I laughed as I curled up against her chest. Laying my left hand over her heart so I could feel it beat and look at the ring she placed on my finger. "Oh really?"
Kit kissed the top of my head, "Really."
I drifted off to sleep staring at the ring, listening to the sounds of the very alive and very warm woman I was going to marry and for a night, I forgot about everything else.
Chapter 34
For one morning, one day, things were normal, or what I imagined normal could eventually be with Claire. She woke up in the late morning and practically attacked me the moment I whispered a good morning to her. Sending my idle thoughts of normalcy into a perverse dimension.
That led to skipping breakfast and ignoring Davey knocking on the door to tell us he had scheduled us all to leave on the late afternoon train. I had heard him, but was too occupied listening to the soft moans and pleas I was pulling out of Claire as she finally submitted, allowing me a few moments of control.
There was nothing in the room or the world but her and I. Reconnecting and finding the incredible love we had for each other. I had to be careful a few times when my passion made me lose control over my strength and I picked Claire up once a twice, startling her as I tossed her to the bed or pinned her underneath me, but it did little to deter her until well after lunchtime.
I ate cold pizza for lunch while she showered alone. I had forced Claire to take one alone, knowing if she didn't, we would be stuck in Moscow another day. I then had to fend her off gently when I was packing our bags, impressed by the blonde's determination to make up for lost time. I would have eagerly taken full advantage of it, if it wasn't for the fact that Halston was still hovering around in the back of my mind and I was slowly letting her infiltrate my day with Claire.
I shook the thoughts off, making the train ride back to the farmhouse eventful. Claire and I both knocked that James Bond fantasy off our bucket list and returned to a disgusted Davey, who just shook his head at us like an embarrassed father and mumbled he would be in the bar car for the rest of the trip. Mumbling he could hear us from down the hall.
Claire and I both giggled, curling up in the large seats and watching the countryside pass by us. Spending the time entangled in each other, happy and idly chatting about my days at Purdue and how I tried to rush the one sorority and failed. Only because my temper outweighed my patience and I told the bleach blonde bimbos to eat my ass when they wanted me to change everything about myself. Including my hair color, saying that I was more of an auburn red than a dark red.
Claire sat with me, asking a few more questions when it was suitable and listened. It was nice to be back to this point with her, but with a tremendous amount more ease about everything. When she finally fell asleep on my shoulder while I was mid-sentence telling her about one terrible drunken night in my senior year, I just smiled. Kissed her temple and pulled her close. This was the life I was so afraid to have with her, and now that I had it. I would fight harder than I ever had to keep it. She was my future and I was no longer afraid.
_____________________
I faced the window in Claire's bedroom back at the farmhouse, casting glances out at the white expanse of the farmland reflecting in the moonlight while unpacking clothes in a half assed way. I felt her warm hands slide along my side, followed by a soft kiss against my neck. I could still smell the delicate hints of lavender from the soap she used in the shower and the mango mint shampoo. I sighed, leaning back into her hands as she whispered, "I'm starving."
I turned in her arms, "I wonder why. You only ate one piece of cold pizza, and I do believe we burned plenty of calories." I grinned as she looked down and blushed, "What do you want?" I ran my hands over Claire's back, loving the way she always pushed back against my touch.
She leaned in closer, brushing her lips over my neck, "You, I will always want you, Kit."
I sucked in a breath, my fingers digging into the fabric of my purple hoody Claire had put on the moment we were back in the house. I had thought it was cute she was so attached to a piece of my clothing, now I was frustrated that it was in my way. "Claire..." I was torn between giving in and holding strong. Claire was still on the road to recovery and I had seen the wear in her eyes even on the train. I was also shocked at how bold Claire had become since we fully reconnected. It was as if she had also finally thrown away the last pieces of the wall that was holding her back from me and wanted to prove it ever chance she could.
