A/N: I'm pretty sure this chapter is my favorite, but then again a lot of them are so maybe this story is just my new favorite! I hope you all enjoy it! xx Mariah

"I just don't understand why you are keeping your apartment," Devon muttered.

Ned sighed as he tried to explain, again, why they were keeping it. "Not forever, but just for now. It started because I didn't want to pressure Katie... " He trailed off, shrugging. "I don't know. I really just don't want to mess things up. "

"It doesn't make sense to pay for an apartment if you own a house," Devon sighed.

Ned simply shrugged. His friend wasn't wrong, but neither was he. He couldn't put that pressure on Katie, it's not like she had invited him back to live at the house again.

Maybe part of him was still banking on something going wrong.

Maybe he was still waiting for her to change his mind, to decide that there were more important things to her than making their relationship work.

Maybe he was just a little bit afraid because things were going so well.

It was almost like nothing ever happened like they never lost pieces of themselves, their son, or each other for months. They found their way back to one another, and it was like everything was right in the world again.

"We're going on a date tonight," he finally said. "Our counselor said it would do us some good to spend time together in public."

Devon looked at him, an eyebrow raised. "You're actually going to counseling? I thought you just said that to smooth things over."

"Why would I do that? I have to follow through on my promise to show her that I'm ready." He told him simply. "If not, my word means nothing."

"Well, it better have gotten you laid," his friend said, patting him on the back as he walked down the street ahead of him. "Or it doesn't really mean anything."

Ned stopped in his tracks, staring at his friend until he finally looked back at him.

"Oh, come on…" Devon sighed, walking back to stand near him again. "Don't go soft on me now, Banks."

He didn't have a reply that was worthy of telling him at the moment and walked past him. They were at work and they were trying to find a suspect.

"So you and Clancy haven't?" Devon chuckled, but still sounded surprised. "Wow. I would've thought crazy Katie would've gotten right back under you as quickly as she could."

Ned had finally heard enough. He grabbed him by the collar and nearly shoved him up against the wall, but he didn't want to cause any bigger of a scene while they were trying to find a suspect on the street.

"I've told you before not to talk about her like that!" He said with his jaw clenched. All he wanted to do was beat the crap out of him right now, but he couldn't because he would possibly lose this suspect and get thrown off his case. "I've told you… how many fucking times do I have to tell you to never use that nickname again? We aren't in high school anymore. That is my wife you are talking about. Whether or not we are having sex is none of your concern. Let's just find this guy."

"Fine. Fine. God, you're on edge. Wonder why?" Devon scoffed, chuckling as he straightened his collar once he let go of him. "Hey. Banks, five o'clock." He gestured. "Is he holding what I think he is?"

Ned turned to look, too. "A bag of powder that vaguely resembles the street drug causing ODs that we are investigating?" He asked. "That's exactly how it seems."

"You ready?" Devon asked.

He flashed a glance at him. "I'm the one in charge here," he reminded him. "This is my case. Don't forget that."

"Yeah… yeah. I got it," Devon said and lifted his hand, fist closed.

He bumped his friend's fist quickly before they made their way across the street quickly. "Alex Moreno? Grandview PD, hands where I can see them!"

The suspect turned to look at them, eyes wide before immediately turning and running in the opposite direction.

It had been a while since Ned had been on a real chase. Sure, he'd gotten in on the action here and there, but Grandview didn't get a lot of action most of the time.

Maybe that was why he didn't see it coming. Maybe he was just rusty. He was out of practice from having not run this long of a distance in such an irregular path. He might go for a jog every other morning, but he wasn't darting down alleyways or climbing up fire escapes while he did it.

On the other hand, Alex was running like he was a current cross-country star, running like he was trying to secure his place in the Summer Olympics as the fastest runner to ever run in the entire universe.

Was running even an Olympic sport? He'd have to ask Katie, but if it was, the kid would definitely have the gold medal. It must not be, then, because instead of having a gold medal, Alex was running at an inhuman pace with a bag packed with drugs in his arms like he's cradling a baby.

Ned was getting closer to him, each wrong step the kid took giving him a few centimeters of leeway. Until the kid chucked a wood pallet at him, knocking Ned onto his ass and back into a dumpster.

