A/N: With part two a bit more tension begins to brew. Part of me wants to make this a whole separate mini arch story and take it out of here but who knows what I will do lol. Enjoy! xx Mariah
Lunch rolled around quicker than expected, time flying as Ned took his new partner around the town to show her the ropes on a ride-along. Once he saw it was nearing noon, he drove back to the precinct, and he and Becca, (the shortened version she had told him to call her despite protocol), went over his current cases and the backlog of reports that he had needed to file for some time. Now they were both reviewing security footage from a parking lot of rental cars.
Though they are getting along surprisingly well for the first day, if Ned was being honest, she still stared at him too much. He would give her the benefit of the doubt, for now, but he was going to keep his distance as much as professionally possible while also trying to be a good partner. That apparently wasn't Becca's plan for her first day because despite being nonchalant about the subtle flirting the girl had been tossing toward him, there was only so much he could take before he would have to say something.
Not only was he a married man, but it was obvious that his partner hadn't cared enough to check if he was or not before trying to flirt with him. It didn't help that despite saying he had previously made lunch plans, she tried to convince him to join her for lunch at the diner, but he made up some rule about being too cheap for take-out as he kept an eye out for Katie.
When he heard the door to the precinct swing closed, he looked up in time to see his wife's figure from behind. He hadn't seen her face, as she was turned toward the desk and speaking to Rachel, but he knew Katie's ass anywhere and especially in a skirt. She wore a navy floral patterned one paired with a denim shirt and a pair of sandals. She looked really nice, but his wife always did if anyone was asking him.
Ned quickly stood, not wanting to waste another moment. "I should be back in about an hour or so," he said, pulling on his jacket.
"Where are you headed, partner?" Becca teased him as he stood up.
"Out for lunch," he replied, grabbing his phone from the top drawer. "I told you, remember?"
"I thought you said you didn't do take-out," Becca said, brow crinkling in confusion before she stood. "Well, let me join you then."
"I don't like takeout. I like sitting at a table and eating, and I'd invite you, but not today," he sighed, practically hearing the gears slowly beginning to turn in her head as she listened to his excuse. "I have plans with my wife."
Becca looked surprised and she watched her eyes shoot to look at both of his hands. "You have a wife?" His partner stuttered the reply, asking the question she wanted to be answered softly. "I didn't see a wedding ring on your hand. At least not at first."
"Yeah. We've been married nearly seven years now," he said, lightly showing off the gold band that he'd worn every day as he ran his hand through his hair, noticing Katie was beginning to make her way over toward them just then. "Hey, babe. I thought I saw you standing over there."
"Hi, handsome... are you almost ready to go to that new Hibachi place?" Katie was looking at her phone when she started to talk before she looked up as she put it into her purse that was swung over her shoulder. "The reviews are killer by the way. I know that you wanted me to check first... is this the newbie?"
Ned had seen her walk up before Becca did and he caught Katie's gaze, giving her a look. One that said, be nice, and she rolled her eyes back at him. "Thanks for checking that out for me by the way, and yeah, I'm good to go," he said, glancing back over his shoulder. "Yes, this is my new partner Rebecca Kane. Becca, this is my wife—"
"Hi, I'm Katherine," she interrupted him to introduce herself first, smiling and stepping in front of him with her hand outreached. "It's really nice to meet you. I heard you transferred all the way from Chicago. How are you liking Grandview so far?"
His brow furrowed. When did she ever go by Katherine anymore except when at work?
"Nice to meet you… Katherine, and yes, the windy city. Grandview is certainly... quaint," Becca said, shaking her hand for a moment before sliding her hand back into her pockets. "It's very quiet compared to where I used to live. I was born and raised in Southside, so it can get pretty... wild."
"I bet," she said, nodding. "I was born and raised in Grandview, so I don't know anywhere else as well. Besides when I went to college in the city."
Becca nodded, taking in the information quietly. Then like a snake in the grass waiting for its prey, she pounced. "So do you always do lunch together or is this some sort of special occasion?" Becca asked.
"Pretty much every day we can unless something comes up and I have to stay at the high school through my lunch. Which happens sometimes when one of my students needs to make up a quiz or something." She said, looping her arm around his waist. "We've made a tradition ever since we got engaged."
"Hmm… that's a lot of money on eating out," Becca said, moving to sit back down at her desk. "Kind of a weird tradition."
"Well, it was just something my parents always did and they are going strong after over thirty years of marriage," she replied back slyly. "We don't always eat out, right honey?"
"Right. Sometimes we just go home and eat leftovers for a bit of time alone around the house," he said, trying to keep her in a good mood as he caught her gaze then, pressing a kiss to her cheek. "It's hard to get with a toddler at home."
