Part Eight
Sheridan turned the key in the lock with a sigh. A few hours had mushroomed into the whole day, and the sun had long set in the hazy sky. A lamp in the living room cast a pale yellow glow, and a gentle smile adorned her lips at the scene it illuminated. She laid her keys down on the coffee table and bent down to brush a stubborn black curl from Catherine's forehead. His voice startled her. "We've been waiting for you." Her blue eyes softened. "I'm so sorry, Luis. Today…I can't even begin to describe what went on." Luis's brown eyes shone with concern. "Are you okay?" Sheridan smiled slightly. "I'm fine, Luis," she whispered. Turning her attention back to the little girl curled up against his bare chest. "Poor thing. She's worn out. What did you do to her, Luis?" she teased. "We went to the park," Luis grinned. "And for the record…I didn't do ANYTHING to her." "Uh huh," Sheridan rolled her blue eyes at him. "Too bad she can't point the finger at you. She's out like a light," she said. Groaning as she slid her hands beneath Catherine's shoulders and knees and lifted her into her arms. "Sheri," Catherine murmured in her sleep. Little arms seeking her neck. "Shh," Sheridan hushed. Catherine shifted in her arms. Wrapping her legs around her waist, too. Luis moved to stand up, but Sheridan waved him off. "I'm going to put her to bed, and I'll be right back."
Luis rubbed the sleep from his brown eyes and climbed to his feet. And found himself staring out the French doors to the moonlit world outside. "Luis," Sheridan's laughter made him turn around. "Something on your mind?" How right you are, he thought as he shook his head with a slight smile. "Why don't I believe you?" He stared into her twinkling blue eyes for a moment. Her eyes. He wanted it to have her eyes. "Somebody's not very talkative today," she said. The corners of her pink lips twisting upward as she held out her hand for him to grasp. His hand engulfed hers as she led him back to the comfort of the sofa, and he soon found himself sneaking wayward glances at her as images from a late-night television show flitted over her features. She laughed. Probably at some corny joke. Delivered with a straight face. He realized he loved her laugh, too. What didn't he love about her, he wondered. And when had he NOT loved her?
"Luis…Luis…" A lazy, somewhat embarrassed grin stole over his lips as he realized he had been caught. Caught staring. This wasn't the first time. And somehow he knew it wouldn't be the last. "What's so interesting about this face?" she kidded. With the most outrageous expression she could manage. "Seriously, Luis," she sobered when she realized he was still gazing at her intently. "Do I have something on my face? In my teeth?" she asked with increasing nervousness as the look in his brown eyes grew more intense by the second. "Luis? Luis, you're…" "Shut up, Princess," he finally said. Laughing at the look of utter shock written plainly across her face. "No, you didn't…you didn't just tell me…Luis Lopez- Fitzgerald!" she exclaimed in outrage. Picking up one of the plush pillows beside her and whacking him over the head with it. Luis grabbed the pillow beside him and raised it over his own head as a warning. Chuckling helplessly at the fire in Sheridan's blue eyes.
"What's so damn funny, Luis?" Sheridan tried to act mad. But she couldn't do it. And little by little, her angry façade cracked and disappeared. "You're adorable." "Adorable," Sheridan sputtered. Adorable? He thought she was adorable? "So…you think I'm cute now," she crossed her arms around her chest. He could hear the disappointment in her voice. "Not just that," he told her. Pulling one arm free and threading his fingers through hers. "I think you're one of the most beautiful people—inside AND out—that I have ever met. You're generous. Kind. Loving. Catherine's lucky to have you," he said sincerely. Noticing for the first time the sheen of tears in her blue eyes. He dropped her hand and raised his own to cup her jaw. She rubbed her cheek against his palm. "And I'm lucky. Knowing you. Loving you." Her blue eyes grew wide, and he grinned at her look of astonishment. "Luis…" "Yes?" he whispered. "Did you just say…do you mean what I think you mean…oh my god," she said shakily as his fingers combed the curls at the nape of her neck. Tears spilling down her cheeks.
