A/N: Happy Valentine's Day!
This chapter rate M...you know why ;)
Thank you to C+shields & 2015CF for the ideas, I hope you like how it turned out.
Gail
It took us less than three days to find our dream home, and a month to close on the final deal. We could envision it as our home, the place where we could grow and we could live our lives together. It happened by happy accident, on the way to a listing we got lost and saw the for sale sign, its two stories, made of brick with a bright red front door. We had 4 bedrooms, 3.5 bathrooms, a finished basement and a two car attached garage. The built in floor to ceiling bookshelves in the living room sold Holly almost instantly, I fell in love with the two-person Jacuzzi tub in the master bathroom.
"What are you and Holly doing for Valentine's Day?" Tracie asked from the kitchen, she worked unpacking one of the million boxes that cluttered the main floor, or at least it felt that way. "This is my present Tracie." I shrugged, taking a bunch of broken down boxes into the garage; we still had a lot of work ahead of us to turn the house into a home rather than the storage facility it currently resembled. "For Valentine's Day I'm giving Holly a completely unpacked house, she hates the process of moving and this is my gift." I muttered walking back into the living room to continue organizing the books, starting on the box marked k-m; Holly's books needed to be in alphabetical order for her to sleep peacefully at night.
"I'm willing to put money on her freaking out by the way; you're not supposed to do strenuous activity." Tracie laughed organizing the glasses into a cupboard. "The internet, security system, and the cable are all running!" Steve called triumphantly as he ran up the stairs from the basement. "Holly took off what, two weeks from work to move didn't she?" Tracie asked, holding a beer out to Steve with a smile; he accepted it and kissed her before walking into the living room to deal with the remaining electronics that needed to be assembled.
"They made Holly take time off work, use it or lose it, they won't pay it out to her. In the 4 years that she's been with the department, she's never had a sick day or used her vacation time, until this all happened." I motioned towards my stomach before staring at the books in front of me; it felt oddly satisfying to see Holly's medical books mixed with my policing books. "I'm doing a lot yes but Holly needs to relax during her two week forced vacation, packing and moving don't need to be on her to do list." I shrugged arranging the books in their respective order; I knew Holly would inspect them once she came home.
"When's Holly back from Tennessee?" Steve asked, moving the TV around to connect the mess of cables to it. "In three days." I sighed wanting time to move faster; I had become sickeningly needy over the last two months. Holly had flown to some fancy body farm in Knoxville Tennessee four days ago, she had planned the trip before we moved into the flat together and I refused to let her break her commitment.
"We should have this place unpacked tomorrow; Dov and Chris are coming by right?" Tracie asked, her eyes following my movements as I picked out and placed random knick-knacks and collectables between the letters on the shelf. "Yes, they're stopping by in the morning at 10 to set up the furniture in the guest rooms." I nodded, smiling when I reached into the box and found it empty, I quickly collapsed it and moved on to the box labeled m.2-n.
We fell into a comfortable silence as we worked, the house appeared to be semi set up, the furniture in its rightful place and the boxes were slowly being removed from the main floor. I knew that our bedroom would be quick, the closet had been deconstructed to keep everything organized, I had to take the hung clothes out of the wardrobe boxes and hang them in the closet. Luckily we only had books in mass quantities, every other room seemed bare compared to the boxes that needed to be organized onto the bookcases.
"What did Dr. Payton say, when will they let you come back to work?" Steve asked walking to the kitchen to replace his beer. "That I'm not allowed to start working for, another 6 weeks, or at least that's when I can redo the stress test. I can't start back until I pass the stress test and the academy physical." I groaned cutting open the box, I had been out of work for over 2 months already. "My stress levels are too high, the fact that I can't seem to sleep longer than two hours a night has them worried." I muttered, I hated not working the past two months had tested my sanity and my patients in ways I never thought possible. I wasn't cut out to be a house wife and I knew I had driven Holly to the brink of insanity a few times.
I quickly glanced around the room happy to see that we had at least made a significant dent in the mountain of boxes that had been moved into the house this afternoon. I had two days to unpack the house before Holly came home, I planned on pampering her and showing her that I could take care of her too.
I stood in the airport baggage claim area clutching a red teddy bear, Holly's flight had been delayed 3 times and she had just landed 7 hours later than she originally planned, the clock read just after 1AM. I watched eagerly as the passengers came down the escalator, appearing to have survived the apocalypse with disheveled clothing and messy hair. I grinned when I saw Holly yawning at the top of the group, the lazy sleepy smile I loved appearing on her lips when she met my eyes, god I had missed that smile the last week.
