"You look good," Jack said softly. Kate wore jeans, a white tee shirt under a white cardigan and suede ankle boots but she took his breath away.
"You don't look half bad yourself," she smiled.
"It smells like…"
"Like lasagna?" She giggled.
"Like home." He watched the nostalgic way Kate studied him. "What?"
"I forgot how much I love seeing you in that sweater," she admitted. The bright blue sweater made his brown eyes even more intense; it was also tight enough to show the outlines of his muscles without looking too tight. "Thank you. For coming to dinner…"
"You don't have to thank me, Kate. This is where I want to be." He watched that soft blush wash over her cheeks. They we're so lost in each other's eyes that Kate seemed to forget everything else. Jack took a step closer, wanting her to be close enough to kiss. He wanted to close the gap between them once and for all.
"Mommy! It's beeping!" Aaron cried, pointing to the stove. Kate shook her head, snapping out of her fantasies. He saw the way she smiled at the floor before shaking the ideas out of her head.
"You don't have to do that," Kate tried to grab the dishes from Jack's hands. Her meal had been delicious, her cooking always was. It had been days since their last family dinner and he couldn't believe how much he noticed tonight that he'd taken for granted.
"You might have invited me but this is my home," Jack added. "We ate dinner on our kitchen table that we chose together. We picked these plates out together. It's just as much my responsibility as it is yours."
"I just meant you could soak the lasagna pan instead of washing it before—"
"Before it goes in the dishwasher," he smirked. "I know you're a sucker for a pre-wash." He glanced at Aaron, who was playing with his dinosaur toys. "Speaking of, it's about time for a pre-bed wash. Isn't that right, bud?"
"I can take my dinosaurs?" He asked. Jack looked to Kate for confirmation.
"It's your choice," she smiled softly. "You're his father."
Jack smiled, feeling his body relax. They had so much left unsaid but he knew she was letting him in.
Once Aaron was asleep, Jack offered Kate a glass of wine.
"I was going to offer you this," she smiled, pointing to the two beers she had gotten, one open and one still unopened. Jack sat down next to her, sipping the beer she had offered.
"Kate—"
"Shhh," she put a hand over his mouth. He loved the softness of her skin and the faint smell of the perfume on her wrists. "I have something I need to say…"
He nodded softly. Feeling brave, he placed his hand on top of hers, attempting to comfort her.
"I had lunch with your mother," she began with a deep exhale.
"If she said something… if she—"
"Let me finish," she practically whispered. "When I met with her, I started thinking. If you and your mother had a falling out… If she wasn't … I would have done the same."
"What?" Jack asked, shocked. "Kate, I lied to you. I promised—"
"I know," she said calmly. "But you did it out of love for me. You wanted—"
"— you to connect with your father. I mean—"
"He is my father. I would have wanted you to have that kind of love if it were your parent. I would have… I would have wanted Margo to be in your life. In Aaron's life…"
"You don't have—"
"I am sorry, Jack. I was wrong and I overreacted and was selfish…"
"Hey," he scooted over towards her. "You reacted normally. I didn't mean—"
"I was wrong, Jack. I'm sorry and I miss you and I love y—" her words were interrupted by a kiss so passionate it left her speechless. She pulled him by his blue sweater, laying back so he was on top of her. She unbuttoned his jeans, trying desperately to pull them down without moving him.
He haphazardly tried to undress her, pulling her cardigan over her head instead of slipping it off. Even on top of her, he slid everything down her legs, leaving her completely exposed. "You're the most beautiful woman I've ever seen," he breathed. "I mean it, Kate."
"Make love to me," she whispered, her fingers trailing across his chest.
"You will never have to ask me twice," he teased, one finger brushing over her bare stomach, eliciting goosebumps all over her porcelain skin. He let his fingers wander her skin with a new sense of gratitude for every scar, every freckle and every inch of skin. "I love you," he whispered, stroking her face.
Just like that, he got it all back. The way she pulled herself up to meet him in a kiss. The way she clung to him, her fingers digging into to his flesh, soft enough that it didn't hurt but firm enough to keep him against her. The way she held his hips as he pushed into her, their rhythms perfectly in sync. Even the soft moans she made, like tiny secrets just for him. She clenched hard as they both found their release together. "Kate," he panted after a minute "I can't… I won't move, I promise." He smiled when she unclenched around his member. He stayed inside her, knowing she needed to still be one with him.
"Why are you smiling like that?" She asked with a curious smile.
"Don't you get it?" He whispered, narrowing his gaze. He couldn't stop smiling, watching her. Tiny hairs cling to her forehead. Brown curls were splashed all around her like a halo. He watched the way her breasts rose and fell with each breath. Her cheeks had that rosy blush that always appeared after sex. The light hit her green eyes, making them sparkle. "I'm crazy about you."
"I love you," she squeezed his muscular arms. "And I'm—"
"I don't want to hear any more apologies." Jack kissed her forehead, "You know we were in a fight, right? We weren't…"
Kate nodded, that distant expression that let him know she had worried about it.
"Hey," he used two fingers to lift her chin. "It will take so much more than this for us to be apart. I'm never going to stop fighting for you, Kate. Never."
When she kissed him, he pulled out of her and into his lap.
"I think I'm ready," Kate whispered, her hands running through Jack's short hair. "I'm ready for Aaron and Sam to meet."