Gabbie was nervous. She was clinging to Tobias’s hand while they flew through the air. She couldn’t believe that it had actually worked. That when Cherry blew the explosives it literally killed every single person inside of her father’s rooms made of glass. There hadn’t been a single person to live except for the man who was to take the blame for everything. A man she had no idea what they were all doing with him and she was thankful for that.
She saw the looks that the men and one woman were giving her but she ignored them, they weren’t hostile, they weren’t mean but they weren’t warm and inviting either. In fact the men all looked at her and Tobias as if he had lost his ever loving mind because he had decided to keep her instead of letting her go.
She was still trying to get used to being called Ella, in fact everyone was now calling her Ella and she was doing all she could in order to answer to that name. It was difficult, but she was getting better. Now she rested back against the seat of the plane on the way to America and held tightly to Tobias’s hand so that she could stay in the moment with him.
He gave her fingers a light squeeze and stroked his thumb to her knuckles again. Tobias had done it each time she’d tightened her hold on him. Like he may have understood she was freaking out a lot and need the anchor he was providing her. Turning her head slightly she took a peek at the laptop he’d been working on since they’d taken off. She wasn’t quite sure what he was doing but he definitely had a handle on the one-handed pecking. That he didn’t seem to mind she’d confiscated his other hand made her happy if mildly guilty.
A glass appeared in front of her nose. Jolting back in the seat Gabbie followed the arm up to find Cherry grinning at her. “Thought you might like something to steady your nerves before we head in for the landing. Pilots said it would be another twenty minutes.”
Gabbie grinned up at Cherry and smiled. “Thank you.” She readily took the drink and took a sip. “Am I that transparent? That I needed something to help me calm down?” She didn’t realize that her nerves were that apparent while she was sitting there. She knew that Tobias knew she was an absolute wreck but didn’t think everyone else would know it.
“Well you have a death grip on the boss, your knee is bobbing a million miles an hour and I can hear your throat clicking from the nervous swallowing you’re doing every thirty-seven to forty-five seconds. Trust me, the only ones who haven’t noticed how nervous you are, are the pilots. And that would only be because they have a door they insist on keeping closed due to some pansy ass law or something.”
Gabbie chuckled and shook her head. “Well thank you for this. Yes, I am nervous. I’m very nervous. I’m terrified that this isn’t going to work out, that, somehow, I will be caught in customs or something of the sort. I know just how silly that sounds but there it is. The truth. If it weren’t for Tobias holding me together I think that I likely would have jumped out of my own skin by now.” She took another drink and felt the burn of the booze easing its way down her throat and sighed as it hit her stomach, calming her slightly.
“You’ll be fine. Believe you are indeed Ella Winchester, and they will believe it too. Don’t oversell, don’t chatter, and don’t fidget. You belong there, you’ve done nothing wrong, and even if they pull you aside for a more thorough search of your bags don’t freak out. They do it all the time, it’s completely random and based on what the trained customs guys are seeing in front of them. Do you need to go over the cover story again?” Cherry asked shifting her weight to lean against the seat next to her.
“Yes, please. If you don’t mind? I want to get it as close to perfect as I possibly can.” She had turned to give Cherry more of her attention and actually released Tobias’s hand. “I’m Ella Winchester and I was vacationing in Columbia. I ran into you guys on a beach and figured that since you guys were American as well and I was alone I decided to hang out with you all. It helped that I had the hots for one of your friends. You and I became close friends but it was really Tobias that I was interested in. It took us only a couple of days before Tobias and I were far more than friends.” At least she hoped that was still it.
“Good, really good. Now remember to get a little dreamy when you say that last part. And think about something naughty too, it’ll help you blush which will sell it even more. Just remember this is only if they ask. The customs guy or gal will ask your reasons for being there, keep it short. Vacation. What did you do while there? Hit the beach, made some friends with a few fellow Americans and saw the sights. Okay? Short, on point, and don’t go too elaborate or it’ll start sounding forced.” Cherry turned the seat she’d been leaning against and sat to face her. “Let’s do it like I’m the customs agent. Reason for your trip to Columbia, Ms. Winchester?”
