Chapter Five: Blissful Interlude
When his cellphone chimed, Josh snapped it up. “JC.” He’d been lying there in his hotel room, dreading the fact he couldn’t see Kitty for weeks. It had only been two weeks and it was already eating at him. How was their marriage going to survive this?
Kitty frowned at the sharp tone in his voice. He didn’t sound like a happy camper. “Shall I hang up and call at a better time?”
“Sweetness!” Immediately his mood brightened and his voice was welcoming. “Hey, baby, how are you?”
“Very tired actually. I had to make an unexpected trip.”
“That’s tough,” he commiserated.
“I had just enough time to toss a couple of outfits in a bag, grab my laptop, and race to the airport.”
“Not a problem for you, leadfoot,” he teased.
“I didn’t call to be insulted,” she giggled.
“Sorry, Kit, but your driving scares the hell out of me sometimes.”
“I’m an excellent driver. I’ve never gotten a ticket—“
“Meaning you’ve never been caught,” Josh chuckled. This felt so good, being able to joke with his wife, even if she was across the country from him.
“Where are you?” she asked abruptly.
“In a hotel in New York, missin’ the hell out of you,” was his quiet answer.
“Gee, I’m in New York, too!” she stated innocently.
Josh sat up, suddenly coming to life. “You are? Baby, where? I—“
“You know that talk show you are doing tomorrow?”
“Yeah.”
“Well, so am I. The female lead got the chicken pox, so they asked me, the second banana, to come and promote the movie.”
He remembered she had a promotional tour that had been taking her everywhere but where he was.
“Then you’ll be at this hotel.”
“Already am. Think you can sneak me into your room?” she asked, pretending they were in a conspiracy.
“Sneak nothin’! Get up here, girl! I’m on the top floor. I’ll meet you at the elevator.”
“But I need one of those security key cards to get those elevators to open.”
“I’ll be right down!”
When the elevator doors to the lobby opened, there was Kitty, baggage in hand, looking tired and beautiful.
“C’mere, sweetness.” Josh took her twin burdens from her as the doors slid closed. He urged her against him, his arms closing about her.
Kitty snuggled close and gave a tired sigh. “Hi.”
“Baby, I am so glad you’re here. It’s an answer to a prayer,” he murmured against her cheek.
“It was in my mind to tell the producer ‘no’ until I realized you were here. I am rather whipped.”
“You can nap.”
“Uh-huh…” She was disbelieving. She and Josh in a room with a bed didn’t equal sleep.
The elevator opening, prevented his retort. Leading her to his door, he opened it with his key card.
The suite was luxurious, but all Kitty cared about was a bath and a nap.
Setting her things on the sofa, he took her into his arms again. “Want something from room service?”
Kitty wound her arms about his waist. “No.”
“A bath then.”
“Mmm.. that sounds wonderful. I don’t have any toiletries—“
“I’ll get what you need. Everything raspberry.”
She gave him a sleepy smile. “I knew there was a reason I fell in love with you.”
“Need anything else?”
“I have nothing. Like I said, I had about five seconds to pack. I’ve got clothes for the show and an outfit to wear home. That’s it. I even have to go buy make-up later.”
“Well, I can take care of the rest. The make-up is out of my league.” He gave her a gentle shove towards the bedroom. “You go stretch out for a bit. You’ll have what you need in a while.”
Before Josh was finished at the hotel’s shops, his security man and the concierge thought he was insane. Shampoo and conditioner. Body wash, not soap. One of those mesh things for her to wash with. That spray oil stuff, not lotion. Body powder. Foam bath, not bath salts. All of it had to be in raspberry scent. All those things presented in a lovely basket and the silver-lilac peignoir set in satin declared this husband knew exactly how to please his travel weary wife.
Josh stopped in his tracks before they made it to the elevator. “Candles. I forgot candles.”
Lonnie sighed irritably. “I’ll go back and get them.”
“And a lighter. And don’t forget to—“
“Make them raspberry,” the big man grumbled.
He hated to wake her, Josh thought as he sat next to his sleeping wife. Then again, she had once said she felt grungy from stale airplane air and preferred to slide between the sheets washed clean. “Sweetness.” He touched her cheek lightly. If she didn’t wake, he’d let her sleep.
Kitty opened her eyes and gave him a sleepy smile. “If it’s a dream, don’t wake me.”
“Am I in your dreams?” he asked, answering her smile.
“In the really good ones, you are.”
“Ready for that bath?”
“After I get a kiss.” She sat up and lightly touched her mouth to his. She was pleasantly surprised when he didn’t try to deepen the caress.
“C’mon. I did my best.” He led her into the bathroom, dimly lit with several chunky candles. The tub was full of frothy bubbles. He’d even remembered a bath pillow – and the room smelled deliciously of her signature fragrance.
