Megan sat at the bar and watched in awe as Kate sucked the meat off a drumstick, letting the sauce drip from her fingers.
"I never would have taken you for a chicken wings and beer kind of girl," she noted, totally amused.
"I grew up in the South," Kate shrugged.
"Yeah, I wouldn't have guessed that either. You don't even have an accent."
"Took me years to get rid of it."
"Too bad," Megan teased. "I bet it was cute."
Kate rolled her eyes. "It's already hard enough being blonde-haired, blue-eyed and a D-cup in this profession. The accent just made people assume I was that much less competent."
Megan nodded, knowing it was true.
"Anyway," Kate continued. "It still comes out when I'm around my family."
"Do you miss them?" Megan felt like she could ask now.
"Some of them. My sister, my niece and nephew. It would be nice to watch them grow up. But…" she trailed off, and Megan realized she was done sharing, for now.
"Trust me, I get it. Families are tough."
"Were you and your mother ever close?" Kate wondered.
"Never. She worked all the time, and even when she was around, my dad and I just had more of a natural affinity for one another."
Kate was gaining more insight into why Megan was trying to do everything in her power not to repeat the same mistakes with Lacey. She finished her wings and looked over at Megan, who was just chewing her last celery stick and washing it down with the rest of her beer.
"Want another one?" Kate offered.
"Not tonight," Megan sighed. "I don't think we need a repeat of last time. Plus, it's a Monday. I can't be late for work tomorrow. I'd hate to get in trouble."
Kate narrowed her eyes and grinned at her. "You've always been trouble."
"I think you like it," Megan flirted back. She bit her bottom lip. Hard as it was, she kept her promise to be discreet.
When the check arrived, both of them reached for it. They had to laugh.
"Um…" Kate wasn't sure what to do here.
"Let's split it, yes?" Megan suggested.
Kate shifted on her stool, suddenly feeling awkward. Things weren't that different when it came to paying on a date, but she knew there would be other areas where she'd feel even more clueless.
"Don't worry," Megan assured her, putting her hand on her leg as discreetly as she could. "This is new for me too."
Minutes later they were back at the office, pulling into the parking garage. It was empty now except for their own vehicles and those of the night security team, who occasionally rode by on their golf carts making their rounds. It was time to say goodnight, but Kate felt like stalling.
"How many days are you gonna to wait for Lacey to call?" she asked.
"Sunday. She usually calls then, but I'm hoping for sooner considering how we left things."
"I hope so too," Kate smiled.
"If she calls you," Megan began hesitantly. "Would you…"
"What?" Kate arched an eyebrow. "Fill you in on everything she tells me? I can't do that, Megan."
"Excuse me?" Megan responded, agitated.
"I'm not gonna be your spy. Then she's liable stop talking to both of us."
Megan crossed her arms, knowing Kate was right.
"I don't think I should even mention it if she calls," Kate continued. "You might get mad if I hear from her first."
"I won't!" Megan turned in her seat so she could face her more fully. "I'm thankful for you. You have to know that. Even if I haven't always shown it."
Kate reached out and brushed some of her auburn hair behind her ear. She traced the lobe, playing with Megan's earring, then continued to trail her finger along the edge of her jaw, to the tip of her chin, where she stopped.
"You can show me now," she whispered.
Megan grabbed Kate's face and kissed her, softly at first, then more fiercely as Kate buried her hands in her hair and pulled her closer. Megan caressed her cheeks as she kissed her deeper and deeper, finally teasing her lips open with her tongue. Kate let her in, melting her own tongue against Megan's. Megan shivered at the sensation, bringing her hands down to Kate's neck, which she tickled lightly with her fingertips as Kate lapped at the insides of her mouth. Megan marveled at how new and yet familiar this felt. She breathed in Kate's scent, bringing her mouth to her neck, sucking the space just behind her ear. Kate dug her nails into Megan's back, her hands searching just beneath her sweater, feeling the smooth skin there for the first time.
"God," Megan couldn't help but moan into her neck. "Are we really doing this?"
"Try not to analyze it," Kate shivered.
Megan nibbled on her skin, biting down just hard enough for Kate to arch her back. She hissed, and brought her lips back to Megan's.
"I don't want to go," Kate panted.
Megan swallowed. "Come home with me again."
Kate pulled back so she could look into her eyes. "I'm afraid… the next time I spend the night, I won't be able to sleep with my clothes on."
Megan brought her lips right in front of Kate's, so they were just barely touching.
"I was hoping you'd say that." She kissed her again, harder this time. Kate brought her hands to Megan's stomach, running her fingertips from just beneath her breasts to the top of her skirt. Megan giggled. Kate caught her laugh in her mouth and kissed her while grabbing her more firmly around the waist. She felt Megan's hands on her chest, just above her breasts, kneading her collarbones. They both seemed to be coming up against invisible force fields, worried about taking things too far in their current location. Kate stopped for a moment, bringing them back to their present time and place.
"Megan…"
"Uh huh," Megan mumbled, slowly opening her eyes.
"I really…really want to do this. I just think… we should probably wait till we're more comfortable, and when we don't have to be back here at eight a.m."
Megan sobered up from the daze she was in. She felt like every pore, every cell was tingling.
"Okay," she agreed.
"Friday," Kate offered. "Come to my place for dinner."
"Perfect," Megan smiled. She gave her one last, playful kiss before moving back into the driver's seat and fixing her clothes.
"See you in the morning, Dr. Hunt," Kate whispered before getting out of the car. Megan watched as she started to pull away. She could not believe she had just made out with Kate Murphy—fucking Kate Murphy!—in her car, in front of the office. How is this real? she thought. She shook her shoulders, her head, everything, making sure she wasn't dreaming before turning the key and heading home.
