Chapter 62
He slipped his key in the lock and turned the knob. Stepping inside with a weary sigh. "Sheridan? Ali? Jake?" he called. But he was met with…quietness. Silence. Panic rose in his chest for a brief moment. Luis, he chided himself. You have your family back. Nothing's going to take them away from you. Quit worrying at the drop of a hat. Yet his fears did not go away until he saw her. Curled up on the sofa. Fast asleep. A tender smile came over his face as he crossed the room and knelt on the floor. By her side. And ran his fingers through her golden hair.
She sighed softly in her sleep and shifted. Leaning into his touch. A smile on her own face. "Mmm. Luis. Is that you?" she mumbled sleepily. Eyes still closed. He laughed. She'd kill him if he ever admitted it, but he thought she was so cute in her half-asleep state. She hated to be called that. He traced her features with his fingertips. Outlining her brows, her eyelids, cheeks, nose. Coming to a rest on her lips. He let his fingers trail across her chin. Then he leaned in and kissed her lips softly.
When he pulled away, he found himself staring into her brilliant blue eyes. She rubbed her finger over his bottom lip. And leaned in for another kiss. Sweet. Chaste. He rested his forehead against hers. "Where are the kids?" "Gwen and Hank took them," she said with a smile. "Not a moment too soon." He laughed softly. Giving her another quick peck on the lips. "Come on," he said. Standing up and pulling her to her feet. "I know just what we need." She looked at him curiously. Then trustingly slid her hand in his.
He led her into their bathroom. Letting go of her hand momentarily to turn the water on. He adjusted the temperature and added some bubble bath as the tub began to fill. His mind drifting back to a time when he did the same for Ali. Before…before they found each other again. He didn't know what he'd do if he ever lost her again. He didn't know if he'd have the strength to go on. He turned to her. Tears shining in his dark eyes. And she took him in her arms. Held on.
"I'm sorry," he said. Pulling away and looking into her eyes again. "Shh," she said with a finger to his lips. "Don't be." She ran her hands down his chest. Coming to a rest at his waist. Before she tugged his shirt loose from his pants. Slowly, she unbuttoned each button. Biting her lip in concentration. When she was done, she moved to slide the shirt from his shoulders, but he stopped her. With his hands on her own. The look in his eyes making her weak-kneed.
He held his hand up motioning for her to stay and reached over to turn the water off. Then he pulled her to him once more. Backing up and sitting down on the toilet seat. He opened his legs, and she stepped closer. Not breaking the gaze they shared as she rid herself of her own shirt. She held on to his shoulders as he popped the button on her jeans and slid them down her hips. She stepped out of them and reached out her hand. And she smiled at him. Her heart still slammed against her chest every time they touched.
"Oh, Luis. This feels heavenly," she sighed as she immersed herself in the bubbles and leaned back against his chest. "That feels even better," she said blissfully as he kissed her neck. Massaging her shoulders. "How does this feel?" he whispered in her ear. "Oh god," she answered breathlessly. "Luis, you better stop now before..." "Before what?" he teased. Kissing along her jaw. Her eyes fluttered shut as she savored the feeling.
"What? Why are you stopping?" she asked. Turning around to face him. "You told me to," he laughed. Tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear. "Luis, you don't seriously believe I meant that, do you?" she asked. Slipping her arms around his neck and placing tiny kisses on his lips. She giggled against his lips when he pulled her more firmly against him and groaned. "We're never going to get clean this way," he said. Evading her kisses and reaching for the cup she used to rinse Ali's hair and her shampoo. She closed her eyes as he washed and rinsed her hair. Then she returned the favor.
She admired his long, lean body as he rose from the tub and stepped out. Holding out a hand for her. He grinned at her, and she felt her cheeks burn. "Like what you see, Mrs. Lopez-Fitzgerald?" "Definitely," she said. Flashing him a dazzling smile and stepping into his arms. She breathed in sharply when he ran his hands down her back. Then lifted her in his arms. She wrapped herself around him completely. Head to toe. And gave him a heart-stopping kiss. "Whoa," he said. Out of breath. "Keep that up, and I won't be responsible for my actions."
"I kind of like the sound of that," she teased. Running her hands through his hair and opening her mouth over his. Luis blindly carried her to their bedroom, and her eyes opened when he laid her down on their bed. "Luis," she whispered. Her arms open to him. He didn't need to be told twice as he covered her body with his own. He jumped at the feel of her hands on him. Every nerve ending in his body alive. "I love you," he said seriously. Watching as a million emotions flashed through her beautiful blue eyes. She didn't say a word. But by the end of the night, Luis knew without a doubt she felt the same. And he wondered...was it possible to be so happy? Because right then, in that moment, everything was perfect. The way it was meant to be.
