Topic: Daddy Time

Caroline Granger · Date: 2013-08-03 08:06 EST

((Takes place immediately after Mommy Time. Contains reference to adult situations.))

Richmond rose from his bunk, stretching and yawning. Who would have thought that a sick child could be more exhausting than a healthy one" Every little whimper and whine from Jack had caused Richmond's heart to break just a little bit. But, once Caroline had swooped down and taken over, Richmond had afforded himself a few hours of rest. Now, though still a bit tired, Richmond's batteries were refreshed and he could face the duty of taking care of their son. Once he had used the ship's facilities, he climbed down the steps into the family area where he spied Caroline reading to Jack. The image brought a smile to his face, and he took a lean in the portal. "Hey," he spoke quietly, not really wanting to interrupt.

Two faces looked up, one small and flushed with a rash that would go down in a couple of days, the other as tired as his own but smiling as small hands pushed the book away to lift his arms imperiously toward Daddy. "Dada," Jack declared, insisting on being cuddled now that Richmond was awake, even as Caroline chuckled.

"I guess lunch just got moved up on the list of things to do," she mused, helping the little boy down onto the deck so he could tackle his father.

Rich pushed off of the portal and crouched down to gather his son into his arms. Ever since Jack had started to become vocal, "Dada" had become one of his favorite things to hear. "Hey, Jack," he crooned, lifting the boy into his arms and smoothing back his hair to kiss the top of his head. "Treating your Momma well?" He walked over to Caroline and leaned to plant a kiss to her lips before retreating. "Need a hand with lunch, beautiful?"

She snorted softly, amused by the suggestion that she needed a little help to pull a few things out of the fridge and arrange them on a plate. "You know, I think I can handle cold cuts and salad," she teased Rich fondly, pulling herself up onto her bare feet with a quiet grunt of effort. "You wanna feed him or are you gonna sit back and laugh at me again?" As she said this, Jack reached out to grab a handful of Richmond's hair, tugging as he mouthed his father's shirt.

Rich canted his head as his son pulled. He didn't mind it so much, really. And the giggle from Jack was his reward for being patient. "I'll feed him, it's my turn to wear strained peas and sweet potatoes, isn't it, Jack?" He extricated himself from his son's grasp to hold the boy over his head. Lowering him, Rich gave a raspberry to the small tummy that left Jack kicking and shrieking with laughter. Rich then tucked his son into his side to carry him on his hip as he reached out to take Caroline's hand. "And I think you can handle come cold cuts and salad. I mean, the CEO of GrangerGuild and Mother of the Millenium can handle anything." His smile for her bore some pride, a lot of affection and a hint of amusement.

"Mother of the Millenium?" Caroline's laugh was barely audible over Jack's loud squeals of the same laughter, her hand folding comfortably into Richmond's grasp as he took his son and fiancee toward the galley. "Hey, I was thinking, actually ....you know you said something about maybe getting a bigger boat and taking on some staff" We could do that. It'd be fun, and I wouldn't have to give you away every summer to the frat boys who want two weeks on the water at a time."

"A bigger boat?" Richmond had often spoken of needing to get a bigger boat. Summers had been hell on him, spending weeks apart from Caroline and Jack just to escort one party after another in their adventures. As they stepped from the stairwell and into the main cabin, Richmond took a good look around. "We can do that," he agreed. "But I don't want to give up the Wind, love. We started here. Started our family here. She means a lot to me." Who would have thought the rugged seaman was sentimental and nostalgic" "It'll mean I'll be gone for about two months to buy a ship and hire a crew with a good captain." Already he had his sights set on a catamaran style luxury ship that could easily sleep twelve plus the crew. "Is that alright?" Jack wriggled in his arms. The little guy was hungry and the closer they got to the kitchen, the more impatient he became. "Whoa! You're going to wiggle right out of my arms. Down boy!" he laughed and tightened his grip on him.

"You know I don't mean get rid of the Wind," Caroline chuckled, reaching across him to tweak Jack's nose as she slipped ahead to get into the galley first. And naturally, the first thing to come out of the fridge was the two pots of pureed mush that constituted their son's lunch, set within reach of the highchair. "I just think maybe it's time we started spreading out a bit. And as soon as Jack's independently mobile, it's gonna hell stopping him from jumping over the side, you know that."