“Vacation.” She replied in a one word answer. When Cherry asked her what she did while there she repeated what Cherry had said, ensuring to accentuate the whole friends part when she said Tobias’s name. That part wasn’t hard at all. She thought about the man and she got wet and dreamy, her face flushed red or at least she assumed so since she felt heat in her cheeks. “So, how did I do?” She asked Cherry with a grin.
“Damn,” she breathed out. Fanning her face Cherry shook her head hard. “I absolutely believed it, if you say it like that again you’ll have the customs agent wiggle around in his or her seat for sure. You’ve got this nailed down. Just keep repeating to yourself to keep it short, sweet, and concise. Only expand on answers when they ask questions that require you to and you’ll be through in no time at all. Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to find some ice to stuff into my thong.”
Gabbie laughed and shook her head. When Cherry was gone she realized that Tobias was looking at her again and she winked. “Cherry is something else. I like her, a lot. She’s funny and doesn’t give a shit what anyone thinks about what she says or does. I want to be like that one day.” Cherry was certainly a one of a kind woman, she was also a sweetheart.
“She’s definitely unique,” he agreed. She noticed he’s shut down the laptop and turned his full attention on her. Instantly she felt all melty and leaned closer to him. “You’ll do fine, Ella. You’ve got this, and it’s like any other trip you’ve ever taken. Be yourself and stay relaxed. You did just return from vacation so you need to become that person.”
“This is very true.” Although typically when she returned home from vacation she was never put through customs, ever. “I look forward to getting to know where you live and work. Where is that by the way? You never did tell me where home was going to be. I should know that part for my story as well, right?”
“Virginia,” he said. “I have a place out on Mt. Vernon, in the Woodland Park area. Good size lots, and plenty of privacy. We have an office space in Alexandria that we occasionally all cohabitate although we can do most things from home and really only go in for client meetings and training drills as a team.”
“Isn’t modern technology amazing? You can do video conferences and all that without having to get out of your PJ’s. I love it. Do the others live near you as well?” She wasn’t certain if they all lived in the same general area or if they lived all around Virginia. “So, do I get to come home with you?” She asked him hopefully.
“You are definitely coming home with me,” he told her firmly. “The other’s live in different communities but we’re all roughly the same distance from the office. Winston lives the furthest from me and the closest to Washington while still remaining in Virginia.” Then he leaned in, brushed his lips to her ear, and whispered that he didn’t own any pajamas.
She just looked at him after that and licked her lips. “Oh.” Was all she could say. “Well then I suppose that is one thing that I don’t have to worry about purchasing either.” She never slept in pajamas. If she had to sleep in anything she would sleep in panties and her bra but that was it. “I think that I’m going to like being from Virginia.” She told him with a smile and leaned in again. She pressed her cheek to his and asked him if he wanted to join the mile-high club with her. Cheesy, she knew, but why not?
“We’re ten minutes from landing,” he said with a smirk. “We’ll join the club the next time we take a flight somewhere and when we don’t have an avid audience. Besides, I want our first time to be in my California king sized bed. Along with the second, third and fourth time. After that we can talk about other rooms to get down to business in.”
She shivered and licked her lips. Nodding she took his hand again. “Okay, I think that I can totally get behind that plan. I like that idea a great deal. Of knowing that you will be here with me and we will be able to have time alone. So, California king huh? Please tell me it’s soft and comfortable?”
“Firm mattress, extra thick pillow top and several pillows. I like a few to snuggle into after years of sleeping on rocks and sand, don’t judge.” Giving a sniff Tobias threw her a wink and paused when the pilots announced landing would be in six minutes and for everyone to buckle up if they weren’t already. Cherry breezed by to snatch her almost empty glass from her hand disappearing up front with it quickly. “I think you’ll quite enjoy it. I see us both collapsing on it and sleeping the night through without much movement the first evening.”
“I look forward to that as well. It will be very nice to be able to actually sleep more than a few minutes at a time. I don’t want to have to wake at all for about eight hours, minimum. Think you can make that happen for us? Ensure that we are able to sleep a whole night through so that we don’t have to stress about times and when people will be back and all that fun stuff?”
“I can definitely make that happen. I can even get us a good meal that neither one of us has had to cook, hot and ready to serve the moment we arrive. Once we clear the airport remind me to call it in.” Straightening his seatback Tobias let her hand go only long enough to put his laptop into the case, and into his carry-on that he stowed back under his seat. He took her hand in his once he leaned back in his seat providing her with the comfort she needed.