"You didn't have to pick me up; I could have caught a cab." Holly breathed dropping her carry-on bag by my feet and wrapped her arms around me, the smell of her body wash and shampoo had faded but I could still smell the faint lingering notes as she held me in her arms. "I wanted to see you." I kissed her just below her ear, her warm skin felt amazing against my lips. "I've missed you." Holly muttered kissing me, her lips setting a lazy pace for a moment before she pulled away and smiled.
"Happy valentine's day." I grinned, holding the teddy bear out to her, she leaned in to kiss me again this time with more determination. I wanted to pull her closer, to let the kiss get carried away, I knew that even though the airport seemed deserted we were still in public. "Your gift is in my bag." Holly smiled down at the teddy bear lacing her fingers with mine.
We stood shoulder to shoulder as we waited for her luggage to tumble down the carousel her hand clutching mine, I couldn't contain the smile on my face from having her home. Once we had collected her bags I lead her to the car, gently pressing her against the passenger door to kiss her, needing to feel her lips.
We broke the kiss when she could no longer suppress the yawn demanding to be let out, I opened the passenger door for her and let her climb into the seat. "This is for you, I figured you could use non-airport coffee." I handed her a travel mug filled with steaming coffee once I had my seatbelt on, I needed her to be semi-alert when we arrived to the house. "Thank you." Holly smiled, taking generous gulps from the cup, I waited for her to finish the coffee before pulling out of the airport and onto the highway, amused that Holly hadn't commented on the fact that I had driven in the opposite direction of the flat. "I'm not looking forward to all the packing, and unpacking. I need coffee in an IV to survive this move." Holly groaned her head resting back against the seat as her eyes closed.
"The prosses will be quick, I promise." I smiled to myself feeling nervous about the surprise, the lack of traffic made our trip only 10 minutes. "Why did you drive this way?" Holly asked opening her eyes when I pulled off the highway, a confused furrow appearing on her brow. "I have a surprise." I grinned driving through our neighborhood towards our house that sat on the corner. I pressed the garage door opener and watched as the furrow between Holly's eyebrows deepened seeing her Jeep sitting in the second bay in the garage.
"Gail." Holly muttered when I parked the car and rushed towards her door. "You hate packing. I wanted to ease the process as much as I could considering this move is my fault." I reached out and took her hand helping her out of the car. "We unpack this week?" Holly asked while I fumbled with my keys my hands shaking with nervous excitement. "I had other plans for this week." I laughed once I had finally unlocked the door, I ushered her into the entryway and flipped the light switch revealing the organized main floor of the house.
"Gail." Holly took a tentative step towards the living room, her eyes going wide when she realized what I had done. "You hate moving, I promise that I didn't do all of this myself, Tracie helped me unpack, Steve set up the TV's and stuff, and Dov and Chris did the guest rooms." I quickly sputtered watching's Holly's eyes slowly sweep the room, an expression of awe and confusion on her face while she took in the details. "This is the best present ever." Holly smiled turning towards me and pulling me into her arms, her lips instantly taking purchase of mine.
"Still dreading this week?" I asked when she broke the kiss, a yawn ripping from her lips, she glanced around the room again and turned to me. "No, I'm looking forward to finding everything now." Holly nodded and took in the room, I reached for her hand lead her up the stairs, the dreamy dazed look on her face gave away her lack of energy. "First you need to find the bed, you must be exhausted." I walked her into our bedroom expecting her to protest, but she just nodded and walked towards her side of the bed. "In the morning I will give you the 5 cent tour." I walked back towards my side of the room to turn on my bedside lamp.
"Are you going to spend the night with me?" Holly asked watching me, her eyes barely open. "yeah let me lock up." I walked to the doorway and turned on the touchpad that controlled the features of the house, I turned off the main floor lights and made sure the doors were locked and the alarm had been set. "Is sleeping here better?" Holly asked, watching me slip out of my jeans, her eyes roaming my legs. "I've stayed at Tracie's since you left, it's our first home, and we should spend our first night in it together." I collected her jeans from the floor and dropped them in the hamper.
