A/N: This chapter is rated M for a very, very good reason. It's pure and unadulterated smut! It doesn't even pretend it has a plot. So, you have been warned. If this is not your thing, skip it, you're not missing anything of the actual story, just a little character development.
The has been some confusion with regards to the last chapter's setting. Chapter 8 & 9 started out as one idea that grew and grew until the chapter was so long I had to break it down into two. So yes, the beginning of chapter 9 is another flashback to their time in NYC before Kate began her training. And since she's pretty much ditched Castle the whole week, Beckett almost expected him to fly back since she wouldn't have any time for him.
On a personal note, I don't have regular internet access right now, so updates have become a bit more sporadic, depending on when I find time (and a free spot to sit down) at Starbucks for an hour.
Warning: M rated
"You stayed," she breathed and looked at him astonished. They hadn't talked since last night and Beckett had been afraid that Rick flew back to New York first thing in the morning. She wouldn't begrudge him that, since she obviously didn't have time for him this weekend, and she didn't expect him to sit around and twiddle his thumbs waiting for her.
Castle automatically opened his arms to welcome her with a hug. Any lingering traces of resentment toward her and her new job evaporated, when her face lit up with a thousand-mega-watt smile the moment she laid her eyes on him.
Kate flew into his arms and brushed her lips over his in a ghost of a kiss. When he didn't immediately react, she pressed her lips on his mouth again and let them linger. She pulled back slowly and touched his cheeks with her hands, as if to reassure herself that it was really him and not some apparition her sleep-deprived but adrenaline-addled brain had conjured up.
She kissed him again and this time Rick responded. He ran his tongue across her lower lip, gently prying her mouth open. Her tongue snaked out to meet his and the minute they touched, a jolt of electricity ran down his body.
He could feel her shiver in his arms and knew she must have felt it, too. Instinctually he brought his arms up around her to fold her deeper into his embrace, as they kissed slowly. His tongue toyed with hers, ran over her teeth and dipped into the cavern of her mouth. A quiet moan escaped her throat and was muffled by their kiss. Castle's hands wandered down to her hips and pulled her closer.
She was safe. For the first time all day, she felt truly safe and let her shoulders relax. The tension she'd been feeling ever since she'd jumped out that window slowly left her body, which went a little slack in his arms. He noticed and immediately pulled her deeper into his embrace, as if he was trying to make her disappear into his tall frame. Oh god, how she'd missed this. Him. Her tall and ruggedly handsome man.
It was a cliché, but it was also the truth. He made her feel safe. Plain and simple. He gave her security and stability every day, even though she sometimes did her best to upset their equilibrium. However, as long as he waited for her with open arms at the end of the day, she knew she'd be all right in the end, no matter what events had transpired and conspired against her during the day. She wasn't ready to talk about it yet. She knew he'd only worry and get upset for her, but the truth was it was nobody's fault she didn't have the proper back up this morning. It was a new team and these things took time. There were always a few chinks in any armor that had to be ironed out. That didn't mean the bullet flying at her while she was in mid-air hadn't rattled her cage a little bit. She needed to feel alive in Rick's arms.
Beckett was a tall person herself, so she appreciated Castle's tall frame towering a little bit over her today. In his tight hug, it felt a little bit as if he was trying to wrap himself around her, absorb her body into his. In past years it would have made her feel claustrophobic but, these days with him, she sought it out. She had no complaints; she'd gladly disappear into him after the day's events, if it were physically possible. So she did the next best thing and hid in his embrace. She burrowed her face into the fabric of his dress shirt and inhaled his unique scent. Kate closed her eyes and let his strong arms hold her and calm her. She relished in his broad shoulders that cushioned her head. She loved the well-toned muscles of his arms that were wrapped around her protectively. Castle would never let anything happen to her. And though she wished she never would have had to find out for sure, she knew he'd give his life for her in an instant. The proof was on her chest. Sometimes it scared her a little bit that she had that kind of power over him. Wished she could somehow stop it. But at the same time she knew it was useless to fight it because she felt just the same about him. Granted, she'd made a living out of protecting other people, but in the end when it came down to it, she knew she'd take that bullet for him because a world without him was simply not a world she'd want to live in anymore.
"Are you… shorter?" she heard his amused voice, slightly confused, when he tucked her head underneath his chin. A mixture of a groan and a chuckle bubbled up her throat.
