The lasagna is as delicious as she'd anticipated judging from the smell, and it isn't very long before they are both stuffed, leaning back in their chairs and sipping at the last of their wine.

Conversation flowed at a steady pace throughout their dinner; he managed to coax a few laughs out of her and she may or may not have let her foot slide along the length of his calf. His reaction had been worth it. He'd nearly choked around his bite of lasagna but his eyes had said it all after he'd gotten over the initial surprise. The touch had been electrifying, sent sparks through her limbs and up to her center.

She wants him and she's almost positive he wants her just as much, but the burning question she's been meaning to ask all night hadn't made it into the conversation yet. It's been nagging at her, a sense of nervousness never leaving and her stomach churns at the thought of that article in the paper. They had fallen silent for a few moments, both taking some time to let the food settle in their stomachs and enjoy the rest of the wine. He takes their dishes to the sink and she follows him, intent on helping him despite how he waves her off and tries to get her to sit instead.

But it's burning her from the inside, despite the fact that he's made his intentions more than clear tonight, even before tonight if she's being honest with herself, but she just... She needs to know.

"Had you seen the Ledger today?" She blurts it out and as soon as the words leave her mouth she wants to slap herself.

Smooth, Kate.

She doesn't look at him, focuses on drying the plate he's just washed in the sink. Maybe she can play it off as an innocent question.

But he knows what she's talking about immediately. "You saw that?" He asks and sighs, looking almost defeated when she shrugs, shaking his head. "They always twist things around without any context and end up so off base."

She feels bad, ashamed almost, that she fell for it yet again, but the picture is still imprinted in her mind and her baseless, ridiculous worries get the best of her.

"So... there was really no truth to what they printed?

He lets the plate drop back into the water-filled sink and turns to her. She wants to avert her eyes, take the words back but he leaves her no choice, tilts her head up gently with his index so that she meets his gaze and the look she finds there sucks the air from her lungs, robs her of breath.

"Kate," he says, so close now, his forehead nearly touching hers and she has to focus not to let her eyes drift down to his lips. "If I haven't made myself abundantly clear by now, I'm not sure what will but there's no one else I want but you. You've made me feel things I don't think I've ever felt with anyone else, have me wanting things I didn't know I wanted." The words shock her and she manages to take in a shaky breath. "I don't want to scare you, and I know it's soon, that you haven't known me for all that long but please-"

He cuts himself off, frustrated by the tangled mess of words in his head and sighs. "You have to believe me, nothing happened, I don't want anything to happen with Gina, I just want you."

She's heard enough: enough to know that she believes him, trusts him, wants him more than she ever thought she would, more than she's ever wanted anyone. And it scares her - her feelings and his words both - but it feels right and she doesn't want to let go.

She surges up on her toes and brings him down to her, her hands moving up to lace around his neck and he doesn't hesitate, pulls her against him, his palms gripping her waist. His hands are still wet from washing the plates and she gasps as the water seeps through her shirt, imprinting the feel of his fingers to her skin. He pulls back a little, realizing that he's gotten her shirt wet.

"Sorry-" he starts to apologize but she swallows his words, reaches for his quickly retracting hands and pulls them back to her waist. She doesn't care about her shirt, doesn't care about the water seeping through her clothes. All she can think about is the searing heat of his skin and how good his lips feel against hers.

He moans when she sucks his bottom lip into her mouth and she feels the vibrations reverberate through her, steals the opportunity and lets her tongue slip past the barrier of his lips to tangle with his.

Kate whimpers when she feels his hands slipping beneath her shirt, finally making contact with her skin and she can't help the way her leg moves up to hook at his hip. She needs friction, god, nothing has ever felt this good and she never wants it to end. But she feels him start to slow, his lips moving more languidly against hers and she wants to sob when she feels him pull back slightly, already plagued by the loss. But he doesn't go far, lets his lips drift to her cheek, across her jaw and down to her neck.

"Kate," he starts and the sound of her name leaving his lips sends a wave of heat spearing through her, straight to her midsection. "Maybe we should slow this down," he suggests but his actions betray his words as he continues to lay gentle kisses to her skin and bites down on her pulse point. Her fingers tighten in his hair, holding him close as she does her best to keep breathing despite the assault of his tongue.

"I don't want to slow down," she admits, somewhere between a whisper and moan. Rick groans and his fingers squeeze at her hips. She can feel the way he doesn't want to stop either, the reaction of his body a testament to just how much he wants this, wants her.

"I don't want this to be because of the article. Don't want you to regret-"

She pulls him back up to her lips with her hands at his ears because she doesn't want to hear another word, not when she knows it's so far from the truth. But he needs to know, needs the reassurance and she wants to give it to him.

She brings his mouth back up to meet hers, sips from his lips, soft and reverent and when she pulls back she hopes he sees the depths of what she feels in her eyes.

"I could never regret this, Rick. Not with you."