"We'll put him on a leash," was the wry reply. Lifting the wriggling Jack, he maneuvered him into the high chair and strapped him in. As soon as the tray was hooked to the chair, Jack began pounding his hands excitedly and squealing, "Mamaaamaaamama!" Richmond was relieved that Caroline wanted to keep the Wind as much as he did. It'd been their home for quite some time now. Lifting a spoon from the drawer, Richmond began the tedious task of feeding the little monster in the high chair.

"But you're right," he paused in his speech, opening his mouth as he brought the spoon full of mush toward's Jack; as if he were showing Jack how to open his mouth for a spoon of food. Once the little guy quieted down, Richmond continued. "It'll be nice to be able to spend more than a week or so at a time with my favorite people." He looked up at her with a smile, before turning his concentration back to Jack. So far, Jack had been too hungry to let much of the mush escape, but Richmond knew it was only a matter of time before Jack decided to play.

"I'm not putting our son on a leash, Richmond," Caro laughed again, rolling her eyes as she plundered the contents of the fridge to sort out lunch for the adults in the narrow room. Jack's wild squeal made her smirk, reaching out to press her fingertip against his nose. "Quiet, little man, or no juice," she threatened, knowing he probably didn't understand all of that just yet but seeing no reason not to say it. As Jack sucked on his mush loudly, she went on talking to Richmond, filling a sipper cup with water for Jack before turning her attention back to their food. "I think I'm gonna see about cutting my hours at the Guild, too. Obviously not permanently, but for maybe, like, two years. Family's important."

Caroline Granger · Date: 2013-08-03 08:07 EST

Jack's eyes crossed when his mother's finger went to his nose, and he giggled at her threat. Richmond took the opportunity to spoon in more of the boy's delectable dinner into him which resulted in Jack giving his father a pout and look that said, "Not fair!" Rich just grinned back at him and even laughed. But when Caroline made that announcement, he turned and gave her an astonished look. "You're not serious. Humphrey will have a fit and you love being at the Guild." It was Jack's turn to surprise his father as that mouthful of mush was spat out, with force, to spatter against his chest.

"I didn't say I was gonna stop working for two years, just cut my hours back a bit," she pointed out, letting out a wild cackle of amusement as Jack spat his illicit mouthful right back at Richmond. "Hate to say it, but you kinda deserved that," she told her fiance warmly, moving to sit with them, two plates ready for the eating in hand. "Anyway, I've been working ten hour days, five days a week, sometimes more, and Humph never worked that much. I need to make an effort to do my nine to five and come home. And, you know, take maternity leave next time, because it nearly killed me taking Jack to work every day."

Richmond's eyes closed slowly after he was spattered and he inhaled. "Oh, that's just gross," he grumbled. Looking at Jack, he shook his head. "Not very good manners," he picked up a towel and began to wipe himself clean. Jack giggled with his mother, his big toothless smile undaunted by his father's mild scolding. Richmond tossed the towel aside and picked up the spoon to resume feeding his son. "I know what you're saying, sweetheart," he smiled as Jack took another spoonful. "And I'm behind you, no matter what you decide to do." A lance of guilt went through Richmond at the thought of Caroline having to take Jack to every meeting while Rich was away after their son's birth. "Maybe I should take some time, too. Wait." Putting the spoon back into the little pot, he turned and looked at Caroline curiously. "Maternity leave?"

She didn't answer him as he eyed her curiously, just offering up a somewhat secretive smile that made her eyes sparkle with impish delight. Chewing on a leaf of rocket, she looked over at Jack again, reaching out with a cloth to wipe his face as the little boy flailed with a handful of his food, investigating the texture with his own curiosity. "Messy little person."

Richmond sat back, watching as Caroline cleaned up the mess of a face that belonged to their boy. Her secretive smile and silence spoke volumes. "Are you serious?" his voice was soft, husky. "We're having another baby?" He kept very still, his hands resting on his thighs as he watched her move about.

