A/N: Thanks for all the amazing reviews for the previous chapter. I hope you enjoy this one.

Chapter Six: The First Night

He woke up to her the next morning. A smile formed on his lips as he lifted his head from the soft pillow besides hers. She laid facing away from him in all her naked glory, the white sheets pulled up to her chest and her face a picture of serenity.

He watched her as she slept, remembering the night before. After Michonne asked him to stay the atmosphere in the room quickly morphed from sober to sexually charged, whatever was plaguing her mind, quickly forgotten.

"Lay back for me," he had said after some time of exploring her mouth with his.

She did as he asked as he slowly drew her shirt away from her body, leaving her bare from the waist up other than her black bra. Her smooth dark skin seemed to glow in the dim light and he was filled with an unfamiliar intense upwelling of desire. He was far from inexperienced, but something about her felt different. He couldn't quite put a finger on what it was that he felt for her in that moment.

Rick sat back, taking her in, his eyes moving over her body from her supple lips to her shimmering eyes and soft skin of her chest. Michonne raised her brow, a curious look on her face. She was probably wondering why he his gaze was transfixed on her. He slowly reached forward, his fingers sliding against the strap of her bra right above the swell of her breasts. He slowly moves his fingers up the strap moving over her shoulder to reach behind her and unclasp it with deft fingers.

Their eyes remained connected as he drew the material away from her chest, the straps falling away from the shoulders as it moved. He felt her hand in his hair as he lowered his head, his tongue swirling around her hard nipple, lightly biting down. Once he had his mouth on her body, he couldn't tear himself away, it was as if he wanted to consume her.

His hands replaced his mouth as his lips connected her mouth once again. Her own hands were occupied with attempts to remove his clothes as he pressed his body against hers, his arousal apparent. He reached back to tug his shirt off and her pants followed after.

He drove in with a vigorous thrust and their bodies began moving together sinuously in the dim light. She closed her eyes, soft moans and gasps escaping her lips as they established a cohesive rhythm. Her fingers dug into is skin and she began gasping is name as they worked toward orgasm. At some point after their coupling he carried her to the bedroom where they fell asleep, tangled in each other's arms.

As if she could sense his eyes on her, she began to stir, bringing him back to the present. She yawned softly as her eyes slowly blinked open as she was roused from her sleep. She turned over so she was on her back and a smile spread across her smooth angelic face as she gazed at him with sleepy eyes.

He wrapped an arm around her waist, drawing her closer. "Finally awake, beautiful?"

She smiled sleepily, laying her head against his chest, her bare leg rubbing against his as they lay skin to skin under the sheets. She slowly ran her hand over his chest. "Good morning to you too."

"Sleep well?"

"More than well." She languidly stretched her legs, wiggling her toes against his leg. "What's on the agenda for today."

"Well, I can think of a way to spend the morning," Rick said, emphasizing the meaning of his words with the slight movement of his hips against her.

"Really? How?" Her voice was low and raspy with desire as she innocently batted her hooded eyes at him.

"Well it's gonna start something like this." He tightened his arm around her, shifting her body so her naked chest was flush against his.

"This feels very familiar."

"Does it?" He shifted his lower body, his erection pressing against her pelvis.

In the untimeliest manner, her phone interrupted, buzzing angrily on the dresser. He groaned in frustration and she smiled apologetically at him before reaching for it. Her naked body sliding against his as she moved, their bodies dangerously close to having a repeat of the night before. "Hello?"

A faint voice echoed through the phone in response. "Oh, hey Mom…Oh you are? "Brunch? I already have plans for the day actually." She listened as her mother spoke and his hands slowly circled her hips as he waited for her to finish her phone call. "How about Tuesday? You can join Sasha and me. I'll be in DC for the day anyway…"

Rick felt her body tense in his arms before she slowly unhooked his hands from her waist, scooting away so she could leave the bed. He watched as she rose, naked, from the bed, reaching for her robe. She turned to mouth 'be right back' at him before she shuffled out of the bedroom.

