No Place Like Home: The Coming Home Series, Book 1 (9 page)

Smelling her hair, he sighed into it and held her close with her back to his chest.

Knowing it was their last night together, for who knew how long, Charlie didn’t want to waste a moment of it, so she turned in the circle of his arms and snuggled up to him face to face…err…face to chest. “Your daughter is amazing, and so are you.” She looked up at him. “Would you tell me what happened? How you came to adopt her?”

It didn’t take him long to start, as if he’d already been thinking about what he wanted to say. “I worked a huge trafficking case three years ago. Massive sting operation. Took months to put together. Most of it’s still classified because several people are still awaiting trial, but long story short, things went bad at the end. Several people died, including Addyson’s mother.”

Wrapping her arms tighter around him, she offered what support she could for what had to be a horrible ordeal. “Her father?”

“No known information. Not listed on her birth certificate. And it could have been anyone. The women we were trying to save were being used to breed kids. For sale.”

Charlie sucked in a breath and swallowed bile. “That’s…”

“Yeah. I’ll spare you the details.” He was quiet for a few minutes, lost somewhere in the past.

“And Addyson?”

“Her mother hid her in a closet when the assholes came through wiping people out. They got wind of the sting and started trying to eliminate evidence. We found Addyson in the closet once we’d taken down the shitheads that killed her mother.”

“Was she okay?”

He nodded against the top of her head. “Mostly. Cold. Hungry. Dirty. Lethargic. But otherwise unharmed.” His fingers rubbed up and down her spine as he continued. “I’m the one that found her. I opened the closet door and there she was, staring at me. This little one-year-old who’d obviously been crying. And those eyes.” He shook his head. “She was already mine from that moment on. The rest was just paperwork.”

“Is that typical? An agent adopting a child they found during a case?”

“Oh Lordy, no. When I told my boss I wanted to adopt her, you’d have thought I’d told him I wanted to learn how to walk on water. But her going into the system since she was legally born in the U.S. with no known relatives to take her, that wasn’t going to happen. I had a few friends pull some strings to keep her out of the system until I could figure out what the hell I needed to do.” He shrugged and Charlie rubbed her cheek on his chest. “So I took an Internet crash course on adoption and was approved to be a foster parent within a week.

“They granted custodial guardianship a day later. My mom being retired three streets over and able to watch her for me whenever I needed her to was amazing and definitely worked in my favor.”

“You being generally wonderful and a more than upstanding citizen probably didn’t hurt either.”

His grin tugged at her heartstrings and he continued to touch her face and caress her. “That probably didn’t hurt my chances.”

“I know enough about the adoption process to know that it can be costly and time consuming. Is the adoption official already?”

“A year ago last March. It took longer than a normal adoption but mostly because of the case and legalities of how she came to be. I don’t think I really took a full deep breath until the judge told me she was really mine. Free and clear. No one can ever take her from me now. Epic.”

Charlie moved up a tiny bit to kiss his lush mouth. “I know we really just met and all that, but I’m so very proud of you. I hope that doesn’t come across sounding trite. It’s the best I’ve got for telling you how floored I am by who you are.”

“And I’m hot,” he added with a cocky grin and lift of his eyebrows. Somehow he couldn’t take a compliment any easier than she could.

Charlie laid her head back down on his arm and laughed. “Humble too.”

“Meh. Two outta three’s not bad.”

“So…” She trailed off, not exactly knowing where to go next.

“So… You can’t stop there. There’s a rule somewhere that states you have to finish that thought.”

“What now? What else are you looking for?”

“I want it all, just like everybody else, I guess. Wife, dog, more kids. Two or three, not that two point five stuff though. That half a kid gives me the creeps.”

“Naturally.”

“But I can’t leave. Can’t move, I mean. It would be a logistical nightmare because of Addyson, and my mom, not to mention the bureau. But this is also home.” He shrugged, not having anything else to add she didn’t think.

“Well.” She sighed dramatically. “We aren’t meant to be then.”

He stiffened and got up on his bottom elbow to stare down at her. She grinned, unable to keep a straight face.

“And why is this, oh keeper of all things Oz-like?”

“The dog. I’m allergic to dogs.”

“Ahh.” He rolled her over onto her back and knelt between her legs. He pulled her shorts and panties down her legs and tossed them next to the couch. Moving her legs wide, he settled with his head between her legs and nibbled at her thighs. “Then you’re in luck.”

“Why is this?” She sucked in a breath as he circled her clit with his tongue.

