Author's note:

Tek'ma'tek, dear readers! :) 14 days are behind us and here I am with the new chapter. Thank you all, as always, for your contributions and all. I love you so much.

I'm truly happy you liked the latest chapter, the bonding between our favourite couple and the fact that they are finally together.

Thank you my dear Guests – I'm truly happy you enjoyed the chapter so much.

Stephen – so wonderful to see you again! Thank you so much for still keeping up with the story and pointing out few things. I truly appreciate it. I reduced the usage of those two words, so thank you. :)

Amazing Debbie, thank you. :) I can't thank you and Laitie enough for the support you gave me throughout these last few months. It means a world to me. And I'm happy that you enjoyed the chapter. One of my favourites to write.

And also, thank you Hockeymom!

Onward with the chapter now! Here is the promised, necessary talk between them. :) Oh, those happy endings...

Inspiration taken from my dear friend, Athena. Thank you, sis.

Disclaimer:

I do not own NCIS or the characters.

Towel – Chapter 21

*** WHERE WE LEFT OFF ***

He released her lips, wanting to say something. But then he realized that words were meaningless in this situation. He could read everything in her face and, judging by her smile, she could see the same emotions in his. His hand gently caressed the skin on her waist while she played with his hair lovingly, both falling into a comfortable silence. They, rather, focused on calming their breathing.

She then pulled him down for a kiss while his hand started to knead her flesh, and that was a sign for him that he needed to slow down. He wanted her, again, but he needed to take a break for a while. So, to prevent himself from constantly touching her and admiring her divine body, he dug out the sheets behind her and lovingly wrapped her into them, breaking the kiss and nudging her nose.

She awarded him with an enamoured smile, allowing him to cover her body with the sheets because even she started to crave another round. However, they needed some energy for that. He actually had to admit that she looked incredibly sexy, wrapped just in the sheets. Sometimes, he had the impression that when she was covered with cloth, she was more attractive than naked. Which was a bit strange, but it had reasonable explanation in his head.

Pushing such thoughts into the back of his mind, he ran his finger across her swollen lips and with a whisper that bore a love confession, kissed her passionately.

*** AND NOW WE CONTINUE ***

After they parted, watching each other with dopey faces as the love for each other streamed their veins, Ziva sighed contentedly. It had truly been one of the best ways to release the tension, and she had to admit that despite her earlier claim that she had been happy, it hadn't been as genuine as it was now. She couldn't exactly describe the feeling inside of her, because she had no words for it, but she was sure that it was happiness. And it was all his doing.

Tony shared her contentment, as he couldn't take his eyes off of her and the sparkle inside her eyes that testified to her authentic joy. Her enchanting smile only underlined that, and it truly made his head spin as it had the moment he had seen it for the first time. The only thing that was needed, now, was her delightful laugh. But he had a certain recipe to get that bubbly sound out of her.

Despite the hindrance in the form of the sheets he had wrapped around her, he found a spot on her body that he knew was ticklish for almost every person in the world. And he wasn't mistaken, because, even though he took things lightly on her inner thigh, she started to giggle, and soon she was laughing happily, wriggling under his tickling efforts. Her body was still too weak to prevent this reaction.

He eventually stopped because he didn't want to torture her. They needed refresh and gather new energy. Besides, he had achieved his goal and made her laugh. It seemed she didn't mind his actions, because she continued to smile at him, putting her right hand on his chest to feel his heart beat under her palm. Her other hand played with the hair at the nape of his neck.

She then grimaced because her brain started to work after it had been suppressed by the primal need to make love. "How long have you known?" She asked him out of the blue, once she gathered enough strength to speak.

He raised an eyebrow at her, trying to figure out what she might have meant, but since there was no need to hide behind half-truths, he decided to ask for a clarification. "Can you be more specific? There are a lot of things I know about." He said curiously, letting his hand to graze the material of the sheet and lightly caress her skin like that.

