a/n: A nod to Ryan's appearance in SLiDE, episode 4, which is available on iTunes and Netflix with a rather hot two-men kiss involving Ryan's character. I do not recommend reading this chapter on a train. :)
When Kate and Ben returned to the office after lunch, Leo greeted Kate with a forced smile. "Ready for round three?"
Kate just smiled radiantly, and Leo tilted his head. "Are you feeling okay? You look entirely too enthusiastic about this mediation."
None of the three of them said anything, and then Leo looked at Ben, who was trying to hide a smile.
"Well, I don't know what you had for lunch," Leo said to Kate, "but whatever it was, have that more often."
She leaned on Leo's desk and said, "I had a ham sandwich."
"That's not all you had," Leo said, pausing for effect. "Obviously."
"Shut it," she said.
Ben snorted.
Ben walked toward his office and said over his shoulder, "He's right, you know."
"Shut it," Kate repeated, smiling, walking toward the conference room.
Leo smiled and crossed his arms. Finally, the tension was beginning to lift. Go, Ben.
A bit later, Leo dropped some copies off on Ben's desk, and Leo asked Ben, "So where'd you two go for lunch?"
Ben waved his hand, but didn't look up. "A nice place next door to Kate's. Why?"
"Just wanted to know where to get a sandwich that makes Kate un-grumpy. Might come in handy some day."
Ben finally looked up at Leo, smiling ever so slightly. "You think it was the sandwich?"
Leo grinned, then went back to his desk. He looked up Kate's new address, which seemed familiar now that he thought about it. He just hadn't paid attention before. Leo then looked up Ben's address, and noticed they now lived on the same floor in the same building. No wonder Ben had wanted Leo to use his guy.
"You clever bastard," Leo said aloud.
"Who, me?" Leo hadn't heard Ben walk up. He was holding a case file.
Leo lifted his mug of tea, looked up at Ben, and said, "Nice place next door to Kate's, huh?"
Ben smiled and shrugged. "Well, it is."
"I bet Kate's reaction was priceless when she found out you were her neighbor."
Ben held his thumb and index fingers close together. "Little bit angry."
"I'm surprised she's speaking to you now."
"I'm a very good cook, so all I had to do was keep the windows on her side open until her stomach growled."
"Nice," Leo said approvingly.
#
Ben drove Kate home again before dinner, suggesting she change into something formal. He changed into a satin-trimmed formal jacket with a jacquard stripe white dress shirt and a black leather tie. Kate, at her place, changed into a shoulderless black lace dress that ended at mid-thigh.
Ben nearly whimpered when he saw her, but caught himself at the last minute. "You look stunning," he said, brushing her cheek with his fingers before helping her with her coat.
They finally went out for dinner, something Ben had been waiting for for ages, but this was different than the time she stood him up, because she was ready. He'd taken part of the intimacy she feared sharing with him.
The maƮtre d' seated them in a small curved banquette where they could sit next to each other in a dimly-lit corner, the table lit only by the three candles. Ben ordered a number of small plates apparently randomly, which were delivered one at a time. He picked a red wine off the list with only a moment's thought, trusting the sommelier's taste.
"What is it?" she asked when he lifted a forkful of the first appetizer to her mouth. Ben shrugged, and there was a moment when he showed awkwardness before his confident self took over. "Try it," he suggested. "They've never let me down."
Her tongue darted out to test the food before she accepted the bite. "Mmm," she said.
Ben ate the next bite, then she picked up her fork, but let him feed her the following bite. From that point forward, they fed each other, one bite at a time - a few bites of food on one plate, a few minutes waiting for the server to bring the next plate during which they had a bit of conversation, then feeding each other slowly, watching each other savor dinner.
He liked the way she pouted at the last bite of any dish; the way she licked her lips unselfconsciously; the way she held the fork for him, her eyebrow raised just a tidge until he opened his mouth; the way she closed her eyes when enjoying a new taste; the casual touches as they'd brush each other's face with their hands; the way the color of the red wine matched her increasingly aroused lips more and more as the evening progessed; the way she relaxed throughout the meal.