Devon hopped over it and kept going, but his friend stole a few glances at him. He had even heard a faint, "you okay?" That was when it really hit him.

Ned was dizzy. Out of nowhere. So dizzy. One second he was running and Devon and Moreno were in front of him, but then things were moving so fast. He looked up at the sky and things just looked so twisty.

It reminded him of the ice cream cones his dad used to get him when he was little, the twisty cones, everything all mixed in a swirl. He squeezed his eyes shut tight and took a deep breath, in through his nose, out through his mouth.

"Banks!" Devon yelled from a distance away.

Ned opened his eyes but didn't move his head. "I'm okay!" Devon had Moreno on the ground, cuffing his hands behind his back. His friend was looking at him with concern on his face, but he shook his hand at him and sat up slowly. "I'm okay! I'll be over there in a minute."

Ned sat on the ground, knees tented and leaning forward on them, trying to steady his breathing. What had just happened? Sure, he was out of practice, but he wasn't that bad.

"Hey, you- don't move, Moreno," Devon paused, glaring at the perp, who had stopped partway through trying to sit up. "You okay, Ned?"

He shrugged Devon off as he placed a hand on his shoulder. "I'm fine," he groaned. "Just a little rusty apparently."

Ned pushed himself up off of the ground, ignoring the little bits of light that he saw around him as he did. He saw stars now and then, but that was probably just because he hadn't eaten enough for breakfast. He'd be sure to grab something when they got back to the precinct.

"You're bleeding. Are you-"

"I'm fine," he told him again. "Did you Mirandize him?"

"No, but-"

"Idiot," he muttered as he made his way over to Moreno. He reached down and tugged him up off of the ground by his bicep. "You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney..." Ned trailed off, blinking for a moment and swallowing hard when he saw stars again. "If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be provided for you. Do you understand these rights as I have read them to you?"

There was not much else the kid could do at the moment. "Yes," Alex muttered. "I do."

"Good," he said and waved for his friend to take the lead. "Now get him back to the station. You're doing the paperwork. I— I'm gonna go get cleaned up. Tell Cap for me."

"Yeah. No problem." Devon said and took hold of their suspect by the arm to lead him down the street.

Ned winced when Katie's father dabbed too hard with the ointment before putting something over the cut on his forehead. Jim had taken him for a CT and MRI, then told him that he'd cracked a rib or two and had a slight concussion.

That meant that he would need to either be on desk duty or take some time off work. It was a low blow, but he'd expected it. He'd gotten knocked around like a god damned rag doll during that chase.

"I'll send a script to the pharmacy for some low-grade pain killers. Just in case," Jim told him simply. "Just stay off your feet for a few days, but you shouldn't go back to work for at least a week or so. I'm sure you can manage that, right?"

"I'm sure I can take a few days off," he replied, pulling his shirt back on. "I have some vacation time saved up."

Jim nodded. "Good."

Ned could sense there was something more, but he wasn't sure exactly what it could be. There were a few reasons Katie's father could be pissed at him, but everything that had happened with her was likely at the top of the list.

"Do you have something to say to me?" He asked.

"I have a lot I want to say to you, Ned, but that can't happen here when I'm at work. All I have to say to you here and now is if you hurt my daughter," Jim paused as he leaned in and made sure the bandage on his forehead was in place by pressing a little too hard on the cut and making him wince again. "Trust me when I tell you that you'll need to take more than a few days off of work if that happens again."

Ned gulped as he stood. "I know that and it won't." There wasn't much else he could say because he knew that the man was being serious.

"Good. I'm glad we can see eye to eye," Jim said and he turned to leave, opening the door. "I hope that's the truth this time."

"That's not fair," Ned sighed, but then heard the exam door close again and lost his train of thought.

The closer Katie's father got the larger the impulse was for him to back into the corner of the room, but somehow he stood his ground.

