"Dada, up!"
Kate watched on with a smirk as Hank released a long-suffering sigh before he hinged at the waist to scoop their precocious toddler into his arms, balancing her against his chest with practised ease so that he could press his phone back to his ear with his free hand.
For the last thirty minutes, Alexis had been following Hank around the room as fast as her little wobbly legs would carry her while he paced backwards and forwards, trading verbal punches with Chief Miller who's tone had been steadily increasing in both volume and sharpness as their stubborn Sergeant continued to argue his innocence. Eventually deciding she'd had enough of quietly trying to garner her father's attention, Alexis had reached both chubby arms into the air with an adorable demand and, of course, Hank had acquiesced without complaint.
"For Christ's sake Sam, it wasn't like he gave me much of a choice! If I'd've let him stand in my way, one of my Detectives and an innocent child would've been dead, you understa-"
'You can't just punch out your boss Hank!'
From her perch across the room, Kate couldn't help but grin as Hank came to a sudden stop in the middle of the living room, the muscles in his jaw rippling as he ground his teeth together in an effort to stem what would likely have been an expletive-filled response that would no doubt have earned him yet another black mark against his name.
Coming to the realisation that this was a battle he wasn't likely to win, he closed the conversation with a handful of clipped responses before killing the call and tossing his cell carelessly onto the couch.
Adjusting Alexis against his chest, he buried his face against her mane of wild chocolate curls and drew in a slow, deep breath, her sweet baby scent instantly calming his fiery temper.
"You're just as bossy as your mother." He rumbled quietly, pressing a soft kiss to her head and wrapping both arms around her little body as she nestled beneath his chin.
"Miller tear you a new one?" Kate asked after a moment, Hank's eyes drifting to hers from where he had been gazing out of the window, watching the light spring shower patter against the glass.
"Kelton's filed a formal complaint. They want me in front of a review board first thing on Monday."
Kate released a long sigh, pushing to her feet to slowly close the space between them. It wasn't as though it came as a surprise that Kelton was doubling down on his efforts to force Hank out of the unit. He had made it abundantly clear from the minute he stepped foot into the 21st District that he would make Hank's life a living hell if he refused to play by Kelton's rules and it was no secret that Hank Voight didn't play by anybody's rules but his own. While she was eternally grateful Hank had made the decision he had, it was also abundantly clear that her husband didn't exactly make life easy for himself when it came to dealing with Brian Kelton.
"Well you did disobey a direct order…and you broke his nose." Kate said gently, struggling to contain a chuckle when he eyed her cautiously as she approached, mentally steeling himself for yet another scolding for doing what he needed to do to get the job done.
"The stupid prick deserved it."
This time Kate couldn't control the quiet laugh that bubbled in her chest at his somewhat petulant tone, half expecting him to jut out his bottom lip in the exact same way Alexis did when she didn't get her own way.
With Alexis sandwiched between them, Kate wrapped both arms around his body, her palms softly gliding along the firm planes of his back until her hands met at the base of his spine, her fingers interlacing so that he was caged in her embrace.
"I know. And I'm very thankful you did. But you can't expect him to just let that slide." She reasoned, already anticipating his counter argument when he rolled his eyes towards the ceiling with a huff.
"Of course I can." He scoffed, brows pulling into a tight frown. "All the guys I've ever had in my unit have clocked me at least once… except maybe Ruzek."
He paused for a beat, his expression gradually softening until the corner of his mouth twitched upwards into a wry smirk.
"In fact…" He husked quietly, his eyes visibly darkening as he peered down at her. "…I think I can add you to that list as well."
"That was an accident!" Kate squawked indignantly, jabbing her fingertips into his ribs none too gently as she recalled the incident he had incorrectly added to his list of work-place scuffles.
'Jesus Kev… if this is you being careful, going toe to toe with you must be like being hit by a fucking train.' Kate complained breathlessly, gazing up at the gym ceiling after her partner had, once again, knocked her on her ass for the fourth time in as many minutes.
The entire unit had been required to undertake mandatory hand to hand combat training in support of a new initiative implemented by Commander Fischer in a somewhat misguided attempt to reduce the number of officer-involved shootings that had increased exponentially over the past few years.
Despite the vehement protests, all eight of them had reluctantly filed into one of the department's training gyms at seven am on a Sunday morning to get Fischer off their backs and check yet another pointless box on the idiot's CompStat report.
