Three.

Miraculously, Olivia remained calm when she heard her son's voice. She snapped up, shuffling the throw blanket to Ed in the process, and assessed Noah's expression. He had been in bed for over two hours, and he rarely left his room for anything after he'd been tucked in. He appeared neither ill nor frightened. Nevertheless, Olivia immediately asked what was wrong and hoped he would forget his original question.

"Noah, honey, what are you doing up?" Olivia smoothed her hair and wondered if she was still flushed. She was convinced her pounding heart was audible.

"Heard a noise."

"Sweet boy." She rose to her knees and pulled him over the back of the couch and into her lap. Though she was wearing a t-shirt, her bra hung loosely from her shoulders, and she hoped Noah wouldn't notice. "What noise?"

"Was a crash!"

"Let's go to your room and see what it was." There were multiple items that could have fallen from his desk, table, or bureau.

Noah buried his head into her neck. "Kay," he said softly, "but what are ya doin out here?"

Olivia breathed deeply and tried her best to sound normal. "We were kissing," she said.

Noah's forehead crinkled. "Kissing laying down on da couch?"

"Yes sweetie," Olivia replied. She avoided eye contact with Ed, for she knew he was either beet red or trying to suppress laughter. Or both. "When adults love each other like Daddy and I love each other, they kiss like that sometimes."

Following her lead, Ed finally spoke. "Remember how we talked about privacy, bud?"

"Uh-huh."

"Kissing like that is a private thing mommies and daddies do. We shoulda been more private about it."

"Sare Bear and Justy do that?"

Both Ed and Olivia chuckled softly.

"They do," Olivia replied, "But remember, it's a private thing adults do when they love each other very, very much. Like Daddy said, we should have gone to our room where it's private."

"You kiss Daddy like dat everrnight?"

"I try to kiss Daddy as much as possible."

Ed shivered.

Apparently satisfied, Noah curled back into Olivia's chest and yawned. "C'we see what da noise was now?"

"Sure." Olivia carried Noah to his room and immediately saw what made the crash. "Were you using the iPad?" She asked.

"I was drawin."

Olivia pointed at the floor. "You fell asleep with it in your bed and you probably rolled over and it fell on your subway."

Alarmed, Noah's eyes widened and he squirmed to get down. "That's da R to Bay Ridge," he said, snapping the pieces back into place, "Gotta fix it."

Olivia patiently waited for him to finish. "And we'll put your iPad on the desk so you can sleep." She wondered if it was time to take away the device during the night. Noah never tried to use his phone after bedtime, but the iPad was more enticing since it contained more books and his favorite drawing app.

"Kay," Noah murmured. He assessed his repair job, and, deeming it satisfactory, hopped back under the covers.

Olivia made sure he was tucked in and kissed his forehead. "Goodnight, sweetheart. I love you."

"Love you, Mommy."

"Sweet dreams."

"Mommy?"

"Hmm?"

"You gonna go kiss Daddy more?"

Olivia ducked her head and grinned sheepishly, "It's late. I'll probably give him one more kiss then go to sleep."

Ed had other ideas. When she found him lying on the bed clad only in boxers, he had a mischievous smirk on his face and his hands clasped behind his head. He was irresistible. Olivia swapped her pants and tee for an oversized night shirt and snuggled up next to him.

"That was bad," she whispered.

"Coulda been way worse."

Olivia thought about their Cosmo-inspired positions, writhing as Ed pleasured her orally, sex on the hotel bathroom countertop…he was right, and she laughed along with him.

"I'm more worried you won't want to do it on the couch anymore."

"From now on we have to be more careful," she said, "But I like the couch sometimes."

Ed puckered his lips for a kiss. "You handled it well."

"Article."

"Article?"

"Yes," she answered, "In Parents. Not too long ago, coincidentally enough. It suggested being honest rather than saying we're wrestling or something like that."

Ed raised his eyebrows playfully. "Wrestling might be fun though," he said slowly, "I'll let ya pin me."

Olivia draped her body over his and held his wrists above his head. "Like this?"

"Mmmhmmm."

"Now what?"

"Door locked?" He asked with a wink.

"Yep."

"Kiss me."

Olivia bit her lip. "Well, I did tell our son I'd kiss you once more then go to sleep."

"Didja now?"

She lowered her head so her lips were almost touching his. "But I may have fibbed a little."

Ed felt her fingers slide between his skin and the elastic waistband.

Eyebrow cocked, she asked, "I think we were here?"

"I think so."

