Needing his protection (closed-pm first)

[BeachBum25]

John watched the two girls going at it. He thought it was cute...and funny. He didn't dare laugh though. Of course, Nicole still gave him a dirty look and some attitude. From the interaction between Nicole and Elise, John could tell that Elise had her mother's attitude.

"no, mommy isn't mean Elise. Mommy just wants you to eat your lunch. If you want to grow up to be a big girl, you have to do what mommy says." John was surprised when Elise gave him attitude and said that it wasn't fair that he was on her mom's side. Well, he shouldn't be surprised...she was Elise's daughter.

"finish your lunch and we will go for a walk around the island and do some exploring. Of course, only if mommy wants to come with us. I think it will be fun for the three of us to do some exploring together."

 

[zydrate]

Nicole sat down and ate her sandwich as Elise saw that she wasn't going to win this and started to eat again.

"Sure, a little exploring sounds like a good idea... I just need to shower and change too." After they all finished up, Nicole left Elise with John as she disappeared to the room she had chosen for herself.

After a quick shower, she dressed in a blue bikini top and a pair of jean shorts. Donning a pair of sunglasses, she walked out into the living area, "Well, shall we?" She said as she took Elise by the hand and headed toward the balcony that led to the back and toward the ocean.

 

[BeachBum25]

John waited until Elise was finished and then they washed the dishes together. After washing her face and hands, John sat Elise on the counter. "You know something Elise. You are a very beautiful young lady. You get that from your mother. She is beautiful too."

When Nicole came into the room, John's jaw dropped. He looked at her in the bikini top and the sunglasses and she looked like a supermodel. She was stunning. John had forgotten just how beautiful Nicole was. "Doesn't mommy look beautiful Elise," John said as he lifted their daughter off the counter and followed Nicole out the door.

They walked down to the beach and john loved watching Elise run around on the beach. He took her by the hand and led her into the warm water of the Caribbean. All the while, he couldn't keep his eyes off Nicole. He was also very happy that Nicole seemed to be relaxing.

 

[zydrate]

The heat felt so good. Again, it was a whole different world from where both Elise and Nicole were used to. But it was nice. She did find herself actually relaxing and getting into the water with Elise. Taking her out a little deeper, she held her daughter with her and Elise was not scared at all. At one point, Nicole let her go and the little girl swam like a fish. It was something Nicole instilled upon her daughter as soon as she was able to only because they had a pool in there own home in Denver and although Elise was protected from any dangers in case she would fall in.

After a while, she walked out back to the shore with Elise in her arms and the little girl soon squirmed away and ran back to her father.

Nicole watched father and daughter interact and she smiled. She felt good that both were finally together but it made her realize what she had done to keep them apart. Walking up to John and Elise, Nicole joined in on the fun with them...like they all belonged and nothing was going to change...

 

[BeachBum25]

As much as John wanted to say that this getaway was for Nicole, he had to admit it would do him some good as well. John always made sure to take a little time after each mission he went on, but this was different. He was getting an opportunity to know his daughter and reconnect with someone who had been very special to him, at one time.

He enjoyed watching mother and daughter play in the water made him smile. He took off his shirt and laid it on the beach. Meh only went ankle deep in the water. He did not want to intrude on the fun that mother and daughter were having. He thought about having a child, and he could not believe that his daughter was four years old and he was just getting to know her. He had made a decision though. He was not going to dwell on it. Meh was not going to give Nicole any grief about it. He was just going to move on and enjoy his time with Elise.

They played in the water when Elise came over to him. She splashed him and he splashed her back. When she pushed him, he over dramatically fell into the water and stayed under the water for a few seconds. Then he came up and grabbed her and pulled Elise into his lap. He smiled up at Nicole who seemed to be having a god time.

When they got out of the water, they realized they did not have towels. John used his shirt to dry off Elise. He and Nicole were going to have to wait until thy got back to the house, or they were just going to have to let the sun dry them off. "Do you want to walk around or do you want to go back to the house?"

 

[zydrate]

“We can walk around for a bit more.” Nicole had said as she twisted her hair to wring it out before tossing it over her shoulder and watched Elise run up on ahead. Even though it was late afternoon, the weather couldn’t have any more perfect. It was warm, but not hot, so they would be able to dry off in no time.

When their walk was over and both John and Nicole had dried off with the help of the sun, it was time to head inside and think about dinner. With all the excitement of the day, she could tell Elise was going to be heading to bed early. So, giving her a quick bath and changing her into some PJs, Elise was out in no time. In her own room, Nicole changed into a fitted t-shirt and another pair of shorts.

