'It was an ordinary day really just like no other except for his company standing knee deep in the water her blonde hair glistening in the sun her bikini showing over her rather amazing body
"Are you just going to lay around all day?" she called back to his spot on the sand
"I don't do the ocean" he shook his head
"You work in the Navy for a living"
"But in the middle of the ocean not on the beach there's a difference"
"Pfft what?" she scoffed moving back out of the water towards him
"I just don't do seaweed, and the beach… full of it" he arose from the sand
"So is the ocean" she shrugged holding her hands behind her back
"Ah yes but the ocean, deeper than the beach you can't feel it brushing against your leg or wrapping around your foot" he shivered at the thought
"You are such a big baby" she laughed softly
"Am not!"
"Are too!" she stepped forward
"I am not…" he lowered his head to her level
"Are too" Kate repeated moving her arms out from behind her back she dropped a pile of seaweed on his head
"Kate!" he screamed jumping up and down trying to get it off
"See a big baby" she laughed when he jumped one last time the seaweed fell off onto the sand
"Oh that is it" he gave her a stern look
"If I go in the water I'm safe right?" she pointed with a smirk
"Get over here" he pointed to the spot in front of him
"And if I refuse?" she tested
"Well…. Let's just say it won't be pretty" he grinned, staring at him for a second she sprang into action running towards the water with Mike hot on her tails;
pausing for a moment when she was ankle deep in the water she let out a squeal when Mike's arms wrapped around her waist lifting her into the air he spun her around
before setting her back down on the ground his hand resting across her waist while his other stroked the soft skin of her cheek
"Well would you look at that, Mike Flynn is in the water" she teased resting her hands on his chest
"I love you…" he blurted out
"What?" she looked up at him surprised
"I ah… No Kate McGregor I love you and I'm not going to apologise for something I've been feeling these past three months" he looked at her in confusion when she broke out into a smile,
"What?"
"I love you too" she moved her hands and rested them against the side of his neck
"Really?" he continued to stroke her cheek with his thumb
"Absolutely" she laughed when he hoisted her into his arms so their faces were level
"You are really an extraordinary woman" he brushed his nose against hers
meeting her lips in a passionate kiss he ran his hand through her blonde hair he felt Kate deepen the kiss wrapping her legs around his waist in an attempt to keep him in place
Mike took one last attempt at getting the upper hand by walking further out into the water submerging them both up to their shoulders she pulled away from the kiss
"That's bloody cold" Kate shrieked
"Payback" he grinned brushing the loose hair behind her ear before moving in again
"Ah no you don't" she placed a finger on his lips
"What? Come on Kate" he tightened his grip around her waist
"I am not doing it in the water" she tried to keep a straight face
"Wouldn't dream of it, lets just drift here together preferably with some kissing aloud?" he raised an eyebrow
"A big baby" she rolled her eyes teasing him into a slow kiss.'
Her voice…
His weakness…
Thinking back over to that day he couldn't help but smile at the way they teased one another,
the way he made her laugh,
seeing her smile with the sun glistening off her blonde hair and it being the first time they'd admitted their true feelings for one another the first time they'd said
'I love you'
When he was pushed into that sub the last thought running through his mind was whether or not he'd get the chance to hear it again hear those words or just her voice,
hear her call him Sir or Mike again,
getting the chance to run his fingers through her blonde hair while he kissed her neck,
the feel of her body against his,
kissing her lips until they were red and bruised;
if this was what he got for being in the Navy for helping a innocent man to his boat it's not a life the he wanted to live in especially if he couldn't have the one thing he'd really wanted- Kate…
Six months ago when he'd been offered a shore posting he was reluctant at first but then her good ol Kate her final words echoed throughout his mind
'Shore posting does have it's advantages'
when he said those very words two years prior she'd cut him off walked away and forgot the whole conversation had happened now she was willing to attempt things again but the one thing they both loved more than each other was standing in their way.
Tied up, helpless, weak and defenceless, not a words you'd use to describe Mighty Mike Flynn and if you'd dared you'd probably get a black eye in return
unless you were Kate then you'd get the normal 'A word' before ending up fighting in your cabin just to be wishing you could kiss her and end the fight.
