“You were you,” Kate said and kissed me again. “You deserve to be happy. You deserve a family who loves you totally and completely, Drake.”
I squeezed her and then took Sophie from Kate, carrying her to the kitchen while Kate went to the stove and tended something in a pot. It was Karen's day off so Kate was cooking.
“What’s for dinner?”
“Braised beef shanks Cuban style,” she said. “I’ve been watching Anthony Bourdain and it looked so good, I had to try it. There’s smashed potato with garlic and fresh steamed broccoli.”
“Smashed potatoes? Sounds delicious. What about Sophie?”
“She’s too young for beef shanks,” Kate said and then turned around to give me a huge grin before turning back to the stove.
“Oh, you,” I said and pinched her ass. “You know what I mean.”
“It’s the breast for her,” she said and took Sophie from my arms. “I need to feed her and then she’ll go down for a nap. Then, we can eat.”
“I want to eat you,” I said and pulled her against my hips. She laughed and wriggled out of my arms, and I managed to tickle Sophie as Kate went by. I was rewarded by a big smile.
“My girls,” I said, following Kate to the living room. Kate took a seat on the sofa and opened her sweater, pulling down the flap that covered her nipple. She had a breast pad on marked with an X so she could keep track of which breast Sophie fed from first. Finally, she got Sophie settled in the crook of her arm, fed her a nipple and Sophie was off, one hand on the soft swell of Kate’s breast, her eyes latched onto Kate’s.
What a beautiful sight. It choked me up with happiness, seeing the two of them doing so well. Only a few months earlier, it could have all ended in tragedy.
I checked my watch. Christmas was on Sunday and Christmas Eve fell on Saturday.
“Are we going to St. Stanislaus on Christmas Eve?” I asked, stroking Kate’s hair. “I loved it last year.”
“I’d love to. We’ll have supper at my Dad’s as usual and then open a present. Then we can go to the cathedral to listen to carols.”
“Sound like the perfect Christmas Eve.”
I smiled and leaned in to kiss Kate, and couldn’t imagine that anything could make me happier.
I raced around on Christmas Eve day and did some last-minute shopping, picking up some wine for Christmas Eve dinner at Ethan’s, fresh cream and a baguette from our local grocers, and some bagels from the deli down the street. Then, I went home and changed into a suit and tie for dinner at Ethan’s.
Kate was wearing a nice new black taffeta dress with bare shoulders and a built-in bra, plus
black sheer stockings, her black lace garters and thong underneath.
“I feel way too sexy, Dr. Morgan,” she said as she pulled up one nylon and attached the garters.
“I know,” I said with a lascivious grin. “I remember another day a couple of years ago when I first saw your garters. I think I was a goner at that moment. Yep,” I said and licked my bottom lip slowly when she met my eyes. “Captured and tamed at that precise moment.”
“You’re crazy,” she said with a laugh. “It took more than that.”
“No,” I said and shook my head. “Seriously. I had two prospective subs lined up, both of whom were very desirable, but all I could think of was you and those bloody knees and torn nylons with your black lace garters…”
“Really?” she said and stood up, straightening her dress. “Two?”
“Yes,” I said, remembering them. “I turned them both down because what I wanted was to capture you and debauch you, convert you to my depraved ways so I could tie you up and make you scream out my name.”
I grinned at her and she smiled back, wagging her eyebrows. “Caught, debauched and converted,” she said with a light laugh. She came to me and slipped her arms around my waist, pulling her hips against mine. “Waiting impatiently to scream out your name again and again.”
I pulled her into my arms and we kissed. On her part, Sophie bounced in her bouncer, a wet drooly smile on her face. I held my hand beside my mouth and whispered, pretending to keep Sophie from hearing.
“Tomorrow night, if you’re up for it. I have something special planned…”
She grinned. “I’m almost always up for it,” she said, grinning as she leaned up and kissed my jaw.
"You are," I said and returned her grin. "And I'm a very happy man as a result."