"No heels," Kate mumbled into his chest and Rick gasped in shock. Before he could ask what happened, she explained Rachel's new rule.
"Don't worry, I'll take you out to dinner tonight and let you wear extra-high heels that'll make you actually taller than I am."
Beckett shook her head, well, effectively she rubbed her face against the fabric of the shirt, and hummed, "I actually quite like it like this."
"Yeah?" He pulled back far enough to get a look at her.
"Yeah, you can be my knight in shining armor for one night."
"Do I get to ride on a noble steed?" He smiled down at her.
"I don't know, Castle, you're the one who stole that police horse."
"Borrowed," he immediately protested, "how many times do I have to tell you that?"
"Tomato, tom-ah-to." Kate grinned.
"What can I say? My subconscious was trying to meet you already years ago, when you were still a lowly uniform. It's a real pity you weren't there to arrest me. Would have spared me a second divorce and saved me a lot of money."
Beckett snorted, "Right, and you wouldn't want to fight your subconscious anymore than you would want to ignore the signs of the universe."
A small grin formed on Rick's lips. She remembered. It was one of the things he loved so much about their relationship. The way they had connected even before they'd gotten together, it may not have been a traditional friendship – and courtship if he was truly honest – but there were so many little moments they'd cherished and weaved into the fabric of their lives, so they could remember them forever. He'd never had that connection with another woman. Kate – and he for that matter – could remember the tiniest moments between them and recall them at the most convenient occasions… or inopportune moments when she reminded him of something stupid that he'd done years ago and he'd thought, hoped, prayed she'd long forgotten.
"Alright then, let me give you another sign," Kate smiled at him and cupped his cheeks between her hands to pull down his head. She gave him a long and passionate kiss.
"Oh, I know that sign by heart," Castle beamed at her, as his hands searched for hers. He linked their fingers together as he gently tugged at her arms to make her follow him. Walking backwards, he led Kate into the bedroom, never taking his eyes off of his beautiful fiancée. Halfway through the door, Kate disentangled their hands, so she could shrug off her blazer. Rick gave her a salacious grin and Beckett shook her head in mirth. She quickly popped the top buttons of her blouse and pulled it over her head. When she looked up, Rick had replaced his grin with a pout.
"I wanted to do that," he scowled.
"I'm sorry," Kate replied and closed the distance between them with a few steps. "Would you like to help me with my pants?"
"Not the same," Rick mumbled but reached out to grab her by the waistband anyway. He snuck his fingers into the space between the fabric of her pants and her skin and let them trail around her waist. Kate took in a breath and shivered involuntarily, making Rick smile.
"I love how you still react to my touch after all that time." He whispered and leaned in to kiss her.
"I love how you still make me feel when you touch me." She replied and kissed him back. They both reached for his shirt and started to unbutton it. Kate took care of the top half and Rick met her from the bottom up. They were still making out with each other, tongues dueling each other, teeth occasionally clashing when their hunger for each other made them a little bit too frantic.
She grasped the loose ends of his shirt and pulled him closer, craving the skin-to-skin contact. Her bra-clad breasts pressed tightly against his chest, and Kate let her lips wander across his naked shoulders. Rick hummed appreciatively and set to work on her pants. He quickly opened her belt and top button so he could sneak his hand down her slacks. Meeting resistance, he let out a groan, when he realized he missed another hidden button inside the seam that still fastened her pants.
"Not a fan of your new wardrobe, Beckett."
He could feel Kate smile into his skin at his frustration. Never one to be deterred easily, he quickly found and popped the inside button open and lowered the zip of her pants as well. Now he had much more room to maneuver his hand. Rick brought his left arm around her back, while he let his right hand slip down into her panties.
"Jesus, Kate, how'd you get so wet in such a short time?" He moaned into her ear, before he nibbled on her ear lobe. He wanted to pull off her pants, throw her onto the mattress and dive headfirst between her legs. Instead two of his fingers slipped through her folds and found their target.
Kate let out an audible gasp at the contact and accidentally bit his shoulder. Castle groaned, a mixture of pain and arousal, and began to rub her clit. Never mind how'd she get so wet so quickly, how'd she survive so long without this for a whole week? As wonderful as the sensation of Castle fingering her was, she wanted more. She needed him inside her.