She headed into the kitchen to find something to eat. Even though the evening was still fairly early, she was exhausted. Perhaps something to eat and then head to bed. It had been a long flight and even though she had slept through most of it, it was still a small case of jet lag she was suffering from.

 

[BeachBum25]

John enjoyed the time with Elise and Nicole. It was quiet, it was fun, and it was special to him. When the headed back to the house, john allowed Nicole to take care of Elise. He headed into his rom and went in and got a shower. After the shower he went out to find Nicole in the kitchen.

Nicole looked awesome again. He wanted to compliment her on her looks but was afraid of her taking it the wrong way and getting mad at him. He walked over and got a glass out of the cabinet and got himself some water. "So, is Elise in bed already?"

After she told him that Elise was in bed, John was a little disappointed that he did not get to say good night to his daughter. He figured he would go into her room in a little while and give her a kiss. "What can I fix you for dinner Nicole? Your wish is my command." He smiled at her to make sure she knew he was kidding.

 

[zydrate]

"You? Cook?" Nicole did her best to keep a straight face as she stared at John. Narrowing her eyes, she shook her head at him, "You never were a very good liar."

She opened a bottle of wine, wanting to relax, "How about I get dinner and you go give Elise a goodnight kiss? She's probably not fully asleep just yet." She went back to the fridge as she sipped from her glass of wine. In no time, Nicole started to prepare dinner. It was a simple dinner of baked salmon with fresh string beans in garlic butter.

Nicole was concentrating on making dinner and enjoying her wine that she didn't realize she was being watched by John. In no time, dinner was ready and instead of serving it all formally, Nicole just served it up at the kitchen bar counter, making things simple for now. She put out some bottles of water and a beer for John but poured herself her third glass of wine.

 

[BeachBum25]

John went in and kneeled next to Elise's bed. He watched her for several minutes. He had only known this beautiful child for a short time, but she had him mesmerized. There was nothing he wouldn't do for her.....and if he was honest with himself, there was nothing he wouldn't do for her mother, too. He kissed her softly on the cheek and on the forehead. "Goodnight, beautiful girl."

John slowly slipped out of Elise's room; quietly closing the door behind him. He walked back to the kitchen where he saw Nicole moving around the kitchen; preparing dinner. It was probably a good idea that she had taken over. What she was making looked much better than the hamburgers he was going to throw on the grill.

He took a glass and poured some wine from the bottle that Nicole had already done serious damage too. "You don't mind if I have a glass of wine with you instead of the beer, do you? I think that the wine will go much better with the delicious dinner you have made."

John sat down at the counter and looked at Nicole before taking a bite of the dinner. "This is incredible. You are still a fantastic cook," he said to her before taking another bite. The entire time he ate he looked at Nicole. She was the one person who always had that effect on him. He had forgotten how she was able to make hi focus on her without even trying. Of course, maybe it was the fact that she was beautiful, and the shirt she was wearing showed off her tremendous body, too.

 

[zydrate]

"Thanks.." Nicole as she started to eat her dinner. "I had to learn a lot more things since Elise was born..I mean, seriously, I couldn't raise her on take out."

"What about you? What else have you been up to?" Nicole asked, genuinely interested in what he had been up to since they had last seen each other those few years back. And he had been on the move so much, she and her contacts couldn't keep up with his where about when she asked them or inquired about him.

She probably could've tried harder when she found out she was pregnant but things back then weren't all in focus..not that they ever were but yeah, if she could do it all over again, she would have done her best to try to find him just to tell him. He deserved to know at least that much.

Nicole was a lot more relaxed after that last glass of wine. She didn't opt for anymore seeing as how she didn't want to seem like a complete lush..she had to save some for John after all...right?

 

[BeachBum25]

John sipped his wine. He drank only socially, and it seemed appropriate for him to have a little wine with Nicole tonight. "I totally immersed myself in my work once we decided to go our separate ways. This will be the first time since then that I have taken more than 4 days off between operations. In fact, four days off was rare. I have gone from one job to the next. I have been all over the world, but not really on vacation."

John watched Nicole finish her wine. He picked up the bottle and poured her what was left in bottle. She protested a little, but it was too late. "It is okay, Nicole. You have earned this. You deserve a respite. You have worked hard to raise our daughter on your own, and you have done an outstanding job."

John reached across the counter and cupped her cheek. Then he winked at her. "Let's go sit out on the porch. We will be able to hear Elise if she wakes up, and it is too beautiful to be staying inside." He placed his hand on the small of her back and led her outside.

