Dave stalled at the door, balancing the tray in his hand. Poised to knock on the bedroom door, he dropped his hand. He could hear Erin singing, a gentle, melodic tune that he didn't recognize. It was so soft and sweet that he didn't want to break the spell.
Pushing the door open just enough to see into the room, he wondered whether this was some kind of voyeuristic thrill chasing or just being nosy, he didn't know. He'd never really thought about where he drew his own line in the sand.
All he was sure of was that this version of her was his favorite. Erin had the lights turned down, with Carlo in her arms. Softly, running her hand over his head, Dave didn't want to pull away, there was something special about watching her with Carlo. The baby had softened her in a way Dave hadn't expected, almost like she couldn't stand the idea of putting the baby down and going back into the jagged edges of the outside world.
Here, at home, there was safety in the softness. "You know, I can see you, right?" Erin said. "Don't just stand there, come sit with us." She touched the space of the mattress beside her, waiting for him.
"I'm sorry…about tonight." Dave limped across the carpet, balancing the tray of food in one hand, and sat it on the end of the mattress. His knee was weak and shaky, so he did his best to keep most of his weight on the other foot and kept one hand free to catch his balance if needed.
Erin curled on her side, pulling her knees up to make room at the end of the bed. Carlo was propped in her arm, nursing.
"I didn't mean for the team to get so out of hand," Dave continued. "It wasn't fair to you or our son, but the team is made up of genuinely good people-"
"I'm sure they are," Erin shifted Carlo onto her chest, patting his back. "But Jareau went too far tonight." She made a mental note to take another look around the patio and clean up any glass remnants and hose off the spilled whiskey. It wasn't worth dealing with tonight.
"She did. I'm not arguing with that." Dave cradled the back of Carlo's head in his hand. What was it about that baby that had him so enraptured? When Dave slowed down enough to take in the scenery of life, he always drifted back to Erin and now, Carlo.
"I don't want her back here, David." Erin was serious, even though she was calm and relaxed against the pillows on their king-sized bed, with the baby in her arms. "Having your mom here is enough company for the time being."
"J.J. was drunk, Erin-" Dave knew it was a weak argument but he felt the need to say it anyway. He still had a weird sense of loyalty to his teammates, even when they were wrong.
"And she can't control herself," Erin said quickly. "What if the glass had hit Carlo? What would you say then?"
Dave froze, he hadn't thought of that. "I wouldn't have a damn thing to say, because her body would be in my backyard and you would be calling my attorney."
"Well, I'd put money on your books," Erin teased, "You wouldn't starve."
"I would be the best-kept prisoner in Protective Custody," Dave boasted and sat down on the edge of the bed beside her. Letting his arm settle around her shoulders, keeping himself close to her. If he didn't insert himself into Erin and Carlo's bubble, Dave was afraid she would unconsciously block him out. "I love you. I won't invite anyone over for a while."
She leaned over and brushed her lips against his cheek. "Love you too. How's your knee?"
"Hurts," He flexed his leg slightly and winced.
"I'll wrap it for you, there's an ace bandage in the bathroom."
Dave lifted his top lip in a scowl. There was no reason to disturb Carlo when he was so comfortable on his mother's chest. "I'm alright."
Erin sat up, holding Carlo against her as she lowered her feet to the floor. "Let me lay him down while you change." She wasn't taking 'no' as an answer. "You're getting an x-ray tomorrow, if I have to drag you to the doctor by your ear."
"You sound like my mother," Dave teased, "I can't say I'm a fan."
The hem of the Cubs jersey rose, revealing the blue cotton boyshorts underneath as she moved over to the end of the bed and ever-so gently laid Carlo in the bassinet. Dave couldn't take his eyes off the line of skin peeking out from the hem of her underwear.
Maybe he just hadn't seen her this way in awhile, relaxed and at ease in their home. She felt safe and comfortable enough to strut around their bedroom half naked.
Dave walked over to her, with his hands on her shoulders. They stood there, peering into the bassinet, they were home. The NICU might have been on another planet for all they knew.
"This bedtime thing is way harder on us than it is on Carlo," Dave watched him breathe. Carlo's sweet baby snores were the cutest thing Dave had ever heard.
"True." Erin wrapped her arm around Dave's waist, holding some of his weight and hopefully taking the burden off his bad knee. "But that doesn't mean I want to leave him."
"All the way at the foot of the bed? Oh the arduous journey…" he leaned over and kissed her hair. The light scent of her shampoo, having her close to him… it was exactly what he'd been missing while they were taking turns standing vigil at Carlo's isolette.
"Do you think I'm being ridiculous?" Erin brushed her finger down Carlo's cheek, his mouth stretched into an angelic, sleepy smile.
"Hell no. I'd be on the floor beside him if I knew you wouldn't take my head off."
"You need to get out of those jeans before your knee swells-"
"You're just trying to get me out of my pants." Dave balanced carefully on his knee, to wrap his arms around her from behind. His lips automatically found the side of her neck.
"Speak for yourself." She said as his soft, strong hands found the hem of her shirt. He kissed her neck, tilting her head to the side, his warm, soft lips caressed her throat. He felt so good, warm, and safe. Exactly how she always felt with him, but…"Dave-" she grabbed his hands as they splayed across her stomach.
"Shh…this isn't what you think." His hands froze against her body, his mouth working down her neck.
She shivered as his goatee scratched against her neck, "Stop, Dave, I can't..."
"Shh…" he mumbled against her skin. "I know you can't. This is just us, getting reacquainted."
"What about your knee?" She threw out the question in a lame attempt to distract him.
"It's fine." He insisted, kissing down her neck. "I'll wrap it later."
