Video chatting could only get a person so far.
“I love your pajamas,” she told Addyson, who reared back to see what she had on.
“Disney princesses are cool. Daddy told me so.”
“Smart man. I’d listen to him.”
“Are you staying this time? Like really really staying?” Addyson held her face with a stern look.
“Really really. I’m going to be a teacher at a special school here.”
Addyson smiled and yawned again. “I know. My school.”
Charlie nearly stumbled. “What?”
Cole stole a quick kiss. “Told you I had a vested interest in the teachers they had staffed there.”
“You…surprise me all the time, Agent Johnson.”
“Oh, and speaking of agent.”
“What did you do? Have something to do with how you got through security to get to the gate?”
He smiled big. “Perhaps.”
“Am I a dangerous criminal?”
“Yep.”
“Who carries a cat and has traded him out for a toddler?”
“Exactly. So if you could look dangerous that would really help me out.”
A smile took over Charlie’s face and she couldn’t stop it. “Not the brightest bulbs in the pack, are they.” She said it as they passed the point of no return to leave the terminal, which was directly across from the security checkpoint to get to the gates.
One of the TSA agents gave Cole a thumbs up on the other side of the clear partition and added an exaggerated wink for good measure.
“Clearly.”
Within fifteen minutes they had both of her bags and they were loaded into the SUV. As Cole exited the parking area, Charlie unzipped the top of the pet carrier and Lord Voldemort jumped free to the floorboard.
Addyson squealed and pumped her legs.
“Now you’ll have to be really sweet to him,” Charlie instructed.
“And gentle,” she added. “Daddy told me. Pet, not pull.”
“You got it. He’ll probably explore for a little while so be patient, okay?”
“Otay. So do you want to hear about my doll? Her name’s April and I love her but not as much as I love Daddy. ’Cause he makes me pancakes.”
Charlie stared, transfixed for several minutes as Addyson chattered away. Then she shook her head. “She’s not talking to me anymore is she?”
He downright guffawed. “I wondered how long it was going to take you to figure it out.”
“Upstaged by a cat. Who has jumped in the back to explore, and she can’t even see anymore, and she’s still talking to him.”
“Welcome to my world.” Cole slid his hand onto her thigh and glanced at her. “Where to?”
“Home.”
“I can do that.”
He leaned to the side, keeping his eyes on the road. “Kiss.” A demand. Not a question.
She melted just a tiny bit. Scooting close, she ran her nose up his throat and along his jaw. He held her chin and kissed her quickly. Once. Twice.
Her sigh filtered between them and she finally believed she was really with him again. “Did I tell you about the rooms at the school? They’re so nice.” To keep herself awake, she chattered about nonsense. Holding hands, they talked about all sorts of things.
Being face to face again was amazing. The connection wasn’t a fantasy or something she’d just imagined. It was perfect.
“I didn’t dream you.” His voice said exactly what she’d been thinking.
“Nor I you.”
“Where’ve you been all my life?”
Touching the back of his hand, she closed her eyes. “Waiting for you to find me.” Without pausing for him to comment, “Hey,” she whispered. “It’s quiet.” With the lights from the highway median shining through the window, Charlie could see Addyson’s head lolled to the side in sleep.
And Lord Voldemort?
Curled in her lap in the car seat, as if he knew exactly where he belonged.
“Gorgeous.” Charlie yawned and rested her head on the back of the seat. “My eyes don’t want to stay open.”
“Then close them.”
“But we’re talking, and I kind of missed you.”
Cole lifted her hand and kissed the back of it before glancing over at her. “Ditto.” He rested their clasped hands on his thigh.
A sigh passed her lips and she mushed them together to keep from doing it again. And again.
“I’ve got a question.”
“Anything.”
“You and Kia had to work really close together with the whole application shenanigans you pulled.”
“Yep.”
“And you worked with her at the carnival, too. When did you guys get to be close? She was actually already talking you up to me before I came to town to help out for the carnival, so it was before that. You weren’t close in school. When did you guys start being friends? She tries not to show it but she most definitely adores you.”
“When she saved Addyson’s life.”
“What?” Charlie sat up and clutched his hand tighter. “When?”
“When we got her home she was put through a regular physical to check on her from head to toe. She was so tired. All the time. They found what they thought was a strange heartbeat. Kia found a hole in her heart. She’d dealt with it since birth, and very well, but it wasn’t something that could be ignored. She had open-heart surgery two days later. I was terrified.”
“Kia never told me any of that.”
“She’s not one that takes praise all that well. Just in a day’s work for her. She is a rock star in my book.”
Twisting in her seat a bit, she stared at the sleeping little girl. “She seems so perfect you’d never expect her to have been through that.”
“She is perfect, thanks to Kia. A scar on her chest is the only tell. She shouldn’t have any more trouble out of it and all follow-up sonograms are perfect.”
Charlie faced forward again, convincing herself Addyson was okay and she could calm down. She took a breath and decided now or never. “I have another question. And I need you to be completely honest with me.”