 

[zydrate]

God. That wink.

It was that wink that got Nicole in trouble with John in the first place. She remembered when they had all gathered in the briefing room before the big mission. The collaboration between the bureau and the secret service... he had given her that wink when she had made eye contact with him. She had given him a dirty look but he hadn't relented.

And to make things worse, they were paired and chosen as 'the couple' who would go under cover for the mission.

Little did they both know it would work all too well. Sure, the mission was a success but the end result...wow.

As both Nicole and John made their way to the balcony, Nicole leaned against the railing and looked on as the sunset against the water gave the evening a nice glow. As Nicole sipped the wine from the glass, she found herself standing intimately close to John.

 

[BeachBum25]

John was amazed by the sunset. The one thing about his job was that he never got to stop and enjoy the places he was. If John were on a mission right now, he would never have noticed the sunset. Hell, he had been all over the world and noticed nothing; even the places that people spent a lot of money to travel to see.

He sat his wine glass on the porch railing and stood next to Nicole. She had been the only woman that he ever really had feelings about despite the short length of time that they spent together. She had the whole package: she was beautiful, sexy, intelligent, oh, and yea, she had an attitude. John didn't mind the attitude per se, but with Nicole she had attitude and always had to be right. That was what drove them apart. Of course, the fact that john had attitude also probably contributed to it..... a little.

They stood there quietly watching the sun disappear. Their bodies seemed to drift together. He felt his hip pressing into Nicole's side. A small smile came across his lips as he realized she was not moving away from him. Of course, he had to be careful what he read into that......she drank almost an entire bottle of wine.

 

[zydrate]

Nicole continued to watch the sunset with John. Soon, it was dark and a few of the outside lights came on...not flooding the place with light but enough to give the outside a warm glow. So with that, Nicole took John by the hand, "Let's go sit," she said and took a seat on the steps that led down to the beach from the porch.

There really wasn't much to talk about..or maybe there was but knowing too much about each other would mean-at least to Nicole-that she actually cared. Which she did but well.. she wasn't sure. She had so many mixed feelings right now that she didn't know where to start. Their breakup years ago was something Nicole always blamed herself fully for. He wanted them to get to know each other. But she was too focused on her career so she pushed him away.

A lot of good that did her as she found out later that she was pregnant with their child. It had been a complete surprise as she was injured and had been taken to the hospital where standard tests were run before her surgery and then afterward, she was given the news... It seemed like so long ago, that was for sure.

After a few more minutes out, Nicole stood up and looked over at John, "I guess I'll go in now. I still have to unpack some of my things and then take a shower."

 

[BeachBum25]

John reached for Nicole's hand and squeezed it a little. He was surprised that she was calling it a night. when she had asked him to sit on the steps with her, he had assumed that they were going to talk. Instead, there had just been silence. John had been quiet, because it was too early in their trip for him to say anything that might upset Nicole. He wanted her to lead the discussion, and he would follow, but that didn't happen.

He released her hand as she walked toward the door. John wasn't sure what this trip was going to be like. Yes, he was going to get time to be with his daughter and learn everything he possibly could about her. However, how things would go,between Nicole and him was a different story. He didn't want to do anything to set her off. He just wanted her to relax and enjoy the time.

John sat on the steps looking out at the ocean and got lost in his thoughts. He wondered what would have happened if he had known about Elise four years ago. Would he have quit his job? Hell, money was no object. Yes, the career path he took after leaving the agency was dangerous, but it was also very rewarding...financially. He had saved more money than he could spend in many, many lifetimes. Maybe now was the time to quit....before his job put Elise in danger.

 

[zydrate]

It was early the next morning when Nicole woke up... Elise wasn't up yet and she wasn't sure about John, but knowing that he was here in case Elise needed him, helped her make up her mind to take an early swim in the ocean water. She didn't have much for swimsuits but just one more and it was sort of skimpy...something she might have worn before she had Elise but now...she wasn't sure she had the body for it anymore...

Well, no one was going to see, so it didn't matter. She dressed and grabbed a towel. The sun hadn't even risen yet but there was enough light peaking over the horizon that it was perfect.

As she stepped into the water, it was a bit cool but tolerable. Nicole just needed time to think. All night she had tossed and turned, not able to sleep as there was a lot on her mind. She was trying to figure out all this with John. What did it mean? Was it too early to ask? Why didn't she ask him last night?

When they were at her place, he had mentioned that he had a place in South Dakota. But would it be for all of them? She didn't really want to move too far from her hometown, but yet, she didn't want to be far from Elise...