"About nine weeks serious," she confirmed softly, her smile growing at the look on his face. She knew that expression - she'd seen it once before, about nine months before Jack was born. "Eat your lunch, Rich, you're setting a bad example for the baby." One eye offered up a cheeky wink and a snickering grin made itself known as she took over mush duty, zooming a spoonful into Jack's mouth with a ridiculous amount of enthusiasm.

"Oh!" She'd taken him by surprise, and it shone clearly on his face. He couldn't think of the food sat before him when presented with such news! The astonishment turned to pure, unadulterated joy. Lifting her from the chair, he sat down and then placed her firmly into his lap. She could feed Jack, Richmond could hug and kiss her senseless. It was a win win situation. "We're definitely going to need a bigger boat," he laughed.

Jack pouted at the sight of Mummy and Daddy cuddling, despite the rippling laughter that spilled from both of them, his chubby little hands slamming down on the tray of his high chair in complaint. Caroline smiled into the kiss Richmond bestowed on her, pausing to load up another spoonful to appease the pouting nine-month-old in front of them before she responded. "I didn't want to tell you until I was sure," she told her fiance fondly. "And, you know, I can't do up my pants anymore."

"Then we'll be visiting Omar," Richmond smiled with a definite air of finality to his voice. Lifting a clean towel, he began to wipe the goo from Jack's hands, just to keep him busy while Caroline kept the chew-chew train going. What a great team they made! Jack was so busy switching his attention from one parent to the other that he didn't have the opportunity to fidget or pout anymore. "You don't have to explain to me why it took so long to tell me," Rich smiled for her as he spoke. "I'm just happy to being a dad, all over again."

"Omar!" Caroline laughed indignantly, rolling her eyes as she fed their son. "Daddy's so rude, isn't he" He says Mommy's gonna get fat and huge and won't be able to see her feet again!" Jack gurgled, happy to feel involved again as he smacked his lips around the spoon, little fingers flexing in Rich's grip. "It's a little soon, I know," she went on, touching a kiss to Richmond's temple fondly. "I guess something backfired a while back and we didn't notice. But Jack'll be eighteen months, so I guess it won't be quite as bad as it could be."

Rich threw his head back and laughed at her reaction. "Don't you believe a word she says, Jack. Your mother is the most beautiful woman in three different galaxies." He held her close and kissed her cheek as he gave Jack's hand a tiny squeeze.

In reply, Jack let them know exactly what he thought of the situation in a series of gurgles, raspberries and spit-filled jabberings that ended with "Mamamaaawdadadmada!" He looked quite serious, too.

"Flatterer," Caroline accused Richmond in a warm voice, scraping the last of Jack's chicken and vegetable mess onto the spoon to shovel it into his open mouth. "And you, little man ....you're going to be a big brother. So no more toxic poop, or Mommy might just throw up on you one of these days." It was an interesting threat, and one neither of them could promise wouldn't happen. Caroline's morning sickness last time around had been truly horrendous, though this time it didn't seem to be quite so bad.

Caroline Granger · Date: 2013-08-03 08:07 EST

Once the last spoonful was in his mouth, Jack laughed and clapped his hands together, as if he completely understood every syllable and was applauding his mother's performance. His jabbering abruptly stopped as the nine month old gained a look of concentration on his face. A moment later, relief washed over him and he went back to his sing-song playing. "Speaking of toxic poo," Richmond chuckled and slid out from under Caroline, kissing her cheek on the way. "My turn to wash him up for his nap." The offer was made gallantly, as if it took great courage to clean his son's bottom of the toxic poo. "You try to eat some while I give him a quick bath and put him down." Rich cradled her chin with his palm as he looked down at her.

It was impossible to miss what was going on at the less polite end of their infant son, especially when he made such a performance out of it. Chuckling, Caroline slipped off Richmond's lap, settling herself in her own seat once again as he looked down at her. "My hero," she teased softly, grateful to him for taking poop and nap duty. "Just so long as you remember your lunch is out here waiting to be eaten."

