There were few things more relaxing than a long soak in a hot bath, with a good book and a glass of wine. Vicki rarely indulged in such pampering, usually because she felt guilty about spending so much time to herself when Jon was around. He was at work for the evening right now, though soon to come home, and after being dragged around the park by Cosmo for an hour, the redhead had given in and run the bath. She was just beginning to go wrinkly, evidence that perhaps it was time to get out.
Cosmo was planted just outside the bathroom door, head resting on folded paws, waiting for someone to and play with him, as if the walk in the park wasn't enough. Pathetically sad eyes watched Vicki while she relaxed, head popping up every now and then in anticipation that she just might be getting out of the tub. But then he heard the familiar sound of footsteps in the hallway and he was off to greet his master at the door. The door opened and Jon stepped inside, closing it behind him and announcing his arrival. "Honey, I'm home!"
She wasn't unaware of the guilt-trip the dog was trying to pull on her, but Vicki wasn't about to give in. She'd had dogs when she was younger, and had learned very early on never to give ground. Her head did lift, however, when Cosmo bounded to his feet, laughing as she heard the door open. "Brace yourself, incoming!"
Jon laughed as the dog welcomed him home, leaning down to greet him in return. "Good dog. Are you keeping your mistress out of trouble?" He smirked when he heard Vicki's warning. "He's all excited. What have you two been doing all night?" He ruffled the dog's ears before straightening to toss his keys, wallet, and phone on a table near the door.
"Oh, you know," she called back, the bath water sloshing as she sat up, setting her book safely out of the way. "We've been planning a romantic getaway, just the two of us. Only he refused to go without you; seems to think you're too much sexy to be left behind." She twisted to lean over the side of the bath, peering through the doorway to try and catch a glimpse of her fiance.
She might catch a glimpse of him moving around the apartment, making sure the door was locked, taking off his shoes and jacket and putting them away, Cosmo at his heels. He heard her voice coming from the bathroom and craned his neck to take a peek that way. "You planning on staying in there awhile?" He started unbuttoning his shirt. Shriveled or not, she was about to have a visitor.
She grinned, deliberately remained pressed against the side of the bath so he didn't get the view he was looking for. With her hair twisted up into a claw on the top of her head and the bubbles of her chosen bubble bath almost gone, Vicki really should have known better than to tease. "Well, that all depends whether or not I'm going to be left in here all on my own to melt away, doesn't it?"
"A nice hot soak sounds good right about now." He shrugged off his shirt - a blue button-down, for the record - and sauntered on into the bathroom, a warm smile on his face. "Care to share or should I wait my turn?" A singular bark signaled a certain dog's desire for attention. "Hush, you..." Jon turned to the dog, and scrubbed his fingers into his fur. "Ladies first."
"Since when do I ever say no?" She laughed, the blue of her eyes sparkling with tender invitation as she watched Jon berate the dog for his impatience. "Think there's enough room in here for all three of us?"
Jon chuckled, but replied with an emphatic, "No." He turned back to the dog and offered a little more love, before sternly telling him to sit, which Cosmo then obediently did. Jon sighed as he turned back to Vicki. "He really needs a girlfriend." This was not the first time Jon had suggested it. "He met a poodle in the park the other day. I think he's in love." He smirked as he pulled off his socks and started on his zipper.
Chuckling at the excited obedience of the Collie, Vicki rose onto her knees, her hands batting Jon's out of the way to undo button and zipper herself. With that familiarly wicked grin lighting up her face, she leaned close to swirl the tip of her tongue around the indent of his navel. "Well, you have to admit," she murmured, "it must be pretty galling to be the only person in the house not getting any."
Her attention to his navel elicited a soft groan, all the tension of the day suddenly draining out of him. His eyelids drooped closed as he let her finish the job on his zipper. He loved the theater, but it was often draining and returning home was the favorite part of his day, especially when he was returning home to a woman (and a dog) who loved him. "Maybe we should sire him out."