She blushed for some unknown reason, trying to comprehend her train of thought. But it was the first question that had risen up in her mind. She hadn't been exactly thinking about what she was saying. "The way we were sleeping on my couch, in my apartment, during our movie nights. How long do you know about it?" She clarified, reminding him that he had admitted that he had been aware of it but, for whatever reason, had decided not to talk about it until today.

He furrowed his eyebrows in contemplation, trying to figure out why she felt the need to get an answer about this. But if it was what she wished to know, he would gladly asnwer it. "That depends... How long has it been happening?" He asked, now quite curious about her reply, because he actually had known about it for a quite a while. And he used the present perfect tense intentionally, because he hoped that they would continue in those snuggles on her couch. They would lose the nickname 'secret' but he didn't have any objections against it.

Her blush deepened as she lowered her gaze to mask her embarrassment. "Since the first night, actually." She admitted quietly, feeling ashamed that all she needed for a good night's sleep had been Tony accidentally falling asleep on her couch.

Not that it was that embarrassing, but when she had realized she had been sleeping badly when he wasn't next to her, she had started to invite Tony into her apartment more often. And her main reason had been to get some sleep, and not actually spend time with him. That had been just a bonus. She had felt as if she had been using him just for his marvellous capability to hold her in his arms and make her relax enough to sleep peacefully without any bad dreams.

He chuckled in response, unable to hide his smirk. "Well, I've known it since the second night, then." He confessed, remembering how he had woken up in the middle of the night to find her in his arms. He had been sure that sleeping on her couch hadn't been an accident on the third night. He had pretended to fall asleep to find out whether she had slept in his embrace by coincidence or whether it had been deliberate.

To his utter astonishment, it had been intentional. He had concluded that she had been satisfied with the state of things as they were, because she had always pretended that she had slept in her bedroom, and not with him on the couch. She had never mentioned a word about this. And he hadn't seen a reason why he should deprive himself of such a pleasure to sleep with the woman he loved, on the couch, in an affectionate hug.

Ziva opened her mouth in surprise. She would have never guessed that he had known about it for so long. She had thought he had found out recently. She had to wonder whether he had known about her primary motive for dragging him into her apartment so often. But when she looked into his eyes and saw him smiling at her, she realized that he had been aware, and that had done everything to ensure her peaceful sleep.

Still, why he hadn't questioned her about it, gnawed at her. Not even once did he say anything. Not even a hint that he had known. "So, you knew it from the very beginning? And you didn't tell me anything?" She asked him incredulously, trying to find out what had been behind his silence in this matter.

Tony sighed wearily, grazing his fingers across her face. "Why would I? So you could use it as a reason to push me away? Forbid me to fall asleep in your apartment ever again? Maybe even cancel our non-dates?" He asked her, keeping his voice calm so he wouldn't hurt her with his claims. He decided to be sincere with her, though, and tell her what he was really thinking.

His words stung in her heart, nevertheless. Once again, she realized how much she had been hurting him in the past with her inability to open up and tell him about her feelings. Because he was right. She would have used it to drive him off, build new set of walls around her and do anything she could to be far away from him so as to prevent another possible heartbreak.

Disgusted by herself, wondering how he could love her despite all of this, she turned on her right side, hiding herself from him. She wanted to rectify every wrong action she had made when it came to their relationship so much, but she knew that she couldn't. Her past, that seemed to have come up to hunt her all over again, couldn't be changed. But she had hope. She had a future with this man and she vowed to do everything to fight for it and not to give it up.

Tony didn't feel hurt when she turned her back on him. He had a pretty good idea what she was thinking about, so he let her and continued in his explanation. "No. I was smarter than that. I kept my mouth shut because I knew that we would talk about it when the time was right." He said, wrapping his own body up in the sheets and leaning his head against the pillow, which he had propped up against the headboard.

Ziva chewed on her thumb for a little while, trying to sort out her thoughts and absorb his words and wanting to break free. She wanted to free herself from the entire burden of her fears and worries, so she could be with him without any past behind her. They needed to finish the talk and since he had helped her to relax (in a very pleasant way), she saw this opportunity as the best one.