"Aye, aye, Cap'n!" he saluted smartly, then hurried off with Jack in his arms. It was amazing to him that somebody so small, so innocent and so cute could smell so rotten. "Phew!" A face was made and the men in Caroline's life made a quick exit. Half an hour later, Richmond appeared at the top of the stairs. The front of his shirt hung limply and still dripped water. "He's a slippery little squirrel," he chuckled and lifted the baby monitor from his pocket to set it upon the counter in the galley. Soft music from the mobile above his crib and tiny hiccups could be heard on the little radio. Richmond slid into a chair and picked up a fork to begin dissecting his salad. "Have you made an appointment to see a doctor yet?"

By the time he returned, Caroline had eaten her own meal and tidied up the mess that was always the result of Jack's meals, drying her hands on a towel as Richmond took up his seat once again. She chuckled at his description of their son, laying a cup of coffee down by his plate as he began to eat. "You're the one who insists on bathing him after every meal," she pointed out in amusement. "I kinda get the impression that's not something everyone does." Rubbing at her neck, she yawned lightly, leaning her elbows forward onto the narrow table between them. "I've got an appointment tomorrow," she answered his question with a faint smile. "But he'll just tell me the usual stuff and make an appointment for the ultrasound in a coupla weeks' time."

"He's a mess after every meal," Rich defended through a mouthful of greens. He munched happily as she spoke, the salad was quite good and a decent break from grilled burgers and hot dogs that seemed to be the standard fair for the guests on his ship. "Same doc, that Ryan guy?" A brow was lifted as he wiped his mouth with a napkin.

"Yeah, I figure why change?" She shrugged. "He did a good job last time, and we can probably get Mylene to be the midwife again. I'm still going with the hospital, too. I know Vicki did the home birth thing, but that girl's got a hell of a lot more guts than I do."

"She's married to Jon and they're both a little nuts," he chuckled when he spoke of his cousins-in-law. "But they had good people to help them out, so it wasn't all that crazy." Rich's smile turned warm as he remembered holding little Emily in his arms. Besides Jack, he'd never seen a more beautiful baby. "Anyway, I'll be going with you to your appointment. Last time we heard Jack's heartbeat at your first appointment, remember?"

"At the first ultrasound, yeah," she nodded, smiling with pleasure at how good his memory was of those early visits. "But the main thing on my mind is resettling somewhere. I'd like to get that done as soon as we can - Jack'll have enough to deal with when there's another baby around without feeling displaced because we've moved, even if it is just onto a bigger boat."

"Jack knows home is where Mom and Dad are," he chuckled softly. "But you're right. With our family growing, we're going to need more room." He looked around at the cabin, wistfully. So many memories were held within these walls. Turning a smile on her, his eyes crinkling at the corners, he places a soft kiss to the corner of her mouth. "The new place will have just as many memories, if not more. Besides, the Wind will always be in the family."

"Actually, I was kinda thinking ..." Caroline bit her lip as she look over at Richmond, not entirely sure how he was going to take what she was about to say. He loved the water, he loved his boat. But Jack was on the cusp of being a toddler, and that brought with it a whole new load of terror for the first-time mommy. "It might be an idea to get somewhere, you know, on land for a few years. Any day now Jack's gonna work out the latch on the baby gate, and I keep having this nightmare where he falls overboard and gets crushed between the Wind and the dock."

"Or fall into the water and drown," Richmond sighed. But it was with relief, because he'd been having the same dream. "Actually, I was thinking that we might be able to find a place on the Grove and move in there. I don't want to impose on Humphrey, but I like the thought of our children growing up with their cousins."

"You're sure?" She wasn't entirely convinced that he wasn't agreeing with her just because she'd expressed her fear. In all the time she'd known him, Richmond had spent a grand total of two weeks away from the water, and most of that had been spent with her when Jack was born. "I don't want to push you into anything, darlin', I know how much the sea means to you."

"I'm sure," he gave her a reassuring smile and squeeze to her middle. "I'd be devastated if anything happened to Jack. I can't imagine life without him and I don't want to. The docks aren't that far away and now that I'm buying a new ship and hiring additional crew, I can take a break and spend time with the people who mean the most to me."