Her legs turned to Jello when his hands found the knot between her shoulder blades. "David–" he'd made himself an expert on her body, his warm hands caressing her back, working their way down. He hadn't seen her naked since before Carlo was born. That didn't stop him from reaching again for the hem of the Cubs jersey.
"David–" She grabbed his hands, heat flooding her face. She still needed a pad, for goodness sake. Her leaky boobs ached constantly, far from attractive; maybe the shadows from the lamps on the bedside tables would be more flattering. "I-we-haven't–" she tripped over her words, how to explain that she wanted whatever he wanted to give, but he wasn't allowed to look at her? That would never fly. "Can we turn off the lights?"
"I know, it's different now." He didn't expect her to look like a Victoria Secret model. He laid his palm on her cheek, her lovely green eyes seemed to glow in the shadows of the room. "I want to see you, just as you are. Admittedly, we're fortunate to have this big house, but there's no room in our home for being self-conscious."
Erin let out a breath then stepped closer, letting his arms encircle her. The breeze from the ceiling fan made her skin prickle as he lifted the jersey over her head. His hot, wet mouth followed the pattern of goosebumps down her rib cage. Strong arms pressed against her breasts, she was safe. Her head dipped back into his shoulder, flickers of warmth lighting up inside her as he teased his way down.
"I'll be right back," Dave ducked into the bathroom, grabbed a towel and lit a candle. Then sat the dinner tray on the nightstand and spread the towel on the bedspread,"Go lay down," his voice went husky, demanding. "On your stomach. Close your eyes and I'll be right back."
Erin climbed into bed, pressing her face into a pillow, vibrating with anticipation. A minute later, the room filled with soft classical music. The light scent of jasmine and vanilla drifted into the air. She heard the quiet thud as the glass candle landed on the nightstand, but didn't open her eyes to check. Whatever his plan, she knew it would only bring her pleasure.
"Follow my hands," Dave instructed, slipping and sliding warm massage oil along the curves of her neck and down her back, following his favorite roadmap. Working out the knots in her muscles with firm pressure. "Only think about my hands…"
Pressing her body into the soft cotton sheets, he pressed his mouth against the small of her back."I got you, just relax."
Her eyes widened, and she lifted her face off the pillow. She didn't want to relax. Her pulse pounded in her chest, what the hell were they doing? She wanted to grab her baby from the bassinet across the room and make sure he was breathing. "Carlo–" her throat went dry.
"Is fine," Dave insisted, glancing down at their son. "I'm standing right beside him."
"Did you check?" She tried to sit up but Dave's firm hands on her back stopped her.
"I'm looking at him, he's peacefully asleep. Just–lay here a minute."
Erin released a breath, resting her head on the pillow. "I'm trusting you."
"I know…" In one smooth motion, he slid his hands underneath her underwear, squeezing the curves of her ass, slipping the thin cotton off of her legs and onto the floor. "You don't need these."
He loved her like this, warm and pliant. It was something he could do for her, to ease her mind and take her out of her own head.
Usually, he would have brought her to climax with his fingers, but the doctor said it was too soon for anything like that and an orgasm wasn't worth the risk, when he had other tricks in his back pocket.
Feather-light fingers brushed against the sides of her breasts, then up and around her shoulders. He left a trail, nipping down her back, following his hands down her body. With firmer, smooth fluid movements swooped down her breasts.
Erin's eyes popped open in surprise, and goosebumps bloomed down her back as he continued, slipping the sides of his hands down her ribcage.
Waves of pleasure ebbed and flowed through her core, spiking then rippling outward in time with his movements."Dave?" She sucked in a breath, thinking about where his hands were. Not even the most experienced massage therapists had touched her there. "What are you doing?"
The side of his hand slipped down between her cheeks, up and down one side then the other. Barely brushing against her core, Taking his time, savoring the way her body was put together.
"Too much?" His hands stalled, waiting for her permission.
She shook her head. "N-no," her breath hitched as he repeated the pattern, firmer this time. He dug into her sacrum with one hand, then grabbed a handful of her butt with the other. Just as the music reached a crescendo, her nails dug into the silk pillowcase, the buildup of pleasure reached dizzying heights. His warm, firm hand brushed whisper soft against her folds again. She couldn't tell if he was intentionally teasing her and at a certain point, she didn't care. He knew her body better than she did and she was never sorry when she let him take the lead.
"Feels so good," she rasped. Every nerve in her body was alive, with electric sparks shooting through her core. She buried her face in the pillow, writhing into the warm, scratchy surface of the towel. Her throat burned, trying to muffle the sounds of her pleasure; body arching, head was thrown back, begging for release.
"Feel it," he coached, his goatee gently scratching against her shoulder. "You got it, you're there, Dolce." He encouraged her, reaching around to cup her breasts. Brushing his thumbs against her nipples as they stiffened to attention. "Let it go, Babe…"
Ribbons of ecstasy shot through her as he pressed himself against her, fully dressed, he hugged her from behind. His hands tangled with hers as she came back to Earth. He helped her lower herself face-first onto the mattress, jerking with electricity. Her chest heaved as she sucked in a breath, feeling like she'd just run a marathon. This was her favorite form of exercise. She didn't even try to open her eyes as pops of color in her vision began to fade.
"Feel better?" He dropped a kiss to her sweaty forehead, pulling the sheet over her.
"Thanks," she mumbled into the silken pillowcase. A soft, languid smile spread across her face. As much as she hated to admit it, he knew what she needed before she did. "I had an excellent time."
He chuckled with satisfaction. "Anytime, Honey, it was my pleasure." He gave her a kiss, pecking her lips and just as her eyes fluttered closed, the baby cried.
Dave got out of bed, pulling his shirt over his head. He still needed to get ready for bed, "I got him."