Between bites, they talked about places they'd been, about the happier days in Kate's childhood when her mother was still alive, and their awkward moments in law school.
When they'd run out of dishes he'd ordered, Ben asked, "Enough? More?"
"That was a wonderful selection, Ben. I'm full." She beamed at him, and he smiled in return.
#
Kate hadn't been fed dinner in since she was a child. At first, she'd intended to resist Ben's advance with the fork, but found the time they spent feeding each other the highlight of the dinner apart from the food. It wasn't stressful company that required scintillating conversation, just enjoying each other enjoying the food.
She'd watched Ben shift through his familiar moods several times during conversation: from the self-assured to akward, from doubting to confident, from skeptic to believer, from money lover who cared about nothing else to art lover who spared no expense, from homebody to world traveler. The bill was settled without Kate having the slightest idea of how much they'd just spent, except that she was certain it was the most expensive meal of her life. Ben's expression was utterly unreadable when he received the bill. In fact, he didn't look at it at all until he signed, just slipped his black Amex into the folio and handed it back for the waiter to charge him.
He held her hand all the way back to his apartment, dropping it only when necessary to open doors, get into and out of the car, and to open his door.
Kate walked in first and let him help her off with her coat, feeling his breath on her neck as he leaned in for a single kiss where her shoulder met her neck that sent tingles down her body.
By the time she turned around, he'd hung his own coat and unbuttoned his suit jacket, then pushed her gently against the closet door and kissed her so thoroughly that she felt weak in the knees. She wrapped her arms around his neck to steady herself as she heard herself moaning softly.
When they broke apart, Kate said, "Ben, you are a very cute and very sexy man, and God knows you know how to use that tongue of yours," the memory made her shudder, "but I'm not sure I'm ready for more than we had this afternoon."
"Did I do something wrong?" Ben pouted.
She ruffled his hair. "You did exactly the right thing." She ran her fingers along his cheek, thinking of the way he'd spread her legs, knowing that's what she both wanted and needed earlier. "And it was very, very, very hot." And Kate desperately wanted a lot more of his tonguemanship, which frightened her at the moment. She found herself shifting from her arousal, which made Ben smile.
He traced her lips with his finger. "My tongue is at your command. But if you don't want me to carry you to bed and make love to you, you'd better go change so I can get to bed soon."
Kate nodded, headed into Ben's bathroom, changed into her nightgown and kimono, then hung her dress in the empty side of his closet.
When she opened his bedroom door, he asked, "Do you want the bed or the couch?"
"Oh, you know me, I love to sleep on your couches."
He brought her pillows and sheets and a blanket, then tucked her in with a kiss on the forehead.
Kate couldn't escape Ben in her dreams, though. She dreamed of the different aspects of Ben: Suave Ben, the successful litigator who pressed every advantage and confidently cut through all the conversational crap like a laser, and Awkward Ben who'd said good night three times after he kissed her for the first time, and who'd looked like a kicked puppy when she'd gone out to dinner hand-in-hand with Justin.
Then, instead of seeing the two Bens swapping places in the office, the scene rippled to a club that looked suspiciously like the bar where they'd first met. She saw Awkward Ben dressed in a silk suit, unbuttoned collar of his white silk shirt glowing in the club's lighting. He was looking for someone, and Kate hoped to hell it was her he sought.
"Ben," Kate said, but he ignored her. Great.
The identically-dressed Suave Ben danced toward him. Awkward, acting on impulse, took Suave's face in his hand and kissed him quickly, backing away slightly, hands still in the air. He couldn't meet Suave's eyes after that moment.
Suave nodded sagely, closed the distance between them, and leaned in slowly, resting his forehead on Awkward's for a moment, then closing in to a gentle kiss, placing Awkward's hands on his shoulders. When Awkward responded in kind, Suave took wrapped his arms around Awkward.
Kate found herself walking toward the two men, completely entranced by the moment. "Ben!" she said, more loudly this time. Both men turned slightly to look at her, though they didn't break their kiss.