Outside, the wind whipped and swirled around Manhattan's skyscrapers. By the time they lay sated in one another's arms under the covers, slushy snowflakes pelted their bedroom windows. Ed slithered out of bed and apologetically said he was going to adjust the heat and check the kids' covers. He remembered the weather alerts that had popped up on his phone earlier in the evening. Finding the three kids safely cocooned in their blankets, he bumped the thermostat a couple degrees and smiled, anticipating getting back under the covers with his wife. He held her tightly against his chest and, minutes later, felt her body grow heavy with sleep. He hoped this was one of those nights where she stayed plastered to his body until dawn. Sleeping like this would neither get old nor be taken for granted.

…

Ed lived in a fourth-floor Hell's Kitchen apartment in a no-doorman building with hit-or-miss elevator service. She guessed he moved to the neighborhood after the divorce as sort of a punishment, more place to hide and brood than to create a new home, but he had unknowingly bought low in what became a gold mine. The neighborhood had become one of Manhattan's hottest real estate markets, and as older residents moved or passed away, they were replaced by young professionals whose presence and preferences changed the landscape. Many of the area's longstanding haunts were gone, replaced by trendy bistros and juice bars. As Olivia made her way down the block, she imagined Ed probably despised the development; however, he most likely had no problem with the correlating skyrocketing property values.

After he buzzed her in, Olivia climbed the stairs and worried once more about her attire. Prior to this particular night, most of their dates had taken place after a work day. Tonight was the first time Ed invited her to his apartment for dinner. Over drinks a couple days after Valentine's Day he'd suggested it in an adorably shy manner. It was obvious he was smitten with her and that he wanted to nudge their relationship along. Partly because of Noah but mostly because he didn't want to seem too forward, Ed waited for the absolute perfect time to extend the invitation. Since they had already slept together, he felt more comfortable and knew it would relieve any pressure she might have been feeling. As she approached his door, the only question in her mind was whether her black jeans and lavender sweater were what he was expecting.

Ed opened the door clad in equally casual jeans and polo and, taking advantage of the privacy, kissed her. "Hey," he said softly, smirking, "C'mon in."

Olivia stepped inside. Ed took her leather jacket and hung it on a coatrack similar to hers. To her left, in the kitchen, a bottle of wine and a large tossed salad sat on the island. Ed had draped a white tablecloth over his small round dining table which was already set. Unlit candles were arranged in the middle.

Olivia was so fixated on his preparation she didn't realize he was smirking at her.

"Want a drink? The grand tour?"

"Sure," she replied, almost in a whisper.

"Got about thirty minutes 'til the ziti's done," he said, "Wine or bourbon? Or something else?"

"Let's start with bourbon."

"A little ice?"

"Please."

It took only a few minutes for him to walk her through the apartment. He checked the food and joined her on the couch—a piece of furniture she would later learn had been lovingly nicknamed "Big Brown" by his daughters. Dim, yellowish light emanated from two side lamps and lounge music played from the speakers.

He lifted his glass, "Forgot a toast," he said, "Cheers to the weekend."

"Absolutely," she touched her glass to his and took the opportunity to scoot closer.

She sounded and looked genuinely relieved and relaxed. It had been over a month since the hostage standoff. Ed knew she was still processing all that happened while simultaneously handling a couple of tough cases, including the most recent one involving Hank Abraham. He hoped she was taking care of herself and getting as much rest as possible, but he vowed to stay away from the heavy talk tonight. Unless, of course, she brought it up.

"Weather looks ugly though," he said, "Noah have trouble when it's this cold?"

"He's been much better," Olivia replied with a smile, "At his last appointment the pulmonologist was impressed. He even mentioned the asthma was something he might eventually grow out of."

"That's great news."

"Fingers crossed." She took another sip and kicked off her boots. As she got comfortable she intentionally moved even closer so her knees were almost touching his leg. She wanted to show him, definitively, that she was comfortable and more than happy to be there with him. "But, I still get nervous. So, if we go out this weekend, it'll be quick."

"Lemme know if I can bring ya anything."

"Why don't you come over tomorrow?" Olivia asked, surprising herself at how easily and instinctively the question had come out of her mouth, "Hang out for a little while? I can offer you some classic cartoons and Legos…among other toys." Olivia bit her lip and started laughing.

"Toys…" Ed murmured, getting the unintentional joke and glad Olivia laughed first. "Sure, I'll be there."

Olivia put a hand on his thigh. "Good." She leaned forward for a kiss.