Caroline Granger · Date: 2013-08-03 08:08 EST

Relief colored Caroline's smile as she eased into his lap, curling her arms around his neck as her lips brushed against his hair. "I've been so worried about suggesting it to you," she admitted with a guilty chuckle. "I don't want to live at the big house again, though. I love my Grampa, I love Jon, but I'm not living with them." She laughed, shaking her head. "But there are a coupla houses standing empty on the Grove that might suit us."

"Then it's settled." He looked up at her with an adoring gaze. "As soon as we pick out a house and set up the nurseries, we'll make it official." Lifting his chin, he caught her lips in a loving kiss. "We're going to have a baby, Caroline. God help us," he chuckled.

"Another baby," she corrected him laughingly, pouring her fingertips through his hair as he kissed her. A thought occurred to her, her lips parting in a giggle that erupted from her chest with wild enthusiasm. "Grampa's gonna be so pleased!"

"Well don't you think you should tell him?" Richmond relaxed his grip, but his hands still rested upon her hips. "If he hears it from somebody else, he'll feel put out. Can't have that," he chuckled with a wry grin. It never ceased to amuse him how his potential in laws were always put out if they weren't the first to know any little titbit of gossip. "But I think we should do it in person," he murmured. "Once Jack's up from his nap?"

She chuckled again, shaking her head. "Not yet," she told him softly. "I don't really wanna spread it around until we're out of the first tri, you know" Like last time. We didn't make a big deal out of it, and nothing went wrong, so I'm kinda hoping it stays that way for us this time around." Her smile widened as she nudged the tip of her nose against his. "Besides, I kinda like the idea of it being our secret for a couple more weeks."

"You just like being the secretive, mysterious and so naughty type," he whispered against her neck just before brushing a tender kiss behind her ear. "How about we take advantage of Jack's nap time for a little Mom and Dad time?"

"Well, look at you," Caroline laughed teasingly, easily tipping her head to one side to let him kiss her neck. "Who'd have thought the promise of being a Daddy again would get the captain out on deck, huh?" She snickered, turning her head to catch his lips with her own fondly. "Not in the galley, though," she added with a grin. She was never going to forget the day they'd had an unexpected visit from the harbor master - the poor man had had to knock on the galley window after getting more than an eyeful of both of them.

"It's not the prospect of being a father, I'll guarantee you that," he protested with a laugh. "It's having you, in my lap, without a place for either of us to rush off to in the near future. I miss spending time with you, just you." His voice had become soft and laced with a rod of sincerity.

Her smile turned a little sad. First Jack being clingy, and now Richmond confessing to missing her ....how had she missed the signs that she was sacrificing her family to devote herself to work" Caroline curled her arms around her fiance, nestling her chin on his shoulder as she sighed softly. "I'll work something out," she promised him. "I miss you, too."

Rich smiled sadly, ashamed that he'd caused her to feel guilty. It hadn't been his intention. If anybody understood the fire that burned in Caroline to drive her to work so exhaustively, it was Richmond. "We'll work something out," he corrected her kindly as his arms tightened around her for a reassuring embrace. He'd done his own share of family time sacrificing.

And as soon as I get a chance, I'm going to go double on my birth control, she added in the back of her mind. Not that she wasn't pleased to be expecting again, but a new baby would take more time away from Richmond, and she hated the thought that he might be feeling she was putting him at the bottom of her priority list. "I can delegate, I don't have to do everything at once," she said firmly. "That's what a CEO does. Grampa can tell me what I absolutely have to be doing, and I can go from there."

"And I can take fewer cruises," he continued where she left off. "I've got enough put aside to buy a few new boats, I don't have to book my calendar full." Leaning back from the embrace, he looked up and into her eyes. "And we can take more vacation time. I've missed too much of Jack's first things, I don't want to miss out on the new one's."

Her smile relaxed once again, the guilt fading as he took on his share of the responsibility. It wasn't just her, and she had to stop trying to take the blame for everything. "We can make it work, can't we?" she asked, needing him to reassure her. "With two kids. I know we didn't plan even to have one, and we're nowhere near ready to try and organize a wedding yet, but ....we can make this work. Right?"