"Can we talk?" She turned back to him, sitting up because lying next to him would probably make her to think about entirely different things.

He replied with a nod, folding his arms behind his head. "Sure, we can. Tell me what troubles you." He invited her, not failing to notice her adorable after-sex look with the tousled hair and swollen lips. Damn, she is gorgeous.

Her stare lingered on his face for a while but then she looked away. She didn't know where to start. There was a chaos in her head. She wasn't sure what to pull out first, because she didn't want to destroy what they had built in the last few minutes. So many things that troubled her and she didn't have any idea how to deal with them. She only knew that if anyone could help her, then it was him.

He watched her for a few seconds, closely studying her struggle. But, eventually, he decided to lend a helping hand. "Start where we left off." He suggested, still keeping his relaxed stance. He wanted to show her that he was done with pretending and that he wasn't angry with her or anything. He was content and wanted to show her that.

She shot him a surprised look, silently thanking him for the advice. "I was telling you about my happy endings and... how I couldn't stop the feeling that they would be taken away from me." She recalled their conversation from few minutes earlier, before he had taken care of releasing the tension in the most delightful way.

A nod of confirmation came from him. "And I promised to you that they wouldn't and that I would do everything to ensure your happy ending. And I mean it." He finished for her. He felt a duty to bring her that.

She rubbed her arms nervously, sighing. She couldn't help but wonder how far he was able to go to fulfil his promise. "With all due respect, Tony, no one can ensure that." She objected, knowing that the main obstacle in her way to happiness was primarily herself.

"Yet you keep on trying to get it." He remarked, because despite her seeming resignation on happy endings, she was a fighter. She always fought to her last breath for what she thought was right.

She nodded and chuckled at the obvious irony. "Yes. None of those attempts turned out well, though." She uttered with bitterness, recalling all of her failed relationships; especially the last one. She had been a fool to believe Ray and his sweet promises. Because that was all she had gotten – only promises. They had never turned into reality.

Tony reacted with a furrow of his eyebrows, wondering whether her words had been meant to be a warning for him or whether she was having another fit of denial. "So what? You'll give up on us just because you've failed before? Despite the fact that you love me?" He asked her incredulously, wishing to have some manual to her head, because he didn't understand the change of her moods at all.

They had reached a mutual agreement. They loved each other. They both knew that not acting on those feelings would be a huge mistake. They weren't able to hide it. Yet, she was sitting here on the bed, looking all beautiful and sexy, but doubting them. And just because she had come to a conclusion that she didn't deserve happy endings and presumably wanted to give up on trying finding one.

She remained silent because she didn't have a slightest idea how to respond. She understood that he'd tried to point out that she was a fighter, so it was obvious that he expected from her to keep fighting. But she was so tired of it. She had to fight for everything in her life. For her father's attention. For her childhood hobbies. For her right to become a Mossad agent because her father wasn't giving anything away for free.

She had been forced to fight for every mission she had wanted to apply for. She was constantly fighting for her existence. Even in times when she had been ready to die. She had to fight for every tiny piece of the puzzle that was called "her life". With no exception of relationships of any kind. Family, friends, lovers, surrogate family. She'd just had enough.

He continued to prod her, though, not giving up on getting an explanation. "Just tell me, Ziva. Enlighten me. What is so different about me?" He asked her, getting a little frustrated. But he managed to suppress his need to raise his voice.

She looked up at him with a confused expression, wondering exactly what he meant. "Why you were able to risk it with other men, but you apparently aren't able to do so when it comes to me? What did they have and I, obviously, don't?" He fired his question in her direction, knowing that what he had said sounded awfully cheesy. But she wasn't giving him any other choice. It seemed that all those men in her life had possessed something he didn't have. And he wanted to know what it was.

Her face turned into unhappy, sorrowful expression because she didn't want him to think about himself like that. He had it all wrong. "Actually, it's the other way around. It's about what you do have and the others lacked." She countered with urgency in her voice, wanting to show him that he had a special place in her heart. A truly special one. No one could ever replace him.