Claire kissed the edge of my jaw, moving back to catch my eyes. She was smirking, "I know, I need to eat." She slid out of my arms and took a step back, reaching for the small stack of t-shirts I had set out, "I was thinking maybe I could try to make Nina's almond chicken. She sent me the recipe a few weeks ago."
I let out a breath, folding my arms over my chest to keep my hands from grabbing at the blonde. "That sounds good." I watched Claire move in the closet, setting her shirts on the shelves. I wanted to ask about Nina and how she was, when I caught the glint of her engagement ring in the light of the room. The overwhelming normalcy of the moment hit me and I spoke suddenly, "I want to go home, back to Washington, Connecticut, or wherever, but I want us to go somewhere that is home to us. Or build one."
Claire turned around, closing the closet door slowly she had her head down, clearly thinking or analyzing her answer. I moved closer to her, "I know what you are going to say, we should wait until Halston is taken care of and wait until we are safe. But I hate living on hold at the beckon call of a mad woman." I huffed quietly, "I can keep us safe now."
Claire raised her head, looking at me with soft eyes and a small smile, "I wasn't going to debate you Kit, I was just thinking if you wanted to live in between our parents or if you wanted to return to the west coast where there would be no snow in sight for days." She held out her left hand for me to take, dragging me closer the second I did, "Kit, I’m sick of the snow and not living. You're right, it's time to find home."
I smiled, letting the woman encase me in her arms, "I've always liked Richmond. It's the first city I looked at homes in when I joined the Secret Service. It reminds me of Pittsburgh but without the endless steel factories." I closed my eyes, letting my mind drift to thoughts of what our house would look like and all the little things that came with setting up a home with the one you loved.
Claire laughed lightly, "Richmond it is. Give me a few days to set things up and we can look at leaving this farmhouse and return to life." I felt her take a deep breath, "She will always be in the back of our minds, but it's time to stop letting her rule our lives." Claire ran her hand down my back as a small amount of silence edged in, breaking it with a gentle voice, "I'm sure Davidek would be eager to return to civilization."
I grinned against her, hearing Davey shuffle up the stairs and head towards the door, "We can ask him in two minutes, he's on his way up here. Probably to check on us."
Sure enough, Davey tapped on the door, pushing it open a crack, "Please tell me you both have pants on."
Claire and I laughed, separating from each other to let me walk and open the door wider, I winked at him, "Lucky for you, we do." Davey blushed, standing in the doorway he folded his arms. "You two keep ruining things for me. Senate couches, train cars, etc." He shook his head, "Anyways I have two things. One, I am starving and wanted to know what you wanted for dinner and two, who's going to make it?"
I looked over my shoulder at Claire, "She wants to make almond chicken."
Claire nodded, pulling at the edge of the purple hoody, "I do." She moved towards the door, her hand finding mine as she brushed past me, "Davidek, can you call my parents. Ask them to speak with Eileen about that plantation house in Richmond."
Davey raised an eyebrow, "The old plantation house your parents restored right before you became a Senator in hopes of you wanting to live outside of the city?"
I shot a look at Claire as she grinned and nodded, "That one. Tell them to have Eileen get the house made livable in two weeks’ time." Davey raised an eye
brow, "Claire, are you sure?" His voice was full of worry and hesitation, he kept looking at me, waiting for me to say something to support him. I nodded towards Claire.
She glanced down at me, her grin growing larger as she spoke, "My fiancée and I are intending to move back to the states and settle down in Richmond."
Davey's face split into a huge grin, "Finally." His eyes drawing to the silver band on Claire's hand, "Took you long enough." He turned, to walk out of the room, glancing over his shoulder at me, "I would fight you two on leaving this protected property but I think, Kit, you can handle more than the boys can. But I’ll also have Ivan fly out to the house and get the security system set up." He took three steps out of the bedroom, "It will be good to go home."
I squeezed Claire's hand, looking in her eyes that were locked on mine, "Yes it will be." I winked at her before kissing her quickly and then dragging her out of the bedroom and down to the kitchen.