"I love you." Holly smiled once I had settled into bed, she moved to press against my side, her arm draping possessively over my waist. "I love you too nerd." I turned towards her and breathed her in, happy to be back in her arms anchored in place. I can't tell you who fell asleep first, but I fell asleep in minutes, the exhaustion of moving and the stress of being away from Holly finally dissipating and allowing my eyes to fall shut.
I woke up early the next morning, the alarm clock read just past eight in the morning, I couldn't remember the last time that I had slept for 5 hours straight. I gently moved away from Holly doing my best to not wake her, I knew she would sleep for at least another 4 hours, Holly's sleeping schedule was predictable.
I walked downstairs and started my preparation for the day, operation Holly vacation would be starting with breakfast in bed, once I came back from my therapy session this afternoon I had dinner planned out. I spent the morning cleaning the kitchen and making Holly's breakfast. I came up the stairs as Holly reach to my side of the bed her brow furrowing finding my side of the bed empty.
"Happy Valentine's day." I smiled walking into our room; Holly sat up and smiled, her arms folding out in front of her in a full body stretch. "How long have you been up?" She asked in her sleepy morning voice, I set the tray of food at the foot of the bed and walked towards her. "A few hours." I sat on the edge of the bed watching her arrange her hair into a messy knot before putting on her glasses.
"I made breakfast, and if you were ok with it you could go with me to my appointment and we could grab coffee at that coffee shop you love after." I reached under the bed to grab her present. "That sounds lovely." Holly leaned forward and kissed me softly when I placed the gift box on her lap, wrapped in heart stamped parchment paper. "More presents?!" Holly asked searching my eyes, I smiled and nodded shyly, I had a few different presents for her today.
"You've been great Hol, I want to Show you how much you mean to me." I stood up and moved the tray to rest over her lap, I needed to do something with my hands. I hated giving presents, the uncertainty of the recipient liking the thought out purchase. "Join me for breakfast?" Holly asked unwrapping her present a giddy smile playing on her lips, like a kid on Christmas morning. "Yes." I grabbed my coffee from the tray before moving to my side of the bed, slipping under the covers and scooting over so our knees touched.
I watched Holly run her fingers over the leather briefcase in the box, I had dragged Bailey to three different shops to help me pick it out, I knew Holly loved her ratty and beaten briefcase, she took it everywhere with her. "Gail." Holly glanced up at me, her eyes glassy. "Your other one looks like it came from a crime scene." I laughed watching her run her fingers along the stamped patch on the front that read Nerd, my own personalization to her gift. "I know your grandpa gave it to you when you started high school and that it's your prized possession, but if you want you can use this one." I leaned back against my pillow as Holly pulled it from the box and inspected it.
I waited patiently watching her unclasp the flap and checked the inside pockets, the lining was a soft cream and green plaid wool that fit perfectly with the warm brown leather. "Gail." Holly muttered pulling out the long black velvet box I had hidden inside. "This is too much." Holly gasped when she opened the lid seeing the gold bracelet, a simple chain with a heart shaped clasp. "I love you." Holly turned and stared at me, tears threatening to spill from her eyes. "I love you too." I blushed and pointed towards the tray of food. "We should eat before it's cold." I smiled, pushing my hair back all of a sudden nervous for the rest of the day.
Holly laid on the couch reading from the pile of papers Dr. Dwyer had handed me at the end of my session, a new schedule for physical therapy and for my therapy sessions, a referral for a sleep study, recommendations to adopt a dog to help alleviate my stress levels. I watched her as I loaded the dishwasher with the dirty dishes from dinner. We spent the morning lounging around the house together; we had grabbed lunch at Holly's favorite café and walked around to the different artisan stores this afternoon, we had just finished dinner.
"Hurry up so we can start the movie!" Holly laughed from the couch when she caught me staring at her. "Sorry." I laughed rushing through the rest of the dishes and plated the dessert I had picked out. "What do you think?" I asked, motioning towards the papers on the coffee table when I sat next too Holly holding out a plate with various frozen truffles.
"The schedule will work; maybe changing it up will help." Holly smiled, taking the plate and pulling me closer to her. "I've also always wanted a puppy." She laughed causing me to roll my eyes; of course, she would be on board with the puppy recommendation. "Are we a cliché?" I lay my head back against the couch and groaned, I hadn't been sold on the idea of a puppy just yet, Dr. Dwyer had mentioned it a few times, but I didn't know if I could deal with it.
