No Place Like Home: The Coming Home Series, Book 1 Read Online Free

at the carnival. “Want to go out and we can catch up? That way you won’t feel like you’re interrupting and I can concentrate on you.”
    What?
    Her eyes went wide and her fingers wrapped around her purse strap as if he were some kind of pod person. “Like a date?”
    “I’m kind of out of practice but I’m trying to be all suave so you’ll take pity on me and say yes.”
    “Charming, too.”
    He decided to own it. “Normally not.”
    “Really?”
    She sounded skeptical or hopeful. He didn’t know which, but he sure as hell wanted a chance to know more.
    “Really. So what do you say? Would you like to go out with me? We could do dinner. Maybe a movie. We could make a whole evening of it.”
    “I’m only in town for a few more days. Truly just to help Kia with the carnival and then I’m gone again.”
    Most of him nodded and thought that sounded perfect. A no-strings-attached something. Then she’d be gone and he wouldn’t have to upset his life. “How about tonight? I know it’s a Thursday and I don’t know what your plans are. But we could grab food at Mario’s and then see what happens after that. Hopefully I won’t bore you too badly with my stories. And I could really use a night of distraction.” Yeah, it came out as a bit of a come on, and he was glad he did it too when he noticed a blush spread across her cheeks.
    “You’re an FBI agent. For me to drop off an envelope with a few papers in it I had to go through a metal detector, be patted down and have my purse contents searched. I have a feeling boring is not going to be our problem.”
    He wanted to ask her all sorts of questions.
    What was your name in high school?
    What are you helping with at the carnival, so I can make sure to be there?
    Can I pat you down?
    How far down does that blush go?
    The last one. That’s the one he really wanted to know the answer to. His fingertips tingled at the mere suggestion that he might get to touch her again later. But he kept it simple and stuck with the easiest question. “What time should I pick you up? And where?”
    He gave himself the benefit of the doubt that she’d say yes, because he certainly wasn’t giving up until she agreed.
    She glanced at her watch and then back up as she nibbled her bottom lip. “How’s seven?”
    “Perfect.”
    “You said Mario’s, right?”
    “Sure did.” He nodded once and walked to the door, swinging it inward to open it, though he hated to let her leave.
    As she stepped past him he offered his hand, she took it automatically and her cool fingers heated his blood for some reason.
    “I’ll meet you there at seven. I bet it’s going to be busy.”
    “Always is around carnival season.”
    She smiled, took a few steps away and then turned back. “It’s been a long while since I stepped foot into Mario’s. What should I wear?”
    “What you have on is perfect. Nothing fancy. Just good food and good company.”
    “That I can most definitely handle. Till tonight, Mr. Johnson. Oh, excuse me! Agent Johnson.”
    In short order she’d turned and walked away.
    And he most definitely watched her.
    He expected her to saunter as if she were on a catwalk. Prowl away like a porn star would, that’s what he waited for. But she didn’t. Not at all.
    Another one of his office mates, Daniel, stuck his head out of his office to stare at her. Then Ralph, and Fernando.
    Eric.
    One at a fucking time down the hall they leaned out to follow her progress as she walked. At the end of the hall she glanced back, and then again as she stopped to stare. She seemed genuinely surprised they were looking at her. Quickly all the backs of his buddies’ heads disappeared, leaving him standing there.
    He might have been drooling.
    Maybe.
    Hopefully she stood too far away to see.
    Half the fun of watching was getting caught. So he winked at her and leaned against the door frame. Looking cool was secondary to concealing the hard-on that immediately sprang to life as he watched her