He put his free hand on her shoulder and let his fingers drift into her brown locks. When she parted her lips, he put his glass on the coffee table. She followed suit, and they fell into the back cushions. The liplock would have continued indefinitely and turned into something else if not for the ding of the oven timer.

Ed smirked against her lips. "Hungry?"

"Actually, yes," she said breathlessly.

"C'mon," he stood, held out his hand, and led her to the kitchen. He scooped two portions onto each plate, added a basket of breadsticks to the table, sat down, then got up again when he realized he'd forgotten the salad. "Hope the pasta's cooked," he said as he poured the wine, "Recipe said it only had to be boiled for a couple minutes first."

"Looks delicious." Olivia accepted the glass and swirled the wine. "This is all so nice, Ed. Thank you."

"My pleasure."

"We may have to do this more often."

"Sure," he stabbed a forkful of salad and tried to hide his giddy grin. "You may change your mind if that pasta's not done."

Seeking to quell his worries, Olivia took a bite of the baked ziti and reported it was perfect. "The wine, the ambience, Ed, it's all perfect."

"Good." He smiled at her candlelit face. She was perfect. He wanted to say it but didn't want to risk an awkward overreach.

Olivia asked about the neighborhood and his apartment—how long he'd lived there and what he thought about the transition from old to new. As she predicted, the gentrification annoyed him, but he could not ignore the equity it brought. He mentioned his daughters also having mixed feelings. Olivia knew a bit about both Brooke and Sarah, and she probed for more information. She had already caught glimpses of their photos and saw their unmistakable resemblance to their father, especially the eyes.

"I'd like to meet them someday," Olivia said at one point.

"Yeah, of course," Ed replied, "Got, uh…a couple things on the list then. More dinners like this and meeting the girls."

"Right."

He noticed her eyes momentarily go distant. "Somethin' wrong?"

"No," she sighed, "I…I remembered…these next couple of weeks, I'm going to have some late nights."

"Why's that?"

"We got a tip about a possible…or many possible parties involving underage and possibly trafficked girls." Olivia waved a hand in the air, "We don't have enough to go on yet, but it could be big."

"Trafficking," Ed muttered, "Sickening…and sad…and a little frightening. I mean, law enforcement's onto it now, lookin for it, but ten, twenty years ago? Not on the radar. Not like now. How many were missed?" He looked up and startled at her doleful expression. "Sorry," he said self-consciously.

"No, no," a sincere smile supplanted the momentary misery in her visage, "You're absolutely right. I, uh, I…I'm still getting used to hearing you talk like a father and –"

"—someone with a heart?" He quipped.

She grinned. "Well, yeah."

Ed smirked back at her. Their banter was so easy and relaxed. It seemed almost as if they'd been buddies all along and had simply been playing roles whenever they encountered one another at work. He craved her laugh and her sense of humor, especially when she teased him. Having moved on from the past, he felt immensely grateful they had worked their way into a place where they could joke and poke fun at each other.

"I have cheesecake and some port," he said when their plates were clear and they each had put down their utensils. "But I don't want to keep ya if you have to get home."

"I have plenty of time."

The cocky, assured tone turned him on, not that he hadn't already been eagerly anticipating making love to her again.

"I'll, uh, I'll get it."

Olivia stood and started clearing the dinner plates. "I'll get this."

After dessert they each had some port left. Ed suggested they move back to the couch. Olivia nodded and followed him. This time she sat flush with his body so he could put his arm around her. Minutes later, the wine glasses were empty and Ed offered a refill.

"No," Olivia said, "I'm good."

"Okay."

He started to settle back into the cushions, but Olivia rose to her knees and kissed him. "Now I'm really good," she said, backing away an inch or so with her eyebrow cocked.

"Wanna be even better?"

She pressed another firm kiss to his lips. "Yeah, I do."

He led her to his bedroom and turned the recessed lighting to its dimmest setting. Having already had sex a couple times before, they were both more confident and less hesitant with one another. The lovemaking was playful. They were louder than what was safe with Noah close by. Afterwards, as Ed held her and kissed the top of her head, he wished he didn't have to let her go back out into the frigid February night.

However, she did have to go and, eventually, she was dressed again and kissing him goodbye.

"You drove, right?"

"No, I'm not far. I walked."

Ed furrowed his brow and hunted for jeans, a shirt, and his coat. "I'll drive you back."

"Ed, you really don't have to."

"I'll either walk with you or drive you," he said, "But it's freezing. And I'm parked right out front."

"Sure you don't mind?"

Ed held her by the shoulders and planted a tender kiss on her lips. "Of course not."