'Sorry, y'alright?' Kevin asked, reaching out a hand to help Kate to her feet, his warm brown eyes casting her a concerned glance as she stood with a wince, a hand instantly falling to her torso where he knew a scar was hidden beneath her gym vest. She had only been back on active duty for a few weeks following the chaos that had unfolded in Manhattan and he didn't need to turn around to know that his Sergeant was glaring holes into the back of his head for not being more careful with his…their…partner.
For the first few exercises, he had very much treated her with kid-gloves but, in typical fashion, Kate soon warned him that going easy on her would result in an unfavourable outcome for the gentle-natured officer when the time came for Kate to be on the offensive.
'I'm fine. Just a little sore.' She muttered, trying to turn her grimace into an easy grin knowing that Hank was watching her like a damn hawk.
'Alright, last task of the day.' The instructor called, his eyes darting across each of them in turn. 'Let's see…uh…you two, front and centre.'
Af first, Kate had assumed he had gestured for both her and Kevin to move towards the front of them but he had in fact been jabbing a finger over her left shoulder at Hank who looked like he wanted to wring the oblivious instructors neck. With a wry grin, Kate sauntered towards the instructor with Hank a few paces behind and, when she turned to face the rest of the unit, she could barely contain a snort of amusement at their wide-eyed expressions, watching with a mixture of apprehension and glee as their Sergeant and fellow detective squared up to await further direction.
'Sergeant Voight, you've got ten seconds to get Detective Meadows on her back.'
The loud bark of laughter that echoed off the hollow walls was quickly followed by a sharp cough that didn't quite do enough disguise Adam's momentary lack of professionalism but it did trigger a ripple of quiet chuckles from the rest of the team when Adam's entire face and neck flushed beet red under his Sergeant's withering stare.
Blissfully unaware of the huge faux-pas he'd just walked head-long into, the trainer briefly cast a confused glance at Kim who had landed a sharp elbow into Adam's ribs and continued to enthusiastically distribute instructions.
'There's only two rules. No eye-gouging and no crotch-shots.'
With a shrug, Kate stepped up to one end of the mat, waiting patiently for Hank to reluctantly take his place on the other side but she could tell from his expression that he had absolutely no intention of putting his hands on her any more than strictly necessary.
'Ten seconds, huh. You think you manage that Sarg?' She asked, hoping that a gentle jab at his masculine pride might incite that deeply competitive nature she knew he was trying to bury.
'I fancy my chances.' He replied simply, pointedly ignoring the shit-eating smirk Alvin was wearing in favour of casting Kate a subtle yet incredibly sexy wink.
'Ready? Three…two…one…'
The second the whistle blew, Hank moved with a swiftness that belied his advancing years, his fingers encasing Kate's wrist in a firm yet surprisingly gentle grip as he tugged her towards him, manoeuvring her arm behind her back until she landed against his chest with a quiet 'oomph', his free arm locking securely around his waist.
Now this was familiar territory. Her warm, lithe body pressed against the length of him, the perfect combination of sinewy muscle and soft curves. What he hadn't quite anticipated when he had incapacitated one of her arms by wedging it between their bodies was that it would give her the perfect opportunity to bend one of the instructors golden rules. The sensation of her nimble fingers sliding beneath the hem of his t-shirt to track along the waistband of his gym shorts had sparked a momentary lapse in concentration, his grip on her body loosening ever so slightly but it exactly the response Kate had been hoping for and, with a sharp downward movement, she successfully wrenched herself free from his hold, spinning on the spot to toss a sharp right jab against his shoulder.
Still somewhat dazed from the spark of electricity that had surged down the length of his spine at her teasing touch, it took Hank a few seconds longer than normal to process the disappearance of her bodyweight against him and, stumbling forwards in an effort to regain his balance, he found himself on the receiving end of his girlfriend's notoriously stiff right fist, his head snapping backwards with a groan of pain.
'Shit! Oh my God Hank, I'm so sorry!'
His grumbled response was muffled by the hand he had pushed to his face as he doubled over with a grunt, his eyes watering as his mouth and nose throbbed in protest. Ignorant to the rest of the unit watching on in stunned silence, Kate scurried forwards, cupping his face in her palms to ease him upright, her startled hazel eyes scanning his features for any sign of damage but, aside from a little redness, thankfully he seemed unharmed.
'I think that's gonna bruise but you're not bleeding.' She mumbled, gently prodding at his abused flesh, her stomach clenching when he flinched away from her. 'At least you kept all your teeth.' She added lightly with a sheepish smile, brushing her thumb over his throbbing lip softly.
