AUTHOR NOTE: Trying something a little different. We'll see how it goes.
June 4
To say Red Reddington had an interesting life would be a gross understatement.
The man ruminated on the many twists and turns of said life tonight.
He often found himself in a pensive state.
It was as if an enormous decision loomed on the horizon. One he dreaded to make.
It was a reprieve of sorts... to allow his mind to rest tonight. The drugs pushed the troubling doubt and recriminations back for a brief spell.
But always, his mind would clear and all too soon, the cycle would begin again.
There was so much guilt for allowing Elizabeth Keen into his sphere.
So much joy... she brought so much to his life but he wondered, what did he bring to hers?
In the quiet of this room, he could not hide from the questions which plagued him.
To an outsider, Red appeared a rather easy-going guy. One might even say, frivolous, devil-may-care.
He took great pains to present such an image. No one ever took such a man seriously or considered him a threat... until it was much too late.
But those who knew Red well, realized how complicated, how dangerous he could be when he set his mind to it.
Life taught hard lessons. Red learned well and adjusted each and every time.
He glanced at the slight form in the bed beside him.
Elizabeth slept peacefully all curled up like a kitten in a basket.
The chaise was comfortable enough, but he longed to cross those few steps...a hunger burned inside him.
A hunger for the taste of Elizabeth's favors.
Why he didn't just get up and go over there?
He had no answers this night. None that satisfied at least.
It bothered him.
Why he allowed this slip of a woman into his heart was a genuine mystery.
He had experienced many more sophisticated, worldly women in his life. Lovely women really.
Red loved all women. God put this creation before man to be worshiped and adored, didn't He?
But Elizabeth was different. Had been from the beginning. When had the protective nurturing side of the man turned to some stronger emotions?
He knew exactly when. He remembered the night like it was yesterday.
Red's eyes traveled the well-rounded hips. The sweet dip of Lizzy's waist.
He fought the emotions for months.
He remembered that as well.
Was he so weak? That one small creature could bring him to his knees?
He didn't mind that position. On his knees before the woman... gave him better access to... wondrous things.
Tonight had shaken him.
The 'could haves'... 'should haves'... 'what ifs'...
Another weakness emerged. The need to have the woman accept him fully, completely.
Hell, most days he couldn't accept himself. What he had become.
He never used to think about such things. What he did, what he did not do that he should... water under the bridge.
So what...
Life had kicked the shit out of him. He learned how to stand and kick back... so what?
He was trying to be a better man for Lizzy. Too little, too late, he supposed.
Would God give him something so precious a second time only to take it away in some capricious whim?
Did God even give Red Reddington a second thought these days?
He didn't think so, and that was scaring the shit out of him.
If God didn't give a shit, what was to protect Lizzy from all the evil forces out there?
He had purposely steered the woman into the den of iniquity he called his domain this night.
He tried to protect her from such things especially if he was involved.
How did God like that?
Red wasn't religious, but he was a devoutly spiritual being, deny it though he may to any and all onlookers.
In his heart, he knew there was a Higher Power one answered to when the time came.
He hoped that Higher Power was a patient one. Red's list of cardinal sins would fill a phone book.
The man gave up his musings for the night, his soul and mind depleted.
He stepped to the bed, carefully removing the IV before making a spot beside the woman, even more careful not to disturb her.
Red fell into a fitful sleep.
He refused to allow the strong sexual urges their lead this night, stubbornly denying his need to sate them in Elizabeth's warm, succulent body.
At least that was one thing he had jurisdiction over, one thing he could control.
Red awoke to feel Lizzy's pert bottom brushing his crotch. He lifted his head, vaguely seeing her arm moving under the blankets, a sure sign of what she had been attempting.
My God, was he dreaming? Could his senses be tricking him?
Had she been doing what he thought? Red tried to control his reaction but his cock expanded hungrily.
Please God... please.
The movement halted instantly.
But wait...
