Sorry guys, that it took so long. But here it comes. The steamy part. At least I hope so. So let me know what you think! There will be one more chapter after this.

xxxxx

He had to process the new information. He had suspected that she remembered at least something. The way she had always side-stepped his questions about that particular day, the way her answers came always too fast, too eager. But what he hadn't expected was that she knew all a long. That she had heard him and had decided to lie to him about it. The look on his face was the mirror of his soul, of his heart. She could see how much she had hurt him with her lie. But she didn't have a choice, right? She had to lock the truth away. She did it for both of them. At least that's what she tried to make herself believe.

He just stood there, contemplating his options. He could be angry and push her away and they would be back to square one or worse. Or he could try to understand. His heart told him that there had to be a reason. She wouldn't risk hurting him like this without a reason. He knew her too well. Her voice cut through his inner battle and pulled him back to present.

"I better go," she said, sounding defeated and looking miserable. He could see the tears she tried to fight and his heart ached at the sight of her being so broken and he instinctively knew what to do.

"Why?" his question caught her by surprise and she shot him a puzzled look. Why she was going or why she lied? She looked at him and knew what he was asking for, but it didn't make the answer any easier. But she knew she had to. She owed him that. She owed herself that. She deserved to be happy. His words rang through her mind. His words that seemed to be from so long ago. She was a different person back then. So much had happened. So much had changed. She didn't want to go back to that dark place, she didn't. She wanted to be here in the light, with him and so she said it.

"I was scared," she finally admitted, without looking at him.

"Why?" he asked again, wanting the whole truth, not just bits of it. Not just the parts that were easy to admit. He wanted, no he needed everything.

She sighed and he could sense she was fighting against herself, against her inner demons, her pride - everything, "It was all so complicated. Such a big mess. Everything was just so," she was searching for the right words, kneading her hands, she needed him to understand, "Lost."

She looked up at him and was surprised to realize that he had moved closer to her, a good sign, she thought. But his eyes telling her he wanted more, he needed more. More than what he already knew and suspected.

"I wasn't ready and I didn't want to hurt you and I didn't want to explain why I wasn't ready," she sighed and hoped that it would be enough. He moved another step closer to her, he could touch her if he wanted, but he had one more why in him.

"Why?" he asked and she looked him straight into the eyes, knowing it was time. It was time to take that last step, to jump, to dive into it without looking back.

"Because I love you!" she said and just like that everything fell into place. The weight she had been carrying around for so long was lifted from her shoulders. "I love you," she repeated and something that sounded like a laugh escaped her lips, surprised just how easy it was all of a sudden. She searched his eyes for understanding and found so much more than she had hoped for.

"I think that's a pretty good reason," he whispered and took the last step to close the distance between them.

She looked into his dazzling eyes and didn't know why he was so, so, she didn't even know what he was, "Why?" she asked and he chuckled at that.

"Because I want us," he simply stated, "Because I think we've had enough drama and misunderstandings. We both deserve to be happy. And because I love you, but of course you already knew that!" He grinned.

And just like that, they had put it behind them, moved on, had negotiated the obstacle. His hands found her face, framing it, before he pulled her close and placed a gentle, tender kiss on her lips. Her arms reached out and sneaked around his neck, pulling him closer, the kiss becoming more passionate, more heated and before he realized it, she was pushing him further into the apartment. He almost tumbled over the coffee table and had to tighten his grip on her to prevent falling all over it. She chuckled against his lips and he growled in return, taking over control he pushed her against the bookshelf. She let out a surprised squeal, when he reached down and pulled her leg up his thigh to let his hand travel up hers, pulling her dress up in the process. She bit into his shoulder, not knowing where else to take her excitement and he stopped to look at her, his chest panting against hers, their eyes clouded with desire, passion and love, "I love you," he breathed.

"Show me," she whispered back and wrapped her legs around his torso, pressing against his growing arousal.

"God, Kate," he grunted and slammed her against the bookshelf once more. Her back ached, but she didn't care. There was only one thing she could think about and that was him.

"Show me, Rick," she whimpered and he almost lost it. Grabbing her by her perfect six, to steady her, he carried her into his study and towards his bedroom. All the way kissing her, as if his life depended on it. He needed her more than air. It was a cliché, but he didn't care. Right now all he cared about was her.

He lowered her onto his bed and stood just looking down on her, "Are you planning to join me, or will you just stare at me for the rest of the night?" She asked her eyes all teasing.

He growled, but still didn't move, he would take his time, he had waited so long for this and he would admire her as long as he wanted. She was lying there looking back at him, her hair a tangled sea of waves, her chest rising and falling sort of desperately. So alive, so gorgeous, so beautiful and so his. He studied her slightly parted lips, her dark eyes, overflowing with desire. Desire for him. She was breathtaking and he couldn't help but gasp when he realized that it was going to happen. That they were going to happen. It was a force of nature. Inevitable.

