40.

Gary Munson stalked the corridor. Swinging in his arm was the long, black baton he liked to wave about to flaunt his authority. In the other hand was a shiny silver Smith & Wesson. Whiskers poked through his skin and his hair had grayed almost completely. It stood wildly on end as he snarled, "Lieutenant Benson."

Olivia did not respond. He had her trapped. Her body was pressed into the space where the door met the wall. There was no place to go; the only defense she had was to try and make herself as small as possible. Cowering, she felt the heat of his voice.

"LIEUTENANT BENSON!"

Olivia shot up. Her breath came in sharp pants. Ed propped himself on his elbow and gently rubbed her stomach with his free hand. He'd been watching her toss and turn for at least fifteen minutes and only when the tossing and turning became thrashing did he wake her.

He'd repeated Liv several times before she finally came out of the dream.

"I'm okay," she said.

Ed's eyes dripped with concern. "Munson?"

"Yes. How did you know?"

"Educated guess."

Olivia licked her dry lips, "He had me cornered."

Ed listened, all the while thinking about the horror she experienced at Sealview.

"I couldn't say anything. Couldn't move. I froze." Olivia put her head on Ed's chest. "Completely froze."

"It's not reality, Liv," Ed said softly, speaking into her hair, "Just a dream, baby. C'mere." He shifted so he was almost completely under her. "You're safe. I'm here. I love you."

Olivia's breathing evened out and she closed her eyes again and she fell back into a more peaceful sleep, lulled by Ed's steady heartbeat.

…

"Brookey, you have lotta stuff." Noah wandered around the apartment, examining the bags of school supplies and posters Brooke purchased for her new classroom. He picked up a package of markers. "I color wiff these?"

"Sorry, No, those are for the big kids. We haveta keep them in the box."

Noah frowned and pulled out a package of colored pencils. He peered at Brooke, hoping for a different answer.

"Why don't I get the crayons out? You have some here. And a coloring book."

"No book, Brookey."

Brooke stepped over to the hall closet and retrieved the crayons and blank paper. "Here ya go. Sorry I forgot you don't like the coloring books."

Noah parked himself next to the coffee table. "Color books drawed on already." He explained.

"I know." Brooke kissed the top of his head. "You want a snack?"

"Uh-huh."

Brooke went into the kitchen and started slicing an apple. She put the slices and a glob of peanut butter on a plate and set it in front of him. "Ready to start preschool next week?"

"I go to diff'rent school now."

"Yeah. It's pre-K. But you'll go to this school until you're big. Then you'll go off to college."

"Uh-huh," Noah said as if he understood completely.

"What do you want to be when you grow up?"

"P'lice," he answered matter-of-factly.

"Well, you already have a badge."

"Yep!" Noah took a bite of the apple. He jerked his head toward the door at the sound of keys in the lock, "Sarah!"

Sure enough, Sarah entered with a flourish. Her purse and attaché case were slung over one shoulder and she held a bag of take-out food in the other hand. Isaac trailed her with a bottle of wine and a six pack.

"Noey Boey!"

"Sare bear!"

Noah ran over and hugged Sarah's legs. In the process he got a whiff of their dinner and scrunched up his nose. "Whassat?" He asked, poking the bag.

"Brazilian food." Sarah replied. She walked into the kitchen and dropped her bags and purse on the counter.

"Bazilian?"

"Yep, Isaac's Brazilian and he wants us to try it."

"I try?"

Sarah looked at Brooke. "How long's Noey here for?"

"Olivia had an emergency at work and had to drop him off until Dad comes."

Sarah smiled sweetly at Noah, "Well, we'll feed ya, No! C'mon, come up here and talk to Isaac while I get everything ready." Sarah sat Noah on the island and he sat, legs crossed, in front of Isaac who, despite having a younger brother Noah's age, didn't seem like he quite knew what to do.

"Hi there," Isaac said with a slight smile.

Noah pursed his lips and furrowed his brow as he inspected the semi-stranger. Nearby, Brooke was cracking up, sure that Noah recognized the face but was trying to figure out how he knew the man.

Finally, a light bulb went off in Noah's head. "You at my house."

"Omigod," Sarah muttered under her breath.