He brushed her tears away gently and looked deep into her eyes. "I love you, Sheridan Crane," he said softly. A brilliant smile lit up her entire face as she threw her arms around his neck. "That's why I followed you to Paris when I had every reason to believe you hated me. That's why I stayed and did everything I could to make sure you were safe. That's why I'm here with you now. I love you." She drew back and searched his brown eyes. "Really?" she sniffled. "I don't want you to regret this later when you realize I'm not really worth it." "Sheridan," he grew serious. Grazing her cheek with the back of his knuckles. "Don't you ever think that. You're worth it all. Everything to me." She slid her hands down the length of his arms and linked her hands with his. Beaming with happiness as she whispered, "I love you, too, Luis. And I hope you believe me…"
"I do," he grinned. His gaze drifting down to her lips. He knew…if she didn't, he wouldn't have gotten this second chance. This second chance to be a part of her life with Catherine. "Sheridan, I…" She bit her lip as he slowly closed the distance between them. Brushing his lips across hers gently at first. She smiled against them. "Kiss me again, Luis." To hell with slow, she thought as his soft lips kissed her more firmly. And suddenly she found herself in his lap. Kissing him back with all the passion, all the love inside her. They broke apart. Breathing heavily. "Wow." "Ditto," Luis teased. "Ditto? That's the best you can do? Luis!" Sheridan exclaimed in mock hurt. "Is amazing good enough for you?" "That's better," Sheridan admitted shyly. "But…" He captured her lips with his once more. Cutting off her words. Ending her teasing. And she moaned into his mouth when she felt his hands blazing paths of fire on her skin. She buried her hands in his dark hair. Holding him to her as he kissed the delicate skin of her neck.
Luis pulled away, and she recognized a reflection of herself in his swollen lips. Eyes glittering with desire. Breath coming in ragged pants. Her eyes never left his as her fingers traveled to her blouse and began to slowly remove each button from its hole. Until finally the material hung loosely at her sides. Luis's hands encircled her waist, and he pulled her to him. Sheridan wrapped her arms around his neck. Splaying her hands over the overheated skin of his back. "Luis," she murmured in between kisses. "Luis," she gasped. "We have to…oh god," she moaned as he pushed her shirt from her shoulders. Along with the straps of her bra. And kissed the skin revealed. As much as she enjoyed the feeling of his lips on her body, as wonderful as if felt, she felt they were moving too far too quickly. "Luis…" Her eyes fluttered shut when his lips kissed the swell of her breast. Then he raised his head and smiled at her. Sliding a hand down to her stomach and urging her to open her eyes. And simply said…"I know, Sheridan." "What?" she asked in a fog of confusion. His dark eyes reflected a million emotions. Most evident was happiness as light laughter left his lips. "I know about the baby." And her mouth dropped open in shock.
Sheridan turned the key in the lock with a sigh. A few hours had mushroomed into the whole day, and the sun had long set in the hazy sky. A lamp in the living room cast a pale yellow glow, and a gentle smile adorned her lips at the scene it illuminated. She laid her keys down on the coffee table and bent down to brush a stubborn black curl from Catherine's forehead. His voice startled her. "We've been waiting for you." Her blue eyes softened. "I'm so sorry, Luis. Today…I can't even begin to describe what went on." Luis's brown eyes shone with concern. "Are you okay?" Sheridan smiled slightly. "I'm fine, Luis," she whispered. Turning her attention back to the little girl curled up against his bare chest. "Poor thing. She's worn out. What did you do to her, Luis?" she teased. "We went to the park," Luis grinned. "And for the record…I didn't do ANYTHING to her." "Uh huh," Sheridan rolled her blue eyes at him. "Too bad she can't point the finger at you. She's out like a light," she said. Groaning as she slid her hands beneath Catherine's shoulders and knees and lifted her into her arms. "Sheri," Catherine murmured in her sleep. Little arms seeking her neck. "Shh," Sheridan hushed. Catherine shifted in her arms. Wrapping her legs around her waist, too. Luis moved to stand up, but Sheridan waved him off. "I'm going to put her to bed, and I'll be right back."
Luis rubbed the sleep from his brown eyes and climbed to his feet. And found himself staring out the French doors to the moonlit world outside. "Luis," Sheridan's laughter made him turn around. "Something on your mind?" How right you are, he thought as he shook his head with a slight smile. "Why don't I believe you?" He stared into her twinkling blue eyes for a moment. Her eyes. He wanted it to have her eyes. "Somebody's not very talkative today," she said. The corners of her pink lips twisting upward as she held out her hand for him to grasp. His hand engulfed hers as she led him back to the comfort of the sofa, and he soon found himself sneaking wayward glances at her as images from a late-night television show flitted over her features. She laughed. Probably at some corny joke. Delivered with a straight face. He realized he loved her laugh, too. What didn't he love about her, he wondered. And when had he NOT loved her?
