Charlotte has been like the energizer bunny, not sitting still at all, running up and down the aisle eager to get to Sydney and back to her princess bedroom. Nick has just set her up in the back with a movie when he takes his seat beside me.
“You okay, you’ve been very quiet,” he notes with a kiss to my temple.
“I’m fine, just thinking about things, this a big change, for all of us.”
“But a good one right?” He asks with a worried look on his face, afraid I may change my mind.
“The best.” I reassure him with a kiss.
Riding the elevator up to the penthouse, Nick has a tight hold of my waist, Charlotte is counting the floors on the screen as we ascend, we both grin at each other stupidly knowing this is our first night here permanently and not just for a visit and that it will be a memorable one to say the least if the way he’s been caressing every inch of my exposed skin for the past two hours.
Stepping in to the living room we’re surprised by all the Moores together with Flynn and his family that are waiting for us in the apartment with a large hand painted welcome home sign and smiles on their faces. A delicious smell is wafting from the kitchen, I look that way and see the breakfast bar is covered in food and I’m suddenly starving. Mary and Greg come up and hug me first, Charlotte runs off towards Melissa and they disappear to her bedroom together. Flynn and Kaylee who’s cradling the baby come up to us. I take the baby and hold her for a minute admiring her, she has grown and changed so much since the last time I saw her. I hand her back to her mother and am engulfed in a massive hug by Flynn.
“Things are finally as they should be.” He whispers in my ear. He steps back before yelling “Let’s eat!”
I was anticipating a quiet night, not a welcoming party, seeing them all here tonight I feel like a true part of the family once again.
“Did you know about this?” I ask Nick turning towards him. He shakes his head at me.
“Not a clue. Welcome home, baby.” I wrap my arms around his neck and rise on my tip toes giving him a kiss.
I’m home.
Chapter 34
Nicholas
After so many months of uncertainty, heartache, worry and second guessing myself I have them back. They’re home and I have never felt more at peace or complete. It wasn’t easy, I never imagined that it would be, I knew I would have to work hard and beg and apologise just to get Alannah to listen to me and give me a chance. By some miracle I managed to work my way back into her heart.
When she told me to take her home out of the blue she shocked me, at first I couldn’t believe what I was hearing, granted it was sooner than we had previously spoken about but I wasn’t going to complain. Seeing the certainty and love in her eyes I could barely contain my eagerness and joy. This woman will never stop amazing me, so I brought them back as soon as was practical and now here we all are, under one roof every morning and every night from now on.
Where would I be today if I never had to have that check up and see that doctor? I truly think I most likely would still be that angry, selfish asshole that pushed everyone away. I would still be drowning myself with alcohol to forget and spending my time working myself to death, still blaming her for everything that went wrong. Thankfully that is no longer the man I am.
Waking up on our first morning here together in our bed I watch her sleep, her naked body radiating heat where she is draped over me. Her hair is spread over her pillow, her little breaths blowing across my chest, she’s the most perfect and beautiful creature, my morning erection begging to have her but after last night I should let her sleep but I’m selfish and won’t ever have enough of her. I kiss her face. She scrunches her nose in annoyance and turns herself around giving me her back.
Taking her right leg, I pull it back holding it between my own opening her body up to me, one arm is trapped underneath her where she is laying on it, my hand grabbing her full breast, my thumb caressing her nipple, I feel it pucker underneath my touch while my free hand finds her folds. I run my fingers lightly up and down her sex playing with her, circling her entrance. I hear her breath hitch.
I know the exact moment she’s awake from the circling movement of her hips. I slowly insert one finger in her warmth gaining a moan from her lips, her juices already coating my finger. I begin moving it in and out of her, her head falling back against my chest as she pants, her hands taking hold of my wrist of the hand that’s working her over. I push my erection into her ass, grinding against it in order to get closer and press my palm to her clit rubbing it at the same time as I enter a second finger into her warmth stretching her.
I continue my ministrations, pulling the arm that is trapped underneath her up and around her neck, peppering kisses on her throat, the muscles of her pussy contracting around me as I bring her closer to her release.
“Let go, baby.”
With an exhale of my name, she cums around my hand, her legs tensing as her orgasm floods my fingers, her core gripping me even tighter.
She shuffles onto her back smiling sleepily at me, I hover over her, fist my erection and guide it to her sex slowly entering her until I’m seated deep within, groaning into her neck. Fucking heaven!
Laying sated afterwards, I’m running my hand up and down her back. It’s nearing eight o’clock and Charlie will be getting up soon.
“What are your plans for the day?” I ask. I need to go into the office to look over some paperwork for a few hours after breakfast but plan on being back by lunchtime if I can. She snuggles closer to me before answering.
“Hmm…unpacking and maybe go visit Rachael and the girls for a while.” Her words die off and she holds onto my waist a little tighter. I take hold of her hair at her nape and gently use it to pull her face up so I can see it. Her small smile not reaching her eyes.
“What is it?” I can tell something is on her mind. She shakes her head at me.
“Nothing, I’m being silly.”
“There’s no such thing, please talk to me.” She settles back onto my chest.
“It’s just, I used to dream of this, of being together again but it was a dream I never allowed myself to actually believe would happen, now that we’re here I don’t know, everything has been going so well, I don’t want to sound insecure and afraid because I’m not but I guess I’m still adjusting to being back here for good. I know what it’s like to be alone and I never want to have those feelings of being without you again.” I wrap my arms around her kissing the top of her head.
“That will never happen. I know the feeling of being without you too, Alannah, I never want to live like that again either. I love you and I promise I will prove how much I do every single day.”
Going about my days at work I’ve been walking on cloud nine. I knew having them home would make me happy but I had no understanding of just how much joy it would bring, waking up and seeing Charlotte doing something as simple as watching cartoons in the living room or the knowledge that Alannah is at the penthouse waiting for me and not on the other side of the country has brought a sense of peace, as if everything if finally right in my life and the way it should be.
I come home to find Alannah and Charlie in the kitchen making cupcakes for dessert. I stand back admiring and observing them, they’re both smiling and giggling over the mess Charlotte has made of herself with the icing as Alannah attempts to clean her. Watching them I get an idea to surprise them. After watching Trolls last week Charlie has become obsessed with that movie and the song, she asks to play it every day so I downloaded it onto my phone for her. I take my phone out of my pocket and find what I’m looking for pressing play, the song coming through loudly on the connected blue tooth speakers in the apartment.