by Khloe Wren
He needed her.
She was his and she didn't have permission to die on him. He squeezed his eyes shut against the pain that suddenly shot through his skull. Damn it, he needed to calm down or he'd be useless. Without his slave to work out on he was having trouble staying focused on anything. He needed to work out to stay balanced, to feel like he fit in his skin. His Dad had shown him how to stay in control of himself, and he had taught his son well before he died in a car wreck when Cole had been sixteen. For the last ten years Cole had been perfecting what his Dad had taught him. If only his Dad was still here, he'd know how to find his slave then he would have helped Cole discipline her for leaving. That would have been some beautiful father-son bonding time right there. Damn, but he did really miss his old man.
Cole sighed as he started packing away his things neatly in his suitcase. He would leave first thing in the morning and head to Zeehan. It would probably take at least a few days to search the town for signs of her. He would have to be careful though, there were people in Zeehan who didn't like him and would cause him a great deal of trouble if they found out he was around. So he would have to be quiet and quick about it before heading on up to Rosebery.
~ * ~
Adele looked up from her bowl of cereal to watch Dominic move around the kitchen. He'd only put on his jeans when they'd finally climbed out of bed, so his upper body was on full display, and she was making the most of it. As her gaze roamed over his exposed flesh she felt herself begin to warm. As if he could sense her eyes on him, Dominic glanced over his shoulder at her with a lopsided grin and winked before he closed the fridge and sauntered over to her at the table with his breakfast.
"Keep looking at me like that, beautiful, and we won't be leaving the house at all today," he said as he leaned over to gently kiss her before sitting down.
"Hmmm, well as nice as not leaving the house sounds, I've way too much that I have to do." That and Kit would be home soon from her night shift of guarding Kelly. As much as Kit might approve of her and Dominic finally getting together, Adele was pretty sure Kit didn't want to witness it first hand.
"So, what's on the agenda for this bright and beautiful Saturday morning?" Adele couldn't help but preen as she heard how happy Dominic sounded to be spending the day with her.
"House hunting. There are a few that look good." She grabbed the stack of printouts she'd compiled over that week and handed them to Dominic to look at.
"The one on the top is my favorite."
Dominic cocked his eyebrow at her, "The house is painted purple."
She barely contained her laugh; she knew he would say that. She couldn't hold back her grin as she spoke.
"I know, right? I love it, and it will make giving directions easy."
Dominic looked at the page again and winced.
"I guess that's one way of looking at it."
She reached over and patted his arm. Poor Dominic. He looked like she'd just shot his dog or something.
"The more important things are that it has three bedrooms, a bathroom that actually has a bath, a nice big wood heater, a big kitchen with brand new oven and cooktop and a huge fenced back yard. Lots of room for Kelly to have all the things she needs."
She watched as he read the description below the picture and his frown slowly eased away.
"It's not too far from the hospital either, which is good. I reckon Kelly would be able to walk to school from there too if she wanted to. When is it available?"
"It's vacant at the moment. The previous tenants moved out last week. Perfect timing, and it's only $130 a week so I'll be able to afford to buy some furniture to put in the house too. I guess we need to start looking for all that stuff."
She frowned as she grabbed her pen and jotted down a few notes about furniture she'd need to buy on a piece of scrap paper. How on earth was she going to get all this done in a week?
"How about we take a tape measure with us and measure the house, then we can go do a round of the second hand shops and see what's around that will fit."
She smiled as she looked into Dominic's eyes. He thought of everything--especially the little things she always forgot. She would have arrived at the furniture shop before realizing she didn't know how big the rooms were.
"Sounds great."
~ * ~
Dominic stood in the driveway next to Adele and the Real Estate Agent, Marlee Van Dyke. He was holding Adele's hand and felt her excitement vibrating through her. He looked at the house. It really was purple. The photos hadn't been exaggerated as he had hoped. Some moron had actually clad the house in light purple iron paneling. From the outside, the house didn't look anything special--aside from the purple factor--just your average iron clad home with a fenced backyard and carport. He could tell Adele loved it already, so it looked like he was going to have to get used to a purple house, not that he expected to be moving in with her next week. It was too soon for that, but at some point they would live together--apparently in this bloody purple house.
Dominic allowed Adele to drag him up the drive behind her. He could hear her quietly chuckle.
"Something you find amusing, beautiful?" He was pretty sure it was his reaction that had her amused, but he couldn't resist the chance to tease her a little.
"Don't you like purple, Dominic?" Her voice was laced with humor as she spoke.
"I like purple just fine. Just not on houses as the only color." That earned him another chuckle as Marlee opened up the front door and ushered them inside then led them around the house on a quick tour. Dominic was having serious trouble not wincing as each room revealed more purple horror. Even the metal edging around the shower door was bloody purple! However, Adele was right about the kitchen. It was nice and big and the stove was brand new. He needed to focus on the positives. The bedrooms had built in robes so that was money saved. He took out his tape measure and started taking measurements of the rooms while Adele and Marlee finished going through the house. He needed to distract himself from focusing on the purple everywhere. He made sure to measure the windows too. The deep purple curtains were going. There wasn't going to be a discussion on that one. There was a limit of how much he could endure, and the curtains pushed way beyond it. He finished up and found the ladies chatting in the lounge room by the front door.