"Speaking of Asher, will you pick him up from my mom's shop today? I have a staff meeting after school that I have to go to today," she sighed, her phone buzzing inside her purse and catching her off guard. "Hold on, the office is calling me. I should probably take this. Meet you out front?"
"Sure thing, honey." He said, slowly moving out of her way and watching Katie walk back toward the front entrance.
It wasn't any problem to let her take a call, especially if it meant that he could watch her walking away from him. There was never a time when he wasn't caught in the way his wife's ass looked. It truly was magnificent.
"So does that happen a lot?" Becca asked, placing her hand on his shoulder and interpreting his train of thought.
He cleared his throat, his mouth as dry as sandpaper from staring at Katie too long. "Does what happen a lot?" He asked, pulling himself out of her reach and her hand sliding off him.
"Phone calls about work? It must put a strain on a marriage," Becca said, shrugging. "My dad kept getting called away to drive semis across the country and one day he just stopped coming back."
Ned laughed and stepped away, toward the entrance. "If anything I get called away more, but none of that matters. You have nothing to worry about when it comes to my marriage. Trust me," he said with a smug grin on his face, remembering how he'd bent Katie over the bathroom sink that morning and had her right there. None of this petty mess with Becca mattered. It was only another stress at work he would have to box away when he got home at the end of the day. "I'll be back in an hour like I said, Kane. Keep yourself busy until then. The guys around here should be able to find something for you to do if looking through that security tape footage bores you to death before I get back."
He stepped outside a moment later, only to see Katie was gone. He investigated a bit further, looking around the parking lot and even by where he could see her blue Honda Pilot before he glanced across the square at his mother-in-law's antique shop.
Katie would've gone there.
Sure enough, his first glance through the shop's windows he saw that she was sitting on the plush couch with their son on her lap. Melinda sat beside her with a book open as they most likely took turns reading to the young boy. With a turn of the knob, he walked inside and toward his family, the bell ringing and catching all of their attention.
"Welcome to—oh, Ned!" Melinda's voice jumped from her usual greeting to a happier tone once she realized it was him. "It's nice to see you."
"Took you long enough," Katie teased him, shaking her head.
"It's nice to see you too, Mel," he said, walking over to the couch, smiling at both his mother-in-law and then at Katie and Asher. "Sorry for the delay. Becca was so nervous about her first day that I kind of felt bad leaving her alone. I just want her to transition well."
Katie nodded, understanding the best she could as Asher wiggled to be placed down and she obliged their son so could run to him, still a little wobbly as he walked toward him. The little boy squealed, nearly falling, but Ned caught him first and scooped him up into his arms.
"Daddy!" Asher cheered. "I miss you so much!"
"Hey, buddy!" He said happily, hugging him tightly. "I missed you too."
"We can talk about all that stuff you just mentioned over lunch," she said and stood up with her mom from the couch, her hand sliding across his shoulder as she walked past him. "I'm just gonna talk to my mom in the back about something quick, okay?"
He nodded but latched onto her arm before she could get too far away. "Sure thing, babe." He tugged her back to him, giving her a quick peck on the lips. Katie's hand lingered on the side of his face, and she made it into a much longer and lingering one until their son's giggles made them part.
"What's so funny, sweet boy?" She asked him, brushing her nose against his smaller one. Asher gave no answer, only more giggles, and she kissed his chubby cheek before turning back and kissing Ned's. "I had a weird dream and mom always helps me think about them clearly." She said, a hint of a smirk emerging on her face. "I will be as quick as I can. I promise."
"Famous… last… words…" He chuckled, teasing her.
"Yeah, yeah," she scoffed as she slowly disappeared into the back with her mom, giggling all the same.
"We go home now?" Asher asked happily, bouncing in his arms.
"No, not quite yet bud. Daddy is just here to get your mommy," he said, winking at him. "But daddy will be back to get you later. It will be dark by then and almost your bedtime."
"No... no... no! Don't go!" Asher wrapped his arms and legs around him as tightly as he could. "Don't go, daddy..."
"Oh, Ash. Don't be sad, okay? Daddy and mommy only have so much time on their lunch breaks, bud." He said, pressing a kiss to his pudgy cheek and brushing the blondish hair from his eyes. "You always have fun with your grandmas every day, don't you?"
"Yes," the little boy grumbled quietly and slowly unwrapped his arms from around him.
"So no sad face or pouting, okay?" He whispered in his ear, tickling just under his chin to get his son to giggle. "You know that makes your mommy sad, and we don't want that now do we?"
"No. No sad mama," Asher said, shaking his head wildly and making him laugh with him.