He was staring at her as though truly seeing her for the first time, his eyes narrowed and his brow slightly pinched. Casting a glance towards Alvin, Kate silently begged him to clear the room and, as always, he instantly understood the assignment and shepherded the others towards the locker rooms, leaving the two of them stood on a spongy mat in the middle of a now-empty gym.
'I'm so sorry. I was aiming for your sho-'
'You called me Hank.'
Kate paused for a few long beats following his gruff interjection, confusion etched on her face. Of course she had called him Hank. Just as she did when she told him his coffee was ready, or when she couldn't find where he'd put the car keys.
'I know I can hit pretty hard but I didn't hit you hard enough for you to forget your own name.' She said slowly, using the hand that was still cupping his jaw to steady herself as she pressed onto her tip toes, getting a good look at his face to check for any signs of concussion.
'That's the first time you've used my name in front of the unit.'
Kate fell silent, her heart thudding against her rib cage as a streak of anxious energy lanced down her spine, settling uncomfortably in the pit of her stomach. Their relationship was still fairly new and, while she couldn't claim to be a perfect student when it came to keeping things professional between them, she did go out of her way to make sure he never felt uncomfortable having the woman he was sleeping with as a member of his unit. Yet, in her panic, she had instantly assumed the role of concerned girlfriend without a second thought to the rest of unit standing just a few feet away who had all received a little insight into their life outside of the district.
Kate dropped both hands to her side, instantly missing the warmth of his body as her eyes found the floor, awkwardly clearing her throat. 'I'm sorry, I guess it just slipped-'
He halted her stammered apology with a quiet shush and a shake of his head, reaching out to catch her fingers and close the little distance she had put between them.
'I'm not mad.' He said, his eyes glittering with a combination of fiery lust and warm affection. 'Just surprised.'
Giving her fingers a gentle tug, Kate had no choice but to let her body collide with his, their chests bumping as he wrapped his arms around her waist, dipping his chin to push a soft kiss to her forehead.
'Besides." He mumbled against her hair after a few moments. "You know how much I love it when you say my name.'
With a sultry promise to let him 'put her on her back' later to make it up to him, a red-faced Kate and a smug, slightly bruised Hank joined the rest of the unit to change out and head back to the district.
"You punched me in the mouth, did you not?" Hank argued with a smirk, lifting an eyebrow when she tried to argue that there was no malicious intent behind the attack on his person and therefore shouldn't be considered as such.
Agreeing a temporary truce whilst they completed Alexis' bedtime routine, their lighthearted disagreement was all but forgotten by the time they curled up on the sofa later that evening, Kate tucked comfortably against Hank's side.
"I think we should go on a date."
Despite being engrossed in watching the highlights of whatever sports games that had taken place earlier in the day, he pulled his attention away from the TV to peer down at Kate with an amused expression dancing across his handsome features.
"A date?"
"Yeah, you know…get dressed up, a nice restaurant." Her tone was light and teasing, each suggestion spoken slowly and deliberately as her palms slipped under the hem of his worn grey t-shirt to stroke the warm flesh beneath. "Maybe ask Erin if Alexis can have a sleepover."
It suddenly occurred to him that, despite living and working together, they seldom had any real time just the two of them. Of course they had the few hours between putting Alexis to bed and crawling between the sheets themselves but, oftentimes, that was the time they caught up on laundry and other mundane chores they hadn't had time to deal with during the day.
But even when the lion's share of their time was dedicated to being Sergeant and Detective or Momma and Dada, they somehow managed to carve out a few precious moments to just be Hank and Kate.
"You wanna be wined and dined baby?" He asked with a quirked eyebrow and a wry grin, skimming the tips of his fingers along her bare skin where her chunky knit cardigan had slipped from her shoulders.
"Hmm, maybe I do." She replied with a smirk of her own, craning her neck to meet his eyes. "Remember when we went out to the dunes a few weeks after we first hooked up? My God, it was so cold."
Kate has always thought the early days of their relationship had all the hallmarks of a forbidden teenage affair, sneaking around in the hopes that she wouldn't get caught making out with the older boy her parents warned her to stay away from beneath the bleachers! But once they finally disclosed to Miller that they were seeing each other, going out for a romantic meal or walking hand in hand down Michigan Avenue was no longer a front page scandal.
It took them far longer than they'd have liked to find an evening where their odds of being called in to work were minimal but, once they did, Erin had eagerly agreed to take Alexis for the night with the caveat that they don't try and collect her before midday the following morning.
