"How was the talk with Richie?"

Kate watches Seth intently, following his every move while he slips out of his jacket. "He asked me what I was wearing."

His eyes lock with hers. "And what did you say?"

The heat of his gaze is potent, strong, making her feel strangely wild and reckless. "I told him I was naked." She waits and waits, waits for some kind of response from him ... but he doesn't speak. Instead his expression grows dark; she can sense the anger boiling in him.

"What are you doing, Kate?" he demands, his voice razor sharp, ready to cut deep wounds into her.

"You asked me a question. I answered."

"Don't fuck with me. I'm not a fucking toy for you to play with."

It's her turn to be irritated. She storms over and stands directly in front of him, barely a few inches separating them now. "Richie said you were worried about me, that you didn't sleep all night because of it."

"That asshole talks too much."

"That's what I figured. He thinks you care about me, that you actually love me, but I think he just sees what he wants to see. Because the truth is you don't feel that way about me at all, do you?"

He cocks his eyebrow in response.

"It wasn't love that kept us together in Mexico, at least not for you. It was probably guilt, wasn't it? And maybe loneliness. You just lost your brother and there I was, some stupid naive girl who was willing to do whatever you wanted as long as you kept me around."

"Yeah, right!" he snaps. "We spent half the time fucking arguing because you didn't know what it meant to shut up and take orders."

"He told me to be patient with you, to give you time, but he refuses to see the truth. I think you care about me, and maybe you still feel guilty, but that's as far as it goes. You don't love me, Seth."

It hurts to say that out loud and not have him disagree, but she reminds herself he's not obligated to return her feelings.

"Before when we talked, you said you wanted to know how I feel. So I'll tell you, because I'm tired of hiding my emotions. The more I do that, the more it gives others control over me and I'm sick of being a puppet." She looks into his eyes, scared and vulnerable. "I'm in love with you, like I'm with Richie. And you probably think it's wrong and messed up. It probably is but it is how I feel." Unable to take his silence, her gaze falls from his face and lands on the neckline of his t-shirt. "It's not the same like it was in Mexico. Back then I think I hero-worshipped you or something. You were the only person I had left in the world, my family, the guy who taught me how to protect myself and even though I knew you could be a real jerk, I... a part me of always thought you were perfect the way you were. But now I know you're not. You're not even close to perfect. You frustrate me, you irritate me, and you're just really mean sometimes. And then there's this other part of you, the part you try so hard not to show to anyone else but I've seen it. I've seen how sweet you can be, the depths you'll go to protect your brother, and everything about you... everything, the good and the bad... it just makes me love you more." Even though a part of her wants to sneak a glance at his face, she refuses to look at him, instead holding onto the feeling of relief. After denying her feelings for the brothers for so long, she feels free, like a huge burden has been lifted from her shoulders. Turning around, she walks to the table where he placed the food earlier. "I'm starving," she murmurs, taking out one of the containers. "And this smells so good."

Suddenly Seth is behind her, his hand circling her waist, the other crossing her chest, pulling her roughly towards him until her back is pressed firmly against him. His voice is raw, gruff when he whispers in her ear. "You really think I don't love you, Kate? You were never this stupid before."

Before her brain can register the meaning of his words he whirls her around, his mouth capturing hers in a kiss.

He's wild, frantic, and she reciprocates in the same way, clinging to him tightly while they ravage each other. Her fingers dig into his neck; he rips apart her robe, throwing it to the ground. There's no time to feel shy or insecure about being naked in front of him, not when he picks her up and her legs curve around his thighs for a better grip.

God he feels good, so good, his mouth devouring hers as they somehow stumble towards the bed. He drops her on the mattress a little too hard, and his body lands on hers practically squishing the air out of her lungs, but she forgets the discomfort when he tears his mouth away. His breathing labored, lips swollen, he's hovering above her, watching her with a keen gaze. Panic begins to surge through when it occurs to her he might be regretting this. Instinctively she reaches out for him, her fingers tracing his lips.