Now, it was his turn to look all puzzled, because he wasn't aware that he had been equipped with some trait that distinguished him from the others. And if he had, then it had to be something repulsive about him that she just couldn't get over. He didn't have any other explanation. Because she had always pushed him away and preferred someone else. Nonetheless, something in the way she was looking at him made him continue to listen to her.

"I could deal with losing them. And, in fact, I had to and I did." She explained further, after a moment of silence when she was playing with her fingers in her lap nervously. She had cherished most of the men in her life she'd been in a relationship with, but since some of them had betrayed her, she didn't mind so much that they had broken up. As for those who were dead, she had managed to deal with their deaths in some way or another.

The reason was the she hadn't loved them the way she loved Tony. The real, genuine love had waited patiently around the corner, waiting for the right moment to strike her. Besides, Tony was very special to her. The others had been only lovers, sometimes even friends. But Tony was her partner and her friend, part of her surrogate family. And, now, her lover. He was different because the feelings she had towards him were not only romantic nature. It was also about the trust that had grown between them throughout the years. And she wasn't a person who would trust so easily.

"But I would never... I can't afford to lose you. I wouldn't be able to survive it." She continued with a shaking voice as her throat constricted.

She started to feel like crying again, but she was still in a pleasant euphoria due to their erotic encounter. It was a very strange feeling. She felt sick at the thought of losing him, especially if it were her fault that he would die or get hurt. But, on the other hand, her heart was filled with such unimaginable happiness and contentment that she could barely contain herself.

He stared at her in awe, totally frozen in the position he was in. If he was right, one of her main problems that she'd had about them entering a relationship was the fear of losing him. Probably because of the fact that they would make a couple. So, she'd rather chosen men who were easier to deal with in the case of loss than choose a man she really loved just because she didn't want to lose him.

By which, she had been standing in her own way to happiness. She was denying herself the real joy of life because she had come to the conclusion that she either didn't deserve it, or there was no chance that the true love relationship would ever have a chance for success. He didn't know why she was thinking this way, and he guessed she probably didn't know that, either. He just wanted her to stop being so afraid and to give in to what was offering to her.

He moved on the bed while she tried to stop the tears that threatened to fall down her cheeks. He sat in front of her and took her gently by the arms. "Hey, you're not going to lose me, OK? I will do everything I can to prevent that. I'm not going to let it happen." He tried to assure her, wiping away the tears as he cupped her cheeks while she was fighting these strange, contradictory emotions.

"How can you know that?" She asked him desperately, stifling a sob, hating the state she was in. She would love to lower her gaze and get rid of the tears, but he was holding her face and she didn't dare look away from his eyes.

"Because I've already lost you once. And I vowed that I would never go through something like that ever again." He informed her, his gaze getting foggy as the grim memories returned to haunt him.

A few tears left her eyes as she stared into his face, trying to absorb it. This was the second time someone had mentioned her disappearance in Somalia tonight. And she couldn't stand the guilt she saw in his eyes, because it wasn't supposed to be there. She had made the decision to go there on her own. Nothing he would have said to try to make her to stay with NCIS would have changed her mind. Contrarily, it would have probably driven her away even more.

"I made a huge mistake back then. And I'm not going to repeat it." He uttered, his voice quivering with emotions full of guilt and sorrow.

He didn't feel guilty over shooting Rivkin. It had been either his life, or the life of the man Ziva was in relationship with. It had been an easy choice. He felt guilty because he hadn't done enough to change her mind about her departure. He felt guilty because he had behaved cowardly and let Gibbs to handle it. He hadn't had enough strength to stand up for himself against her once more and try to persuade her to come back with them.

He could never forget the helpless feeling he'd had as he was sitting in the plane, realizing that Ziva wasn't coming with them. That she had chosen to return to her father. That he hadn't even had the chance to say goodbye to her. He had been mad at Gibbs for letting her go. He was mad at himself for doing nothing to make her go with them back to DC. He had failed. Terribly.

