After the Rain

by Karen-Anne Stewart

  Raina’s eyes are glowing when the music begins. Kas takes a slow sip of his beer, enjoying the look of carefree happiness on his wife’s face. Their food arrives, and he scoots closer to her as they eat and listen to the band. He had read that many types of musicians play there, from local bands to larger, nationally known ones. Tonight, it’s a local rock band, and they’re actually very good. When they start to play a slow song, Kas holds out his hand, “Dance with me.”

  “I thought you didn’t like dancing?” Raina smiles, taking his hand.

  “I like dancing, just not when Seth is involved,” he laughs.

  Raina sweeps her lips against his, then across his cheek, before whispering, “Not everyone can have moves like you.”

  Sliding his hand low on her back, Kas pulls her closer to him, kissing her forehead and winking mischievously, “I’ll show you some new moves later.”

  “Oh, I always love it when you teach me something new,” she winks. When she places her head against his shoulder, at that moment, everything in the world seems right.

  The next morning isn’t as warm, or sunny, as the day before but is still warm enough to visit Chimney Rock. The drive there is another beautifully scenic one with Raina asking to stop to take some pictures a few times on the way. Once they arrive, butterflies start fluttering in her stomach.

  “You nervous?” Kas asks, taking the gear from the guide.

  Raina nods, “A little.”

  “Don’t worry, darlin’, I will be right next to you,” Kas assures her, holding out the ropes and harness. “First things first, we need to go over some of the basics. When you climb, rely on your legs for most of your weight. Push with your legs while you pull with your arms, and don’t get too close to the rock. You want to keep your hips over your feet as much as possible, it helps keep you balanced.”

  Attentively listening to every word, Raina tries to memorize his instructions.

  “On the way up, look for cracks and crevices to grab onto, but don’t grip too hard, sweetheart, or you’ll tire out.” He grabs her right hand, “Use this hand as your brake hand on the way down, and hold the rope securely when we descend, never let go. You understand?”

  Her butterflies multiply until there’s a heavy swarm inside, “Yes.”

  Kas threads the rope through the metal carabineers, making sure he has good stopper knots, “These autoblock knots are our safety back-up.” Looking up, he sees a twinge of fear, “Don’t worry, I’ve got you, Rain.”

  “I know.”

  After checking her ropes and harness, Kas fits it to Raina and feeds the rope through the belay device as he clips it through the device and the loop before attaching it to the harness and locking it, “You ready?”

  His smile is contagious, and she grins back, despite her nerves. “Ready,” she exclaims.

  Kas is close enough to grab her if necessary as they begin their climb. Raina looks for depressions to hold onto as she ascends the rock. She feels every muscle in her body as she continues climbing upwards.

  “You’re doing great, Rain,” Kas encourages, carefully keeping an eye on her.

  “How come you’re not panting over there?” she teases. A thin sheen of sweat has already broken out on her body, and her breathing is becoming labored with the exertion.

  “I have much more practice than you.”

  Raina smirks at his graciousness. He works out regularly and rigorously trains with Si fu Shang three times a week while she only works out twice a week with the Kung Fu Master. Her training with Jim Shang leaves her exhausted; she has no idea how Kas keeps his stamina.

  About two-thirds of the way into the climb, Raina’s grip slips, and she loses her footing. Before she has time to panic, Kas’ hand is wrapped tightly around her wrist, holding her steady. Her heart is pounding in her chest as her gaze lowers.

  “Don’t look down,” Kas commands.

  “Too late,” she almost whimpers, scrambling to regain a firm grasp.

  “You’re safe, Rain, the ropes are secure, and I’ve got you. I won’t let anything happen to you, darlin’,” Kas assures her, effectively calming her.

  Not letting go of her wrist, he tells her to find a solid crevice. His soothing tone keeps her nerves at bay while she balances herself again. “Great job, Raina,” he praises sincerely.

  A jolt of excitement shoots through her. Flashing Kas a bright smile, she laughs, “That was amazing, completely exhilarating!”

