Jack's hand pushed its way under Kate's dress and up her thigh. The minute they were able to sneak away he had cornered her in the elevator. He would have craved her anyway, he always did. Watching her floating across parties, mingling with the people who held the power to make or break Jack's career; she knew it, too. She never wore panties to these types of functions. She knew it drove Jack wild to watch her act so polite and poised while constantly thinking about that was underneath her dress. Tonight was worse; he didn't want to have her, he wanted to dominate her. Watching her in Kenneth's arms made his blood boil and set his territorial side go into overdrive.

"We're almost in the room," Kate giggled, her face buried in Jack's neck.

"I can't wait," he groaned, pushing against her so she could feel his hardness. "I need you. Now."

"Be good," she purred. As much as she wanted him, she knew he had to keep some level of professionalism. Still, knowing what all this anticipation would lead to didn't hurt, either.

Just like she suspected, the minute they were alone in the hotel room he slammed her down on the desk, her dress hastily pushed aside. He slammed into her, grabbing her ass and pulling her across the desk, pushing her up and down his length. She tossed her head back and moaned loudly. His mouth captured hers and inhaled her moans as he moved more feverishly inside her.

From the room next door, a series of loud bangs caused Kate to jump. Instinctively, Jack grabbed her and pulled her behind him; even without knowing the danger, her safety was his main priority.

"What was that?" Kate whispered, clinging to Jack.

"I'll go see." The minute the words were uttered, the banging stopped suddenly. The silence was almost as frightening as the banging.

"No! Jack!" Kate knew her nails had dug into Jack's flesh but she did nothing to stop it. They weren't armed with guns like they had been in the jungle. And more importantly, they weren't in the jungle. She had tried to put all of that behind her, behind them. "Stay with me," she begged.

The shakiness in her tone broke his heart and he couldn't deny her. He nodded, grabbing his boxers before double checking all the locks and looking out the peephole.

Kate slipped into a tank top and pair of panties before joining Jack. "Anything?"

"No. I think it's okay," he whispered. When he saw her expression he chuckled, making her furrow her brow in confusion. "It was just an accident, I'm sure. We aren't on the island anymore. We can relax."

She chuckled softly as she nodded her head. Those days were over; not every bump in the night needed investigated. Still, she slid closer to Jack than she normally did. He picked up on it and made sure to hold her tighter than usual. It didn't take long at all for Kate to drift off to sleep, safe in Jack's arms.

The next morning, Jack left a note and croissant for Kate before heading to his seminar. He hated leaving without her being awake but knew Kate didn't often get much sleep. On the island she rarely slept more than 4 hours a night. Back home she didn't fare much better. Even if she could clear her mind enough to sleep, Aaron woke often throughout the night.

Kate shrugged it off, deciding to go for a walk. Since their rescue, she'd avoided beaches and sand. She had been unable to process everything that happened so she avoided scenery that triggered those memories. But now, being here with Jack and feeling relaxed and at ease, she knew it was something she needed to do. And with Jack at his seminar, she had the perfect opportunity to do this on her own.

She walked along the beach for a long time, her mind racing with memories of the island. She wiped a tear, remembering her fallen friends.

"Kate?"

She turned to see Kenneth heading towards her, wearing cargo shorts and a button down tee shirt.

"It's Kenneth, remember?" He extended a hand to her.

"Oh, of course! How are you?" She asked politely. "Why aren't you at the seminar?"

"Oh, I must not have the same times as your friend."

"He's my boyfriend," Kate corrected. She knew how this game went, she had been a bartender and was constantly hit on. "Is that funny?" She asked when she saw a smile creep across his face.

"It's just that I would have expected a girl like you to be okay without a ring or a commitment..."

"We're committed," she assured him. "And if I really cared about a ring, I'd have one."

"I'd want the entire world to know you were mine, if you were mine."

"I don't need all of that and Jack knows that." The conversation was making Kate uncomfortable; she'd met many of Jack's colleagues and even the flirtiest of men hadn't made her feel quite so uneasy.

"I didn't mean for that to come out the wrong way. I guess I just assumed a couple as in love as you two appear would be married, that's all."

Kate felt herself relax slightly. She was still on edge, but she felt like it might have just been a slip up. She tried to force herself to relax; she wasn't a fugitive or on the island. Not every action or word needed to be analyzed. "It's fine," she smiled softly. "I should be heading back, though."

"Wouldn't want Jack to have to come looking for you," he chuckled. There was something in his tone that made the hair on the back of Kate's neck stand up.

"He'd stop at nothing to find me," she promised him. She offered one last smile before turning to head back towards the beach.

"Oh, and Kate?" She hadn't even fully turned around when he uttered words that stopped her cold. "How's Aaron?"

"What did you just say to me?" She felt the color fading from her cheeks and tears building in her eyes.

"We should really talk, Miss Austen." Kenneth grabbed Kate by the arm. Still stunned, she easily followed him, her mind still racing with thoughts of her son.