"I'm not going to let anyone to decide my future for me anymore. I'm not going to let anyone to interfere into our fates ever again." He vowed, raking her hair in pure desperation to show her that he was really capable of everything to ensure the happy ending they both deserved with each other.

He couldn't stand it anymore and leaned in to kiss her, feeling her sobbing. But she returned the movements of his lips. Soon, she had wrapped her hands around his neck and, barely controlling herself, she swallowed him with a passionate kiss. She was giving him a sign this way that she believed he truly would do anything to make her happy. That, despite her fear of losing him, he would put up a hell of a fight before he would give up on her.

He was actually terrified of losing her just as much as she was. With one difference – he had already known what it had been like to lose her. Yet, he was willing to risk everything. With this kiss, though, he could sense that her resilience was dwindling and she had sustained his offers. Now, she was ready to risk whatever was needed, as well. She loved him beyond description, and she was sure that together, they could win every fight. He and his love were providing her the unrelenting determination.

She had to slow down, because the kiss was in danger of turning into something more than a mere lip lock. He had to do his best to prevent his hands from roaming all over her body, laying her down and taking her once more. He understood that this conversation was far from over and he wanted to finish it for their own sakes. He had wanted her to relax and that was definitely fulfilled now. So, there was no reason for delaying what needed to be said.

Pulling apart from him and breathing heavily, she rubbed her hands down his chest in a loving gesture. "Not even Gibbs? Or Rule 12?" She asked breathlessly in connection to his earlier statement. She was curious about how they would cope with this particular matter, according to him.

He leaned his forehead against hers, looking deeply into her eyes and sighing. "That's the other thing that bothers you?" He asked her while playing with her hair. What he had said had been mainly directed at Gibbs. He respected his boss greatly. But sometimes he was tired of denying himself the thing he wanted so much just because Gibbs' rules were forbidding it. So, when it came to Ziva and his relationship with her, he was ready to stand up against Gibbs. But was she?

She nodded to answer his question, feeling slightly better. The first thing had been her inner problem. This matter, however, was something they had to deal with it together. It wasn't only about Gibbs' approval of breaking one of his essential rules. It was also about them being able to work together while being partners in life. Thus, proving to their boss that his decision to allow them to still work under him would be the right one.

He smiled faintly, pulling away to see her beautiful face. "Well, I wouldn't be that afraid of Gibbs. He gave us his blessing. Sort of." He said confidently, trying to fix her hair a little because he had made it into a tousled mess.

She reacted by bulging her eyes out in shock, not quite believing his words. In what universe was Gibbs giving blessings for breaking the rules he had invented? "Wait, what? When did that happen?" She asked him. She couldn't remember talking to Gibbs in the last few hours, and she hadn't seen him to talk with Tony, either. And if the blessing had been given earlier, Tony would have informed her about it long ago.

His smile only widened as he traced his thumb across her lips. His need to constantly touch her, to incessantly assure himself that he wasn't dreaming, and that she was really his, was too great. He couldn't ignore it. "Remember our encounter in the hallway?" He asked her, caressing her face as he recalled the sensual kiss she'd given him a few hours ago.

She replied with another short nod, wondering whether Dr. Ryan had mentioned something to Gibbs about catching them kissing in front of the restroom. But she had been unable to help herself. If he hadn't made her horny at the table, maybe she would have been able to behave reasonably. Ever since this man had made her his, she had craved for more. No matter how much she had tried to deny it. Sometimes, there were things she couldn't run away from so easily. And her desire for him was one of them.

"After you so quickly disappeared, I went to the men's room. Gibbs went there, too. The only thing he told me was, and I quote: 'Don't screw it up, DiNozzo. You have only one chance.'" He explained to her, mimicking Gibbs' voice at the end. She bit her lip thoughtfully, realizing that she had almost collided into Gibbs on her way out of the hallway, so this sounded like it could be truth.

"So, he knows. Somehow. I'm not exactly sure what he meant, but I'm positive it concerned you and me." He rounded it off with a shrug of his shoulders. Nobody had any idea how it had always been possible for Gibbs to know everything about everyone. He just knew. It was useless to occupy one's mind by such a question.

