A little while later both Kate and Steve were panting heavily in the middle of the bed after having some rather intense sex. The kiss that Steve had given Kate had rapidly progressed to much more and there were no interruptions as they both gave in to their desires.
"Wow!" Kate exclaimed as she lay on her back trying to get her breathing under control.
"You ok?" Steve checked as he finally withdrew his softening member from her body. He'd forgotten she was still recovering from her head injury and was worried he'd let his lust get the better of him. Caught up in the moment he had completely forgotten about about all the information he'd been given to make sure Kate enjoyed herself as much as him.
"Uh huh," was Kate's reply, but was said with a massive smile on her face.
Steve tucked her in to his side as he lay on his back as they prepared to go to sleep. Kate moved to say something but Steve pressed a finger against her lips silencing her. He had a fairly good idea about what she was going to say. "I know we need to talk about what just happened," he said, "but not now. I love you. That's all that really needs to be said at the moment," he said tenderly.
He removed his finger from Kate's lips and closed his eyes. Sleep was calling his name very strongly as was always the case after sex.
His words were obviously satisfactory to Kate as she didn't say anything but he felt her move to kiss him briefly on the lips. "Love you too," she whispered before snuggling back against him.
Kate was still in his arms when the alarm sounded the next morning. "Morning," he greeted when he saw she was awake.
"Morning," Kate replied. Steve was glad she still sounded happy and had no regrets about the previous night.
"Sleep well?" he enquired, obviously fishing for compliments about his performance between the sheets.
"What do you think?" Kate teased. Neither made a move to get up, just stared at each other across the pillow. "Suppose you should have a shower," Kate eventually said. "I'll make your breakfast,".
"Suppose I should," Steve reluctantly agreed. He would be quite happy to take a sickie. "Don't want to upset the gaffer," he mentioned as he headed to the bathroom. A thought struck him and he turned to face Kate who was still in bed. Living with her was nice and very domesticated. They both looked after each other. "Is this what marriage is like?" He asked interested.
Kate shrugged her shoulders. "Mostly," she informed him. "Why?".
"No reason," Steve said as he continued on his way. He'd always shied away from making such a commitment to anyone, but perhaps he should rethink it.
A quick shower and the time it took for him to put on his suit, Steve joined Kate in the kitchen where she had got his breakfast ready. He didn't usually eat much but today would be a long day interviewing the recently captured suspect so he was glad of the sustenance.
"Have a good day," Kate said as she cleaned up.
"Will do," Steve said as he reflexively gave her a kiss on the lips and was on his way.
His good mood continued at work. Nobody could fail to see how happy he was. Word had got out that the hospital had changed Kate's name to that of Mrs Arnott and there were a few teasing remarks about married life obviously treating him well. Steve took it all on the chin, not letting them know how right they were!
The interview with their suspect wasn't as long as Steve feared and he spent the rest of the day writing up the report. With that done he was also able to check a few things on line. Mainly the regulations about dating another police officer. He wanted to have all the information to hand when he and Kate did talk.
"Hiya!" Steve greeted Kate when he returned later that evening. He found Kate on the sofa, a blanket wrapped round her as she surfed the internet on her laptop. A bottle of opened red wine on the table. It had been raining heavily for most of the day and Kate had had to occupy herself indoors.
"Hey!" Greeted Kate as she pressed a button on her computer, returning it to her home screen. "How did the interview go?" She asked, glad to have some company at last.
"Fine," replied Steve as he headed to the kitchen intent on getting a glass to partake in the opened bottle. "Denied all knowledge of his corrupt activities until we produced all the evidence against him and he realised the game was up," he continued as he took a seat next to Kate and poured himself a drink.
"What've you been up to?" he asked his friend.
"Not much," Kate replied a little shyly as she reached for her glass and took a sip of wine.
"So I see," Steve said. "The flat is still standing and no massive project underway this evening," he teased.
"Ha ha," Kate said.