He slipped his key in the lock and turned the knob. Stepping inside with a weary sigh. "Sheridan? Ali? Jake?" he called. But he was met with…quietness. Silence. Panic rose in his chest for a brief moment. Luis, he chided himself. You have your family back. Nothing's going to take them away from you. Quit worrying at the drop of a hat. Yet his fears did not go away until he saw her. Curled up on the sofa. Fast asleep. A tender smile came over his face as he crossed the room and knelt on the floor. By her side. And ran his fingers through her golden hair.
She sighed softly in her sleep and shifted. Leaning into his touch. A smile on her own face. "Mmm. Luis. Is that you?" she mumbled sleepily. Eyes still closed. He laughed. She'd kill him if he ever admitted it, but he thought she was so cute in her half-asleep state. She hated to be called that. He traced her features with his fingertips. Outlining her brows, her eyelids, cheeks, nose. Coming to a rest on her lips. He let his fingers trail across her chin. Then he leaned in and kissed her lips softly.
When he pulled away, he found himself staring into her brilliant blue eyes. She rubbed her finger over his bottom lip. And leaned in for another kiss. Sweet. Chaste. He rested his forehead against hers. "Where are the kids?" "Gwen and Hank took them," she said with a smile. "Not a moment too soon." He laughed softly. Giving her another quick peck on the lips. "Come on," he said. Standing up and pulling her to her feet. "I know just what we need." She looked at him curiously. Then trustingly slid her hand in his.
He led her into their bathroom. Letting go of her hand momentarily to turn the water on. He adjusted the temperature and added some bubble bath as the tub began to fill. His mind drifting back to a time when he did the same for Ali. Before…before they found each other again. He didn't know what he'd do if he ever lost her again. He didn't know if he'd have the strength to go on. He turned to her. Tears shining in his dark eyes. And she took him in her arms. Held on.
"I'm sorry," he said. Pulling away and looking into her eyes again. "Shh," she said with a finger to his lips. "Don't be." She ran her hands down his chest. Coming to a rest at his waist. Before she tugged his shirt loose from his pants. Slowly, she unbuttoned each button. Biting her lip in concentration. When she was done, she moved to slide the shirt from his shoulders, but he stopped her. With his hands on her own. The look in his eyes making her weak-kneed.
He held his hand up motioning for her to stay and reached over to turn the water off. Then he pulled her to him once more. Backing up and sitting down on the toilet seat. He opened his legs, and she stepped closer. Not breaking the gaze they shared as she rid herself of her own shirt. She held on to his shoulders as he popped the button on her jeans and slid them down her hips. She stepped out of them and reached out her hand. And she smiled at him. Her heart still slammed against her chest every time they touched.
"Oh, Luis. This feels heavenly," she sighed as she immersed herself in the bubbles and leaned back against his chest. "That feels even better," she said blissfully as he kissed her neck. Massaging her shoulders. "How does this feel?" he whispered in her ear. "Oh god," she answered breathlessly. "Luis, you better stop now before..." "Before what?" he teased. Kissing along her jaw. Her eyes fluttered shut as she savored the feeling.
"What? Why are you stopping?" she asked. Turning around to face him. "You told me to," he laughed. Tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear. "Luis, you don't seriously believe I meant that, do you?" she asked. Slipping her arms around his neck and placing tiny kisses on his lips. She giggled against his lips when he pulled her more firmly against him and groaned. "We're never going to get clean this way," he said. Evading her kisses and reaching for the cup she used to rinse Ali's hair and her shampoo. She closed her eyes as he washed and rinsed her hair. Then she returned the favor.
She admired his long, lean body as he rose from the tub and stepped out. Holding out a hand for her. He grinned at her, and she felt her cheeks burn. "Like what you see, Mrs. Lopez-Fitzgerald?" "Definitely," she said. Flashing him a dazzling smile and stepping into his arms. She breathed in sharply when he ran his hands down her back. Then lifted her in his arms. She wrapped herself around him completely. Head to toe. And gave him a heart-stopping kiss. "Whoa," he said. Out of breath. "Keep that up, and I won't be responsible for my actions."
"I kind of like the sound of that," she teased. Running her hands through his hair and opening her mouth over his. Luis blindly carried her to their bedroom, and her eyes opened when he laid her down on their bed. "Luis," she whispered. Her arms open to him. He didn't need to be told twice as he covered her body with his own. He jumped at the feel of her hands on him. Every nerve ending in his body alive. "I love you," he said seriously. Watching as a million emotions flashed through her beautiful blue eyes. She didn't say a word. But by the end of the night, Luis knew without a doubt she felt the same. And he wondered...was it possible to be so happy? Because right then, in that moment, everything was perfect. The way it was meant to be.