Weekend Away

"Thanks Matt." said Saoirse. "There's no need to announce it, I don't think." she said, looking at Neil who nodded and put his arm around her.

"Can't believe you've kept it quiet all this time! At least I know who I can trust with my secrets," Matt joked. "It's always the quiet ones!" he said. They all laughed and Neil and Saoirse glanced at each other.

"Right, be good!" he said. They nodded at him. "I was gonna say 'Don't do anything I wouldn't do' but you're a madman Neil so SAOIRSE don't take any shit from him." Matt pointed to Neil. Saoirse laughed. Neil scoffed. "I mean it, pal. No funny business or there'll be a disciplinary waiting for you in my office!" Matt said, sternly.

Neil balked, shrugging in protest. "This is outside of work, doesn't count boss!" Neil joked.

"Uh huh, just take care of each other. I've enough to do without there being relationship drama!" Matt warned, in a light-hearted tone. "Right, enjoy your weekend folks." he said, waving before ending the call.

Saoirse and Neil looked at each other without speaking for what felt like an eternity. "Do you wish you'd had more time to think about it before telling him?" Saoirse asked softly, breaking the silence. She stood in front of him as he sat on the arm of the sofa.

Neil said nothing for a moment and then shrugged. "Ah, probably but that's the way it happened." he laughed, embarrassed. "No going back now." he said.

"Are you nervous?" Saoirse asked. "Not that Matt's gonna tell anyone, just cos people will start to know now." she added.

Neil shrugged. She could see his mind whirring. "Hmmm, maybe. I dunno." he said. .

"Are you worried that this means it's official so if it goes wrong there's more at risk?" she asked, looking at him.

He sighed, laughing and hooked his fingers in hers as he looked at their hands. "Nah." he shrugged. "Everyone's idea of things is different." he said, shifting nervously. They said nothing for a moment. "You?" he asked.

"I dunno, people are fond of jokingly warning us off...so...ehhh... I'm nervous that random women at work will 'come out of the woodwork'..." she said nervously, looking at him cautiously.

"What?" he laughed, looking at her.

"I mean... even before we were together when people saw us standing chatting at work, they said 'Oh, watch him!' or 'Careful, he's got form'. I've overheard conversations between the guys on my floor about you being...keen. And you did tell me about that woman on your floor who accused you of having an affair with her colleague..." she said, wishing she wasn't saying it as the words kept tumbling out of her mouth.

Neil stood up and shook his head. "No...no...no." he said slowly, laughing dismissively as he walked away from her into the kitchen and lifted the plate of food. He passed her quickly walking out onto the balcony.

Saoirse followed him. "Neil, I'm just saying..." she started, watching him put the food on the barbecue.

"What?" he said sharply, not looking at her. "Saying you think I've banged half of the workforce!" he laughed, arranging the food with the tongs. "And?"

"Right I'm gonna lay my cards on the table." she said sternly. "I've never dated anyone from work because I've seen so many horrible situations in our place where women fall for these philandering men who everyone knows are philandering but each woman thinks she's the one who will tame him." she started.

"Philandering?!" he said, looking at her, puzzled. "What the fuck, Saoirse?" he asked, throwing his arms out.

She continued. "Meanwhile everyone else is thinking 'What a stupid bitch!". I've said it myself about people and I've lost respect for colleagues and seen them lose their work friendships because they've become so-and-so's latest arm candy. It's not against YOU, it's my...paranoia or whatever, I'm worried that I'm blind to it because of how I feel about you," she said, not looking up at him. "and because it's been a 'secret', I'm maybe building it up too much in my head..." she said, shrugging.

"We both have reasons for keeping it a 'secret', Saoirse." he teased. "Bring the plates." he said. She looked up at him. "Bring the plates out here." he said, pointing to the barbecue.

"Oh, right, yeah." she said, going back into the kitchen and returning with the plates and cutlery.

"I just feel a bit insecure that people at work who I don't know might approach me and tell me something that I don't know about... you... that might make me feel..." she sighed and looked up to see him staring at her.

"Are you feeling alright?!" he said, perplexed. "Just let it all go!"

She hesitated. "This all sounds really selfish and bratty, doesn't it..." she said, embarrassed.

