Back There Again (Chapter II)

She left it up to him to get the plane tickets while she found a resort booking it for five days. Hopefully, that would be enough time to get them back to their normal—making sweet love any and everywhere they had time. She could remember the time before the last time they had sex.

A dream so spicy had waken her up and she needed him—in that instant—never mind that they both had to be up in just a few, short hours. Tapping Ben's shoulder, he'd looked at her either already in the mood or enthusiastic about the gleam in her eye. "Have at it," he'd said pulling her on top of him. And have at it she did. That had been the day before they left for their honeymoon. Thinking of it now, had her smirking and licking her lips.

Unusually and thankfully, their schedules had lined up with their plans and they were all set to leave for the Bahamas—again. Ben was dropping Tuck off at Tucker's and would be back shortly. Meanwhile, in their living room, Miranda sat waiting with Callie and her three-year-old, Sofia. The girl was playing with her mother's cell phone and it took everything in Miranda not to swoon. She loved children, her son was amazing and she loved her nieces and nephews, but childbirth was a thing in the past for her. One time was enough, but looking at the little, round face of the quiet girl unlocked something. "So, when shall I pencil you guys in for babysitting?"

"Uhh…" She said dragging out the word and pulling her box braids into a ponytail.

Callie shook her head. "Don't 'uhh,' I'm the one who gave you two this idea," she reminded her friend.

"And we're grateful. I'm grateful; however, we have to see if it works first."

The Latina waved her off. "Trust me. It will."

The door opened and Ben walked in. His fresh haircut caught her eye immediately and she wanted to let out an obscenity. He bit his bottom lip, staring at her. "Ready?"

"Ready."

There were delays at the airport and their flight ended up getting pushed back. Ben followed Miranda as she meandered through the large building trying to find a quiet place to sit. Since there wasn't one, they found two seats in the least crowded waiting area. "Ugh, I am so tired," he said putting his head on her shoulder. "When I close my eyes, I can see the blood spattering everywhere. It's been a long time since I got covered in it." A woman nearby jerked her head back at his comment, her locs swinging. "And the screaming! Lord!" The woman put her hand to her mouth and moved to the next empty seat. Miranda nudged Ben. "Oh, uh, it's okay, ma'am. We're doctors."

Miranda snickered, hitting his legs. "Cut it out before they don't let us on the plane."

He looked around. "That'd be okay with me."

"Yeah?" He nodded. "Why?"

"Then our honeymoon can begin in our bed," he told her attaching his lips to her neck.

The arm that was wrapped around her body tightened and she started to warm up. "How would you do that, Ben Warren?" She egged knowing he'd take the bait.

He dropped his voice. "You really want me to tell you in front of all of these people, Miranda Bailey?" Her head bobbed slightly. They each glanced around. "First, my hand will slide up shirt, rubbing your stomach while I tease you with kisses because I know how wet it gets you. Then I'll flip you over and lick dow—"

She held his arm, stopping him. "That's… enough," she said squirming in her seat. "You can… finish when we get on the plane." An hour later, they were boarding and Ben carried their bags as they found their places in first-class. Slipping her feet out of her shoes, Miranda sighed before rummaging in her bag for the novel she was currently working through. "You're good?" She asked, leaning into her husband to continue it. A chuckle escaped her when she remembered that she hadn't opened it since their last trip. Maybe the book was bad luck.

"I'm good. You?"

"Perfect," she responded. Four hours into the flight, the book was back in her bag. And having slept through the first movie, the two of them were watching the second one languidly. She pulled off her husband's headphones and stared at him.

"What are you doing, ma'am?"

Miranda glanced around inconspicuously before throwing the blanket that she'd bought especially for this trip over their laps. With her heart racing, she reached beneath the cloth as her left hand wandered toward the front of his sweatpants. His eyes bulged. Now he was in on it. "Put your headphones back on."