Hank had made a reservation at Kate's favourite Italian restaurant in the West Loop and he was on the phone booking a cab when she descended the stairs behind him but, when he turned around, his first instinct was the cancel the damn taxi, lock the doors and put his hands on every inch of her beautiful body until any thoughts of Mediterranean sustenance were a distant memory.
While Hank had opted for dark wash jeans, a pressed white shirt and the charcoal herringbone jacket he knew his wife had somewhat of a weakness for, Kate had clearly taken full advantage of the opportunity to forego her usual denim and cotton combo.
"…heard they have that tagliatelle you like is back on the menu…what's the matter?"
She stood before him, both hands at her ear fastening the stunning teardrop earrings into her lobe when she stopped dead, eyes alight with worry at what must have been an expression of wonderment and disappointment merged together. This happened almost every time they attended a function that required formal attire. She would get dressed, his heart would stop beating, she'd wonder if he was having some kind of aneurism and he realised now that she would never understand just how breathtakingly beautiful she was to him.
Her chosen attire for the evening wasn't as daring as the gold number she'd worn to the CPD Gala last year, nor was it as risqué as the silk navy dress that had set his very world on fire during their undercover assignment. Yet the wide-leg black slacks, the black lace bodysuit and the ivory blazer combination somehow managed to capture his attention in exactly the same way. Then his gaze drifted down to the red-soled heels and he idly wondered how on earth he was supposed to make it through dinner when at least half of his blood volume had swiftly left his brain to migrate south for the rest of the evening.
With herculean effort, Hank managed to make it through two cab rides and a three course meal before he finally succumbed to his baser instincts. The front door had barely clicked closed when Hank backed her against the cool wood, pinning her in place with a firm hand on her waist and a fistful of wild honey curls as he captured her mouth in a searing kiss.
"I've been waiting all fucking night to do that." He groaned against her parted lips, nipping at the plump flesh before sucking her lower lip into the warm cavern of his mouth, soothing the sharp sting with his tongue.
"I'm kinda disappointed you waited." Kate breathed, her head landing against the door with a quiet thud when Hank temporarily abandoned his assault on her mouth to trace a line of hot, open-mouthed kisses along the column of her throat, dipping his tongue into the hollow at the base of her neck before his journey south was thwarted by the lacy neckline of her top.
It was rough. Messy. Passionate. Everything they had been missing since Hank had tore the entire city apart to find her.
Hands pulled impatiently at fabric, each piece of clothing hitting the hardwood floor with a quiet whoosh and the occasional clatter of metal fastenings until they were left in nothing but their underwear. Shrouded in darkness, Hank wrapped one arm around Kate's waist, the other gripping a handful of toned asscheek to hoist her into his arms, her legs instantly wrapping around his lean waist as he blindly made his way into the living room, steadfast in his refusal to tear his lips from hers.
"Bedroom too far?" Kate whispered with a note of amusement when he gently deposited her on the soft cushions of their couch, getting himself comfortable in the cradle of her thighs before returning to the task at hand.
"Later." He grumbled, sliding his hands beneath her body to unfasten the black lace bra, tossing the fabric across the room and baring her to his heated gaze.
"God, you're so fucking sexy."
His deep, gritty complement had Kate's back arching away from the cushions with a tight whine in a bid to ease the throbbing ache between her legs, her freshly-painted nails scoring vivid pink welts across his shoulders as he kissed his way down her body.
She loved him like this. Patient, attentive, considerate. She knew that he took great pleasure in her pleasure and there was nothing he wouldn't do for her both inside and outside of the bedroom. But her warm, loving husband wasn't what she needed right now. What she needed right now was her dominant, passionate lover.
Gripping the back of his head to stall his movements, Kate drew him back up the length of her body to fuse her mouth to his in a languorous, tongue-filled kiss.
"I need you. Right now."
Her eyes were aflame with desire for him, the beautiful hazel orbs darkening with lust as she slipped her palms down the length of his spine, fingertips burrowing beneath the elastic of his boxers in an effort to remove the penultimate barrier between them. Right now she didn't need his talented mouth or his dexterous fingers, despite knowing all too well the dizzying heights of euphoric pleasure he could wield with just the lightest of touches.
She physically ached for him.
Ached to have him buried so deep inside of her that there was no way to tell where she ended and he started. The desperation must have been written all over her face because, instead of his usual quip about her impatience, Hank simply leaned down to press a hard kiss to her lips before ridding them both of their last articles of clothing.
