Chapter twenty-five: Hello earth


"Right." Thomas stands up. "Everyone can go about their business." Thomas reached for her hand and pulled her up out of her seat. "Except for you, I want a word with you."

Kate nods. "As do I."

Arthur and John let out a few teasing sounds, causing Polly to smack them. Thomas holds onto her hand and leads her towards his office. Kate swallows as he leads her inside the room and closes the door behind them.

"Now, I felt your entire demeanor change in there. Let me guess," he leads her towards his desk. "this is about me mentioning marriage?" Kate nods her head. "I was only joking."

"Don't lie to me." Kate states as she crosses her arms over her chest. "I know you. You don't joke about things are serious to you."

He exhales. "I forgot, I can't fool you about these things." He steps towards her and lifts her up onto the edge of his desk while he stands beside her. "I should have realized that would spook you."

"Well, it was out of the blue and you said such a thing in front of your entire family!" She states. "We haven't even discussed marriage."

"I believe," he places his hand on her shoulder and toys with the lace on her collar. "that marriage should be discussed after I put the ring on your finger."

"I disagree," Kate attempts to state calmly, but he's looped his finger under her collar and is now stroking her neck. "we should be discussing compatibility."

"Compatibility?" he snorts. "Kate, I swear you put too much thinking into the simplest things."

"Marriage isn't a simple thing!" she states. "If we marry, it's going to change our lives!"

"The way I see it, things would mostly continue as they are. You'd move in here with me and I'd just get more privileges with you as your husband."

"Stop it." Kate blushes. "You're trying to distract me."

"Partly." He smiles.

"Thomas, sometimes you move way too fast for me. You barely leave me time to think."

"And when I do make you think, I make you think about things you haven't considered. Love, marriage…children." Those words cause heat to flood her entire being. "Tell me," his voice is low and gruff. "what do you think about sharing all of those things with me?"

Kate bites her lip, hesitating as she gently looks at him. He presses his thumb under her chin, gently encouraging her not to break eye contact with him. "It," she swallows hard as she whispers out. "I-I can see that happening with you."

"Good," Thomas leans forward to kiss her. "that's progress then."

Kate laughs lightly against his lips. However, that laughter quickly fades with the kiss. One kiss becomes two, two become three and then Kate looses count of the kisses as she loops her arms around his neck. As she surrenders to the moment, Kate slowly realizes that she's flat on her back, on the desk with Thomas on top of her. Her brain starts screaming out alarms as Thomas's long fingers moved slowly up her side towards her breast. When his curious fingers touch her there, she jumped, causing her to unconsciously buck her body against his.

"Thomas." She gasps out a protest, only to whimper as he forcefully kisses her. The blood drains out of her face as she realizes that Thomas has somehow managed to get between her legs. She shakes her head in a panic as he moves against her. The blood begins to pound in her ears as she breaks the kiss and pushes at him. "Thomas! Stop, please!"

Her plea causes him to instantly pull away, exhaling deeply as he looks down at her. She holds her breath, not daring to move a muscle under him. Their faces are so close that one move from her and they'd be kissing again, which would set things off again. Slowly, Thomas carefully gets off her. She eyes him as he flops backwards into his previously vacated seat.

He reaches for her hand, but she shakes her head as she pulls herself upright. "What s it Kate?" Kate tries, but the words get in the way. She can barely think straight, her heart is still pounding in her ears. "Talk to me." Thomas sighs and runs a hand through his hair. After a moment of silence, he says. "I'm not going to apologize for what just happened. I know you feel something for me Kate, but for some reason, you just keep fighting it."

Those words make her find her tongue. "I am not like those other women you've been with!" Kate bites out. He doesn't react, possibly, because he knows that she's not angry, it's just hard for her to express herself. "You knew that from the moment we entered into this relationship." She covers her face. "I'm not ready yet for such things and…I don't want things to go there outside of marriage."

"Why not?" He inquires.

The sound of footsteps, cause her to look up just as Polly enters the room. Polly's all-seeing eyes take in the scene in a minute. "Kate, step outside."

"But-

"Now." Polly says firmly. Kate nods for a minute and steps out of the office, somewhat grateful for a reprieve. Polly slams the door behind her, causing her to jump. "Are you trying to ruin your relationship with her before it begins?" Polly's voice is sharp.

"Nothing happened, Pol."

"Don't think you can fool me, I saw the look on her face and it didn't take me more than two seconds to figure it out. That girl, is different that any woman you've ever met!" Polly reminds him. "She's been raised as a lady of society and you have to treat her like one!"

"Kate's been treated like a f**king doll her entire life." Thomas stated, causing her to whip her head towards the door. "Her fiancé, never kissed her once in all of the years that they knew each other."

