CHAPTER TWENTY
Tonight, she'd missed all of it.
Kate grabbed her purse and badge from the passenger seat, already formulating the apology she'd need to deliver.
She'd missed dinner, missed bedtime, missed the ordinary evening moments that Allen had been managing alone while she dealt with Linda Harper's death scene.
It was exactly the kind of situation that had caused tension in their relationship before, and she couldn't blame him if he was frustrated.
The front door was unlocked, which meant Allen had been listening for her arrival.
Kate stepped into the entryway and set down her things, trying to read the mood of the house.
She could hear the television playing quietly in the living room, and there was no sign of the scattered toys and dinner dishes that usually marked the end of a busy day with Michael.
"Allen?" she called softly, not wanting to risk waking Michael if he was still settling into sleep.
"In here," came his voice from the living room.
Kate walked through the hallway, already beginning her rehearsed explanation. "I'm so sorry I'm late. The third victim turned out to be connected to our case, and I had to process the scene and interview the sister who found the body. I know I missed dinner and bedtime, and I feel terrible about—"
Allen appeared in the doorway between the hallway and living room, cutting off her words by pulling her into his arms and kissing her deeply.
The kiss was unexpected and intense, filled with the kind of passion that caught her completely off guard.
It was so unexpected that she nearly pushed him away.
That’s how taken by surprise she was. But after a few seconds, Kate felt herself melt into him.
Her prepared apologies were forgotten as she responded to the warmth and urgency of his embrace.
When he finally broke the kiss, Kate looked up at him with surprise and pleasure. "That was nice. What was that f—"
But Allen interrupted her again, this time pressing her back against the wall and kissing her with even more intensity.
Kate felt her pulse quicken as his hands moved to her waist, pulling her closer against him.
The stress and frustration of the day began to dissolve as she lost herself in the heat of his touch and the familiar scent of his cologne.
It made no sense at all, but her nerves and the automatic attraction to him overruled the confusion.
They moved together toward the living room, their kisses becoming more urgent and desperate.
Kate's hands worked at the buttons of Allen's shirt while he tugged at her blazer, both of them moving with a kind of fevered need—perhaps partly from a slowly building frustration between the two of them concerning her sporadic job commitments.
They fell onto the couch together, Allen's shirt half-unbuttoned and Kate's hair coming loose from the neat style she'd worn to work.
Their hands explored each other with keen familiarity.
Kate felt herself responding to Allen's touch in a way that made her forget about crime scenes and victims and the weight of responsibility she'd been carrying all day.
The couch cushions caught them as they moved together, their breathing becoming ragged and urgent as kissing became much more.
Kate lost herself in the sensation of Allen's hands on her skin, in the way he whispered her name against her ear, in the overwhelming need to connect with him in the most fundamental way possible.
The outside world disappeared completely, leaving only the two of them and the heat building between them.
Afterward, they lay together on the couch, Kate's head resting on Allen's chest while he pulled the soft throw blanket from the back of the sofa to cover their naked bodies.
She could feel his heartbeat gradually returning to normal beneath her cheek, and she traced lazy circles on his skin with her fingertip.
"I have to admit," Kate said, her voice still slightly breathless, "I felt sure we'd be arguing a bit tonight."
Allen laughed, the sound rumbling through his chest. "I thought about it. But this seemed like it would be more fun."
Kate lifted her head to look at him, seeing the satisfied smile playing at the corners of his mouth. "More fun than lecturing me about missing family time?"
"Much more fun." Allen brushed a strand of hair away from her face. "Besides, sometimes it's nice to remember what else is waiting at home rather than just dinner and mommy duties."
Kate felt a warm glow of contentment spread through her.
After the difficult day she'd had, processing another crime scene and seeing the devastation in Samantha Harper's eyes, this intimate connection with Allen felt like exactly what she needed.
It reminded her why she was working so hard to balance her career with her personal life, why coming home to this man and their son mattered more than any case.
"Speaking of dinner," Allen said, his tone becoming slightly sheepish, "I was lazy tonight. There's mac and cheese in the fridge. Michael helped me make it, which means more noodles ended up on the floor than in the pot."
Kate smiled and settled back against his chest. "Do we have a wine that pairs well with mac and cheese?"
"I'm sure we do. We have wine that pairs well with everything."
They both started laughing, the sound filling the quiet living room with the kind of joy that came from being completely comfortable with each other.
Kate felt like a college kid again, lying naked with her boyfriend and giggling about nothing in particular.
It was a feeling she'd thought was lost to her forever, something that belonged to a younger version of herself who hadn't seen the darker side of human nature or carried the weight of so much responsibility.
"Should we get up and heat it up?" Kate asked, though she made no move to disentangle herself from Allen's arms.
"We should," Allen agreed, also making no effort to move. "Eventually."
Kate closed her eyes and let herself sink deeper into the comfortable weight of the blanket and Allen's embrace.
The case that had consumed her thoughts all day felt very far away now, pushed to the back of her mind by the immediate pleasure of being held and loved.
Linda Harper's death, the poisoned pills, the pattern of victims, all of it could wait until tomorrow.
Right now, there was only this moment of perfect contentment.
She thought about how different this evening had turned out from her expectations.
She'd driven home prepared for conflict, ready to defend her choices and navigate Allen's understandable frustration.
Instead, she'd found passion and connection and the kind of intimacy that reminded her why their relationship worked despite all the challenges.
The living room was warm and quiet around them, with only the soft glow of the table lamps and the distant sound of the television providing any sensory input.
Kate could feel Allen's breathing becoming deeper and more relaxed, and she wondered if he might fall asleep right here on the couch with her in his arms.
The thought didn't bother her at all. In fact, it sounded perfect.
Right now, there was just this. Just them and the simple pleasure of being together, naked and satisfied and completely present with each other. The mac and cheese could wait. The wine could wait. Everything could wait except this moment of pure happiness and connection.
Kate smiled against Allen's chest and let herself drift in the warmth of his embrace, feeling remarkably pleased and content despite everything that had happened during the day.
And with his soft heartbeat against the side of her face, the case—the bodies, the pills, the empty-nesters—seemed very far away.