FIFTY-SIX

Jon's lips parted in a soft gasp as he re-read the bold statement underscored by the italicized question.  His stomach knotted and a lump formed in his throat while a thousand questions rushed through his brain.  He stared at the glowing screen, struggling to manage his response.

Is my marriage failing because of sex...

Unconsciously Jon's head turned from side to side in disagreement.  No.  No way.  He and Cate were fine.  If anything, they were closer than ever before.  Their fertility struggle had bonded them more closely than even their marriage vows could.  The intensity of their devotion to each other and to their future family... It was like nothing he had ever felt, even in his relationship with Dorothea.

They were fine.

But...

...or is sex failing because of our marriage?

Jon's frown deepened.  He found his wife as sexy as ever.  And he was certain she still desired him as well; Jon could see it in her private little smiles, feel her gaze lingering appreciatively on his body when she thought he wasn't paying attention. 

But... If he was being honest, he had to admit their love life had lost some of its spark.  Of course it had, considering what they were going through.  The doctors had all assured them it was normal, something they shouldn't take personally.  It had nothing to do with their marriage, just with the emotional strain of their journey.  Once they were pregnant, once their child was on the way...

A muffled blast of music made him start.  Guiltily Jon flipped shut the cover to Cate's iPad, not bothering to lock the screen.  Glancing hastily back toward the ladies' room door, he saw it swing open. 

A surge of panicked adrenaline pulsed through Jon's synapses when he saw his wife emerge from the restroom.  He leaned to return the iPad to the place from which he pilfered it.  As he shoved the device back into the tote bag Jon heard a repeat of the musical alert that had startled his attention from his shocking discovery.  He realized it was coming from inside the bag;  a custom ringtone from Cate's phone.

Shooting another guilty glance in Cate's direction, Jon saw her approaching.  He gave her a wide, self-conscious grin when she made eye contact, then dug deeper into the tote bag.  She had already caught him with his hand in the cookie jar, so he may as well try to come up with a convincing excuse.

Jon's fingers closed around the sleek electronic rectangle as it trilled again.  His voice was breathy as he called out his explanation to his fast-approaching wife.

"Oh!  Cate!  Your phone.. it was ringing, but...." Jon pulled the device from the tote bag and triumphantly held it up for her inspection.  "I wasn't quick enough to get it.  Sorry, Baby."  He smiled brightly.

Cate's nose wrinkled and she gave Jon an amused smirk, traversing the last few steps to where he stood.  "Umm... okay."  She took her phone gently from Jon's grasp.

"Sorry," Jon repeated.  "I just thought maybe you needed to answer it."

"Who was it?"  Cate's brow furrowed as she peered at the screen.

"Dunno.  It was that 'da-da da-da da-da DA-DA' ringtone.  You know, like detective music?"  Jon grinned brightly again as he repeated the note sequence to the Peter Gunn theme song.

"Oh."  Cate swiped her finger across the touch screen, then nodded as her suspicions were confirmed.  "It was Gus."

"Gus?"  Jon's smile faltered at Cate's identification of her caller.  She had only been away from her job for two days and already her partner was bothering her.

Cate nodded, tapping at her screen.  "Yeah.  But it doesn't look like he left a message.  Her lips pursed thoughtfully.  "Hmmm...."

"He does know you're on vacation, right?"  Jon's tone held a hint of accusation.

Cate looked up at her husband, picking up on his tone.  "Yes, he knows I'm vacation.  He's probably just calling with an update or a question.  I am his training officer, you know."

Jon heeded the warning in her quiet but firm reply.  He forced another smile.  "Oh, of course.  If it was something big with your case Al would have called, right?"

Cate arched a brow, mildly suspicious of her husband's swift acquiescence.  "Yes, probably.  Al or Silvio."

"Well okay, then."  Jon stepped forward and ducked his head to press his lips against Cate's cheek before changing the subject.  "I'm gonna go in the pool, play with Jake and Romey.  You're gonna stay here and read?"  He tried not to wince at the guilty twinge in his gut that accompanied his question.

"Yes.  For awhile, anyway.  I'll join you when you go to the jacuzzi, though.  As promised."

"Sounds good," Jon murmured, reaching to give Cate's behind a gentle pat before stepping away.  "Mmmmkay.  I'm gonna go now."

"Okay," Cate half-chuckled her acknowledgement.  She wasn't sure why Jon was acting so strangely, and she wasn't sure she wanted to know. 

"Bye."  Jon slowly shuffled backward a few steps before pausing to kick of his flip-flops by the end of the lounge chair.  He gave her another smile before turning toward the pool.

"Bye."  Cate chortled quietly and shook her head.  She watched Jon walk carefully over to the shallow end of the pool.  His reaction when he dipped a toe into the water to test its temperature made her snicker again.  It was clearly a bit chilly for his taste. 