That brought up another question, would John try to take Elise from Nicole? Would there be a digusting custody battle for their daughter? She had automatically assumed Elise would stay with her and if John wanted them at his place...well...

Yet, Nicole had kept Elise from John so surely, he would want more time with her and not have to be the parent that visits his child...God, it was all such a mess. The more she thought about it, the more it gave her a headache.

With that thought, Nicole disappeared under water for as long as she could. Perhaps things could work out for the best...it made her laugh that there were no happily ever afters. She and John were too hard headed and marriage was never an option. He was busy with his job and she was trying to figure her life out. Could she go back to the bureau? Sure. But then, there were dangers with her line of work. A desk job wouldn't be for Nicole, no, she was a field agent, she needed to be out there on a mission, out on a case...not stuck behind a desk like they wanted her to be.

Yeah, this was all on her mind for a while. This is why she loved to work...it didn't give her time to think about the future..she was perfectly happen with living in the day to day.

Nicole could tell she had been in the water for a while as the sun was starting to rise so she stepped out of the water, a little less tense but that came from a good workout in the water. She twisted her long red hair in attempt to help it dry faster. Not that it really mattered since she was going to get into the shower here soon. She wrapped the towel around her shoulders and headed back inside. Elise would be up soon and she had to be ready to face the little girl's endless energy...

 

[BeachBum25]

John sat on the step for a while after Nicole went inside. He thought about Elise. He thought about Nicole. He thought about what the rest of the time here was going to be like. He wondered what South Dakota would be like. Finally, he shook his head, stood up, and went inside.

He went into his room, undressed and got ready for bed. After laying down in bed, he stared at the ceiling. His mind was racing wildly and he could not slow it down. After laying there for what seemed and felt like hours, John finally fell asleep. He slept soundly, until the sun shining through the window woke him up.

John got out of bed and put on a t-shirt and a pair of shorts. He walked out and peeked into Elise's room. She was stirring, but still asleep. He saw that the door to Nicole's room was closed so he assumed she was still asleep. John went into the kitchen and poured a glass of orange juice. When he turned back around, he saw Elise standing in front of him...smiling.

John picked up Elise and kissed her on the forehead and then on the cheek. "Mommy is still asleep. How about we have breakfast outisde so we don't wake her up." John sat Elise on the counter, grabbed a couple of danish and the glass of juice, picked Elise back up and headed outside. "Mommy probably wouldn't be happy that you were having this for breakfast, so, it will be our little secret." He smiled at his daughter, and looked up to see Nicole approaching the house. "Oops, I think daddy might be busted."

 

[zydrate]

As Nicole made her way up to the house, she had decided not to dwell on any 'sad' thoughts. Right now, she had the time to enjoy some much needed time with Elise. The poor little girl had spent her time in daycare since she was 6 months old...

Holding the towel around her, Nicole saw her daughter and John walk out of the house and onto the porch. She smiled softly when she saw what John was going to feed their daughter for breakfast.

Sugar.

Well, it was on him...she was going to crash later for her nap, that was for sure. Walking up to the them, Nicole wrapped the towel around her waist, "Good morning.." she said and nodded as Elise showed her the danish. The little girl took the nod as the OK to go ahead and eat it. "You'll regret it later..." Nicole said to John as she walked by him, placed a hand on his shoulder as she gave it a hard squeeze before walking into the house. She needed a quick shower and then change.

***
Nicole had started some coffee before her shower. She grabbed a cup before heading out on to the porch to sit with both Elise and John. And as she predicted, Elise was talking away at a mile a minute...

 

[BeachBum25]

John was shocked to see Nicole approaching the house. Her hair was wet and there was a towel wrapped around her waist, so, he made the brilliant assumption that she had been swimming. You see, all of that work with the agency had paid off.

Nicole looked outstanding as she walked up on the porch. When she wrapped the towel around her waist it showed off her breasts which were only covered by the tiny bathing suit. "Damn, her body is as perfect as I remember it," he thought to himself.

He watched her go past and, he had to admit, he liked her squeezing his shoulder. She made the comment about him regretting giving Elise sugar and, after she went inside, John walked over and sat down with Elise. She was devouring the danish. This was a clear indication that her mother did not take the easy route with breakfast.

In a few minutes John understood what Nicole was talking about when she said that he was going to regret it. Elise was talking faster than he could understand. She wasn't sitting still in her chair at the table. John just smiled at her and tried to keep up with her conversation. Despite Elise changing subjects every 5 seconds, john enjoyed the time with her, but he could certainly understand why Nicole had issued the warning.