Within moments he was back, his lithe body stretched above her with one palm braced above her head while the other slipped between their bodies to align himself with her slick centre and, with one sharp thrust, he was exactly where she needed him to be. He paused for a few long beats, his eyes fluttering closed as her inner walls rippled at the sudden intrusion, her body clutching him in a velvet grip before releasing just enough to allow him to sink just a little deeper until he was completely enveloped in her molten heat.
Balancing his weight on his knees, Hank took her hips in his large palms and began a steady pace, the erotic sounds of flesh meeting flesh combined with their heated groans filling the air around them. Kate felt as though she was burning up from the inside out, flames licking at her skin as he continued to stoke the fire burning deep in the pit of her stomach with every firm snap of his hips against hers. His eyes were trained on her face, watching intently as her jaw became slack with pleasure, her damp chest heaving with each laboured breath but when Hank drew her hands away from his body to pin her wrists above her head, the expression of ecstasy slowly disappeared only to be replaced by one of abject terror.
Her bright hazel eyes, hazy with lust merely seconds before, were now blown wide with fear, sucking in sharp staccato breaths through parted lips in an effort to stem the rising tide of panic threatening to consume her. Instantly recognising the change in his wife's demeanour, Hank drew to a sudden stop, stilling inside of her as he watched her battle against the waves of panic crashing over her.
"Kate? Honey?"
Releasing his grip on her wrists, he edged himself backwards in an attempt to gently withdraw from her trembling body as calmly as he could in his own state of mild panic but he was prevented from getting too far by her long limbs entwining around his body, frantically attempting to draw him back towards her.
"I'm alright, c'mon." She mumbled with an attempt at a reassuring smile but the thin rivulets of salty tears sliding into her hairline was more than enough for Hank to wrangle himself free of her grip and fall back onto the sofa despite her quiet pleas for him to continue.
"Wait a minute Kate, just wait! I need a minute, alright? You can't expect me to jump right back in after that!" He huffed, gesturing between them with an air of frustration that had Kate's eyes filling with tears as she scrambled away from, yanking a blanket from the back of the couch to cover her nude form.
Guilt settled in the pit of his stomach like a lead weight as he watched her fold in on herself, angrily swiping at the tears that were now tracking down her face.
For a few long moments, they sat in stunned silence on either ends of the couch, Kate with her eyes downcast as she fought against the tears that were still threatening to spill down her suddenly pale cheeks. Swallowing thickly, Hank tentatively shifted his weight across the cushions, pausing for a beat with his palm hovering over her bare shin before slowly lowering his hand to settle on her smooth skin, breathing a sigh of relief when she didn't flinch away from his touch.
"Baby, I need you to talk to me. What happened?" He asked quietly, his tone laced with a concerned tenderness that had Kate desperately wanting to launch herself against his chest because, in the safe confines of his strong embrace, those dark, haunting shadows wouldn't be able to reach her.
But she knew him well enough to know that this wasn't something he was going to be able to let go. There were many things Hank wouldn't press her about, giving her the time and space to process before she would inevitably open up about whatever had been on her mind but this wasn't going to be one of them. Drawing in a slow, deep breath, Kate tucked the blanket a little tighter around her shoulders as though it would somehow give her the courage she desperately needed.
"It doesn't matter how horrific the day's been or what scumbag I've had to deal with, it's never been able to touch me here." She whispered, her eyes still trained on the floor. "When we're together like this, it's always just you."
He didn't need to her elaborate to know what she meant by here. Oftentimes work would inevitably follow them home, resulting in grumbled conversations over a stovetop in the kitchen or quiet words of reassurance in the dim light of the bedroom but, when they came together as lovers, everything else faded away.
It was simply warm skin, soft gasps and pure, unbridled pleasure.
"But for just a second, when you pinned my hands down, you were him." Her voice finally broke and Hank's heart clenched painfully in his chest as he watched the make-up she'd carefully applied for their romantic evening slowly give way to tears now cascading in steady streams down her cheeks.
When she eventually lifted her gaze from the floor, tearful hazel eyes didn't meet the familiar warm russet she was expecting. Instead she found herself staring into the dark, bottomless pits she associated with her Sergeant, not her husband.
"But only for a split second." She said in a rush, panicked at the thought of him believing she had been thinking of Pulpo while he was making love to her. "It was like a quick flash and then it was gone. Hank, I'm so sorr-"
"Stop."
He lifted a palm into the air, a silent gesture to accompany his sharp verbal request but the movement removed all physical contact between them, leaving Kate feeling more bereft than when he had withdrawn himself from her body.
