For once, Rita decided to go right home after the lecture instead of heading back to the office. She knew that if she went back in she'd inadvertently get caught up in something, and she didn't want to miss Sam's game. Today was the first time she was home by five o'clock in ages. Maybe retirement wouldn't be such a bad thing, she thought with a smirk. With two hours left before the game, she was craving time with Chris. She missed him today.
She walked into the house, immediately bombarded by their golden retriever, Fred.
"Hi, Freddie! Want to go outside?" She let him out into the yard and then listened for Chris. Where was he? She wandered around the house until she heard a familiar sound from their workout room in the basement as leather gloves made contact with a weathered heavy bag. She tiptoed down the stairs and stopped at the bottom to simply watch him in action before he noticed her presence.
Her husband.
In these quiet moments, she was still in awe of the fact that he was hers in every way possible. Her best friend first, always. Her partner in life and love. Her soulmate. Her lover. Lips curling into a sly smile, she silently watched his animated movements. His chiseled, muscular frame worked a steady rhythmic beat to the music coursing through his AirPods. She saw the sweat seeping through his tee-shirt, curving around the swift movements of his shoulder blades as his hands tapped their rapid assault. Her eyes had drifted downward to give silent appreciation to his firm backside when he turned in surprise.
"You're home early!"
Rita smiled and advanced toward her partner. "I escaped." She wrapped her arms around his slick neck.
"Sorry, I'm all sweaty. I wasn't expecting you for another hour."
"Mmm, I like you all sweaty, remember?" She leaned in and kissed him hard and deep. He quickly discarded his gloves and wove his hands through her delicate soft curls, reciprocating Rita's intensity and darting his tongue over her warm, intoxicating lips. He loved when she looked like this after a long day: slightly disheveled, slightly exhausted, but finally all his. He pushed her up against the heavy bag, hands slinking down to cup her breasts. She grabbed his ass and felt his groin tighten between her hips. Almost 25 years together as a couple, and this was still all it took to make them both pant with longing and need for one another. Fred's distant barking broke their reverie, and Chris snickered in her ear.
"I need to shower."
"Want some company?"
"Hell yes."
They made their way upstairs, stopping to let in their four-legged interrupter, who resumed napping in his favorite sunspot. Once they reached the bedroom door, Chris gently cornered Rita against the wall, unbuttoning her blouse, simultaneously kissing all of her favorite places. Rita elicited soft moans as she reached her hands under his shirt, paying homage to the taut, moist skin underneath. Slowly, meticulously, they moved hands and lips over familiar parts as they undressed, caressing and tasting, fondling and nipping until their bodies ached with urgency.
They took a long, sensual, sudsy shower, alternating between making love and playfully cleansing each other under the hot steam. They dried off and gravitated to the coolness of the bed, as crisp bed sheets and central air offered them a reprieve and a chance to catch their collective breaths. Naked and uninhibited with the house to themselves, Chris lazily traced circles up and down Rita's spine as she lay splayed across his chest, offering soft kisses to the supple, musky planes within her reach.
"No fair, Sammy," Chris groaned as Rita's lips made contact with a sensitive pectoral that involuntarily flexed under her feathery touch.
"What's the matter? You don't like that?" Rita teased, knowing he was at her mercy. With a free, open palm, she gently ran her hand down his chest, over his abdomen, stopping just below his navel before heading northward again. Continuing this pattern meticulously, she knew she was stoking a fire, and she loved every second of it. A low, guttural hum was his only reply to her demanding rhythm. "We still have twenty minutes before we need to leave for the game." She punctuated her statement with a grab of his erection, coming to life again under her seductive maneuvers.
That was all Chris needed to hear and feel before he snapped. Changing the game, he flipped over, pinning Rita to the bed underneath him. He left a trail of hot, wet kisses from her breasts to her pubic bone, eliciting steady whimpers from his temptress. Without hesitation, knowing time was of the essence, he entered her swiftly, and they both gasped with anticipation and lust. While their shower escapade was slow, sweet, and reconnective after a long day apart, this was lascivious and carnal. Pure want, excitement, and eroticism.
"No fair, Sammy," Rita shot back as her breath quickened, and Chris matched his pace to her shallow moans. She grabbed his hair as he buried himself into her neck, finding the sensitive spot near her left collarbone that he knew was her undoing. She shattered underneath him, grabbing his shoulders to pull him closer, wrapping her legs around his waist so he could thrust himself in deeper. Her walls clenched around him in spasms and sent him over the edge, and they rode the waves of ecstasy together in a thrilling climax.
Sated, they resumed their previous positions, recovering from their hasty, passionate foray. They held hands as their heartbeats slowed.
"I love you," Rita sighed contentedly.
Chris brought Rita's hand to his lips, giving them a gentle kiss. "I love you."
"If we get up now, we can still make it to the game on time."
Chris groaned at the idea of having to rush out of bed. "I'm sure Sam won't notice if we're a few minutes late."
"Well, I'm always late. She'll chalk it up to another long day at the office."
Chris made it a point to lock eyes with his beautiful wife. "Rita, she understands. Don't be so hard on yourself. You are always there when it matters most. She adores you."
Rita squeezed his hand in response and adjusted herself, sitting more upright against the pillows. "Hudson is coming to the game tonight." While she was now shoulder to shoulder with him sitting side by side, she could visibly see him wince out of the corner of her eye.
"I guess it's now or nevah, huh? I hate avoiding him. We have to rip off the band-aid."
"So… we're decided then?" She wasn't sure if she was asking a question or issuing a statement. They went back and forth so many times, she wasn't even sure of where they finally landed.
Chris didn't answer right away. Instead, he played with Rita's fingers on the hand he was holding. "A few months ago, retirement was all I could think of. It was time. It was right. It would make the kids happy. It was for Sam. But now…"
Rita continued his thoughts. "I've especially been feeling guilty since Karen died. All the money she left us, and we are continuing these risky careers. Will the kids ever forgive us if something happens?"
Chris nodded in agreement. "I know. But then I think retirement is a knee-jerk reaction. Maybe we could make it all work? I was thinking of giving up Vice for good."
"Chris, you're technically a Captain for Vice. You'd give that up?"
"If I keep the role I started with as a Lieutenant, it's a good, safe job. If it ends up being a demotion, so be it."
"I've been thinking too… You know, I love teaching at the Academy. They've been asking me to instruct there for ages. Maybe it's time. I'll be honest, coming home at 5:00 was glorious today. I could get used to a day job."
"That sounds parfait. But…"
"What about Sam?"
Chris sighed. "Exactly… how do we juggle it all?"
"Let's talk to Hudson about it tonight. He always has good advice."
"Speaking of which, we better get going." Chris leaned in to give his bride one more passionate kiss.
