Page 49 of Strip Search

“We’ll deal. I’m not going anywhere. Mol, twenty years in the Marines, I never had anyone that wanted to wait for me. Never had anyoneIwanted to wait for me either. You’re the game changer, babe.”

“I’m scared. Of all of this. What if I’m not good enough for what they expect of me?” she confesses.

“I know you’re good enough. Shit, you’re more than enough for them.” I tilt her head up again.

A small smile breaks on her face. “Hunter said you gave a glowing recommendation.”

“I did. I told him he’d been damn lucky to have you on his team. And that I’d have his ass if he let anything happen to you or didn’t take care of you,” I tell her as I place a kiss on her forehead.

She playfully smacks my chest and shakes her head.

“You know, I didn’t even make it to the main course? I heard everything I needed to hear over a glass of wine,” she says as I let her go.

“Eat up then, you’ll need it,” I smirk, and she rolls her eyes.

Later that night, I’m holding Molly in my arms after another round of lovemaking when she looks up at me and sighs. “I think, I’m going to take the job offer.”

“You should. It’s a good move for you.” I’m still not thrilled with the idea of not having her around at work anymore, but this is a great opportunity. One that she shouldn’t turn down.

“If I take it, I’m going to sell my condo. There’s no point in paying someone to maintain it when I travel, and I don’t want to be bothered with renting it out.”

“So, basically you’re saying that you’re moving the rest of your crap over to my place?”

Molly pokes my side. “If the offer still stands.”

Hearing her say she’s selling her place feels like an answered prayer. I’d practically been begging for her to move in with me since we made thing’s official. I can’t resist the urge to tease her though, “Nah. I think I like being a bachelor. Having the place to myself when you’re not around, now that Cody’s moving out.”

“You’re a dick.”

“Molly, I think the only thing you have left at your condo is furniture, baby. Everything else has slowly migrated here.” I tell her while running my fingers up and down her arm.

“I could sell everything, or sell the condo fully furnished. There are only a few pieces I really want to keep.”

“Whatever you want to do.”

“You’re not being very helpful, Cole.”

“Molly,” I yawn.

“Yeah?”

“It’s after midnight. I’m helpful between the hours of six am and ten pm. Go to sleep.”

Molly huffs. “That wasn’t the case last night.”

“No, you’re right. It wasn’t.” Last night, neither of us slept. I had my girl every way I could take her. “I’m happy to help you in that way, anytime. Decision making should be reserved between the previously noted hours.”

“Fine. I’m going to sleep.”

“Night.” I lean down and kiss the top of her head. “Love you, Molly.”

“Yeah, love you too.”

As her eyes drift closed, I watch her sleep – listening to her breath even out as she relaxes against me. This job offer puts a lot of things in perspective now. I was an idiot for putting her in the friend zone for so long. Hell, I’m an idiot for half of the stupid things I did in my past for that matter. If I’ve ever had one regret, right now, it would be the fact that I didn’t take a chance onussooner. Now, I’ll be loving her from a distance while she chases her dreams.

That only means one thing, we move forward with no regrets. Take full advantage of every moment we have together. Starting with tomorrow.

Untangling myself from her sleeping form, I sneak downstairs to my home office and fire up the computer. That vacation, I’ve been thinking about since the takedown, is happening, now. She said she’s got two weeks to make up her mind about the DEA gig, and they may want her to start right away. I can’t think of a better way to spend that time, than with her – somewhere far away from here.

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