The quiet click of the door woke her all the way up. She rubbed her eyes and padded over the window in time to see him stretch and take off running down the beach. She looked at the clock in her room - 7:15 am. She can't remember the last time she didn't see the sun come up. "Coffee" she muttered to herself. It took her forever to fall asleep after they put Noah down. Her and Barba had just sat next each other on an oversized lounger looking at the dark ocean, drinking some amazing Cuban beer, just being. But there was a tension there - not a bad tension at all, but one that left her frustrated when he dropped a light kiss on her head and said good night. "Yes, coffee." She peaked in the room across the hall and saw Noah still asleep, dead to the world. She glanced quickly into the smallest room at the end of the hall and smiled. Organized. Clean. With a light scent of Rafael Barba. "So much coffee" she muttered as she walked into the bathroom.
She was mixing creamer in to her cup when she heard the door open. "Good run?" she asked turning around and when she did, she definitely lost her breath. There he stood, shirtless, sweaty and... well, just "damn" she hoped she only said in her head and not out loud.
"Perfect morning for a run. Is that coffee?"
She could only nod her head like a mute teenager as he invaded her personal space to make his coffee. She just watched him move about the small kitchen. He took a sip from his cup and smiled at her. Him just in his shoes and her barefoot, they were the same height. He leaned his hip on the counter and smirked at her. She wanted to slap him and kiss him at the same and if she was being honest, this was far from the first time she felt this way.
"Shower" he said over his cup.
"Yeah" she breathed out and froze. He shot her a look and opened his mouth when she felt a presence behind her.
"Mommy, I want pancakes." They both turned and looked at Noah standing there, oblivious to what was happening between the adults.
He laughed and dropped his cup in the sink, taking his opportunity to run his fingers down her arm. "You heard the man. I'm going to grab a shower and then you know what today is?"
"BEACH DAY!" Noah screamed at the top of his lungs, holding his hand up for a high fave. Barba quickly returned the five and took off.
"What the hell?" she muttered to herself as she got into the freezer for some pancakes.
She was trying to kill him. Slowly. One movement at a time. Since that whole "shower" incident (and his lukewarm shower to help him focus), something had immediately ratcheted up between them. They were rarely out of each other's reach, even though they weren't touching. He wasn't sure he could, not after the lotion incident.
"Get my back."
"She has GOT to be kidding me" he thought to himself as she handed him the bottle over her shoulder. He found himself counting in Spanish in his head as he rubbed the lotion onto her back.
"Thanks" she threw over her shoulder as she chased Noah out into the surf.
He sat there behind his glasses watching her move around, playing with Noah. But as the day wore on, the little boy became grouchy and tired and grumpy. Every time Olivia mentioned a nap, he screamed. Finally, he got up, threw on his shirt and scooped up the little boy in his arms and headed toward the house, fit be damned.
"I'll be right behind you!" she yelled grabbing his shoes and her coverup.
He got into the house and walked back to the bedroom with Noah. The boy was screaming and crying but was limp against his shoulder. Exhaustion was starting to win out.
He sat down on the bed and rocked slightly, singing a song he hadn't thought about in a long time
She froze. Not only had Noah stopped crying, which was a feat when he got this far past tired, but she heard him singing... was that Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star in Spanish? She was done. Done. Because it was and she was done.
She watched him lay Noah down in bed as he finally gave into sleep and slowly back out of the room. He shut the door and turned toward her.
"So it would seem..."
Her brain stopped working as she took three steps forward and grabbed his face and kissed him with everything she had. She ran her hands down to his shoulders as he wrapped his arms tightly around her waist, responding enthusiastically. She felt him step her backwards until her back hit the wall and they stayed like that till they had to come up for air. She finally pulled back and looked him in the eye.
"Sorry". What the... Her eyes grew wide when she realized what she had said.
"Are you?" he asked, cocking on eyebrow at her slightly.
"Not in the slightest."
"Good. You want some lunch? Ella left some roasted turkey and bread for sandwiches when I told her today was going to be beach day." She nodded and he grabbed her hand, pulling her toward the kitchen.