Cate crossed her arms and cocked her head, watching as slowly Jon descended the steps into the water, trying to ease the transition from warm air to chilly water.  His plan was foiled when Romeo splashed enthusiastically to his side, making him cringe and grimace at the wet assault.  He grabbed the boy by the waist, tucking him under his arm and wading toward deeper water.  Romeo's giggling shriek rang out across the watery din of the dome.

"What a goof," Cate murmured as her lips curved upwards into an affectionate smile.  She loved to see her husband like this, to catch these unguarded moments between him and his sons.  As handsome and intelligent and sexy and compassionate as Jon was in his professional and philanthropic roles, it was in his most simple, human moments Cate found him most attractive. 

With a soft sigh Cate settled on the lounge chair.  She watched the boys for a few more minutes, then looked at the phone in her hand.  Giving the touch screen a light tap, Cate raised the device to her ear and waited.  The voice that answered was a recording.

"Hey, leave me a message and I'll call ya back."

Cate snorted quietly at her young partner's terse greeting as she waited for the beep.  When it sounded she obliged his request, telling him to call at his convenience.  Then she set her phone on the small table next to her chair and reached into her tote bag.  Cate extracted her iPad and settled it onto her lap.  She flipped open the leather cover, ready to resume her reading. 

Her blue eyes narrowed when she saw the screen was dimmed but not locked.  Cate's pulse kicked up as automatically her gaze darted from the device on her lap to her husband's sandy wet head, bobbing up and down in the pool.  Shit!  She really had to be more careful about closing out her apps when she wasn't using them, especially with Jon constantly around. 

He probably wouldn't be pleased to learn of her white lie, that she was doing more research instead of reading for pleasure.  Cate had promised Jon after their last appointment with Dr. Klein that their family vacation would be a mental break for her, both from her job and from her worry over their fertility struggles.  She knew he was already displeased that her partner had called; Jon didn't need to know she was willfully violating their agreement regarding their personal situation.

With one more half-guilty glance at her occupied husband Cate dropped her chin and began to read.

*****

 Jon squinted and sputtered, expelling the water from his eyes, nose, and mouth.  He raised his hands to swipe away the excess moisture then smoothed back his hair, sticking it in a wet mass to his scalp. 

"Dad!  You missed the ball!"  Jake pointed at the pool deck, where the Nerf football lay in a shallow puddle.

"No kidding," Jon retorted, half-playfully.  "I couldn't see through the tidal wave that about knocked me over."

"I got it!"  Romeo scrambled up the ladder and trotted over to the ball.  "Here, Dad!" 

Jon turned his head just in time to be smacked in the forehead with the foam oval.  "OW!" he yelped, surprised rather than hurt.  "Romeo!"

"You missed again!" Romeo announced.

"Yeah, well I don't catch with my face, you Dope!"  Jon again ducked, raising his hands protectively to his face as Romeo sailed over him into the pool, executing a perfect cannonball complete with a massive SPLASH.

"Jeez, Dad.  You're really sucking at pool football tonight," Jake observed flatly.  He glided over to where the Nerf ball was floating on the water and captured it in his hands.

Jon again rubbed the water from his face, his reply muffled by his hands.  "Well excu-use me!  Maybe I'm a little tired, ya know?  From driving all day?  And from dealing with you Chuckleheads?"  Despite his annoyance Jon couldn't stop a wan smile as he uttered the tandem nickname.

"We didn't drive all day.  We've been here since this afternoon."  Jake's contradiction was matter-of-fact.

"Yeah, well... maybe I'm just tired of you two, then."

Jon shot another glance toward Cate, the real reason for his distraction.  Though he had tried to turn his full attention to his sons, for the past half-hour he had been unable to clear his mind of his inadvertent discovery.  Every time he looked over and saw Cate's lips thoughtfully pursed as she stared at her tablet, Jon wondered what conclusions she was drawing about their marriage and sex life thanks to her reading material. 

Minutes ago she had turned her attention from her tablet to her phone, raising the device to her ear.  It was now apparent from her expression and gestures that she was talking shop with her partner. 

Jon didn't know which concerned him more, Cate being sucked back into work while she was on vacation, or her having time to read crap self-help books about nonexistent marriage problems.  Neither situation was desirable.

"So, I guess you don't wanna play ball anymore." 

Jacob's comment brought Jon's attention back to the pool.  He looked at his son, then sighed.

"Nah, I think I'm done."  Jon shook his head slowly.  "Sorry, Jake.  I'm tired.  I just wanna go sit in the hot tub for awhile."

Jake shrugged and tossed the Nerf football into the air, sending a shower of droplets toward his father.  "Okay."

"You wanna come?"

"Not really."  It was Jake's turn to shoot a look at Cate.

Jon noticed and gave the boy a small nod of understanding.  Jake was probably going to avoid direct contact with Cate for awhile, given earlier events.  "Yeah, she's coming in with me.  At least she said she was."  He mirrored his son's shrug.  "If she gets off the phone, anyway."