Brooke couldn't contain her laughter. "That's right, Noah!" She exclaimed gleefully. "Remember that, No? You came back from the mountains and Sarah and Isaac were at your house!"

The two interlopers glared at Brooke.

"I see da moose," Noah told Isaac. "An' a snake!"

Relieved Noah wasn't catching on to Brooke's teasing, Isaac relaxed and grinned. "A snake?"

"Uh-huh! It go ssssssssssss!" Noah weaved an arm in the air, "An' it move like dis!"

"Wow! You're brave. I'm a little scared of snakes."

"I not."

Sarah gave Noah a squeeze, "Of course you're not scared. You're the bravest brother ever!" She put her face in front of his, "Will you protect me from snakes, Noey?"

"Uh-huh."

"Thank you." She kissed his nose. "You're the best."

"You da best!"

"No, you're the best!"

Brooke looked helplessly at a dumbfounded Isaac as Sarah and Noah played their familiar game. She shrugged. "This could go on and on. Let's have a drink."

Isaac had just popped open two beers when Ed arrived. As per his custom, he knocked twice and entered without anyone letting him in. This slightly annoyed Brooke, but she kept her mouth shut, preferring not to make waves when he was allowing the two of them to live there practically rent-free. Seeing Ed, Isaac froze mid-sip, nearly dribbling beer down his chin.

"Hey, Dad," Brooke greeted him nonchalantly.

"Hello." Ed was trying to figure out how to address Isaac's presence and he wished Olivia were there. Things like this were easier with her around; he liked to follow her lead.

"Daddy!" Noah bounced on his bottom and reached out for Ed who came over and picked him up.

"Hiya, bud."

"Hi Daddy," Noah played with Ed's tie, "Mommy at p'lice so I stay wiff Brookey."

"I know, pal. Mommy's probably gonna be late. You wanna go eat at the pub?"

"Da pub!" Noah shouted. He craned his neck and directed his attention at Isaac, "I have grillcheese."

"Oh, that sounds good."

Finally, Ed acknowledged the young man, "How ya doin?" Then, almost as an afterthought, he extended his hand.

"Fine sir," Isaac replied, giving him a quick handshake.

"Sure you don't want to eat with us, Daddy?" Sarah asked. "We have Brazilian!"

"No thanks," Ed replied. "Where's his bag?"

"Right here." Brooke handed over the dinosaur backpack. "Hey, what are you doing for Labor Day?"

"Liv said somethin' about an arts festival in the West Village. Maybe see the tugboats."

"We're going to Crown Heights!" Sarah announced, "For the parade!"

Ed frowned. "We're not," he remarked bluntly.

"They're supposed to have a gazillian cops there," Brooke said, "I'm sure it'll be fine."

Ed smiled wryly at Brooke telling him about the increased police presence at the annual West Indian Day Parade which, in recent years, had been marred by violence. "Maybe another year," he said, "But, if you want to stop by after we're going to barbecue and Grandma's coming by."

"Oooo," Sarah said, "We'll be there. Isaac, you need to meet my Grandma. She's awesome."

Isaac looked less than thrilled.

"Gamma Care-line bring cookies!" Noah announced.

"Yeah," Ed huffed, "She'll have cookies and cigarettes."

"I don't smoke, sir."

Sarah laughed appreciatively, "None of us do. Daddy, what should we bring?"

"Sonny ordered the prime rib," Brooke reported, "It needs to go on early."

Ed wanted to give this new person some responsibility. He stared at Isaac, "How about you and Sarah bring a few sides?"

"Will do, sir."

Ed was friendlier when talking about Sonny, "Carisi said he would text me in the morning when you bring the meat over. We need to get it going early and I wanna let Liv sleep in."

"Okay Dad." Brooke's tone suggested it was definitely time for Ed to leave. He was starting to draw a rigid verbal line between family and friends.

Ed took the hint. "C'mon, No. To the pub we go."

No grinned and echoed. "To da pub!"

….

"Hello, Tuckers," Josh the waiter greeted Noah and Ed warmly and showed them to their typical spot—the small booth by the window. He brought their usual drink orders without needing to ask and waited patiently while Noah suddenly deviated from his planned grilled cheese and wondered if he would like chicken fingers instead.

