A/N: This is it, the final chapter of Lookin' In a Mirror! I hope you have all enjoyed reading this story as much as I have enjoyed writing it! It has been quite a journey and I hope you all continue reading through Katie and Ned Banks' journey in the Their Little Family series! Enjoy xx Mariah
Lifting her sunglasses from her face, Katie checked to make sure that Ned was reapplying his sunscreen as she'd told him to. He was, of course. Ned was notorious for burning whenever they were out in the sun, so she made it her personal mission to make sure he stayed covered in sunscreen at all times during the summer.
"Don't look at me like that," Ned said with a chuckle, looking over his shoulder. "I believe it was you who got sunburned last time."
Katie wrinkled her nose. "That only happened once," she reminded him.
There had been a trip to the beach when they were engaged where Katie got so sunburned that she could barely walk the next day. She preferred not to think about that, however.
"Twice," he said, rubbing in some sunscreen onto her face.
"Whatever," she slid her sunglasses back down and laid her head back on the towel pillow he'd made her.
Ned laughed and handed his wife the sunscreen. Katie took it from him and reapplied it to her face. It wasn't like she wanted to end up sunburned again, either. She kissed her husband when she was done in thanks.
"Hey, porcelain! Can you carry something else besides your beach bag?" Katie heard her siblings as they approached.
"Aaron, this is called a beach tote and I'm not that pasty, stop calling me that! Also no, I can't carry that huge beach umbrella, Dad told you to carry it," Mackenzie said, scampering down the beach toward the couple. "Katie! Ned!" The blonde waved as she came running down the sand dune that was just before the parking lot.
Ned sighed and scrubbed his hands over his face. Their peaceful vacation was over, it seemed, as much as he loved the Clancy's. For the weekend, Katie's family would be staying at their family cabin along with them. After traveling to the cabin, they'd readied for the beach and met Katie and Ned at a different beach than the one just steps down from where their cabin sat. It was a twenty minutes drive away.
"I guess we can't have sex all over the cabin anymore," Ned mumbled.
"Ned!" Katie swatted at her husband's arm, but she couldn't keep the grin off of her face. "Stop it…"
"You know I'm just joking, right?" Ned winked at her as her family approached and he stood up.
She laughed, smiling up at him. He leaned down to kiss her again, their lips touching for a moment before he turned away. "Yeah, I know." She giggled.
He went and took the umbrella from her brother and began to open it to set it up. "You know, your parents brought this umbrella so your little sisters can stay out of the sun, right?" He reminded Aaron, who just scoffed, rolled his eyes and opened his beach chair. Ned opened his mouth to respond to that, but Jim put his hand on his arm before he could and shook his head.
"Not worth the pain, son, trust me. Melinda and I have been fighting with him all day." Jim sighed, going over to where Katie was sunbathing. "Hey, Katiebug. I brought you and Ned some lunch if you're hungry. It's in the cooler."
This was a vacation, after all. They needed to keep the peace.
Melinda spread out a large beach blanket on the sand and set Emma on it as Ned set up the umbrella behind them. The little girl looked so cute in her little beach hat and purple bathing suit. Lana was holding mom's hand and sat beside her, ready to get her sunscreen put on and water wings on so she could go swimming with Jim.
Mackenzie came beside Katie and hugged her as she moved to lay back. "Are you going in the water with me?" She sat her tote down and shimmied out of her jean shorts and shirt to reveal her usual blue swimsuit. "I'm so excited to be at a different beach. Good idea."
"I don't think I'm going in right away," she shrugged and laid back. "I was going to try and get some sun. Maybe once I'm a bit warm I'll come."
"Okay, well, I'll be in the water," Mackenzie said, pulling on her goggles and jogging down to the water.
"Don't go out too far, Mackenzie!" Melinda warned, looking over her shoulders as she rubbed sunscreen over Lana's shoulders and back while Jim kept an eye on Emma. "She's always swimming out so far. Keep an eye on her."
"I know," Jim reminded, looking up at her from where he'd laid down beside Emma. His hand touched her leg, moving her sundress up a little as his hand squeezed her knee. "Don't worry. I always keep an eye on Mack. She knows her boundaries and strengths in the water."
Ned made his way back over to sit beside Katie, and she tugged on his arm and pointed at Emma as she gleefully stuck her toes in the sand. "Aw, look!" She pressed her cheek to his arm and watched Emma play in the sand. "Isn't she cute?"
Before he could respond, Aaron interrupted him. "About as cute as Katie in that bathing suit," he snickered. He stood over where the couple was laying on their beach blanket, typing away at his phone.
