Chapter 19

The first two days had been hectic, especially when Jamie began to realize that his dad was not around. Kate knew at once when his cries at night were not for her but rather for his daddy. She felt helpless and would hold him and coo him, and bring him in to sleep with her. She'd cuddle him close to her, and tell him stories late into the night until he fell back asleep again. She didn't mind it one bit. Jamie was her little baby perfection. She loved him with all her heart. She had spent that entire night awake, singing to him, humming while he was asleep, and just watching him. When the sun rays came in through the blinds of their room, she kissed his tiny forehead and said "You'll be okay. Your mommy's always here."

4 days, she was only 4 days into the week and she already missed him like hell. The past 3 days had been more tiring than she thought. Between consulting on cases over the phone, and taking care of her home and family, Kate was having no trouble falling asleep at night. But that doesn't mean she didn't feel his absence in bed beside her. Every night she'd bury her face into his pillow and fall asleep drowned in his scent. He would call often, and she appreciated it. It would bring her sanity back when everything got out of control.

With Kaylee throwing loud tantrums and Jamie always needing to be fed, or changed or put to sleep, with Avril and Alexis being in and out of the house now and then, both of them needing to go on with their social lives aside from helping their mom take care of the two little ones, Kate rarely found time to herself.

It was 1 am in the morning now, after putting Jamie and Kaylee to sleep, she had said good night to the girls and was now in her own bed studying a case they were currently working on. She hadn't realized it was already the next day. She quietly closed the file and took a look at her phone. She wondered if he would be awake right now. She smiled, and shook her head, she didn't want to wake him up if he was sleeping. She knew she was too awake to get sleep now, so she decided she needed a good soak in a bubble bath. She quickly got the water running in the tub and poured in a cap of her favorite bubble bath.

Jamie had a pattern of waking up in the middle of the night, so she knew she had a little while to herself before she heard his cries.

She slowly stripped off all of her clothes and stepped into the warm bath. After having set herself up the way she liked, she picked up her book from beside the tub, the latest nikki heat he had written, and quickly opened that one chapter she loved so much. And as she lost herself in the words he had written for her, she found herself relaxed and in a state of complete rest. She closed her eyes for two seconds only to be interrupted by a beep on her phone.

"Hey you awake?" a text from him read.

She laughed. He was just as awake as she was.

"How'd you know?" she sent back to him.

In a second, her phone began to ring, and his ruggedly handsome face, a picture she had clicked of him when they were on their honey moon showed on the screen. She slid the answer option across the screen and put the phone to her ear, her heart already anticipating the sound of that beautiful voice. She simultaneously slid lower down into the water, so that only her hand and head stayed out.

"I just know these things" he said. And she could hear the smugness in his voice. She laughed.

"How I missed the sound of that" he said.

"What? My laughter?"

"Yea.."

"Well, that means you haven't been making any good jokes lately" she teased.

"Are you doubting my jester- like charm?"

"I dare not, You might take it up as a challenge"

"That I would"

A comfortable silence fell between them and she closed her eyes.

"How was your day?" he asked.

"Same old same old... Jamie fell asleep faster today than he did yesterday"

"That's good. We'll facetime tomorrow and he'll get to see me. What about Kaylee, how's she doing?"

"You were right, she is getting stubborn"

"It'll pass, I remember when Alexis went through that phase"

"You're forgetting, I saw Avril through it too"

"We both survived it the first time around. So you don't have anything to worry about."

"Yea... I guess she just feels the attention divided." She said to him.

"Yea, Doctor Julie said that would happen"

"How was your day?"

"it was alright, I have some really sweet fans"

"Don't I know it"

He laughed. "No seriously, earlier, they used to love gifting me things. This time, I've got a suitcase full of toys that my generous fans want to gift my kids"

"Seriously?" Kate laughed

"Yea.. It's crazy I know" he said.

There was a pause and then he asked

"How have you been holding up?"

"I miss you. Want you back home"

"Have you been sleeping well?"

"I think we both know the answer to that" she chuckled

"What are you doing?"