"Say it again, Kate."

"What?"

"That you love me."

Relief floods over her. She smiles up at him. "I love you."

"And not because I'm the only one you have left."

"No, not because of that at all." She wonders if that's what was bothering him, that he didn't believe her feelings to be sincere because he thought it was coming out of a sense of obligation. But she doesn't have time to question him because his mouth closes over hers again, slow and seductive this time, leaving her incoherent under him.

He trails wet kisses down her throat, taking his sweet time, tasting and savouring every inch of her skin. When she tries to lift up his shirt, he refuses to oblige her, instead focusing his attention on her breasts. She's waited so long for this, for him, and she's wet and ready, but he's not the least bit interested in giving into her demands.

Oh god, his mouth on her breasts, his tongue flicking over her puckered nipples, it feels amazing, like heaven. Her body arches up, a guttural moan escapes her lips, the sound savage as he bites and licks to his heart's content. "Please, Seth. Now," she begs, her legs tightening around him.

A wicked, seductive smile graces his lips. He grinds his body against hers, and she can feel his erection through his jeans, and she's desperate to touch him, to wrap her hands around him, to feel him inside her, but he just wants to play, and tease, and drive her out of her mind.

"Not yet, Princess."

"I swear to God, Seth, if you come-"

"Now would be a good time to shut up, Kate."

And she does just that because his head is between her legs, his breath soft against the most sensitive parts of her. She props her feet up over his shoulders, aching for more as his mouth closes in on her, fingers opening her up, his tongue teasing her folds.

Oh god, oh god, oh god.

She's a throbbing bundle of nerves, completely under his control while he circles around her clit, close but not too close, taunting her with promises of a happy ending. It's all too much, too much pleasure, too much pain, too much everything but he seems to know when to pull back, when to slow down. She's begging him for release but he's not interested in indulging her yet, instead slipping his finger inside her.

"So wet, and tight," he whispers, thrusting inside her. "And you taste so sweet." His hot breath feels so good on her, and then the pleasure becomes infinitely more intense when he's licking and penetrating, simultaneously sucking her clit.

Her hands alternate between fisting the sheets and his hair, tightening as the pressure in her stomach intensifies, the orgasm so close yet so far away. When she finally hits her climax, oh god, oh god, oh... fuck...

Time stands still.

She's lost in ecstasy, swimming in air, her body fluid and weightless, and yet there's that keen sensation again, his fingers on her clit, inside her, continuing to tease her. Her eyes flutter open and she finds him studying her intently, watching her like she's the most beautiful thing he's ever seen. "Come here," she whispers, her voice hoarse.

He climbs up her body, wiping off his mouth on the sleeve of his t-shirt, a predator closing in on his prey, until he's perched above her yet again. She kisses him, a sweet, chaste kiss, tasting herself on his lips.

He cradles her face in his hands, his eyes warm and inviting. "I love you," he confesses at long last, and it feels like her heart is about to explode with happiness. "But I'm not Richie. I can't tell you every minute of every day how much I love you but I do, with everything I have, and that's all I can give you. Is that gonna be enough for you?"

She nods her head 'yes', mesmerized by him.

"Good. Because without you..."

He looks away, like he's embarrassed, and she has to palm his face to force him to meet her gaze again. "Without me?" she prods.

"Without you, I'm... empty," he says, his voice barely above a whisper. "Even if Richie's still a part of my life, it's not enough if you're not there. And I know he feels the same way about you."

Tears brim in her eyes and she knows he hates it, hates seeing her being an emotional mess, but she can't help it.

"Seriously, babe?" he mocks.

She smirks through her tears, biting her bottom lip. "This has been great, Seth, don't get me wrong," she teases, affecting his non-chalant tone. "But what does a girl have to do to finally get some from you? Because I've been waiting for years and I'd really like you to fuck me at some point."

He grins, and it's the most beautiful thing she's ever seen.