"Luis…Luis…" A lazy, somewhat embarrassed grin stole over his lips as he realized he had been caught. Caught staring. This wasn't the first time. And somehow he knew it wouldn't be the last. "What's so interesting about this face?" she kidded. With the most outrageous expression she could manage. "Seriously, Luis," she sobered when she realized he was still gazing at her intently. "Do I have something on my face? In my teeth?" she asked with increasing nervousness as the look in his brown eyes grew more intense by the second. "Luis? Luis, you're…" "Shut up, Princess," he finally said. Laughing at the look of utter shock written plainly across her face. "No, you didn't…you didn't just tell me…Luis Lopez- Fitzgerald!" she exclaimed in outrage. Picking up one of the plush pillows beside her and whacking him over the head with it. Luis grabbed the pillow beside him and raised it over his own head as a warning. Chuckling helplessly at the fire in Sheridan's blue eyes.
"What's so damn funny, Luis?" Sheridan tried to act mad. But she couldn't do it. And little by little, her angry façade cracked and disappeared. "You're adorable." "Adorable," Sheridan sputtered. Adorable? He thought she was adorable? "So…you think I'm cute now," she crossed her arms around her chest. He could hear the disappointment in her voice. "Not just that," he told her. Pulling one arm free and threading his fingers through hers. "I think you're one of the most beautiful people—inside AND out—that I have ever met. You're generous. Kind. Loving. Catherine's lucky to have you," he said sincerely. Noticing for the first time the sheen of tears in her blue eyes. He dropped her hand and raised his own to cup her jaw. She rubbed her cheek against his palm. "And I'm lucky. Knowing you. Loving you." Her blue eyes grew wide, and he grinned at her look of astonishment. "Luis…" "Yes?" he whispered. "Did you just say…do you mean what I think you mean…oh my god," she said shakily as his fingers combed the curls at the nape of her neck. Tears spilling down her cheeks.
He brushed her tears away gently and looked deep into her eyes. "I love you, Sheridan Crane," he said softly. A brilliant smile lit up her entire face as she threw her arms around his neck. "That's why I followed you to Paris when I had every reason to believe you hated me. That's why I stayed and did everything I could to make sure you were safe. That's why I'm here with you now. I love you." She drew back and searched his brown eyes. "Really?" she sniffled. "I don't want you to regret this later when you realize I'm not really worth it." "Sheridan," he grew serious. Grazing her cheek with the back of his knuckles. "Don't you ever think that. You're worth it all. Everything to me." She slid her hands down the length of his arms and linked her hands with his. Beaming with happiness as she whispered, "I love you, too, Luis. And I hope you believe me…"
"I do," he grinned. His gaze drifting down to her lips. He knew…if she didn't, he wouldn't have gotten this second chance. This second chance to be a part of her life with Catherine. "Sheridan, I…" She bit her lip as he slowly closed the distance between them. Brushing his lips across hers gently at first. She smiled against them. "Kiss me again, Luis." To hell with slow, she thought as his soft lips kissed her more firmly. And suddenly she found herself in his lap. Kissing him back with all the passion, all the love inside her. They broke apart. Breathing heavily. "Wow." "Ditto," Luis teased. "Ditto? That's the best you can do? Luis!" Sheridan exclaimed in mock hurt. "Is amazing good enough for you?" "That's better," Sheridan admitted shyly. "But…" He captured her lips with his once more. Cutting off her words. Ending her teasing. And she moaned into his mouth when she felt his hands blazing paths of fire on her skin. She buried her hands in his dark hair. Holding him to her as he kissed the delicate skin of her neck.
Luis pulled away, and she recognized a reflection of herself in his swollen lips. Eyes glittering with desire. Breath coming in ragged pants. Her eyes never left his as her fingers traveled to her blouse and began to slowly remove each button from its hole. Until finally the material hung loosely at her sides. Luis's hands encircled her waist, and he pulled her to him. Sheridan wrapped her arms around his neck. Splaying her hands over the overheated skin of his back. "Luis," she murmured in between kisses. "Luis," she gasped. "We have to…oh god," she moaned as he pushed her shirt from her shoulders. Along with the straps of her bra. And kissed the skin revealed. As much as she enjoyed the feeling of his lips on her body, as wonderful as if felt, she felt they were moving too far too quickly. "Luis…" Her eyes fluttered shut when his lips kissed the swell of her breast. Then he raised his head and smiled at her. Sliding a hand down to her stomach and urging her to open her eyes. And simply said…"I know, Sheridan." "What?" she asked in a fog of confusion. His dark eyes reflected a million emotions. Most evident was happiness as light laughter left his lips. "I know about the baby." And her mouth dropped open in shock.