“Sounds brilliant to me. Wait, how will you be able to get a fully cooked meal ready at your home? Do you have someone living with you that I should know about?” She didn’t think she was intruding on anyone else’s love life but maybe he had a relative that lived with him or something?
“Not even. I have a couple friends who own or are partners in restaurants around town who are always willing to make me a meal. Something in their genetic coding that insists they feed those who don’t have the time to cook. Probably why they got into the business. I call one up and about thirty minutes later I have piping hot meals on my doorstep, or whenever I tell them I’ll be home.”
“Those are some amazing friends to have.” Gabbie was impressed, very. “Well, I love all foods and have no allergies so whatever you might want will be good with me. Do you have any ideas as to what you might want to eat by the way?” She didn’t know what the friends specialized in, after all.
“I’m thinking the steak house. Big ass juicy T-bone with mushrooms, a twice baked potato with all the fixings and for dessert something horribly sinful and full of calories that I’ll need to burn off in my morning workout. Unless you’d rather I get salad.”
“Oh god that sounds so good. No, food. Lots of food. Besides, do I look as if I am a salad gal?” She loved food and it showed. “Can you get me extra bacon and cheese on my twice baked potatoes?” She asked hopefully. “And your morning workout, would that have something to do with me, I hope?” She wanted to be able to help him burn off the calories just as he would help her burn them off.
“I can get you whatever you’d like, sweetheart. We’ll talk about my morning workout over dinner,” he said. Leaning in he gave her a kiss at the same moment she heard the flaps moving and a change in their forward momentum. When her ears popped she knew they were into their descent.
“Good timing.” She spoke against his lips. She moved in closer and gave him a kiss on the cheek. “Then I really can’t wait for dinner because I look forward to knowing just what your workout will entail and if I can please be a part of it. I will have a number of calories to burn off as well you know.”
“We’ll work something out that is mutually beneficial to us both.” He nipped her earlobe and gave it a light tug. Sitting back in his seat he squeezed her fingers as their airspeed slowed and then they made contact with the tarmac. Instantly the pilots threw the engines into reverse to slow their forward momentum shaking everyone and everything around until they were at a pace they could navigate along the various runways toward the terminal.
“I’m glad that we will.” She held onto his hand tightly and took a deep breath. “Now then, I need to get my act together and ready for the possibility of having to go through customs.” She teased him. “I’m hoping that they will pick someone else other than me.”
“It’ll be fine. Calm, happy vacationer returning home after a well-deserved trip. You’re in love, the future is bright and shiny, and there is to be many rounds of wild sex in the coming hours. Piece of cake,” he said with a smile.
“I am in love. Funny how quickly that happened don’t you think?” She knew that what she felt for him was real and everlasting, even if it had happened so quickly. “I’m keeping you, Tobias Casey, forever and ever. I want you to know that.”
“Makes this easier. Kidnapping is so last season and we’ve already done that which means I would have had to come up with some other plan to keep you within my clutches. I have plans for you, Ms. Winchester. Many plans.”
“Oh I love the way that you say that.” She licked her lips and then bit her lower lip. “And yes, you took me once so there is no reason to kidnap me again. Right?” Besides, she actually hadn’t been hard to kidnap, not really. Well, not once she realized just what her father was. It was easy to keep her that way.
“Precisely. The next time I tie you up it won’t be in a barren room and to a chair. That really isn’t conducive to wild and kinky sex. At least not with you sitting down anyway. But we’ll leave that for later once we get you beyond the beginner steps and into the more adventurous things we can get up to.”
“Oh, heaven’s sakes, I so look forward to that one.” She fanned herself and smirked. “Next time I look forward to it. Just remember to use silk ties on me.” She knew that he would. He would do anything to keep her safe and using silk on her would be one of them.
“You’ll only be wearing silk scarves and a smile, sweetheart.” The plane wobbled to a stop and instantly everyone was up on their feet. Tobias moved slower giving a stretch and then collecting his bag. He grabbed hers down from the overhead and handed it over. “You have your passport and customs form ready, right?” he asked as they moved to the front to wait on the pilot to pop the door open.