"People commenting on us just standing talking have nothing better to do!" he said exasperated. "You don't usually worry what people think. Don't even give it a second thought!" Neil bounced restlessly on his feet avoiding eye contact with her. "Look Saoirse, I've been on dates with a couple of women from work and yeah, I slept with one but that was it." he said, awkwardly. "None of it ever went anywhere, it wasn't like this." he said, putting his palm out towards her. "You could probably guess who they are since you know everyone anyway!" he laughed nervously. "Those guys on your floor are dicks, I'd kick their asses in the gym, and the reason I didn't deny it when that woman accused me of having an affair with that other one is cos people will talk anyway!" he said embarrassed, his face flushing. "I didn't engage with her, I just walked away."

"Oh, ok. I see...sorry." Saoirse said softly, looking at him.

"No, don't..." he waved his hand indicating she didn't need to apologise. "Even if we didn't work in the same place, I still wouldn't be shouting about it. I'm not hiding anything, I like keeping my private life private. Let people think what they want - they're not in this." he said, smiling at her. "And sure that woman from my floor is batshit crazy, she's got a pram for her dogs!" he exclaimed. Saoirse grimaced. "I know!" he laughed.

"Alright, gorgeous - grub's up!" he said, lifting the food onto the plates and setting them down at the table on the balcony.

They ate in silence for a moment while the awkward atmosphere dissipated and then they slowly started talking about their week apart before sharing the washing up and topping up their drinks. Saoirse changed into her swimsuit and went out to join Neil in the hot tub to watch the sunset. She saw he had lit candles and placed them round the balcony and opened a bottle of sparkling wine, with two glasses waiting for them on the side. "Aw now I don't think you need to worry about that, Saoirse!" he teased.

"Don't you like it?" she asked, giggling and posing in her swimsuit against the balcony railing.

Neil laughed. "It's lovely but there's no one else about so you can take it off and climb on in here!" he said, nodding to his shorts discarded on the decking. She peeled off her swimsuit and he held out his hand, helping her into the hot tub. "That's better!" he said, handing her a glass as she settled beside him. They toasted and kissed playfully as the water bubbled, soaking the ends of her hair and making their cheeks rosy from the warmth. They sat in silence, listening to the waves and watching the sunset. Neil pointed out birds on the shore to Saoirse and took some photos on his phone.

They stayed out until it got dark and their skin was wrinkled from the water. Then they dried off, got dressed and settled together on the cuddle chair in the living room. "I never noticed before that your hair is curly when it gets wet." Neil said in his soothing, low tone as he put his arm round Saoirse and wound strands of her hair round his fingers.

"Yeah, it's a bit half-assed though which is why I straighten it. It's not cute curly like yours." she said, ruffling his hair with her hand. Neil batted his eyelashes and she laughed. "You're so cute, shy and quiet Neil." Saoirse said, looking up at him. Neil looked offended. "What?! Not manly enough?! Reserved and prudent then, is that better?" she asked. He thought about it and shrugged nodding. "There's nothing wrong with that." she said. He frowned at her. "No? Stop talking, Saoirse?" she said.

Neil sniggered. "I know there's nothing wrong with that! You like me, is that what you're saying?" he asked playfully in his soothing voice.

"Well, you already know I like you!" she said coyly. "The way you live in your head is a bit hard to work out, but only cos I'm used to wearing my heart on my sleeve, I s'pose." she said softly. "Essentially, I trust you with my life." she smiled and nodded once.

"Ooh that's dangerous." he hummed thoughtfully. "Good job I know CPR." he teased, smiling at her. "A kind, open and honest heart you have on your sleeve there. Maybe a bit too much for your own good." he laughed, kissing her head. "But you're very caring and affectionate, even if I'm awkward about it at times!" he said, bashfully. She leaned up and kissed him. "Bed?" he asked. Saoirse agreed.

Upstairs they cleaned their teeth standing side by side in the bathroom.

"I'll run you a bath in the morning," Neil said, rinsing his mouth. She nodded at him, toothpaste dribbling down her chin, and stroked his back. He fished through his bag and handed her a bottle of her much coveted, favourite fragrance Molton Brown bath gel. Her eyes widened and she looked at him. She clasped her hand to her chest and smiled at him, quickly rinsing her mouth and hugging him. He kissed her and hugged her tightly. "You're so cute." he said. She opened the bottle, inhaled the fragrance and held it to his nose. He nodded. "You can watch the sunrise from the bath if you keep the door open." he said, stepping into the bedroom, pulling off his boxer shorts and flipping back the duvet. He threw his naked body into bed with a massive sigh. "Ahhh! Fresh sheets, there's nothing better!" he smiled.