Still taken aback by the information and what Gibbs had done, she chuckled in disbelief. That was not what she had expected. In her vision, Gibbs and his rules had always been the sacred thing no one could ever go against. Not even Gibbs himself. But, on the other hand, it made sense in the perspective of being his surrogate kids. He'd always wanted the best for them. Maybe he'd realized that 'the best' that both Tony and Ziva could get was each other.

"Well, that's... unexpected." She commented after a while, perplexed. It felt so odd, but, on the other hand, it was a dream come true.

"I can't believe it would be that easy, though." She countered contemplatively, knowing that Gibbs wouldn't let them off the hook with a simple blessing. That wasn't him. He was supposed to have worries considering the relationship and unity of the team. And how the relationship would influence their working lives.

"I don't think we've won yet, either." He agreed, thinking exactly the same thing. He expected that they would have to fight for their right to be together. If they were able to convince Gibbs, then Vance would a piece of cake. But they had to proven themselves in front of their boss first.

"I guess there will be some deeper 'keep-it-out-of the-office' talk and all. I just think he's giving us a chance to get together and solve how we will be able to make it work between each other. Because it primarily depends on us." He remarked, guessing Gibbs' intentions. He'd probably wanted them to be prepared for the future questioning and show what a strong couple they made.

She looked up at him, getting slightly nervous because he had been right and it was one of those things that bothered her. She wanted to be with him but they had to find a common ground. It was the first test of their relationship, kind of. "And are we able to make it work?" She asked him, trying to find out what he was thinking before she would tell him her point of view.

He smiled at her, putting her hair behind her ears. "Well, we make a good team, don't we?" He suggested, meaning not only their sync while they worked but also the harmony between them as friends and lovers.

She couldn't help but smile widely because she was aware of the secret meaning his statement. However, her face turned serious after a moment because she wanted him to know that this matter was significant. "It's not just about that Tony." She warned him, taking his hands and playing with his fingers affectionately.

"We have to respect each other in work as colleagues and in private as people in relationship. It's also about distinguishing how we are supposed to behave to one another in which situation. And then, there's being with each other twenty-four hours a day." She explained further. She added the last bit to sign him that spending their free time together would be regular matter from now on. So, he had to learn how to not get bored and she had to learn how to not kill him.

His grin couldn't get any bigger. Even a Cheshire cat would have been jealous of his smile. "Awesome. My most favourite thing to do." He replied in all seriousness, looking forward to spending his time with her and actually doing things with her like he'd dreamt about for years.

Now, she couldn't wipe the smile off her face even if she had wanted to. A blush crept into her cheeks, flattered by his comment, thinking only about how sweet his words were. She loved to spend her free time with him, too, but she was too stubborn to admit that in front of him. Least of all this openly. She knew that he had been completely serious, because there had been no teasing in his voice. He had been sincere. And that made it all even more adorable.

He decided to use their mouths in more pleasant way than still smiling like idiots, leaning in and kissing her tenderly. He wanted to give her what she was dying for – certainty and security. "Don't worry, OK? We will make it work." He assured her by words, pulling away and cupping her face to look directly into her eyes.

"It won't be easy, I know. But I promised that I wouldn't let anything happen to us." He added, ready for this big step. It certainly wasn't going to be easy to be by her side as her partner on the job and to be professional, since he didn't seem to be able to keep his hands off her and all. It also included not to let their personal matters to influence their work in case they argued. But he was sure that they would always find a way to deal with that.

Her face lit up with genuine happiness, grateful for this man in her life like nothing else. He was truly a gift from the heavens. And they would be able to make it work, she didn't have any doubts about that. They just had to stick to a certain set of rules and everything was going to be OK. All they needed now was to convince Gibbs about this idea and make him to give them a chance.

Wrapping her hands around his neck, she crashed her lips onto his in a fierce kiss as a reward for being him. She needed a man like this. Determined and relaxed. Patient and persistent. Who was able to get the best out of her. Helping her to awaken the wild side of hers that always helped her to fight all her battles. She needed such an enthusiastic and passionate man.

