*I must say that the last chapter was partially derailed from my original plan when I wrote it because of the death of a family friend. While Raph was sympathetic, he wasn't satisfied. This chapter was the product of two characters demanding to have their own way.
Raphael took his time stretching out, intentionally stalling longer than necessary in the dojo. He'd been listening to the normal early evening ruckus through the partially open door, but now that the sounds had faded, he had a good feeling that his tactic was successful.
Silently the red-masked turtle got to his feet and trotted to the door. He'd no sooner rested a hand on the doorframe than he sensed someone leaning against the wall from the other side. The door was pushed inward, and he grinned at the sight of Karina resting one hand on her hip.
"Caught you, didn't I? What are you hiding back here for, Raph?"
He offered her a cocky look. "C'mere and I'll show you." He backed up a couple of paces to get the bronze-haired woman to follow him.
She gave him a tolerant smile as she sashayed after him. "Does this mean I factor into your little plan somehow?"
The turtle engulfed her waist with both hands. "It'd be nice if you did. Everybody else gone?"
"They're probably sitting down to eat upstairs as we speak. You're lucky I didn't leave without you."
"I knew you wouldn't, Chica."
The woman pulled just far enough away to drive him crazy. "But I could have."
"Nah – you're looking for some alone time too. I can see it in your eyes."
She blinked innocently. "Is that what you think?"
He snapped his fingers around her wrist without applying true pressure, drawing her back to him. "I don't think – I know."
"Sounds like I might be too predictable."
Raphael made a scoffing sound. "I don't know what you're gonna do next half the time. I was only hoping you were craving me as much I want you."
Her eyes became so serious that it startled him. "That hasn't changed, Tortuga. We may be the adults, but we don't always have to act like it."
The warmth of her skin caressed him as she surrendered to his embrace. Raphael traced his fingers lightly up her neck, guiding her chin to the perfect angle. When they kissed her lips tasted sweet, speaking of the tangerine-flavored gloss she enjoyed teasing him with sometimes.
Surprise made him pull up short. "You did know what I was after."
Karina smiled smugly as she weaved her fingers through his mask-tails. "A woman has needs of her own."
"You feel like talking about these 'needs'?"
She shook her head coyly. "Don't you prefer action to discussion?"
Raphael's chuckle was cut short when the woman wrapped her arms around his neck. Her green eyes held his calmly, but the smile behind them was impossible to miss.
"What were your plans for this evening, Tortuga?"
"I'm pretty used to winging it these days, Kari. I'll take any second I can get where someone isn't banging down our door."
Karina looked over his shoulder. "Well…there's no one banging down the door right now."
"I thought you were gonna be about the action, Chica. You're taking things awful slow."
"All in good time, my dea—"
He unceremoniously lifted her around the waist and walked her to the door without her feet touching the ground. "All in good time," he repeated. "We'll waste half our time if you keep teasing."
Karina laughed. "The family is well contained on the seventh floor, Raph."
"I'm not taking any chances," he retorted, setting her down in the hallway. "Are you gonna come willingly, or make me sweat this out longer than you got to?"
She tossed bronze hair out of her face with a flick of her wrist. "I'll be nice, for tonight." The woman took a couple of steps backwards, touching the wall with one hand to be sure of where she was going. Her gaze never left the turtle, and he swore his temperature rose about ten degrees in the time it took for Karina to make it to the stairs.
Karina's pace picked up when she reached the staircase, much to Raphael's relief. He'd been prepared to throw her over his shell if it was required, but it was the woman who led the way back to their room upstairs. He caught himself watching the curves of her hips more than where he was going. She could have been leading him off a cliff, and he wouldn't have known the difference.
The scent of sandalwood hit Raphael when he crossed through their doorway, and he knew without a doubt that she'd planned on going after him. The inspiration driven by her preparation made the turtle spin her around on the spot and capture his wife in a kiss that was passionate enough to startle her.
Karina melted against his plastron as she kissed him back eagerly. Raphael felt blindly behind him, trying to determine how far away from their bed they were without actually letting the woman go. His flailing hand found nothing, and his head felt slightly dizzy by the time he finally exhaled.
Karina's hands rested heavily on his shoulders, like she was relying on him for balance too. "You're about to make me pass out, Tortuga," she murmured.
He swept an arm behind her back as they took the last steps to their bed together. Karina flopped down on her side, one hand already fingering the buttons on her shirt.
"It's been a while since I felt that," she admitted, still breathless.
The turtle lowered down beside the woman and tugged on her collar longingly. "We just gotta make more time, Kari. I swear nothing else has changed, except that we live in a bigger zoo than ever."
Karina finished unbuttoning her shirt and rolled over his direction. He allowed the woman to push him down on his shell, and nodded appreciatively at her bold red undergarment.
She smirked once more. "Put it on this morning for good luck."
He nearly snorted with laughter. "What luck do ya think you need?"
Karina settled on top of his plastron with a chuckle. "Landing you is the easy part. Getting everything else to fall into place – not so much. This is the third time this week I've tried to work it out."
"Say what? Kari, you gotta speak up! I've always got time for you."
She shrugged. "It's more fun when we're both gunning for the same thing."
"I don't know, Chica. Being seduced by you is cool too."
He felt a momentary tingle as her hand grazed his cheek. When she kissed him again the sweetness of her lip gloss was gone, but heat rapidly built in its place. The turtle was lost in a partial daze by the time their lips parted again, and his expression must have amused Karina.
The woman's shoulders shook as she tried to muffle a giggle.