"What you been looking at?" Steve asked as he indicated the computer on her lap.
"Just stuff," Kate replied, non-committedly.
"Like what?".
"Don't want to say,".
"Why not?" Steve asked perplexed. What was Kate scared of?
"Ok," Kate said. "If you must know I've been looking at the police regs on dating fellow officers,". Steve smiled. "What's so funny?".
"I've been doing the same," Steve admitted. This time it was Kate's turn to smile. She was worried her actions might have scared Steve off but it looked as though she needn't have worried.
"Right," was all Kate said. The two friends became silent as they nervously took a sip of their drinks, wondering what to do next. Kate took the first step. "You do know it's the rules to kiss your wife when you get back from work," she prompted him.
"I didn't know that," Steve said as he put his glass down and took Kate's from her grasp. "Good job I've got you to tell me what to do, isn't it?" he murmured as he leant in and brushed his lips against Kate's. "Like that?" he checked as they pulled apart.
"Yeah, that was good," Kate praised him before resting her head on Steve's shoulder.
"So what do you think?" She asked.
"About the kiss?" Steve asked. "I agree, it was good," he continued before Kate could reply.
"No about the regs, idiot!" she scolded him. "I didn't think they were all that bad actually," she continued. "We can continue to work together unless we ever decide to take that step and get married. Sort of makes sense. Don't think the gaffer could cope with two DS Arnott's working for him. The one he has already is quite enough!".
Kate heard the rumble of Steve's chuckle through his chest as her head still rested on his shoulder. His relationship with the gaffer could be a little strained at times. "That is where I see this relationship headed," Steve admitted, wanting to let Kate know how serious he was about their embryonic relationship.
Kate lifted her head off Steve's shoulder and looked him in the eye. "That's good to know Steve," she said, "but let's slow down a little. We've got a couple more weeks of living together. It's the perfect opportunity to explore whatever it is that's between us, and see if it works,".
"I like that idea," Steve admitted.
"And if it doesn't," Kate said turning very serious. "Promise me something?".
"What?".
"That we'll still be friends,".
"Promise," Steve vowed. It would be hard but he would do it. If, god forbid, it ever came to that he would much prefer Kate in his life as a friend than missing from it completely. The weeks before the accident had shown him he was a mess without her friendship.
"Good," Kate said. "So where are you taking me on our fist date then?" she teased as she rested her head back on Steve's shoulder.
The rest of Kate's sick leave passed by very quickly with both Steve and Kate secretly starting their relationship. Dates out together or spending quality time together at home when Steve wasn't working were the perfect opportunity to get know each other as something more than friends. They were pleased to find that their relationship worked for them. They enjoyed the same things and in the bedroom were very compatible.
Kate had no residual complications from her head injury and was passed fit for duty when she visited the hospital for the last time.
Her first day back at work was both something she looked forward to, but with a bit of trepidation. Her and Steve had decided they should probably tell the gaffer they were dating and neither knew how he would take it.
"Can we have a word, sir?" Steve asked at the end of the day when everyone else had gone home. They had hung around his office, hoping to speak to him before he left for the day.
"Of course," Ted said. "Come in ," he offered, leading the way in to his office.
"How was your first day back, Kate?" He asked out of concern.
"Good," Kate replied honestly. She was a little tired and apart from having to tell Steve to stop fussing around her only three times instead of the three hundred she had anticipated, she had enjoyed it.
"What can I help you with then?" Ted asked as he looked at the partners. He took sight of their clasped hands which Steve and Kate had automatically done for support on entering Ted's office and suddenly realised what they were going to tell him.
"Well the thing is-" Steve started. He had volunteered to do all the talking when Kate and he had talked through how they would broach the subject with their SIO.
"Hang on a second," Ted interrupted as he headed to his chair behind his desk. "I have a feeling I'm going to be needing to be sitting down for this," he informed his officers. He was going to have to book an appointment at his GP as well he realised to see how his blood pressure was handling these two dating!