As he leaned over her, he shook his head. "I could torture you like that if I wanted."
Settling her hands over his arms, which were situated on each side of her breasts against the bed, she raised an eyebrow. "I take it you're not going to?"
Without answering, his eyes raked over her possessively, like she were some sort of small animal he was praying upon. "Is this a new dress?"
A frown creased her features. "No, why-"
Before she could pose her question, his hand had slipped to the top of it and ripped it down the middle.
"Ichabod!" she yelped, eyes widening, as he pulled her up, his fingers finding the laces of her corset along her back.
His only reply was a smirk as he leaned close to her ear. "Shh, you wouldn't want to wake the baby before you've gotten your fill, now, would you?"
The ache between her thighs doubled if that was at all possible as his lips descended to her neck, immediately latching on as his teeth lightly nipped at her. His attentions left her, however, as his fingers tugged roughly at the strings of her corset that were suddenly not budging. With a groan, he pulled back, his eyes narrowed in concentration. "Must you lace these so tightly?"
Rolling her eyes, she knocked his tangled fingers away and set to unlacing the corset, herself. "You don't seem to mind the tight lacing when you're staring at me."
He raised an eyebrow, but said nothing as he, not so patiently, waited. When the material was loose enough, he was quick to reach out and pull it over her head. While he worked at the rest of the material covering her, she couldn't help the slight self-consciousness that entered her. Her body post-Kahlan wasn't exactly the most flattering and a very vain part of her worried her husband would be disappointed. Upon his tugging the remaining material covering her out of the way, her fear was dashed as the nearly animalistic hunger in his eyes didn't dissipate in the least. He leaned into her newly exposed breasts, his fingers on each hand threading with hers and pressing them down into the bed as he leaned her back. Firmly held down by his hands, he teasingly pressed into her with his body, but would lift himself away the moment she attempted to return his touch.
"Ichabod, don't tease me," she whispered desperately.
His chuckle throbbed against her throat. "Like you didn't tease me?"
Unable to touch him for herself, she gripped his fingers as she moaned at his little nips along her jaw. "That was torture for me, too."
His tongue ran along the shell of her ear, sending a shiver through her. "Was it?"
"Yes," she breathed out. "See for yourself."
He continued playing at her ear as he released one of her hands so his fingers could dance down her belly before sliding through the patch of hair along her center.
"Are you saying that just to get me to touch you?"
"Please..." she moaned, lifting her hips up in search of his touch.
When his fingers made contact with her slick warmth, she wasn't the only one moaning. "For mercy's sake, Katrina," he whispered, lifting his head to gaze down at her.
"I told you," she answered breathlessly.
His eyes journeyed down her body as his finger dipped within her, slipping in easily. "You're so ready."
"Yes," she moaned, bucking her hips into his hand, desperate for more contact with him. "I'm ready."
His eyes came back to her as he fell on his side next to her. "Help me."
Allowing her gaze to fall to his desire, she slid a hand to him, stroking him in earnest, as his mouth found hers. Leaning up to get closer to him, she slipped her mouth down his chin and latched onto his throat, sucking at his skin, thoroughly enjoying the salty taste of his flesh. Every breath that filled his lungs pressed into her mouth, prompting her to bring her free hand up to pull his neck harder into her. The desire to have him as close as possible was beginning to grow to be too much. While she busied herself with pulling his desire to the forefront, his fingers left her, taking to sliding up her sides until he had his hand beneath her where he pulled her chest flush against his. Mouth finding her ear, he breathed into her, "I want you desperately."
"Then take me."
With little ado, he sat up, his back to the end of the bed, before gripping her hips and pulling her into his lap. Caught a bit by surprise, it took her a moment to gain her bearings, but once she did, she wrapped her legs around him, adjusting herself in their new position. Meeting her husband's darker than usual eyes, she found herself transfixed as she stared into them. His want of her, his desire to fill her, was so keenly present that she felt another rush of need wash through her. Unable to help herself, she ground her lower body against him, needing some friction, any friction against her aching center. The gasp that fell from his mouth had her latching onto his lips in an attempt to consume it as she rocked against his lap, taking her pleasure where she could get it. Teasingly sliding her lips from his and journeying along his jaw, she whispered, "I need you."
In response, he slid his hand to join hers around his length to settle him at her entrance. Catching his eyes, she held his stare before sliding down and over him. However, the sensations that assaulted her forced her eyes closed as she finally eased all the way down. Sucking in a deep breath, she slipped her hands around his neck, threading her fingers through his hair, and pulled him into a deep kiss. For a while, she just sat there, refusing to move, even as he attempted to thrust up into her. At one point, he tried to pull back to speak, but she only tightened her grip in his hair to prevent him from leaving her mouth. Eventually, though, she did begin lightly circling her hips against his, reveling in how perfectly he filled her, how right it felt to be with him. As their movements picked up pace, she parted her lips from his and pulled his head to rest against her neck.