“That’s the only point that’s negotiable. I’m actually a cat person myself, with a penchant for Harry Potter. Oh, you might want to grab that throw pillow behind you.”

“Wh-h-why?” stuttered out of her as he filled her with one finger and then two.

“Because I’m going to make you come and if I remember correctly, you can get kind of loud.”

“For you.” She tugged the pillow free and set it on her forehead as she panted, already close to coming. “Only for you.”

“Best. Reason. Ever.”

He set to work at a pace she couldn’t fight, nor did she want to. Her legs shook and her heart beat against her breastbone. Her hips pulsed in time with every lick of his tongue along her clit.

“I fucking love the leg you have on my back. You pulling me closer to your pussy, the closer you get. So fucking hot.”

“I’m gonna come.”

“Yes. You. Are.” He punctuated each word with a lick and a swirl around her clit, and then he opened his eyes and pegged her with a gaze so full of lust and need she exploded.

The pillow absorbed most of the sound but not all of it.

Not all of it because Cole held her down. One hand wrapped around her and the second still inside her, with his mouth fastened onto her clit. He wouldn’t let up and Cole knew exactly what to do to keep her coming.

Several times she tried to scoot away but he wouldn’t let her.

He finally stopped when she was arched off the arm of the couch but he yanked her back down until she was flat on her back. “Need. You.”

Pulling a condom from beneath the waistband of his shorts, he was naked, sheathed and thrusting into her faster than she could remember her own name.

Face to face, heartbeat to heartbeat, sex to sex.

No words were needed.

“I’ve waited my whole life for you.”

Damn
.

Apparently a few words
were
needed and she just didn’t know until he spoke them.

He thrust inside her, moving harder and stronger on each push of his hips. His jaw tight, his shoulders tense and her lower legs wrapped over his thighs.

“Let me see your fingers on one hand.” She held it up and he licked her middle three fingers, then placed them between their bodies on her clit. “Play with that pretty clit for me. Make yourself come on my cock. I want to feel it before I come.”

Her fingers obeyed before he added the last sentence.

But what was strange was that she agreed. Completely. She had to come for him. The need overshadowed everything else. Every ounce of self-doubt and fear of the unknown just flew away.

Cole’s saliva on her clit ramped up her need so fast her pussy squeezed down once really hard, signaling her imminent release.

“That’s my girl. Give it to me. I’m going to come with you. Go faster. Make yourself come, Charlie. Come with me.”

The next hard thrust filled her past the point of comfort and the tiny bit of pain sent her over the edge. He grunted above her. His guttural response to taking her fired her blood as no other ever had.

She started to scream but he was there. His mouth came down on hers and he took her cry and swallowed it. Over and over again he moved inside her. Fucking her. Getting her off, making love to her.

Love…

So perfect.

It went on and on, sensation upon sensation running through her body as they came together.

“Perfect,” Cole echoed and she wondered if she’d said it out loud or if they were that well synced, as if they were two peas in the same pod. They may have dozed for just a few minutes, still intimately linked.

At one point Cole relaxed on top of her and she jolted awake with a smile on her lips. He pulled out of her and kissed her one more time.

Gathering their clothes, he handed them to her and then scooped her naked up off the couch.

He carried her upstairs as she clutched their clothes and lay against his chest. They got into bed after he dumped the condom and cleaned them both up. He pulled her close and she sighed in contentment. She had no intention of staying, even when Addyson suggested it earlier, but again, with them everything just felt right.

“Fuck.”

She’d almost been asleep and jerked awake. She hoped she fooled him, knowing fully well she didn’t at all. “What?”

“I asked you how many orgasms you wanted before I fucked you and then I forgot to get the answer. You distract me more than any creature alive. What was going to be your answer?”

“Two, which technically you did.”

“No I didn’t. You came on my cock the second time.”

“Mmm. Yes I did.”

“Technically I owe you one. Get comfy and get some sleep. Before we do pancakes tomorrow I’ll make you come one more time.”

Her giggle broke free even with her trying to squash it.

“Do you know how much I love it when you giggle after you come?”

“Heeeeheheheheheehhheeeee!” Broke free again and she rolled onto her stomach to laugh into a pillow.

“Fuck. Love.”

She giggled a few more seconds and then finally relaxed. Love. She liked that word from his lips but didn’t state anything about it. She wasn’t ready to own it yet so she kept it to herself.

“My alarm is set so we’ll get up in plenty of time to do breakfast.” He yawned and pulled her a tiny bit closer. “Then we can make sure and get you loaded up in time to make your one o’clock flight.”

Charlie paused, then got up on her elbows. “I didn’t tell you when my flight was.”

