Once the Clouds Have Gone

by KE Payne

  “You and Blair are the ones that got people to sign up.”

  “You’re the one who came up with the idea in the first place.”

  “So we’re both as clever as one another.” Tag drew her finger lightly over Freddie’s cheek. “I’ll settle for that.”

  “I love you, Tag.” Freddie gazed into her eyes. “So much.”

  “I love you too.” Tag grazed her lips gently across Freddie’s.

  Freddie wriggled herself free from Tag’s arms as her phone buzzed in her jeans pocket.

  “I have someone here who wants to talk to you.” Pete’s voice sounded before Freddie could speak. She switched the phone to her other ear and propped herself up on one elbow.

  “Freddie?” Skye’s voiced echoed down the phone. “Are you in England?” To Skye, it could have been the other side of the world.

  “I am.” Freddie caught Tag’s eye and smiled.

  “Pete did me pasta for tea. Is Tag there?”

  “She’s here somewhere.” Freddie writhed as Tag dug her fingers into her ribs. “Wait.” She handed the phone to Tag.

  “Hi, sweetheart.”

  “Hi, Tag.” Skye’s voice was breathy. “I had pasta for tea. What did you have?”

  “Oh, nothing as exciting as pasta.” Tag laughed. Beer, mostly.

  “When are you coming home?” Skye asked.

  “Soon.” Tag’s eyes searched Freddie’s. “I promise you.” She held the phone away as the squeals rang out.

  Freddie took the phone from Tag. “We’ll be back soon, okay?” Freddie smiled as she heard Skye’s reply. “Yes, she’ll be with me. I promise.” She met Tag’s smiling eyes. “Yes, cross my heart.”

  After a few prolonged goodnights, Freddie finished the call. She figured she’d let Skye tell Pete in her own inimitable fashion.

  Freddie nestled back into the crook of Tag’s arm.

  “She’s happy, huh?” Tag said. She smiled as she felt Freddie nod against her. “Freddie?”

  “Yuh-huh?”

  “What time did you say there was a train back to Scotland tomorrow?”

  “There’s a direct one at ten forty a.m. from Lime Street.” Freddie’s voice was muffled. “Why?”

  “Perfect.” Tag untangled herself from Freddie, ignoring her protests as she stood. She held out a hand to her and hauled her to her feet. Freddie understood the look in Tag’s eyes as she pulled her to her.

  They hastened to Tag’s bedroom, Freddie kicking the door shut behind them. Tag barely had time to turn around before Freddie had bunched her hands into her hoodie and dragged her to her with such ferocity, Tag nearly stumbled. Their kiss, unlike the delicate, soft kiss they’d just been sharing on the sofa, was fierce. Tag twisted her hands into Freddie’s hair as she captured her mouth, releasing a muffled groan.

  They parted, both breathing hard, Tag aroused by the dark passion in Freddie’s eyes. Inch by inch, she unzipped Freddie’s top, kissing each new bit of skin that was exposed. Tag moved her hands under the fabric and pushed it from Freddie’s shoulders. Freddie’s top crumpled to the floor behind her. She tipped her head back, offering Tag her neck, her breath checking a little when Tag drew her lips, then her tongue, gently across her skin.

  Tag pushed Freddie gently down onto the bed. She stood, losing her own top in one swift pull over her head, then returned to Freddie. She straddled Freddie’s hips, leaning over her so her hands were planted either side of her head, and traced her lips across her skin, trailing a line of kisses down her body. Her control was impeccable, concentrating on every inch of Freddie’s skin, wanting to take her time over each little part of her body.

  The lightest of touches from Tag’s tongue just below Freddie’s ribs made her jerk a little, eliciting grins from them both. Tag concentrated even harder on that area, loving how it made Freddie squirm beneath her.

  “Too much?” Tag raised her head, a playful smile on her lips. “Want me to stop?”

  “Stop now and you die.” Freddie’s head fell back against her pillow. “If I don’t first.”

  “What time did you say there was a train out of here in the morning?” Tag whispered, still kissing across her skin.

  “I told you,” Freddie gasped. “Ten forty a.m.”

  “Then I’d better not waste a second,” Tag said, “had I?”

  Epilogue

  Tag Grainger lightly ran her fingers over the bobbled wood of the door frame and nodded wistfully. Olive green. Perfect. Her eye fell to the small crack in the bottom corner of one of the door’s windows. Still there. Still a reminder. Should she replace the pane? Tag smiled. Maybe. Maybe not.

  She stepped aside to allow a small group of middle-aged women to pass her, thoughts of cracked panes leaving her head as quickly as they’d entered.

  “Are you coming in?” One of the women held the door open. “Or were you just leaving?”

  “Coming in.” Tag put her hand on the door. “I’m not leaving.” Never leaving. She followed them into the cafe, the unmistakable odour of fresh coffee and baking enveloping her, comforting her.

  Her eyes immediately sought out the counter at the far end of the cafe, lighting up when she saw Freddie. Tag hastened to her.

  “Hey.”

  “Hey.”

  They gazed at one another.

  “You left without saying goodbye this morning.” Tag leaned on the counter and threaded her fingers in Freddie’s.

  “You were sleeping.” Freddie squeezed her fingers, making Tag grin. “I didn’t want to wake you.”

  “Tonight’s dinner is prepared,” Tag said. “Skye’s bike is mended, and the guinea pig is lying on a fresh bed of hay.”

  “You’ve been busy.”

  “And she’ll be even busier this afternoon.” Blair sidled up to Tag at the counter and circled his arm around her shoulders. “Another holiday company wants to come and talk to us about doing some more guided tours.”

  “I’m on it.”

  “And Magnus said would you like to hang out for a while at ours later tonight?” Blair laughed. “Something about an assassin he’s trying to outwit.” He looked at Freddie. “If you can spare her for a few hours?”

  “I think so.” Freddie leaned her head to one side and looked at Tag, a grin spreading across her face. “After all, we have forever together now, don’t we?”

  Tag smiled. “Forever,” she agreed.

  About the Author

  KE Payne was born in Bath, the English city, not the tub, and after leaving school, she worked for the British government for fifteen years, which probably sounds a lot more exciting than it really was.

  Fed up with spending her days moving paperwork around her desk and making models of the Taj Mahal out of paperclips, she packed it all in to go to university in Bristol and graduated as a mature student in 2006 with a degree in linguistics and history.

  After graduating, she worked at a university in the Midlands for a while, again moving all that paperwork around, before finally leaving to embark on her dream career as a writer.

  She moved to the idyllic English countryside in 2007 where she now lives and works happily surrounded by dogs and guinea pigs.

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