He felt something at his leg and looked down, seeing her foot that moved up his inner sigh, she wiggled her eyebrows at him and crooked her index finger in a come-here gesture and he just couldn't resist any longer. Bending down, she skidded further up his bed, before his body pressed her into the cushions, his lips founding hers again, his hands tangled in her hair, their tongues fighting for the upper hand. His mouth left her lips and started to kiss down her neck, nibbling at her pulse point, while her fingers ducked into his back, "Touch me," she breathed into his ear and he swallowed. He hadn't thought this through, now had be? This was Beckett, he couldn't just, or could he? But then again that's what making love was about, right? And this was making love, this was not just sex. He wanted to show her how much he loved her. But before his clouded mind could continue its ramble, he felt her hand around his wrist and before he could process what she was doing, she placed his hand over her breast and he stopped dead in his actions staring at her. While her left hand kept his right one in place, close to her heart, so he could feel what he was doing to her, her right one reached up to caress his cheek, "I need you to touch me!" she whispered, sensing his hesitation, when there was no reason. Never in her life had she wanted a man to touch her this badly. She wanted to feel him exploring her body, when he found those hidden spots that touched the right way, drove her crazy. She wanted to know how it felt to have his hands on her bare skin. How it felt when there was nothing left between them. When it was just skin to skin. Heart to heart. Soul to soul.

She left his hand alone, confident that he would take it from there and reached up to unbutton his shirt, sliding her slender fingers into it and letting them dance over his chest. His right hand started to caress her body through her dress and he decided that it was time to get rid of the fabric. She wanted to be touched? Well, he would touch her! Reaching down he pulled it up and she willingly helped him by arching her hips towards him. He pulled it over her head and threw it behind him, not caring what happened to it. If it was ruined he would buy her a new one. She was left with only her black panties and her black bra and he didn't waste any time to get rid of the latter as well.

His hand found her skin, all shyness gone as it travelled over her abdomen and he watched in awe as her muscles tightened, "You're so beautiful," he whispered. His hands wandered further north, feather light dancing over her breast and then he leant down and placed a soft, open mouthed kiss right over her navel and started his ascent. Her hands grabbed his hair, holding onto him as he kissed his way further up. Caressing her breasts and enjoying the reaction he received. A soft whimper from her lips and her body responded in its very own way. He slowed down, letting his finger, lightly run over the scar that marked her for life. He could feel her tense and then lowered his head to place the softest kiss right over it. As if he could kiss away all the pain it caused. Physically and emotionally. His right hand caressed the scar on her left side and then lifted his head to look into her eyes. "You're perfect." Never had she believed more in something. Never had she been so absolutely sure that he actually meant it. She pulled him down and kissed him, trying to put everything into this one kiss. She wanted him to feel the way she felt right now, cherished, loved, full of joy. He pressed her down again and her hands fumbled with the last buttons on his shirt, finally ripping it apart. She didn't care if it was ruined. She would buy him a new one. His shirt landed somewhere near her dress and he took in a sharp breath when her hands reached his belt and started tucking on his jeans.

"You're way too dressed!" she mumbled and he took the hint. Jumping up he hurried out of his trouser and stood there in just his boxers.

"Now we're even," he smirked and moved back to the bed, pinning her down, bare chest to bare chest, skin to skin, only their most intimate sensual body parts were still separated from each other by a touch of silk.

"My turn," she whispered into his ear and with one smooth move, she turned them around, it was her turn to pin him down and he growled in satisfaction, liking her way of taking control. Her lips crushed down on his, before she trailed kisses all over his chest, letting her hands follow her mouth. She like the feel of him. His brought chest, his muscular arms, he had gained some pounds since their summer of separation, but she couldn't care less, to her she he was perfect and just what she needed and wanted. She moved further down his torso, reaching his abdomen she started to tug at his boxers, which earned her a satisfied groan from the man that was melting under her hands. Her hand moved further down and this time, he took in a sharp breath as she barely touched him where he was most sensitive. He knew if he let her continue her mission, he wouldn't last long and he couldn't let this happen, so he took her of guard and pinned her back down under him, despite her protest.

"Trust me," he murmured, before he got rid of her last piece of clothing, his boxers followed, he reached for the drawer of his nightstand and reached inside to find a condom. He had to dig some, since he hadn't needed any in quite some time, he finally found what he was looking for, but before he could put it to use, she had snatched it out of his hand and ripped the plastic open, he wicked grin on her face.

"Allow me to do the honors," she purred and already reached down for him.

He closed his eyes, biting down on his lip, when her fingers rolled the condom merciless slowly down on him. Once done, she cocked one eyebrow at him and then with the softest voice he had ever heard, she whispered, "Make love to me!"

Without any further ado he met her, bodies colliding, souls finding one another, lips tasting skin and them contacted in the most intimate way. She gasped when she felt him slide into her and she could swear the world stopped spinning. He was very still for a couple of seconds, giving her time to adjust and giving himself time to realize, to savor the moment, to store it for the rest of his life. The teeth on his shoulder set him into action and he slowly started to move inside her, her legs coming around him, pulling him closer, deeper. They fitted perfectly together, every curve of her body finding its opposite in his. Her nails ducked into his back, while his hands and lips teased her.

In the dim light of his bedroom, they moaned each others names, got lost in the taste and feel of one another and reached the highest highs.

Later she was snuggled against him, her ear on his chest, taking comfort in his steady heart beat, while he drew circles on her back. Her arm sneaked around him to pull him even closer and she sighed satisfied.

"What?" he chuckled.

"I like the way you feel," she smiled.

"Yeah?" he sounded slightly insecure, "I mean I know I have gained some since the summer."

She raised her head to meet his eyes, "I like it," she said, when she was sure that he was looking at her, "You feel cuddly, safe and," she paused, "And like home." And then she placed a kiss right over his heart.

He pulled her up and placed a kiss on her lips before he whispered, "Welcome home."