Chapter 33

Jon watched Kim walking downstairs. She sure looked a little worried and tired.

“Is he asleep?” he asked. When she sat down next to him on the couch and leaned her head against his shoulder.

“Yeah, finally. He was worried Richie wouldn’t be there anymore when he would be back home.” Kim shook her head. “He really likes him.”

“Well, that’s good, isn’t it?” Jon asked and kissed her temple.

“Yeah, sure it is.” Kim answered. “I just hope things are still fine when Rich brings Ava into the picture. She was used to having him on own all her life and Jason got attached to him very much too…hopefully they will not be jealous at each other.” Jon smiled softly. There she was again, thinking and analyzing anything.

“Well, that’s something we should let Rich and Fran work out.” Kim looked at him surprised.

“I’m his aunt!”

“Yeah, I know honey and you’ll be there for him when he needs you, as I will be for Ava, but when we add more opinions or advice to those huge changes in their lives, things will probably not work out.” Jon explained calmly.

Kim sighed. The idea of just sitting there and doing nothing wasn’t really something she’d like to do. But maybe Jon was right. When she would fuse over Jason now as well and would get involved, he wouldn’t have a neutral person to come to when he wouldn’t work things out with Fran or Richie.

“Maybe you are right.” She finally admitted after several minutes of internal debate. Jon chuckled. She sure didn’t like it to just observe a situation; she was used to do something. He knew from own experience that it would take a couple more years before she could stay a little bit more relaxed.

Softly his fingers ran over her bare arm. “So, how about we take this nice hot bath now.” He murmured in her ear. She smiled when his breathe tickled her.

“What about Jason?”

“Well, we can leave the bedroom door open and just lock the bathroom door, then we will definitely hear him when he is looking for us.”

“You’re already perfected the nightly bath, I see.” She said smiling while pulling him to his feet.

“Damn right…nearly 17 years of training…” he told her laughing, while they were entering her bedroom. “God, I feel old.” Kim laughed softly.

“I’m not sure I wanna have a bath with an old man. Maybe you better go to bed?” she closed the bathroom door behind her.

“Oh no…you don’t….I earned this bath after dealing all day long with Mr. Mad!...Honey, please!” he begged when she wouldn’t let him in and he could already hear the water filling the tube.

“Ok, ok…you can wash my back.” She opened the door and let him in.

“That’ll I do with pleasure.” He said and kissed her gently. Before grabbing the hem of her shirt and pulling it over her head. Her fingers were working on the buttons of his shirt and she frowned when they wouldn’t open as fast as she wanted it. He grinned and helped her with the last buttons.

He watched her stripping off her jeans and shook his head amused when she turned around to slip out of her panties and the bra. He stepped close to her when she put her hair in a do so it wouldn’t get wet during their bath.

“Shy again, my love?” he asked while placing small kisses on her neck. She sighed and shrugged her shoulder lightly.

“I’m not used to it, I guess…” he could barely hear her voice. Gently he turned her around and smiled at her.

“Then we should do this more often…” her cheeks flushed when his gaze travelled over her naked body. God, he so much wanted to grab her and show her how much she really meant to him, but he had to control himself. Maybe, maybe…the right time would be soon.

“”What’s the essence …peaches?” he guessed when they carefully sank into the hot water.

“Mango.” She corrected him. “I just love the smell.”

“And it also tastes good.” He said after kissing her shoulders. Her giggling turned into moaning when his strong fingers started to massage her shoulders.

“Geeh, honey…that must hurt badly…” he couldn’t remember ever meeting someone with such tensed shoulders.

“Don’t stop, Jon…please.” She leaned forward to give him better access to her neck and for a while all you could hear were her soft moans and Jon’s movement in the warm water.

“What are you normally doing for your birthday? Any traditions?” he asked when she was relaxing after his massage and he was gently holding her pressed to his chest.

“No, not really. Normally I take the day off and spend some time with Fran and Jason. Why?” she looked up at him and moved her hands to his arms making the water splash a little.

“Well, I have a surprise for you and I would like to whisk you away to a still secret place for maybe a day or two.” He said with a smile. She sat up and turned half around to face him.

“Why?”

“Why?” he looked at her irritated. “Because it’s your birthday, Kimi.”

“You don’t have to get me anything or get me anywhere. It’s not necessary.”

He frowned. “Ok, maybe it’s not necessary, but I would really like to do it for you…” She sighed and got out off the tube. She wrapped herself in one of the fluffy towels and sat down on the small armchair she had in her bathroom.

“Kimi, what is it?” he asked still sitting in the tube. Every time she was bringing some distance between them, something seemed to bother her. As if she couldn’t find the right words when she was still close to him.

“Why are you really doing it?” she asked with a little tremble in her voice. Jon watched her for a second, then it finally hit him.

“Kimi, I’m not doing it because I wanna bed you down.” His voice was rather harsh. She looked at him shocked. He sighed. 

“I thought we were beyond the point where you worry every time we meet that I wanna get you into bed? Did the thought cross my mind? Hell, yeah…but that doesn’t mean I will drag you into the bed when we are alone.”

Tears were shining in her eyes. She didn’t want to make him mad and she sure didn’t want to cry. She hated it! And normally she was very much in control of her emotions, but when she was with him everything was just out of control. She never expected someone would turn her world that much upside down.

Kim really tried to understand why he was still with her; after all he was a man. How long could a guy handle only foreplay?

Jon saw the tears in her eyes and sighed deeply. He wasn’t used to it. It always hit him hard. He could count the few times Dorothea had cried in their long relationship and actually Kimi had already beaten her.

Slowly he raised and stepped out off the tube as well. He wrapped his towel around his waist, took her hands in his and kneeled down to look her in the eyes.

“Kimi…please look at me.” Reluctantly she turned her head. “I could never do anything you don’t want to.” Why couldn’t she trust him? He really thought after their last time together, she was fine with it.

“I know, Jon.” She ran her hand gently over his right cheek. “I just wonder how much longer you can deal with my…fear.” He smiled softly.

“As long as it takes, honey……. I love you.”

She gasped at his words and tears started to shine in her eyes again. “Oh, I love you too.” She threw her arms around his neck and pulled him close. He smiled happily, but turned serious when he saw her face after they parted.

“There’s something else, right?” She only nodded.

“I take it; we would have to fly, right?”

“Uhm...yeah…?” Jon watched her carefully. She bit her lower lip.

“Jon, I’ve never been on plane again since my parents died.” Jon stared at her.

“Did you try?” he finally asked. She shook her head.

“No. Fran is not really into flying either. Normally it was me who was trying to keep her busy when we were flying. She wouldn’t be any help, so I didn’t try.”

“But honey, then you don’t know if you are afraid and can’t handle it.” He told her squeezing her hands softly.

“You won’t be alone. I’m with you. If you want you can hold on to me the whole flight.” She nodded with a small smile. “I love you Kimi, I won’t let anything happen to you.”

“I know.” She simply said.

“So, we do it?” he asked.

“Yes.” She answered and kissed him deeply.