He was tempted to wait for her to finish her call so they could finish what they started, but there would be plenty of time for that. What they needed was a quick energy booster.

When he entered the living room, he could hear her voice faintly echoing from the loft. He found his boxers on the floor near the couch and pulled them on idly wondering why she ventured up there to talk to her mother.

He was already started on breakfast when she strolled into the kitchen. "My thighs are sore and I blame you," Michonne announced when she joined him in the kitchen. He turned to find her robe gone and replaced by an oversized t-shirt and tiny loose shorts. "Something smells nice in here."

"Don't sound so surprised."

"I'm not. I trust Carl's opinion on your excellent breakfast making skills. So, am I finally going to get a chance to taste those famous pancakes of yours?" She wrapped her hand around his waist, resting her head against his back.

"The very ones." He turned around, capturing her full lips in a kiss as his hand slipped down the back of her cotton shorts cupping her round, firm nude behind. She moaned into his mouth, her fingers finding his hair.

His hand rounded her waist and he lifted her onto the counter in one swift movement, breakfast momentarily forgotten. His hands started exploring under her shirt, sliding over her sides. He cupped her breasts as a devious smile formed on his face at the feel of his second favorite part of her body.

"You enjoy distracting me? I don't want to burn these pancakes and ruin my perfect record. Don't think I forgot how you made me burn our dinner last night. I got a long memory."

"All I did was walk into the room. You do a pretty good job of finding distractions on your own." She looked pointedly at his hands, which were still under her shirt kneading her breasts.

"So, we're gonna ignore the fact that you were rubbin' all up on my back? This was a provoked response." He finally extracted his hands away, returning to his task. There would be more time for groping later.

"I wouldn't call it rubbing. I was just saying hello," she defended playfully. "I'm starting to think we might have a thing for kitchens though."

They had their breakfast in the living room as they did with their lunch date weeks prior. Michonne turned on some music and they snuggled back against the seat of the couch from their spot on the cushion filled floor. Rick spent more time touching her than actually eating, but she certainly didn't mind.

"I'm keeping you forever to make me breakfast whenever I want it," she said, letting out a moan of ecstasy as she chewed.

"Told you."

"This has been the best date I've ever been on by the way." She giggled, placing her plate down on the nearby table. She gave him a quick peck of thanks on his lips as she sat back down and stole a piece of fruit from his plate. "It's also the longest date I've been on. This has to be some kind of a record."

"I must be a good thing since we're not sick of each other yet." He put his own plate away and pulled her closer and she moved to straddle his lap. Her phone buzzed and she glanced over at the screen on the table but made no move to get it.

"Sorry, my phone isn't usually that busy," she apologized. "I lose the damn thing half the time. It usually pisses Michael off. It's just been a hectic few weeks, so I keep it close."

"It's fine. So, ex-fiancé again, huh?" He nodded toward the phone.

"You caught that ex-fiancé thing?" She rolled her eyes, remembering Michael's description of their relationship.

"Well, I was standing right there when he was puffing up his chest for me."

"Good 'ol Michael."

"What happened there?"

She shrugged noncommittally, averting her gaze. "Maybe it was my fear of commitment or maybe it wasn't meant to be. I'm going to paint for a little while, okay? Join me? You'll get to see me in action." She placed a soft kiss on his lips. "And maybe not just painting action." She stood up from his lap, strolling away from him.

He didn't immediately follow her.

Her guardedness frustrated him at times. It was amazing how she could reveal so much and yet so little about herself at the same time. It felt as if he had to wrestle information out of her. It was clear his bringing up her ex bothered her, but she was good at redirecting and playing things off.

The apartment was quiet for a while save for the sound Snoopy dragging his back against the floor as he entertained himself in the way dogs do. He shook his head in amusement at the silly animal.