"He was patient and a gentleman, clearly everything you're not." Thomas snorts in disgust. "You're scaring her Thomas and I just don't want to see you lose the best thing that's ever happened to you."

Thomas is silent for a moment before saying. "I'm not going to be careful with her just because she's scared."

"Of course, she's scared Tommy. She lost her fiancée and all the few men she's known in her life haven't been much good to her!" Polly advised. "She's afraid you're going to hurt her."

"I'm not going to break her Polly. She's a woman Polly and I'm going to damn well treat her like one. And I," his voice rises. "am nothing like her father or brother. No one's going to love her more than me."

Those words cause Kate's heart to rise in her chest. against her will, she smiles broadly at his confession. "Then you damn well, better not lose her." Polly proclaims.

"I don't intend to." He says firmly. "She's a strong woman Polly, she doesn't need you protecting her from me. That woman would belt me in the balls if I got too out of order with her."

She smiles at those words. Without waiting to be allowed in, she pushes the door open, causing Thomas and Polly to look towards her. She bites her lip, heat rising to her cheeks at Thomas's look. "Obviously, I couldn't help overhearing."

"I only want what's best for you." Polly states firmly. "I'll not stand by and watch him manhandle you, when you're clearly not ready for things yet."

Thomas glowers at Polly while Kate nods. "I know that, and I appreciate having a mother-like figure in my life again." those words make Polly perk right up as Kate turns towards him, clearing her throat. "I do want to say that Polly's right. You do have to treat me gently and move patiently." He rolls his eyes. "But…you're also right." He studies her carefully. "And I know, that you want to show me how much you care but, you need to understand this. No one, has ever shown me anything this strong in regards to…love." He steps towards her. "You're the first and….it's almost too much for me at times,"

"Kate, look at me." she hesitates. "Come on, look at me." she slowly opens her eyes, but can't hold the gaze long. "I mean it, look at me." he grips her face in his hand, forcing her to look at him. "What do you see Kate?"

Kate studies his gaze carefully, she can see so many things. "Love, warmth, tenderness and desire." She nearly chokes on the last word.

"What you've described…is it such a bad thing?"

"No."

"Is it something for you to be afraid of?"

"No."

"Do you trust that I'm not going to hurt you?"

"Yes."

"I know…that you're scared Kate, but I don't want you to be scared of me. I want you to grow used to my touch, to me." at this point, Polly decides to step out of the office and give them some privacy. "I'm not going to force you, but, I would like for you to stop jumping every time I touch you. There's nothing wrong in what I feel for you."

"It's just that," she's silent for a moment before saying. "I promised my father."

"Why?" he asks. "You don't respect your father anymore than I respect mine."

She bites her lip. "I-I just do. In this case, with you, I really think I should be cautious. I don't want to break your heart and you're too good a man to get hurt by me."

"Don't worry about my heart. Already been broken." He says quietly. "You put it back together."

She's silent for a moment, drinking in his words. They're talking so openly now, Kate feels that she should add one more thing. "I do feel that sex," she bites her lip. "should be an intimate and private thing. Not in here, where anyone can just walk in."

He nods. "Understood. But know this, your first time with me won't be on a desk." Her face floods crimson at his blunt words. "It will be in a bed."

"You seem," she croaks. "so sure of yourself."

"You're still in control of when it happens, I just know that it will happen."

"Why do you always say such things?" She mutters. "They're not decent."

"Believe me, I'm really not saying what's going on fully in my head." He chuckles at her expression. "So next time-

"There won't be a next time." She states firmly.

"Next time," he ignores her. "I try something like that, it'll be somewhere private. You'll never admit to it…but you want me as much as I want you." She glowers at him. "I can see it in your eyes and I can taste it in your kiss."

"That may very well be, I'll have to trust you in that area of expertise. You've had so many women before me Thomas, I can't compare to any of their experience. Why do you want me so much?"

He's silent for a moment before saying. "Because I love you Kate."

Before Kate can even respond to those words, Finn comes running in the room, breathing heavily. "Harry said to tell you there's a man waiting for you at the pub. Don't look too friendly."

Thomas nods. "Right, thanks Finn." Thomas steps away from her and reaches for his hat. "We'll discuss this more when I get back."

Kate nods, her heart pounding in her chest. "You can find me at the restaurant."

He smiles at her. "I always know where I can find you." He leans forward and kisses her cheek, causing her to smile. He smiles back at her before heading out of his office doors. She shakes her head as she watches him walk away.

In spite of being nervous about him coming to find her later, Kate was glad that they were going to be discussing more topics that are serious. They both still hid parts of themselves from each other and Kate wanted to know every secret he had. She hoped that he wanted to know the secrets she kept close to her heart as well.


Idcam: Hopefully Kate is prepared for it!

Angel029: Great!

Shariebery: This time he really he knocked the wind out of her sails with his early declaration.