“I do at that.” She held them up and reached for his hand. “Don’t go too far from me?” She whispered. “I’m scared and I need you close to me. I feel better, safer with you around.” Which he already knew. He was her rock.
“You will be fine. I’ll walk with you through to the customs area, but then we need to separate into different lines. It’ll speed the process up some. I won’t be far even there, promise.” He gave her fingers a squeeze before slipping his arm around her waist to hug her close to his side. She knew they’d have a bit of a walk ahead of them and he appeared to be in no huge rush but was moving at a decent and steady speed.
“Sounds like a plan to me.” She moved along at his side, she noticed that the men and Cherry moved so that they were semi-flanking them. She kept her hand firmly in Tobias’s until it was time to separate. She then moved away from him and they all went through customs. Thankfully she hadn’t been stopped by a customs officer. She had been more than a little surprised but she would take it.
Once they were in the main area of the airport she looked up at Tobias once more and grinned. “Alright, well I guess that it’s time for you to take me home?”
“Definitely,” he said. “Let’s head out. I have a feeling there’s going to be a mortgage worth of fees from the long-term parking. Not looking forward to that part. First though we should get you bundled up. The weather’s cooler here than what you’re used to.”
“Do they sell sweaters or coats here in the airport?” She asked him as she stroked her fingers over his hand. “And won’t you be reimbursed with the parking fees? And please tell me that you guys didn’t all bring your own vehicles. That would be some serious parking fees.”
“No, some of us actually car pooled here,” he said with a grin. Stopping he dropped his bag and crouched to dig through. He came up with a sweater for her that he shook out, and passed over. “Absolutely no need to buy something when we have you covered. You slip that on and then we can make a run for the truck.”
She slipped the sweater on and lifted it to her nose to inhale it. “It smells like you. Much better than buying something new.” Which was true. She really did like the fact that he pretty much had her covered no matter what he needed. “And you are certain that you aren’t married or have never been married? Because you are just too perfect.”
“Not married, and definitely haven’t been. At least not that I can recall or that the state of Virginia has on record. I’m a military man and they taught us to anticipate any situational requirements. Besides it was damn cold when we left the country so I was actually wearing it when I dragged my ass here at four in the morning for our flight out.” Bag hooked over his shoulder again he slid his free arm around her waist while they walked toward the exit.
“Well I don’t want to take your sweater from you if it means that you are going to be cold. I can’t.” Gabbie moved to pull the sweater off and offer it back to him. “Tobias, I don’t want you to be uncomfortable. I would rather be cold than have you give up comfort for me.” She wasn’t touching the part about him being a military man, that much she had gotten just by how large and how powerful that he was.
“Keep it on, sweetheart. You’ll need it more than I will, trust me.” He adjusted it back onto her shoulders and squeezed her in close. Pressing a kiss to her temple he swept her through the sliding doors and out into the chilly, mildly overcast day. “All I need to do is think about having you all to myself for several days, naked naturally, and I’m plenty warm enough to withstand a small chill.”
That had her looking up sharply at him. “God, I love the way that sounds.” She was now happy for the sweater she realized as she shivered. “Thank you, Tobias. Again, for taking such great care of me. I look forward to having you getting me naked and doing all sorts of things to me. I can’t wait.”
“You’ll need to wait a little longer sadly.” Grinning he kept her close as they got onto the airport shuttle to take them to the long-term parking lot. He sat near the back and pulled her in close to his side. “When we get to my truck remind me to call and arrange our meal. Either wise you will have to make due with whatever may be growing in my fridge.”
“Okay, seriously don’t want to have whatever might be in your fridge with as long as it sounds you were gone. How long were you guys waiting by the way? Before I came home?” She asked softly. “And food is good, very good. Will we need to make a run to a grocery store tomorrow sometime?”
“We’ve been gone nearly a month, and yes we will be going to get groceries tomorrow. Need to at least have some items around to snack on even if my cooking skills are limited. Unless we’re talking grilling and then I’m pretty good. Sadly, my stove skills are mostly centered around breakfast meals. I’m an expert egg scrambler I will have you know.”