He opened an eye and then pulled her close again with a slight smile of mischief. “I might possibly be part of the FBI and I might possibly have found your flight info. I kind of wanted to take care of you and make sure I didn’t make you late for anything.”

She relaxed into him and sleep found her almost instantly.

“Night, love,” she was pretty sure he whispered to her at some point. But it could have been a dream.

* * * * *

She didn’t wake up until his alarm cut on. And they were almost physically stuck together. For someone that hadn’t really slept with a man all night, she was surprisingly okay with it. Slept like a baby.

They woke up and took a shower together.

Making love, in his arms, against the shower wall, blew her mind. She came with a soundless scream as he filled her again and again.

He’d remembered a condom before they got in the shower.

Thankfully. That’s what she’d meant to think.

Thankfully he remembered a condom.

But…she wanted to tell him to forget it. Needing to know what it felt like, to be bare with him, was a need so strong she almost threw being responsible out the window.

They had just enough time to lay in bed for a few minutes before Cole had to get Addyson up and dressed to go to pre-school. Their school year wasn’t up for another week and a half.

While he got Addyson ready, Charlie found everything she needed for a pancake breakfast. Plus she made some scrambled eggs and added the extra fruit from the night before.

Her feelings twinged each time she thought about pining for him in high school. He didn’t even remember her. But he knew the improved version of her and wanted her. Feelings of thankfulness bubbled inside her. They chatted about things and people she never thought she’d be a part of again. The conversation was easy and wonderful and they completely ignored the pink elephant in the room.

She was leaving.

And when they each pulled out of the driveway neither of them said good-bye. It was
see you soon
and
take care of yourself until next time.

It wasn’t final or sad. It wasn’t.

But loneliness settled inside her as she got on the highway leading to Kia’s. She needed to drop off the dishes she’d borrowed and pick up her suitcases. Head to the airport.

She’d probably never been so thankful for being ridiculously busy the last day of a trip. She hadn’t properly mentally prepared herself that she was going to have to leave him.

Less than two miles from Kia’s, she finally owned it.

She loved him.

And what good did that do her thirteen hundred and sixty-nine miles away? It’s not as if she could just up and move back to Buffalo with no job or place to live. Job openings were scarce and without having applied for positions back in the fall, the probability of her getting her foot in the door when most jobs had been filled months ago was slim to
not gonna happen
.

The plane rides back to Dallas would give her plenty of time to think about it. And too much time to miss Cole and his mini-Dorothy.

Chapter Seven

Six Weeks Later

“Yes, Kia. I love him, and his daughter if I’m being honest with myself. Which I’m totally not.” Charlie grabbed her mail out of the box and juggled the phone so she didn’t drop it. “Sheesh there’s a lot of mail for a Saturday. Don’t they ever take summer vacation?”

Her best friend didn’t take the hint she wanted to change subjects. “Have you told him?”

“What? About too much mail?” A grin lightened her mood as she took the elevator upstairs.

“Don’t try getting rid of me, missy. Have you told him?” Kia asked again.

“No. I haven’t.”

“You guys talk every day.”

Sometimes several times a day but I’m not owning that one either.

“Yes, we do. And Skype when we can, too. His voice is wonderful but face to face is better.”

“And you laugh with him.”

“All the time. His sense of humor is awesome.”

“And you cry with him?”

Opening the door to her apartment and juggling the mail were her excuses for not answering.

Apparently not answering was answer enough because Kia continued as if she’d admitted to it one hundred percent. “Then it will happen when it’s supposed to, honey. Things like this, when they’re meant to be, find a way of working out.”

Exasperation and aching need bubbled out. “But I don’t want to wait. I don’t want to be patient. I want the time for us to be together to be now.”

“It will work out.”

“How?” She stood just inside her apartment and tossed her keys on the table. “I have to give my final okay in less than two days to work another school year here. I love my kids, I do. But I don’t want to wait another year to be with Cole. And Addyson.”

“Then tell the school you can’t do it and make the move.”

“With no job? No safety net in place for hard times? That’s not smart.”

“Then stay another year.”

“You’re not helping.”

Kia laughed and sighed. “This is a hard decision, for all of you. But you already said Cole can’t move so you’re going to have to look at all of your options and figure it out.”

“That’s all I’ve been trying to figure out for the last month and a half. Pros and cons. Goods and bads.” She waved the mail around, her frustration getting the better of her. “It’s not like the answer’s going to fall in my lap.” She kicked the door closed and it knocked all the mail out of her hand. It scattered everywhere and she shook her head. “Great.”