"Listen now and listen closely, kid. I'm not interested in hearing anything you have to say because I will never be on your side." Jim was close to shouting and his jaw was set, but he kept his cool. The same way Katie did when she was angry. Ned had never noticed that before. He had also never seen him so close to losing cool before. "Katie is my daughter and she is a complicated, strongly independent woman just like her mother. I know that she's made mistakes, everyone does, but none of them match yours."

"You don't know—"

Jim cut him off again. "End of discussion. Have a day, Ned."

Katie pulled up outside the emergency room just as Ned was walking out of the doors.

Her father had texted her, very vaguely, but it was enough to get her to cut her research for marriage counselor short and drive right over. When she saw that he was walking slower than usual and there was a bandage on his forehead, she got out of the car quicker than she thought was possible.

Ned had never liked when she doted on him, but this time was different. He leaned into her touch when her fingers touched his forehead. "What happened?" She asked, voice thick with emotion.

"Nothing too bad. Just the usual day at work gone wrong," he said, but she could tell he was trying to act stoic and was in more pain than he let on. "I'm gonna have to be off my feet for a couple of days."

"Then you're coming home with me. I can take a few days off too. School is nearly done," she told him and he opened his mouth to argue with her, but one look from her and it closed again. "It's about time you came home anyway. Don't you think?"

His eyes perked up like an eager puppy and he smiled. "It would be a step in the right direction," he replied. "If that's what you want."

She hugged him as tightly as she could, knowing he was hurt and trying her best to be careful about it, but he didn't care. "I'm the one who brought it up, silly." She said and pressed a kiss to his cheek as she pulled back. "Of course it's what I want. I just wish you would've texted me and not my dad."

"I… I didn't think it was that serious," he stuttered, looking a bit ashamed and confused at the same time when she finally caught a glimpse of his face again. "I didn't know if we were at that place yet. But your dad told you?"

"Yeah. Very vaguely, but he said you'd need a ride home because you had a slight concussion." She said and looked over him again like she could see where he was injured under his clothes. Her eyes lingered on his stomach, remembering the time before. "I was more worried not having heard from you. I thought… It reminded me of when I got that call." She paused and took in a shaky breath. "The one when you got stabbed."

He wrapped his arms around her completely, wincing slightly as he raised his arms too high, but only held onto her tighter. "I'm sorry. I'll call you myself next time, okay? Even for a paper cut." He was teasing her, but it made her laugh.

Katie lightly jabbed him and she rolled her eyes when he winced louder than necessary. "You better," she warned him and then helped him toward the car. "Did you need to stop and do anything before we head home?"

"Just to the station real quick. I gotta talk to Letrai about taking some time off," he told her as she opened the front passenger door for him. "You know, I would tip you but my wallet is on my desk."

She shook her head. "Get in," she giggled, gesturing for him to move. "Anywhere else?"

He pressed a kiss to her cheek as he got into the car. "The pharmacy but that's it."

A couple of days later, she was in the kitchen, making soup for dinner and Ned to bring to work when he went bacK.

Katie tossed another handful of basil leaves and a dash of garlic salt into the broth and stirred it carefully before replacing the lid on the pot and leaving it to finish simmering. It was nearly ready for the rest of the ingredients to go in, but wouldn't be done cooking until later tonight.

That was her mistake. She should've started it sooner but they'd had their first counseling session together and it had gone well. They hadn't gone back to normal by any means, but the past few days have been impossibly good.

"Katie?" His voice called out from upstairs.

She knew his voice was so loud because he usually left his door open on his way from the shower in her room. "Yeah?" She called back.

It was the best bathroom in the house because it was the only one they'd renovated since they'd bought the place. They had a guest bathroom that was in between the two other bedrooms they had, but it was outdated and had terrible water pressure.

Ned was still sleeping in the guest room and their counselor agreed that was probably the best decision for now if he was going to move home permanently.

Which they hadn't talked about yet, but it made her shiver a little when she thought of him wet and naked as she turned the heat up just a little on the soup. That had to be good right?

"Can we go somewhere today?" He asked.

"What? Tired of me already?" She teased and imagined him rolling his eyes at her.

"No. I'm tired of being stuck in the damn house," he called back and she heard the stairs creak as he came down them. "It's starting to feel like 2020 again."