"But I ruined our evening." She mumbled, halfway between a whisper and a whimper, desperately trying to choke back the sobs burning in her throat.
"Kate, stop. You didn't ruin a damn thing."
"But you didn't want to carry on." She said, her eyes darting from his face to his still-naked lap.
"You really think I'd just keep going while you're crying?" He asked with a huff of disbelief, struggling to contain his own flaring temper under her disappointed appraisal of his now-flaccid length. "What kind of man do you think I am?"
"I didn't mean it like that." She was slowly becoming hysterical, her tone rising in both pitch and volume with each passing second. "Please Hank. Please don't push me away. I couldn't bear the thought of you thinking I'm broken or-"
"Kate, please stop." He begged, finally closing the remaining distance between them to cup her face in his hands, the sharp stab of guilt hitting him square in the chest when her eyes instantly fluttered closed at his touch.
"I am not pushing you away. And you're not broken." He whispered, thumbs swiping away the moisture that had gathered along her lower lashes.
"But you're angry. I can tell by your eyes."
Hank leaned forwards with a sigh, brushing his lips against her forehead with a quiet reassurance that his wild, untamed rage towards the bastard who dared put their hands on his wife was in no way directed at her. As thankful as he was that Jay had saved his life that night in the hangar, he couldn't help but wish the fucker was still alive just so that he could kill him all over again in the most painful way possible.
"I know how much you love our sex life. I couldn't bear the thought of not being able to give you what you need."
She wasn't wrong, he did love their sex life. He loved the wild, the passionate, the slow, the tender. He loved how adventurous they'd become, how much she trusted him to take care of her. But nothing in the world would ever be more important to him than her wellbeing.
"You've been though a lot and that's gonna change things." He said gently, knowing enough about sexual assault victims to know that oftentimes the things they'd enjoyed in the past suddenly became a trigger during their recovery. Thankfully they had interrupted Pulpo before he could cross the threshold from assault to rape, the post-traumatic stress that followed didn't differentiate between the two. Some survivors avoided certain positions, others couldn't stand certain scents but generally the most popular trigger was being restrained; unsurprising given that their attacker cruelly stripped them of their control.
Mentally kicking himself for not recognising the signs sooner, Hank swallowed thickly before gently tilting her chin upwards so he could meet her eyes.
"The only thing I need is for you and Alexis to be happy. Nothing else matters."
His genuine sincerity finally broke through the iron wall of anxious self-doubt and he found himself breathing a sigh of relief when the tension in her shoulders visibly melted away, the taut muscles relaxing as she shuffled into his arms, her face instantly finding its home in the space between his neck and his shoulder.
After a few moments of comfortable silence, Kate lifted her head away from his chest to peer up at him with the coquettish grin he adored, her eyes glittering mischievously despite the streaks of mascara lining her tear-stained face.
"You know what'll make me happy right now?"
Lifting a dubious eyebrow, wondering for a brief moment if it was a smart move to have handed her a whole book of blank cheques that he was going to have to find a way to cash!
"You, me, our bed." She punctuated each word with a butterfly kiss to his throat, grinning against his skin when he shivered in response to her gentle ministrations as she meandered her way to the shell of his ear where she paused for a beat before continuing with her wish list. "That tub of peanut butter ice cream you've been hiding from me and re-runs of Greys Anatomy."
His snort of amusement drew a soft chuckle from Kate who, not for the first time, found herself marvelling at how she'd managed to get so damn lucky. She couldn't help but wonder how Jake would have reacted to the events of the evening if he'd been promised a night of uninterrupted sex that, instead of culminating in an earth-shattering orgasm, had ended with blue balls and a panic attack. In the early days of their relationship, he probably would have been understanding but there was no doubt in her mind that he would still have made her feel as guilty as hell until she gave him the relief he needed in one way or another. Yet Hank had instinctively put her needs above his own, holding her with a tenderness that was as natural for him as drawing breath.
"For you?" He hummed, pressing a tender kiss against her lips. "Anything."
Letting her eyes flutter closed, she captured his face between her palms and gently touched her lips to his, hoping to God that he understood everything she wanted so desperately to tell him. How eternally grateful she was that he was hers. How thankful she was that he was so selfless when it came to taking care of both her and their daughter and, as she pulled away to gaze into his twinkling brown eyes, the sheer adoration she saw shining back at her had her eyes once again filling with tears. Only this time it was because she knew, without a doubt, that he had heard everything she was trying to say.