When Nicole came outside after her shower with a cup of coffee, John looked over at her. "You could have told her no, you know." He smiled at Nicole and then he turned his attention back to Elise. He gave up trying to participate in the conversation because he was unable to get a word in, so, he continued to listen to her talk, while pulling the chair next to him out so Nicole could sit down.

 

[zydrate]

"Thanks.." she told him when he got the chair for her, "I could have said no...but you need to learn things the hard way..." She took a sip of her coffee and watched her daughter as she ran inside to get some of her toys, leaving the two adults alone.

Dressed in jeans and a a tank top, Nicole enjoyed the moment as they both sat there and watched the ocean this early morning.

"So... mister planner, I have a few questions for you," Nicole took another sip of her coffee before setting it on the table, "What's your plan from here? I mean, how long are we staying here?" Of course, that was just the start of her questions but for now, she would go easy on him...

 

[BeachBum25]

It was a beautiful morning, and John was enjoying it even more due to the fact that his beautiful daughter was with him and he was getting an opportunity to get to know her. Of course, Nicole being there made it much better also. It wasn't something that John would come right out and admit, because he was afraid of how Nicole would act, and he didn't want anything to upset the good time they were having here.......even if they had only been here for less than 24 hours.

"Yes Nicole. There are a lot of things I need to learn about our daughter. I am going to enjoy learning everything I can about her. She is beautiful, like her mother, and she is always smiling." There, he said it. It wasn't too big a deal, but he had said it.

"Nicole, we have been here for a day and you are worried about the plan? Why can't you relax?" John looked at her, and he knew that she wasn't going to let him go without answering her question. "Fine. The plan is that we stay here for a couple of months. We both get nice and tan. We let things blow over a little bit, and by then the house in South Dakota will be finished. You and Elise can move into the main house. I will stay in the room over the barn. As for any other details, I thought that we would work them out together. I am taking time off from work. I want to get to know our daughter, and I don't want for her to ever be in danger again."

 

[zydrate]

To her surprise, and probably to John's, Nicole just nodded, "OK...I was just wondering, that's all...as for relaxing... I can do that." She shrugged and looked back out at the ocean, "Well, I mean, I probably can't do that at first, but I can learn."

They were quiet for a long while after Elise came back out with some toys and started to play a few feet from them. "I know I'm being pushy and eager, but I just feel so out of control..." Not that that was a surprise. "I know I can be... difficult...but..."

"Well, OK, I'm going to stop for now...sorry."

 

[BeachBum25]

John looked over at Nicole. This was a different woman than he had known before. It wasn't what he was expecting from her. "Nicole, I don't want to make you uncomfortable. I don't want you to feel like you have no control. I want you to have some control. I want you to have input on what is going to happen. I just don't want you feeling like you have to do it all. You just went through a tough time with Elise being taken. I want you to have some time to forget about the job and focus entirely on our daughter."

John knew he was rambling, but he wanted to make sure that Nicole understood that he wasn't going to be making all of the decisions. He established the framework, and they would work together to figure it all out.

"Nicole, there is nothing to be sorry about. I know you and I know that you like to have control. That is why I want us to work together on this." He stood up and walked over to Nicole. He kneeled next to her. He took her hand. "I just want to get to know our daughter, and to watch her grow up."

 

[zydrate]

"I know..." she had almost said she was sorry again but stopped short of it before giving his hand a squeeze. "It's just hard to relax after all this time. I've been on the go ever since she was born. Making sure she was OK, making sure she was happy..fed...bathed.." She stopped, not wanting to bring up what she had made him miss because of her stubbornness.

"Anyway.. I don't even know exactly where we are, so later, I'd like you point it out, coordinates and such. Maybe that will shut me up for a while." Nicole leaned forward and gave him a light kiss on the lips before standing up and walking over to Elise to join her in her play time.

 

[BeachBum25]

John enjoyed the taste and feel of her lips on his. Yes, it was only a small kiss, but it was, for him anyway, very pleasant. He stood up and watched Nicole go over to Elise. He wasn't sure what Nicole was up to. Why would she want the coordinates? That did not make sense to him.

He sat back down on the porch and stared out toward the ocean. His mind was racing. He wondered what Nicole was thinking of doing. Was she going to make arrangements to leave the island? Have someone come and get her and Elise? Maybe it was just an innocent request to know where exactly they were. However, john knew Nicole, and she never asked innocent questions. Then again, maybe she was relaxing and was a different person.