"I love you," came a breathless sigh from him.
Dropping her mouth to his shoulder, she whispered between chaste kisses, "I love you, too."
It didn't take long for that sensation to begin to build within her as her rocking became more erratic. She'd already been ready to release when she'd finished with him earlier and as the sensation built to its climax, she gripped a hand in his hair while the other dug into his back, clutching him as her end began to wash over her. For a moment, all thought vanished as her vision went white, her body taking on actions that were no longer her own. While she spasmed in his arms, he brought a hand up to her cheek and pulled her face to his.
"Are you alright?"
Nodding her admission, she sucked in a breath when he suddenly leaned them back over so he was hovering over her, his thrusts increasing in their pace.
"I'm almost finished," he whispered into her ear as he burrowed his head into the space between her shoulder and neck, his breaths warming her skin.
"Take all the time you need, my love," she breathed against him as her hands teased his back and neck, dragging through the sheen of sweat gathered there. "I'm yours."
At her words, his thrusts increased in roughness, his body burying itself in her to the hilt as his warmth rushed through her, his arms wrapping tightly around her. Maintaining her hold on him as his end continued to shake him, she began placing gentle kisses along his shoulder and neck. After a time of him finally relaxing against her, he began to slide from within her, but to stop him, she wrapped her legs around him, digging her heels into his back to hold him in place.
"Stay."
His head lifted to rest against hers, his warm breath washing over her face as his eyes darted about in concern. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing," she quickly assured him. "I just want to stay here with you for as long as possible."
A sad smile filled his features as he brought a hand up to stroke along her cheek. "I'll stay however long you wish, my Katrina."
Sighing at his touch, she whispered, "I suppose forever would be asking a bit much."
He chuckled, brushing his lips over hers. "Absolutely not, but I imagine Kahlan would be a bit upset with that."
Sharing in his laugh, she opened her eyes. "You're probably right. She does seem as though she likes me a little."
His eyes wandered to her breasts. "She likes something."
Mouth falling open in shock, she slapped his back. "Ichabod."
His eyes widened in feigned innocence. "What? You have very nice breasts. I know I like them."
Shaking her head at his playfulness, she smiled. "I'm glad we're together again. These last couple of months..."
A heavy sigh fell from him. "I deserve a beating for what I've done to you." Ready to object, she was silenced as he laid a finger to her lips. "I let my own fears and insecurities hurt us, but I swear," he promised. "That'll never happen again."
Slightly surprised at his admission, she laid hand to his cheek. "Go get her."
He raised an eyebrow. "Right now?"
With a roll of her eyes, she shoved at his shoulders to push him off of her. "Yes, right now."
With gentle ease, he slid out of her causing her to hiss at her body's tenderness, which prompted him to lean over and brush his lips to hers. "I'm sorry, my love."
Giving him a small smile, she nodded. "It's alright."
As he pushed himself out of the bed and grabbed his trousers, she sat up to watch him gently lift Kahlan out of her crib before making his way back to the bed. Shoving the thick blanket out of the way, she pulled back the sheet for him to slide beneath beside her. Once he was adjusted, he attempted to hand Kahlan to her, but she shook her head with a smile. "No, you hold her."
A frown came to his face. "You wanted me to go get her for you."
Sliding to lean against him, she brushed a kiss to his neck and whispered, "I just wanted her to be with us."
He glanced down at their sleeping daughter in his arms before sighing, "Katrina, what are you doing?"
Eyes dancing over his face, she answered in confusion, "What do you mean?"
After a moment of seeming contemplation, he turned to catch her eyes. "You left angry with me and didn't return for hours, but ever since you did... it's as if you've been on some sort of mission. I was so clouded by my wanting to be with you earlier that I didn't consider it."
Frowning at him, she shook her head. "I don't know what you're talking about. I'm not on any mission."
He shrugged. "I didn't think you were either until you had me get her."
"Ichabod..."
"You told me to burn everything into my memory," he answered quickly.
Confusion swept through her. "I-"
"And you wanted me to remain within you for longer than usual."
"We've done that before," she protested half heartedly, not liking how this was going.
"Then," he continued, as if finally unlocking some mystery. "You wanted me to get our sleeping baby and bring her to our bed only to have me hold her."
Rolling her eyes, she bit out, her frustration making an appearance, "I didn't realize there was a rule on who was supposed to hold the baby."
"There's not, but I just feel like you're doing all of this for a reason," he explained softly, adjusting Kahlan against his chest.
"And what reason is that?"
His blue eyes met hers, a deep sadness in them. "Because you think you're never going to see me again."
Body tensing, she tore her eyes from his, choosing, instead, to stare at their daughter.