She laughed, “I think it’s a good thing then that I took all of those cooking classes huh? I’m actually pretty good with the whole cooking thing. I enjoy it so that will be something that I can contribute and I look forward to being able to do it. I want to give back to you as much as you give to me.”
“I haven’t exactly done all that much, sweetheart. Between kidnapping you, ruining your life, and then pretty much smuggling you out of the country what is it that I’ve done? Nothing good I can tell you,” he muttered. Tobias pulled her in closer to him. “I keep wondering if your life would have been better off if we never had met. It hurts to think about missing out on you, but really all I’ve done is thrash everything you’ve believed in up to a week ago.”
Gabbie shook her head and turned on the seat to face him. “No. No, Tobias don’t think that. You are very good to me. My life is good and I’m happy to have you in it. Yes, you opened my eyes to a lot of different things and have torn my life apart but you have been there the whole time and you’ve kept me together. I couldn’t ask for anything better than that, Tobias. Plus, when we add in how attracted to you and how fast and how hard I’ve fallen for you I think that you were meant to come to me. You and I belong. I feel that, don’t you?”
Cupping her face, he searched her eyes for a time, and must have found whatever he needed to see because he seemed to relax. Tobias gave a nod and leaned in to brush his lips over hers. “I definitely feel like I’ve found a missing piece I never realized I was without. You and I fit, there’s no other word for it that I can think up. At least, not at the moment, but that may only be because of the lack of blood in my brain whenever you are near.”
“You are too funny.” She said and leaned in so that she could brush her lips to his. “Now, we have to get home, get ourselves fed with delivery and then we will get very naked together. I absolutely love and want to be naked with you.” She couldn’t wait for it actually. They hadn’t come together in Brazil but god she wanted to now. She needed to have him now.
“We’ll get to that in time. Starting with a shower in my awesome bathroom. One that’s built for someone my size instead of that closet I’ve had to use for the last month. It has plenty of room in it for you too, in case you were wondering and I’m big into water conservation so shared showers are a must.”
“Oh, we definitely have to conserve water.” She felt her whole body warming with the idea of having him naked and wet with her. “I really enjoy the idea of us doing all sorts of things in your home. What might be our home one day. At least I’m hoping that it will be our home one day.”
“It can definitely be our home if you like it. It needs a woman’s touch, which you’ll see for yourself in about forty minutes. This is our drop off point, sweetheart.” The bus slowed and then came to a stop with a couple others getting up to climb off with them including a couple of his team members who threw them waves before disappearing around the bus to find their own vehicles.
She loved how he kept reaching for her hand and squeezed his in return. “I can’t wait to see the house and if we need to spend money to make it look better we will. We will do whatever it is that we have to do in order to make the house fully ours, no one else’s just ours. I want and need to be part of your forever life and that starts with the house.”
“It starts with us first, Ella. The house is merely an abode in which we shall dwell, sleep, and have mad sex romps.” Clambering down from the bus he turned to give her a hand and then tucking her close led her quickly through a couple rows. He dug out keys and popped the locks helping her up into the surprisingly warm vehicle. “Car starter, I clicked it once I knew we were in range. Don’t need you getting anything important overly chilled now do we?”
“Oh, you are so smart.” Damn she didn’t even think about that. She hadn’t thought about a car warmer. “I love that.” She said with a grin. “The car is nice and warm, love it.” She nestled back into the seat and let out a sigh. “And seat warmers to boot. Goodness you are a very good man.”
“I like to have my bottom toasty warm on cold days, what can I say.” Grinning he shut her door and after tossing their bags into the back got in behind the steering wheel. A minute later he had them underway to getting free from the long-term parking maze.
“And the back as well. I bet that it’s incredible on your back when you are suffering from cramps, although you wouldn’t have to worry about cramps I would say.” She had terrible cramps from time to time and had to have heating pads during that time, this was just as good as a heating pad actually.
“Can’t say I’ve ever suffered from more than the occasional muscle cramp after a particularly vigorous workout with the team. But I have the distinct impression that isn’t the sort you’re referring to. Which, should that be the case, you will be happy to know I have a couple decent sized heating pads at the house. Again, normally reserved for overused muscles but they can be easily retasked for the new lady in residence.”
“Thank goodness. I look forward to you taking care of me during that time. I want to know what it will feel like to have you looking after me during that time. I like hot chocolate and a heating pad when I’m cramping. Just for future knowledge.” She added with a grin.