Then the crowd moved and pulled her away from the two men. "Ben!" she yelled, afraid of getting lost in the room that kept getting larger.
He showered, tried to get to sleep, and had almost nodded off when he heard her cry out for him. Twice.
He ran out of the bedroom, donning his robe before opening the door to the living room. He saw her lying on the couch. Was she okay?
Ben kneeled in front of her, gently lifting the hair covering her face, only to find her sound asleep. He smiled at her, and brushed her hair back without disturbing her.
The crowd contracted, and she moved closer to the two men. Suave's right hand brushed Kate's hair back from her face, then he pulled her into the two men. Only then did he break the kiss.
Suave said, "She's yours, Ben. She wants you to claim her," and Suave moved away, hand still on her bare upper back uncovered by her blue bandage dress.
"Don't go," Kate said, urging Suave to stay.
Having established that she was dreaming, Ben wanted to leave her to her privacy. He started to move away, but Kate's arm darted out to grab him and she demanded, "Don't go." Ben crawled under the covers with her, wrapping one arm around her waist.
"I thought you liked him better," Suave said.
Kate looked between the two men, kissing Awkward first, then Suave, then deepening kisses alternating between the two men, letting the music carry the three of them around the room.
Suave took Awkward's hands and placed them on Kate's hips, then whispered in Kate's ear, "You need to be much closer to him, love. He moved Kate's hands to Awkward's ass, using her hands to massage his muscular cheeks.
Even though Kate was asleep, Ben loved the feel of Kate's hands massaging his ass, pulling him into her grinding until he was rock hard. He whimpered quietly, hoping she'd wake up soon so he could release himself in his bedroom.
"You like doing that, don't you Katie?" Suave whispered in her ear, closing in behind her.
"Yes," she said in between light kisses on Awkward's lips, feeling the arousal of both men pressing into her, making her incredibly hot.
"Come home with us," Awkward whispered in her ear.
"Yes, come home with us," Suave whispered in Kate's other ear.
"Take me," she whispered. She blinked and the room went quiet, and she was standing in Ben's living room with the amazing wall and couch, still between both Bens.
Awkward unzipped her dress, and Suave helped remove it.
"Which of us do you want?" Awkward asked.
Kate looked between the two men. As much as the confident side irritated her at times, the smooth confidence was a necessary part of who he was. She turned to Awkward, loving the pout, the slight smile, the moments of deep insecurity. She traced his lips with her finger. The doubting and awkward side made him push harder, made him look deeper, gave him the insights to be confident.
"I love you both," she said. "You're essential parts of Ben."
Suave turned her around and kissed her, leaving Awkward gaping. "You want to choose me," he said.
She turned back to Awkward and said, "Take me. Both of you."
The three of them danced, the two men touching Kate everywhere she showed skin - arms, neck, hemline, face, relentless in their touch. Suave kept trying to get her to pick sides, but she remained steadfast, asking both of them to take her.
At the end of the song, both men rippled into a single Ben, and she clung to him.
#
Kate woke up feeling like she was in a trench, only to discover herself on Ben's couch with Ben lying alongside her. "Benedict Yancy, what the hell do you think you're doing there?" Kate asked, pushing at his bare chest.
He put his hand over hers possessively. "You were dreaming of me, and you insisted I stay. Eventually, I got tired of arguing with you."
She covered her face with her other hand. "Oh, no."
"Oh, it's worse Katie," he said, relishing in her embarrassment and her slight blush.
"Nooooo," she said in a small voice, though it was obvious to Ben that she knew exactly what she'd dreamed.
"Evidently, one of me wasn't enough for you."
Her blushing intensified until she was bright red.
"Oh, and it was really hard, pun intended, to get back to sleep with you grinding up against me begging me to take you. Which I did not, for the record."
She pulled the sheet up over her face. "If I could die from embarrassment. . . ."
"Please don't."
"Why didn't you wake me up?"
"And miss all the fun?"
She didn't say anything.
"I have a better idea, Katie."
"What?" she asked from under the sheet.