"Are you still high?" he whispered heatedly.
Elizabeth's cheek stained scarlet. He had caught her in the act but... she was so very, very... she was hurting so deliciously.
"...No." she breathed haltingly, "I'm so sorry for disturbing you." she blurted, realizing what an asinine thing it was to have said in the next instant.
But the man only pulled her roughly back against him, shoving his shaft persistently into her backside.
Rolling up onto his elbow, Red slid his hand under her panties, brushing her own hand aside. His fingers replaced hers determinedly.
Finding her labia swollen and wet, a low rumbling growl worked its way into his throat. His body responded in kind, widening and lengthening rapidly.
Pushing his boxers with his free hand, the man got them halfway down his thighs until the need for her outweighed everything.
"Come here, baby." he beckoned breathlessly, the yearning to be connected with her suddenly overwhelming.
Liz flipped over, urgently pulling at her panties. Her fingers fumbled clumsily, the damned things catching at every possible venue to her dismay.
"Leave them." he had no time for formalities, his body on fire.
Red tugged her, positioning her legs astride his hips as she drew up on her knees.
"Hurry..." Liz pleaded, her cheeks still flushed.
Hooking the filmy fabric with nimble fingers, he moved them aside, lining himself up with her drenched core.
Red pushed at her hip, choking on the air as her hot little hole engulfed his cock head easily. Settling her hands on his chest, she sat back, taking the full erection in one deep plunge.
"God..." Red moaned sharply, curling his fingers tightly into her hips. His body more than grateful for the gift bestowed, "You have no idea how much I needed this, Lizzy." he managed to croak out his ardent entreaties.
He sent up a silent prayer on-high, "I ached so badly... denying myself this sweet addiction."
She panted, already deeply involved with the movement, finding her rhythm within moments, "I told you earlier," she stated tightly, "there was no need to ...wait." she moaned urgently as the man pushed strongly up against her downstroke.
He needed better leverage, physically bringing her to a sitting position.
He suckled her through the thin gauze of her top, drawing her tiny nipples into sharp peaks within seconds. Nipping the buds, he snarled through his teeth as her pussy clenched snugly around him.
Glancing down, Liz gasped sharply at the sight of her body sliding along the man's rigid shaft. The heavy girth pushed at her walls, disappearing from sight.
Red sighed shakily as the woman tightened her knees about his thighs. She rocked harder against the stiff rod between her legs.
Clasping his head to her breast, Liz drove the heavy weight of him deep inside her core. Tilting her bottom, she rut her clit against the hard flesh, drawing a rumbling growl of approval from her lover.
"...Yes," he hissed, watching the soft fluff of her mound impact against his, "find your pleasure."
Because he knew, in finding her pleasure, he would find his.
Red was living the dream which had awakened him earlier.
The man had been deep within the luscious depths of an erotic world his mind had created.
To wake... to find his Lizzy all hot and ready for his attention, was something out of the best kind of wet dream.
Recapturing her breast, Red's mouth drew against the wet flesh, suckling her in time with her frenetic and unrelenting rhythm which only increased with the suction of his heated lips.
Grappling with his hand, Liz wordlessly placed it against the cheek of her ass, hoping he received her silent message.
Tightening his fingers around the full globe, Red rocked her fervently along his throbbing shaft. Working his fingers under her sheer panties, his cock throbbed as his fingers felt her labia part as the hard girth vanished inside her warmth.
The reality of the warm, smooth flesh beneath his fingertips aroused and tantalized his already heightened state.
He deliberately slid between the crevice of her plump cheeks, increasing the pressure, teasing the sensitive skin behind where they were connected. She clenched hard about him in response, drawing a deep groan from his chest.
He smiled around the pink nub in his mouth when the woman snarled her pleasure, riding his cock much more determinedly than she had been.
He was doing something right.
Running his hand over her silky thigh, he clutched the soft muscle in his hand yanking her closer, nudging the tight passage intimately with his cock.