“Shoot.”
“When you found out who I was in high school—”
“You’re still the same person.”
“You know what I mean, Cole. The wallflower, the unpopular girl. Did you freak out?”
“You’re asking me a hard question. Are you certain you’re ready for the answer?”
Blinking her eyes open, she twisted a bit in her seat to face him. “Yes, I am.”
“Then here goes. I knew you were going to ask me this. Well. Something like this, so I wracked my brain during the carnival trying to place you. And honestly? I really couldn’t do it. I finally had to pull out my yearbooks to look you up.”
“Ugh. The yearbooks.” She made a face, trying to be funny, but in all honesty she was upset he didn’t remember her.
“I liked getting to see you then. Especially knowing who you are now. That was awesome. And I loved seeing your same eyes. Your smile. So carefree. But even seeing you in that, I could only vaguely remember who you were then. So no, I didn’t freak out. Just felt lucky to have met you. Met you when I think we were supposed to really meet.”
“Even being remembered for the wrong reasons is better than not being remembered at all.”
“I disagree.”
“Says the popular guy.”
“You have the same issues with popularity as you do with being a wallflower. Well, sometimes the same and sometimes the flip side of it.”
She thought for a second. “I’m not following.”
“Preconceived notions of you are hard to erase. Rumors grow rampant. A certain reputation can sometimes be cultivated by others; whether it’s accurate is normally no
t people’s biggest concern. Sometimes lots of friends but not for the right reasons and sometimes none at all if people don’t think they can approach you.”
“I never thought about it that way. I just didn’t have all that many friends in school. Made me feel like an outsider.”
“I get that. But think about Kia. You met her when? Eighth or ninth grade? You guys have been best friends for what? Thirteen or fourteen years now? That’s incredible. I don’t really talk to any of the guys from high school. Some never grew up and most of the rest are just assholes. You may not have had a stadium full of friends, but you made lasting friends. I’d take that any day.”
He kissed her hand again. “We didn’t get together then for whatever reason and I for one am not going to question it. Why? Because I have you now.” He glanced in the back seat. “And I have Addyson. If we were already together before she walked into my life then where would she be? Do you see what I mean?”
Charlie choked back tears, thanking her lucky stars that someone up above or fate or her invisible fairy godmother led her to him. “You’re incredible, you know that?”
“I don’t think so.” But a cocky grin appeared and he winked at her. “But as long as you do, then I’m completely okay with that.” He pulled to a stop and put the vehicle in park. “We’re here.”
Wiping tears from her eyes, she blinked, wondering why the school looked like— “Cole, this is your house.”
“Yep.”
“But I thought you were taking me to the school so I can get settled in.”
“You said take you home. So I did.” He exited the vehicle and walked around to her side.
Love and thankfulness expanded inside her until it nearly split her in two.
As soon as he opened her door and her feet hit the ground, reality hit her. “Oh no. Cole, I forgot. I don’t have any of Lord Voldemort’s stuff with me. Well, a little bit of food but that’s it. I thought I was going to get in much earlier so I could go shopping.”
“It’s all taken care of.” He tipped up her chin and kissed her mouth. “He’s already all set up here. Litter box, food, toys, cat bed. Addyson and I went shopping. Last week.”
“I thought we talked about taking it slow.” She said what she thought she was supposed to say.
“We did.”
“And this is taking it slow?”
He shrugged unapologetically. “Ish.”
Charlie chuckled.
He pulled her close and she settled against him, wondering how she went so long without having him—them—in her life.
“Let’s get the kids inside and then we can…chat.”
“By chat do you mean have sex for hours and then fall into an exhausted sleep and then try to wake up and do it again before Addyson wakes up?”
“Why yes. That’s exactly what I mean by chat.”
“Best. Definition. Ever.”
“Charwee?” Addyson’s sleepy voice had Charlie leaning back in the vehicle to see behind the seat.
“Yes?”
“I have kitty cat.”
“I know. He trusted you so much he fell asleep in your lap.”
“With me. Like a sleepover.” The way she said it made Charlie think of the Holy Grail.
“Absolutely.”
Addyson’s eyelids grew heavy and her head lolled to the side again, her little mouth open in a round “O”.
“Can I put her to bed?” Charlie faced Cole as he stared at her. “I would really like to put her to bed.” Love at first sight, apparently it really did exist, and for Charlie it happened twice.
“Nothing would make me happier. I’ll get the rest if you’ve got her.”
They whispered as they moved things and he went and unlocked the front door. Cole picked up the cat and he started purring immediately. “I like you too, buddy.”
Charlie lifted Addyson out of her car seat and carried her inside and up the stairs.
It didn’t take long to get her tucked in, but stayed longer just to watch her sleep.
When she turned around, there stood Cole, shirtless in the doorway to his bedroom. Moving toward him, she had the flash of realization she’d never wanted anything or anyone as much as she wanted him.