"Why would we be a cliché?" Holly asked setting the plate on the coffee table. "Because we've only known each other for two years, or the fact that we've been dating for a year and a half and we just signed a 30 year mortgage together and now we're talking about adopting a dog?" Holly grinned pulling me into her arms as she lay down. "Maybe." I grunted as Holly ran the tip of her middle finger along the gap between my shirt and my jeans.
"Did you sleep ok last night?" Holly asked, my eyes drifted closed, the feel of her fingertip on my back was driving me insane. "I did, I slept great." I nodded stretching up to kiss her softly. "Thank you for today." I rested my head against her shoulder happy to feel her palm on my back where my shirt had ridden up. "I should be thanking you for today; you went all out Gail." Holly smiled pressing her fingertips into my skin.
"Maybe we should watch the movie up stairs, that way we don't fall asleep on the couch." I breathed against Holly's neck while she drew aimless patterns on my lower back. "We can just go to bed if you're too tired, we did a lot today." Holly mumbled against my hairline as her hand stopped moving, her palm pressing flat against my back, it felt like a burning coal that would ignite my entire body if left there for too long.
Once we were upstairs Holly walked into the in suite bathroom while I walked into the closet, I had a final gift/plan for tonight. I quickly changed and climbed into bed, turning down the bedside lamp. I slouched under the covers and waited for Holly to return. Holly came out of the bathroom wearing an oversized T-shirt, her hair pulled to one side and her face freshly washed. "Should I put the movie on?" Holly asked watching me suspiciously, I shook my head quickly, suddenly extremely nervous.
"Today was wonderful Gail, thank you." Holly smiled sitting on her side of the bed, she discarded her glasses on the bedside table before laying down. "I'm glad." I nodded moving closer to her once she got comfortable. "I have one last present." I breathed kissing her softly, I looped my fingers around her wrist and guided her hand towards my back; I felt the gasp against my lips as Holly pulled me closer, her fingers pressing into my bare skin. "We have a whole house to christen." I muttered pulling her bottom lip between my teeth feeling her moan in response.
Holly
Over the last two months I had grown accustomed to in terms censoring my touches with Gail, I didn't push her, I kept my kisses lite, I let her set the pace. Gail was sensitive about her scars, she didn't let me touch them, she hated it when I stared at them, her skin had been off limits for week. Today had been the first time since before the accident that running my fingers along the small of her back wasn't stopped instantly.
I stood in the bathroom trying to calm myself down, having her close and feeling her skin had sent my libido into hyper drive. I splashed cold water on my face and contemplated taking a cold shower; I knew that Gail had been waiting to watch this movie for a while and that she would not be awake much longer though. I quickly walked back into our bedroom to find Gail slouching in our bed, the covers pulled up past her shoulders.
"Should I put the movie on?" I asked walking towards the TV, Gail quickly shook her head, her wide eyes following me, she seemed uneasy. "Today was wonderful Gail, thank you." I sat on the edge of our bed, taking a moment to pull off my glasses and to connect my phone to its charger. "I'm glad." Gail whispered, I could hear her moving around the bed once I had laid down. "I have one last present." Gail breathed suddenly hovering over me; she smiled before she kissed me softly, her lips barely brushing over mine. I felt my heart thud against my ribs when she grabbed my hand and placed it on her back, her naked, warm, and smooth back. "We have a whole house to christen." She breathed biting softly against my bottom lip. "God." I moaned, pulling her to lay against me, her smooth legs running along mine once settled on top of me.
"I want things to be normal between us again, no more holding back, no being afraid to let you touch me." Gail nipped along my jaw, I ran my hand up her back finding the silky edges of her bra; I traced the seam, while her eyes searched my face. "I love you." I breathed leaning forward to kiss her, rolling her onto her back. "Are you sure?" I stared down at her, seeing the crimson bra strap; I loved the way the color contrasted with her pale skin. Gail nodded shyly biting down on her lower lip. "Yes I'm sure, I miss the way you feel against me." Gail breathed running her hands under my shirt, tracing the lines of my ribs.
"I love you." I whimpered before her lips crashed into mine, her tongue running along my lower lip while she pulled me down against her, the kiss was slow and soul crushing, I felt my lungs begging for air but I didn't want to pull away, afraid that I had dreamt the entire situation. "I love you too." Gail murmured breathlessly against my lips, her hands tugging at my shirt. "Off." Gail muttered, I sat back and pulled off my shirt, she sat up and took my nipple into her mouth ripping a moan from my lips. "I've missed the way your skin feels against my lips, the taste that is purely you." Gail breathed kissing her way to my other nipple. I had no capacity for words only the wordless whimper that escaped my lips as her teeth scraped against my skin.