Squirming closer, she keened softly when the full sack pushed against the sensitive skin of her bottom. Dropping her gaze once more, she took in the visual of the union, her mouth falling agape. The emotions of the moment rather overwhelming a thing to deal with.
Everything she was experiencing seemed magnified to unbelievable proportions.
How Red's cock felt was indescribable.
He always felt amazing, but tonight the tip was engorged and rock solid, spreading her wide open.
The sensation of the extra skin on his shaft dragging against her labia and clit sent jolts of incredible pleasure throughout her entire body.
Sharp tingles flowed from her head down to her toes, leaving her primed and coiled tight for the release she knew he could give her.
Liz felt on the edge of orgasm from the moment he entered her body. And the intensity kept rising with each deep plunge of his shaft.
Even the soft hair of his groin brushing against her clit left her shaking and trembling inside. Thick cream rushed from her opening in copious amounts in response to the overpowering stimulation.
Red tightened his hold on the small bottom aiding the woman in her goal, something primal... possessive, in his touch. Lizzy unfurled warmly with each passing moment spent under his influence.
He had never seen her so impassioned. So relentless. So focused.
She had been an incredibly pleasurable lover from the start. Opening herself to his lust each time he bedded her, but tonight, she was a force to be reckoned with... and he was very much enjoying the challenge such a desirable partner presented.
Regardless of the fact his ego said he was the catalyst for such an erotic display, the man was positive this randy escapade was due to the last of the drugs in her system dissipating.
It didn't matter.
He had truly never seen anything so captivating as Lizzy letting go, allowing her baser needs to dictate her behavior. She was breathtakingly beautiful... wild and free.
He leaned, his mouth capturing her lips. He nipped the swollen flesh tenderly. "You're so enchanting..."
Her little brow furled, too concentrated to focus on a mere man for the time being. Her moans turned desperate as she strove for the release she needed.
He cooed sympathetically, rubbing his thumb against her lust laden sex, coaxing her closer to relief.
"There..." he soothed, pressing harder against the fleshy nub, "is that what you need."
Over time, he had learned to read her face and body's reaction to fulfill any needs she had quickly.
He chuckled as she bit into his neck and rut that little pussy needily against his hand. She presented her breast to him, silently demanding he suckle.
Obeying, his warm mouth pulled at the pink flesh, eliciting yet another soft moan of delight. He worked hard for those sounds, after all. Red groaned his own pleasure when her core clamped hard about his body which stiffened in gratitude.
"...I'm...yes..." she moaned breathlessly as the man tugged gently on her panties, sending a pleasant jolt through her clit, "oh, shi..." she tensed sharply before cresting a high peak of rapturous bliss.
It seemed to come out of nowhere with a force that rocked her world. She had been working toward coming but when the crescendo hit, it felt like a bolt out of the blue.
The man had pushed her through an endless portal filled with vivid, brilliant colors, sharply swirling into a startling white light.
Liz cried out involuntarily, tiny pricks of electricity traversing her body.
Her tunnel quivered violently, pulling at Red's shaft in violent waves of intense pleasure.
A harsh, guttural sound, deep in the man's throat rushed freely from his parted mouth. His head fell against the soft padding of her breasts, the scent stimulating him even more so.
Her passionate embrace enfolded his cock, demanding he relent to the summit to which Elizabeth had exquisitely taken him.
Wrapping his hands about her waist, he lifted the woman from his stiff erection, hissing when the hot flesh met unrelenting cold air.
"Shh, baby..." he shushed her mewling protest as he lay the woman flat against the soft mattress, "you have no idea how much I want to come..." he rasp roughly.
Rolling to his knees, he parted her quivering thighs, kneeling in the open space. His cock strained towards the soaked slit, his crown throbbing painfully. The creamy little hole beckoned him.
Liz dropped her gaze, her hand reaching for the man. Her breaths came in shallow bursts, the sight of his engorged flesh shining with her wetness excited her. She opened her legs inviting him in.