He finally heard her moving around from above. She must have started working on the piece from the day before. He rose from the couch and made his way toward the stairs to find her. When he entered what she referred to as her lair, she was seated in front of an easel and her hair was pulled to the top of her head. She wore a look of deep concentration and she didn't immediately acknowledge his presence when he entered.

"Sorry about that."

"About what?" She took a sip from her glass, but didn't look up from the easel.

"For bringing up something you obviously don't want to talk about. It's just frustrating sometimes. The evasiveness."

"You think I'm hiding something."

"I don't know. Are you?"

"I don't know." She held his gaze steadily before blowing out a breath and dropping her pencil. "I think I get what you're saying though. Sorry."

"Believe me, I'm not much of a sharer myself," he chuckled. "It's just…different."

"I didn't mind you for asking or anything," she said with a sigh. "It's just that he... it's a difficult situation. This weekend is about us and I don't want to talk about that stuff."

Rick nodded his head, thinking back on the man that entered Michonne's apartment unannounced under the guise of seeing his son. He still wanted to know what the man wanted and if he ever had the conversation he so desperately wanted to have with Michonne that day.

"Okay, so tell me," she said, picking up a paintbrush and twirling it between her fingers. "What do you know about me so far other than my name and my favorite music? This is my chance to be more open."

He thought for a moment. "I know…you're a great listener. It's so easy to talk to you, everything just spills out. Yet your mind is a mystery to me," he smiled. "I also know that you're a very caring person, you're funny and you're probably one of the smartest people I know." His eyes moved over her body. "And you have a perfect body. Very nice assets. Best I've ever laid eyes on."

She burst into a fit of laughter. "Sounds like you know a lot to me. Nice way to finish that off though."

He stood up from the floor, walking slowly toward her. Her eyes followed him as he came to stand beside her. He leaned down toward her and she rose to her knees to meet his lips. He wrapped an arm around her waist and he lifted her from her stool and practically dropped her on the slightly paint splattered the couch. Her fingers ran through his hair as his mouth attacked hers.

"This is starting to get a little addicting," she breathed when he came up for a breath.

"Starting? Don't bruise my ego." He continued the kiss, his hands sliding up against the thin fabric of her blouse as he lay on top of her, slowing their kiss. "You're perfect."

"Does this ever scare you?" she asked quietly shifting her hips beneath him as his lips trailed down her neck sending shivers up her spine. "When I'm with you I just feel… it's a nice feeling."

Speaking of intense, what felt in that moment would only lead to one thing. He let out a breath through his nose. "You have no idea."

"You know, I was supposed to be working on this thing this weekend," she reminded him. To his satisfaction, she pulled herself closer. He didn't realize it before meeting her, but physicality was something he had been craving for quite some time. He had a longing for physical touch and a burning attraction to another person.

"Am I distracting you?" He ran his lips across her collarbone, leaving soft kisses behind. Her skin smelled wonderful.

"I didn't plan on actually getting any painting done." She wrapped a leg around waist and he was sure she could feel his cock against her through the thin material of his boxers.

Her t-shirt was on the floor and it was no surprise that his mouth went straight to her chest eliciting soft moans from her lips. She arched her back, pressing her chest forward.

His lips trailed up, his hands, taking their place as their lips met in a frenzied kiss. His hands explored her body, wanting to touch everywhere at once, cupping and sliding as she shook with pleasure in his arms.

His fingers slipped into the front of her pants and hers remained in his curls as he worked her toward an orgasm. His name left her lips in pleading gasps as she begged for more. Instead of words, they used their bodies to communicate. Her tugging fingers and breathless moans conveyed her need for his proximity. There was a need to prolong the passion between them.

"I want you." His fingers left her and hooked into the waistband of her loose shorts, swiftly removing it. Her movements grew impatient and he hastily lost his only piece of clothing and pushed himself into her in one swift motion filling her body and evoking a breathless gasp from her lips. Her eyes locked with his as he braced his arms on the couch behind her. He pulled his hips back before driving forward again, sinking her body back against the couch. Her hands found his hair again as she silently begged him to continue.