Suddenly the urge to taste her took over, I gently reached behind her to unclasp her bra before pressing her back, I kissed her running my tongue greedily over her lips as I pressed her against the mattress. "God." Gail groaned and I kissed down her throat nipping gently at the delicate skin working my way to the thumping pulse at the base of her neck. "Hol!" Gail breathed, her fingers pressing into my back while I nipped at the base of her throat determined to leave a mark. "Fuck holly!" Gail buried her fingers in my hair both pulling me closer and pushing me away.
I moved down and kissed my way between her breast gently tugging Gail's bra down her arms revealing her pale skin and her hard pink nipples. "Fuck." I grinned determining which one to greet first, which one I needed to reacquaint myself with; I wonderws if they would feel different against my lips, if they tasted different. I kissed the center of Gail's chest before kissing along the ridge of her left breast; I closed my eyes and wrapped my lips around her nipple moaning as she arched towards my mouth.
I wanted to tattoo my love for Gail on her soul, to write it with my lips on every inch of her skin, to taste every inch of skin I could find. I moved back to Gail's lips, slowing my pace and sinking into the feeling of her against me. "I love you." I stared into her eyes, seeing the vulnerability and need when she stared back at me. "I love you so much." I leaned in and kissed her softly running my hand along her ribs. "I love every part of you Gail." I rested my hand over her heart. "I love you too." Gail smiled arching into me, her thigh moving to press against me, sending all of my blood rushing south. "Fuck." I gasped, Gail reached up and palmed my breast with a wicked grin.
"I'm going to pay you back for the hickey too." Gail shook her head; I leaned down and nipped along her collarbone working my way back down her body kissing every freckle, it would be my turn to take her first. "Please don't." Gail whimpered when I paused, seeing the tip of the 9 inch scar that ran from her hip to her ribs. "I love every part of you Gail." I moved to settle at her side when her eyes fell shut. "I hate that I'm scarred." Gail breathed whipping her eyes before meeting mine; I leaned in and pressed my lips to her cheek pulling her into my arms. "I love them." I gently kissed her top lip and then her bottom lip. "They prove that you're here, that you're alive." I felt my eyes well up when her eyes met mine.
I reached out and took her hand in mine leading it to the first scar just left of her belly button. "I love this one because I get to wake up with you by my side." I guided her hand along the thin line gently; the scar was raised and uneven. "I love this one because I get to see you smile and hear you laugh." I muttered kissing her once her finger came in contact with the seconds scar, the one just over her belly button. "And this one." I looked down to trace the older scar along Gail's right hip. "I love this one because I met you." I watched Gail close her eyes and lean into me. "This one." I kissed along Gail's jaw softly, my voice dropping to just above a whisper. "I love this scar because you woke up and said you loved me, we have a house together and I get to kiss you." I ran her fingers from the top of the scar to the bottom edge just along her hip slowly.
"I love them, I love you." I groaned when she guided my hand to the edge of her silk and lace boy shorts, her eyes meeting mine before she pushed my hand under them. "I love you too." She nodded and ran her hand up my forearm, placing her fingers in my hair, pulling me into a deep kiss as I pressed my fingers into her slick folds moaning when I felt the heat building in her core. "God." Gail gasped, her eyes falling shut. I worked slow circles over her clit watching her suck on her bottom lip. "God your wet." I breathed felling Gail rock towards my hand, her grip in my hair tightening, her head falling back against the pillows.
I could tell by the way she worked her bottom lip between her teeth that she was close, her rocking becoming erratic when I eased two fingers into her feeling her walls tighten against me. "Faster." Gail grunted, I took her nipple between my lips running my tongue over the stiff nub. "Please." Gail whimpered and I began to pump into her, running my thumb over her hard clit. Gail's hands moved from my hair to the bed sheets as she went stiff, her back bowing off the bed as my name tumbled from her lips; I slowed my pace when she collapsed against the bed her chest heaving, greedily gulping for air.
I kissed my way down her body feeling her muscles quiver under my lips; I stopped to kiss each of her scars, never breaking eye contact with her. I moved on working my way towards her heated core the smell of her arousal engulfing me, slowly I slipped the crimson boy shorts down her smooth legs. I looked up at Gail once I had settled between her legs, her lapis eyes foggy but staring back at me. I kissed the inside of her thigh, feeling her shutter before the Goosebumps appeared on her skin, I left a trail of open mouth kisses along both of her thighs before settling on my prize. Her eyes burned into mine as I bent down and took her clit between my lips gently running length of my tongue over the sensitive cluster of nerves.