Ned found himself inspecting the black bikini that Katie was wearing. She looked beautiful. There were a few bruises, but most had either gone away or were easily covered by makeup and Ned assured her that she looked fantastic.
Despite everything, Katie was feeling a little self-conscious. She hadn't wanted to wear this swimsuit until Ned had convinced her.
"You look adorable, Katie. I love that swimsuit," Melinda interjected, then looking at her son. "Aaron, apologize to your sister."
"Thanks, mom. I love this one too," her brow furrowed and she looked up at her brother. "Are you saying that I'm fat?" she demanded.
Ned groaned and dropped his head back onto the blanket. Of course, Aaron had to put his foot in his mouth. This was definitely going to start something.
"Relax, Katie," Aaron muttered. "I didn't say you were fat. I was merely making an observation."
Jim snorted from where he was laid out on their blanket with Emma, Melinda, and Lana. "You're in for it now, son," the father said. "I'd apologize now if I were you."
Katie sat up and looked accusingly at her brother. "You said I didn't look cute, whatever... it was rude!"
"I'm sorry! Don't get your panties in a bunch." Aaron exclaimed. The eighteen-year-old looked to Ned for help, but he held his hands up to signal that the kid was on his own. "I said nothing about you being fat! I just said Emma looked about as cute as your swimsuit. Because babies aren't that cute and neither is the swimsuit."
Katie opened her mouth to yell at him, but Ned slid his hand behind her neck and directed her gaze back towards him. "Katie, you're the most beautiful woman I've ever seen, and you'll always be the most beautiful woman I've ever seen."
Something that had become very common over the last week was that Katie's mood suddenly shifted. She beamed at her husband and threw her arms around his neck, kissing him deeply. Their family made noises of disgust and protested the display of affection, but both Ned and Katie knew they didn't really mean it.
"I swear to god, Aaron. If you keep hovering, I'm going to pinch your nose between these tongs." Katie shouted and nudged his chest away from where he was standing behind her. "Back off."
Her brother held his hands up and backed away from her. "I just wanted to see what you were making," he said. "Because it smells amazing."
Ever since the incident at the beach earlier that day, Aaron had been trying to suck up to his older sister as much as he possibly could. "I'm making eggplant parmesan," she said. "And it's going to be for me and whoever else wants to try it, because apparently, I'm fat. Dad is order pizzas, go talk to him."
That logic made no sense at all to anyone around her, but it was clear that Katie hadn't let go of her little brother's comments yet.
"What if I promise to take you shopping at the mall?" Aaron offered, leaning against the counter next to her.
"You? Shopping?" She started to laugh and then moved the food in the pan around.
"What if I give you money to go shopping, then will you forgive me?" Aaron asked.
Katie thought about it for a moment, but her mind was made up pretty quickly. She loved shopping for new clothes and she was going to be in need of some new outfits now that it was getting colder again.
"Fine, but you need to learn to keep your foot out of your mouth," she said as he fished fifty dollars from his wallet and set on the counter. "You're officially forgiven."
He grinned in victory and kissed his sister's cheek. "You're going to share this though, right?"
"Don't push your luck, little brother. I said to go check in with dad on the pizza. You probably won't like this anyway." She pointed her tongs threateningly at him but didn't reprimand Mackenzie when she snagged a piece of mozzarella cheese that was sitting on top of the cutting board on the counter.
From where Aaron had moved to another side of the counter where their dad was looking at a pizza menu on the computer, he pouted at her. "Hey, how come Kenz doesn't get yelled at when she picks at the food?"
"Maybe because she loves me more," the twelve-year-old grabbed another piece of the cheese to prove her point. "And I'm the little sister. Sisters over brothers, hello."
"You know, she has a point," Katie laughed and then fist-bumped Mack.
"Ugh, whatever," Aaron sighed heavily. It was then that he ran up and around Mackenzie and grabbed a piece of cheese she was holding and tossed it into his mouth.
"Aaron!" The twelve-year-old ran after him and up the stairs. "I'm gonna kill you!"
Katie rolled her eyes and shook her head. Some things would never change in their family. Aaron and Mackenzie always butted heads, since they were little, and Katie wasn't going to try and fight them apart anymore. If their parents wanted to, that was up to them.
Attempting to hold back his laughter, Ned walked to Katie's side of the counter and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her against him. "Somehow, you have made it through your whole life with these boneheads fighting," he pointed out. "So I think we will be okay for the rest of the weekend, don't you think?"
Katie grinned and turned around in his arms. Her family might be a little crazy, but they were hers and she wouldn't have it any other way. "I think you're right." She laughed. "We might have to sneak out later though. I want to look at the stars with you."
