He smiled at her gasp once his hands came into contact with what they were hunting for, “Are you kidding? It’s been way too long since I had you.”
“Guys, you have a home with a huge master bedroom and a king size bed for that. Come up!” Audrey’s voice boomed on the intercom.
Carson stopped his petting, laughing. They would have been there all night if Audrey hadn’t rudely interrupted. He pulled his hands away and helped her down to her feet.
“How many people heard that?” Ellie asked, finally taking a breath.
“Anyone in the shooting range but since it’s just us, no one.” Carson put her under his arm and walked out of the room. He stopped when he got to the gun room. A dozen guys were there whistling and hooting. “Are you practicing for baby number three already?” One of them shouted.
“Oh god,” Ellie moaned, hiding her face in his side.
“Hey, we didn’t know we had an audience, you perverts!” Carson scolded jokingly, quickly rushing them out of there.
Once they got into the elevator Ellie pulled her face out of hiding, “I’m going to kill Audrey!”
He turned her to face him, “How about we take advantage of the minute it will take us to get to my floor.”
She pushed his hands away laughing, “No! I’m not getting caught again.”
He caught her, pulling her in for a kiss. “Okay, we can christen my new office, all night.”
“Maybe,” the elevator stopped, “But right now you need to behave yourself, Senior Agent Carson.” She walked out, leaving him behind.
He watched her, his eyes on her ass. “I hate it when you leave, but I love watching you walk away,” he caught up and slapped her ass, making her jump with a squeal.
“Dale!” She laughed. “We are not in high school!”
He picked her up and spun her around, “I’ve never left high school.” He stole a few kisses before she managed to escape him.
“I was beginning to enjoy the lack of PDA,” Gwen grumbled.
“Why don’t you just find a boyfriend?” Kris said, giving Jamey to Kevin. “I see things are back to normal.”
Ellie smiled, “I’m getting there.”
“Well, you are about to get even happier once you see the Christmas present I got you.”
Carson groaned, “Oh no, not another stripper.”
“Well, he can be convinced…”
“Not even if you paid me,” Daniel said, stepping into view, “Hi Ellie.”
“Daniel!” She ran to him, “I’m so happy to see you!”
Daniel hugged her. “I can see that. How are you doing?”
She pulled away feeling embarrassed. Her hand lingered hesitantly over his chest before she buried it in her pocket. “I should be asking you that. I’m so sorry…”
Daniel put a finger over his lips, quietening her. “It wasn’t your fault. You were a victim too. And from what I heard, you got it worse than I did.”
“Let’s stop talking about that,” Kris jumped in before the conversation killed Ellie’s happy mood. “And by the way, I would have paid you,” she directed to Daniel.
“Oh, you would just love to see me naked!” Daniel teased. He pulled Ellie’s hand and placed it over his heart, just to prove that it was still beating hard. Then he held her tight a minute longer before he released her to Carson.
“You would have made one of us very happy.” She said, signaling in Gwen’s direction with her head.
“Stop that Kris!” Gwen warned.
“Okay, how about we get back on schedule,” Audrey said, as she walked to the couple. “How’s your back?” She asked Carson.
“What’s wrong with your back? Does it still hurt?” Ellie asked uneasily.
“There is nothing wrong with it.” He said taking Stacey-Ann from Audrey. When he saw the anxious look still on Ellie’s face, he bent down and kissed her. “I promise I’m fine.”
She nodded with a tight smile.
“You should take Jamey,” Audrey instructed.
“That is if you can get him away from Kevin. Is he holding up flash cards?” Kris asked, with a laugh.
Jamey was in his chair staring at Kevin with a peculiar look on his face. Kevin sounded like he was giving a lecture.
“My poor baby!” Ellie lamented.
“Kevin, Third is too young to understand you,” Carson chuckled.
“Jamey,” Kris stressed, looking at Carson, “Is going to be a very fun and smart boy. Isn’t he Kevin?”
Kevin brought the baby to Ellie, “If we have anything to say about it, yes.”
“Both my kids are never going to date. One is going to be a geek, and the other is going to have protective detail. This is your fault Dale,” she whispered, as they walked to the table Audrey ushered them too.
“Kris is his godmother. He’ll be in strip clubs before he gets his driving license, but Stacey-Ann is definitely never going to date.”
“And I’ll help make sure of that,” Daniel echoed, behind them.
“Yes, she will, and now back to the subject.” Audrey stressed, coming to a stop in front of a huge cake.
“Oh my…” Ellie cooed.
Audrey smiled proudly, “I figured we should celebrate Stacey-Ann’s birthday. We never got a chance to do that. And of course celebrate the birth and the christening of James Dale Carson, like we should have.”
“Thank you,” Ellie chocked out.
“Yeah, we really appreciate this.” Carson echoed.
“Christmas and a birthday on the same day! I’ve always dreamed of this.” Kris announced.
“Yeah, it’s for the babies not you, nit wit.” Gwen shot out.
“And the man of the hour has arrived!” Seth announced, walking in. Kris leaped on him and kissed him, tongue and all.
“Please let me shoot them. All I need is one shot and I’ll take them both out. Think of it as a Christmas present… from you to me…” Gwen begged Richard, and he responded by topping off her glass.
Carson looked around the room. Everyone was there. Richard with his son, even his elusive wife came. Carson never thought he’d see her again. Paloma with her two girls, baby boy and husband. Doran with his wife, and of course Seth. He was glad to have his partner Gwen back, even after the months of friction between them. And of course, the very helpful and extremely odd godparents.
But most importantly, his wife and kids. To think there was a chance he would have never had this day. The thought of it made him cringe.
Ellie turned to look at him, “We’ll be fine. We’ll be better than fine.”
“I know. And I promise no more nightmares from this day on. That’s my Christmas gift to you.”
“You loving me and the kids is enough.” She caressed Stacey-Ann’s cheek and then kissed Jamey’s chubby cheek, “All four of us being happy and healthy is enough. I don’t need anything or anyone else.”
The doctor turned to the loud rap on his door. He pulled his desk draw open, exposing a syringe and a gun. He looked at the gun; that was one thing he never thought he’d need when he began his psychiatry course. But he needed it, being the psychiatrist to the criminally insane.
“Come in.” He announced.
The door pushed open and the patient lingered, “Am I disturbing you?” She asked innocently.
He shifted his hand on his lap, closer to the draw. She was probably the worst patient he had in the mental institution. “Of course not, come in. How may I help you?”
“It’s Christmas and I was hoping to call my sister. It’s the first one we’ve spent apart.”
“I’m sorry Ellsa, but you know you can’t do that. Mr. Carson doesn’t want you contacting his family ever again.”
She took a few steps in, “I know that, and I’m really sorry for what I did, but she’s all I have. He can’t keep me from my sister.”
“I’m sorry but the answer is still no.”
Ellsa moved the sharpened tip paint brush down her sweater and into her palm, keeping it hidden in her hand.
She wasn’t going to let anyone keep her sister away from her.
She was going to be with her again, no matter what she had to do.
“How about I try to convince you,” she said, innocently stepping into the room. “It’s just a phone call.”
He shook his head, “It’s a condition set by the court if you are to spend your sentence here and not the maximum penitentiary. There is nothing you can do or say to change that.”
“Ow, I think I can come up with a few things.” She pushed the door with her heel and it shut behind her. And then she placed her fingers on the lock, turning it slowly.
Until the final soft click.