He was being so overdramatic. Three days in the house and he was already comparing it to the pandemic.

"Our homework from Dr. Simpkins was to go out on a date. We can just go to Lentos if you want to keep it simple." He had appeared in the kitchen by the time she turned around, leaning up against the wall, arms crossed. "Just anywhere but here. Not that I don't love your cooking. The soup smells good."

Katie eyed him suspiciously. "Are you sure you're up to that?" She asked. "That could be a lot of walking and it could tire you out."

"I'm starting back at the gym tomorrow because I want to be ready when I go back to work." He told her as he walked closer to her but still kept himself a step away. "But yes. I would like to take you out."

It almost felt like old times.

"Okay," she relented, biting her lip.

"You don't have to worry or overthink it too much," he chuckled. "Just Lentos."

She eased her arms around his neck, though it still felt out of place for her to do so and she could see that by the look on his face. "Or we could go to that steakhouse that you like and get all dressed up," she replied, trying to ease some of the tension. "You better change though."

"Arrowhead?" He asked excitedly. "You sure? I always thought you hated that place."

Her smile disappeared and her arms fell to her sides. Not like old times. "I mean the food is overpriced, but it's your favorite and they do have a nice wine list." She reasoned, shrugging. "It's a reason to get dressed up and have a nice time. Isn't that what you wanted to do?"

"Okay. Yeah. It's perfect," he said. "I didn't mean to… I'm sorry. How did everything get so awkward again?"

When I turned my back on our marriage and you cheated. What else? Her inner voice was a petty bitch sometimes, but she bit her tongue. "Baby steps," she reminded him. "But we have a hot date… what am I gonna wear?"

Arrowhead was surprisingly crowded for a Sunday night. They had to wait twenty minutes to get a table of two. But finally, they got seated at a booth in the back of the restaurant with dim lighting.

Ned smiled at her as he slid into the seat across from her, but neither of them said anything. He just bobbed his head to the beat of the silence.

"Sorry," Katie said after a moment. "I think I'm feeling a little awkward."

"Yeah, me too." He said, pursing his lips together. "How do we make it not weird?"

She thought for a moment. "We could get a buzz going to cut the tension."

"Ah, I like your style." He flagged down the waitress ordering three shots for each of them and a large margarita to share along with some calamari. "Very classy."

When the shots came to their table, they did the first one quickly and she finally had enough courage to ask him, "Why do you like this place so much?" She narrowed her eyes and made sure he knew she wanted an answer. "The steak is abysmal at best. And it's way overpriced for what it is."

"Very true," he said. "I don't know, I've just always liked it."

"Not good enough." She said, shaking her finger at him before drowning her next shot. "It's not that big of a deal. Remember, you can tell me anything."

Ned looked at her as if he was trying to figure out whether or not she was telling the truth. "Yeah, okay. I have this memory. I was maybe four and my dad took me here to celebrate something. So I like coming back here sometimes, feeling like that happy kid." He took his next shot when he finished.

"That is... so depressing." She muttered, way too loud, and he smiled at her. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that."

"I guess. I mean it's not as sad as it used to be now that I have you." He said, holding out his hand to her.

Katie squeezed his hand and brought it up to her lips. "Yes," she reassured him. "You always will."

The two quickly found their way into conversation after that.

It came far more naturally than either would've expected given the current situation as they finished their shots and the calamari and margarita came to the table.

But all she could really think about was how close she might be to losing him if this night went badly.

"I don't want you to leave again." She said after her pasta was set down in front of her.

Ned looked up at her with guilt, running a hand through his hair. It was one of the signs that he was nervous. "You don't ever have to worry about that. I know that's not the best choice of words, but I will never leave you again. That was fucked up and stupid on my behalf. Along with everything else."

"I know that I played a part in why you left... I was the one who told you to." She began, but trailed off, moving her fork around in her food. "And it's probably unfair of me to bring it up now, but like Dr. Simpkins said we should try to be more honest with each other."

He reached across the table and squeezed her hand. "I'm not going to leave. But you know… I am kind of afraid that you're going to."

"Why would I?" She asked. "Ned, I'm not going anywhere. I think that we're starting to get back into a good place. Don't you?"