Red panted harshly, pushing the boxers further down his stocky thighs. His cock bobbed heavily with the frantic movement.
Leaning into her open space, Red snarled deep in his throat, lifting the heavy flesh, his large hand encompassing the stiffness. He studiously stroked her clit, the weeping center mesmerizing his attention. The dark red crown pushed at the fluttering opening.
Liz lifted her eyes, watching Red's face as he submerged himself in her body. The relief shown made her tummy flip with anticipation.
Red's head fell back, a low groan rumbling in his chest. His cooled cock rejoiced as her heat engulfed him once more. The tight sheath grabbed at him, pulling him deeper into the delectable little body.
Expertly rolling his hips, he pushed against the tiny obstruction barring his path, demanding entrance.
"Sweet little pussy..." he breathed.
His eyes darkened, dilating as she lifted her bottom higher, wiggling against him in enticement.
Quickly adjusting his stance, he rocked against the offering. Nuzzling her pubic bone suggestively, the soft hair massaged the sensitive skin intimately until her thighs trembled against his side.
Withdrawing slowly, Red heard a whispered breath pass her lips upon his exit. The soft fuzz of her folds, dragged along his shaft. His hips shoved indulgently as he sank back into her hidden depths. The tight lips of her slit collapsed around his girth.
Her tunnel closed about his shaft in a wave, the tight cushion massaging his erection. His toes curled into themselves as the hot walls collapsed around him, covering every inch of the hard flesh in liquid velvet.
He had often wondered before what it would feel like...look like... to slide his cock inside Elizabeth... and now he knew.
Red had known for a while now. Seeing the image over and over, again and again...had not waned in the least.
The slit of his penis trickled with thick warmth and hardened, his sack pulling up against his groin. His heart raced, his mouth parched. The man's physical love for her... soared to new heights.
Every time truly felt like the first time.
A piteous moan escaped Elizabeth. Her small hands clutched Red's broad chest, capturing his attention, drawing him back to the present.
"I'll give you..." his roughened voice washed over her, "and your greedy little pussy what you want."
Leaning into his arms, Red pumped her slick depths in long languid strokes, his face a mask of concentrated effort.
Liz rode the storm, grasping his forearms, the sinewy muscles contracting, flexing under her fingertips.
Panting with excitement, Liz traced the bulging lines, captivated by the sight of the strong arms tightening with each movement.
His pectoral muscles hardened under her touch. She curled her fingers into the fine hairs covering the area.
She could feel his heartbeat, the rise and fall of his chest, the warm skin.
Liz nuzzled the tiny nub of his nipples with her nose, the tip of her tongue darting out to make contact, teasing the coral flesh.
The man hissed sharply through his teeth, enjoying the excruciatingly satisfying caress.
Forcing her eyes open, she took in the sight of his body moving suggestively over hers. The beads of sweat dampening his chest... the inviting hollow of his throat. The shadow of his hips brushing repeatedly along her thighs.
She felt empowered...bold... so very alive. Everything around her was in vivid technicolor.
The sound of their lovemaking titillated her. Red was usually a very vocal lover. The fact he was uniquely less verbal tonight, expressed how intensely engaged he was in their lovemaking.
As the man's deep breaths grew ragged, Liz experienced a delightful tightening in her tummy and clit. His low grumbling moans of pleasure grew closer and more punctuated as they moved in their sensual dance.
The raspy catch of his calloused hands brushing against her sheer negligee, the rustle of the sheets... the slide of his erection gliding effortlessly into her body sounded inordinately loud in the silence of the room.
"...Ray." she breathed her awe of his abilities. Clasping his arm, her hand rested over his heart as she grasped for stability. Her senses were inundated by sensation.
If what he felt was heightened to this extreme, Lizzy had to be overwhelmed by the sights, sounds and intensity of their bodies connection.