"There you are! I was starting to wonder if you got lost. I can move in as soon as I want. I was thinking Wednesday. That will give me a few days before Kelly gets released to get everything set up. Do you think you and Kit could get the day off to give me a hand?" Adele's voice was so excited Dominic couldn't help but smile at her.
"Sure, beautiful. You'll have all the help you'll need. I promise," he said with a wink.
~ * ~
Adele smiled as she stood in the driveway of her new home. Number fourteen Wattle Avenue. She was fingering the front door key in her hand as she looked up at the house. It was a pretty house, iron clad and painted purple. She knew a lot of people who wouldn't be caught dead in a purple house, but she loved the color. It wasn't anything special, just your average three bedroom house with a fenced backyard and carport. But it had been available for her to move in straight away, and the rent was in her price range--and most importantly the Child Protection Service had approved it as suitable.
Kelly. Her poor petit fille would remain in the hospital until Friday; poor girl had been horrendously beaten. Adele brushed a tear away from her cheek. Kelly's pain was over, and she would never be hurt like that again. Adele would make sure of it.
As Adele unlocked the front door, she heard footsteps coming up behind her. Before she had time to turn around to see who it was, she was lifted in the air with ease. She squealed in surprise until Dominic silenced her with a steamy kiss. It had only been four days since Dominic had made love to her for the first time and rocked her world. Her cheeks heated in memory, but damn, the man was hot.
"Dominic, what on earth do you think you are doing?" She asked, her voice all husky at the heat Dominic brought out
in her by simply holding her.
"Why, my love, I'm carrying you over the threshold. You don't move into a new house every day and you have to make sure you do it just right," he said it in a serious tone but the glint in his eyes gave him away. Adele couldn't help but laugh. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him on his cheek.
"Well then, mon amour, we'd best get inside before the others arrive and beat us over the threshold."
Adele beamed as Dominic carried her through the doorway. He was so sweet. He had a huge grin on his face, like carrying her was the best thing he'd ever done. She wasn't sure how she managed to catch this tender, sweet, strong man, but she was sure she never, ever wanted to let him go.
As soon as they were inside the door he bent down and nuzzled her neck. She heard him inhale against her skin. He always breathed deeply against her skin. It tickled, made her giddy and gave her butterflies.
"Welcome home, Adele." He whispered softly in her ear before he proceeded to devour her mouth with his. When the need for air forced them to separate, they pulled apart slightly; both were breathing heavily.
"Hmmm, as much as I'd love to continue, we need to check through the house before the others get here. I want to make sure it's all clean and empty." Adele's voice cracked as she spoke, Dominic had her so aroused.
"I don't want to put you down just yet, beautiful. How about I carry you around on a tour?" His voice was husky, as if he was as turned on as she was. Before she could muster a response, he started for the kitchen. He strode up to the bench and set her down, planting himself between her legs. She kept her arms wrapped around his neck.
"Hmmm, I think we need to christen all the rooms with a kiss at least. Got the front room covered, now for the kitchen." He leaned in to kiss her and she tilted her face to him, silently encouraging him to take what he wanted from her. She was melting into his kiss when she felt him tense. She was about to ask what was wrong when she heard car doors. She raised an eyebrow as he placed her back on the ground. Just what was he up to? He had that lopsided grin he knew melted her. He was definitely up to something.
Adele was grateful Dominic let her walk out the front on her own feet. As much as she loved being wrapped up in Dominic's arms, she'd like to keep those moments private. Dominic had mentioned he'd recruited a couple of the guys from the station to help her move; so that was what she expected to find, just a couple of the guys. She took one step out her front door and froze with her hand still on the knob. Two small moving trucks were backing down her drive while a group of men walked up from a car parked out on the street.
"Dominic, I thought you said a couple of guys would be helping us? And there is no way in hell all the things I bought from the second hand shop would need two trucks to move. What on earth have you done?" She turned to look at Dominic as she finished speaking.
He was looking a little sheepish. "Surprise," was all he whispered before he quickly approached and wrapped her in a hug.
"I did only mention it to a couple of the guys, but word spreads fast around here. You know that, and as people found out you were doing all this so you could take Kelly in, they started donating things. You've pretty much got everything you could ever want or need now."
Adele felt her eyes prick with tears and she blinked fast to try to stop them but it was no use, they began to fall. Dominic wiped them away and gave her a quick kiss. "Don't cry, baby. Think of it like a welcome to the family. You're part of Rosebery now." Dominic's words just made her tears flow faster.
Adele curled into Dominic's chest as he scooped her up and walked back into the house. He carried her straight out the back and sat down on the wooden bench with her on his lap. She felt like a fool, falling apart because people were being nice to her, but she just couldn't get her head around all these people here to help her. She felt Dominic's hands rubbing over her back, arms and legs while his cheek rested on the top of her head. His touch helped soothe her. After ten minutes or so she'd calmed down. He ran his hands through her hair, dragging the bits that had stuck to her tears on her face and tucking them behind her ears. He gave her a soft kiss on her forehead that was so tender it broke through her walls and she began to speak.