"Guess"

"Hmm.. you're in bed, reading"

"You're partially right"

"You're in bed."

"No I'm reading"

"But not in bed?" he asked.

"Hmmmm"

There was silence for a moment and then he said with a deep voice

"You're naked in the bath tub, reading my book."

"MY book" she corrected. He laughed.

"Well this conversation just got even more exciting" he admitted.

"hmmm" she knew where this was going and she'd been anticipating it.

"How I wish I could be there with you, sitting behind you, rubbing your shoulders, letting my hands wander down your arms, down your body, "

"I miss your kisses, the feeling of your rough stubble against my skin…"

15 minutes later, she was panting, reaching for her phone that she had kept on speaker and laid aside, while her hands had busied themselves underwater at his command.

She put the phone to her ear and heard him finish too, oh and if it didn't fill her senses with pure delight to know that they could be miles apart and still have this effect on each other.

"just what I needed" she said

"Me?"

"do you have to ask?"

"You're too coherent for my liking" he teased.

"You want incoherency, come home soon."

"You tempt me so much."

"tempting would be sending you a picture"

"I don't need a picture. I can see you"

"What, you've got cameras set up in our bathroom now?" she joked.

But then she heard the bathroom door creak, and her head turned to look at where the noise came from, only to find him standing there with his phone to his ear. Looking at her with the most mischievous smile. She sat there frozen, starring up at him.

"Holy..!" she began

"I know right" he said.

She almost dropped her phone into the water, but then kept it aside as both her hands flew to hold her squeal inside her mouth. He stepped forward, pocketing his phone and knelt beside the tub, his hands reached out and cradled her face, and she held on to them.

"How did you…?"

"shhhh" he said, and silenced her with a kiss, his lips, soft and gentle, and ever so loving.

"Can I join you?" he asked

"Get in here!" she commanded with a chuckle.

He quickly stripped out of his clothes and got in behind her, and when they were settled, she rested her head against his shoulder and twisted a little to kiss him some more, how she had missed the taste of him.

He let his hands wander down her body, just as he had described he would over their phone call. He caressed her, and worshipped her skin, just like he knew how to, and once again, left her panting, wanting more and more. The water around them moved with every move he made on her, and it harmonized with their actions. Her soft moans and his deep grunts bounced off the walls of his master bathroom and rang in their ears to remind them just how beautiful it felt to be in the arms of the love of your life and to make love to their hearts content.

They didn't sleep all night. After their little activities in the bath tub were done, they took a shower together and continued in bed. Right enough, around 3.30 am Jamie began to cry. Rick had just dozed off, so she slowly slid out of his arms and pulled on her robe, kissed him once more and went out to check on Jamie.

The smile on her face couldn't be wiped out for anything. She couldn't believe he was home, and what a way to surprise her. She carried little Jamie from his crib and sat down in the chair she used to nurse him in. she laid him against her bosom and slowly rocked him, humming his favorite tune near his ears.

When she knew he was falling back asleep, she spoke quietly to him

"I'm going to tell you a secret, promise you won't tell your sisters."

"buuuu" he mumbled into her chest in his half dazzed state. She laughed and kissed him and then softly told him

"Daddy's home. And he can't wait to surprise all of you in the morning. But you're going to have to sleep some more honey. Only then the morning will get here faster."

And the little baby, who reveled in the sound of his mommy's voice, smiled. She didn't know if in some way he understood what she had just told him, but he was falling asleep again. At the least, he must have picked up on her happiness. Daddy was home. He finished all of his book signings quickly just so that he wouldn't have to be away too long, just so that he could come back to his family sooner.

Kate's joy knew no bounds. She didn't care that she was not going to catch a wink of sleep tonight. That she was too excited her husband was home again. She laid her baby boy back in his crib and checked on her little girl before going back to her room. He was up, waiting for her. She climbed into bed beside him, and was attacked with a hungry need for her lips. She reciprocated the same for his.

Reviews please? :) what would you like to see happening next? :)