the plane, cry on the train, but get moving. You need to get moving. Take a breath and going."

"I don't know how I'll... ever pay you back for this".

"Get where you need to be. That's all that matters. All I want is a hug when you get back. The rest can come later. Now get going."

"I love you so much, Eddie."

My heart skipped a beat, and I took a shuddering breath. "I love you too, Natalie Meijer with an i and a j. Call me when you get to Leiden and you know what's going on. I'll be here if you need me."

She hung up, and I set my phone down. I looked up at Marco and shook my head. "I think it's bad," I said softly. "I think her mother is dying."

"You did a good thing there, Edoardo."

"You and Pete did the same thing for me, Marco."

He reached out and thumped me gently on the shoulder, then turned back to his stove.

Complete radio silence from Natalie ensued. I imagined that whatever situation she was flying into would leave her very little time or will to reach beyond her immediate family. The pain in her voice had nearly broken me, and I found myself thinking back to my dad's final weeks - to the nightmare smell of hospital disinfectant and the soul-reaving beep and hiss of the machines as he slowly slipped away. The ragged gaping void it had left in my life was still there, still raw... I found myself hoping, fervently, that Natalie would be spared that.

.:.

"Eddie, son! What you doing home?"

"Hey, Jack. Long story," I sighed. I dropped my phone and wallet onto our peeling kitchen table.

"She get tired of you already?"

"Hah. No. There's a serious family crisis; she had to go back home at short notice. Will be gone for at least a week."

"Balls. You up for some consolation wine and X-Box?"

"Not out defiling young women tonight, then?"

He laughed. "Even I need a night off."

"Warm up the box, I just need to eat..."

My phone started to vibrate on the table. I looked down, saw it was her, and snatched it up. "I've got to take this," I apologised.

He held a finger up and snuck out of the kitchen.

"Eddie?"

Her voice was raw.

"Nat? Hey, you. It's good to hear your voice. What's going on?'

Silence.

"Nat?"

"I was in time," she said, eventually.

"In time for what, Nat?"

"To say goodbye."

"Oh Christ, Natalie. I... I'm so sorry."

"Mama has... had. She had dementia. For years. She didn't recognise me any more. She'd been in decline, but it was slow. I thought I had until Kerstfeest... until Christmas," she corrected herself. She paused, took a shuddering breath. "And then my aunt called me this morning to tell me I had to get home because she was going... I ran all the way. All the way. I've never run so fast. I got here in time to hold her hand and hug her and sing to her one last time."

I heard her start to sob. "I would never have got that if not for you. I'd never have been able to get here in time..."

"Natalie," I said, swallowing the lump in my own throat. "I'm so sorry, love. Christ, I'm so sorry. I should be there with you. I wish I was there with you."

"Me too," she coughed. "I wish you were here. I am so tired and so alone."

"Never alone," I gently contradicted her. "Not any more."

And then I just sat, listening to the silence for a time.

"I've got to go. I have to sign... papierwerk... paperwork. I have to let her friends know. I have..." she paused. "She wanted to be with her mother. I have to try to do this one last thing for her," she continued, low and raw. I closed my eyes, gritting my teeth at my own remembered pain.

"When will you be home?" I asked her, when I could.

"I don't know. A week... perhaps two..."

Two weeks. I shook my head and sighed. "I love you, Natalie. You do what you need to do, ok? I'll be here for you any time of the day or night that you need me. Call me whenever you need to, ok?"

"Thank you, Eddie. Thank you for being there for me. I don't know how I could have done this without you. Oh God, the priest is here... I... I... need to go."

She hung up, and I leaned back against the kitchen chair.

"Fuck, shit and cunt," I sighed.

Jack stuck his head around the corner. "I didn't mean to eavesdrop, but I heard enough of that to know that I should definitely not ask you if everything's ok. Eddie... I'm so sorry, mate, that can't have been easy for you either."