"I feel bad you might lose that parking spot."

He grinned. "Liv, that's the last thing I care about right now."

…

The following Wednesday Sarah brought Noah home and, to her surprise, found Olivia there with the twins rather than her father. Maggie and Wyatt were eating dinner in the high chairs, and Olivia was chopping lettuce at the island. The twins greeted their brother with the usual "NO!" exclamations, and Maggie offered him a fistful of what originated as a toddler-sized turkey burger.

"No thanks, small sister," Noah said, "Sare Bear and I arready ate dinner!"

"Where'd you go?" Olivia asked as she uncorked a bottle of wine and slid Sarah a glass.

"Chinatown," Sarah said.

"We ate dumplings!" Noah reported excitedly. "They were goooo-oood!"

"I'm stuffed," Sarah groaned.

"Want something other than wine?"

"No, that'll be perfect. Helps with digestion."

"Sweet boy, how was your day?"

"It was GREAT!"

"Good," Olivia held out her arms, "Give me a hug." She hugged and kissed him. "What do you want to do now?"

"Gonna play da guitar."

"Okay. Did you thank Sarah?"

"Uh-huh!"

Olivia smiled sweetly and told Noah he didn't have to use the headphones for his guitar practice. She gave Maggie and Wyatt more French fries and opened Noah's backpack for the "home" folder. Finding nothing that needed her immediate attention, she hung it on the back of a chair and went back to her place across from Sarah.

"How are you, Livvie? We haven't seen you in forever!"

"I know. Since New Years, time seems to have flown by. We're in the middle of this crazy case involving medical marijuana…a sick kid and his parents…it's murky and giving all of us headaches."

Sarah rolled her eyes and sucked her teeth. "I can't believe it's not totally legal here yet."

"I don't think it will be long, but then again I've been saying that for years," Olivia said, "It's tricky to have this sort of partially legal system. At least, with this case, that's the problem. Anyway, how are you and Justin?"

"Excellent," Sarah said. "He's going to get his degree in April which is awesome, right before the wedding, so he's excited about that and it will be right at the end of tax season, so I won't have anything to do but spoil the hell out of him!"

Olivia held up her glass. "Well, cheers to that!"

"Absolutely."

"So…" Olivia dithered, still unsure how to pose this particular question. "…did Noah happen to say anything about kissing this afternoon?"

"Kissing?"

"Yes."

Sarah twisted her lips and cast her eyes upward as she thought. "Nope. No kissing questions. A lot about the freaking subway. He's obsessed with those trains."

"He is. Before you leave go look at his room. He's been rebuilding the subway with his train track and the map you bought him."

"Omigod. How adorable…and also a little, um, inconvenient if one wants to walk around his room?"

"It is. But he's almost out of track. He's not gonna be able to do the Queens stops."

Sarah waved a dismissive hand in the air, "Ah, no biggie. So…why did you think he might ask about kissing?" She saw Olivia's cheeks turn a deep crimson and excitedly moved to the edge of the barstool. "Omigod, omigod, omigod…what?"

"Oh…" Olivia's gaze drifted toward the sofa, "Your Dad and I were…on the couch—"

"-Omigawwwwwwd—"

"Clothes on," Olivia emphasized, "But we were, um, kissing—"

"—and very close to not having clothes on—" It wasn't a question. Sarah easily visualized the entire scene.

"—and all of a sudden we hear Mommy, Daddy, watcha doin' and I didn't know whether to laugh or be mortified." Olivia shot her an embarrassed smile. Sarah's ability to get people to open up about the most personal matters never failed to amaze Olivia. She had never, in her entire life, gossiped about sex with anyone, but her stepdaughter had a knack for unlocking details. The fact that those details involved her father simply did not bother her. Sarah loved talking about love; the players didn't matter.

"Could have been really fucking worse," Sarah uttered the profanity in a hushed voice while eyeing the twins who were intensely focused on their food.

"Your Dad said the same thing."

"What did you say? Omigod. I mean…you had to be, uh, worked up, right?"

"Oh yeah." Olivia explained how she'd diffused the situation

Sarah giggled. "And Daddy's, like, sitting there all…"

"He brought up privacy," Olivia said, "We've talked a lot about what's private and what's not…a lot, Noah's probably sick of the word. But we told him kissing like that was private and we should've gone to our bedroom. We emphasized adults, but I'm worried he's going to think he could kiss Mia or someone else like that…I guess I wanted him to think what we were doing was gross."