"Hol!" Gail moaned licking her lips, her fists gripping desperately at the sheets. Her taste was intoxicating, addicting, and all encompassing. I alternated between gentle sucks and rough swipes of my tongue, her second orgasm would build slower than the first. I wanted to take my time to let the sensation build gradually. "God you taste good." I muttered breathing her in, I ran my tongue along her opening collecting her pooling wetness and pushing it towards her clit. Gail's hands shot to my hair when I scraped my teeth gently over her sensitive flesh quickly soothing it over with my tongue.
"Holly!" Gail gasped, holding me in place; I sucked greedily at her center needing to feel her come undone against my lips, to taste her when she lost control. The sweet elixir that was Gail Peck fueled my need to bring her over the edge. I continued to work patterns over her clit as her moans turned to gasps and then nothing, her back arched off the mattress and her mouth fell open in a silent scream as she came.
I moved up the bed and smiled at Gail, who covered her face with both hands, her chest heaving with each quick breath. "I've missed this, the shy you, the way you taste." I grinned, pulling her into my arms; she uncovered her face and rested her head against my chest. "I just need a moment, fuck that…" She gulped in air. "fuck." She laughed, kissing my neck still taking deep breaths. "I almost forgot." I smiled turning towards my nightstand quickly grabbing the box Gail's valentines present had been wrapped in.
"Happy valentine's day." I handed her the box, taking a deep breath when she sat up and unwrapped it, the silver paper reflecting the dim light in the room. "You shouldn't have gotten me a gift." She smiled, pulling the lid to the box off. "Wow." Gail breathed, seeing the Diamond studs; she gently ran her fingers over the velvet backing. "I…" Gail stared at them for a moment and then at me. "Holly, I Can't." She muttered thrusting the box back towards me shaking her head. "It's too much." She stared at me wide eyed, I took the box and stared at the earrings for a moment. "Gail, you've wined and dined me today, you've given me the best gifts, I spent two hours picking them out searching for the perfect pair." I chewed on my lip, she stared at me while I stared at the earrings. "They pale in comparison to the gifts you have given me today." I placed the box back in her lap, deciding that she had no choice, they were hers.
Gail stared at me for a moment her expression unsure as she reached for the box and ran her fingers over the earrings. Gail had a neckless, the pair to mine and she never took it off, she didn't wear bracelets, she didn't wear a watch, she loved earrings though. "What's under here?" Gail asked, running her fingers over the silk pouch under the earrings. "The cheesy gift." I laughed to myself; She removed the pouch from the box staring at the shiny gold material.
"Coupons?" Gail asked reading Good for One stamped on the back of the cards she pulled from the bag, black stalk coupons the size of business cards stamped with Silver lettering. "Its corny, it could be fun though." I laughed, kissing along Gail's shoulder; my need to taste her skin would never be satisfied. "What are they for?" Gail asked flipping the first coupon over to read the front. "Vito to my choice in movie" Gail laughed shuffling through the first few cards, "only three of them?" She smiled flipping through the various coupons for chores, and dinner dates, and massages. "Use them wisely." I mumbled against her shoulder, my lips still brushing over her bare skin.
"What's in the envelope?" Gail asked once she reached the end of the stack, her eyes roaming over the red envelope. "Other coupons, you don't have to read them, but they're there." I blurted out suddenly feeling my cheeks burn hot, I had forgotten about the other cards, a drunken decision while Skyping with Bailey. "These sound like the good coupons." Gail laughed, pulling out the stack of gold cards; these were printed on plastic credit cards, the black lettering contrasting with the gold background.
A weekend getaway with me, and we'll be naked most of the time
Shopping spree to a the lingerie store of your choice
Live out your fantasy
Dress me up in your favorite food and lick it off
Make me your willing servant for a day
A day of sex with any toy of your choice
Strip tease
Lap dance
Visit to the toy store
Steamy shower
Bubble bath for two
One quickie no excuses
Champagne and strawberries in bed
I watched as Gail read each card before she slid them back into the red envelope. "I can use those whenever I want?" She asked, biting her lip reaching over me to set the box on my nightstand. "Yeah." I nodded, pulling her down to lay over me, her heated skin acting as a blanket to keep me from the slight chill in our bedroom. "Why are they printed on plastic cards?" Gail asked staring down at my lips. "I thought we could keep them in play, if you give me a card I can use it and vice versa." I smiled, running my hands along her back, my body still living from the high of feeling Gail's skin. "I don't know how I'm going to dress you in cheese puffs, I look forward to trying." Gail grinned kissing me, her lips setting a tempo that my heart and my libido responded to in kind.