-Two Weeks Later -
Standing in the small office on the opposite end of the plantation house, I could not help but stare at the fall colors still latched onto the trees that surrounded the endless acres of land the house sat on. It was the first morning in the house, the first morning Kit and I had been back in the states and even though I felt safe, happy and complete, my gut began to whisper at me. I fidgeted with the box on the desk filled with my Senate papers and files. On the top was a sealed letter from the President. I set that aside and looked back out the window at the property.
The house sat on close to forty acres of undisturbed land that rolled into hills and faded away into the mountains at the far edge. There was a small carriage house off set to the edge of the dirt driveway that my father wanted to convert into a lab or side office for me when I became Senator. Now it sat as a storage space for landscaping tools and the antique farm equipment the house came with. The entire property felt calm, warm and very much like home. Eileen and my mother had spent the last two weeks cleaning the house and unpacking most of the furniture, or buying new furniture and decorations to make Kit and I feel comfortable. Ivan had created a security system that was tighter than the townhouse. Davidek had utilized his mafia connections within the states and I, once again, had the Russian mafia as my backup if ever I needed it.
Right now, as I stared out at the fall color dotted hills that looked like an impressionist painting, I let my mind fall into a thoughtless state. Hoping that my gut would also take the hint and relax just long enough for us to unpack.
We had landed the night before and was taken right to the house, my gut had started to roll slowly, and I tucked it away to not alert the others. Davidek went to the basement right away to ensure the security systems were set up and running. Kit went to unpack a few things her had sent, but ended up passing out on the couch wrapped in a giant Pittsburgh Steelers blanket. I soon followed her, falling asleep on the perfectly made bed in our massive bedroom that was a mix of old English Victorian and a touch of the old south. It was warm, cozy and comfortable. A far cry from the cold, stale bedroom at the farmhouse in Russia.
I woke up after a few hours, mildly disappointed that Kit had never come to bed, the morning light and the vibration of my phone on the table next to me, rousing me out of a dreamless sleep. It was a cryptic text from my mother, asking if we had arrived home. After sending her a message to ease her worries and that I would call her later, I shuffled down to the small office to set up the books and other things brought over from the townhouse. This was my permanent home now, I would be vacating the townhouse completely and leaving empty it for a while until Ivan stripped the security systems and I could place it on the market.
It had been two weeks since we met with Benson or heard anything more about Halston. She had literally blipped on the radar and then disappeared into the wind. Benson and Sheehnan had left Russia last week, shifting back to Washington, hoping that Halston would take that bait and follow. I could also tell in the short video calls we shared, both men were getting antsy and tired of bland Russian food. I couldn't blame them one bit.
I pulled back the thick curtain to widen my view, smiling at the sight of greens, oranges, reds and browns. I had grown tired of the constant white and cold of Russia. Excited to see Virginia was refusing to let winter take hold. Giving Kit and I a warm return out of the subzero temperatures. I let out a slow breath, dropping the curtain back and moving to shift the box of files onto the floor.
"Why didn't you come and get me? It was cold on the couch." Kit's voice fluttered and bounced off the wood in the room. Making it sound rich and deeper than her normal morning voice. I turned to see her walking towards me, wrapped in the black and yellow fabric. Yawning and smoothing her messy hair out.
I set the box on the floor, "You looked too peaceful drooling on the expensive pillows." I smiled, pulling at the edge of the cream sweater I wore before pushing my hands into the front pockets of my pajama pants. I grinned at the playful frown on Kit's face. "Good morning."
Kit stopped to stand at the edge of the desk, her eyes focusing on the view I had just left. "This view is incredible." She pulled the blanket up closer to her chin, turning slowly to look at me, her own grin forming as her eyes roamed over my face, stopping on the places I knew she liked to kiss. "Good morning."
Kit sat on the edge of the desk, looking down at the boxes around on the floor, "My mom called, woke me up." She paused, "She wants to see us, maybe come here for a visit. I told her that it wasn't a good idea just yet. We needed to get settled and things." Her hand pushed open the blanket, revealing that she was wearing one of my old university shirts, reaching for the sealed letter with the Presidential seal in the upper right. I knew what she was hinting at. We had no real solid Intel on Halston.