Her fingers bunched in material, dragging pants and underpants down over his legs as she smiled up at him, glancing just once to the tail-thumping Collie watching them with playfully intent eyes. "Either that, or get him neutered," she said softly. "He'll be a lot calmer if we lop them off." Was that a fair thing to say to a man standing naked in front of her" Probably not, but at least Jon knew she wasn't going to bite.
Jon knew she wasn't talking about him, but he still winced. Stepping out of the pants and leaving them on the bathroom floor, he climbed into the tub and settled himself behind Vicki, spreading his legs to make room for him between them. "Sounds painful. Do we really want a calm Cosmo?"
She slid backward into the cradle of his thighs, tipping her head back to rest it against his shoulder, turning her face to brush her lips against his jaw in a fond kiss or seven. "Mmm, you're right," she agreed. "Maybe when he gets arthritis."
He chuckled, blue eyes shining with happiness. He really couldn't remember ever feeling happier than he did right then. "That won't be for ages." He brushed a thumb against the back of her neck, leaning close then to follow that caress with one from his lips, breath warm against her neck as he exhaled a sigh.
The sensation of his thumb against that specific point on her neck was wonderful enough, but when he leaned to turn that caress into a kiss and a sigh, Vicki almost melted against him. It was one of only a few places on her body that could turn her boneless and pliable to his will, and only Jon knew all of them. He was rewarded with the gentle arch of her spine as she leaned back against him, lifting her arm to curl her hand through the curls at the back of his neck. "Good night, love?"
"It's improving," he remarked. It had been a good night, but it was getting even better now that he was home. Everything was going so well, ever since he'd met Vicki and put the vampires behind him. He leaned back against the tub with a soft contented sigh, wrapping both arms around her to pull her up against him. "How was your day' How are things at the studio?"
She sighed with him, curling her own arms over his to stroke her fingertips against his skin, looking up at the ceiling as her temple came to rest against his cheek. "Oh, you know, heading into the final straits. A few more shooting days, and then my life gets a lot more hectic. I love my job, but the PR campaigns for movies are a nightmare."
"Can't say I miss it," he remarked, turning his head to brush an affectionate kiss against her cheek. "You could come back to the theater, you know. Tay would love to have you back. Lelah can find another art director." He frowned a little, his chin coming to rest against her shoulder after pressing several gentle kisses there. "We'd see more of each other."
Cosmo was planted just outside the bathroom door, head resting on folded paws, waiting for someone to and play with him, as if the walk in the park wasn't enough. Pathetically sad eyes watched Vicki while she relaxed, head popping up every now and then in anticipation that she just might be getting out of the tub. But then he heard the familiar sound of footsteps in the hallway and he was off to greet his master at the door. The door opened and Jon stepped inside, closing it behind him and announcing his arrival. "Honey, I'm home!"
She wasn't unaware of the guilt-trip the dog was trying to pull on her, but Vicki wasn't about to give in. She'd had dogs when she was younger, and had learned very early on never to give ground. Her head did lift, however, when Cosmo bounded to his feet, laughing as she heard the door open. "Brace yourself, incoming!"
Jon laughed as the dog welcomed him home, leaning down to greet him in return. "Good dog. Are you keeping your mistress out of trouble?" He smirked when he heard Vicki's warning. "He's all excited. What have you two been doing all night?" He ruffled the dog's ears before straightening to toss his keys, wallet, and phone on a table near the door.
"Oh, you know," she called back, the bath water sloshing as she sat up, setting her book safely out of the way. "We've been planning a romantic getaway, just the two of us. Only he refused to go without you; seems to think you're too much sexy to be left behind." She twisted to lean over the side of the bath, peering through the doorway to try and catch a glimpse of her fiance.
She might catch a glimpse of him moving around the apartment, making sure the door was locked, taking off his shoes and jacket and putting them away, Cosmo at his heels. He heard her voice coming from the bathroom and craned his neck to take a peek that way. "You planning on staying in there awhile?" He started unbuttoning his shirt. Shriveled or not, she was about to have a visitor.