  “Good to know,” he returns her laugh, “my wife’s turning into a thrill junkie.”

  “No worries, I won’t be looking for another high like that anytime soon.”

  “Do you want to head back down?”

  Raina shakes her head, looking up, “No, I want to finish the climb.”

  Smiling at her tenaciousness, Kas gives her a sexy wink, “Alright, my beautiful over-achiever, let’s keep going.”

  The forecast Kas checked before visiting was either wrong or has drastically changed. Rain is pouring, tapping against the window as they lie in bed.

  “I guess hiking is out of the question,” Raina teases. She’s only slightly disappointed; her body aches from the climb yesterday, and a day to give her sore muscles a rest sounds good. “We can visit some of the shops,” she offers, laughing at his low groan. “Okay, we can visit the Biltmore House instead.”

  “That sounds more interesting,” he replies, his voice turning huskier, “but, I think we should stay in bed for a while longer first.”

  Raina squeals when Kas pulls her underneath him. He flashes his cocky grin, and her body immediately responds. She smiles when he sheds his briefs, Resting is highly overrated.

  Later that morning, they hop into the shower together, continually bumping against each other with the shower being considerably smaller than the one at home. Neither one seems to mind at all. The rest of the morning is spent casually touring the famous home before taking a seat at The Stables for lunch.

  “I’m starving,” Raina gushes, looking over the menu.

  The waitress fills their wineglasses with a crisp Riesling made from their own winery. Raina takes a small sip, looking over the rim at her husband who is busy deciding on which entree he’s going to order.

  Feeling her gaze, Kas flashes his sexy, cocky grin, “What is it, sweetheart? You gotta thing for me?”

  Pursing her lips and tilting her head, she winks, “A little thing.”

  “Little, huh?” he laughs, “you are such a terrible liar.”

  “And you are full of yourself,” she laughs, throwing her napkin at him.

  “Hey, I just read the signs, baby,” Kas smirks.

  Leaning in close to him, Raina takes his hand, tracing her finger sensually up his palm, slowly circling around his wrist, “I think we should blindfold those eyes of yours tonight so I can surprise you for once, unless giving up that particular element of control is too much for you to handle?” Her challenging smirk reaches all the way to her eyes as she tugs at her lip with her teeth.

  “I trust you explicitly, darlin’,” he responds truthfully, leaning closer to her, his carnal eyes boring into hers, “but, this game goes both ways, I get a turn, too.”

  Her spreading smile gives her full compliance.

  When the waitress returns, interrupting their playful, sexual banter, Kas chuckles at the blush glowing pink on his innocent wife’s cheeks, loving her perfect blend of purity and enthusiastic naughtiness.

  Regaining her composure, Raina orders the roasted vegetable salad with shrimp while Kas decides on the spice-rubbed smoked ribs. They take their time enjoying their lunch, sipping on wine and talking like newlyweds. For dessert, they share the chocolate fudge and blond brownies before Kas pays the bill and takes his wife back to the bed and breakfast for a lot more sweet decadence.

  Falling against the bed, Raina’s body glistens in the moonlight as a thin sheen of sweat covers both of them. Kas throws his arm over his head, trying to catch his breath, “Darlin’, you are the best workout I
’ve ever had.”

  “I’m a lot more fun, too,” she grins, placing her chin on her arm that is resting on top of his chest.

  “That you are,” he laughs, agreeing fully with the astounding amount of entertainment she delivers him.

  Climbing completely on top of him, she sits on his reclined hips, her just thoroughly sexed glow brightens her entire body.

  Kas can’t tear his eyes off of her as he takes a silky auburn strand, playfully sliding it through his fingers, “What are you thinking about, sweetheart?”

  Her lips curve at his adept abilities, “Can I ask you a question?”

  The tone in her voice peaks his attention, “You can ask me anything you want, you know that.”

  “Do you ever think about your mom?”

  “Sometimes,” Kas admits as he sits up and slides Raina with him so she’s sitting on his lap.