He takes in her words, their meaning and she sees the light come alive in his eyes, like he's seeing her again for the first time, like a switch has been flipped and the moment seems to last a lifetime. And then he moves, his hands coming up to frame her face and his lips crash over hers, finally letting himself take what he wants and god, yes, she wants him to let go, to just feel. He doesn't waste any time, uses the leverage of her leg still braced at his hip to haul her against him, picking her up off the ground and carrying her towards where she assumes is the bedroom. She gasps in surprise but adjusts her grip, her arms wrapping more securely around his neck and she holds on, reveling in the tight press of their bodies together. He navigates through the apartment expertly despite how little he must actually see with her in his arms. Her heart is thundering in her chest when they cross the threshold to his bedroom, knows what this means, that there is no coming back from tonight. And she should probably feel more anxious than she does, but she's not. She feels safe in his arms and there's no denying her body craves him, yearns to pull him in closer. She wants him to undo her.

Once they reach the bed, Rick sets her down on her feet, looking down at her to confirm that this is still okay. He's always been so sweet, so mindful and considerate, but she doesn't want him hesitating about this.

She pulls back enough for her hands to fit between their bodies and she slowly begins to unbutton his shirt, her eyes never leaving his. His eyes are a storm of intimate cerulean, clouding with indigo and she sees the way he swallows hard when she slips the shirt from his shoulders, want sparking in his irises.

She lets the shirt fall to the floor and her hands move up to his chest, absorbing the warmth of his skin beneath her palms. She takes in his broad shoulders, the definition of muscles lining his bones and her hands move to the rhythm of his every breath.

Her eyes drift back up to meet his and she's so glad to see the smile that lines his lips.

"You're pretty damn extraordinary, you know that?" His words surprise her and light her on fire simultaneously. She feels her cheeks flush pink, but he doesn't let her hide away, brings her eyes back to meet his with his index finger under her chin.

"You're not so bad yourself, Mr. Castle," she answers with a shy grin.

He smiles back at her, and then reaches for the hem of her shirt, lifting it up, letting his hands trail along the length of her waist, her ribs, his thumbs skimming the undersides of her breasts, engulfing her in flame and then he finally lifts to pass it over her head.

"God, you're so beautiful," he whispers against her skin, his lips brushing her neck as he trails kisses down to her clavicle, exploring the newly revealed skin like he has all the time in the world.

Her breathing feels ragged, uneven, but the burn is exquisite. It feels like she's on a high, like he's lifting her up to new heights and she never wants to come down. And he hasn't even taken off her pants yet.

The thought has her reaching for his hips, taking hold of the belt and unbuckling it, sliding it free from around his waist. He pants, letting out a long exhale when she allows her hands to drift lower, feel the way he wants her until she pulls a growl from his throat. She smiles into his neck, proud and exhilarated that she can pull these wanton sounds from him, that she affects him just as much as he does her.

"Kate," he groans her name in what she knows is self-restraint and she feels powerful with it, but it also feels like she has something sacred to protect. He trusts her with his body, his heart, and she wants to show him how much it means to her, wants to give back just as good as she gets.

So she hooks her fingers in one of the belt loops of his pants and guides him forward while she moves back towards the bed, keeping him close.

Kate sits on the edge of the bed, moving up the mattress and he follows without question, covering her body with his and she whimpers when he takes her mouth once more, hadn't realized how much she'd needed to taste his lips again.

"Please, Rick," she sighs, doesn't even know what she's begging for beyond the drape of his body over hers and the never ending fire he's set in her.

But he does. He knows what she wants, what she needs, and he gives it to her. Shows her all the things she didn't even know she wanted or needed. He gives her everything.

He's barely aware of the sound of an alarm blaring and he doesn't have the presence of mind to do anything more than groan and nestle deeper into the warmth of his bed, nuzzling his nose at her neck. He feels the bed dip and the warmth he's been holding onto begins to disappear, slip away.

But before he can start to open his eyes he hears her voice.

"I have to go home to change before work," the words somehow filter through the thick fog of sleep and he hums, thinks he understands what she's saying. "Go back to sleep," she whispers and lays a kiss to his cheek. He sighs, tries to pull her closer, wants to convince her to skip out on work and stay curled up with him in bed all day, but the cloud of sleep doesn't allow the words to make it past his lips.

"I'll call you," she says and he smiles because she isn't even gone and he can't wait to hear her voice again.

"M'kay," he mumbles, his brain to mouth filter not working the way he'd like. "Have a good day. Love you."

She carries the words with her all the way to her apartment. They echo in her mind as she exits the loft, makes her way to her place in a cab and rides the elevator up to her floor.

He loves her.

He was asleep, conscious enough to hear her and register her words but not there enough to filter his words. He most likely hadn't been thinking, but he'd said the words nonetheless and they'd sent her heart soaring to heights she hadn't anticipated she could reach.