The white mounds of her breasts swayed erotically against the jet black negligee. The billowing fabric brushed against his stomach as he thrust his cock against her.
Lizzy's dark, bed tumbled hair stuck to her flushed face and neck. Her dark blue eyes slit seductively, the long lashes fluttering like delicate butterfly wings against her rosy cheeks.
Her kiss-swollen lips parted, releasing a plethora of breathy moans that delighted him.
Red dreamed of hearing the desperate sounds of sexual pleasure escape her lips.
"I know, baby..." he growled. He could well sympathize with those precious little mew of unrequited passion.
She cried out, arching her bottom, which allowed his cock to push in further.
The man's large crown slid against her cervix, gliding wetly along the seeping womb.
Red's jaw clenched as her body accepted him to the hilt, the sensation robbing him of coherent thought.
"Good girl..." his velvet tone tingled on her spine, "take every last inch."
Curling his fingers into the strap on her shoulder, he pulled, exposing more of her creamy mound to his gaze... and mouth. Craning his head, he flicked his tongue rapidly over the tight peak, coaxing the tiny nub higher and tighter.
Wrapping his tongue about the tip, he moaned against the wet fabric, sending shivers down between her legs.
Suckling her in rhythm with his ever deepening force, he encouraged a response. Her tunnel rolled about him, pulling at him in insatiable waves.
The subtle sound of their bodies connecting and her sharp, panted cries were driving Red out of his fucking mind.
Liz's brow furrowed anxiously, the emotions the man evoked inside her, boiling to a fevered pitch in her center. She quivered uncontrollably, her face lighting with ecstasy.
That pouty mouth gasped, falling agape, for the intensity flooding her body. She tried to assimilate the turbulent reaction she was experiencing.
Grasping the man's forearms, the only port of security afforded her, the woman squeezed tightly, arching into the exquisite pang. Her entire body shuddered with unrestrained passion.
Red reveled in her release, closing his eyes to his own particular brand of exquisite deliverance.
"God..." he whispered hoarsely feeling her jerk under him.
A delectable rush of warmth encompassed his erection, those succulent walls fluttering helplessly around his shaft.
"I needed this so much..." he lifted his head, enjoying the lovely pass of emotions over her expressive face.
He loved watching her climax.
"Fuck...Lizzy," he panted, having waited as long as humanly possible, "baby, I'm gonna come."
"Y-Yes..." she implored avidly, "come inside me."
The raw request unleashed his primal instincts.
Clutching the sheet tightly in his hand, his erratic thrusts shortened. He rode the rising tide of stimulating sensation gratefully. The tight pull of her center manipulated his cock as he yielded to the rapture encompassing his senses.
His heavy sack convulsed with a potent, searing heat. The pent-up cream burst from the crown of his shaft in copious amount, flowing freely into her warm body.
Driving his cock deeper, he hissed heatedly as he allowed the sensations he was experiencing free reign. Red stayed deeply encased in her rising heat, pushing urgently at her womb.
His vision blackened when Lizzy whimpered as a deluge of their combined release once again engulfed his pulsing cock head.
Panting against her breast, his eyes finally opened as he drifted down from the very high pinnacle he had attained. His eyes took in the damp fabric of the sexy lingerie.
The man smiled wistfully, forcing himself to move. He struggled to his forearm.
Bunching the filmy material in his hand, Red lifted the soft material off over her head.
Lizzy grumbled for being disturbed which amused the man.
He dropped her top beside the bed. It drifted unnoticed to the floor.
He situated himself, laying against the soft mound of her breast. Red smiled languidly watching the peak tighten as his warm breath brushed against it.
"I love you..." he whispered, welcoming the lethargic surge inundating his body.
Wrapping herself about his bulky frame, Liz squeezed him tiredly, gently kissing his neckline. "I love you..."
Once again managing an ounce of motor control, Red pushed up on his arm, bracing himself. They both groaned their dismay as his spent shaft slid free of her body.