“Oh, baby, you out did yourself!” she exclaimed.
“Nothings too good for my sweetness.” Assisting her in undressing, Josh kept any sexual thoughts at bay. This was about loving and taking care of his wife, not seduction. “In you go.” He indicated the tub.
Kitty sank into the hot, fragrant water and settled her head against the pillow. “You are the dearest man alive,” she purred. “Thank you, blue-eyes. You are definitely a keeper.”
Bending over her, he kissed her forehead. “Don’t drown in there. I’ve got to meet the guys for another show. I’ll be back later. Want to have dinner and meet the other two?”
“I don’t have—“
“I’ll send your clothes out to be cleaned and pressed. We’re blue jean guys, so don’t worry about dressin’ to impress. We’ll probably order pizza in.”
“Make mine—“
“Pepperoni,” he finished for her.
“Josh?”
“Yeah, baby?”
“Thank you. You’ve been—“
“Your husband. Hopefully a good one.”
“Josh?”
“Hmm?”
“Can I have one more kiss?” She sounded unsure.
Well, he could reassure her easily enough. His mouth found hers in a hungry kiss. “Sweetness, believe me, it’s not that I don’t want you. What I do want is for you to be well rested and ready for me. ‘Cuz I think it’ll take all night for me to love you.”
“I’ll work on it while you’re gone.”
He grinned. “You do that.”
After he left, Kitty had time to look over the large basket over-flowing with her favorite toiletries. Josh was amazing. How had he remembered all her favorite products and their brand names – right down to her toothpaste and razor? She was one lucky girl!
Her new nightgown and robe lay across the bed with a quick note scrawled on hotel stationary. “I know it’s not your usual. Indulge me. It’ll look so wonderful on you before I remove it to make love to you. Love you, Josh.”
“I do love you, too,” she whispered.
Kitty was still asleep when Josh arrived back at the room. He stood in the bedroom doorway, watching her peaceful sleep. Her vulnerability in sleep brought all the protective male urges in him. He’d always said he wanted and independent, free-thinking mate, a strong partner. Kitty was all that and more.
It was his mother who had pointed out your mate was the one allowed to see your vulnerabilities and weaknesses as well as the strength. It was a trust thing. Warts and all, his dad said. Kitty didn’t seem to have any of them yet.
“You got married fast, maybe too fast,” his father had warned him. “So there’s going to be a lot surprises to face and they may not be pretty.”
He’d face them with Kitty. That’s all that mattered to him.
Kitty felt his eyes and woke. Languidly, she stretched, then sat up against the headboard. “Got time for a quickie?” she asked.
“No, sweetness, we don’t.”
“You sure?”
He nodded, only too aware her mere question woke Mr. Happy – and she knew it, too, if the gleam in her eyes were any indication.
“You’re too far away,” she pouted. “Come here, blue-eyes.”
Josh approached the bed. “We can’t, baby. The pizza—“
She tugged at his arm until he toppled down beside her. Leaning over him, Kitty kissed him tenderly. “Remember those times you promised to take me to the stars – and never asked anything in return?”
He didn’t answer, not when her hand went to his zipper. “Baby—“
“Hush, my sweet Joshua. For once, you can be the taker, not the giver.” Her soft mouth covered his, stealing his breath as her hand sought the huge bulge straining his boxer-briefs.”
Josh groaned. She knew just the right touch, not too gentle, firm strokes. “Sweetness—“
“If we both got involved, we’d have to take a shower and you know what that could lead to, then the pizza would really be cold.”
“But—“
“Lift.” At his obedience, she pulled his jeans and underwear down his thighs, enough to free his throbbing member.
“I wanna touch you,” he complained.
“Later,” she promised.
Lowering her head, she gently held his shaft to one side to lick at his sacs. Was she the only woman alive who knew how crazy that drove a man? Certainly, no one else had ever done that to him!
“Where’d you learn that?”
“Trade secret.”
Her hand went back to the motion he loved on his stiff manhood. Her tongue swirled around the purple head.
“Sweetness, it won’t take long—“ Josh began to thrust his hips up demandingly.
“Baby, just let it go.”
"Kitty, I—“
Realizing his explosion was near, Kitty took him fully into her mouth. Several powerful sucks later, Josh was crying her name was he pumped himself down her throat.
For a moment, Josh lie still, savoring the selfish, mind-blowing pleasure Kitty gave so freely. How many men knew what it was like with so much love involved? He’d had blowjobs – and with most that’s what had seemed like – jobs, something they felt they had to do. But Kitty seemed to truly enjoy loving him that way.
Kitty kissed him softly and stroked his hair back. “Josh, I’ve got to freshen up and change my clothes. Will you be okay?”