"Can I just go back to the room?"

"Not by yourself."

Jake's shoulders slumped.  "So I get stuck with the Brat again, huh?"  His mumble was resigned with a tinge of bitterness.

"Don't call him that," Jon chided gently, though he understood Jacob's viewpoint regarding his younger brother.  "He'll play football with you."

As if on cue Romeo surfaced between his father and brother, thrashing wildly and splashing them with pool water.  He giggled madly when he saw their unamused expressions.  "Gotcha!"

Jon swiped a hand across his face before responding.  "Romey, I'm gonna go sit in the hot tub with Cate.  You play ball with your brother."

"I wanna go in the hot tub!"  Romeo bobbed eagerly up and down in the water, bouncing buoyantly off the pool's concrete bottom.

Jon shook his head.  "No you don't.  It's boring."

"Yes I do!  I like hot tubs!"

"Romey, Cate and I are just gonna sit there and talk.  No playing."

"So?  I wanna go."

"Then what's your brother supposed to do?  Play football with himself?"

"I dunno."  Romeo dove back underwater, propelling himself away from his father and brother.  Jon watched him wriggle through the water until he surfaced next to a ladder.  Romeo clambered up the ladder and headed for Cate.

Jon growled a sigh and turned his attention back to Jake.  He didn't look the least bit disappointed at the idea of escaping Romeo's company.

"You just gonna swim in here, then?  Or do you wanna hang out on the deck?"

Jake shook his head, dropping the Nerf football onto the water's surface.  He circled it with his arms so it couldn't float away.  "I'll stay in here."

Jon looked up, scanning the scene.  Most of the other guests had left the Pleasuredome as the hour grew later.  Only a couple adults remained on the deck, lounging on the chairs and engrossed in their smartphones or magazines.  A mother and a little girl rested half-submerged on the pool's steps, playing with a toy boat. At the deeper end of the pool a timid-looking African American boy sat on the concrete edge dangling his long, skinny legs in the water.

"Why don't you ask him to play catch?"  Jon nodded slightly toward the boy while making the quiet suggestion to Jacob.

Jake turned to look in the direction indicated by his father.  He shrugged.

"He doesn't look interested."

"Maybe he doesn't think you'll share the ball."

"Dad, it's my ball.  Why would he think he could play with it?"

"Well, you can't play catch by yourself."  Jon gave Jake an encouraging half-smile.  "Go on.  Ask."

"Dad..."

"Okay, suit yourself.  Just float around in here all alone and be bored."  Jon tipped his head again.  "Or make a new friend and play ball."

Jacob rolled his eyes and heaved a sigh.  "Fine."  Grasping the Nerf football, he turned and glided through the water, moving closer to the boy until he looked up.  "Hey, you wanna play catch?"

The boy's eyes widened with surprise at Jacob's invitation.  Then he turned to look at a stout black man reclining on a nearby chair.  The man nodded and waved a hand in Jake's direction.  "Go on, Boy.  Play ball."

"Umm... okay."  The boy slipped off the edge of the pool, his dark torso sliding into the water until he was floating.  He paddled awkwardly toward Jake.

"Go over that way and I'll throw it to ya," Jake directed the boy to a point on the opposite side of the pool.

Jon smiled at his son's engagement with this new acquaintance, then threw a little wave at the boy's father.  It was answered with a nod and a raised hand.

"Alright, Jake.  I'm going to the jacuzzi.  Have fun."

" 'Kay."  Jake answered absently before tossing the Nerf football across the pool.

Jon sighed again and stood up, his torso emerging from under the now-comfortable water.  He shivered lightly and waded slowly toward the shallow end, pausing to give the young mother and little girl a warm smile before climbing the steps out of the pool. 

Leaving a wet trail across the concrete deck, Jon wandered over to where Cate still sat on her chaise, speaking quietly into her iPhone.  Romeo apparently hadn't been able to wait for his stepmother's company; Jon swiveled his head toward the nearby jacuzzi and spotted the boy bobbing in the bubbling foam.  He leaned down to pick up a towel and draped it over his shoulders, wiping his face with one corner. 

"You coming?"  Jon whispered the words to Cate, pointing toward the tub.  She nodded silently, listening intently to the voice in her ear.

"Okay, maybe loosen up the tail a little, then.  If he's getting a little hinky back off some, give him some space..."  Cate frowned as she murmured her advice into the iPhone's little speaker.  "Maybe we can make up for it with the tech surveillance.  But be careful not to violate the restrictions, we don't have enough to expand the warrant yet.  Be patient, but trust your gut.  You know what to do." 

Jon sighed and scratched at his furry belly, then impatiently cocked a hip.  Cate noticed.  Again she waved him toward the jacuzzi, mouthing the words "In a minute."