"My love," he whispered, sliding a hand to her chin and lifting her gaze back to his. His eyes were so full of concern, which only broke her a little further. "Why do you think that?"
Sucking in a breath, she shook her head as she felt her tears begin to build. "I don't know. It's just a feeling I have."
Instead of sighing or thinking her words a joke, he fixed her with a serious expression. "And do these feelings of yours often come true?"
She didn't want to answer him. To answer him might make it too real and that was something she wasn't sure she could face.
"Katrina?"
"Yes," she whispered dejectedly.
With a nod, his gaze falling back to Kahlan. "Is that one of your gifts?"
Her eyes danced over his face as she answered, "Alfred seems to think I may have a touch of foresight."
His gaze jerked back to her in surprise. "Foresight? You mean, you can see the future?"
"No," she whispered quickly with a shake of her head. "I just... feel things sometimes, more so than others."
He frowned, clearly struggling to understand. "Can you give me an example?"
Bringing a hand to her head, she pushed some hair behind her ear. "The day I met you." Her eyes found his. "I knew I'd fall in love with you."
His frown fell as a smile appeared. "Well, I knew that, too."
"I'm not joking, Ichabod," she warned. "It wasn't a thought or a wish. I knew I'd fall in love with you. I attempted to deny it, even went so far as to convince myself it wasn't true, but...we were always so connected, so drawn to each other."
His frown returned. "That's-"
"I knew that morning that this would happen."
"What morning?" he whispered, his expression bearing slight disbelief.
"The morning I had that nightmare. I knew you would leave me, and not for a day, or a week, but for a very long time."
"So you're telling me that if you have a dream, it's going to come true?"
"No," she whispered, trying to find a way to explain it. "It doesn't always work like that. If I'm stressed, it's less likely to work, but..." Her eyes connected with his swimming blue ones again. "Ichabod, it's a very real thing."
"And you think you feel that now?"
Frowning at him, she let out a frustrated sigh. "I don't think I feel it, I know I do."
"Alright," he answered with his own heat. "What do you want me to do, Katrina? Disobey orders and stay home?"
"Would you?"
He turned from her, releasing a heavy breath. "You know I can't."
"Even if it means that you might die, that we may never see each other again?"
"Katrina..."
Reaching up to cup his face in her hands, she whispered, "Please...please, stay with me."
For a moment, his eyes darted about her face. "I can't defect, Katrina. How do you know that's not what you're feeling?"
"What do you mean?" she asked in confusion.
"I mean," he began slowly. "How do you know that if I stay, that me being charged on defecting, won't be the feeling you have? Or even that I'm the one something will happen to? It could be you, Katrina." He raised an eyebrow. "You're not exactly a housewife. We may never see each other again because something happens to you."
Doubt at her feeling began to fill her, but she stomped it down. "You don't understand-"
"No, you don't understand! This is absurd!"
At his heated reply, Kahlan stirred and began whimpering, drawing his gaze.
"I'm sorry, shh."
Despite his best attempts at soothing, her little whimpers grew into full out screams.
"Give her to me," she whispered, holding out her arms.
He shook his head with slight defiance in his face. "I've got her."
Beginning to feel her temper building, she clenched her jaw. "It's time for her to eat. So, unless you've managed to find a way to do that on your own...give her to me."
With a sigh, he slid their daughter into her arms, her little squirming body and red face giving way to just how upset she was. As she adjusted her, allowing her to find her place, she shook her head. "I don't want to start arguing with you again, especially not if..."
After a moment of the only sounds being that of their daughter's soft suckling, his head nuzzled into her neck. "I'm sorry," he whispered, with a brush of his lips to her skin. "I don't wish to argue either." His arms wrapped around her to pull her close and she gave into his warmth quite readily.
"I can't lose you," she said softly.
The hand at her back slid up to settle in her hair, tightening, to pull her gaze to his eyes, which were filled with steely determination. "You won't."
Shaking her head, she whispered, "You don't know that. Anything could happen. You could-" Choking on her words, she blinked back the tears threatening to fall. "If something happened to you, I wouldn't survive. It would be unbearable. Just the thought of living without you paralyzes me. I can't do it, Ichabod. I can't."
His eyes danced over her face before they fell to Kahlan. Unable to look at him anymore, she, too, concentrated on her feasting little girl. What she wouldn't give to be as carefree as her daughter. No troubles except for when she was hungry and who was holding her.
"Alright."
With a frown, she turned back to him, "Alright?"
The sigh he released brushed over her face. "I'll send a letter to the General tomorrow letting him know I'll be a few days late, but then I really have to go."
Her heart leaped. "You're staying?"
"For a few more days, Katrina," he said with a serious expression.
Nodding her understanding, she leaned the small distance between them, claiming his mouth with her own.
He was staying.