"Nope," the little boy finally concluded, "I have grillcheese."

"Fries or tots?"

"Tots!"

"And for you, Captain?"

Ed folded the menu in half and handed it to Josh. "I'll have the cheeseburger. Medium. American. And do you still have that pasta salad we had last week?"

"Sure do."

"I'll have that on the side."

Josh left to send their orders to the kitchen.

"So, pal, whaddya want to do tonight? Just gonna be us guys."

"Just da guys!" Noah repeated happily. "We swim? It hot."

Ed grinned. "I know, pal. We don't really have anywhere to swim, but we can go to the fountain at the park. Want to do that?"

"Uh-huh. Daddy, you go in da water?"

"Nah, pal, that's for you little guys."

"Want Daddy to play."

"How 'bout we throw the football around first and then you can cool off in the water?"

"Kay!"

"Whadja do with Brookey today?"

Noah thought for a second. "Buyed stuff."

"For school?"

"Uh-huh."

"You start school next week, too. You excited?"

Noah tore the edges of his paper placemat. "New school," he murmured. Ever since enrolling Noah in the new private school, Ed and Olivia had been prepping Noah for the shift from day care and its in-house preschool to the more formal pre-K program.

"Yeah, bud. It's gonna be great. You'll learn more new stuff and have new friends and new teachers."

"Miss Melia be dere?"

"No," Ed saw Noah's face start to crumple and immediately thought of a remedy. "But, you know what, we could always have Miss Melia teach you Spanish at our house. Would ya like that?"

Noah immediately perked up. "Yes!"

"Okay, I'll make that happen."

Ed's phone vibrated against the wooden tabletop. He inspected the caller, "Oh, it's Mommy."

"Mommy!"

"Hey, Liv," Ed answered, smiling at Noah as he used a tater tot to draw ketchup lines all over his plate. The smile did not last long. "Oh…okay…well, we were gonna bring you some dinner…okay…keep me posted. Love you. Noah, tell Mommy you love her."

"Luvvvvvvyou!"

"Bye Liv." Ed ended the call and asked Josh to turn on the local news. Sure enough, the case that would keep Olivia at work through the night was on screen.

Two found dead in Central Park.

Ed sighed as he listened to the reporter give the few details that had been released to the public. It didn't look like Olivia would be home anytime soon.

…..

Ed poured himself the last of the Italian whiskey Carisi had gifted him and paused to take in the nighttime Manhattan view before settling back on the sofa with a sleeping Noah. The boy was curled up with Bernie, his Thomas blanket, and one of his bed pillows. After tossing the football around and playing in the spray fountain, Ed brought Noah home, cleaned him up, and they watched one of his Cars movies until Noah fell asleep. Rather than take him to bed, Ed left him on the couch, preferring the company even if the company was completely sacked out. Ed gazed at his angelic face and a combination of love and pride swelled in his chest, so much so that he had to put forth an extra effort to breathe.

He flipped through the channels and settled on a station that aired sitcom reruns; he didn't feel like watching the news anymore because it made him think of Olivia and the terrible crime she and her squad were investigating. According to her last update, she was back at the precinct and her detectives were gradually bringing in evidence and witnesses, but the process was off to a slow start.

Rather than concentrating on the show, Ed found himself focusing on the photographs situated on the shelves and tables around the room. The images contained various combinations of their family posing and smiling. His girls were always radiant—pink cheeks and defined features, mostly inherited from him; perfect teeth, paid for by him; blonde hair that fell in waves (Sarah) and flipped out at the ends of a coiffed bob (Brooke). Their hair, Ed originally thought, had come from their mother, but it was really from Caroline. Aside from Brooke's semi-round face, not much in their features reminded him of his ex-wife. Both daughters had Tucker baby-blue eyes, capable of both intense, icy glares and gazes overflowing with love and adoration.