"My mom wants to as well. I told her that if she gave us a week, that we would have the family over to the house for a dinner. They are all eager to be together now that you are back and we are engaged." I sat down in the large leather chair, scooting into the desk and laying my elbows on the top. "When Davidek emerges from the basement, I will have him and Ivan start running chatter scans. See if there is anything we can pick up." I motioned at the shirt she was wearing, "Did you look in the closet upstairs?"
Kit set the letter down, her eyes meeting mine as she shook her head, "I have only made it to the living room, the kitchen, the side bathroom next to the front door and here." She smiled, "Shame on me for not making it to our bedroom first."
I watched her smile grow as the words our, had the same effect on me as it did her. A sense of permanence, togetherness. It made me twist the ring on my left finger as I nodded, "Yes, shame on you. I think I got used to sleeping in that brand new giant bed alone. Looks like it's the couch from now on." I laughed at the pout on her face, pointing at her sleep shirt, "I got you something. Well had your mom get it for me, but it's upstairs in the closet. Our closet."
Kit squinted at me, sliding off the desk, "It better not be something pink. My mom knows how much I hate pink, but never stops trying to slip it in anywhere she can."
I laughed, shaking my head at the lump of blanket prowling towards me, "It's not. I might have found a perfectly brand new, perfectly vintage Purdue t-shirt from the year you graduated for you to sleep in every night."
I grinned at Kit's fake frown, "But my old one was perfectly worn down to almost see through."
I raised an eyebrow, "Well I never said it would stay on you all night every night. You know how much I don't like you in clothes for very long when we go to bed at night." I smirked at Kit, running my eyes over her in an exaggerated way. I was being honest. After finally breaking through the last wall in Russia, I could barely keep my hands to myself when Kit and I were alone. I didn't know if it was because I was making up for lost time, or if I was just addicted to her. Either way, I could rarely go a full night without needing to feel Kit's skin against mine, even if it was just to sleep and nothing more.
Kit chuckled, "I have been wanting to ask you about your renewed interes
t in having me naked as much as possible." She held out her hand for me to take, "Do you mind giving me the full tour of this fine house, Dr. Avondale?"
I sighed, taking her hand and feeling the flutter in my stomach chase away the sour feeling in my gut, I let her pull me to my feet. She opened her arm, offering me a corner of the blanket, "You look cold."
I slid in, wrapping my arm around her waist, "I am. I didn't have a big old heavy body smother me throughout the night and this house is so huge, it takes far too long for the heat to reach every corner." I looked at the blanket as it came to settle across my shoulders, "How old is this thing?"
Kit leaned against my side, warming me up instantly, "It is 32 years old. My dad bought this the day I was born." She pulled me closer. "It sat on my bed every day until I left for the Capital, and I left it. Thinking when I had a decent house and not a tiny apartment with rats, I would be back for it." We moved together to walk out of the office, "I forgot about it when I forgot about everything else." I could see and feel Kit falling into old memories. Ones that did not have the same effect they did when I first met her, now it was as if she couldn't believe she had allowed the darkness of mistakes and poor choices consume her for so long. An effect many who finally found peace on the other side and things greater than themselves.
I laid my hand on her hip, squeezing lightly for her to continue. I had found over the last few days that Kit was eager to tell me everything about her life, her childhood, her first crushes and small flings. I was finally learning who Kit was through and through and I loved it.
Kit half smiled, "I found it in a box of odds and ends my parents sent." She glanced at me, "I know it's just an old blanket, but having it back now. It's like I finally have a completely new start on life, that I have the pieces of my old life meeting my new one and it's incredible." She nudged me with her hip, "It also means you're going to have to deal with this thing laying at the end of our big fancy bed. I know the black and yellow will clash with the fancy fabrics."
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