Shooting her a half-annoyed look, Jon turned away from his wife.  He wandered over to the bubbling circular tub, where he was greeted with a cheery wave from Romeo.  Jon tossed his towel onto a nearby deck chair before stepping down into the jacuzzi.

"Hey Dad, can I go back and play that Mario game before we leave in the morning?  It's pretty cool.  It's got all the old-school stuff, not like the new one on the X-Box."  Romeo slid over to his father's side as he chattered, to ensure Jon could hear him over the rumble of the water jets.

"I dunno, Romey.  We'll see."  Jon groaned softly and leaned back against the curved side of the little pool.  He moved sideways, positioning himself so a jet of hot water pulsed against his lower back.

"Please?  You can come with me, and I'll show you how to play it.  I know some of the tricks now."  Romeo half-submerged his face, blowing out air under the water's surface to make his own bubbles.

Jon grimaced.  "Romeo, don't drink the water.  You know how much junk's in it?  Chemicals and God knows what else."

Romeo's face popped out of the water and he grinned at his father.  "I'm not drinking it.  I'm blowing in it.  See?"  Again he ducked his chin under the bubbling surface.

"Just... .Stop!  Alright?"  Jon growled again and closed his eyes.  He knew his warnings would make little difference; Romeo was so wound up anything his father said went in one ear and out the other.

"So can we?  Go back to the arcade tomorrow?"

"We'll see, Buddy.  Depends what time we hit the road."

"Let's leave late."

Jon opened one eye and gave Romeo a skeptical look.  "Don't you wanna get to Disney tomorrow?"

Romeo shrugged.  "I like this place.  It's cool."

Jon snorted, closing his eye and slowly shaking his head, rolling the back of his skull against the tiled concrete edge.  Leave it to his goofy boy to prefer a kitschy Southern hole-in-the-wall truck stop to the kid-tailored opulence of a Disney theme park.

"Well, we gotta get there tomorrow or they're gonna give our room away to somebody else."

"What room?"

"Our hotel room."  Jon's reply was weary. 

"Where is it?"

"At Disney World.  Where else would it be?"

"Are we staying in the castle?"

Jon chuckled.  "No.  It's Cinderella's castle, you know.  That's for girls."

"Oh, yeah."  Romeo was silent for half a minute, considering his father's reasoning.  "Then we must be staying on a pirate ship?"

Again Jon snorted at Romeo's presumption.  Apparently the opposite of Cinderella in Romeo's Disney World was "Pirates of the Caribbean."

"Nope."

"Then where are we staying?"

Jon opened his eyes and turned his head.  He gave Romeo a smug grin.  "That's for me to know and you to find out."

"Dad!  That's not fair!"

"Too bad.  It's a surprise."  Jon waggled his eyebrows at his boy, then shifted on the underwater bench to reposition the jetspray against his back.  He chuckled softly as he allowed his legs to float in the turbulent water, his toes breaking the bubbling surface.

"Come oooonnnnnnn, Dad.... I won't tell Jake."

Jon smirked again, unmoved by Romeo's wheedling promise.  "Nope."  Again he closed his eyes and took a deep breath.  Jon hummed contentedly, relaxing as the pulsing water kneaded his tight back muscles.

"That sucks."  Romeo's voice was sullen.

"Watch it, Buddy," Jon's scold was mild and unenthusiastic.  He smiled to himself, smug in the knowledge his son would be ecstatic when he saw their accommodations at the theme park.

Romeo didn't answer, and for a full couple minutes Jon enjoyed relative silence.  Then an abrupt shout started him from his calm reverie.

"Cate!  Where are we staying at Disney World?"

Jon opened his eyes to see his wife approaching the hot tub.  His smile broadened at the welcome sight:  she had gathered her thick auburn hair into a messy bun atop her head and had shed her cover-up to reveal her modestly cut kelly-green bikini.

His eyes lingered on the familiar, faded heart-and-dagger ink partially covered by her bikini top strap, feeling as always a little surge of pride at his mark on her body.  She had put it there long before they had met, in an act of fan devotion.  Jon's gaze dropped to Cate's left hand, where a diamond and two platinum bands sparkled in the light, a more recent symbol of her commitment.  That sight made his grin soften with affection.

Cate gave Jon a look of questioning amusement before answering her stepson.  "I dunno, Romey.  I think maybe we're sleeping in a tent."

"A TENT?"  Romeo's incredulous exclamation made Jon chuckle.

"Yeah, I think so.  There's that Wilderness Campground thing, where they have tents and porta-johns and stuff..."  Cate gave the boy a wink as she dipped a foot into the water, testing its temperature.

"Nu-UH.  We're not staying there."  Romeo realized his stepmother was teasing him, just like his father.  "Where are we really staying?"

Cate chuckled and stepped over to the jacuzzi's entrance.  She carefully descended the steps into the frothing water and stood in the center of the circular pool, using her hands to splash the warm water up onto her torso. 