Beckett pulled back and gave him a coy smile. They both instantly missed their connection, but Kate shimmied down her pants quickly, while Castle got rid of his. She stepped backwards and climbed on top of the mattress, with Rick hot on her heels. They were both now in their underwear. She lay down, inviting him along. He knelt down next to her body but hovered with his torso over hers. His eyes raked over her body, drinking in her flush skin, her swollen lips from making out with him, her dark eyes lusting for him and her hard nipples trying to poke through the thin fabric of her bra.
A flash of arousal lit up his eyes and made his cock throb in his boxers. How did he ever get so lucky to call this extraordinary woman his own? Rick kissed her hungrily and pressed his groin against her hipbone so she could feel his erection. Feel, what she did to him all the time. She kissed him back eagerly; their tongues intertwined but, for once, she was not fighting him for dominance. Kate's hand trailed down the side of his body, making him shiver, until she reached the waistband of his boxers. Her fingers wandered over the thin material to his front, where his erection already formed a prominent tent.
She cupped his hard cock through his silk boxers and Rick's hips gave an involuntary thrust. Kate smiled and leaned into his kiss, her tongue becoming a bit more demanding. She needed more, she wanted him to take her and make love to her already. But Rick was taking his sweet time enjoying their sexual reunion.
He broke their lip lock and trailed soft kisses down her chin and throat until he buried his head in the valley of her breasts. He'd rolled on top of her, propping himself up on his left arm, while he stroked her body with the other one. He turned his hand and let his knuckles brush softly over the naked skin of her belly. Kate gasped and her body rose from the mattress on its own accord. She could feel his hard cock nestled and throbbing between her legs, separated only by the thin material of her cotton panties and his silk boxers. It was driving her crazy. She wanted him so badly, she'd missed him so much.
Rick lifted his head to gaze at the soft mounds of Kate's breasts partially covered by the black lace. He raised an eyebrow and flicked her an amused glance. "Been expecting me?" He teased her smugly, as he unfastened the clasp at the front and let her breasts spill over the thin fabric.
"Shut up, I haven't changed since yesterday." Kate countered and immediately regretted it.
"It's okay, I'm not mad at you. How can I be mad at you when you lie bare like this in front of me." He whispered and lowered his head to capture her left nipple in his mouth. Kate let out a long moan and squirmed underneath him. Fuck this man and his talented tongue. Her hand flew to the back of his head where it toyed with his hair. Rick hummed appreciatively around her nipple, which created a new sensation. "Apology accepted," he mumbled around the engorged, red bit of flesh.
"It's not just that. I must smell like the Yankee's locker room. I haven't showered in a while and I chased a suspect earlier today." She protested half-heartedly. Rick let go of her nipple and pulled himself up for a passionate kiss.
"You smell sexy and a little musky, but mostly you just taste delicious." He mumbled at the same time as he nibbled on her lower lip. "We can shower later together." He pulled back to catch her eyes and wiggled his eyebrows. Kate chuckled and rolled her eyes.
"Now where was I?" He pressed soft little kisses across her chest, spending a little extra time over her scar. His tongue laved the broken skin of her bullet wound, then trailed down to her right nipple. His mouth enclosed around the tiny mount of flesh and Rick began to suck.
Kate threw her head back into the pillow with a groan and arched her body into his. She could feel the heat pooling in her pussy, which throbbed in rhythm with Rick's tender caresses. Damn this man, he had her exactly where he wanted her: squirming and on the brink of an orgasm. It was time.
"Rick," she whispered but got no reaction. So she called his name again a little bit louder this time. Her hands were back at his head and gave a soft tug. Rick acquiesced and stopped his gentle ministrations to look up into her face. He was met with a smoldering gaze that told him everything he needed to know. Kate's mouth latched onto his lips in a hungry kiss that sent a tingly sensation straight down to his cock. Her tongue brushed over his again and again, sucking and soothing. His heart pumped inside his chest like crazy, he could feel the pounding in his head. Her kiss seemed to slow down everything around him and amplify his senses. She tasted so good, so sweet like… blueberries and a hint of coffee. For a split second he wondered what she'd eaten all day, before his focus turned back on the woman approaching her climax beneath him.
Castle broke away from the kiss and straightened up. He sat on his heels between her legs, down by her thighs. His hands wandered all over her body, taking her bra with him. She was now naked except for her white cotton panties. Rick quickly hooked a finger on either of her hips and pulled them down. They were soaked and ruined from her arousal. The water gathered in his mouth in anticipation of her sweet taste.
