"I'm so damn tired of dreaming about rainbows and roses when all you offer me are thunderstorms and thorns." ~Victor
★

Detective Archer Finn knew the exact moment when his career had plummeted to the bottom. It had all began when he had zoned out in the middle of a crucial investigation. He had then pulled out his knife and that had marked the end of his career. He had been questioned meticulously at the Boston Police Headquarters by his own partner and his boss–former boss. His colleagues weren't saying anything but they didn't need to. He could read their faces like an open book during a test. He knew that they thought he was guilty.

Archer didn't know what was worse. That he was now considered a "person of interest." in a case  where he was formerly the primary investigator or the fact that Emilia had seen everything go down in real time. He couldn't even tell anyone the truth because then he would be catapulted from "person of interest" to "the FBI's most wanted."

Now, he sat on the front deck of his house surrounded by chirping crickets and irritating mosquitoes clutching a bottle of sweet smelling vodka in his hands. The sun had long rested and the moon was now working overtime battling stubborn clouds that threatened to pour gallons of rainfall. The cloying smell of the vodka made his mouth water. His twenty two year long sobriety was now in his hands. He wanted to forget. He needed to forget. He needed to erase the memories that were seared into his brain. Most of all he needed to forget the pain.

"Can I have a sip?" Emilia asked. She was holding a small white box in her hands. She had showered after the accident. Now she wore a yellow romper. Strands of bouncy white hair fell over her face and down her back. She wasn't wearing makeup but she looked stunning. God save him.

Emilia sat on the deck, took the bottle from him, sipped it and gagged afterwards. "How do you guys stomach this stuff? Why can't you go for something like hot chocolate or soda?"

"What's in the box?" Archer asked. The box had peaked his curiosity.

"That's a surprise for a bit later in the night. Let's go inside before we become mosquito food." Night? She was staying the night? No, he had to stop this. He wasn't doing this again. He was not going to hope for roses and rainbows when the world only offered him thorns and thunderstorms.

"Emilia. I am not–" Archer tried

"Shhhh. Did anyone ever tell you that you think too much?" Emilia said. She took him by the hand and led him into his own house.

The first thing Emilia did was pour the vodka down the sink. The smell hit him in full force and not for the first time Archer wondered whether vodka would give him the same effect if he just sniffed it. That way he wouldn't be considered an alcoholic, right?

"What do you eat in here?" Emilia asked after riffling through his kitchen drawers and fridge. She stood with arms akimbo looking at him and he merely shrugged.

"Found something." Emilia announced victoriously as she held a sachet of what appeared to be chocolate powder. She squinted her crystalline blue eyes at the sachet and a smile stretched her lips, "It's not even expired." Archer couldn't help himself. He laughed; a deep booming laughter that sent the "good" shivers down Emilia's spine.

Archer's deluded mind wandered ahead of him. It conjured up images of Sunday dinners with friends and family. Well not family just friends. It conjured up images of fun moments spent cooking. Well that would mostly be Archer pouring things while Emilia scowled at him over the stovetop. Archer needed to stop this now.

"What do you want?" Archer walked towards her and held her hands which were working the kettle. The soft hum of the kettle trapped them in their own vortex. The intense stares became awkward a few moments later and Emilia broke away.

"I want some hot chocolate." Emilia answered. The kettle whistled and Emilia poured the water into two cups. The sachet was emptied into the two cups, sugar added and the cups distributed but Archer wasn't fooled. Emilia could do that in her own house.

"What do you want, Emilia?" Archer asked again. His voice was slightly pleading but he didn't care.

Emilia checked her gold watch and then sighed, "Open the box."

Archer opened it and froze. Tears stung his eyes and he shut them. He couldn't look at the chocolate cake with it's beautiful white swirls made of cream that read "HAPPY BIRTHDAY ARCHER" It was an average sized cake and some of the brown cream was smeared on the box where the cake had come into contact with the box.

"What do you want, Emilia? If I am not wrong the last time we talked you said that we were too imperfect to be perfect for each other and you were right. Look at me. I am an alcoholic who could be arrested for a crime I definitely did not commit. You shouldn't be here." Archer said. His heart was hammering in his chest, his ears were ringing and his eyes were suspiciously wet. Damn it.

"I was wrong okay? Over the past two years, I have learnt that perfection is a lie. It doesn't exist. What I am basically saying is that I want you" Emilia finished.

Archer closed the distance between them and kissed her slowly and passionately. He broke away a little too soon leaving Emilia bereft of the warm feel of his soft lips. He said breathlessly, "Thank you for the cake. I appreciate it more than you know."

Archer swiped the cake with his index finger and licked it. He was smiling and Emilia felt a queasy warmth spread down her belly. She looked up and saw that Archer's normally brown eyes had turned dark with lust. It was unmistakable on his face.