"I don't know, Romey.  A hotel, I guess.  Your Dad didn't tell me."  Cate shot Jon a sideways half-smile.  "I didn't have anything to do with planning this trip.  It was all him."

"Yeah, and I'm not tellin' either of you."  Jon proclaimed smugly.  "It's a surprise, and it will remain a surprise until we drive into Disney tomorrow."

"Oh, really?"  Cate smirked and stepped toward her husband.  "I bet I can get it out of ya."  She leaned forward, giving him a discrete peek at her cleavage before turning and lowering herself onto the bench.  She sighed as the warm water swirled around her body.

Jon arched a brow at his wife, mildly surprised but encouraged by her subtle tease.  His smile twisted with a hint of confusion at her action.  Maybe that book she was reading hadn't been full of psychobabble; maybe it had offered her some unnecessary but positive advice.  Then again... maybe she was using some recommended manipulation technique on him right now.

"We'll just see about that," Jon answered noncommittally.

"Mmmm.  Okay.  Challenge accepted."  Cate slid closer to Jon on the bench and sank into the water, submerging her shoulders and sighing at the pressure of the jet against the small of her back.  Beneath the surface her hand moved across his thigh, patting gently as she searched for his hand.  Jon smiled when her fingers twined between his.

"Come on, Dad..." Romeo's whine was more subdued.  "I promise I won't tell Jakey if you tell me where our hotel is.  I'll keep it a secret."

"But you'll tell me, won't ya, Romey?"  Cate grinned at the boy.

"Uhh..." Romeo blinked at Cate, then looked at his smirking father.  He sensed the Catch-22 in his stepmother's query.  If he told her it wouldn't be keeping the information secret, which was his bargaining chip with his father.  If he didn't tell her she might be angry at him.

Jon chuckled before coming to his son's rescue.  "Doesn't matter, Romeo.  I'm not telling...."  He turned his smirk to Cate.  "... Anybody.  No matter what.  I know how to keep my secrets."

"Mmm.  We'll see about that."  Cate returned his smirk.

"Fine, don't believe me.  Do what you will."  Jon lowered his chin, his bright blue eyes twinkling with his challenge.  He felt an underwater twitch in his groin at his wife's unexpected playfulness.

Cate chuckled and turned away.  She tipped her head back and closed her eyes, a self-confident smile remaining on her lips.  "Okay. "

"Uuucccchhhkkkk," Romeo made an exaggerated gagging noise, voicing his displeasure with the turn the conversation had taken.  There were clearly more important matters to talk about.  And since his father wasn't giving up any hints as to his secret...

"So can we go to the arcade in the morning, then?  Please?"

Jon tipped his head back and closed his eyes, mimicking Cate's pose.  "Sure, Buddy.  In fact, Cate will go with you.  You can show her that old Mario game and teach her how to play it.  While you were in the pool she told me it sounds really cool but she's afraid to try it.  You know, because she kinda sucks at video games.  But that one's pretty old, so maybe she'll get it."

"COOL!  Cate, can we go as soon as it opens?"  Romeo swam over to sit beside his stepmother, eager to cement their morning plans.  "I wanna get there before anybody takes the machine!  I can show you all the tricks..."

Jon winced as beneath the water he felt a hard pinch against the flesh of his thigh.

*****

"C'mon, Baby.  Just for a little while."

The sultry murmur against her ear made Cate's entire body tingle.  She smiled despite herself and against her misgivings.

"I don't like the idea of leaving them here alone."

"They'll be fine." 

Jon's hand sliding over her behind didn't help allay her concern.

"But what if they're not?  What if..."

"What if what?  They're in bed, glued to the TV.  The movie's only been on for ten minutes.  Hell, they probably won't even know we're gone." 

Cate turned toward Jon, if only to get his lips away from her ear.  His warm breath was distracting her from serious thoughts.  "Jon, what if something happens?"

"Like what?  What could possibly happen in a mere fifteen minutes?"

Cate frowned.  "Any number of things.  They could leave the room.  Romeo could come looking for you.  Somebody could knock on the door and they open it.  It could be a pedophile or a kidnapper, or...  The power could go out.  There could be a fire.  One of them could choke on a pretzel.  Or fall and hit his head. Or..."

"Cate."  Jon held up a hand, pressing a finger gently against her lips to silence her grim recitation.  "You're being paranoid."

"I'm being cautious, not paranoid.  Stuff like that actually happens." Her lips moved against his finger, defying his request for silence.

"Baby.... take off the cop badge.  Nothing bad's gonna happen.  We're just going out for a little stroll and a..."  Jon held up the plastic container in his hand and gave her a  gentle smirk.  "... trip to the ice machine."

A sheepish half-smile curved Cate's mouth.  "Baby, I just... I know you think I'm nuts, but I don't feel comfortable leaving them here alone.  Not at night, in a place like this.  The external entrance, the parking lot right there...."