She suddenly broke the kiss as one thought from the back of her mind came up. "Can I ask you something?" She asked him breathlessly, lightly brushing his lips with her own.

He took a deep breath, sighing contentedly. "Whatever you have in that gorgeous head of yours." He gave her permission, not being afraid of her questions. She didn't seem to be preparing to drop some bomb. It seemed to be more of a question out of curiousness.

"Those non-dates. Did you do it all just because you wanted to show me that we are able to make it work and be professionals at work while being close friends and enjoying ourselves in our free time?" She asked him directly. She wondered whether it had been his motive since the very beginning, or if it had just happened to be a coincidence.

He smiled, wondering why she was asking such a question. But he wouldn't deny her the answer. "The truth?" He asked just for the fun of it, adding a teasing tone to let her know that he was just testing her boundaries.

"I don't expect anything else." She replied seriously, showing him that she was curious about this matter and she truly questioned his motives. She noticed the teasing tone, but she really wanted to get an honest answer from him.

He raked her hair lovingly, giving her an understanding smile. "At first, no. It didn't even occur to me. I just loved to spend my time with you. It was a change, and a very pleasant one, if I may add." He explained, being sincere with her. He had enjoyed their non-dates because he could be in her proximity, not realizing he had been falling for her harder. But it didn't have any meaning now.

After all those months she had been healing herself after the events of Somalia and the disappointment she had experienced with Ray, it had been a step forward for them. She had let him in. And that had been something he'd valued greatly and wanted to make use of: to spend as much time as he could with her. They had been getting along very well together. So, the usage of 'close friends' term had been very accurate.

"Later, I just thought that if I ever found the courage to tell you how I feel and if you felt the same way, I could use it as an example that we were able to make it work. Because I knew that you would have doubts. After all, I had them, too." He finished it with a shrug of his shoulders, telling her the whole truth. There was no point of keeping this from her. He didn't have anything to be ashamed of.

She slid her hands down from his shoulders and across his chest, biting her lip thoughtfully. "So, your intentions really were chaste." She commented, cursing herself for not letting him to get closer to her earlier. She had doubted him and she hated herself for it. When, in fact, all he had wanted was to become the reason for her happiness.

He took her by her chin, the smile never leaving his face, kissing her lightly on her lips. "As they always were." He confirmed, because his intentions with her had always been pure and he'd had no plan to use her just for few pleasant nights. She had been his priority for a long time.

She looked at him with a smitten look, wondering what she had done to deserve this luck. He had changed for her. He loved her. He was ready to fight against the whole world to be with her. He was ready to stand up against his boss for the right to be together. His intentions couldn't be any purer, any more chaste and sincere. He was, without a single doubt, the love of her life.

And there always would be some problems. They couldn't avoid it. It was part of their life routine – both in work and in their personal lives. But, now, she wasn't alone to fight the battle. She had him and their love that was stronger than anything else in this world. Because the love of soul mates, and they undoubtedly were made for each other, was one of the strongest relationships a person could ever build.

Staring at each other for a while, the desire soon overpowered them as they both leaned in, their mouths meeting in a passionate kiss. The problems were solved. Lust was sated. Now, they could enjoy how it felt to be together as a couple and take their time in the love-making. They could explore, uninterrupted, without feeling doubtful or anything. Their relationship as a couple had just begun.

The End of Chapter 21

And here we are... ;) They solved all the problems they needed between them, now they just have to face the world. But that can wait, I'm giving you another smutty chapter next time.

But when the next time will be... Well... I have some family troubles at the moment, so I'm running backward and forward like crazy, not quite having much time to write. And because I want to deliver my best and smut isn't something you write so easily, I'm asking for your patience. I promise to update as soon as I finish writing it and my Beta checking it. But it might take a month. So, thank you in advance for being patient with me.

Anyway, have a nice week, enjoy your time and I hope we'll see each other soon! And thanks for reading. :)