Sarah was trying to be sympathetic, but she couldn't stop laughing and tears welled in her eyes. "Omigod, I am dying Livvie…I'm sorry. I keep thinking of his face and the two of you hearing him and, just…" Sarah trailed off and put her head on the island. Her shoulders shook with laughter and she slapped the granite.

"Needless to say, we're locking the door to our bedroom for the foreseeable future."

Sarah lifted her head and looked at Olivia with jesting sadness in her eyes. "But couch sex is so hawwwwt."

"I know," Olivia sighed.

Sarah brightened. "Well, on Wednesdays I have Noey. The twinsies could go to day care and then you could have some time…if you leave work a little early."

Olivia unrolled a sheet of plastic wrap and covered the salad. "We'll find a way."

"That's the spirit." Sarah inhaled deeply, "What are you making? It smells great."

"Your Dad made baked ziti," she said, "I'd invite you to stay, but…we're kind of doing a dinner for two after the kids go to bed."

"Gahhhhhhh," Sarah fell forward in a swooning heap, "And everyone wonders why I love you two so much. You're the poster couple for romance and love and gawwwwwd I hope Justin and I are this hot when we're in our fifties."

"I hope you are, too."

Sarah grinned. Olivia was clearly in a romantic mood and it buoyed her own spirits. "Well, I'll check out the subway and then be on my way."

"Justin have a late night tonight?"

"Yes. His last class is over at nine then he usually goes over his notes for a little bit while he's in the academic mood, which, of course, is a mood completely foreign to me. I'll pick up something for us to eat on the way home. I don't wanna go back out later, it's brutal out there."

"I was ready for summer as soon as we closed on the beach house."

"I need a condo in Florida or something. It'd be a nice little escape. And I could rent it out when I'm not there. And, of course, everyone could use it whenever," Sarah cocked her head and chewed the inside of her mouth. In an instant she realized her idea, born of a complaint, could actually come to fruition. "You know what? I'm going to look into that…"

…..

Noah swam around the pool with his eyes closed. Every few seconds he would yell, "MARCO!" and be greeted with a chorus of "POLOs." Maggie and Wyatt, small and fast, were difficult to catch, so Noah chose to go in the direction of the adult voices. Brooke, Sonny, and Justin compliantly swam around; Sarah, however, wasn't above breaking the rules and she would occasionally commit a Marco Polo sin and get out of the pool in order to refresh drinks or to escape Noah's reach. Ed and Olivia lounged nearby with Sofia. The two-year-old was sleeping soundly wrapped in a towel in Olivia's arms.

"MARCO!"

"POLO!"

Eyes still pressed shut, Noah frowned. He turned to the direction of Sarah's voice and admonished her. "You're not in the pool, Sare Bear!"

SPLASH!

"Yes I am, Noey! Come and get me!"

Olivia and Ed wore matching amused expressions as they watched Noah blindly swim for Sarah. When he was within inches of her, she scrambled up the later and onto the patio. Noah opened his eyes and somehow managed to tread water with his hands on his hips.

"SARE BEAR! You're cheating!"

Four-year-old Maggie swam to the edge and breathlessly repeated her brother's accusation. "Cheating, Sare Bear!" She glared at Sarah through blue-tinted goggles.

Sarah threw her hands up in surrender. "I'm sorry. I lose. How 'bout…how bout we take a break from Marco Polo? I'm tired!"

Noah flipped to a back float and agreed. "I'm tired, too. Gonna relax."

Brooke, Sonny, and Justin looked thrilled to be rescued from the game. They perched on the ledge surrounding the inner perimeter of the pool. Sarah took drink orders from them and from Ed and Olivia and went to the nearby Tiki Bar to grab the cocktails.

Wyatt got out of the pool and skipped to his parents. Water ran down his suntanned skin and fell in droplets around his body. His red swim trunks clung to his legs and he slid his own goggles to his forehead. "Mommy, I'm hungry," he said in his slightly raspy little-boy voice.

Olivia sat up, careful not to jostle Sofia too much, and dug into her large beach tote. She produced two plastic containers. "Cheez-its or Ritz? There's some cheese in the cooler, too, sweetie. Oh, and some grapes."

"Cheez-its, please."

Ed held out a towel, "C'mere, bud. Dry off a little. Sure you don't want grapes?"

Wyatt took a handful of the fruit and sat on the side of Ed's chair and ate his snack. "Sofia's so sleepy," he said as he munched.

"She's takin' her afternoon nap with Grandma," Ed said.

Wyatt giggled. "Mommy's not Grandma," he said, "Grandma in da books have white hair!"