He grinned, biting his lip as his hands slid up to touch her chin. "I like that idea," he said softly and his mouth leaned down to meet hers.
After dinner was cleaned up and a fire was started outside, Melinda put the little ones to bed. Mackenzie and Jim had broken out all of the s'mores supplies on the picnic table and we're readying marshmallows for the fire.
Katie and Aaron had gathered the chairs while Ned was chopping wood to keep the fire going. With the end of the summer season near their wood supply was low, so Ned was chopping more than what was needed for just tonight. As Katie fetched a few chairs from the shed, she watched him during her walk toward the firepit. He had always been supremely agile, but it had only been in Ned's adulthood when he gained most of his strength. Now, older and a bit taller he was the epitome of strength.
She watched muscular arms swung back with the ax and then swung down to chop the wood. She could see his thigh muscles straining against his pants and his chest flex through his shirt. Lately, he'd begun working out at home for his physical when he went back to work. Ned had put a decent amount of muscle that his clothes were snug.
Even though it was still relatively cool outside, the exertion was making him sweat, causing his shirt to stick to the back and his hair was haphazardly pushed to the side curling a bit more with dampness. As he swung the ax again and again she could see how much she enjoyed watching him perform such a simple act that she'd stopped walking completely.
As Katie began to move again to bring the chairs down to the firepit, her mother walked toward her. "Don't think I didn't see you gawking," Melinda snickered. "I think your brother has the chairs covered. Come to help me set up the pullout in the living room?"
Katie set the two chairs she was carrying down and wipes the sawdust off her hands and legs. She glanced at Ned, watching his arms swing the ax down into the wood and chop it in half. As he picked up the ax again, Ned set it aside and stripped off his shirt.
She was spellbound. She could see the muscles rippling across his broad shoulders. There were scars and some areas were made up of a patchwork of skin colors from recent events, but it only enhanced his masculinity to her. She loved the way Ned looked. She always had.
As Ned picked up the ax again, he turned around to face the wood and caught his wife's eye. The look on his face went from concentration to a smug grin of noticing she was watching him intently.
She felt her face heating up as he winked at her. Then she realized she was supposed to be following her mother inside to help her put together a bed for one of her younger siblings. Flustered from gawking, she turned from watching Ned, smiling with the feelings of love and lust coursing through her and hurried off to help her mother then, hoping she hadn't noticed her gawking at Ned again.
Melinda totally had.
Later that night when Ned started kissing her in their cabin bedroom, she pulled on the hem of his shirt in an upwards motion. Ned looked at her questioningly and then with a raised eyebrow and smirk. He yanked shirt off in one motion and then laid back down against her on the bed.
Did this mean they would finally break their newly reinstated clothes-on rule?
Seeing his chest as he chopped wood was one thing, but seeing it up close and personal just inches away from her was so much different. Katie lightly moved her hand up to his collarbone and caressed the skin over his shoulders. His muscles were so defined, rock hard. He was just so, manly. Words were not adequate to describe his physique. She ran her fingers through his chest hair and down to his abs.
God, she loved the way he felt under her hands. The way Ned would moan as she moved her hands all over his body. His muscles contracted under her hands. His skin was raised in some places and red from where it had scarred, but she barely saw it through the hills and valleys of his muscles. Her husband laid still while she touched his chest softly.
It felt so good and wonderful. He almost couldn't believe she was caressing him. Everything was still so surreal, even if she was only gone for a few days.
It had been the longest thirty-nine hours of their lives.
Everything escalated as their lips touched again. Ned's hands were lost in her hair and her hands had slid up to hold his face. He had his tongue in her mouth as he moved his hands to squeeze her hips, pulling her flush to him.
As he sucked her bottom lip into his mouth, his hands inched under the hem of her tank top and caressed her soft stomach and hips.
"Is this okay?" He asked and recaptured her lips he slowly as she nodded against him, moaning as he slid his hands up her ribs, massaging and caressing along the way. "Just tell me when," he reminded her, moving around to rub up and down her back before sliding up and over her bra. It had been since before she went missing that he'd touched her like this. "I've missed this… feeling you like this."
All of a sudden, she stiffened underneath him. He stopped and looked into her eyes. When she wouldn't meet his and pulled away as he tried to look at her, he became worried. "Hey, are you ok? What's wrong?" He asked, moving his hands to her face. "Please, talk to me."
He saw her eyes start to water. "I-I can't..." She whispered, shaking her head. Every single time she closed her eyes she saw Mason standing here, shoving that gun in her face again. Every time Ned touched her, she thought of when Mason's grimy hands in the shower as he washed her. "I can't explain."