"I do too," Ned said, looking down at his steak and starting to cut into it after his short pause. "Sometimes though I worry that you're not going to be happy in the long run. Maybe this is your chance to get out. You deserve better than me."

"How many times do I have to try and tell you that you are the only man I've ever wanted? I'm not going anywhere. I want to get back to the couple that we used to be."

"We have to do better than that because being that couple is what brought us here. I don't want to ever have this happen again." He said, smiling at her and she smiled back. "But we should get going, they probably want to give this table to someone else." He gestured to their empty plates.

Katie agreed and quickly finished off her glass of wine before sliding out of the booth, following her husband out into the parking lot. "God, it's pouring." She huddled up beside Ned, trying to find any sort of shelter as they waited for her car from the valet.

"Here. Hopefully, we won't be out here too long." He shrugged off his coat and held it above them.

She smiled. "Thank you." They huddled closer together and she rested her head on his shoulder when he stayed close behind her. "You do know what I was talking about back there, right?"

"What?" He asked as the valet pulled around the Honda CRV.

Ned had always been just a little clueless. Well, most of the time or maybe it was just her. She leaned in close, near his ear as he opened the passenger door for her. "I was talking about the sex." She whispered, winking at him as she slid into her seat and pulled the door closed.

He hurried over to the other side and tipped the valet driver before he got inside. His cheeks were flushed and she hoped it was because of her.

They walked back to their house from the driveway hand-in-hand and it made her smile because she couldn't remember the last time they'd held hands. When they got inside, Ned suggested they watch a movie in her bedroom because he was too sore to try and get comfortable on the couch.

"That's a good idea." She said, turning toward the stairs.

Katie was sitting on the edge of their bed taking off her heels when he came into the room. She watched him neatly put his shoes in his closet where they belonged.

"I'll just go get changed into something comfortable real quick," he said. "You can pick out the movie if you want."

"I can wait for you," she said and watched him slowly begin to untie the tie around his neck. "Wait." She walked over to him and put her hands around his neck. "Can I?"

He smiled. "Sure," he whispered. "You always did like taking my tie off at the end of the day."

She was standing close enough to him to feel his warm breath tickle her face. It had been a little bit since she had seen his face this close up, and now she could see the little lines of stress. Every little knick on his neck where he had cut himself shaving the other morning. She watched him swallow hard as she pulled his tie loose, her eyes wandering back up to his face until they came to rest on his lips.

Before she even had a chance to think, she was standing on her tiptoes and his lips were crashing onto hers. His hand came up to curl around her neck and she tilted her head back, practically sighing when she felt the tip of his tongue trace the seam of her mouth.

She opened her mouth readily, touching her tongue to his, and it was all the permission he needed. She whimpered and wound her fingers through his hair, trying to pull him closer. He groaned in response, pressing his mouth to hers harder with such neediness and ferocity that left her lightheaded.

Katie barely remembered walking to the bed before they were lying there, Ned on top of her, his lips already on her neck.

"God, I've wanted to do this all night," he gasped between kisses, and she nodded eagerly, wrapping her arms around him. "You look… so beautiful."

She had worn a little black dress, one that hugged her figure nicely and had been in her closet for years. It also happened to be one of his favorites. But it invigorated her to know this had been on his mind the entire night.

She wanted to taste more of him, but he seemed focused on discovering every crevice of her neck, and she was content to let him. She pulled more of his body on top of hers, pulling his shirt off as he covered her with kisses.

He latched on to the dip near her collarbone and sucked lightly, trailing his hand up her ribcage and pushing the straps of her dress off her shoulders. God, she wanted him. Her whole body was on fire and his hands were on her hips as she ground against him.

He groaned, deep and primal as he thrust against her, but then he pulled back. "Are you sure?" He asked softly. "You know I love you… and I will always want you, but there is no rush. I'm fine waiting."

She smiled at him, her heart full knowing that he'd wait, even if she could feel how ready he was. "I want this… I want you," she whispered, pulling him closer. "Do you want me?"

"More than anything," he murmured and her entire body flushed with heat.

