Chapter Forty-Five
"Goodnight Daddy," Ali yawned. Nestled in her mother's arms. Stroking the kitten snuggled against her chest contentedly. "Night, AliCat," he whispered. With a kiss to her forehead. Ruffling her long blond hair and ignoring the purring white bundle she held close like a treasure.
Until Ali said, "Kiss the kitty goodnight, too, Daddy." Luis's mouth hung open at her request. His brown eyes traveled from Ali and the kitten to his wife's blue eyes. Shining with amusement in the dimly lit room. Her eyes were twinkling. Laughing. But she kept a straight face when she said, "Go ahead, Luis. She's part of the family now." She was good, he thought with an inward groan. Too good. He would have already cracked.
"How 'bout I just pet her instead?" "Nope," Ali said in all seriousness with a shake of her head. "She wants a kiss." He looked to Sheridan for help. Any escape. But he found none. She was having difficulty smothering her laughter. Ali's blue eyes watched him expectantly. Waiting. He didn't stand a chance. Ali giggled in satisfaction when he granted her request, and Sheridan's laughter rang out behind her as she carried Ali to her bedroom to tuck her in.
He was waiting for her when she returned. Several minutes later. Catching her by surprise when he grabbed her. Tumbling onto the bed and tickling her. Mercilessly. "Luis," she gasped between giggles. Giggles eerily like Ali's. "Luis. Stop. Please," she pleaded.
He ignored her. Instead pinning her arms above her head easily with one large brown hand and attacking her sides and stomach with the other. "No," he laughed as she squirmed beneath his hold. "It's your punishment. For bringing that...that cat home with you." "I knew it! The truth's revealed. Why didn't you just say so?"
He looked at her like she was crazy. Causing her to laugh even harder. "What? And break Ali's heart?" "Luis," she said with a smile. "Admit it. You're putty in Ali's hands." He grinned at her. Loosening his grip on her hands unconsciously. "Yeah, well. It's the eyes that get me. Those blue eyes do me in every time," he said. Gazing into hers.
"Thanks for the inside info," she said. From her new vantage point astride him. He laughed at her. Embarrassed to be had. "You tricked me." "Yeah. And it was so easy," she smirked. He ran his hands up and down her legs smiling wider when she shut her eyes. Completely forgetting what she was about to say. "Tell me something," he said.
"Hmm?" she sighed. Enjoying the feeling of his hands on her. Cloudy blue eyes opening and staring at him when his movements stilled. "What?" He flashed a bright grin her way. Then he said, "What are you doing stealing Ali's pjs again?" "Argh! Luis!" she huffed. "These are mine. Thank you very much." Playfully smacking him before he captured her hand in his. Turned it over. And placed kisses on her wrist and palm.
He tugged at her arm. Pulling her closer. So close he could feel her soft breath on his face. "Did I say I didn't like them?" Slipping his hand underneath the back of the tank she wore. Leaning in to kiss her softly. "In fact," he whispered, punctuating each word with a kiss, "I love them." "Oh god," she moaned when he moved his hand up her rib cage to cup her breast.
"You're driving me crazy." "Good. Nice to see I haven't lost my touch." Kissing her again. Deeply. Loving the feel of her against him after so long. They broke apart. Breathless. She looked at him with hooded eyes as her hands went to the bottom of the tank she wore. Just about to pull it over her head when a voice stilled her movements.
"Mommy!" He groaned in frustration when he heard her next words. "The kitty had an accident." Sheridan laughed and moved off of him. "I'm coming, Baby." He grabbed her hand and pulled her back for another kiss. Grumbling as they parted. "Damn cat." She just laughed at him as she opened the door. And left. He sank back against the pillows and sighed. He knew he didn't like cats for a reason.
"Oh no. What are you doing with that thing in here?" he said when she came back in a few minutes. The tiny animal in her arms. "I'm putting her in our bathroom. With her litter box. That way Ali won't be able to sneak her back into bed with her." He laughed as he said, "She would, wouldn't she? Okay. Just don't leave the door open. I don't want to wake up with that ball of fur in bed with us." "Luis. It's just a kitten. A harmless kitten."
"Just a kitten," he muttered later. As it meowed. Continuously from behind the bathroom door. Sheridan laughed against his lips. "I'm sorry. I can't. You know. With the..." She fell against his chest. Helpless to stop her laughter. Shaking against him when she heard their daughter's voice at the door.
"Mommy? Daddy? Can I sleep with you?" What the hell, he thought. "Come on in, AliCat. What?" he asked when she paused in the doorway. A funny look on her face. She looked to Sheridan. Sheridan turned her blue gaze on him. "Okay. Go get her." "Thank you, Daddy!" Ali said excitedly before running to the bathroom and freeing the kitten from its prison. She scrambled into bed between them. The kitten purring in pleasure as it lay against her chest.
Ali and her brand-new partner in crime were fast asleep within minutes. He lay on his side. Watching his wife watch their daughter sleep. She kissed Ali's forehead sweetly and brushed her hair back off her face before meeting his eyes. He reached out and linked his fingers with hers. Giving her hand a squeeze. Before letting go. Closing his eyes. And drifting off.