Both Brooke and Sarah baffled him on a regular basis. Sarah was a constant source of concern. He predicted that, one day, she was going to show up at the apartment and announce she'd quit her job and was going to do something ridiculous like "find herself." She'd always been a free spirit, and that personality trait was so at odds with her intellect and her career choice. Ed always felt Sarah's smarts belonged in Brooke's body. Brooke, on the other hand, was like him…a bit straight-laced, hesitant to trust people, always thinking twice, and, at times, for better or for worse, a bit of a loner. If Sarah was married and divorced two or three times, it wouldn't particularly surprise Ed, but he knew, if Brooke got married, it had to work out. Otherwise, she would never trust herself to find love again. Consequently, Ed worked hard to make sure Carisi knew he had Ed's blessing when it came to Brooke. Ed knew a good man when he saw one.

Noah stirred and plastered himself even more closely to the rear cushion.

Ed glanced at his son and smiled. Noah warmed to Ed almost immediately after Olivia had finally let him into their world, and, in addition to the love Ed had for the boy, he also felt a great deal of gratitude, for, if he had been more reluctant, this whole new life probably wouldn't have happened. It was Noah who first let down his guard. It was Noah who requested hugs and hand holding and kisses and who had called Ed "Daddy" so naturally that neither Ed nor Olivia had to take the initiative in that regard. Noah blazed that trail for himself and, maybe someday, a long, long time from now, at some special moment, Ed would tell him how instrumental he was, as a toddler, in cementing the bond between his Mommy and Daddy.

Then there was Olivia. Ed leaned back and rested his legs on the coffee table. He could think about his wife all day and night. It was funny that the first thought he had about his wife when she was away was actually not a thought, but a sound. He heard her voice. The softness. The compassion. The little edge when she teased him. The sometimes-hoarse sometimes-guttural moans and cries when they made love, and then the coos and purrs when they cuddled afterward, soaking up the comfort of each other's bodies…and then finally when she drifted off to sleep against his chest, not really snoring but breathing heavily and completely relaxed. He loved her like that…maybe the most, but he could never quantify his love for her. It was too nuanced, complex, deep, but…permanent. For once, he had something, someone to which he could anchor himself. And it felt good.

It felt even better when, a while later when Olivia came home and found Ed and Noah asleep and contorted in what looked to be uncomfortably positions on the couch, she kissed his sleepy lips softly and stayed close, waiting for him to realize what was going on.

He gasped a little, kissed air, and lazily dragged his eyes open. There she was, hair falling against his cheeks, her lips turned upwards in a slight smile, and those brown eyes unmistakably saying, I love you.

"Hi," He whispered thickly.

"Hi."

She settled in next to him on the opposite side of Noah.

"Arrest and plea deal tomorrow?"

"No and No."

"Want to talk about it?"

"Not now. I want to…be with you for a while. I have to go back soon."

Ed held her tightly for a few minutes and kissed her head over and over. Before they were married Olivia would have never done this. She would have never taken a break to come home, at least, not with the sole intention to see him and cuddle for a while, but here she was and she wasn't disguising what she was doing. One lingering problem, no, challenge, with their marriage was Olivia's tendency to dive into tricky cases and refuse to stop until it was solved. This amounted to strings of days where she came home late and left early, leaving Ed feeling slighted and ignored, even though he knew she was not intentionally casting him to the side in order to somehow wound him. He understood her passion for her job, but, sometimes, he simply did not want to share his wife.

"What did you do today?"

Ed ticked off some mundane details about two separate cases and then mentioned meeting Isaac again. Olivia laughed.

"Were you nice?"

"Yes."

"Did you invite them to Labor Day?"

"Yes."

"Are they coming?"

"I think so."

Ed fell silent, and Olivia asked, "What?"

"Nothin'…I just…are you really not on duty that day?"

"I'm really not." Olivia furrowed her brow. Ed wasn't usually like this. "But…if something major happens, you know, I may have to go in. Why?"

She felt Ed shrug. "Me? Stuck with my mother, this new guy…without you, it's…it's not somethin' that sounds too enjoyable. You make everything easier."

Olivia smiled and settled in against his chest and dared to close her eyes, knowing she couldn't fall into the deep sleep she desperately wanted. "That's a nice compliment."

"I have an unlimited supply."

"Yeah?"

He held her more snugly, soaking up the final minutes of closeness.

"Yeah."

…..