"Is Daddy Grandpa then?" Olivia asked facetiously.

Wyatt looked lovingly at his father, "Yup. But he Daddy, too."

Olivia and Ed exchanged amused glances. She held out her hand. Ed took it and kissed her knuckles. Soon, Wyatt handed back the container and hustled back to the pool. Earlier that afternoon he and Maggie bragged about not needing life jackets or arm floaties like other kids swimming at the condo's expansive community pool. Thanks to lessons early in their lives, the twins couldn't remember a time when they didn't know how to swim. Nevertheless, Ed and Olivia kept watchful eyes on them and on Noah who was currently floating around with the assistance of two foam noodles. He situated one under his neck and curled his knees around the other. Wyatt jumped in, cannonball style, intentionally splashing his brother. He emerged from the water in hysterics. Noah grinned and scrambled for the edge so he could retaliate. A cannonball contest ensued.

The family spent the day at the pool due to red flag warnings on the white sandy gulf beach. The weather was perfect, but dangerous rip currents lurked. Neither the kids nor the adults had a problem sacrificing one day away from the sand. They had lunch delivered poolside, took advantage of the Tiki Bar, and feasted on crab legs for dinner. The ten of them were a little crowded in Sarah's three bedroom condo, but it was cozy and nobody complained. Once the kids got older and Sarah and Justin added their own offspring, Ed and Olivia would probably rent their own unit, but, for now, the accommodations were perfect. The three Tucker kids especially enjoyed staying up late and sleeping on the sofa bed. That particular arrangement worked out wonderfully for Ed and Olivia.

It was after midnight when everyone retreated to their respective rooms after several hours of card playing. Another nice feature of the condo was that each bedroom functioned as a master suite and had its own bathroom. Ed stripped down to his underwear and crawled across the mattress to Olivia. "Shower now or later?"

Olivia tossed her magazine and reading glasses aside. "Later."

She hadn't changed clothes and he tugged at her linen shorts. "You're overdressed."

"Sorry." She peeled off her tank top and wriggled out of her bra as Ed planted kisses across her abdomen.

"That's better," he rasped, reaching to massage her breasts.

"Mmmmm," Olivia droned. "God, Ed…"

"Just getting' started, baby."

She moaned again.

"Can't have you thinkin' I'm a Grandpa in here."

Olivia sat up, effectively stopping him. "You're still thinking about that?"

"Joking, Liv." He played with her hair. "But…I, well, I know we're gonna get older, but I don't want this to get old." He locked his eyes on her. "Seriously."

"Is…have you thought something's wrong?" Olivia shuddered to think Ed was dissatisfied with their sex life. She certainly was not.

"No, no," he grinned shyly and started kissing her neck. "Not at all. It's just, every once in a while, I get to thinkin'…"

Olivia put a hand on either of his cheeks. "There are times for thinking and times for…not thinking."

"Yes ma'am." He grinned and leaned in for a kiss, swirling his tongue around hers slowly and sensually. As they kissed he trailed a hand down her torso. He felt her shiver. His own spine tingled when she gasped at the sensation of his fingers between her legs. "How's that baby?"

Olivia smiled and moaned. She had read articles about the pitfalls of sex as couples aged, but she and Ed had not experienced anything other than pure, easy, natural pleasure.

"You feel so good, Liv."

"Ed, baby…"

"Remember…these walls are kinda thin," he whispered, smirking, as he propped himself on his forearms.

"I'm trying to control myself, Captain."

"Don't."

He initiated a sloppy, open-mouthed kiss as he thrust into her. He swallowed her cries and gasps; she did the same for his. When she started to climax, she had no choice but to rip her lips from his and bury her face in his neck. The reverberations of her whimpers made Ed explode at the exact moment her back arched and her body quivered.

When Ed had mostly caught his breath, he opened the sliding glass door so they could hear the waves crashing in the distance as they basked in the afterglow. Their room was one of two that opened onto the balcony.

"I think we do it best at the beach," he said.

"We really do," she replied, tracing patterns on his chest with her fingertips. "Maybe it's because you look so damn sexy with a tan."

"If that's what it is…I can always hit one of those tanning places at home."

Olivia laughed and gave him a peck on the lips. "Ed Tucker, you are so funny."

"I'm serious."

"I know."

"Need to keep my wife happy."

"I'm happier than I ever dreamed."

Ed kissed her head. "You have no idea how good it is to hear that."

"Yeah," she tilted her head back for a kiss on the lips. "I kinda do."

…..

#Tuckson