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Back A Place to Call Home Save as PDF
Chapters (62)
  1. Cover
  2. Dedication
  3. 1
  4. 2
  5. 3
  6. 4
  7. 5
  8. 6
  9. 7
  10. 8
  11. 9
  12. 10
  13. 11
  14. 12
  15. 13
  16. 14
  17. 15
  18. 16
  19. 17
  20. 18
  21. 19
  22. 20
  23. 21
  24. 22
  25. 23
  26. 24
  27. 25
  28. 26
  29. 27
  30. 28
  31. 29
  32. 30
  33. 31
  34. 32
  35. 33
  36. 34
  37. 35
  38. 36
  39. 37
  40. 38
  41. 39
  42. 40
  43. 41
  44. 42
  45. 43
  46. 44
  47. 45
  48. 46
  49. 47
  50. 48
  51. 49
  52. 50
  53. 51
  54. 52
  55. 53
  56. 54
  57. Epilogue
  58. Author’s Note
  59. Acknowledgments
  60. More from Fay Keenan
  61. About the Author
  62. About Boldwood Books

As if it had a mind of its own, Holly’s hand found its way to Charlie’s hair, fingers tangling in his dark, wavy locks and pulling his mouth closer, for a deeper, more intense kiss. He tasted of coffee and sweetness, and her senses reeled as she realised just how much she’d missed him in the time they’d been apart.

‘We can’t,’ Holly gasped when they pulled apart. ‘We shouldn’t…’

‘I know,’ Charlie whispered, ‘but right now, I think we need to.’ He slid an arm around her waist and pressed closer to her, until she had her back against the wall of her living room.

Holly could feel his arousal, and she pressed back against him, one thigh wrapping around his as her senses reeled at his closeness.

‘I think you’re right,’ Holly murmured into the kiss. ‘I’ve missed you.’

‘You have no idea how much I’ve missed you, too,’ Charlie’s voice trembled as he pulled back, just for a moment, to look into Holly’s eyes. ‘Every minute I haven’t been able to call you, to see you, to share my life with you, has been bloody awful.’

Holly pulled him closer to her again, feeling the frantic beating of his heart that matched her own. ‘It’s late,’ she said softly. ‘Do you want to stay?’

‘No pressure,’ Charlie replied. ‘We don’t have to do… anything. I just need to be close to you.’

Holly’s eyes sparkled. ‘That’s very sweet, Charlie, but I have enough trouble keeping my hands off you as it is!’

Charlie laughed, breaking the palpable tension. ‘Well, if you insist, I’m not going to argue.’

Hand in hand, both weak with relief that, for the moment at least, they could acknowledge what still existed between them, they headed off to bed.

51

It was only on Sunday morning that Holly remembered Rachel had been going to pop over on Saturday night after she’d got back from the hospital. Grabbing her phone from the bedside table, she swiped guiltily, wondering if she’d been so caught up in kissing Charlie, and what had happened after the kisses, that she hadn’t heard her sister knocking at the door.

As it was, Rachel had sent an apologetic text at around ten o’clock the previous night saying that she’d got home after their mother had relieved her at the hospital, had a bath and then crashed out. Holly texted back a quick reply, then turned to where Charlie was still dozing in the bed next to her.