"Goodnight Daddy," Ali yawned. Nestled in her mother's arms. Stroking the kitten snuggled against her chest contentedly. "Night, AliCat," he whispered. With a kiss to her forehead. Ruffling her long blond hair and ignoring the purring white bundle she held close like a treasure.
Until Ali said, "Kiss the kitty goodnight, too, Daddy." Luis's mouth hung open at her request. His brown eyes traveled from Ali and the kitten to his wife's blue eyes. Shining with amusement in the dimly lit room. Her eyes were twinkling. Laughing. But she kept a straight face when she said, "Go ahead, Luis. She's part of the family now." She was good, he thought with an inward groan. Too good. He would have already cracked.
"How 'bout I just pet her instead?" "Nope," Ali said in all seriousness with a shake of her head. "She wants a kiss." He looked to Sheridan for help. Any escape. But he found none. She was having difficulty smothering her laughter. Ali's blue eyes watched him expectantly. Waiting. He didn't stand a chance. Ali giggled in satisfaction when he granted her request, and Sheridan's laughter rang out behind her as she carried Ali to her bedroom to tuck her in.
He was waiting for her when she returned. Several minutes later. Catching her by surprise when he grabbed her. Tumbling onto the bed and tickling her. Mercilessly. "Luis," she gasped between giggles. Giggles eerily like Ali's. "Luis. Stop. Please," she pleaded.
He ignored her. Instead pinning her arms above her head easily with one large brown hand and attacking her sides and stomach with the other. "No," he laughed as she squirmed beneath his hold. "It's your punishment. For bringing that...that cat home with you." "I knew it! The truth's revealed. Why didn't you just say so?"
He looked at her like she was crazy. Causing her to laugh even harder. "What? And break Ali's heart?" "Luis," she said with a smile. "Admit it. You're putty in Ali's hands." He grinned at her. Loosening his grip on her hands unconsciously. "Yeah, well. It's the eyes that get me. Those blue eyes do me in every time," he said. Gazing into hers.
"Thanks for the inside info," she said. From her new vantage point astride him. He laughed at her. Embarrassed to be had. "You tricked me." "Yeah. And it was so easy," she smirked. He ran his hands up and down her legs smiling wider when she shut her eyes. Completely forgetting what she was about to say. "Tell me something," he said.
"Hmm?" she sighed. Enjoying the feeling of his hands on her. Cloudy blue eyes opening and staring at him when his movements stilled. "What?" He flashed a bright grin her way. Then he said, "What are you doing stealing Ali's pjs again?" "Argh! Luis!" she huffed. "These are mine. Thank you very much." Playfully smacking him before he captured her hand in his. Turned it over. And placed kisses on her wrist and palm.
He tugged at her arm. Pulling her closer. So close he could feel her soft breath on his face. "Did I say I didn't like them?" Slipping his hand underneath the back of the tank she wore. Leaning in to kiss her softly. "In fact," he whispered, punctuating each word with a kiss, "I love them." "Oh god," she moaned when he moved his hand up her rib cage to cup her breast.
"You're driving me crazy." "Good. Nice to see I haven't lost my touch." Kissing her again. Deeply. Loving the feel of her against him after so long. They broke apart. Breathless. She looked at him with hooded eyes as her hands went to the bottom of the tank she wore. Just about to pull it over her head when a voice stilled her movements.
"Mommy!" He groaned in frustration when he heard her next words. "The kitty had an accident." Sheridan laughed and moved off of him. "I'm coming, Baby." He grabbed her hand and pulled her back for another kiss. Grumbling as they parted. "Damn cat." She just laughed at him as she opened the door. And left. He sank back against the pillows and sighed. He knew he didn't like cats for a reason.
"Oh no. What are you doing with that thing in here?" he said when she came back in a few minutes. The tiny animal in her arms. "I'm putting her in our bathroom. With her litter box. That way Ali won't be able to sneak her back into bed with her." He laughed as he said, "She would, wouldn't she? Okay. Just don't leave the door open. I don't want to wake up with that ball of fur in bed with us." "Luis. It's just a kitten. A harmless kitten."
"Just a kitten," he muttered later. As it meowed. Continuously from behind the bathroom door. Sheridan laughed against his lips. "I'm sorry. I can't. You know. With the..." She fell against his chest. Helpless to stop her laughter. Shaking against him when she heard their daughter's voice at the door.
"Mommy? Daddy? Can I sleep with you?" What the hell, he thought. "Come on in, AliCat. What?" he asked when she paused in the doorway. A funny look on her face. She looked to Sheridan. Sheridan turned her blue gaze on him. "Okay. Go get her." "Thank you, Daddy!" Ali said excitedly before running to the bathroom and freeing the kitten from its prison. She scrambled into bed between them. The kitten purring in pleasure as it lay against her chest.
Ali and her brand-new partner in crime were fast asleep within minutes. He lay on his side. Watching his wife watch their daughter sleep. She kissed Ali's forehead sweetly and brushed her hair back off her face before meeting his eyes. He reached out and linked his fingers with hers. Giving her hand a squeeze. Before letting go. Closing his eyes. And drifting off.