"Shh."  Again Jon pressed his finger to her mouth, stilling her.  He gave her an affectionate smile.  "Look, you're being a great worrywart Mama.  But trust me... I've got two decades of parenting experience here.  They're gonna be fine."  He leaned to replace his finger with his own lips.  After a soft kiss he murmured against her mouth.  "Come with me."

Another tingle radiated through her, from the kiss to her core.  Cate sighed.

"If it will make you feel better, we won't go far enough to lose sight of the room.  Okay?"  Jon pulled back but his murmur remained soothing.  "Just down to the ice machine at the corner of the building, then right here, around the parking lot."

"Well..." Cate turned her anxious gaze to her stepsons.  Jake and Romeo were both laying on their bellies on their bed, fully entranced by the animated movie flickering on the television screen.  She sighed.  "Okay, but just for a few minutes."

"Good."  Jon curved his hand over hers, then stepped to the side.  He cleared his throat and called out to his sons.

"Hey.  Jake, Romeo..... HEY!"

His half-shout got their attention.  The boys swiveled their heads to look at their father.

"Cate and I are going out... uh... to the Main Office.  To take care of our checkout for the morning."  Jon invented the fib, coming up with a plausible explanation for their absence.  "And to get some ice.  We'll be back in about fifteen minutes."

" 'Kay."  Jacob turned his attention back to the movie.

"Jake, you and Romeo stay in this room, okay?  Do NOT open the door for any reason.  You got it?"

"Uh huh."  Romeo answered distractedly, his head swiveling back to the screen.

Jon growled softly.  "Jake!  You got it?"

Jake nodded, never taking his eyes off the television.  "Yeah, Dad."

"You're responsible for your brother too, ya know."

"Yeah."

Jon sighed, then turned to Cate.  He shrugged and gave her a wry smile.  "See?  An hour from now we'll ask them what they did when we were gone and they'll say 'Huh?  You were gone'?"

Cate's brow wrinkled as she cast another concerned glance toward the boys.  "You sure?"

"Positive, Baby.  Now c'mon." 

Jon stepped toward the door, tugging her along with him.  When they had exited the room Jon turned right, leading Cate along the sidewalk toward the corner of the building where an ancient ice machine stood under shelter of a roof overhang.  He released her hand to shove the plastic bucket under the spout and punch the button.  Cubes trickled into the container.

Jon turned to give Cate a cheeky grin.  "See?  We've filled the ice bucket and there was no catastrophe."  He ducked his head to look down the sidewalk, toward the external door to their room.  "And no Chuckleheads have escaped."

Cate smiled sheepishly at his playful admonishment.  She knew she was overreacting, but she couldn't help herself.  One of her greatest fears was something bad happening to one of Jon's children.

"We were just lucky," she chided softly.  "And we're not back yet."

Jon stepped close to her, settling his hands on her hips.  Smirking sexily, he firmly guided Cate three steps backward, until she backed up against the cinderblock wall.  He leaned down, easily finding her mouth.  Jon smiled against their kiss as he felt Cate sigh before her tongue slipped between his lips.  Her hands raised to rest against his chest, her palms curving over his t-shirted pecs.

They kissed languorously, until a loud rumble from the ice machine broke the mood.  Jon chuckled and tipped his forehead against Cate's.  The curve of her shiny lips made his heart squeeze and his groin tighten.  He breathed a husky murmur.

"Let's find someplace more private."

Cate turned her head to the right, casing their surroundings.  The only ready shelter was the stairwell.  To their left was an open paved lot, with a stretch of grass beyond.  Several benches skirted the edge of the green space, but none was sheltered.  The bright moonlight fully illuminated the space so even the dark of night provided no cover.

"I don't think there's anywhere...."

Jon moved his mouth to her ear.  He felt her falter and smirked, knowing Cate's knees had involuntarily buckled at the feel of his breath.  He still had it, the power to make her swoon.

"There's that nice little garden over by the dome.  It's shady, big ol' trees..."

Cate's hair swished in his face as she shook her head vigorously.  "No.  It's too far from the room."  Her voice was a breathy whisper, but her resolve was clear.

Jon stifled a frustrated sigh.  He gave Cate's ear a nuzzle for good measure, then raised his head to look around.  Like Cate, he spied no real opportunities for privacy.  Jon frowned, his eyes moving again to the doorway to their rented room.  They didn't even have space for an intimate moment in their own room in this fucking fleabag motel. There was no way they could slip into the bathroom; the boys would surely hear them.  Jake would definitely know what was going on, and he already had enough illicit visions in his preadolescent brain.

Jon growled softly as he felt Cate's hands slide over his chest, her palms brushing his nipples and sending another heated surge through his body.  He scowled as his brain raced to come up with an option.

Jon's glittering blue eyes narrowed as he attempted to peer past the carport attached to their rental unit to see if there was a secluded space beyond the structure.  He snorted with frustration when he realized his view was blocked by his SUV.