He did as he was told, letting the chair back some. After clearing his waistband, she massaged his incredibly thick piece through the fabric, pulling it out so it would no longer be restricted. Everything in her wanted to taste him, wanted to duck her head beneath the blanket and slide her tongue along his shaft, sampling the precum that was between her fingers now. Using it, inch by inch she stroked him, timidly at first. Ben put an arm around her, squeezing. His other went behind his head. "Shit," he whispered. Her skin vibrated and for the first time in a long time, she had the urge to climb on top of him, having her way. Gentle nails in his skin had him collapsing. "Damn!" Smiling, she leaned over and kissed him frantically and deeply. "I was loud?"

Miranda nodded, speeding up her movements. Removing his headphones again, she seized his chin, making eye contact. "Let go, baby," she said in his ear.

Ben bit his bottom lip exposing his beautiful, white teeth. He grabbed the back of her head forcing a kiss that rocked her entire body. Realizing that no one had passed by in a long time and they probably wouldn't, she lifted the blanket and sucked slowly, pushing him further into her mouth. Going further south, she reached his balls and massaged them quickly and carefully. "Damn it," he grunted. A low rumble against her cheeks told her that he was about to burst and she was ready for him. Seconds later, he was shaking and Miranda was praying no one could see or hear them. Her husband tasted so good as she caught as much as she could in her mouth, swallowing his load before playing with the tip of his penis with her tongue. He clenched her arm. "Come up. Please," she heard him say.

Sitting upright, she checked their surroundings as he continued to shake while she gripped him. "Exactly."

Helpful, her husband got one of the large napkins they'd had with their lunch. Wordlessly, Miranda wiped off her hand. "Oh, you're trouble already," he said putting his lips against her cheek, his stubble scratching her a bit. The look in his eye made her chest flutter. "What possessed you to do that?"

"You," she said leaning over to kiss him again, one never seemed to be enough.

"I can't wait to repay you."

"Me either," Miranda responded as he laid back more, adjusting himself with closed eyes. She got up to the go to the bathroom to wash her hands and stared in the mirror, begging herself to relax. Pushing back some braids, she smoothed down her shirt before exiting. Back in her seat, she fell asleep next to her husband, comfortably.

In the taxi provided by the resort, she rambled, thrilled now that they were here again—though now in a different part of the country. The beauty of the island amazed her once more and she rolled down her window to smell the refreshing air. Ben grabbed her hand, linking their fingers. "I can't believe you won't tell me what resort we're going to."

She just smiled at him before poking her head out of the window, the breeze making the large hat on her head flap furiously. "Embrace the unknown."

"Will do, dear," he said kissing her knuckles.

The taxi stopped and the driver got out helping them with their bags. Following behind her, the three of them headed up the stony walkway.

Ben pointed at the orange cement bungalow. "This us?" She nodded. "Alright now."

Moving inside, she was blown away by how clean and neat it was. The random-colored tiles on the floor were spotless and that pleased her. Miranda leaned over to browse the books on the table. "Seriously, my man?"

"What's wrong?" She asked, spinning.

"He's practically undressing you with his eyes."

Miranda's eyes went wide. "Oh?" She tried to hide a smile.

"Really?!" Ben exclaimed.

The driver blushed. "My fault, brother."

Her husband dug into his pocket angrily to tip the guy. "You're lucky my wife is kind and that she's watching…"

"Benjamin," she warned. He huffed.

"Thank you. Have a great stay."

"Yeah, thanks." Once they were alone, Ben closed the door. "Can you believe that dude?" He gritted his teeth. "You know what? Never mind that," he said scooping her into his arms. "We're finally here… again."

Miranda rose to the tips of her toes. Their kiss was warm and she enjoyed his tongue sliding into her mouth. "Mmm," she said pulling away, "and with that kiss, our second honeymoon has commenced."

Ben grinned, echoing her sentiments. "It's going to be perfect." They parted and he checked the bathroom while she gave the rest of the place a onceover.

Everything looked so comfortable, she just wanted to flop down on the bed; but the need to take a shower wouldn't allow her. She walked out onto the deck to see that the website wasn't kidding when it said the view was 'dramatic'. The water was crystal clear even from their deck and the sand was pink and smooth. "Hey, come and look at this!" She called out. The sound of his footsteps found her before he did. Stepping out onto the deck, he wrapped his arms around her.