Here he was standing on the boat deck hours later after being recused by the Hammersley crew and he didn't care about the bruises or cuts all he could think about was the feel of Kate's lips on his when she saved him,
"We arrived in port thirty minutes ago and your still here?" Kate's voice came from behind him
"Your still here too" he replied when she stopped next to him
"Yes but I'm not here by choice I had to finish off some paperwork" she rested her hand on the railing
"And you think I'm here by choice?" he teased
"Why else would you be here"
"Maybe I was waiting for you" he moved his hand across placing it on hers
"And here I was thinking you were waiting for Charge" she grinned
"Personally Charge isn't my type but don't let him know that" he winked
"Oh no it's our secret Sir" she looked down at their hands
"Kate when I was in that sub…"
"I'm sorry" she interrupted him
"What are you sorry for?"
"I dropped your calls if I had of answered you won't be hurting, bruised and battered…" she reached her free hand up brushing it across his cut lip
"This is not your fault I was helping Mason back to his boat I was in the wrong place at the wrong time" he tried to assure her
"Yeah…" she smiled sadly not believing him one bit
"Come over tonight, we can talk…" he said hopeful
"I don't think…"
"Please I don't… I don't really want to be alone" he turned her hand over curling his fingers in hers
"Mike…"
"I'll set up the spare room, I just need the company" he continued to hold her hand
"Okay" she nodded with a small smile neither of them noticing they'd began walking off Hammersley and towards the taxi rank with their hands still interlocked,
"They really do have true feelings for one another don't they?" Swain watched on from the bridge
"The X feels responsible for the Boss being kidnapped" Dutchy answered from his spot in the Captain's chair
"When the Sub blew up and she thought he was on there, the look in her eyes it was the look of someone who just lost the person they truly love"
"I saw them… on the boat when she found him alive, she kissed him" Dutchy looked at Swain sadly
"Do you think it's real what they've got?""I think so, you know the X once told me 'you can't help who you fall in love with', now I realise she was talking about her and the Boss"
"I hope it works out for them I really do, they deserve to be happy" Swain smiled
"Yeah I just hope it works out for her I mean with him being our Boss it's kind of hard to see it going anywhere…"
"Dutchy you like her don't you…" Swain could see the sadness in his expression
"Can't always expect them to feel the same way right?" he said sarcastically
"Does she know?"
"No and ah… she isn't going to, ever"
"Sure…"
"Now, brew?" he cleared his throat moving out of his chair
"I'm fine thanks mate" Swain nodded watching him exit the bridge.
Arriving at Mike's apartment 15min later,
Kate moved out of the taxi while Mike payed the fair walking up the path Mike unlocked the door and stepped inside
turning around to face her he was surprised to see Kate just standing there on the doorstep holding her seabag close to her side for comfort
"You… you coming in?" he placed his stuff down next to the small table
"I think I should just go back to my apartment…" she answered hesitantly
"Kate…" he held a hand out
"I don't think this is a good idea…"
"Why not?" he stepped forward
"Because your still on Hammersley and I…" she jumped slightly when he cut her off with a soft but emotional kiss
"I thought I was going to die today Kate, and the thought of never seeing you again not getting to tell you how sorry I was… it terrified me…" he grabbed her hand slowly interlocking it with his
"Mike…"
"Just come in for some food and then if you change your mind, I'll drive you home"
"Nothings changed Mike it won't ever change between us"
"Kate… I'll get my shore posting back we can.."
"No you won't because you love Hammersley and this it can't happen it shouldn't have happened six months ago" she pulled her hand out of his
"Kate…" he watched her move away neither noticing the thunder rumbling above
"Thanks for the offer of dinner but I need to go, I'm sorry" she teared up
"At least let me drive you home" he called after her
"No you've gone through a pretty traumatic twenty-four hours I'll be fine walking it's only three blocks"
"Don't be ridiculous let me drive you it's going to rain"
"No! Just… I'm sorry…" she took one last look at him before walking off in the direction of her house
"Kate!" he tried to call out after her.
...