“Copy that, duly noted for future incidents. Anything else you need to tell me about that I should know so I’m not walking into the proverbial minefield, my sweet? You know, since I’m a man who while of above average intelligence still occasionally misses the obvious signals from the opposite sex.”
“I will tell you when I’m feeling crampy and PMS’y, okay? That way you don’t have to try to guess about anything. I want to always be there for you. I want to have you as a partner and that means talking to each other. I won’t hold things back, that’s something else you should know. I will always tell you what I’m feeling, when I’m feeling it.”
“Good to hear,” he told her. Reaching out he took her hand in his and laced their fingers together. “Goes both ways, although I have been told I brood so you might need to poke me occasionally. I want to be there for you through each step forward into our new life. It’s an adventure I’m looking forward to, sweetheart.”
“Same here. It’s going to be a ball learning you, learning what makes you tick and everything else. Now, drive darling man because I really want food, a shower with you and then want to check out that fabulous bed that you are talking about. I can’t wait to try it out.”
Grinning he stopped at a light and hit a button on the steering wheel. A couple rings later the call was picked up and he asked to talk to the chef giving his name. Quickly enough he was put through and soon was chatting with the woman she assumed was the chef. A couple minutes of chatter and then he placed the order ending with a request for something special for their dessert. Hanging up he looked her way. “Be ready to have your tastebuds singing and dancing in your mouth. Bernice makes the best damn double baked potatoes on the planet.”
“God that sounds good. I happen to love potatoes. They are my comfort food, so thanks for ordering them. As for the dessert, what do you think that she will make for us?”
“No clue, but I trust her. She’s used me as her guinea pig on more than one occasion for new recipes. Which is a good thing in a way, getting to try stuff before she puts it on the menu. It’s like a sneak preview of something pretty damn amazing.”
“Oh, and because I’m with you right now I get to have a part of that preview menu as well? Or will she be mad because you’ve hooked up with someone and it’s not her?” Women typically did things like what Bernice did for Tobias to impress them because they were attracted or they were related in some way.
“Ha!” He started laughing and sounded like he might not stop. Eventually he wound down to a couple inelegant snorts and let out a long sigh. “Bernie’s wife might have something to say about that. She’s been happily married for the last two years. Her wife can’t eat anything with processed sugars so it’s been Bernie’s new life goal to find ways to still create these elegant over the top desserts but in a way that her wife can enjoy them. Not every dessert on the menu is without the sugars, but a good portion are. She’s got an equally balanced menu at the restaurant for everyone out there whether they are vegan, a celiac, or have some unusual allergy. And even if the menu doesn’t offer something up the guests can ask her to come up with something. She has it as the challenge the chef option on the menu’s, and the only requirement is that your allergy must be one hundred percent real. No fucking with the chef because she owns large blades and has been trained to use them. I think she even has a little ninja figure on there to emphasis the point.”
She snorted, “Little ninja’s huh? I love it.” So, she wasn’t going to have to compete for his affection. She liked that. A lot. “Well then I look forward to anything. As I said I don’t have any allergies so I’m good with anything. Potatoes however are a weakness just as gnocchi is. I know how odd those foods are for me to love when I’m Brazilian not Italian or whatever but I adore those foods.”
“I think when it comes to comfort foods who cares where they are from, or if they are of your nationality. If they comfort you that’s the only thing that really matters. Then again, I can say that being a mutt myself. Pretty sure I have half the world swimming through my veins, likely why I was so comfortable for the many years in the Marine’s being shipped all over the map. I will admit that now I’m damn glad to have a home to go to though.”
“I like that. I wish that I was more nationally generic.” Her father had been Brazilian and her mother had been Swedish. That was the only mix in her genetics. “Marines. It suites you. I’m glad that you did what you did because it brought you to me. Do you and your friends own a firm and hire out or do you still do wet work for the military?”
“We have our own company and hire out. As to what we may or may not do for the military I am unable to confirm nor deny if we do or do not have any involvement now or potentially in the future.” He said it with a perfectly straight face and in the classic monotonal drone. Then he grinned and snickered. “Sorry, sweetheart, but them be the rules.”