The Navigator.

Jon lowered his mouth again, taking Cate's lips in an urgent kiss.  She chuckled with surprise but didn't resist.  His mouth slipped noisily from hers and he gasped  "C'mon," before grabbing her hand and stepping away.

"Jon... the ice," Cate reminded him as he started around the corner.  He snorted a half-protest, but didn't argue.  Cate giggled softly at her husband's expression as Jon leaned to snatch the ice bucket from the machine, spilling a dozen cubes onto the concrete in his haste. 

Moving quickly, Jon towed Cate back down the sidewalk to their unit.  Before she could reach for the doorknob he circled his arm low across her back, capturing her in a one-armed embrace.  Jon pulled Cate tight against his body, again lowering his mouth to hers.  Again she responded by raising her hands to his chest, this time curling her fingers against his hard muscles instead of gently palming his pecs.  Jon gasped against the kiss as Cate's fingertips drilled into his flesh.

Still clutching the ice bucket with his free hand, Jon backed slowly toward the carport until he bumped against the Navigator. He reached blindly to set the plastic container on the hood, sloshing half the cubes out onto the concrete before succeeding.  Jon raised his free hand to tangle in Cate's hair, his palm curving around her skull and tilting her head to allow him deeper access to her mouth.  He slumped back against the vehicle as Cate melted against him.

Nearly a full minute later they broke the kiss with a wet gasp.  Jon stared down at Cate, his heart leaping at her shining sapphire gaze.  He raised both hands to her face, curving his palms against her cheeks and staring deep into her eyes, searching for the spark that had been absent for some time.  It was there, but it was faint. 

He wasn't going to let it disappear.

Jon again lowered his mouth to Cate's, kissing her deeply, her face cradled in his hands.  When he drew back the tremble of her lower lip told him she was close to surrender.

"Baby..." Jon breathed as he leaned forward, pushing himself away from the Navigator.  Her expression registered surprise as she tried to step back to accommodate his movement, but felt his arm circle her waist again.

"Jon... what..."

Jon reached for the handle and yanked, silently praying he had left the vehicle unlocked.  His prayer was immediately answered when the door readily opened.

Cate's husky chuckle made him smirk.  She understood. 

Releasing her for a moment, Jon reached inside to punch at a button on the door's interior.  With a muffled click the rear door unlocked.  Cate pulled it open, then paused to give Jon a long look.  The gleam in her swirling sapphire eyes made his pulse race.  She stepped around the door and climbed into the back seat.

Jon clambered after her, pulling the door shut behind him with a light slam.  He leaned forward, reaching again to hit the control button, engaging the locks from the inside.  Then he turned to Cate.

For a few seconds they sat smiling at each other.  Then Cate's quiet chuckle broke the silence.  Her voice was soft and throaty, tinged with cautious desire.    

"Jon.... are you sure we should.... The boys, they're just inside...."

The supple leather of the bench seat creaked softly as Jon slid closer and slipped an arm around Cate's waist.  "They're not going anywhere.  And we can't get in any better position to see the door."  His murmur was husky.

"We don't have... much longer..." Cate gasped softly as Jon nudged aside her hair and nuzzled at her neck.  "Fifteen minutes..."

"Baby, they're not watching the clock."  Jon's murmur was against her skin.  He felt her shiver against his lips.  "Mmmm...."

"But Jon...  Oh...."  The thought escaped Cate as Jon's mouth traveled from the curve of her neck downward.  Automatically she raised a hand to tangle in his damp sandy hair when he nibbled at her collarbone. 

"Shhh, Baby...."  Jon's callused fingers swept gently over her skin, pushing the light knit of her hoodie off her shoulder then moving the thin camisole top spaghetti-strap aside, clearing the way for his lips.  "Just let me...."

His fingers trailed lower, riding the swell of her breast.  Beneath the soft cotton her nipple tightened in response to his sensual caress.  Jon slipped his hand beneath the fabric, his touch skimming over bare, warm flesh.  He groaned as his groin contracted, his arousal intensifying.  His lips continued to devour her skin.

Cate gasped aloud when Jon's fingertips circled around the pebbled peak.  She felt herself sliding lower in the seat, her body automatically yielding to his touch.

"Oh!  Jon..."  Cate drew in a breath, trying to hold on to control of her senses.  It would be too easy to oblige him, to let propriety give way to pleasure.  She forced herself to pull her hand from Jon's hair, moving it instead to stroke his stubbled cheek, then curl a finger under his chin.  With a firm tug she forced him to pause his maddeningly sensual nibbling and turn his attention to her face.

"Jon... we... I... can't."  Cate's lips twisted into a sadly apologetic smile.  "Not here.  Not... like this."

"Cate, we're locked in.  The windows are tinted, we're in a carport... it's not like anybody's gonna see us."  Jon's indigo eyes blazed with intensity though his husky voice was calm.