My two week vacation from work had proven to be the defining factor in our coupled recovery, the final barriers being torn down as we relearned each other's bodies, laying everything bare during night spent cuddling on the couch. I had been back to work for three days now working on case files that were due in court soon, I missed the endless hours spent in Gail's arms, I knew that soon she would also be back at work and we would fall back into our routines.
When I walked in the door that evening I was met by the booming voice of Bill Peck and by the clatter of claws on tile as the furry red Merle puppy ran towards me. "Gunner!" Gail called causing the dog to stop in his tracks and lay down in front of me, his tail wagging as I looked up at Gail. "Hi." She smiled shyly walking towards me, her eyes staring down at the blotchy brown, tan, and white dog at my feet.
"Gunner?" I asked softly as Gail nodded and wrapped her arms around me. "Bao brought him in a little while ago. Fully trained police dog who was hurt on his first day on the job." Gail muttered patting her hip, Gunner jumped up and watched her eagerly. "He's a bomb dog, he got into the wrong chemicals and it messed up his nose, he's been retired." Gail stated scratching behind his ear.
"Gunner is ours?" I asked, grinning, we had made the final decision on adopting a dog a few days ago, but that the dog would be Gail's pick, she would benefit from his company and they needed to pick each other. "Gunner is ours yes." Gail smiled and I quickly knelt down to sit with gunner on the floor. He crawled into my lap and licked my face while I scratched his back; his blue eyes were eerily like Gail's.
"He's house broken and does tricks." Gail nodded and she pointed towards the living room. "Gunner search." She smiled as he ran towards the living room and started sniffing every surface. "I thought his nose was hurt?" I asked, standing up wiping off my jeans. "He can't smell trace evidence anymore, and he can't smell most chemicals. He can still smell his treats though." Gail laughed as he laid down next to the couch and let out a soft woof. "Did you find it Gunner!?" Gail asked, walking into the living room; he quickly stood up and pawed at the couch. "Good boy!" she laughed, pulling the treats from between the couch cushions.
"Dr. Samuels says I can start running again, 1.5 Km a day, three times a week, Gunner will be a good running partner." Gail smiled, I walked into the kitchen to greet her dad who was working on the vegetables for dinner. "Gail used to run with Duke my service dog in high school, she ran nearly 12 Km a day back then." Bill smiled as he peeled potatoes, we had our monthly Family dinner tonight, and I knew that my parents and Bailey would be here soon as well as Steve, Tracie, and Leo.
"Leo will be excited that we have a dog." I laughed washing my hands taking over for Bill, I knew he hated the vegetable work and would much rather work on the meats. "Tracie said as much over the phone." Gail smiled, walking up behind me brushing my hair to the side, kissing the nape of my neck. I still wasn't 100% used to PDA Gail, since her release from the hospital our public displays of affection had gone from holding hands and the occasional kiss, to her holding me in her arms and being outwardly affectionate in front of anyone.
"What do you think about Gunner?" Bill asked when he caught me staring at the puppy laying in the middle of the living room floor chewing on a stuffed duck. "He's beautiful, I've always wanted a puppy. We had hamsters and guinea pigs growing up, never dogs or cats." I shrugged reaching for another potato. "Lucky for you Gunner's already trained; you don't need to house break him." Bill laughed to himself as Gail rested her head on my shoulder watching me work.
"He came with a handbook too; I know how much you love reading." I felt the laugh leave Gail's lips before she pulled away from me and walked into the living room. "How old is he?" I asked, Gunner still had puppy-ish features, from his too big of paws to his floppy ears. "6 months; he was on a training raid when he got hurt." Bill mumbled as he moved towards the back door or the house with a tray of meat. "I thought you were getting one of Bao's other puppies today?" I asked Gail when she set a binder on the kitchen counter. "I did, the other puppies were cute, but none of them seemed the least bit interested in me. Gunner ran up to me at the door, floppy ears and wagging tail. Bao said he been depressed and that I'm the first person he's come up to." Gail sputtered gesturing to Gunner.