She lifted her legs to help him remove the last item of her clothing. Rick grabbed her right leg and slid her panties over it all the way down to her foot. However, once the leg was free, he didn't repeat the same on the other one, but instead stroked her calf with his palm. He bent his head down and kissed her on the inside of her leg. He placed another kiss a little bit higher, just below her knee. He let his tongue snake out and licked the soft skin behind her kneecap.
Kate gasped and fisted the sheets in response. He was going to kill her tonight. The maid would find her body tomorrow morning reduced to one big puddle. He was trailing soft kisses up the inside of her thigh now and she had a pretty good idea of what his intended target was.
"Castle," she exhaled breathlessly. He looked up at her with a question in his eyes. He looked like a sex god. A thin sheet of sweat was glistening on his well-toned chest. The color of his eyes had changed to the darkest blue, signaling the storm brewing inside of him. His hair was tousled from where she'd run her hands through it repeatedly and her long leg rested on his shoulder. He simply took her breath away. He was hers. Hers to take and keep forever. When she didn't immediately reply, he raised his eyebrows, waiting for further instruction from her.
"I want you now," was all she breathed as she sunk back into the pillows. He lowered her leg and spread them a little further apart to make room for himself. He licked his lips as he brought his head down to her pussy.
Kate sucked in air and drew her whole body in an arch, when his tongue made contact with her lips. Her hands clutched the bunch of sheets tighter. Moans spilled out of her throat uncontrollably. His tongue had already parted her lips and his mouth enclosed around her clit, sucking the little nub like there was no tomorrow.
"No, Rick!" Kat gasped out of breath and her hands flew down to his neck. They cupped the back of his head and she pulled him up towards her with the last of her motoric coherence.
"It's okay, Kate, I don't mind." He whispered but she kissed him desperately.
"No, inside me, now." She panted and pulled at his boxers impatiently, while he hovered above her. His cock was already straining to get out; she could see its head peeking out at the waistband. She pushed his boxers over his hips and down his butt, until his cock sprang free.
"I can't. I won't last that long." He gave her a bashful smile.
"Trust me, Castle, I'll be quicker." She kissed him again. Kate reached for his cock and gave it a couple of firm strokes, before she guided him to her entrance.
"Fuuuuck! Kaaaaate!" Castle groaned into their kiss, when he slid all the way into her wet and tight pussy. He pulled away from her lips and his hand flew to her hips to hold her still. "Don't move. Just give me a second."
When he penetrated her, Beckett let out a content sigh. Finally he was inside her, filling her just the way she wanted and needed. He bent his head to pepper her throat and shoulders with tiny kisses but Kate had none of it. She caught his head and steered him back for more kisses. Rick smiled against her lips and deepened their kiss, as realization finally dawned on him.
"I missed you, too, Kate, so much!" He whispered. Never one to express her feelings and needs quite so vocally, Beckett had reverted to showing him with her touches and kisses what she wanted and needed from him tonight. Well afternoon, whatever.
Today was not going to be the frenzied lovemaking of last weekend, when they'd reunited after a month of not seeing each other. After being deprived of sex for several weeks, their horniness had overshadowed everything else. They hadn't been able to keep their hands to each other all the way to the hotel. Not wanting to be recognized, Beckett had prohibited Castle from showing up at Quantico and took a cab to pick him up at Reagan airport instead. The cab ride from Arlington to the W Hotel had been the longest of both their lives. If the bellboy hadn't been riding up with them, Rick would have taken Kate in the hotel elevator – if she wouldn't have beaten him to it and jumped him first. Rick gave the kid probably the most obscene tip of his life, ushering him out of their suite with the suitcases only halfway through the door. The moment it fell into the lock behind the bellboy, Rick was on top of Kate, kissing and undressing her frantically. They never made it past the couch.
This time was apparently going to be different. With their sexual appetite and adventurousness they didn't have pure vanilla sex often. But today was not about satisfying their baser needs, today was all about them reconnecting as lovers. She'd missed him and not just the sex, Rick realized, and she craved the intimacy the good old missionary position with him on top provided. It reminded him of their second round the first night they slept together. Once all the sexual tension between them had been resolved and gotten out of their systems, they took the time to explore each other's bodies inch by inch.