She was left breathless by the sensations of the fervent undulation of his hips. His grip on her thigh tightened as he gained speed. Her toes curled and her eyes rolled back as her impassioned cries filled the room.

They somehow ended up on the floor, in their frenzied state, knocking nearby art supplies over as they descended. Their movements, if possible, were more desperate than before. The pounding of his hips grew more erratic and he slid his hands between their bodies, finding her clit to ensure they finished together.

Rick wasn't sure how long they lay together in silence, catching their breath after they reached their peak. He kept his eyes on her perfect face the entire time as her head rested against, his chest, her eyes shut and she wore a look of contentment.

"Morning sex on my art studio floor. Not a bad way to spend the weekend." Michonne said, breathlessly breaking the silence.

~TFW~

"I was in a bad place when I painted that one."

He turned away from the somewhat disturbing painting with the angry red and black strokes and misshapen figures he was admiring to find an awake and alert Michonne, in an upright position on the couch behind him, clutching the blanket he had spread across her against her chest. "It's strange, but I like it."

"Does it speak to you?" She teased, in a slightly sarcastic tone.

"I guess it might be." He walked back toward her, climbing onto the couch behind her and pulling her into his arms. "What were you working on today?"

"My Dad's birthday is coming up," she shared. "I've been wracking my brain trying to think of what to get a man who seems to have everything."

"What's your family like?"

"Bougie as hell." she laughed. "Yours?"

He shrugged. "They're alright. The ones that are left, that is."

She placed her hand over his, giving him a warm comforting smile. They were silent for some time and the next words out of her mouth surprised him. "I didn't want to marry Michael."

He sat up slightly, to have a proper look at her. She kept her eyes straight ahead as she spoke in a low voice. "We were supposedly the perfect couple. That's what everybody called us. His grandparents are prominent political figures and my father has this great political career and with elections coming up, he might become even more of a household name. Then there's Michael, who is pretty successful himself. Everybody knew he would be. He's making a name for himself and he might even run for office soon."

She closed her eyes, recollecting the past events of her life. "We got engaged long before André was even a possibility and it ended up being a very long engagement. But that was mostly because of me. I didn't need a piece of paper, some frilly dress and a big ass wedding to say that we loved each other. I was happy just being." She sighed, rubbing her forehead. "I didn't know it then, but I was only with him because it felt like what I was supposed to do. Then André makes his appearance and that's when the pressure got intense. Pressure from Michael, from my parents, from his parents. We needed to get married before André arrived. During that time, I started liking him, and them, less and less and at that point I didn't want to get married at all. There was no maybe about it anymore."

"So, you called off the engagement?"

"Something like that." Michoone bit her lip, appearing to consider her next words. "I wish I did that instead, it would have saved us a lot grief, drama and embarrassment, but I didn't go to the wedding. I never showed up to my own wedding day. I was going to go through with it, but I got on a train instead and I ended up in Georgia. Thankfully, I called home before the national search party started. I just wished I handled things more maturely."

She moved to lay her lead on his chest, looking up at him from the side. His eyes shamelessly followed her as she moved around in the nude. "It's been four years and my Mom still thinks it was pregnancy hormones," she laughed. "That's what she tells everybody. She's still holding out hope for us getting back together. If only it were that simple."

Rick chuckled. "Moms."

"Yeah. Moms."

"She'll have to stop hoping for that though, because I'm pretty sure after today that's never happening. And I don't want people getting any wrong ideas and hitting on my woman."

"Oh, so I'm your woman?"

"Tell me something else about yourself." His hand caressed her thigh. It was his turn to redirect conversations to where he wanted them.

"Hmm let's see." She stared thoughtfully at the ceiling thinking of what she could share. "I went to law school after college."