He lay in bed scrolling through his phone as Saoirse washed her face, shook out her hair and unpacked her bag.

"I don't think I'll be awake for a bath at that hour!" Saoirse said. "Unless you wake me up so we can share a bath!" she teased.

"Every morning we're together, you wake up, turn over to me and ask for a cuddle then fall back to sleep." he said, looking at her.

"What?! How are you awake and I don't realise I do this?" she asked. Then she thought about it. "I know I do it but I didn't think it was every morning and I thought you were only awake about 10% of the time!" she said, turning off the bathroom light and undressing before climbing in to the bed and lying beside him.

Neil put his arm round her. "At the start I woke up cos I was shocked that someone else was in my bed with me!" he joked.

Saoirse giggled. "For the whole night you mean?" She stuck her tongue out at him, playfully.

He looked at her with his mouth open in a shocked expression. "Listen to Judgey McJudger!" he squeezed her, chuckling. "NO!...then I'd open my eyes, realise it was you and you'd ask for a cuddle. So I'd be awake, it was sunrise and you'd be sleeping on me...all sleepy and gorgeous." he said, stroking her hair.

Saoirse leaned up on her elbows and kissed him in a long, slow kiss.

"Now I don't know if either of us really wake up anymore and it just happens automatically." he said softly, looking at her as he stroked from her thighs, over her ass and up her back to her neck. She shuddered under his touch and he smiled at her with pursed lips.

Neil kissed her softly in slow, tender kisses. She melted against him, allowing him to roll her onto her back. They kissed in long, slow kisses as they caressed each other's bodies, Neil's hands stroking up her thighs and over her torso, across her breasts and up into her hair. Saoirse's hands stroking through his hair, across his shoulders and down his back to squeeze his ass. They both took their time, covering every inch of skin, breathing, moaning and sighing deeply in sync with each other as they continued kissing.

Neil kissed down her neck and Saoirse gasped and moaned. He stopped and looked her in the eyes, smiling lustfully at her before kissing her neck again. Saoirse giggled, grasped his neck and stroked her hand up into his hair. Neil kissed down her body, inhaling the scent of her skin. He lay between her legs as he kissed her inner thighs then gently teased her pussy with his tongue and his hands caressed her thighs and torso. Saoirse exhaled in a long, low moan and reached her hand down to stroke Neil's hair. "Mmmm yeah." she murmured. She panted and moaned as Neil continued licking her, settling into a steady rhythm until she started gently bucking her hips against his mouth. "Ooooh Neil...oooh that's so good." she cooed. He felt her getting wetter and looked up to grasp her hand, she squeezed his hand and panted faster, groaning his name as her back arched off the bed and she came. She lay back on the bed, trying to steady her breath as her body trembled, grasping at his arms to pull him up on top of her. "I love when you do that to me." she murmured, smiling at him. They kissed in short, sloppy kisses and he lay on his side behind her, propping her bent leg up on his hip. He looked her in the eyes, she nodded and he kissed her before he slowly slid his cock into her dripping wet pussy from behind.

She groaned and he exhaled loudly. He held her leg against him and she turned her head to kiss him as he slowly thrust in to her. The angle was frustrating her and she sighed, looking him in the eyes and shaking her head. He stopped and she moved, pulling his cock out and lying him on his back. She kissed down his body and lifted his cock, pushing back his foreskin and lapping her tongue around the tip, tasting her juice on him. "Ooooh." Neil exhaled. She cupped his balls in her other hand and rolled them gently between her fingers as she sucked and stroked his cock. Neil groaned and gasped, looking down and brushing her hair out of her face. "Mmmm yeah." Neil groaned. She sucked him harder, looking up to watch the reaction on his face. His face contorted as he looked down at her and grasped her hair, watching her suck his cock. He signalled her to move up and kiss him.

Saoirse climbed on top and he grabbed her ass, pulling her down on top of him and kissing her furiously. He held her ass cheeks spread as she sat up and firmly guided his cock into her pussy. A long breathy moan escaped from her mouth as she slowly slid down on top of him. "Does that feel good for you?" she asked as she began moving her hips.