Running up her footpath as the rain continued to pour down she unlocked her front door and quickly made her way inside closing the door behind her she kicked off her shoes and socks
'Seriously' she looked down at her wet uniform that was sticking to her form,
moving into the laundry she placed her sea bag down and began undoing her shirt when a knock at the door echoed throughout the house
"It's open!" she called pulling her shirt off and unclipping her name badge she heard the door open and close before a pair of feet echoed up the hall
"I'll be out in a second just got caught in the rain"
"You and me both…" he answered stopping in the doorway
"Mike, what… what are you doing here?"
"Stopping you from walking out of my life again" he moved into the room
"Mike…" she shook her head jumping in surprise when he lifted her up and sat her on the small bench
"Why'd you run…" he grabbed her shirt taking it out of her hand and placing it next to them
"I… It's my fault, I couldn't sit there and see you in pain because of me…"
"Kate, what happened to me was not your fault" he rested his hand against her cheek
"That's sweet but…"
"The promotion list, it's why you dropped my call right?" he interrupted her
"When you…"
"I didn't mean you, I added your name afterwards"
"I know that now, Maxine told me it still dosen't make me feel less guilty" she looked across at him with tears in her eyes
"I don't blame you, this is from my own doing because I just had to help Mason back to his boat"
"I'm so sorry…" she let out a soft sob
"I love you, and I do not blame you" Mike moved his head forward,
moving her hand up she ran her fingers carefully across his cut lip and the bruising on his cheek she shifted forward hovering her lips in front of his hesitating slightly their emotional eyes meeting Mike took the last movement forward meeting her lips in an emotional kiss,
resting his hands gently on her hips her hands wrapped around his neck and she pulled him closer,
shifting her position she wrapped her legs around his waist when he picked her up and carried her to the bedroom.
Sitting down on the bed a low growl escaped his lips when she pressed against him from her spot now in his lap,
his hands were grasping tighter around her waist when he pulled his lips away from hers and moved down her neck,
each kiss different then the last dropping her head back her body began to ache for him like a missing piece,
desire ripped through him at feeling her against him and he began to harden as her soft gasps filled the room.
Her hands threaded through his hair when he nipped at her collarbone all Navy thoughts and rules gone from both of their minds the minute their lips touched,
moving his hand behind her back he unclipped her bra and she let out a soft gasp when he pulled the material off her form throwing it across the room he grazed his finger along her breasts when her hand desperately began undoing the buttons on his shirt running her fingers along his now bare chest careful to be gentle over his bruises,
shifting their position he gently laid her down on the bed, his body pinning her in place.
Her breathing quickened when his hand slipped down between them he fiddled with her belt as her own hand pulled his shit the rest of the way off throwing it on the floor,
their was desperation in their movements as both struggled to get their wet uniforms off their form she arched beneath him when he lowered himself his arousal pressing into the side of her thigh her hands gripped his shoulders,
desire sweeping through her as a soft whimper left her lips his lips trailed down her body placing a teasing kiss on her abdomen reaching the waistline of her pants he tugged both pants and underwear off in one swift movement.
She shivered when he slowly slid back up his hand tracing every curve and storing it in his memory before placing his lips back on hers.
Her hands drifted down pulling at his belt as he continued to kiss her with all the bent up tension of the past six months,
she finally managed to push down his pants with one movement the ache of wanting to feel him inside her getting more and more desperate.
"Mike…." she whispered in his ear nipping at it slightly when she lifted her hips he pressed into her causing them both to let out loud moans,
his hands caressed her softly, his fingers skimming over her skin, his lips moving along her neck and across her jaw meeting her lips in a passionate kiss as he began to move, slow, tantalising thrusts that had her begging for more with each moan she pulled his closer hips rising with every thrust.
As the pleasure began to build their grips on one another tightened, when Mike felt himself nearing release he moved his hand between them,
his gentle touch causing a wave of arousal to crash through Kate with a whimper mixed with a moan her hips bucked beneath him her body shaking as he sent her over the edge,
with her breathing starting to even out she felt Mike grip her hips, thrusting desperately before letting out a low, deep moan releasing inside of her shaking slightly he moved his head back to look down at the woman he so desperately loved
"I love you" she smiled when he brushed the hair out of her face
"I love you too" he leaned down kissing her softly before moving out and shifting to lay next to her no words needed after proving just how much love there was between them,
they fall asleep in each other's arms no caring about the word outside but listening to the sound of the rain hitting the roof.