"Caroline," he canted his head slightly and smiled wryly. "There's nothing that the two of us can't do, so long as we do it together." His belief in their relationship and in her was that strong. "Jack knows who we are, he knows we love him and he's growing up strong. I don't think we've ever let anything get us done and we've learned to take care of Jack, and each other. I'd say that we can do anything."

Her own expression turned wry as she met his gaze, one brow rising as her smile went lopsided. "What, I'm not allowed a moment of insecurity?" she teased him affectionately. "I'm pregnant, you know. You've got the whole nine yards of hormones to deal with again."

"Oh no!" he teased with a more hearty laugh. "Not the horrible, horrid hormones! Help me!" Holding her a bit more snugly, he wasn't going to give her the chance to escape.

"Yes, the horrible, horrid hormones! Cackling, Crying Caroline is back!" Snickering, she curled her arms tighter around him, leaning in close to razz his neck cheekily. "Also ....make the most of Compact Caroline, 'cos she's gonna be Caroline the Crusher before you know it!"

Caroline Granger · Date: 2013-08-03 08:09 EST

"Compact Caroline, Crusher Caroline, Completely My Caroline," he nuzzled her chin, nibbling softly at the tender skin there. "Love you," he murmured as his arms tightened around her.

"Hey, at least I'm not Vehement Vicki," she snickered, nuzzling her lips to his as his embrace pulled her in closer. "Love you back. And seriously ....not in the galley."

"Not in the galley," he agreed, but didn't move from his spot, either. Loathe to let her go or disrupt the warmth and coziness of their cuddle, Richmond defied his own words by moving his hands to the bottom of her shirt to slip warm fingertips against the skin of her sides.

"Baby ..." Caroline laughed through her whine, dragging her nails through his hair as his hands slid beneath her shirt. He knew only too well what a little distraction could do - their first time had been on the bridge of this very boat, after all, in full view of a group of teenagers on another ship nearby. "You really want your pregnant fiancee showing everything to anyone who walks by?"

"All they'll see is you sitting in my lap," he grinned up at her, but conceded to her will and pulled his hands out from under her shirt. "Alright, up and at 'em, Sweetheart. That is, unless you want to be carried over my shoulder?"

She stuck her tongue out at him, rolling her eyes. "Darling ....what?s in here?" Her hand drew his to her stomach, where a tiny bump was discernible beneath his palm. Second baby, nine weeks in ....she was going to start bulging any day now.

"Oh!" Putting his hands to her waist, Richmond lifted her up and planted a kiss to the barely showing bump. "Hello Number 2," he grinned and then set her back into his lap. "Forgive my manners, I was all a-flutter with your mother's fetching looks." All the while, he gave her a broad grin that threatened to show all thirty two pearly whites.

Snorting with laughter, Caroline kissed him tenderly, rising to take herself off his lap before his hands started wandering again. "Fetching, huh' Well, then, Lassie ....fetch." With a last nip to the end of his nose, she whirled away, slipping through the hatch and down toward their cabin with practiced speed.

"Lassie?" Richmond snorted with a laugh as he got out of the chair and followed her through the hatch and down the steep steps after her. "I think I've got too much equipment to be a Lassie." Rich had to remember to keep his voice down. The ship wasn't soundproofed and Jack's cabin was only two doors from their own. "You, on the other hand," he commented as he stepped into their own cabin with a crooked grin and both hands upon the bottom of his shirt to pull it over his head. "Are definitely a Lassie."

Safe in the confines of their cabin, Caroline was still laughing when Richmond caught up to her, kicking her shorts into a corner as she backed toward the bed. "I'm definitely an overly intelligent dog" Gee, thanks, babe - you know just how to sweet-talk me, don't you?" She winked at him, one hand rising to crook a finger in his direction.

"I do try, and what?s wrong with dogs" They're loyal, great companions and they can keep you warm at night," he teased. At her not so subtle invitation, he strolled into the cabin and that shirt was deposited into a basket tethered to the floor. "You rang, beautiful?" He eyed her from the waist down, and then from the waist up. "Far too many clothes, what shall we do about that?"

"I think you should strip, that's what I think," she informed him cheerfully, smoothing her hands from his waist to his shoulders, enjoying the wiry strength of her salty sea dog under her palms. "And then I think we should recreate conception. Just to make sure we know how it happened."