"Bao needed to find a home for him, he already has three retired service dogs. I couldn't leave him." Gail watched me, a pout appearing on her lips when I grinned. "You're a sap, a giant softy." I leaned over and kissed her cheek. "Bao worked it out with the department, and I paid his fees and he's ours." Gail shrugged picking up the metal bowl from the mat by the fridge. "What does one pay for a police dog?" I asked curiously, as Gail filled the bowl with water, I surveyed the room and noticed the collection of dog toys, the leash hanging by the back door and the large dog bed near the sofa. "I paid a dollar for him." Gail laughed, setting the bowl down slowly trying not to spill the water over the brim.
"I'm a cop, I was able to sign him out of the force for a buck." Gail turned and watched me quizzically, her eyes searching my face as I peeled the last potato. "Are you ok with this?" She asked shyly, her lip worried between her teeth, I moved towards the sink to rinse the mixture of vegetables Bill had prepared. "Gail, I am 100% ok with Gunner, as long as he doesn't think he's sleeping between us." I laughed turning on the tap. "Finish this?" I asked, gesturing to the vegetables; Gail nodded and I dried my hands before walking into the living room. "Hi boy." I smiled down at Gunner, his blue eyes staring back up at me. "Up." I tapped my chest and he jumped up panting. "Good boy." I grinned scratching his back; his coat was an impressive mixture of browns, tans, and whites.
"He's been here a few hours, it felt different." Gail called from the kitchen while I played with Gunner; he seemed to like the stuffed duck. "It didn't feel as never racking to be on my own." Gail leaned on the counter and watched me. Being home alone worried Gail, her anxiety had been the main subject in her therapy sessions for weeks. "Tomorrow will be the main test." She sighed before turning towards the stove. "You'll help her, right, keep her busy?" I asked, scratching Gunners ears while he chewed on the duck, his eyes moving towards me before moving towards the door. He didn't bark but the hair on his back raised as he slowly stood up.
"Steve's here." Gail laughed, walking towards the front door as the doorbell rang. Gunner stood in the entryway watching the door. Gail pointed towards the floor and Gunner laid down, his eyes still trained on the door. "Hi!" Leo greeted as he rushed past Gail towards Gunner whose tail started wagging wildly. "Can I?!" Leo asked, stopping just before him, I could tell that he wasn't sure how to approach Gunner. Gail nodded and raised her palm; Gunner stood up and licked Leo before running back to me to grab his duck.
I watched as he dropped the toy at Leo's feet and waited for him to pick it up. "Why don't you go in the back and play?" Steve asked as he walked towards Leo. "Dad's back there." Gail nodded, following Tracie into the kitchen. "How are things?" Steve asked as Leo and Gunner bolted towards the back door. "Amazing." I beamed and he hugged me quickly, I had found an unlikely friend in Steve, I never expected to get close to him after the detective big brother incident. "She seems happier." Steve smiled as he turned to watch Gail and Tracie; I noticed the slight glint on Tracie's hand as she moved.
"Congratulations." I nudged him as he grinned, the same mischievous grin that periodically found its way to Gail's lips. "Thank you, I asked her last night." Steve beamed as Gail grabbed Tracie's hand, her eyes going wide. "When are you going to make an honest woman of my sister?" Steve asked and my mouth went dry, in all of the conversations that Gail and I had had over the last few month marriage had not come up. I stared at Gail, she hugged Tracie with a genuine smile on her lips. "We haven't talked about it." I shrugged as Gail turned to me; the furrow between her eyebrows appeared while she searched my face.
A million questions formed in my mind, I wondered what Gail's thoughts on weddings and marriage were. If I should, be ring shopping, if she hated weddings, if she never wanted to get married. Would we have a family or would this be our life me, Gail, and Gunner. Leo's laughter from the porch brought me out of my thoughts, I shook my head slightly and refocused on the kitchen were Gail no longer stood. "You ok there nerd?" Gail asked from beside me causing me to jump. "What, yeah, I'm fine, why wouldn't I be fine!?" I sputtered quickly, I knew that Gail wanted to question my sudden change in behavior but she smiled and kissed my cheek before following Steve out to the porch. For the time being at least, I needed to collect my thoughts, organize them, and lay out a plan to broach the subject with Gail.
AN: There is a link in my bio if you wanna see what Gunner looks like.