"Well, who said I was sad?" Katie asked as she snuck up on him and was so quickly standing beside him then, one hand coming out to trace across their son's cheek and the other wrapping around his waist.
"Daddy!" Asher blurted out, never failing to rat him out to his mother like he always did. "Daddy said so."
"Oh, did he now?" She looked over at him with a raised eyebrow. "Now why would I be sad with my two favorite people right here?"
Katie quickly began to tickle and kiss their son while Asher wildly giggled and it was a happy song to play in Ned's ears. Truly, it was the best music he could ever hear any day of the year.
Katie was sitting across from him at the table they were seated at on the patio of the new Hibachi sushi place they were trying out. She had been picking at the last few of her rolls on her plate that she ordered for the last five minutes while scrolling through her email, and Ned had been idly enjoying the time to openly gaze at his wife.
He had long finished his food and most of his appetizer of calamari, and couldn't help but notice just how beautiful she looked doing something as natural as reading an email. She was concentrated, the little line on her forehead crinkled as her eyebrows moved and her lips slightly pouted. After a few seconds, he noticed her tongue trace against her lips and wet them.
They didn't have all the time in the world to just be together alone anymore, but just like when they were alone together in bed, he enjoyed watching her. He felt his ow tongue trace against his top lip as she shifted in her seat slightly and he saw her shirt gap just enough to let him see the black lace bra she was wearing underneath.
"Don't think I haven't noticed you staring at me, Ned Banks," she said, eyes moving from her phone and up to meet his as she reached across the table to snag a piece of calamari off his plate and popped it into her mouth. "Is there something on your mind?"
He smirked and shook his head. "I am only enjoying how beautiful the woman I married is from afar," he said and reached for his glass of coke in front of him.
Her laughter hummed in her throat as she chewed and leaned back into her chair. "Touche," she said all while her foot traced up his pant leg, and then he felt the hard edge of her heel press against his groin. "I can tell just how much you enjoy the view," she licked her lips and glanced down at the watch on her right wrist. "Should we get the check then? I still have twenty minutes until my next class starts."
"I don't know if we can make it to the house and have enough time… it's been a bit trafficky lately with the work being done on Central," he said, his eyes falling closed for a moment as he reveled in the feel of her shoe pressing against his growing erection.
"My next class is only a study hall," she reminded him. "I can text Hannah to cover in case I'm a little late..."
Katie had been playing hard to get all afternoon since she'd come by the precinct and while he was one to play along, he didn't know how much longer he could take her teasing nature. He wondered if it was connected to his new partner assignment, but she hadn't shown much hostility towards Becca when they met besides using her full first name.
However, his wife always played the long game and was only wanting to see what the young woman would do to try and possibly gain her friendship if his new partner even tried. During their talk while at the restaurant they had only spoken about Becca for a moment, and it was about wanting to invite her over for dinner sometime soon. This was not about hostility or jealousy, only plain lust, he realized when he saw that look in her eye.
"But who said anything about going home?" She asked, her foot pulling back as she straightened in the chair and stood up. "Let's go pay up at the counter and find somewhere, okay?"
He stood up quickly, knocking into the table lightly and causing a few people to look over at them. She held in her laughter by biting her tongue as she watched him fix his pants slightly, then he grabbed her hand as they walked towards the counter inside the restaurant. It was only a few moments before someone came by and took care of them and he practically mugged her out of the restaurant.
When they began to walk across the square Ned was thinking of a place where they could go and have enough privacy without taking too much time, and without another thought, he pulled her away from where their car was parked. That had confused her, he could tell, but she followed anyway.
"Where are we going?" She whispered in his ear once he pulled her snug against him.
He felt as giddy as a child like he was sneaking off with her again at her parent's Christmas party after they had first gotten together, and they hadn't quite spilled the entire to truth to his mother yet at least. "We are going to the alleyway behind your mom's shop… no one will disturb us there. There aren't any deliveries on Tuesdays," he said, pulling her around the next corner.
"Yeah, I guess, but what if someone hears us and calls the cops?" She asked, looking over her shoulder as he pulled her the rest of the way towards her mom's antique shop back door and then leaned her up against the brick wall.
"I think I can take care of that if that were to happen, hmm?" He said, glancing down at his badge.
Katie shared a laugh with him before he finally planted his lips on hers. It was like electricity was surging through them and she seemed to agree by the small whimpers pouring from her mouth into his as her tongue explored his teeth. Her deft hands pulled him closer by his jacket and her toned legs wrapped around his hips. He thrust forward, grinding his tented work slacks against the heat between her legs.