Bending to pick everything back up, she noticed a large manila envelope lay upside-down. After flipping it over she sucked in a sharp breath.

“What? Are you okay?”

“Buffalo Academy of Arts.”

“What about it?”

“I have a thick envelope from their personnel department sitting in my hands.” Charlie sunk to her knees on top of some of the other mail.

“And have you opened said envelope?” There was something in Kia’s voice that sounded…hopeful?

“What did you do?”

“Uhh…” Her best friend and speechless never dated before.

“Kia, what did you do?”

“Open the envelope first.”

With shaky hands she closed her eyes and sent up a quick prayer. Tearing into the envelope, she skimmed the cover letter. “
Dear Ms. Charleston, Thank you for your application and video submission.
What the hell? What application and video?”

“Keep reading!” Kia yelled on the other end of the phone. “I can’t take any more suspense.”

“Okay, okay.
Lots of qualified applicants
, blah blah.
Only very few openings
, yadda yadda. Oh my gawd.”

“What? Tell me!”

“A position came open on their primary campus for a new art teacher in the fall and they picked me. But they must have the wrong person. I didn’t apply for anything. I didn’t have the right qualifications.”

“Wrong and wrong. You did apply and you are
more
than qualified to teach art to any student from primary through high school.”

“But I didn’t apply.”

“Would you believe me if I told you that a birdy sent in your application?”

“No.”

“Umm… A psychic who knew your info and understood how important it was you have the opportunity to make the move back to Buffalo if you so choose?”

“No.” Emotion clogged her throat but she forced out a breath as she picked up the rest of the contents of the envelope and plopped down in a chair at the kitchen table.

“How about a best friend and a boyfriend who thought you hung the moon and knew you’d be perfect to teach at that school and share your joy of learning and art with the kids lucky enough to be in your class.”

“I don’t know what to say.” She wiped tears away. “And what video are they talking about? Surely this can’t be right.”

“Call Cole. He’ll tell you the rest. Love you.”

“Love you, too, Kia. I can’t even tell you how much.

“You’ve helped me so much over the years. I relished the opportunity to pay you back even a tiny amount for all you’ve done for me. It’s what best friends do. Now call that man of yours. We’ve been going out of our minds waiting on the answer.”

“What do you mean? You didn’t know the answer already?”

“Call Cole. Love you!”

“Love you.” She hung up, placing her cell on top of the letter so she could stand up and pace.

Lord Voldemort hopped up on the table and sniffed the papers before lying on top of them. She scratched between his ears and listened to him purr. Then grabbed her phone and sent a text to Cole.

Pacing, it only took her two circuits until he texted back.

Sure. Finally got Addyson down for a nap. I’ll grab my laptop. Everything okay?

Maybe
was all she could muster. She opened her MacBook on the other end of the table and got it booted up to the Skype screen. Her phone pinged but Cole was already calling her as soon as she logged in.

When she pushed the accept button, Cole’s face filled the screen. He looked concerned and then smiled when he saw her face. “Hi, lover.”

“Hi.” Emotion welled inside her and threatened to bubble over.

“Hey, hey, hey. What’s wrong, baby? What happened?”

“You’re wonderful.”

He made a face. “And that made you cry?”

“Yes.”

“Sooooo… It’s a good kind of cry?”

“The best.”

He chuckled and leaned closer to the screen. “Yes, you are. What dreams are made of I do believe.”

“I have questions for you.”

“I’m ready. Hit me. But gently. I bruise easily.”

She rolled her eyes and leaned across the table, grabbing the envelope and everything with it, dislodging Lord Voldemort. He meowed his displeasure.

“I don’t know what you’re doing but take your time. I sure like it on this end.”

Charlie craned her head to the side as she tried to grab one last stubborn piece of paper and caught a glimpse of her cleavage right in front of the camera. “Oh, that’s nice.”

“I concur.”

After sitting back down she ran her fingers over the envelope again, still having a very hard time believing what was happening was real. “I got something pretty special in the mail today.”

A smile transformed Cole’s face. “Care to share who it was from?”

“You already know who it was from.”

“Humor me.”

“The Buffalo Academy of Arts. They have a teaching position open. In the fall.”

“And?”

Flipping the letter around, she faced it toward the camera. “They offered me the job, Cole. Me.”

“Yes.” Cole double fist pumped the air. “I knew you could do it.”

“But I didn’t do anything.”

“Sure you did. You’re an awesome teacher. You had all the required experience and education and you are, in general, perfect for the position. You did everything that matters.”