"That's beautiful, babe."

"It's paradise."

The sun was going down and the beach was empty save for two people laying on a huge towel, kissing. "Should we warn them about sex on the beach?" Ben asked.

"See? You're not funny!" She laughed.

"Sorry. I just had to get that out there, so it's not hanging over our heads."

That's a good point, she mused. "Right." He kissed each of her dimples. "So, let's just pretend that this is an extension of our first honeymoon."

Ben nodded. "Okay. If anyone asks, we just got married. Like two days ago."

"And I married you for your money."

"And I married you for your ass." He held out his hand and she shook it, pulling him close. His face fell into her neck, kissing it slowly. "What should we do first?"

"Shower." After calling Tuck to check-in and sending out "We're here" messages, Miranda showered while Ben unpacked their bags. Walking out of the long shower, she grabbed a towel. In the mirror, she dried off, admiring her brown skin.

Her husband strolled into the bathroom, peeling off his clothes. Nearly naked, he smacked her butt making her yelp. "Mmm!"

She glowered at him and the hilarious wiggling of his eyebrows broke her. "Leave me alone," she told him with a smile in her eyes.

"I can't. I see why the taxi driver couldn't keep his eyes off of you." Her jaw dropped and she walked past him, dragging her nails along his ass. He shuddered. "I cannot wait to have you," he said going to shower.

Miranda was glad she remembered that they needed to go to the store and to get something for dinner before getting to the resort. They stocked the fridge with drinks, alcoholic and non, as well as cold cuts and fruits because Ben got snackish at night. They sat on their private balcony chatting. They hadn't seen anyone else since the couple on the beach earlier. And if anyone asked her, that was perfectly fine. She wanted this time to be with her man. He'd brought his speaker and it was playing soft music in the background as they ate. "This is nice," she said sipping her wine cooler.

"Agreed." He reached over to polish off the last of the mushrooms from her chicken marsala. She hated them, but couldn't deny that they made a dish delectable. "But why not a hotel?"

"I like the idea of a villa. It has a, uh, nice view," she said.

"It's quiet."

Her eyes caught his. "Private." Miranda licked her lips, hoping to draw him in. She could use a kiss.

"Hmm… how much did it cost?"

Waving him off, she picked up their empty containers and headed for the trashcan. "I don't remember," she lied knowing he wouldn't buy it.

"How… much?" He asked again, pronouncing every letter in each word.

"Um, not much."

"How much?

"It's our honeymoon do-over, we shouldn't be worried about a price tag, Ben."

"How much? How much? How much?!" He was standing directly behind her, his body heat transferring to hers.

She stifled a giggle. "400 a night."

"Miranda!" If she didn't know any better, she'd think steam was about to shoot from his ears. "Why?

"I'm kidding. I'm kidding. It's only 250… plus." He growled lowly. "Look, they're usually booked years in advance, but I found this slot and voilà! You can't be mad at that."

Ben ran his hand over her hair, tugging a few braids tenderly. Pulling her head back gingerly, he kissed her. "God, you're infuriating." Taking his hand, she led him to the bed. She yawned as they drew back the comforter. "What do we want to do tomorrow?" He asked taking off his shirt and tossing to the lounge chair.

"Let's play it by ear."

"I'll let that slide for now, but we're back in the freakin' Bahamas, I want to do it all."

"Whatever you say" was the last thing she said before she was snoring, her face pushed into her husband's chest.

In the morning, she woke up to see a note on top of a tray full of food. She stretched, picking up the paper: "Babe, I didn't want to wake you. I went for a run. Be back soon. I adore you. -B"

She reread the note while biting into an orange slice. The remote was also next to the tray and she turned on the TV and began her breakfast. By the time Ben returned, she was asleep again. A loud popping noise yoked her from her sleep and she opened one eye to see that the TV was blaring. Slipping out of bed, she went to the shower, slapping her feet against the large, brick tiles. As she washed, she sang softly. "If it ain't good enough, good enough, baby. I'll work harder."