They continued shedding clothing and inhibition and doubt between feverish kisses and breathless exclamations. She straddled him for a moment, rocking her hips against him until she felt him hard beneath her as their lips connected again and his hands held her tight against him.

She trailed her lips to his neck and he moaned her name as she found a particularly sensitive spot—oh, she'd never tire of hearing him like that, his usual composure falling apart.

Even if Katie couldn't exactly mark up his neck because of work, she did her best work where he could hide it and he certainly seemed to enjoy it and react the same way.

Her lips moved down his chest and her teeth nipped at his stomach and ribs as she moved to kneel in front of him, leaving a track of tiny kisses down to the waistband of his pants. He chuckled eagerly, watching through hungry eyes, and she was biting her lip in anticipation as her fingers worked the belt out of his pants impatiently.

She laughed with him, delighted with accomplishment as the belt was finally pulled loose and she could yank his pants down. She stared at him when he was finally naked, his dick already hard and eager for her when she took him into her mouth. The broken cry of her name was something she wanted to remember forever.

She started to set a torturously slow, steady pace, one hand working the extra length her mouth couldn't while the other held his hip. She could feel him strain against her as his knees went weak, his legs trembling at the onslaught of pleasure.

It was a heady feeling, having him at her mercy like this after everything. But also, her romantic side noted, they were finally getting to be together again.

She slowly pulled off him, sucking as she went, before circling the tip with her tongue. Something seemed to overwhelm him then, and he suddenly went quiet and his hips stilled. Sensing something was wrong, she pulled her mouth off him and paused to look up to check if he was okay.

Ned was staring down at her with his wide green eyes, pupils blown out with desire but also looking practically mortified. Was it out of nervousness or fear? Katie couldn't help but rake her gaze over him, admiring how he looked sprawled out on the bed, panting and slick with sweat. Her thoughts raced around. Had she done something wrong? Had he changed his mind about getting back together?

"Is…something wrong, baby?" She asked and the few seconds as he caught his breath to answer felt like an eternity, leaving her feeling increasingly anxious as she moved to lay beside him.

"No… no, I was just trying my best to…" He stuttered, face red. "I didn't want to come yet. I was… you are…" His finger ran across her lips. "You know exactly what to do to me."

Her expression softened. "Ned… I just know that even if you come now... you would still do whatever it took to help me get there too." She told him the best she could, starting to touch him again, reveling in the sounds he made when she did. "You are very good to me in that way."

He ran his hand through her hair gently and then ran it down the side of her jaw. "I love you," he whispered.

This made her smile. "I love you more," she teased him and he relaxed a little more.

Katie leaned forward to kiss him as he began to undress her. She was still mostly clothed beside the tights she'd already pulled off and the straps of her dress that Ned had pushed down earlier, but he made quick work of it all.

He didn't pause or say anything as he touched her, but all she could think about was Toby. That stupid prick and his critiques of her body were front and center on her mind.

Did Ned feel the same way? Did Becca look better than her?

"Wait…" She gasped as she pulled away from him, causing him to look at her with confused concern.

He was trying to read her. "Did I do something?" He asked.

"No! Not you," she reassured him, shaking her head. Katie looked down at herself, covering her midsection but specifically her scar. She still felt like she could see it. She always did. "Just… in my head. Toby…"

He closed the newly made distance between them, and grabbed her chin with his fingers, tilting it up so her eyes could meet his. "Fuck that guy." He said and they both laughed while he pressed a kiss to her forehead. "I love you… whatever size you may be, and that hasn't even changed because you wore that black dress tonight. You wore that on our second date if I remember right."

He was right. It made her want to cry that he remembered. "It's one of your favorites. Mine too." She whispered. "It's a little snug, but it's comfy."

"In all the right places," he told her, winking. "It makes your ass look great and your hips even better. The neckline even gives a nice picture, but this is better." He leaned down to rest his head on her chest and she ran her fingers through his hair. "You were beautiful then, when you were pregnant with Charlie, and even more beautiful to me now that you have overcome all of that." He moved his hands farther down, his mouth following and lingering over her stomach, and the scar and stretch marks there. "And I know that you hate these, but I'll love them enough for the both of us. Forever."