  “I’m sorry you never got the chance to know her,” she whispers, gently kissing his chest as her thoughts stray to the picture of Ann that Cliff still carries in his wallet.

  “Me, too,” he admits, “but Dad always made sure to include her in my life somehow. He told me all about her growing up, and I have several pictures of her.” Kas tilts her chin with his fingers before tucking her hair behind her ear, “What’s this really about, Rain?”

  Softly shrugging her shoulders, she gazes at him questioningly, “I don’t know. It’s just that, lately, I’ve been thinking about my birth parents again. I wondered about them a lot growing up after mom died.” Her eyes dim at her memories, “There were times that I used to fantasize about them coming back.”

  Kas’ heart breaks, “That they would come back and take you away from your father?”

  Swallowing hard, she gives a slight nod.

  He can only imagine what other thoughts she had that helped to keep her sanity throughout her nightmare of a childhood, “Did you ever think about trying to find out who they are?”

  “Yes. I could have,” Raina whispers.

  “I know.” He does know that she could have found the records and easily hacked into the needed files. “Why didn’t you?”

  “I was tempted many times, but I never could bring myself to do it.” Giving him a sly grin, some of the earlier light returns to her eyes, “It’s illegal, you know?”

  “Yeah, I know a little something about that,” he teases. “Now, tell me the real reason you didn’t do it,” he chuckles, brushing his lips across her forehead.

  “I guess I realized that there’s a reason they put me up for adoption, and if they wanted me to know, or if they wanted to meet me, they would make an effort,” Raina pauses, absently fidgeting with her fingers, “and, I was scared they wouldn’t want to meet me if I did find them.”

  Kas slips his hand around the back of her neck, under her soft curls, caressing her skin with his thumb. “They would be insane to not want to know you,” he tells her truthfully.

  “With us talking about trying to have a baby soon, it made me think about them again.” Her gaze meets his, “But, I just wanted you to know that I don’t have that need to know who they are anymore.” Love fills her eyes; her smile not only brightens her face, it lights everything inside of him up right along with her as she tells him, “I have you, now. You filled that empty space. You’re more than enough for me, Kas.”

  The hefty mixture of love, pride, and utter adoration for his wife overwhelms him at her words, at the truth of what she said written all over her beautiful face. Completely lost in the current of his emotions, he pulls her mouth to his, kissing her passionately, reverently. Tangling his hands in her hair, he deepens the kiss, feeling her love in the depths of his soul. Slowly sliding her off his lap, he lowers her to the bed, his lips never leaving hers, his tongue continuing to lavish her with emotions too strong for words. They spend the next few hours making love, being sure to go slow, each exploring the other like it was their first time.

  Raina watches the scenery go by on the way home, and woods turn into highways, highways turn into interstates, before reaching D.C. again. When they pull into their driveway, Raina smiles as she briefly revisits the first time she saw Kas’ house, now their home, and how she felt like she belonged somewhere for the first time in years. Tears prick the back of her eyes, and she wraps her arms around Kas, pressing her body into his, snuggling as close as possible. “Thank you,” she whispers.

  “For what, darlin’?” Kas asks as he tilts her chin with his finger and gently wipes away a tear with his thumb.

  “Everything.”

  Wrapping his hand around the back of her head, he brings her lips to his, his mouth caressing hers, his tongue slowly exploring, before reluctantly pulling away, “C’mon, let’s go inside. It’s been a long day, let’s get you to bed.”

  Chapter Four

  The world didn’t get any better while they were away. Kas flips through the printed information on the suspects who he hopes one will turn out to be Jefferson. He had kept abreast of anything new over the phone while in North Carolina, but he had hoped that, by some miracle, looking at the information in ink would jog some brilliant idea or divulge much needed secrets. Letting out a long breath, he leans back in his chair with his arms resting above his head. Hesitantly, he dials Michael.

  “Pierce, man, I was beginning to wonder if I’d ever hear from you again,” Michael states truthfully, happy to hear his friend’s voice.

  “Yeah, I know, I should’ve called sooner. How have you been?”