After an afternoon browsing the West Village art fair, Ed, Olivia, Noah, and Caroline regrouped at the apartment and waited for the girls and their dates. Olivia arranged for she and Carisi to be off-duty on this particular Sunday since Brooke preferred having a clear schedule on the actual Labor Day holiday so she could relax before she met her new group of students.

While Noah napped, Caroline buzzed around the Tucker kitchen, putting together the ingredients she'd brought over in two large shopping bags. Both Olivia and Ed offered to help, but the tiny lady shook her head, causing the spiky strands of her silver pixie cut to flutter wildly, and scoffed good-naturedly, "When you help you're in my way. Just sit here and keep me company. Drink something."

Ed glanced quickly at Olivia who was already perched on a barstool, waiting patiently for her husband to serve her and his mother an afternoon cocktail.

"Ma, I know what you want. Liv?"

"You know what? I think I'll have a beer. That sounds good."

Ed nodded in agreement. The heat in New York this summer had been stifling and the day's high temperatures and humidity portended an equally scorching early fall season.

Caroline narrated as she worked. "Got my chicken salad and my tuna salad. Made chicken 'cause Sarah told me this new guy doesn't eat anything that lives in water." She briefly looked up, "Who the hell doesn't eat tuna salad?"

"People who are allergic to fish?" Ed suggested.

Caroline sniffed, "Tuna isn't exactly fish."

"Then what the hell is it?" Ed took his spot next to Olivia and noticed her shaking with silent laughter.

"It's in a can for God's sake, Eddie. How fishy can it possibly be? And she didn't say he was allergic. She just said he doesn't eat fish. I almost told her that he could have what Noah's having but then I realized Noah loves my tuna salad."

"He really does," Olivia said.

"Gawwwd," Caroline sighed, "I hope she's not dating another child like that man-boy she married."

Ed screwed up his face. "Man-boy?"

"Yes. Man-boy. Wants to play all the time like a little boy but is a man."

"I don't think that's the story, ma."

"That's the story she told me."

"I think…" Olivia mused, "There were a lot of challenges with her and Jeff's relationship."

"Yeah," Ed briefly acknowledged Olivia's point, "Ma, Sarah tell you the story about when we got back from Wyoming and found her and this Isaac guy in our house?"

Olivia opened her eyes wide, surprised Ed chose to bring this up once again. However, she also knew that Sarah and Caroline were incredibly close.

"She said something."

"What?"

"She and Isaac had to…get away."

Ed rolled his eyes.

Olivia pressed her lips together in a polite smile.

Caroline scrunched up her lips. "Eddie…give her a break."

"What?"

"Give her a break."

"Ma?"

"You've always been harder on her. She scares you." Ed started to object, but Caroline raised her voice ever so slightly. "She's like me. She feels, Eddie, and she goes with those emotions. You? Angela? You both are so calculated…and God gave you Sarah and neither one of you knows how to handle her."

Ed took a long gulp of his beer, swallowing the liquid and his mother's words.

"So thank God Olivia does," Caroline added. She shook her head and grinned at her daughter-in-law, "You're amazing sweetheart. Dealing with this one and Sarah? You're going straight to heaven for sure."

"Oh," Olivia replied breezily, "It's not that bad. Sarah has a big heart. She just has to figure out some things. And you," she tugged at Ed's sleeve, "Are always a pleasure to deal with."

Caroline laughed, "You two…always flirting…I love it," she took a bite of her chicken salad. "And I love this. Okay. I think we're all set. When's everybody getting here?"

…..

A little while later, Caroline Tucker happily sipped her fourth or fifth gin-and-tonic and occasionally leaned forward to play her turn. Finding a game everyone knew how to play turned out to be difficult, so the group finally settled on 500 Rummy and Caroline, who had a knack for any game involving cards and strategy, was comfortably ahead.

"Everyone get enough food?" Caroline asked.

The question was met with a chorus of yesses.

"Mrs. Tucker, everything was fantastic," Carisi gushed. "That's why I'm letting you win."

"Oh, stop it, Sonny, and also stop calling me Mrs. Tucker for Pete's sake."

"Sorry, it's a habit."

"And stop apologizing."

Brooke gazed sweetly at her blushing boyfriend, "He still calls Dad Captain."

Carisi shrugged shyly, "Prolly always will. And Lieu will always be Lieu."