He slipped the sheet slowly down so it no longer covered her face. "Come to bed with the man of your dreams. If you can settle for just one of me, that is."
Ben stood up and held out his hand. After a long pause where Kate studied his eyes, Kate took Ben's hand and followed him into his bedroom via the kitchen, where he opened a drawer and pulled out a box of condoms.
He dropped the box into the nightstand, then stood behind Kate, slipping the silk kimono off her shoulders, leaving the matching spaghetti strap nightgown underneath. He tossed the kimono onto the bed, then whispered into her ear, "Take it off, Katie."
She slowly raised her arms, pulling the spaghetti straps up, slipping the turquoise silk over her head. Ben's hands followed the nightgown hem's progress up her body, stopping to caress her breasts, fondling her nipples into hardened nubs. When the silk hit the floor, he petted her body with his right hand until her back arched against him, then whispered into her ear, "Turn around."
Kate turned around, tugging at the sash holding Ben's kimono closed. The sash fluttered to the floor, the kimono parted, and his erection was there for her to admire. He slowly removed his kimono, tossing it onto the bed.
Kate smiled. "I . . ." she began, leaving the thought incomplete.
"Mmm?" Ben moved closer, his cock brushing up against her abdomen. He closed in. "Kiss me again."
She put her arms around his neck and kissed him gently, opening up her lips as he thrust his tongue lightly into her mouth.
He ran his fingers along her thighs, moving toward her as she parted for him. When she spread her legs far enough, he lifted her and sat both of them down on the bed. His fingers slipped into her folds, finding her warm, but not yet as ready as he wanted her to be. Sliding up to her clit, his fingers massaged her, feeling her begin to moisten, and she moaned.
"More of that," she said, squirming against his hand as she looked into his eyes, truly facing his desire for the first time. The way he looked at her, full of need, made her feel powerful. And wanted.
"I know, Katie," he said. "Tell me what else you need."
She kissed him, rubbing her breasts against his chest, letting his hand work its magic on her clit as his other arm wrapped around her waist. She leaned over, opened the nightstand drawer, and pulled out a condom, slipping it onto Ben's erect cock.
"Don't stop," she said, sitting up enough to position herself over him, teasing herself with his cock against her wet folds. She started to slide down onto him, and Ben's sudden upward thrust pushed his cock most of the way inside her. She settled onto him, completing his penetration. "Ooohhh," she moaned, shivering around him.
Kate rode him slowly, trying to tie her movements to Ben's hands, letting him set the pace, claiming his mouth with her own.
She moaned as she reached that one angle where his cock was as deep inside of her as possible and all the pressure was in the exact right place. She could stay in this moment forever, but she felt herself riding that point with small movements, falling into the deep bliss Ben offered her.
"Like that?"
"Perfect," she whispered as she felt her orgasm building, his fingers still working their magic. Ben thrust harder into her and she moved in perfect counterpoint to him until she felt the warm glow emanating all over her body, pleasure rippling throughout her like the sun was bursting from within. As she peaked, she felt Ben's last thrust explode into her as he came.
He moved his hand from her lap to hold her waist, brushing her hair with his other hand. "So beautiful," he said. "Thank you."
She smiled. "I don't know why I waited this long. If it hadn't been for this afternoon, I probably would have waited longer."
"I know." He kissed her again, small kisses on her face and neck. "I'm glad we didn't wait longer. After your dream, I'd probably have needed an ice pack and a visit to the ER."
She chuckled. "That bad, huh?"
"That hot." He stroked her hair while kissing her lips, not quite ready for a second round yet. Soon.
For several minutes, they stared at each other between short kisses.
"Penny for your thoughts," he said, brushing her hair with his hand.
"Did you just pull a box of condoms out of a kitchen drawer?"
He smiled. "I was a Boy Scout."
Kate threw back her head and laughed. "You were not."
"My mother would be thrilled to show you evidence photos, I'm sure."
"You were a Boy Scout."
"Asked and answered, counselor."
"I bet you know all your knots, too."
He raised an eyebrow and smirked. "Maybe."