“No. I didn’t apply. Well, I filled out an application for them a while back but never sent it in, and what video are they talking about? I know I never made a video.”

Cole wore a sheepish smile and clutched the back of his neck.

“Spill it.”

“I
kind of
hacked into your Mac to find the application after you mentioned it a few weeks ago.”

Hello FBI boyfriend.

“And the video?”

“All you actually. Kia told me about your YouTube channel.”

“With my art shows?”

“Yes, and the ones with your kids from school and what they love about art and you. If you couldn’t interview in person they required a video, so I just compiled clips you already had in place.”

Her mind wouldn’t stop turning. “But the application wasn’t finished.”

“I didn’t have any trouble, uh, finding the information through a few program searches I ran at work.”

“You’re amazing.”

“Whew.” He wiped fake sweat from his brow. “Not gonna lie. Was hoping you were going to think awesome and not creepy stalker.”

“What about the recommendations? Several people had to—”

“Eight.”

“Eight what?”

“That’s how many recommendations the applications were limited to. Eight. We had to narrow it down to eight. Lots of people love you and wanted to support you.”

“You and Kia?”

“Of course. And a couple people from here, including the mayor.”

“The mayor? Who’s the mayor?”

“Mrs. McAdams.”

Charlie shook her head and she laughed. As the reality of what had just been handed to her sunk in, she leafed through the rest of the information. “Oh my gawd, Cole.”

“What?”

“They’re offering me a moving stipend, and a plane ticket. Room and board is included as well as my salary and they’re a pet friendly facility as well.”

“That’s amazing. Congratulations, Charlie. You’ve earned it.”

“Thank you. For everything.”

“It’s not exactly altruistic.”

Not two seconds after she set the papers down was the kitty plopped down on top of them again. “Oh, no? Why not?”

Cole sobered quickly and stared at her through the video monitor. “Because I want to be with you. I want to see where we go from here.”

“Somewhere over the rainbow?” she asked, wondering how she got so lucky to find this wonderful man.

He glanced to the side and then back. “I’ll always be waiting on the other side. Hang on. I know someone…” He trailed off and stood, momentarily disappearing from the camera. But when he sat back down Addyson sat in his lap.

“Hi, Addyson.” The sight of the little girl sleepy against Cole’s chest nearly did her in. “Can’t sleep?”

Shaking her head no, she smiled and leaned in close to the camera. Opening her mouth wide, she proceeded to make every funny face known to man and a few she invented herself.

“Well now that we’ve devolved into…that.” Cole pulled her back and hugged her as she giggled. “Any idea what your answer’s going to be?” He stared directly at her through the camera.

“I’ve been looking in earnest for a way to get back to Buffalo since the day I left.”

“Just to visit?” Addyson asked her.

“How about to live?” Charlie asked her, a tiny bit afraid of how important her answer was.

“Really?” She squealed and then she was off Cole’s lap and off camera.

“What are you doing, silly? We were talking.”

“I have to go get my Dorothy outfit on so I’m ready when she gets here!”

“She’s not coming today—and she’s already gone and I’m alone and talking to myself.”

“No, you’re not, you’re talking to me.”

Cole smiled. “Confession.”

“Yes?”

“I quite enjoy talking to you. Quite. Enjoy.”

“Ditto.”

“So we gonna do this and make a go of a relationship?”

Certain declarations hadn’t been shared. Logistics were completely up in the air, but the answer Charlie had been hoping for wasn’t going to get any better. “I’ll give my notice tomorrow to the DISD personnel office and talk to the School of Arts about accepting the position.”

“Keep me posted, okay? We’d really like to meet you at the airport. And there’s something I should probably tell you.”

The look of emotion on his face floored her. “What?”

“I never believed in love at first sight before, but you proved me wrong.” A crash on Cole’s end had him hanging his head. “Awesome timing. Awesome.”

“Daddy duties call. We’ll continue this discussion, face to face, in a few weeks when I move?”

His smirk kicked up her heart rate and made her take a deep breath.

“It’s a date.”

“Text me later, lover.”

“Count on it.”

She smiled and waved, and he did the same.

After disconnecting and sleeping her system, she closed her Mac. Scooping up Lord Voldemort, she wandered around the apartment looking at everything she needed to pack and made a mental note of things she needed to do.

Love clouded her vision and she hoped that filter never faded away.

Amazingly on board with uprooting her life in Texas, she spun in a circle and let out a laugh. Nothing sounded better than going home to start a new chapter in her journey with two people she loved more than life itself, and her best friend who helped make it all happen.

“So, kitty… What do you think about Buffalo?”