"Law school?"

"Mom's a doctor and Dad's a lawyer," Michonne explained with a laugh. "They had really high expectations and I was really desperate to meet those expectations. I had to continue the legacy they started. So, I went to law school even though I wasn't particularly interested in it as an actual career. Now, here I am."

"Here you are." He enjoyed the serene look on her flawless face. "Painting and planning weddings."

"And happy," she added. "Very happy."

"What else for today?"

"The ball is still in your park cowboy. I'm all yours for the afternoon until my little man gets home at five."

"I'll hold you to that." He ran a hand through his hair as ideas swirled in his head. "Let's get out of here for a while then. I'm starving already, but I know a great little place where we can grab some lunch. I'll have you back before five, I promise."

"So, I take it this place is in the middle of nowhere?" she asked, sitting up and stretching her stiff muscles.

"Yep and don't think about asking where it is. You'll see when we get there."

An hour later they were driving along the roads on the outskirts of the city, his hand was planted firmly on her thigh. "What are you up to this week?"

"I'm meeting a few potential people for hire. I'll really need the extra help on the farm."

She leaned back against the seat smiling to herself. "I can't wait to see you in action once it's warmer out. I can see you in a cowboy hat wrangling your herd or whatever."

"I might disappoint you because I'm not even sure that I own a cowboy hat. You should come see if you remember how to ride though," he suggested. "Horses that is."

"Thanks for the clarification. Hard to keep my mind out of the gutter," she laughed heartily as she placed a hand over the one on her thigh. "Will I have to wait until the weekend to see you again?"

Rick glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. "I definitely won't be able to stay away that long. You're free to stop by anytime you want and if I'm in the area, and I very well might be, I'll give you a call. Six days is too long."

"Tuesday, it is then." She peered skeptically out the window. "I know we're way past the serial killer thing, but I'm starting to get worried about where you're taking me. I don't see no buildings, Rick. Don't forget I've taken kickboxing lessons and I'm not afraid to come back and haunt you if you try any funny business."

He chuckled at their running joke. "You're too funny. We'll be there in a minute and it's a real eating establishment, not my kill room." The small building came into view sometime after and he pulled into the parking lot. "Here we are."

"What is this place?" she asked, as she climbed out of the truck.

"It's actually Carl's discovery and I was skeptical at first, because it looks like something straight out of a horror movie, but it's apparently well known around these parts and they have great food."

"These parts, huh?" She linked her hand through his, smiling at the hilarious thought of the place being well known when there hardly seemed to be anything around those parts to begin with. "Well I'll trust Carl's judgement. He hasn't failed me yet."

They entered the diner and a man with bright red hair greeted them and introduced himself as Abraham, the co-owner of the establishment. Rick hadn't met him before on his previous visits to the diner, but the man appeared friendly and open.

"Good selection of southern cuisine," Michonne said, as she glanced down at the menu. "Nice décor too. I like it."

"Hello there." A man with an inexplicably bad mullet, that Rick recognized as the painfully awkward Eugene stood at their table with a pen and notepad. "My name is Eugene and I will be serving you your midday meal. You should thank your lucky stars today isn't a rush day because you would have a wait. Luckily we have a quick and fail-safe delivery system here so you'll be eating said mid-day meal in a jiffy and on your way to partake in other afternoon festivities that don't involve sitting in a single place for an extended period of time."

The pair stared slightly slack-jawed at their waiter as he finished his long-winded and bizarrely worded sentence. Michonne was already convinced that they had officially entered the twilight zone and she was prepared to just go with it. "Good to know. Well we know what we want." Rick went on to order them a few of his and Carl's favorites and Eugene shuffled away to the kitchen, promising to return quickly.

"Something tells me we're in for an interesting afternoon."

You have no idea," Rick laughed.

Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Hopefully I will finish the other one a lot faster than this one. Let me know what you thought of this.