Kayla realized that she had not returned Shane's ring when she was getting ready for bed. It was in the pocket of her jeans as she undressed. Carefully, so that Steve did not see, she turned it over in her palm and looked at the emerald.
She had been forced to think fast when Steve noticed it earlier. It was just a bit of costume jewelry had been her explanation and Steve seemed to believe that. It had been so easy to dismiss earlier, just like she had so easily dismissed her relationship with Shane.
Had it only been earlier that day that she worried about Shane no longer loving her? And then, after everything he had done for her and Stephanie - not to mention Steve - she had told Shane he meant nothing to her. What had Kim once said about the ring? That it was Shane's way of "giving her his heart." Now Kayla was going to have to give it back and, no matter how many times Shane said he was happy for her, she was going to have to hurt him.
"Hey, baby, what's keeping you?" Steve's voice came the bed.
Kayla sighed and stuffed the ring back in her jeans pocket. Putting it anywhere else might raise more questions. She quickly pulled on a silk chemise and turned toward her husband. He was sitting up in the bed. In an instant, whatever thoughts she had about Shane disappeared.
I'm going to sleep tonight next to the man I love more than life itself, she thought. Something she never thought would ever happen again, yet here he was. Kayla crossed the room toward the bed.
Steve was watching her every move with a look she knew far too well. "I don't think I've ever seen anything so beautiful," he said. As she blushed, he added, "All that time, I was thinking of this moment."
"Remember, 'no strenuous activities' for a month," Kayla cautioned.
Steve grimaced. "Aw, what do doctors know anyway? Come here."
Kayla knew better. The doctors were right, and she had seen how Steve struggled even to walk to the stables and back earlier. She had seen him after Shane helped him back to the room and listened to him grumble about "Master Donovan" for nearly an hour.
At the same time, she wanted him so badly. It had been so long for both of them. She stepped toward the bed, where Steve was waiting for her.
"That's right, Sweetness. We've got a lot of time to make up for."
Kayla reached the bed and, still standing, stood next to where Steve was sitting. He reached up and touched her cheek, almost as if he was making sure she really was there. Then he slowly ran a finger over her lips. Such a simple act, but just his touch sent a wave of pleasure through her. Kayla sat on the edge of the bed, closer to Steve, and watched his face break into a wide grin.
"Do you remember our wedding night, baby? I can't believe it's been three years. And I can't believe you're here, baby. I just can't believe it."
"I'm here, Steve," she breathed, then leaned over and their lips touched. It was not like the soft kiss of earlier; it was a kiss full of pent-up desire, hard, almost bruising. When it finished, Kayla had to gasp for breath.
In the back of her mind, she remembered something about "strenuous activity," but it was quickly forgotten as Steve reached for the straps on her chemise and began to slide them down her shoulders. Despite the earlier kiss, he now moved slowly, tentatively, as if he was rediscovering her body. She melted into his touch as he ran his hands over her body.
"God, you're beautiful," Steve gasped. They kissed again and he came away breathing hard.
The doctors' instructions popped back into her head. Steve was weak. He needed time to recover. But what did doctors really know? Kayla thought, echoing Steve's earlier statement. His hands continued their ministrations and those thoughts disappeared. Kayla was his and she began to give in wholly to his passionate touch.
"Oh," she moaned as his lips traced their way down her neck. Her hands began their own exploration. His face, then his chest. She began sliding them down.
And stopped.
A baby's wail cut through the fog in her brain. Kayla pulled away. "Stephanie," she said, even as Steve groaned in obvious frustration. She leaned over and kissed him. "Wait here. It'll just be a few minutes."
Kayla ignored her own frustration. Stephanie came first. She pulled up her chemise and went into the adjoining room where Stephanie was standing and crying in her crib. "Had a bad dream?" she asked. Maybe. Maybe not. It might have just been waking up in a strange place. She remembered how Stephanie had struggled to adjust to Shane's house in Salem. Kayla lifted her daughter and held her until she stopped crying. She knew it would take more before Stephanie fell asleep. It was too bad that she did not bring Stephanie's music box with them; it was like magic and always seemed to put the baby to sleep right away.
Shane gave Stephanie that music box, Kayla reminded herself. She tried to set that thought and any other thoughts of Shane aside, as she focused on Stephanie. Eventually, the baby began to yawn and Kayla placed her back in the crib. Then she returned to the bedroom.
Steve was fast asleep.
Kayla walked over to the bed and looked down at him. She took in again how thin he was, and remembered the details of the medical report. Her eyes traveled to his wrists and the angry red marks there. She reached down and brushed some of his hair off his face. He did not respond to her touch at all, and she realizing that just that brief encounter had exhausted all of his strength.
She sighed. Steve needed time to recover. Desire or no, they had to wait until he was strong enough, and if that required enduring a month of frustration, Kayla would do it. She smiled down at her love. She and Steve would have a lifetime together. What was one month?