She let out a whimper and angled her hips to grind into him. "I can feel your snake in your pants," she teased him with a self-indulgent chuckle as he groaned embarrassingly loud. She reached down and to push her skirt up enough for his hands to slide up between her legs, and right against her. "Feel how hot I am for you?"
And Ned could. His fingers were already dripping with her arousal, and she felt so slippery and silky and warm. He groaned, feeling like he was gonna implode. He buried his face into her neck, nibbling and kissing her pale skin. His body came alive and he started moving his fingers purposely inside of her.
She indulged him for a few moments, basking in the feel of his hand against her, but that feeling could only fulfill her for so long. "Those pants look mighty tight on you right now," she said as her deft fingers started tugging at his button and zipper. "Do you want me to drop them or to just unzip you?"
"Just unzip me," he said into her neck and slowly unbuttoned her denim top to reveal the lacy bra he had been eyeing during their lunch date. This is what he had been daydreaming other than the curve of her ass and how her hips swayed as she walked away. "Mmm… did I tell you how much I enjoy this bra?"
He slid one breast from its cup without even taking the bra off, his mouth opening as he began to lick up her skin as though it was the only thing he had ever desired. Her body felt numb as his teeth nibbled against her sensitive skin, just the way she liked it.
"You have," she giggled and unzipped his pants, sliding in her hand to help guide his cock out. "Why do you think I wore it? I know you way better than you like to think, handsome."
She automatically began to work him off just the way he liked her to with slow, deliberate strokes. Every so often her palm would squeeze lightly and his whole body felt like mush underneath her gaze and ministrations. He was always one to play fair, so he dipped two fingers back inside her. He kept it shallow and teasing, up to the second knuckle.
When she came, he wanted it to be while he was inside of her, but all thoughts fizzled out at the words that came out of her mouth next.
"I need you inside me," she moaned wantonly. "I don't know how much more time we have and... Ned, I want you." The sound of her voice went right to his cock, which jumped in her hands like a dog answering a command. "Just fuck me already, Detective. I need you to."
As soon as the words came from her mouth, Ned was where she wanted him to be, and they both let out raucous groans, blending in with the noise of cars from the bustling streets around them. He had to stay still for a minute, just to really pause and take in the feeling of being so spontaneous with his wife. Not to say that they didn't have their fun, but certainly having hot sex in an alley was not their first choice.
She gasped, open-mouthed, and then clenched hard around him. He paused, giving her a chance to adjust, breathing steadily by her ear. "Does this feel good? The angle... I don't want to hurt you." He wanted to make sure. He always did.
Words rose unformed to her lips and instead, she nodded, and that was enough. He began a slow, unhurried rhythm to give her time to let him know. After a few minutes, he started to move in earnest and forgot where they were. He forgot everything but the soft feel of skin under his fingertips and lips at her ear, the whimpers she made as he moved quicker, and the way she begged him not to stop. All there was to him was the heat of being inside her and the feel of sliding his fingers between her legs again.
His slacks rubbed against her thighs when he bottomed out, this position wasn't as comfortable as it could be, but it's perfect, perfect, perfect, and Katie was always so… so perfect. The truth was, Ned suddenly realized, that they had shaped one another over the years. Like potters working with clay, they had created new forms for each other, shifted and changed, until they were now entirely different from how they had begun.
It had been a long and sometimes painful process together, with all they had fought through and lost together, but he was glad that they had not given up. For the end result was so much more than he had ever hoped for as a reality for himself. He had a family, a beautiful son and wife, and a job he loved. He would never take it for granted.
He kissed her again and kept up his pace, feeling her responding to him as he thrust, lifting her hips up to meet him. Her breath was hot against his neck and he heard her soft cries and he knew that she was close. One hand snaked down between them and he pushed his thumb into her, pressing with practiced firmness to coax her on.
In response, her entire body tensed and then released in a shudder, as a shout muffled into his neck. He thrust harder and quicker, and then he was there as well, following her over the edge. For a long moment, they held each other, their breath calming. He laid his head between her breasts and listened to the beat of her heart, staying tucked against her.
He felt her hand reach up and run up the back of his neck and through his hair. The gesture was so tender that he felt so at peace that he rose his head for their lips to meet in a sweet and lingering kiss. "You... are... everything," he breathed easily as he spoke to her. "I love you."
"I love you," she hummed, smiling and kissing his neck. "So much."
A waft of the cool, afternoon air, drifted over his sweaty, heated skin as he muttered, "We should get out of here before someone sees us." But it was already too late. There had been the sound of beeping as an alarm was disabled and the squeak of a door opened, but he'd hardly heard it.