"Oh, that's very important," he nodded in agreement. "But this button keeps sticking. I'm sure your very nimble and apt fingers could relieve me of this dreadful pair of shorts," he chuckled, stepping closer. "And for the return favor, I think I can remove that lovely shirt you're wearing without a single tear. How about that?" His hands moved to her waist and slid the shirt up on his wrists as he smoothed his palms over her sides.

She giggled - a rare sound from the sensible good girl of the Granger family, and one only Richmond ever got to hear - rising up on her toes to kindle a slow kiss against his lips as her hands trailed back down over his skin to flick open the button on his shorts.

"You never disappoint," he breathed against her lips as he felt the fabric of his shorts loosen. Leaning back, he pulled her shirt over her head, then tossed it aside. He loved how her hair fluffed up and looked sexy and messy when he did that. His hands were back on her, as were his lips, within moments. He didn't have to look at the clasp to know how to remove her bra, and with a few twists of his wrists, it hung limply from her shoulders.

"Neither do you," she breathed back to him, shaking her now disheveled hair back off her face as he did that clever trick with her bra. She'd never worked out how he managed to get the damn thing off her without her feeling the clasp undo under his fingers, but it was definitely a talent. Her hands pushed at his shorts, fingers hooking into his underpants to push them down over his hips as her lips found his once again, quickly losing herself in the man she loved. Time was of the essence - Jack wasn't exactly predictable when it came to the length of his naps.

He chuckled at her reply, and as soon as his shorts were around his ankles, he stepped out of them and lifted her up at the same time. The bed was right behind her and he was able to lower them both onto the bed carefully. He kissed her, the kisses growing more and more urgent and hungry with each passing moment.

Laid back, Caroline moaned under Richmond's hands and mouth, as eager as he was to gain a little more intimacy while they still had time. It didn't take long before she pushed him over onto his back, taking control with an affectionate grin as she pinned him down, hungry kisses trailing from his mouth down over his throat even as she drew him into herself, tender and eager for all he had to give.

Caroline Granger · Date: 2013-08-03 08:10 EST

On his back, he was able to watch her. It was his favorite thing to do. His skin puckered and he shivered under her touch, his neck arched to lift his chin as she settled onto him. "God," he moaned. This was something that he knew for certain that he'd never get tired of. Placing his hands to her hips, he brought his hips up and pressed her down. "Baby, you feel so good."

As his hands smoothed to her hips, she pushed herself upright, knowing how much he enjoyed watching as she moved with him. Seductive wasn't exactly something Caroline considered herself good at, but for some reason when she pulled her hands into her hair and looked down at him in that particular way, something always seemed to snap in Richmond's sense of control. Which was exactly why she did it, of course.

If Caroline wasn't good at seduction, Richmond was clueless to the fact. She brought him to such heights of desire with a simple look. He wasn't one to vocalize his intentions or how things felt, he simply reacted. With a soft growl, his hands firmed on her hips to hold her still, the sweet, molten hot friction at their intersection searing the synapses in his brain.

Caught up as much in his desire as in her own, Caroline cried out wildly as he pushed her far beyond the heights anyone else had managed to drive her to. There was a reason they worked so well together, and this was just one amazing part of it. Shaken and breathless, she collapsed over him, trading kisses back and forth as her body slowly relaxed from the sweet tension that brought them both so much pleasure.

His arms went around her to hold her as she collapsed down onto him, reveling in her intense orgasm. His hands slid down her back to press her down to increase the friction just enough to send him spiraling over the edge. "God," he praised her, quietly. "God."

Very slowly, she came back to herself, rolling onto her side next to him with a soft giggle as her fingers traced his cheek tenderly. "Not quite, but I appreciate the compliment," was her cheeky response to his praise, a gentle kiss pressed to his cheek as she sighed contentedly. "I love you."

When she rolled to her side, he pulled her towards himself to keep her close. "Love you, too," he smiled and turned his head to kiss the top of her dark hair. "Now, I'm not sure if that's exactly how conception happened. Maybe we should try again, just to be sure?" He was comfortable in their bed, with her against his side.