“Okay? Kitty, you just rocked my universe.” He smiled dreamily.. “Okay doesn’t cover it.”
Pressing her lips to his forehead, she whispered, “I love you.”
“Newlyweds always late?” Justin complained when Josh and Kitty arrived in the suite they used as common area.
“We try to be on time,” Kitty answered saucily. “But something always comes up.”
Joey laughed. “Usually JC.”
“Don’t be unfair,” Kitty chastised her friend. “What makes you think it wasn’t me?”
“’Cuz after years of noticing a hard-on in nearly every picture, we reckon he has one 24/7,” Justin laughed.
“I think you need a lesson in discretion, young man.” Kitty offered Justin her hand. “Kit.”
Chris approached, offering his hand to Kitty and a greeting. “I’m Chris. The ‘young man’ is Justin.”
“Nice to meet you, Chris. I’m Kit.”
“Josh’s sweetness. Yeah, we all know that by now,” Justin smirked.
“Well, don’t torment my poor baby or I’ll have to hurt you, Justin.”
“Me?”
Josh watched the by-play. He decided Kitty could hold her own against anyone. Sliding an arm around her waist, he pulled her to his side. “In case you haven’t guessed, my wife is fond of me,” he mused.
“Fond doesn’t begin to cover it,” she murmured.
“Hey, Kit.” Lance gave her a quick hug.
“Hello, Lance. How’ve you been?”
“Busy.”
“So I hear.”
Joey wrapped a big arm around Kitty’s neck to scruff her hair. “Can’t seem to get rid of you.”
“Which is your fault. I wouldn’t have met Josh if it hadn’t been for you.”
“Yeah. I rue the day.”
“I don’t,” Josh said quietly.
“Now, someone lured me here with the promise of pizza.”
Josh was pleased to note Kitty was well accepted among his best friends. She was an easy person to be with, teasing, light-hearted…
Dynamite in bed. He still hadn’t made love to her – and he was beginning to feel a kind of desperation. He needed to be inside her, making that intimate connection – making her pregnant.
“Sweetness.” He came up behind her, his mouth on the sensitive flesh just below her ear. “I need you – now.”
“Josh—“
“I gotta be inside you, lovin’ you, baby.”
She heard the urgency in his voice and wasn’t about to tease him. She nodded. “All right.”
“Now, usually when I have a group coming out after our first guest,” the popular daytime hostess was explaining to her audience, “the first guest leaves.”
“I can leave,” Kitty offered. She had done her bit, promoting her movie. And she had to get to the airport.
“Yeah, but the word from the green room is at least one of the guys doesn’t want you to leave.”
Kitty laughed. “I did a movie with Joey,” she offered.
“Joey? This guy said if there weren’t enough chairs that you could sit on his lap. So, I take you are dating one of them.”
“Certainly not all five!”
Rosie got to her feet and walked around her desk. “Bring in four other chairs, guys,” she called to her stage people. Actually, one chair was places next to Kitty’s and three stools were placed behind the chairs.
“Kit.” Rosie indicated Kitty should stand to her left. “*NSYNC, everybody!”
The screams and cries were thunderous as the five guys came out on stage. Each man kissed Rosie then Kitty. Justin took the stool closest to the desk. Joey, the next. Lance sat on the last stool. Chris took the chair Kitty had vacated. Josh sat in the far chair.
“Okay, Kitty, Bachelor one, two, three, four or five?” the hostess asked.
Kitty paused behind Justin and he grinned at her. She put an arm around Lance.
“Cut it out,” Josh grumbled as one long arm reached around and hauled Kitty onto his lap.
“Four I think,” Kitty giggled.
“I take it this is a serious relationship, JC.”
If he could only announce to the world just how serious…Kitty hadn’t said she was ready.
“Man, those two are so into each other, it’s disgusting,” Justin teased.
“Right now, getting ready for the tour and Kitty promoting her movie, we don’t get a lot of time together,” Josh added. “It was pure coincidence she is here today.” He rubbed Kitty’s back lightly, in an unconscious affectionate gesture.
“The conversation turned to the new CD that had yet to be released and the upcoming tour. Kitty might have felt out of place if it hadn’t been for Josh’s hand on her back, his physical and emotional attention.
“Right after the break, the guys will do a song from the new CD.”
Kitty removed herself from Josh’s lap.
“Where’re you goin’?” he protested.
“You’ve got to get your equipment on and I have to get to the airport. I should’ve left—“
He pulled her to the side. “Baby, no.”
“I’ll be late for my flight, if I don’t go now.” She stroked his hair, mouthing Love you, blue-eyes.
Reluctantly, Josh released her with a soft kiss. “I’ll call you tonight.”
“Okay.”
With a wave to the others, Kitty departed – and Josh’s day dimmed.