"Before you get alarmed. I'm standing here," Ben said. She turned to see him with a giant smile on his face, holding open an orange towel.

"Thank you," Miranda said walking into it letting him swaddle her. How was it that this marriage was already lightyears better than her previous one? How did the smallest, simplest, trivial things make her want to marry him all over again?

"You're welcome." While she got ready, he sat on the lounge chair, rambling about things they'd planned to do before and didn't get a chance to. Miranda nodded, unsure of what she was agreeing to, but wanting to be a good sport. "Good, before I came back, I rented us a car just in case. There's touring. We could do that. There's not too much to do here, it's really a getaway spot, but what they offer, I want to get into. Plus, I'd really like to go kayaking."

Glad that her back was to him, she made a face. "Then kayak we shall."

"Um, I saw that."

She whipped around. "H—?" He lifted his arm and pointed to the full-length mirror in front of her. "Oh. I'm sorry," she said with nervous laugh.

"No need to be sorry. I said I wanted to go. You don't have to, Miranda."

With only her bra and panties on, Miranda turned and walked over to him, sitting on his lap. His hand caressed her ass, sculpting it. "Don't be frustrated with me. I… I feel bad enough about shutting everything down the first time. It was… selfish. And I don't want you to think of me that way." The tears that pricked her eyes pissed her off. "And it's not lost on me that we haven't had sex or talked about it in a while."

His jaw shifted. "Miranda…"

She held up her hand. "I blamed you for my infection and I shouldn't have. It wasn't your fault." No response. "I don't regret us making love on that beach and I loved that you tried so hard to make that vacation decent afterwards."

"Okay." Wiping her eyes, she shook her head, confused. "I mean, I don't blame you for being weary about sex. I can only imagine what it must have felt like to be infected down there. You were in pain and I felt bad—I feel bad." He wiped her face some more. "And Miranda Bailey, you are one of the least selfish people I know. And I don't want you thinking otherwise. Got it?"

"I got it." A light kiss sealed their confessions. "Now, I want to do whatever it is that you want to do."

"Whatever?"

They headed to the main bungalow in their bathing suits. Miranda reached beneath her baby blue, strapless bathing suit to pull out a wedgie as her white cover up floated in the wind like her lab coat sometimes did when she moved quickly through the hospital. When she'd first put the bathing suit on, she thought Ben might jump her bones right then. And that look had her melting. She held his hand as they trudged across the small resort. In the office, they were immediately greeted by the owners, Maria and Gregor Danes. "The newlyweds, the Warrens, yes?" Maria asked. Miranda nodded, her cheeks heating up.

"Warren. Bailey-Warren," Ben corrected politely knowing how much her last name meant to her.

"Ah, yes. And how was your first night?"

"Great," the couple said together.

"We want to go… snorkeling," Ben started. "How do we do that?"

The smile dropped from Miranda's face and Ben laughed. "What happened to kayaking?" She whispered.

"Later."

"We can teach you," Gregor said in a high voice. "Uh, Luna is good teacher."

"Sign us up!" Ben told him.

Miranda clasped his shirt. "And we'd like to make dinner reservations for tomorrow night."

"That can be arranged," Maria said as Luna appeared with equipment.

Luna was dark-skinned girl with short, curly hair. She was kind, even in the water as she told Miranda for the 100th time to "Look down, look down, look down".

They did a little snorkeling in a shallow part of the water and Miranda found herself really getting into the activity. What she didn't want to do, however, was tell her husband that she enjoyed it. She could just see the smug look on his handsome face if she did. Under the water, he swam over to her and put his face right up against hers miming a kiss. Rising to the top, she removed her mouthpiece to giggle loudly. Out of the water, Luna took the equipment from them and told them that a few other people would be going snorkeling into a deeper part of the water tomorrow and they were more than welcome to come. "Sounds like fun," she said before Ben could reply.