“Sorry I took so long,” she apologized as she stepped into his arms and he pulled her into the room before shutting the door. “I just couldn’t stop watching her. I almost crawled into bed with her. You’re the only reason I’m still upright.”
He stripped her naked and ditched his shorts and then tugged her into bed beneath the covers. “Don’t ever apologize for spending time with her. You slay me with how you look at her. It’s almost as if you…”
“What? As if I care for her? Worry for her? Love her maybe?”
Cole rolled on the condom he had ready on the nightstand and then moved between her legs. “Tell me what you need. What you want, so I can make this good for you.”
Grasping behind his neck, she pulled his face down to hers and spoke against his lips. “You. Inside me. That’s…uhh…what I need.”
Each pause was him working his shaft inside her. Each thrust made her slicker and slicker. Always ready to take him.
They moved together, finding a pace somewhere between frantic and perfect.
“Love her,” Cole whispered.
“What?” Charlie asked, knowing she wasn’t going to be able to keep from coming. Not with him so close, so hard.
“When you look at her, it’s almost as if you love her.”
“No ifs about it. I do love her, and—”
Cole fucked into her faster, harder. He knew exactly what to do to make her come. “And?”
“And you.” Charlie’s breath caught in her throat. Her heart exposed. Her need for him. For them both. He could do anything with it.
“I love you, Charlie. Fuck, I love you. Didn’t see it coming. Complicates everything. So worth it. Need you with me. Need you here. In my house. My bed.” His cock swelled inside her, making her moan. “Our bed.”
“I love you. I think I always have.”
“Fuck. Say it again. You’re going to make me come.”
She scored her fingernails down his back, wanting to mark him in some kind of permanent way. Just as he marked her with his love.
She was forever changed because he loved her. All of her. The girl she was. The woman beneath him now. The mother she longed to be. Her core tightened around him and he growled.
“I love you. I love you. I love you.”
He grunted, his whole body shaking as he stared down at her. “Love. You.”
His orgasm triggered her own. She shattered in his arms. “Cole.” She jerked in his hold and he held her tighter. Kissing her roughly, he worked his shaft inside her, infusing her with pleasure.
“Mine, Charlie. Mine. I know this is crazy. I know things like this don’t happen. But they are. They did. You’re stuck with me. Us.” He chuckled as he rolled over onto his back and took her with him, still inside her. “This is me not going slow. Life’s too short to wait on something so perfect.”
She went limp on top of him, her body, mind and spirit finally sated for the first time ever.
“Mine, Cole. Love at first sight happens, because it did. I’ve never been so sure of anything in my entire life.”
“Thank you.” He wrapped his arms around her and hugged her gently as their heartbeats slowed and meshed into the same rhythm.
“For what?”
“Loving me back, and Addyson. For not running scared. You’re incredible.”
“My love.” Charlie kissed his chest a moment before she succumbed to sleep with him still inside her.
Chapter Nine
“Wake up, sleepyheads.”
Charlie peeled up one eyelid to find Addyson standing next to the bed.
“Hi,” she whi
spered and laid her head on the side of the mattress.
Thankfully they’d gotten up a couple hours earlier to put some pajamas on so Addyson didn’t come in and find them completely naked.
Of course they’d also taken advantage of the time, and Cole had made sure she remembered exactly how it felt to have his mouth between her legs.
She moved her foot backwards and slid it down his shin.
“Hmm,” was all the response she got out of him.
“We have a munchkin invasion.”
“I spray for those,” he mumbled and then stretched with a roar.
Addyson ran around to his side of the bed. “Daddy,” she mock-whispered. “I’m hungry. Can we have pancakes?”
“Maybe. Do you love me?”
“Yes. Whole bunches. Like this much.” Addyson stretched her arms as wide as she could make them.
“Then I’d think pancakes are a small price to pay for all that love.”
“And bacon?” Charlie added as she tried to convince her eyes to both stay open at the same time.
“Same question applies to bacon. Maybe even more so since it’s crazy hazardous. Love me?”
“So very much I think we need to invent a new word for it.”
“I’d say that’s earned everybody bacon and pancakes. Wanna do it together?”
She rolled onto her back and raised an eyebrow at him with a devilish grin.
“Breakfast. I specifically meant breakfast. Later we can cover a larger variety of answers to that question.” Charlie rolled up and out of bed and Cole did the same.
“Umm…” Charlie looked around. “Where’s Addyson?”
“Already downstairs with the TV on and playing with the cat and creating her own language. She’s like a ninja.”
“Good to know.”
He hugged her to him, and a hard cock made its presence known.
“Mmm…” Charlie’s mouth watered.
“I’m going to attack you later. Be afraid.” He gave her one last squeeze. “Be very afraid.”
* * * * *
Sitting at the table after breakfast, Addyson had cleared her plastic dishes when she asked, “Can I tell her now, Daddy?”
No Place Like Home: The Coming Home Series, Book 1 Page 11