"Mmmm yeah." Neil groaned, looking her in the eyes and grasping her hips as she slowly rode him. She braced herself against his chest with one hand and held his face with her other hand, stroking his beard and neck, nodding at him and gasping as she increased the pace. "Oooh fuck, Saoirse!" Neil groaned and stroked his hands up her torso to squeeze her breasts as they swayed and then he caressed down her back and grabbed her ass, guiding her rhythm. Saoirse began panting and riding him faster and closed her eyes. "You're getting wetter. Are you close?" Neil asked.

Saoirse nodded, her face creased with pleasure. "Mmm yeah." she groaned. "Ohh I'm nearly there!" she hissed in frustration. Neil placed his fist between them so his knuckles rubbed against her clit and she adjusted it to hit the right spot. "Yeah oh fuck yeah!" she moaned urgently as it pushed her over the edge. She came in a blur of thrusts against him, grasping his shoulder as she moaned loudly, her body shuddering and spasming. Her torso collapsed forwards as she gasped for breath and her hair tickled his chest and face. Neil stroked her hair and kissed her forehead as she recovered. She opened her eyes to see him gazing lovingly at her. She smiled and licked her lips. "Oh my god! I can't move!" she giggled, kissing him in quick kisses on the lips.

He smirked back at her. "Relax yourself, you're so tight!" he said. She took a deep breath and stretched. "I can hardly breath!" he teased in a high-pitched voice. She giggled and leaned up, pulling his cock out of her. She lay back on the bed with her arms up by her head, breathing heavily and watched him sit up on his knees, hooking her ankles around his legs and over his ankles.

Saoirse bit her lip as she looked at his body kneeling up between her legs, stroking her hand through his chest hair, over his abs and down to his hip creases. "Mmmm," she sighed. "Neil, you're gorgeous." she smiled, gazing into his eyes. He laughed quietly, shrugged with one shoulder and leaned down to kiss her. "So handsome." she said, watching his face flush. She raised her eyebrows at him and he rubbed his beard, smiling coyly. He flexed his arm muscles at her and mocked a smouldering look and they both giggled.

Neil lifted her hips up onto his lap while he kneeled between her legs and slid his cock inside her. They both groaned and Saoirse grasped his thighs as he thrust steadily into her. He panted and groaned, holding her hips as he fucked her. "Aw you're so wet!" he growled as the sloppy sound of them fucking filled the room. He leaned down, holding the back of her head in his hand and kissed her passionately. Saoirse moaned his name. He sat up, his pace increased and he groaned and gasped loudly. She watched his face contort, his eyes squeeze shut and his mouth drop open. "Ooh fuck!" he groaned. "Mmm Saoirse." He thrust hard, grunting loudly as he unloaded inside her. He panted heavily, beads of sweat ran down his forehead and he groaned quietly as he finished, opening his eyes. Saoirse pulled him down on top of her, she kissed his lips and all over his face in soft little kisses and stroked his beard. He looked in her eyes and she smiled lovingly at him, he nodded at her, smiled and kissed her then he pulled out and collapsed on his back beside her on the bed. "Come here." he breathed, looking across at her and pulling her into a hug.

They lay in silence, the only sound was their breathing as it slowed and steadied. She pushed herself up to lie her head on his shoulder and they kissed softly. Neil held her in his arms. "I missed you." he whispered, kissing her head.

"I missed you too." she replied. They lay kissing and gazing at each other for a while longer. "Tired?" Saoirse asked as Neil yawned. He nodded. Then she sighed and tutted. "I forgot to turn the lights off!" she whined, moving to get up.

"Stay where you are," Neil said softly, holding her. "Alexa, turn off the lights." he said. They looked at each other, waiting for Alexa to say OK and then the lights went out. They giggled. They got comfy and both fell asleep quickly.

Saoirse woke suddenly in the middle of the night and couldn't get back to sleep. Neil lay fast asleep beside her. She picked up her phone and scrolled through Instagram, stopping when she saw Neil's latest update. He had posted a photo of the sunset from the hot tub. It was a beautiful photo but what made her smile was that in the foreground, watching the view, was her head and shoulders. It was officially out there for the world to see. She turned over and kissed his shoulder and chest and stroked his neck and he stirred. "Neil," she whispered "can I have a cuddle?". He wrapped his arm around her and she relaxed down onto his chest and fell into a restful sleep with him.