“That’s okay, I’m perfectly fine with you not telling me. I would never want you to do anything that would get you into any sort of trouble. That’s the very last thing that I would want actually.” He meant too much to her so she was ready to keep his secrets if she needed to. “I think that I need to figure out what I will do in life once we are home.”
“No immediate rush. Take a few days, figure your way around and then think on it. Who knows maybe it’ll jump out and tackle you from left field. Besides we’re taking a couple days down time once I let the client know and send confirmation to them. We can sit back and relax while getting to know one another better and in a much less stressful situation than we’ve been in of late.”
“I really like that idea. Less stress would be nice. Even when I was away from my father I was also always under his control and stressed to the max. Being able to take time and figure out what I want will be good so thanks for that.” She leaned her head back and closed her eyes. “Do you need an IT person? I am semi-good with a computer as you could see.” She was teasing him now, sort of.
“Babe, there was no semi about it, you’d damn fucking good. Rainer’s our IT guy but I’m sure he wouldn’t mind a hand from time to time. You can broach the subject when next they invade the house for a free meal and whatever sports game is on the TV.”
“Sounds like a plan. I don’t want to replace him and god only knows I don’t want or need a full-time position but from time to time it would be nice to be able to do something outside of the house, something other than shop. I’ve done that far too long. Who knows, maybe I will also do some volunteer work, if you think that I would be safe doing it?”
“Not immediately but I don’t see why not in the future. We’ll be keeping an eye on things back in Brazil to ensure that no one even considers looking for you. Rainer did a great job hiding you and to all intents and purposes you’ve ceased to exist. Your current identity has a solid backstory and he’ll continue to fill in any holes he finds for the next while until it’s impenetrable.”
“Should I get my hair cut, colored and changed? I’ve always wanted to have red hair and have it chemically straightened so that my curls don’t go wild. That would be a huge change for me.” She would still be slightly tanned, but that was something she would never be able to change.
“Whatever you want to do, sweetheart. Just do me a favor and warn me before you do anything that drastic. I’d hate to react thinking you weren’t you and get myself in the doghouse for life do to those actions. That would suck ass.”
She snorted in laughter. “Well I think I will get my hair at least chemically straightened. I am not sure about the color change, but I do want to get it straightened. My curls are wild and crazy so I would love to have them tamed down.”
“I like the curls but it is your hair, sweetheart.” He sped up and merged into traffic working across a couple lanes to an exit he took them onto. “We’re about five minutes from the house. If I timed things right Bernice’s delivery guy should be arriving about ten minutes after we get inside and dump our gear.”
“Good because I’m starving.” She admitted. “I’m just happy that you haven’t heard my stomach growling.” She told him and leaned her head back again. “I like my curls, however the bad thing about them is the upkeep. I have to put so much product in my hair that it takes forever to get the curls to keep from getting all frizzy and out of control.”
“I haven’t heard anything from over there. While we wait on the food I’ll give you at least a partial tour. We can start upstairs and work down. Depending on when the food gets there we’ll do the rest of the place after our meal when we’re both stuffed and need to move around.”
“Sounds good. If we don’t see the whole place tonight that’s fine too. As long as I know where our bed is, the bathroom and that amazing shower you’ve talked up, and the kitchen are then I’m good.” And he had talked up the shower and now she couldn’t wait to get fed and get into it so she could see every single inch of him.
Chuckling he shrugged. “It is a great shower. I went all out when I had it redone, pretty much the only room that was torn right out and rebuilt from scratch. I did get rid of all the carpet and put in hardwood throughout except the kitchen and bathrooms which have stone flooring for ease with spills and the like. But I really haven’t done much else through the place. It’s a blank slate waiting for someone with some artistic vision to put their stamp on it. Hint, hint.”
She did laugh and loved it. “I like the fact that it’s a blank slate. I hate carpet so I’m glad that it’s gone. Kitchens and bathrooms should never have wood flooring so smart choice there as well. You have made a number of great choices and we will see what I can do in order to make it more of our home.”
“Pretty sure anything you do will be a serious improvement. In a couple minutes you’ll be able to see for yourself.” For the rest of the ride they chatted about his neighborhood as she tried to get a feel for where she’d be living. It sounded like a great place to call home in her opinion.