Olivia peered over her cards, "That's right," she joked.

"Even if Sonny and Brooke get married?" Sarah blurted out causing everyone to fall into a stunned, uncomfortable silence. Sarah's teasing grin quickly faded. "Um…sorry. Touchy subject?"

Brooke eyed Sarah's glass, "Um, isn't it always? But I'll blame it on the alcohol." She swiped the bottle of wine that Sarah had placed between herself and Isaac, "That's probably enough for today."

"No need to rush anything," Caroline said, trying to smooth things over as she carefully played her cards, "You're young and in love and you should enjoy every minute of it."

Carisi slung his arm around Brooke's shoulders. He expected her to lean into him, but she stiffened. Olivia noticed this and the hurt in Carisi's eyes as he removed his arm and settled back into his chair. She tried to steer the conversation into calmer waters.

"Brooke, how are you feeling about school starting?"

"I'm excited." She ran her fingers through her short blonde hair. "And a little nervous. The other school, well, parents weren't exactly that involved. This school? I've already had parents email me. It'll be interesting."

Sarah, trying to redeem herself for the earlier ill-timed comment, reached over and tickled Noah. "And Noey Boey you're going to big boy school!"

He giggled. "Uh-huh!"

"Does he have to wear a uniform?"

"Sort of," Olivia replied, "The preschoolers wear khakis and polos, the actual dress code doesn't kick in until Kindergarten."

"Well, Noey, when it gets cooler you and I are going wardrobe shopping. You will be the best-dressed kid in that school."

Ed rolled his eyes, "You don't think we dress him well enough?"

"Gawwwd," Sarah huffed, "What is this? Foot in my mouth day? I didn't mean it like that!"

Caroline played another turn. "Annnd, that should put me over five hundred. Isaac, scorekeeper, right? I win?"

"Yes ma'am you did."

"Well, good. Another round?"

Brooke stood up and stretched, "Not for me. I'm gonna head home."

Again, Carisi regarded Brooke curiously. "Okay, well, thanks for everything," he said quickly. Brooke was already headed towards the door. Carisi waved at everyone helplessly. "Good to see you again, Mrs, uh, Caroline."

Caroline sprung to her feet and went to hug Sonny. "Brookey, get over here and give your Grandmother a kiss," she admonished her.

"Sorry, Gram," Brooke kissed her on the cheek, "See you soon, okay?"

"Sunday dinner is always open to everyone."

"Maybe in a couple weeks."

Brooke and Sonny departed. Sarah and Isaac left soon after, taking Caroline with them. Olivia gave Noah a bath and got him ready for bed while Ed cleaned up the kitchen. He joined them in Noah's room for stories and, together, he and Olivia tucked him in and kissed him goodnight then retreated to the living room and lounged on the sofa.

"That was weird," Ed remarked, "The way Brooke left."

"The marriage comment freaked her out," Olivia replied knowingly.

"She didn't have to take it out on Carisi. Poor guy. He looked like someone punched him in the gut."

"I know." She smiled at Ed, "But I think it's very cute that you want the two of them to be together."

He smirked back at her. "I like the guy."

"Isaac sure was quiet."

"I don't like that guy."

"Awwww," Olivia caressed the side of Ed's face, "Are you ever going to forgive them?"

"I have forgiven them. I don't like him. Somethin' about him…he's got an attitude problem. When he did say something it was always sarcastic. He's a punk."

"He's young."

"What the hell?" Ed asked incredulously, "Sarah goes from Dodds to a college kid?"

Olivia laughed, "It's law school. He's not an undergrad."

Ed groaned, "Ma's right. I have no idea how to handle her."

"She's a big girl," Olivia scooted closer to Ed. "She can handle herself."

"I suppose so." Ed moved so he was within kissing distance and planted a smooch on her lips. "I don't want to talk about it anymore."

Olivia cocked an eyebrow, "What do you want to talk about?"

"Nothing, actually." He kissed her again, this time swirling his tongue around her mouth. He felt Olivia's hands wander under his shirt and her fingers dig into his chest. He ripped his lips from hers to let her remove the polo and he kissed at her throat and neck while he unbuttoned her blouse.

