Chapter 11

Surprises were all too quickly forgotten once the newlyweds were in their room with the double bed right in front of them.  Clothes were eagerly discarded as four lonely nights apart were in need of being made up for.

After satisfying one another, Lou lay with her head on Kid's chest while he rubbed circles on her bare back.  She gave a happy sigh then lifted her head to look at him. 

As she brushed a couple sweaty curls off his forehead, Kid leaned forward to kiss her on the lips.  "Now that's my idea of a comin' home present."

"You like that better than my going away present?"  Lou asked, wanting to see what his reaction would be, since she knew both presents were exactly the same.

"Yes, ma'am, I sure do,"  Kid told her.

"You what?!"  Lou asked, starting to get a little miffed.

"Take it easy,"  Kid said, gently caressing her cheek.  "All I meant was that with the going away present, I knew I was leaving afterward and wouldn't be near you again for a number of days.  But, now,"  he paused, smiling.  "Now, we're back together and nothing's going to separate us from this point on.  It's gonna be just you and me."

"Well, maybe not always just you and me,"  she said secretively smiling

"I hope you don't mean we're expecting company right now because I could get used to this."  He indicated what they were doing by trying to kiss her neck but she backed away from him.  He looked at her in confusion as he pushed himself into a sitting position.

"Well, I can't,"  she admitted, getting depressed.  "First off, I don't like that Buck knows what we're doin' up here."  She pulled the blanket tighter around herself as Kid brought her to lean against his chest.

"Lou, honey, it's alright,"  he tried to assure her.  "We're newlyweds, it's kinda expected of us.  And we might as well take advantage of it while we can." 

"It bothers me, alright?"  she argued.  She turned away from him and he watched as she pushed the blanket aside, took her robe off the bed post and got up, slipping the garment on.  She walked to the window and sat in the chair next to it.  Lou pulled her legs up tight and rested her hands and chin on her knees.  She looked outside instead of at Kid.

Kid looked at her for a moment, not knowing where this was coming from.  Since they'd entered the room, she'd been as eager to get reacquainted as he was.  Now she was doing a complete turn around.  He reached for his long john bottoms and slipped them on before going to her.

He knelt in front of her and tapped her knee.  "What's going on, Lou?"

"How long we gonna keep doin' this, Kid?"

"Doing what?"  he asked in total confusion.

"This,"  she said, indicating the bed with her eyes.  "We're married yet it feels like nothin's private for us.  Anytime the two of us are missin' during the day, it's safe for Buck, Teaspoon and Rachel to assume we're up here.  And to top it all off, even at night when that's the proper time to do what we're doing, Rachel can hear us and knows when we're dancing and when we're sleeping!"  She sighed in frustration and looked away from him.

So, that's what this is all about, Kid thought.  Now it all made perfect sense.  He felt a twinge of guilt, knowing this could have all been avoided if he'd just been able to keep his hands off her and had instead told her his big surprise like he wanted to. 

"Come on,"  he said, standing up.  He took her hand, trying to pull her to her feet.  "I got something to show you."

She glanced at what was at her eye level, now that he was standing, and blushed.  "Uh, Kid, I've seen it before and I really ain't in the mood right now."

He glanced down to see what she was talking about and shifted uncomfortably on his feet.  "Not that," he reprimanded her.  "We'll discuss where your mind keeps wandering later."  He shook his head as she gave him a wicked smile.  Even though she was upset, she found she couldn't deny how irresistible he was to her.  "You gotta get dressed, I need to take you to town for something."

"I don't feel like going to town right now."

"Well, you are and you'll be glad once you get there and find out what this is all about.  Now, if you don't get up and get dressed, I'll just have to dress you myself."  He stood with his hands on his hips, challenging her.

"You wouldn't,"  she said, accepting the challenge.

"Oh, no?  It's an awful lot of fun undressing you, maybe it's time I found out if it's as much fun to put clothes on you."  With that, he knelt down once again and slowly started untying her robe.  He then pulled the garment open, revealing her breasts.  He stared at them to make his point.

Not giving in to him but knowing how to drive him crazy, Lou slowly rose, letting the robe slide slightly off her shoulders.  "Fine, I'll do it myself,"  she told him, walking past him.  "But you know, Kid, the least you could have done was take it off all the way for me."  She let it slip to the floor as she continued walking toward the dresser, now completely naked.

Kid stared at her bare form and finally had to shake his head and wipe his mouth to stop his mind from wandering where it wanted to.  He slowly got to his feet and made his way to the bed to retrieve his clothes, chuckling at the situation in front of him.  She had always been able to drive him crazy, first it was just sleeping in the bunk above his and knowing she was there, now it was something as simple as teasing him with something he found very inviting.  She knew how to get to him and it always worked.  He sighed as she slipped her chemise over her head, taking the view away from him.