She grinned, deliberately remained pressed against the side of the bath so he didn't get the view he was looking for. With her hair twisted up into a claw on the top of her head and the bubbles of her chosen bubble bath almost gone, Vicki really should have known better than to tease. "Well, that all depends whether or not I'm going to be left in here all on my own to melt away, doesn't it?"
"A nice hot soak sounds good right about now." He shrugged off his shirt - a blue button-down, for the record - and sauntered on into the bathroom, a warm smile on his face. "Care to share or should I wait my turn?" A singular bark signaled a certain dog's desire for attention. "Hush, you..." Jon turned to the dog, and scrubbed his fingers into his fur. "Ladies first."
"Since when do I ever say no?" She laughed, the blue of her eyes sparkling with tender invitation as she watched Jon berate the dog for his impatience. "Think there's enough room in here for all three of us?"
Jon chuckled, but replied with an emphatic, "No." He turned back to the dog and offered a little more love, before sternly telling him to sit, which Cosmo then obediently did. Jon sighed as he turned back to Vicki. "He really needs a girlfriend." This was not the first time Jon had suggested it. "He met a poodle in the park the other day. I think he's in love." He smirked as he pulled off his socks and started on his zipper.
Chuckling at the excited obedience of the Collie, Vicki rose onto her knees, her hands batting Jon's out of the way to undo button and zipper herself. With that familiarly wicked grin lighting up her face, she leaned close to swirl the tip of her tongue around the indent of his navel. "Well, you have to admit," she murmured, "it must be pretty galling to be the only person in the house not getting any."
Her attention to his navel elicited a soft groan, all the tension of the day suddenly draining out of him. His eyelids drooped closed as he let her finish the job on his zipper. He loved the theater, but it was often draining and returning home was the favorite part of his day, especially when he was returning home to a woman (and a dog) who loved him. "Maybe we should sire him out."
Her fingers bunched in material, dragging pants and underpants down over his legs as she smiled up at him, glancing just once to the tail-thumping Collie watching them with playfully intent eyes. "Either that, or get him neutered," she said softly. "He'll be a lot calmer if we lop them off." Was that a fair thing to say to a man standing naked in front of her" Probably not, but at least Jon knew she wasn't going to bite.
Jon knew she wasn't talking about him, but he still winced. Stepping out of the pants and leaving them on the bathroom floor, he climbed into the tub and settled himself behind Vicki, spreading his legs to make room for him between them. "Sounds painful. Do we really want a calm Cosmo?"
She slid backward into the cradle of his thighs, tipping her head back to rest it against his shoulder, turning her face to brush her lips against his jaw in a fond kiss or seven. "Mmm, you're right," she agreed. "Maybe when he gets arthritis."
He chuckled, blue eyes shining with happiness. He really couldn't remember ever feeling happier than he did right then. "That won't be for ages." He brushed a thumb against the back of her neck, leaning close then to follow that caress with one from his lips, breath warm against her neck as he exhaled a sigh.
The sensation of his thumb against that specific point on her neck was wonderful enough, but when he leaned to turn that caress into a kiss and a sigh, Vicki almost melted against him. It was one of only a few places on her body that could turn her boneless and pliable to his will, and only Jon knew all of them. He was rewarded with the gentle arch of her spine as she leaned back against him, lifting her arm to curl her hand through the curls at the back of his neck. "Good night, love?"
"It's improving," he remarked. It had been a good night, but it was getting even better now that he was home. Everything was going so well, ever since he'd met Vicki and put the vampires behind him. He leaned back against the tub with a soft contented sigh, wrapping both arms around her to pull her up against him. "How was your day' How are things at the studio?"
She sighed with him, curling her own arms over his to stroke her fingertips against his skin, looking up at the ceiling as her temple came to rest against his cheek. "Oh, you know, heading into the final straits. A few more shooting days, and then my life gets a lot more hectic. I love my job, but the PR campaigns for movies are a nightmare."
"Can't say I miss it," he remarked, turning his head to brush an affectionate kiss against her cheek. "You could come back to the theater, you know. Tay would love to have you back. Lelah can find another art director." He frowned a little, his chin coming to rest against her shoulder after pressing several gentle kisses there. "We'd see more of each other."