  “Good . . . and you?”

  Kas catches Michael’s pause, knowing the abrupt end to their last conversation must have left the agent with a long list of questions, “We’re good, Michael, really good.”

  “I’m glad to hear that,” Michael responds, the relief in his voice evident. “How’s your team?”

  “We’re still chasing ghosts here. I need you to do me a favor.”

  “Sure, name it.”

  “Keep an eye and ear out for the name Jefferson. If this name comes up in anything will you let me know?”

  “Do you have a first name for this Jefferson?”

  It’s Kas who pauses this time, “Thomas.”

  Michael’s laughter causes Kas to miss his jovial friend. “Yeah, alright. I’ll keep a lookout, that name will be hard to miss.”

  They spend the next few minutes catching up. Neither one mentions Brent.

  Jake knocks on the frame of the open office door, “Got a minute?”

  Motioning for Jake to enter, Kas finishes the call with Michael, promising to keep in touch, before turning towards Jake, “What’s up?”

  “Senator Wakely seems to be doing some research of his own.”

  Sitting up straighter, Kas listens as Jake continues, “He seems to be looking for two men in particular.”

  “Do we have names to these men yet?”

  “No, but apparently they are affiliated with an old gang.”

  “Have the agents keep a close eye on him. I want those names.” Kas purses his lips, “I want to know everything about them.”

  “I’ll let them know,” Jake assures his leader, calling the agents on his way out.

  Deciding to check on what Erik and Raina are working on, Kas heads upstairs. He covers his ears as he enters Erik’s office. Tapping Raina on the shoulder, he yells, or mouths, for her to turn the music down, with Poison blaring so loudly she can’t quite tell which. Not removing her headphones, she walks across the room, pushing Erik’s chair, with him in it, out of the way so she can lower his chosen concentration for the day.

  “How do you get anything done in here?” Kas blurts out, his voice a little loud from the ringing left in his ears.

  Raina tosses him her headphones, “These help.”

  “And you can actually hear your music with Erik’s busting your drums?”

  “Hey, I have quite the extensive, eclectic collection, thank you very much. I choose each selection carefully,” Erik reprimands, “you just don’t know good music when you hea
r it, Pierce.”

  “I happen to like Poison, I just don’t like having them embedded in my brain,” Kas banters, kicking Erik’s chair so it spins as it rolls across the room.

  Raina laughs when Erik grabs the edge of the long worktable to stop his ride. “For your information, my embedded brain has been very productive today,” he chuckles. “I’ve restored the hard drive on three computers and found a lead on a ring reaching from here to Atlanta.”

  “Any correlation to Parker?”

  “None that we could find.”

  “Lawson’s team is heading to Atlanta,” Erik begins, glancing at Raina who quickly looks down, her eyes reverting back to the screen in front of her.

  Kas follows Erik’s gaze and tugs on the back of Raina’s chair, “What are you two not telling me?”

  Erik lets out a hearty laugh and throws down a twenty dollar bill, “Remind me never to bet against you again, girl.”

  “Betting? What did you bet on?” Kas asks, his confusion mounting.

  Raina’s expression is sheepish as Erik fills him in, “Your superhuman abilities. It’s just freaky, and so not fair.” He turns towards Raina, “I bet you don’t get away with anything do you?”

  “Rain, spill . . . now,” Kas demands, not liking where this is going.

  Not making eye contact, Raina blurts out, “Lawson wants me to go with him and his team to Atlanta.”

  “Why?”

  “To be a sub,” she mumbles.

  “A sub? As in a technical or language specialist substitute or as in a submissive?”

  “Submissive,” she whispers so low Kas can barely hear her.

  Kas’ face is taut, and his voice is clipped as he asks, “What did you tell him?”

  “I said that I would need to talk with you first.”

  Erik chuckles, “See, she’s already practicing the role, being all docile and asking for your permission.”

  Raina shoots Erik a deadly look before her gaze finally meets Kas’. His face is tight, his eyes unreadable, but, thankfully, anger free.