"Make love to me, Rick." Kate's soft voice penetrated his memories when she broke away from their kiss. He felt a little choked up by her request, as if she'd just told him again for the first time that she loved him. Kate assumed a completely submissive role only on rare occasions; they often wrestled for dominance in the bedroom. Whoever was in charge was so because the other person let them be. He could count on one hand all the times she had, for all intents and purposes, offered herself up to him from the get go like she had done just now. Maybe moving to DC wasn't such a bad thing after all, if the time apart between them made her so receptive to letting him take care of her needs.
Her dark eyes studied him carefully, as his face hovered above her. Instead of the witty comeback, he'd usually throw at her – because sex between them was always fun and lighthearted – his lips descended on hers in the most tender kiss. She closed her eyes and gave herself completely over to his gentle ministrations. His tongue danced around hers slowly, inviting her back into his mouth. Rick started to rock his hips softly and Kate moaned, when she felt him move inside her.
"I love you." She whispered a little breathless.
"I need you." He countered and picked up speed in his thrusts.
She rubbed her nose along his cheek, just below his ear and demanded, "More! Harder!"
Castle shuffled his hands a bit around, looking for better purchase to drive himself deeper inside her.
"Oh god, yes!" Kate exclaimed and arched her body up into his. "Rick!" Her hands travelled down his sides and across his loins to the valley where his back met his ass. She held onto him tight and pressed their bodies together.
Rick's head rested next to hers and she could feel the hot pangs of his breathing by her ear. It was an incredible turn on, to listen how his breaths quickened as his arousal climbed. Kate squeezed him inside her and he groaned into the pillow.
"Kate!" He complained. "I'm not gonna last if you keep torturing me like that."
"Shh, I'm almost there." He felt her hot breath on his ear shell and then she nibbled on his ear lobe. "Tell me how much you missed me."
"So much, Kate, so much." He panted. "I thought about you all the time. I missed you so much."
"Did you…?" Her breath caught in her throat, as his cock switched to a slightly different angle and stimulated her clit more.
"No," he groaned, "you're killing me, Kate."
"I did," she confessed. "I had a long, hot bath Wednesday night, thinking about you, about us together." Her fingers ran up his spine and she could feel him shiver. "I thought about this, how you feel inside me. How good it feels when you fill me with your hard cock. But my fingers were a very, very poor substitute for you."
"Kate!" He whined.
"Let go, Rick. Come for me." She encouraged him, her nose caressing his ear. "I'm so close."
He lifted his head and stared into her eyes. Rick pulled almost all the way out and then thrust inside her deeply. He knew he'd struck the right angle, because Kate's fingers dug into the flesh on his back. The pain was a welcome outlet for his sexual frustration. He was determined not to come before her, but she was making it increasingly difficult with her dirty talk. So much for submissive Beckett, he should have known it was all an act to tease him.
Kate closed her eyes overwhelmed by the new sensation of Rick's cock stroking all the right places. She could feel the first tingles of her orgasm approaching. It was going to be a big one she could tell.
"Open your eyes." Castle demanded.
"Can't, feels too good." Kate moaned.
"I want you to look at me, Beckett." He growled and stopped moving.
Kate's eyes snapped open and glared at him angrily, "Don't stop, Castle. You can't tease me like that, I'm almost there."
"You're the fucking tease, Kate, whispering all those naughty things into my ear." He accused her and picked up his movements again.
"Just telling you what I did while you weren't here." She smiled innocently. He reached that spot again and it took all her willpower not to shut her eyes again.
"That's it, Kate." Castle groaned. "Look at me. That's it, look at me making love to you. Can you feel how hard and ready I am for you?"
"Yes, god, yes!" Kate panted.
"A whole week without you, Beckett. No text, no call, not a single word. Just the memories of you, sprawled out on that couch, panting my name over and over, while I rode you relentlessly."
"Rick," she whispered breathless. "Rick, oh god, Rick."
"That's right, say my name, Kate. Don't you forget whom you've been lusting after all week."
"Fuck, Rick, I'm gonna come." She moaned, "Make me come."
Castle reached between their bodies, cupping one mound her breasts, and kneaded the flesh.
"Come for me, Beckett. I want you to come for me." He encouraged her. His fingers left her breast and found her sensitive clit. The minute his thumb stroked over the engorged mound, Kate screamed his name and came undone in his arms.