"Baby, I know.  But... we're driving tomorrow.  And the boys...."  She paused, trying to figure out how to delicately express her awkward thought. 

"The boys are fine, Cate."

"I know... I.... Not..."  Cate let out a frustrated half-grunt.  She sighed heavily, realizing bluntness was perhaps the best tack.  "Jon, I can't fuck you in the back seat your boys will be sitting in tomorrow.  It's just... I... can't."

Her forthright declaration took Jon by surprise.  His jaw dropped, parting his moist lips with a soft gasp.  Cate stared at him for a moment, then her mouth curved with amusement.  His expression was one of bewilderment, not anger.

"I'm sorry, Baby."  Cate's apology was quiet.  "I know...  I..."

"Wow."  Jon stared at Cate for a long moment, frozen.  Then he shifted on the seat, sliding his arm from around Cate's waist and propping himself on an elbow.  Jon gently withdrew his hand from Cate's top, carefully slipping the strap back up over her shoulder before dropping his hand benignly on her thigh.  "Well.  That's one way to shut a guy down."

A wave of guilt rushed through Cate.  Her cheeks heated shamefully and she heard herself babble.  "Jon, I'm sorry.  I just... I couldn't.  It's not that I don't want to... I mean, it's great, and hot, and sexy, and...  I want you, Baby.  GOD, I want you.  But not like this.  Not... here."

"No, no.  You're right.  It wouldn't be fair for the boys to have to ride back here after we roll around all naked and sweaty and cum all over the place."  Jon gave her a wry half-smile.

The twinge of bitterness in Jon's sarcastic remark made Cate flinch.  She sighed.

"Now you're mad."

"No I'm not."

"Yes you are.  You're mad at me for leaving you with a case of blue balls or... whatever."  Cate sighed again.

"Hey."  Jon reached for Cate's hand, raising it to press against his chest, over his heart.  He waited until she looked up at him.  "I'm not mad.  Disappointed, yeah.  And a little... pent-up, yeah.  But I'm not angry."

She arched a skeptical brow.  "You sure?"

"Yes.  I'm sure."  Jon gave Cate a small smile.  "I'll prove it to you."

"How?"

"Sit up, and I'll just wrap my arms around you and cuddle with you.  And I'll listen while you talk.  About anything you want."

Cate rolled her eyes.  Now he was being condescending, and making her feel worse.  "Pffft."   She tugged her hand from beneath his, away from his chest.

"No, seriously.  Isn't that every woman's dream guy?  A cuddler and good listener?  With a sense of humor?"  Jon smirked.

"Not every woman."  Cate snorted softly but couldn't stop a small smile.

"Oh?  What do you want in a man?"

Cate gave him a skeptical look.  "In a man, or in a husband?"

"Either.  Both." 

"My dream guy?  He loves me, respects me, understands me..." Cate felt her heart melting as she listed Jon's qualities.  "Puts up with my crap..."

"Hmmm... Okay."  Jon nodded, feigning seriousness.

"... gets it when I'm all neurotic..."

"Uh huh."

"Kind, generous, nice to animals, children, and old people..."  Cate's smile broadened as Jon played along with her.

"I see."

"... and he's handsome, strong, sexy, funny... oh, and let's not forget rich..."

"MmmmKay..."

Cate smirked.  "And great in bed.  Caters to my every sexual whim.  Makes me cum over and over and over.  Oh, and he has a ten-inch penis."

"It's your lucky day, Baby.  I know a guy just like that."  Jon grinned proudly.  "Well, except for the ten-inch dick.  But I'm workin' on it..."

Cate burst into laughter, her heart squeezing with affection for her wonderful, patient husband.  He chuckled along with her, then their smiles gentled.

Jon shifted in the seat, sitting upright before sliding close to Cate.  He slipped his arm around her waist, then nudged her to move closer.  With a little sigh Cate turned toward Jon, crossing one leg over his lap and nestling her cheek against his shoulder.  He responded with a hug and a kiss to the crown of her head.

"Jon, seriously.  I'm sorry."

The remorse in her throaty voice hurt his heart.  Jon tipped his head to rub his cheek against her hair as he hugged her again.  "It's okay, Cate."

"No, it's not.  I'll make it up to you."

"You don't have to do that, Baby."

"Yes I do."

They were quiet for a minute, both mulling over what had just happened.  Then Jon spoke, the query escaping his mind and his lips before he could stop it.

"Cate.... are we okay?"

She stiffened defensively, Jon's question hitting her square in the heart.  She swallowed hard.

"What do you mean?"

"Us.  You and me.  Our love life."  Jon's voice was gentle, but hoarse.  "Our... marriage."

Cate sat up, raising her cheek from Jon's shoulder and turning to face him.  Her blue eyes met his, and she saw a flicker of pain there.  Again her heart clenched.

"Do... do you think we're okay?"

Jon's expression sobered.  Her avoidance of his question was telling.

"I asked you first."