She felt tears come to her eyes. But they weren't sad ones. She was so happy they could finally talk to each other about this.

"Oh, yes," he sighed, reaching her core. "I've missed this."

"Really?" She said, such honest delight in her voice that she surprised both of them.

He leaned down and let his breath tease her. "Really," he said, voice deep with desire.

Ned eased one finger, two even, inside her, and soon enough she was mewling like a kitten for him. She literally purred when his mouth finally touched her, and then squeaked in the back of her throat when he delved deeper, again grabbing onto his hair to keep her steady.

Her thighs moved up in response to his ministrations until they were cradling his head. He moaned, pulling away from her a little, leaving her gasping. She wanted more. She wanted him inside her even as perfect as his mouth and fingers were, his dick was better.

"Your thighs are unbearably soft," he whispered, eyes dark, running his hands along them and his mouth followed.

She loved him. So much.

"Kiss me," she begged as she got closer.

His breath was warm against the backside of her knee. "I thought I was," he chuckled.

"I need more," she panted, as his mouth found her again, bucking against him. "I want you."

"I can do that later," he said. "I've missed this. Promise."

"Ned Banks…" Her voice trailed off as his tongue swirled around her and his fingers joined. She came for him, so loudly she knew the neighbors might hear but she didn't care. It was him, her husband.

When they were face to face again, he was still careful with her as he eased himself inside her. "Katie," he breathed out against her skin as their lips met. "Are you sure?"

"Ned," she whimpered, breathless as she squeezed his shoulder to urge him on. "Please... I want you."

He brought one hand up to squeeze her breasts gently, kissing and tugging at her nipples the way she liked while his hips began to move, rocking, slowly at first.

His green eyes caught hers, dark in the moonlight. He held her stare and she cried out when his movements became harder, her body moving in time with his.

"Ned," she gasped, throwing her head back. He sucked at her pulse point, marking her and licking down to her collarbone. "Oh, God… right there."

He loved her tenderly, smiling as her hands explored over his back. She whimpered against him, thighs quaking around him, singing praises in his ears as he fucked her just the way she liked it. She luxuriated in how he felt inside her, just the right size to hit the sensitive spots inside, and when they found just the right angle—oh god, he had her seeing stars.

He was definitely feeling the same, his vocabulary seemingly reduced to curses, variations on her name, and baby. She knew he wasn't going to last much longer, and when she brought his hand to her clit and directed him to touch her again, it only took a few moments for her to break, nearly sobbing his name as her orgasm pushed him over the edge.

She felt him twitch inside her as he called her name, his fingers digging into her hips so hard she wondered if she might have bruises to proudly carry as trophies the next day.

Instead of letting him spill on her belly or sheets, she pulled him in deeply, legs wrapped around him as their lips met again in a hazy, warm kiss. With a soft cry and a stutter of his hips, he filled her with a warmth that flooded all the way from his fingertips to his toes.

Somehow it felt like he was putting his soul inside her, not his seed. Something that she knew she was lucky enough to be the only woman he had never done it with. Her eyes were closed in bliss and she held him close for another sweet kiss.

It was tender and warm as moments quickly passed and they lay panting, joined still, and relishing in the closeness of their bodies.

A breathy chuckle, something between a laugh and a sob escaped him as he dipped down to capture her lips in another brief kiss. "I wasn't sure you'd want me to…" He confessed in a whisper, resting his forehead gently against her chest and closing his eyes. "I love you."

"I love you too," she whispered and smiled at him as he reached over to touch her face.

He damn near looked ready to profess his undying love for her. And oh, how she'd love to hear that and blurt out the same in return.

"That was… really good." He blurted out instead.

She leaned in, lying against his chest, and pressed a kiss to his skin. "It was… I think we can both say we've missed the sex."

"Devon mentioned it the other day… I nearly tore his head off." He chuckled against her lips. "I definitely missed the sex but I think I missed you the most."

She rubbed her hand up and down his chest. "Fuck Devon. I'm glad we didn't rush this," she said, leaning up to kiss his lips before settling her head on his shoulder for the night.