A beat, maybe two passed, and then a gasp. "Ned? Katie? What in the hell are you two doing!?"
It took a moment for her voice to register through his brain before he realized whose voice he heard.
Delia. His mother. God damnit. That was HIS mother. Why couldn't it have been Katie's mother that happened upon them?
"Mom? I can explain-" he stuttered, wanting to pull back from Katie but he was still inside her, and her top was still open so that definitely wasn't an option. "It just happened."
"No need to explain," Delia said. "I saw far too much and can put that all together myself." His mother started to go inside, but Ned could tell she paused in the doorway. "Really, guys? In the alley behind your mothers' shop?" The derision in her voice was clear. "I understand passion but you aren't teenagers anymore. What if I had happened to have Asher with me?" The door slammed behind her.
Katie burst into laughter once his mother was gone, her face a blushing bright red and he couldn't help but laugh either. "I mean if our son had been with her at least it would be nothing he hasn't seen before," she said, still snickering. "I mean he literally burst in the other day now that he can walk."
"Yeah, I remember." He laughed with her and pulled away slowly, cleaning himself up and pressing a kiss to her cheek. "I don't know about you, but I am not looking forward to the next time I see her."
"Me neither," she replied and checked her phone as it buzzed. "But hey, my mom is jealous of our sex life. She just texted about Delia ranting to her, but I think that's a first."
"Definitely a first," he said, sharing a smug grin with her and then a high five.
The next day, Ned pushed too hard during a chase. They had responded to a domestic as back-up and as they'd pulled up, a man had taken off running from the house. For six blocks Ned had led until his calf muscle spasmed and he fell, dropping hard to the gravel ground of a parking lot in south Grandview.
He sucked in air, his eyes stinging. Shit. He hadn't had a cramp like this in years and it had to happen now, at work, during a foot chase with his new partner. Thankfully, Becca didn't slow down and chased after the guy around the next corner while it took Ned nearly five minutes to stand and another three to rest a quarter of his weight on his weak leg.
Sirens were ringing in the distance and he looked up when he heard his name being called out. Becca was pushing the suspect in front, one hand gripping his shirt collar, the other on the cuffs. She had a busted lip and faint discoloration around her eye.
"What happened?" He grunted. "You good?"
Becca twisted the cuffs of the guy they had chased four blocks before his leg cramp. "Eric here got a little slap-happy, but it looks like I got the upper hand, huh pal?" The man cried out as she increased the pressure on the handcuffs. "Get down on the ground," she said, shoving the suspect to his knees. "Don't worry about these bruises. It's nothing I can't handle. I called for more backup when you went down. Are you sure you're okay?" she asked, eyes shaded by bangs.
"Yeah. I guess I just overextended my leg," he replied and she nodded.
"Not a runner?" She asked.
"Actually that's usually my strong suit," he sighed, hearing the sirens approach and flashing lights draw closer. "I overslept today. Didn't really have the chance to get my morning routine in because I had a late night."
Becca stared at him for a moment before hauling the guy up and walking him over to the approaching officer. "Take care of this guy for me and bring him to booking." She said, turning back to face him as they walked away from the parked squad car and back toward their own a few blocks up still. "What kind of late-night?"
He shrugged, not knowing exactly what to say. "Nothing fun that's for sure. My son was up half of the night…" he said, limping to follow her. "He ended up sleeping in bed with my wife and me."
"Oh, what for?" She asked and Becca seemed genuinely interested in the answer for a woman without children, watching him as he walked beside her slowly.
He wasn't quite sure what else to say and had to think of something. It was nearly a block later and he still hadn't answered but hoped that didn't let on to something.
Asher had been channeling a lot of ghost energy from Katie, but also from spending time at his grandmother's store there were a lot of one passing through. Currently, there was a spirit that had been lingering around and causing havoc, but that wasn't something he wanted to reveal.
"He was just having a bad night from a nightmare or something. He's still learning his words so I didn't catch most of it being half asleep." He said quickly, wanting to change the subject as he limped the last bit over to the passenger side of their squad car. "Asher is pretty big mama's boy so I didn't have to wake up for long. I was mostly just waking up throughout the night because I'm a light sleeper and both my son and wife are blanket hogs."
Becca shared a laugh with him about that but then paused. "Oh, aren't you driving?" She asked, looking rather confused. "Most senior partners drive."
"I don't mind. Plus my leg hurts like hell," he said, tossing her the keys. "Just don't drive around too fast now and remember to keep an eye out for that Gray Toyota with the plates DRS-4096. That's the car the latest victim was picked up in from Uber."
"Gotcha, partner," she said and her hand shot up to catch the keys before she hopped into the car right after him.