The Girl in the Locket

Chapter Nine

Present day

I lay awake watching Bea, shes currently asleep, sucking her pacifier in and out of her little lips, in smooth motions. I'm wondering how peaceful it must be, to know you are cared for and loved with not a worry in this world.

My head is rested on my hand on the plump white hotel pillows. My body was twisted around Bea in a protective shell, curling my legs up behind her. Reaching out I softly smoothed my fingers through the little bit of dark brown hair on her forehead, making sure to keep it from her eyes and quietly soothe her into a deeper sleep. She had moved from her travel crib at about Seven PM, into our bed, when she had woken up cranky. I had fed her to quieten her so that she wouldn't wake Clark. Clark though, she had not even stirred in the little room attached to ours. I had checked on her multiple times in the past two hours, and she had crashed after her dinner in there with not even a sound. Each time I peeked around the door I found her in a new position, and uncovered by her sheets. It was her way, she had always slept all over the place. I re-covered her every time, resisting the urge to kiss the top of her forehead as I did so. My oldest baby was getting too big, and independent too quickly. I needed her to stay this size forever. It didn't seem that long ago that it was Clark encased in my protective embrace in bed besides me. I took a deep breath at the thought.

"Are you okay honey?" James appeared in the bathroom doorway opposite the end of the bed. A white towel wrapped around his waist and his lean toned torso covered in beads of water from the shower. He pulled a small towel off of the heated rack in the doorway and ruffled up his sandy hair until it was dry enough to smooth back and leave to set naturally.

I leaned up onto my elbow. My chin resting in my palm. "I guess" I answered, exhaling deeply.

He looked at my pouting lips and strode over to the bed. He sat down and I turned toward him, my arms reaching out around his neck. He brought me into his cool wet body and I deeply inhaled the smell of his male cologne. It brought memories back of the years I spent searching for a cologne I could actually stand the smell of. I was repulsed by most of the strong smells that men usually wore. I could never understand it but put it down to having a sensitive sense of smell.

I felt his body shake with laughter and leant back to look up at him. He had the biggest grin, it made his blue eyes light up and the creases in his laugh lines deepen.

I hit him lightly against the chest. "What are you laughing at" I whispered with a laughter in my voice.

"You're thinking about how you hate my cologne aren't you?"

"No" I replied, grabbing him again for a cuddle.

He leant his weight on me, and pushed me down onto the bed beneath him, leaning in to kiss my lips. The moment I felt the prickle of the stubble on his chin I flinched away.

I squealed with laughter, and hid my face in his neck. He kissed the side of my neck in a frenzy as my laughter grew louder.

"Go shave, Mr" I whispered into his ear. He sat up, straddling my small frame, and dwarfing me with his large body.

"I'll have you know Sammy, that I shaved this morning, and every morning the last two years too. If I wanted to though, I could have a huge beard, and guess what? You would have to just live with it, and kiss me anyway. Wife"

I grabbed his shoulders. "James, if I met you with a beard we wouldn't even be married sweetheart. If one should appear now, I'll be filing divorce papers"

He grabbed my petite waist and pulled up my white T shirt and blew bubbles on my stomach. I writhed around on the bed trying not to wake up Bea.

"Nooo, get off get off. James stop it" I protested, writhing around under his huge weight on top of me. When James did this I honestly couldn't breathe. He finally came up from my stomach. Moisture glistened against my skin and around my navel.