Prologue

Rain pounded on the windows of Kate's apartment. She sat bent over her desk, studying a file from the day. She ran her hands over her face and glanced at the clock, stunned to see it read 11:30pm already. The day replayed over and over in her mind and included everything Tony did and said to her.

"You're attractive, Kate. I'm surprised you don't have more dates," Tony said he as followed her down the hall.

"What makes you think you know that much about me?" Kate called over her shoulder.

"Well…I AM your partner…" he began confidently, "don't we tell each other everything?"

"Apparently that's where you're wrong, DiNozzo. You always assume too much…" she said, allowing her smugness to creep into tone. She strode out of the building to her car with purpose, not looking back. She knew her partner was standing there stunned from her attitude.

That was nearly six hours ago, yet she couldn't shake the feeling that Tony had really cared. He cared for her on a non-superficial level, even if it was just worry for the health of her sex life. Shaking her head angrily at such a thought she reminded herself that Tony got more sex than the average human, certainly more than anyone she'd ever been around. In her opinion it was perfectly fine, she was a busy woman, didn't have time to mess around with ordinary guys. Ms. Caitlin Todd had already decided the next person she was going to be involved with would be a husband candidate. Unless…unless there was room for just one more exception. God, if he only knew the way she thought about him, his world would spin. She knew better than to say anything, if she did things would get seriously complicated.