"You laughin' at me?" he drawled lazily, not embarrassed though it seemed he should have been.
"You're all red, Tortuga."
"That's 'cause I like it when we're on the same page too, Chica."
"Before I'm finished with you, you're going to love it," she emphasized.
He grinned with anticipation. "Less talk. More action."
Raphael was subdued as he boarded the elevator with Karina, but it wasn't a bad feeling. She sidled up beside him while the elevator began to rise into the main building, and he rubbed the soft material of her fresh blouse under his palm. The woman didn't say anything, but the look she gave him was enough to make him reminisce about how close they'd just been.
The lower levels of the building were set aside for mostly business purposes, including Karina's and Calley's studio, Becky's office for the non-profit organization, and space for Jenna to record. The higher levels had been customized into condos for their extended family and friends. While it wasn't unusual for everyone to gather underground, the party sometimes found its way upstairs to a special wing on the 7th floor designed as a secondary living area large enough to accommodate everyone at once.
Plus it's got the best view in the house, he thought ironically.
When the elevator rose above the fourth floor, the glassed in side came into view, and the entire city-scape was lit up before their eyes. It was still an impressive sight, no matter how many times the red-masked turtle had seen it.
The chime of the elevator indicated that they'd reached their destination, and there was a welcoming party waiting when the doors opened.
"Hi, Mommy! Hi, Daddy!" Olivia waved excitedly. "We're dancing!"
Raphael smiled and knuckled the girl's shoulder affectionately. "Sounds like fun, Liv. Maybe we'll join you after we eat something."
"You have to see what she's been doing," Reina urged him. "Nate's got some good moves too, don't ya, Nate?"
The small orange-masked turtle mirrored a Cheshire-esque smile that was all too familiar, grasping onto Reina's sleeve happily. "I can do my flips!"
Olivia nodded. "Yeah, we both are, Daddy! You gotta see them. Let's go, guys!"
"Uh…Liv…maybe you…" Raphael started, but the kids were already running off.
Karina laughed. "They won't break anything important. The girls have drilled in the habit of moving things before any tricks come out."
The red-masked turtle shot her a smile. "Always thinking ahead, huh?"
"We've lived with ninjas long enough to know that young hyperactive ones need extra precautions."
Mike cleared his throat from the doorway across the way. "You guys get lost or something?"
"Or something," Karina said casually.
His brother grinned. "Enough said. There's still food if you wanna eat. Think I'm gonna go catch up with the kiddos."
Raphael shook his head at Michelangelo's retreating form. "Sometimes I still think he's one of 'em."
"Why do you think he's their favorite Uncle?" Karina laughed and pulled on his hand. "C'mon. I'm starving."
They entered the spacious room together, which hosted a wall of glass with the envied view of the city. The pair headed in the direction of the kitchenette, and were greeted by the starkly contrasting figures of an auburn-haired Victoria and wildly high-lighted Jazz.
"About time you guys showed up." Jazz smirked. "You're lucky we saved anything."
Victoria shook her head. "We'd never let someone go without. I've kept some of the pulled pork warm in the crockpot. Can I make you two a sandwich with all the trimmings?"
"Gracias, Madre." Karina sat down on one of the stools by the island that separated the small kitchen from the living area. Victoria's official position of "Den Mother" had been firmly cemented after the entire group was living in closer quarters.
"Lexi, not on the floor!" Jazz temporarily disappeared from sight as she bent down to retrieve the 18-month-old girl. She gave Raphael an exasperated smile. "Wherever she's not supposed to play, that's where she wants to be."
Karina stretched out a hand to smooth the baby's curly dark hair. "I think she's attached to her Mama. Enjoy it while it lasts, Jazz. Before you know it, she'll be running off and getting into trouble where you can't see her."
Jazz made a face. "Good point." She took a seat on the other end of the island, balancing Alexis against her side. "You girls must be getting psyched for going undercover."
Raphael rolled his eyes. "We're having a good night, and you had to go and open your big mouth. Typical."
"It's one of the things I do best, Raph. What's the problem anyway? It's not like Karina's gonna step foot in some bar and forget she's already got the turtle of her dreams."
"That ain't the point," he grumbled. "It could be dangerous."
"No, what you and your loco brothers do almost every night is dangerous. All they're gonna do is play look-out in some seedy dive."
Raphael grunted his irritation. "Whatever. Not like we have any say in the matter."
"Raph." Karina's tone was reproachful. "We all want to get to the bottom of this threat. The consensus agreed that staking out a couple of hot-spots would be the best way to find the people you're looking for."
"Just…looking right? You're not gonna try and make nice with them thugs or anything, right?"
Karina shook her head. "We're only there to be your eyes, and maybe nothing will even happen on my turn with Jen. It's no reason to ruin a good evening, in any case." Her hand alighted on the back of his neck, producing the same giddy sensation in his stomach from earlier.
His shoulders relaxed, though he didn't quite smile. "You're not gonna say anything to make me like it, Kari, but I can deal. I hope I don't have to come in there and show those gangbangers how a real man treats a woman."
She grinned. "You'd have them beat for sure."
"I am still sitting here," Jazz announced.
Raphael smirked. "Ah, shut it, punk; you and Brandon have done a lot worse in front of us. Speaking of which, how come you decided not to team up with your man for one these precious stake-outs?"
Jazz snorted. "Do I need to explain this to you, Turtle? Their goal is to blend in. I'm challenged where it comes to all things socially acceptable."
Raphael laughed. "Guess that puts us in the same category."