"I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to fall apart like that." She took a few deep breaths, inhaling Dominic's masculine scent, allowing it to further soothe her.
"No one has ever been so nice. I'm not used to people doing things for me, helping me. I'm not sure how to deal with it all." Adele looked up at him; she used her eyes to plead with him to understand what she meant. He lowered his head and gave her a chaste kiss on the mouth.
"My dear sweet Adele, everyone you meet loves you. Everyone who has met Kelly loves her. You are about to find out exactly what being a part of the emergency services family is all about, because everyone wants to help you and Kelly settle in here and make a life for yourselves." He helped her to her feet and started to lead her back into the house.
"Now, you better start telling everyone where you want all your new furniture or you'll spend the next couple weeks searching every time you want something."
The rest of the day flew past as Adele instructed everyone on where to put all the furniture and belongings. She'd only been able to pay for the basics for the house and had assumed the place would look rather barren for some time until she could afford everything she wanted. Suddenly she found she had every piece of furniture and appliance she could have ever possibly wanted. She went to check on her bedroom. Dominic hadn't let her in there yet, and her curiosity was rapidly winning out over his instructions to not look. Just before she reached the door, she heard a chorus of beeps from all over the house. She plastered herself against the wall so she wouldn't get trampled as men raced from her house. They must all be on call. Dominic came out of the door and wrapped her up in his arms; she relaxed into his embrace. Her favorite place in the world to be.
"Sorry, beautiful. We just lost all of our helpers."
"That's okay, I wouldn't mind some quiet time. Do you need to go too?"
"Nope, you'll have to continue to put up with me. I'm off rotation today." He nuzzled her cheek in a most feline manner.
"Are you going to let me see my bedroom yet? The suspense is killing me," she pleaded before Dominic's ministrations caused her brain to completely cease to function.
"Hmmm, can't have you dying now can we? So I guess I'll just have to let you in." He was chuckling as he pulled back and gave her a wink.
"Now, I need you to close your eyes for the grand unveiling."
Adele closed her eyes and wondered what the hell he had done to her room. Dominic held her hands, guiding her through the doorway before moving to stand behind her. Wrapping his arms around her waist, he rested his chin on her shoulder and whispered in her ear, "Open your eyes, my love."
Adele opened her eyes and took a sharp breath in. "Oh mon dieu!" She was standing just inside the doorway and facing her new bed. Well, 'bed' was an understatement. It was huge...and beautiful. She had always wanted a four-poster bed; they looked so romantic in the movies and magazines. The frame consisted of bold straight solid Tasmanian Oak pieces with six sheer white curtains hanging down and tied off to each post on both sides and the end. The bed had been made up with lots of pillows and a big fluffy quilt with a beautiful white lacy cover on it. But the thing that caught and held her attention most of all was hanging above the bed against the back wall, centered between the posts. The most amazing framed photograph she had ever seen hung there. It was of a snow leopard stalking toward the camera in a field of wild grass. The funny thing was, the picture looked exactly like the snow leopard from her dreams. How bizarre.
Dominic, kissing and nibbling his way up her neck, pulled her back from her thoughts, and she quickly glanced around the room at the rest of the furniture. It was all solid Tasmanian Oak and stunning. She had never owned a single piece of brand new furniture before in her life, and now she had a whole bedroom suite that looked like it was all brand new.
/> "So, do you like your new room, beautiful?" Dominic asked as he nibbled on the edge of her ear.
"Oh, Dominic, I love it. It's gorgeous." A sob broke out of her throat, and she turned around and wrapped her arms around his neck and cried into his chest.
"Adele? Are you okay? I wanted to make you happy, not sad. If you don't like it, we can return it and you can pick whatever you like."
She could tell by the tone of his voice she had scared and worried him with her reaction. "The room is perfect, mon amour. It's just, I've never owned anything new before. No one, aside from my mother, has ever given me anything. And I've always dreamed of having a four-poster bed to sleep in. It's just all so much to take in. It's been one hell of a day on my emotions."
Adele let herself go in Dominic's tight embrace. She nuzzled her nose in his neck as she regained her composure. He swept his arm behind her knees, swiftly picking her up. He sat on the bed with her on his lap.
"Why a snow leopard? How did you know I liked them?" she asked softly as she twirled her fingers in the short hair on his neck. She felt him shift a little as if the question unnerved him.
"I don't know. I just saw it there and it made me think of you, so I took a gamble and bought it for you. When Kit saw the picture, she said you'd love it. His voice was a little strained as if his words weren't the whole truth. She frowned briefly before she decided she had other things she'd prefer to spend her energy on.
"Well, I do love it. It looks so at home here in my bedroom...much like you do." She gave him a sly seductive smile.
"I do believe this room needs to be christened. Maybe with a little more than a kiss?"
Dominic chuckled "Why my sweet Adele, I do believe you're right. We best correct that." He pressed his lips against hers as he lowered her to the bed.