He watched earnestly as his cock head emerged from the steamy hole, allowing a rush of their love to follow his retreat.
His heart sped up a tad, very much enjoying the visual of their coupling.
Shoving at his boxers, he kicked them free, turning his attention back to his lover.
Curling his fingers in the thin strings at her hip, he tugged the sodden panties down over her legs, carelessly tossing them somewhere off to the side.
Laying back, he gathered her close, feeling her tremble with the aftershocks of her powerful climax. He wasn't fairing much better, truth told.
Lizzy settled her head unto his chest, her heavy breaths stirring the fine hair. She exhaled shakily moments later, having finally regained her breath.
Red brushed his hand through her thick hair, sighing his contentment.
"Next time..." she swallowed, a matter coming to mind, "just fuck me...okay."
"Do you plan to get drunk or high often?" Red questioned, holding his amusement for the casually stated proclamation.
"I plan to relax and enjoy myself," she corrected, "now that I can. But no, it will not become a habit." she wrinkled her nose at the thought presented, "What I did tonight will definitely not become a habit."
Red enjoyed that she felt comfortable enough to let go of her inhibitions, or at the very least, trust in him to make sure nothing happened to her when she was vulnerable.
But to make love to her when she was in an altered state... did not set well with him no matter what she claimed.
"We did..." she reminded, another thought resurfacing, "in Las Vegas."
"You were tipsy in Las Vegas." he countered. "You were wasted tonight."
"I'll always want to be intimate with you..." she had hesitated to admit such a weakness, "besides, I knew what I wanted." she stated boldly to hide the self-doubt.
He was undecided in what course of action he should make regarding that. She was more sober now, more aware of herself.
"You were still under the influence of the drugs, Lizzy."
If he should do as she suggested, and she wasn't of a mindset to be intimate with him... it would be a violation he would never forgive himself for committing.
"I said it earlier... all of which you ignored," she continued, "I wanted it then, just as much as I did a few minutes ago." she raised her head, kissing him softly to lessen the reprimand. "You have my permission. I will always want to be with you... regardless of how wasted I am."
He sighed, keeping his thoughts to himself, for the moment.
"Look," she noticed the quality of the silence, understanding it for what it was, "just try it once, all right." she negotiated. "If it doesn't work for you or I decide it didn't work for me, we'll discuss it then. Okay?"
"Why is this so important to you?" he wanted to know.
"...It just is." she couldn't put it into words right now.
"And if you see it as a violation?" Red questioned, voicing his fears.
"I won't, because of this discussion, right here." she replied. "I said you had permission to play with me, you took me at my word." she yawned sleepily, snuggling into his warmth. "Besides, just because I'm wasted doesn't mean I can't say, no."
"All right." he agreed. "But if I feel you aren't really–"
"I know." she cupped his face, tenderly kissing his soft lips. "I love you more than I did moments ago."
He smiled at the quip, "I should hope so."
Both settled into a quiet moment.
Tracing his fingers idly along the curvature of her spine, Red felt his eyes getting heavier with each exhalation of the woman's soft breath, as her body further relaxed into his.
His weight settled deeper into the mattress, sinking him further and further into a warm abyss of blessed weightlessness as sleep pulled at him.
Red's mouth tugged at the corner, realizing the signs. His body was completely and truly devoid of any tension.
Only Lizzy made him feel that utter sense of contentment and completion.
Red settled his head on the crook of his arm, preparing to enjoy a well-deserved sleep.
His body was relaxing into the tiny frame, the warmth of Lizzy's naked body soothed every nerve ending he possessed.
A perfect end to an 'iffy' day.
The quiet of the room enveloped him. He listened to the sweet sound of Lizzy's breathing which had become even and steady.
Suddenly, he jerked awake unaware just how far he had slipped into the nether regions of a dream state.
His eyes hardened, training on the black comm which sat so innocently on the bedside table.
Red Reddington knew the sound of muffled gunfire when he heard it.