After the silky garment fell from her body and onto the floor, Ed wasted no time removing her bra. He suckled gently at each breast before meeting her lips again in another fiery kiss. He laid her down, crawled on top of her, and nibbled at her earlobe.

Olivia moaned, her nerves already on fire, and she pushed Ed's shorts as far down as she could get them before Ed finished the job. He kissed his way down her torso, slid her linen shorts from her body without bothering with the button and zipper, and leaned back, taking in the sight of her dressed only in ivory-colored panties as he yanked off his boxer briefs.

His gaze lasted too long for Olivia and she knelt in front of him. Ed threw his head back, gasping for air as she stroked him. He grabbed at her breasts and jerked a bit. She applied more pressure and he fell against her.

"Liv."

"Yeah?"

"You gonna let me do anything?"

She released him and held his face in her hands.

"Whatcha wanna do, Captain?"

He delayed his answer, kissed her again, and laid her back on the cushions. Hovering over her and leering, he whispered, "I wanna…do this." He lowered himself and ran his tongue along the inside of both her thighs.

"And I want," he began dragging the panties down her legs, "these off." He tossed them aside and spread her legs wide. "So I can taste you." He swiped his tongue between her legs once and her back arched. Ed chuckled devilishly at the near-violent reaction to that singular move. He dove back in, aggressively massaging her hips and thighs as he pierced and probed at her center. She cried out for him repeatedly and he rasped, "Now I want you to come for me, baby." She writhed and reached for a pillow to muffle her shrieks. "Louder," he implored, sucking harder and lapping at her faster and faster.

"Ahhhhhhhhhh!"

"Yeah, Liv. Like that."

Her back arched even higher off the cushions and she thrashed uncontrollably. Ed ran his lips lightly across her skin as he slowly moved back up her body. His face glistened and he attacked her mouth, opening his mouth wide, nearly swallowing her chin as he let her taste herself.

Olivia cupped the back of his head and kissed back until Ed moved back down her body, focused his attention on her breasts again, then her collarbone and shoulders, and her earlobes.

"Now I wanna be inside you," he whispered.

Olivia ran her fingers up and down his back and lifted her head to nuzzle his neck. "I want you," she whispered back, "I always want you."

"Me too," he replied as he entered her, "Ah, ugh, mmmm, You. Feel. So. Good." He began with a fairly rapid pace, "You gonna come for me again?"

Olivia could hardly speak. "Yesssssss. Right. There. Don't stop. There."

Ed quickened his thrusts and right before he decided he couldn't hold off any longer she shrieked and squirmed, climaxing again and, seconds later, he spilled into her, shaking and jerking, and, finally, fell on top of her, totally spent.

…..

After showering, Olivia dried off, dressed in her pajama pants and a t-shirt, and settled on the bed with a magazine. Ed emerged from the bathroom, towel-drying his hair, and suggested they order something to eat.

"You don't want the leftovers from earlier?"

"Nah."

"What do you want?"

"Tacos."

Olivia smiled sweetly. "Okay…sounds good, I'm not that hungry but I'll eat a couple."

Ed picked up the laptop and opened it. "Carne Asada? Chicken?" He rattled off suggestions while the computer woke up. "Shrimp?"

"One carne one chicken," she said.

"Got it." The screen came alive. Olivia had been using the computer earlier and the last page she'd browsed was open. The article title caused Ed to do a double take and rendered him temporarily incapacitated.

"No," Olivia said, "I think one carne one shrimp. Yeah. Or, get a chicken one, too. I might eat three. You…you worked up my appetite, sir." She playfully nudged him and, apparently, didn't notice his shock at what he was reading.

He forced a laugh and tried to act normal. "Yeah," he murmured and navigated to the website, "Okay, three tacos for my hungry wife it is…"

"How many are you getting?"

"Five."

"Seriously?"

"Yes."

He quickly placed the order and grabbed a magazine of his own but he merely flipped through the pages without reading a word. Briefly, he thought he should mention what he saw, but he decided against it, preferring to wait and see if Olivia brought it up first. She left the article up on the laptop they shared here at home, so, obviously, she wasn't trying to hide it. He wasn't going to give her long, though. The anticipation was already killing him.

…..

#Tuckson