He raised his brows with a boyish smile inching across his face. "You had fun, didn't you?"

"Shut it."

Being in the water took a lot of energy and after quick showers, they fell into bed. Rousing a little while later, she decided to take advantage of the quiet time. Getting her novel, she headed toward the beach. The sand under her feet was so familiar, warm and crunchy. Remembering where it had ended up, she cringed. Would she ever be able to get over this? Her husband was a gem. He didn't and wouldn't pressure her into having sex; he'd wait until she was ready. But was she overreacting? "Jesus." There was a woman sitting in one of the two chairs that were on the beach. Her long legs were kicked up on a small cooler and she looked so cozy. Miranda ached for that kind of leisure to sweep over her. One hand traveled through her long, black tresses and the other was holding onto a book.

But not just any book, the same one Miranda was reading—the exact one she had in her hands. Taking a deep breath, she wandered over to the other seat as the woman pulled out her earphones. "Can I sit?" She inquired, wiggling her book.

The woman smized brightly. "Before you even asked, the answer was yes," she said in a Southern accent that reminded Miranda of any number of her cousins from South Carolina. "But with that book choice, it's a hell yes!" The two of them chuckled. "I'm Janet."

"Miranda." They shook hands.

"Wow. You're gorgeous," Janet said dusting sand off of her brown skin, smiling.

"Me? Look at you," Miranda said digging her feet into the sand.

"So, who are you here with?"

To tame the warmth attacking her face, she fanned herself with the book. "My husband. Ben."

"Newlyweds?"

She nodded. "You?"

"Not my husband, but he loves spending his money on me," Janet answered with a wink. Miranda felt a stirring in the pit of her stomach and her fist balled itself around her book. Being cheated on during her first marriage was one of the lowest things she'd ever faced. It had almost driven her crazy while she scoured Tucker's computer and phone looking for more. And there had always been more. "I know what you're thinking."

The other woman's voice made her turn her head and face her. "You do?"

"You think I'm despicable." Miranda was thinking of a response that would deflect the statement so she wouldn't have to answer. "It's like… when we're apart, he does his thing and I do mine. When we're together, we're together. It's… complicated."

Miranda knew Janet had probably been holding that in for a long time and she thought of being supportive, but her very real experience wouldn't let her. "He'll do the same to you," she said prophetically.

"Probably, but I'm going to have fun while it lasts. Don't judge me too harshly."

That wasn't any of her business. And she'd said her piece. Just like when patients were so sure they wouldn't need a procedure only to wind up in the ER weeks later. Some people just had to learn. "It's not my place to judge you or anyone."

"Thanks," Janet said.

Taking a deep breath, Miranda relaxed. "Pan to city skyline. Uh, how's the book? Wait what chapter are you on? No spoilers I'm only on..." She flipped through the book. "12."

Janet chuckled. "I'm on Chapter 18. It's good, right?"

It really was a good book, she just wished she had more time to read it. "Yeah, I'm liking it so far."

"Wait until you get where I am." Miranda's eyes flew open. "Mmhmm."

"Let me hurry up then."

Janet reached into the cooler beneath her feet and offered Miranda a drink. "And there are snacks in here, too. Feel free and enjoy."

"Why thank you."

The two of them sat in the chairs reading for a long while. Checking her watch, she saw that Ben was probably up from his nap and hungry or ready to pull her into another activity. "Well, I should get going," Janet announced.

"Me, too." Miranda stood up, lifting her arms into the air. Aside from minimal conversations with her new friend, she'd read for almost three hours without interruption or disruption. That was unheard of. There were no other families wandering the beach or loud music. Even the birds seemed to know that this place was off-limits to squawking, they passed by with only the sound of their wings flapping. "We should do dinner tonight."

"Me and you?"

"You and your guy. Me and mine?"

Miranda gave a smile. "We have reservations at the restaurant tonight."

"Ooo! We do, too. And I know the chef, Fabian. He's making a dish that will knock you on your ass."

How could she resist that? "See you at six-thirty?"