Archer took a step closer and Emilia's heart raced. The scent of strawberries from his cologne filled her nose and she began to pant. Emilia had asked for this when she came here. She knew this was what she was looking for when she had donned that yellow romper and dashed to the nearest bakery. Emilia still felt the need to confess.

"Archer, you need to know that I am frigid. I have tried but–" Archer devoured her mouth and the queasy warmth returned with a ferocity that made her knees buckle. The warm chocolate taste of his mouth intoxicated her. Emilia was addicted and there was no way she was going to leave Archer now. She was ready to fight the entire world for this man if it came to that.

Archer broke the kiss and muttered, "Did anyone ever tell you that you think too much?"

Emilia chuckled at his use of her words against her. She soon found herself backed up against the wall and she wound her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck reflexively. Emilia arched and Archer's expert mouth sucked, flicked and nibbled at her now exposed throat sending shivers down her spine. The warmth of his breath whispered against her collar bone and she couldn't stifle the whimper that rose to her throat.

They were moving now but Archer's warm tongue still travelled her body. Emilia arched her back again and Archer seized the opportunity to devour her breasts. The romper did not allow him to taste her skin and Archer nearly growled in frustration.

They were in his bedroom now and he gently set her on his bed. Clothes were hastily discarded on the floor and they remained in their underwear. Emilia's mouth watered at the sight of Archer's chiseled torso. The flowing tattoo that was etched onto  his stomach was more beautiful than she'd remembered. A smattering of jet black hair ran from his chest and narrowed down to the waistband of his black boxers.

Archer expertly unhooked Emilia's bra and quickly relinquished the opportunity he had missed to devour her bare breasts. Emilia's hips inched upwards of their own volition and a devilish smile split Archer's face. He continued to place open mouthed kisses on her stomach and Emilia held on to the white bedsheets for dear life. Emilia nearly screamed when Archer licked and nipped at her belly button. She grabbed a handful of his hair and pulled him in for a hot greedy kiss that left them panting for breath.

Emilia flipped Archer over and began to torture him with hot greedy kisses on his neck, his chest and on his stomach. She kissed each of his cigarette burns which made him flinch. Emilia sensed the tension rippling through his body and paused.

"I remember someone telling me two years ago that scars don't repel people. They show how strong you are. To me, they show that you are a winner." Emilia said and kissed each one of them again.

Archer's heart did summersaults in his chest. He flipped her over and pinned her arms over her head. He efficiently ripped off their underwear. He dug into his night stand drawer fishing out a round silver packet which he ripped open with his teeth. He slipped the condom on and entered her in a flourish that left Emilia breathless. Emilia took him in and surprised him by grinding against him. Archer took that as his queue to proceed and he thrust into her at a punishingly slow pace.

"Don't treat me like spun-glass. I'm not as fragile as you think." Emilia growled. She took hold of his ass and thrust him in deeper. Archer was a fast learner. He ground himself into her at a marathon pace and the pressure in her belly began to build. Emilia buried her face in the crook of Archer's sweaty neck and with a muffled cry, she came. Archer soon joined her as his orgasm left him shuddering. Archer kissed her forehead and her eyes that were now tearing up.

"You weren't so frigid after all." Archer said and Emilia let out a startled laugh.

Archer and Emilia lay exhausted on their backs surrounded by the soft hum of rain pelting the roof and windows. They couldn't be happier. Emilia lay her cheek on Archer's chest and enjoyed the sound of his hammering heart against her ear.

"Tell me." Emilia said and Archer didn't pretend to misunderstand. He told her everything.

"I love you Detective Archilles Finn." Emilia said and he let out the breath he didn't know he had been holding.

"I love you too, Emilia."  Emilia smiled against his chest and drifted off to sleep a moment later leaving Archer alone with his thoughts.

Maybe the world did offer rainbows and roses. Archer thought as he too slept.

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At eight in the morning, rays of sunlight sneaked their way through the silk curtains in Archer's bedroom.

Archer was the first to wake up to the sound of his ringing phone. He eased Emilia off of his chest and went in search of his phone. He found it in the pocket of his discarded jeans and picked up.

"Come outside or I am coming in." A female voice began and hung up immediately. Archer pulled on his pants and threw on a shirt. He opened the door and the warm barrel of a shotgun connected with his face like a lover's kiss.

★

So, this is one of my longest chapters ever written. I had a lot of trouble with this chapter because it had a sex scene which is fairly new to me.

Umm one of the topics here hits so close to home for me. Alcohol addiction. Not that I was addicted to alcohol or anything like that. You should not be a slave to anything be it alcohol, drugs or pornography.

Some say alcohol helps you forget
But alcohol can never help you forget alcohol.

Feel free to vote and give me your comments. I like to interact with my readers and hear your thoughts. Next chapter is already out >>>