Last night had been... Well it had been everything. He'd worshipped her body, held her with so much care and put her pleasure above all else. The memories alone have her skin flushing, her insides yearning for a repeat performance. She knew there was more to it than just the act of two bodies working together, more than just sex. But she hadn't wanted to put a label on it, not when neither of them had spoken the words.

But this morning he'd said them, he'd said he loves her and her heart had exalted. She'd frozen immediately, shock coursing through her system but then the warmth of his words had pooled through her, laced her veins with excitement and joy and she can't remember a time she'd felt her cheeks ache from the split of her smile. And so she'd let her mind go unfiltered as well, following his unconscious lead and she'd set the words free, words she hadn't spoken in years.

"Love you too." Her lips had grazed his ear, hoping that despite his hazy state, he'd remember them when he woke later this morning. She'd wanted nothing more than to call in a replacement for work and curl up in bed with him again, let herself be sheltered by his embrace but she knew she couldn't. So she'd lain a final kiss to his cheek and tiptoed silently to the door. She'd have called it a walk of shame, only there was none of that involved. She'd promised Rick she wouldn't regret it and her words still ring true. She wouldn't take back their night for anything in the world.

By the time she gets to work, she's a little bit more behind schedule than she'd usually prefer to be but she isn't late per se, just has to rush to get her morning dose of coffee.

"Something's different," she jumps at her friend's voice coming from behind her as she prepares herself a cup of espresso. Espresso from his machine, she reminds herself and it has a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. She turns to find Lanie appraising her from head to toe and resists the urge to shrink away from her piercing gaze. "I do believe I asked for details about last night. Did you go to him?"

Kate feels her cheeks warm as memories of last night resurface at Lanie's words and she has to actively concentrate not to squeeze her legs together to try and alleviate some of the tension.

God, she's pretty sure they opened something like Pandora's box yesterday because she can't stop thinking about it, can't stop wanting more of him ever since she opened her eyes this morning. It was an active effort not to wake him with kisses and the sharp nip of her teeth. But she knew she wouldn't have had time to finish whatever she'd have started and that just wasn't fair to either of them. Not that she's about to tell Lanie that. No way is she sharing those details.

"I'm late for class, Lanie," she says, evades her friend's interrogation, grabs her fresh cup of coffee and heads towards the hall, to the sanctuary of her classroom.

"Don't think you're getting away so easily, Kate Beckett. We aren't done talking about this!" She hears Lanie call as she makes her escape and she chuckles, loves her nosy, gossip hungry science professor despite the fact that she'd rather keep the memories of last night to herself. She won't be telling Lanie everything, that's for sure, but she does deserve to know things went well, though Kate has a feeling she's already figured out that much. Shaking her head, Kate tries to put it out of her mind. She can figure out what to say to Lanie later.

"Good morning, everyone," Kate greets her students when she enters the classroom and a chorus of "good morning Miss Beckett," follows.

She starts her class with a short reading but about half way through, they get interrupted by the grainy voice over the intercom.

"Excuse me, Ms. Beckett?" the secretary asks, cutting everyone's attention from the reading to the side of the room where the intercom is built into the wall.

"Yes?" Kate asks, moving closer to the wall to make sure she hears.

"Would it be possible to have Alexis Castle come to the front office? There's been a family emergency."

Her heart squeezes in her chest and she looks over at Alexis who is already watching her, wide eyed and a little scared.

"Of course," Kate answers the secretary and she sees Alexis rise from her seat, putting away her notes and pencils in her bag. She meets her at the door and keeps her voice low, aware that they have the entire class' attention at their backs.

"Hey," she says laying a hand to Alexis' shoulder. "It's going to be okay. Tell your dad he can call me if you need anything, okay?" She can see how terrified the girl is and the urge to pull Alexis into her arms is strong. The fact that she has to resist, for the rest of the class' sake, has her stomach churning uneasily. She squeezes her shoulder instead and gives her what she hopes is a reassuring smile. Alexis nods, hey eyes downcast.

"Will I miss any important work?"

Kate shakes her head. "Don't worry about that, sweetie. I'll make sure you aren't behind," she assures her, letting her hand run through Alexis' hair before she can think better of it. But Alexis moves in closer, wrapping her arms around her waist in a quick hug and Kate can't bring herself to be upset about it, not when she secretly wanted to do the same.

"Thank you, Kate," she whispers and it tugs at her heart strings.

"Go," she urges her. "Everything is going to be okay," she says again, though she can't be sure of that. Alexis turns to leave and she spins to face the class again, but her stomach is in knots, twisting uncomfortably every time she takes a breath and she counts down the minutes to when she'll be able to text him, to ask if everything is alright.

A/N: You guys are the sweetest! You have no idea how much your words of encouragement motivate me. I'm doing my very best to keep the updates regular on a weekly basis, but midterm season is upon us so please don't hate me if I miss a week! - Zoe

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