Rick watched her for a few moments in the throes of passion, before his own body succumbed under the relentless hold of her pussy over his cock. Her name, a long drawn-out moan, tumbled over his lips, as he spilled inside her.
Kate's lips sought out his for a searing kiss, as she came down from her high. Castle's last few thrusts turned sloppy, trying to prolong their climax as long as possible. She could feel his cock jerking inside her erratically in response to her pussy's lingering throbs around him. They only broke their kiss, when they had to come up for air.
"Wow," Kate sucked in her breath.
"Wow, indeed." He simply looked adorable with his cocky smirk, tousled bed hair and those last traces of that dopey look he always wore in the moments right after they had sex.
"Jackass," Kate smiled. She reached up to run her fingers through the strands of hair that fell over his forehead in complete disarray.
"Tease," Rick grinned.
They laughed and kissed again. Kate was still craving to touch his body, so her hands began to stroke his sides. Up and down, up and down. Her mouth muffled Rick's appreciative hums. They lay for a while in a tangled mess of limbs and sweaty bodies until Rick made a move to roll on his side. Their lovemaking had drained him completely and he found it increasingly harder to support his own weight with his arms.
"Don't you dare move!" Kate's hands gripped him and held him in place.
"Beckett, I'm crushing you." Castle protested.
"Then you'll crush me but you're staying put." She wasn't ready yet to give up the intimate connection of their joint bodies. "At least until you go soft."
"Considering those things you just purred into my ear not five minutes ago, I think that's highly unlikely for a whole week." He shook his head and kissed her passionately. But eventually his erection went away and he slid out after a while.
"Small spoon?" He raised an eyebrow at her in question, before he moved off her. Kate considered his offer for a moment, then shook her head and rolled over to snuggle into the crook of his right arm. She pressed her body close against his side, wrapping one leg over his. Her knee brushed his sensitive cock and Rick let out a quiet hiss.
"Better," she sighed, resting her head on his shoulder. She stretched her head a little to place a small, soft kiss on his neck.
"Mmmm, what was that for?" He sighed dreamily and shuffled around until he found a comfortable spot in the pillows. Beckett suppressed a chuckle. He could be such a girl sometimes after their lovemaking. He was the complete opposite of most men she'd dated before. Will was rolled up into a ball and out like a light, two minutes after his climax. Josh liked to spoon her from behind, arms wrapped around her possessively. They'd share a little pillow talk before he snored off.
Unless she wore him completely out during sex, Castle liked to touch and talk and kiss and cuddle and generally bask in the afterglow of their lovemaking. Sometimes he would just look at her with those deep blue eyes of his, studying her face, as if he wanted to memorize every wrinkle, every crease, every freckle on her skin. With any other man it would have made her feel insecure and self-conscious but when Rick did it, it was like a silent love letter.
This was what she'd missed all week. This quiet moment of perfection, when they lay in bed kissing and cuddling after sex, moments away from falling asleep from exhaustion.
"You must be tired." It was less of a question and more of a statement, as if he could hear her thoughts. "You didn't come back last night."
"We had a break in the case after we talked." Kate mumbled sleepily.
"See, even when I'm not officially your partner, I help you solve cases." He smiled smugly.
"We didn't solve anything. We just identified a new promising round of suspects."
Castle looked at her, waiting for her to continue, but apparently that was all she was going to share. He knew there was something more, something that might have triggered Kate's unusually clingy behavior this afternoon. What he didn't know was whether she was not allowed to talk about it or just not ready to share it with him.
"I missed you, Castle." She finally said it. If she had to deflect, this was his favorite method of hers. "I'm so glad we're not doing the long distance thing because this week without you has been hell." Kate confided.
"Same here, that long distance thing totally sucks." Castle reassured her. "Don't worry, once I'm done with the launch of Deadly Heat, we'll move in together into our awesome new place here and before you know it, I'll be around you all the time again, driving you crazy."
"Good, I like it when you drive me crazy." Kate yawned.
"And I like driving you crazy." Castle smiled and kissed her forehead. "Now catch some sleep, you've been up 24 hours. Can't catch any whistleblowers, if you need toothpicks to keep your eyes open."
"That's what coffee is for." Kate mumbled in protest, eyes already closed.
"Hush, my love, sleep." Rick chastised her and the term of endearment slipped out. Kate let it slide because she'd missed him so much.