She snorted with laughter, hugging her arm about his waist as he kissed her hair. "And you say I'm the insatiable one," she grinned, nipping a kiss to his chest. "You gotta be gentle with me again, you know. Grampa would totally flay you alive if he knew you still hammer away at me when I'm full term."

"You tell your Gramps?" He gave her a comedic horrific look. "From the books that I read, brisk, rigorous sexual relations are actually good for the mother to be." He smiled then and nodded once. "Besides, I didn't hear you complaining and we're not living under his roof any longer. He has no say so in the matter." Confident that he'd won that argument, his grin broadened.

Caroline laughed aloud at that, raising herself up to prop her head on her hand and look down at him. "You seriously wanna tell Humphrey Granger that he has no say so in the well being of his brand new great-grandchildren?" she asked, daring him with her grin to do just that. The Old Man had been known to let rip at imagined worries, much less anything that went against his somewhat staid world view. "Although ....yanno, he might have mellowed a bit since Jon and Vicki moved in. Can't see them taking their hands off each other just because she was pregnant."

"I wasn't going to tell him any such thing," he chuckled. "I was just not going to tell him about our sexual relations." He shrugged at that and twisted his body so that he was laying on his side and propping his head up with his hand. "And as far as Jon and Vicki go, you had to know that they were going to be bunnies. Look at the movie he did!"

"Oh, come on," Caroline chuckled, shaking her head with a grin. "You know as well as I do that he only did Fifty Shades... so he could pay Grampa back the money he invested in the studio that went under. Besides, there's no full nudity. Pretty tasteful, actually." She smirked. "The second one comes out end of November, too."

"I know, but still." He really had no argument, knowing the facts for what they were. "Did he have to look like he enjoyed doing it so much?" Rich laughed then and gave away his gentle teasing. He knew that any critique of any of her blood kin would bring out the protective defensiveness in her. He admired her all the more for it. "Better than that gangly cousin of yours, I suppose. Now that would have been a horror movie."

"Duh, it's called acting, dumb*ss," she laughed back at him. He was right; anything that even hinted at unfair criticism of any of her family brought out her protective streak. "Anyway, it gets him back on the producers' radar, and that Oscar winning role will come along in no time, you wait." His comment on a gangly cousin had to be Correy - the thought of that one playing Christian Grey was enough to dissolve her into fits of giggles. "Are you kidding" Aimee Malone could snap him like a twig!"

He reached across the mattress to gently cup her cheek in his palm, his thumb tracing the line between nose and the corner of her mouth. "Jack could snap him like a twig," he chuckled. "I love you, Caroline Granger. Even if your family is completely nuts." Leaning forward, he kissed her softly.

She snickered into his kiss, her lips softening with the affection they shared easily between them. "Wouldn't be me if they weren't," she pointed out impishly, nipping at his lip. "So ....what is my hunk of salty sea dog captain doing tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow is maintenance on the Wind. Oil change, pressure wash, everything. So I'm free as a bird once we get her berthed." He lifted his brows and tossed her question right back at her. "And what is my beautiful, talented and hard working fiancee going to be doing tomorrow?"

"Well ....seeing as I'm off work until I stop being paranoid about Jack's rash," she chuckled softly, rolling her eyes, "I thought maybe a visit to the Grove, take a look at some of the empty houses. Pick one that suits us, and start makin' plans to get it ready to live in."

"Can I add intelligent to that list' I think I forgot." Leaning forward, he pressed another kiss to her lips. "I think that's an excellent idea. And we can leave Jack with Humphrey for a bit. The old man secretly loves to keep an eye on his great-grandchildren."

"You know him so well." Giggling, Caroline looped her arm around his neck, drawing him down as she lay back, deepening his kiss as she sought to fulfill that wish of reliving the moment of conception once again. They might only have another half hour or so, but she had every intention of making the most of it. Married or not, Richmond had her heart in the palm of his hand, and there was nothing and no one that would ever get between them.

((Been a while since Caro and Rich had a little time together, but they certainly made up for it! Hugimungus thanks to Richmond's player!))