Lizzy was up and scrambling for the device, handing it gingerly over to its proper owner... her once totally relaxed body now on full alert.
Red sighed more than heavily. His hand lazily unfurling just in time to take the communication device as it cracked to life.
"Situation contained." Silas stated crisply. "No need for alarm, resume your activities... whatever they may have been."
Red shifted a lifted brow Lizzy's way. She sat upright, covers pulled up to her neckline, eyes wide and watchful.
"What the hell happ–"
"Minor incident." Silas iterated, "It's under control."
Red read between the lines. Minor incident in Silas' world could be anything from a fellow guard throwing his guts up after a long night's binging to a Special Forces team storming an enemy compound.
"Do you want to tell me what happ–"
"No." was the stoic reply.
Red glanced again at Lizzy's unsuccessfully attempt to stifle a muffled giggle.
Red cut his losses, "We'll discuss this tomorrow."
He would have to talk to the bastard about his evasiveness... tomorrow. The sooner Silas finished showing Travis hell on earth... the better.
"Copy that."
There were indistinguishable sounds in the background that sounded vaguely like someone dragging a heavyweight... say... like a dead body or some facsimile thereof, before the comm went dead.
"What was that sound?" Lizzy too, had her doubts now.
Red cut her a blank but telling look.
"They're probably just covering for some intoxicated guard." she sounded less sure than she felt.
"Whose weapon..." Red scorned, "discharged accidentally?"
"...Sure, why not?" Liz was suddenly covering for the guard as well, her loyalties kicking in, "At the Quantico firing range, Agent Smith's weapon discharged when he was re-holstering it." she felt proud she had come up with a possible explanation.
Red looked at her much as he had the comm-link.
She sighed mentally.
He clicked the device to life, "Silas..."
"I want to go to bed dammit!" the large man snapped belligerently, "Can't a man get any sleep around this place?"
"I might ask you the same," Red snapped right back, "What the hell do you think I was trying to do!"
"I think you were banging the little brunette." Silas countered.
Red's jaw pulsed, his eye twitching irritably, "I'm gonna kick your fuc–"
Liz covered the man's mouth, taking the radio from his hand, "Get some rest, Silas."
She tossed the radio to the dresser, gently pushing Red back.
Laying back into the pillows, Red spread his arm open in invitation, "Come here, baby."
Lizzy looked over her shoulder, her teeth worrying her lip, "Mr. Kaplan should look at Silas. I'm concerned he isn't–"
"Everything's fine." she was assured. Red rubbed his palm against her chilled skin, "Lay down," he pulled the sheet free, beckoning her closer, "you're cold."
Nodding reluctantly, she lay against him, snuggling into his warmth.
She lay stiffly against him, quieting her breathing.
"Relax," he rubbed his thick fingers along her scalp, massaging gently, loving the feel of her thick hair, "Silas would tell us if there were a problem. You know that."
"Oh, he would not." she scoffed, "damned macho asshole."
Releasing a shuddering breath, she looked up at him, "Why are you men so thickheaded?"
"It's part of our charm." Red quipped, "You women find it irresistible, admit it."
Liz sulked, settling down once again, "We think we can fix you."
Red felt her warm palm rest against his chest. It comforted him somehow.
"It makes the world go round, Lizzy." he placed his lips upon her forehead, "The differences between male and female."
"A centuries-old struggle," she cut him a teasing glance, "who's winning the war?"
"If I were a betting man," Red shrugged, "which I am. I would put my money on the 'weaker' sex."
Liz lifted, her mouth parting his lovingly, "You get a gold star," she settled her leg over his thighs, "you always know just what to say."
"It's called self-preservation."
She laughed softly, snuggling back down.
"Sleep, baby," Red was suddenly tired.
He continued to massage her back, easing her into a rested state until her breathing became heavy, her body melding to his.
Red closed his eyes pushing the days concerns far back into his consciousness.
Sleep came blissfully fast.