"You don't have to explain anything. We can go slower if you want," Ned said, trying to keep the disappointment from his face. He wasn't sure how much slower they could go, but he would try. "Or we can stop. Just tell me what you want."
"I think we should stop," she whispered. She turned her face away from his. "I'm sorry."
Ned sat up to the side and propped himself up on one elbow. "Hey, don't be sorry about anything, Katie. I love you."
She could hear he was hurt. "I'm so sorry," she repeated with trembling lips.
His eyes softened and he pressed a kiss into her back. "Why are you sorry, Katie? You have nothing to be sorry about." She turned herself away from him further, ashamed. He slowly moved to the other side of the bed and brought her chin up to face his eyes. "Katie?"
She closed her eyes and tears ran down her face. She had never considered herself wrapped up in physical looks but at this moment she realized she had some vanity. Without opening her eyes, she said, "I don't want you to see me like this." She curled up into the position and tried to shut him out further. "After what he did… I just don't know who I am anymore."
"Oh, honey," he said softly his heartbreaking as he wrapped his arms around her. "I know who you are..." He moved his hands to her face and he met her eyes. "You're the woman I'm in love with."
She couldn't hold back the tears that sprang from her eyes then, clutching him closer so she could curl up in his arms. "I know I never told you what all happened in that house with him..." She whispered.
He shook his head. After their first few days home, Katie had only agreed to sit down and talk to LeTrai about everything that happened. He had even come to their house to make her more comfortable when he took her statement, but Ned was waiting until she was ready to tell him everything. He knew bits and pieces from working the case, from following every lead that he could for those thirty some hours. "You don't have to tell me until you're ready to tell me, alright?" he said.
"I think I am," she whispered. "You deserve to know. Maybe it will help me feel better. Maybe it'll help us move past all of this."
He curled his body around the little ball she had made herself into. He could feel her tears silently running down her face as she shook beneath him. "I love you and I'm here no matter how long it takes."
She couldn't remember how long they'd laid like that. It couldn't have been longer than a few minutes until she'd moved from being curled into a ball to laying stretched out with him. Ned rested his head on her shoulder and she turned her head to look at him. He'd noticed she'd stopped crying, his hand wiping the last of the tears on her cheeks.
"I'm sorry I let him do this to you," he felt his own tears stinging his eyes as he cupped her cheek.
"It's not your fault," she whispered, leaning into his hand. "He was unpredictable."
"I should have never left you alone," he shook his head, feeling her wipe away his tears. "I would have been able to protect you."
"You still would've been at that scene that day, Ned." She reminded him. "Nothing would've changed. I still would've come home from the grocery store alone and he would've been there." He watched as she blinked and held her tears by looking over at him. "He would've still made me make him dinner and eat it with him like I would with you."
"Yeah," he reminded himself. He knew this already. He'd seen it in the security camera footage with his own eyes. "I know."
"Then don't beat yourself up," she smiled, leaning in to peck him lightly on his cheek. "It's not as bad as getting a chance to run away and even getting outside, just to trip and get dragged right back in there."
He knew about this too. There had been an anonymous tip from one of the neighboring farms. They'd seen a man fighting with a woman matching Katie's description, who was running away until she was drug back inside unconscious.
He just nodded, squeezing her hand as he listened to her.
"When I woke up, I was tied to the bed by my ankles and wrists. I couldn't move." She looked up at the ceiling as she had then, blinking and then looking over at her husband. "Amber was there, laughing at me. She said I deserved everything that was coming to me. Nothing unusual." Ned almost chuckled, Amber had always been a nuisance to them. He rubbed his hand up and down her forearm to keep her calm. "Mason wouldn't untie me, no matter how hard I tried to get him to. He would bring me water when I asked and food sometimes, and one time... he wanted more." She stuttered with her words and looked away. She couldn't look at him. She just couldn't, not now.
"Katie," he felt mouth run dry as he heard her try to speak. She was quiet now, sniffling as she wiped away her fallen tears. "If you-"
"I am," she nodded. "I want to tell you." She took a moment before she spoke again. "I was tied to the bed. His hands were... everywhere. Grabbing. Twisting. Stop being so rigid, he told me. Just relax..." She took in an uneasy breath. "I just wanted him to stop. And when he wouldn't I just thought of when you told me about all those self-defense classes I took before I moved to the city. They said if we were ever cornered with someone who going to try and rape you, to try and release your bladder and it worked... he stopped." She shook her head. "He beat me. He was kind of a neat freak, so he took me into the shower and he washed me. He took things into his own hands, but if you hadn't gotten there when you did... I don't know what he would've done."
Ned wrapped his arms around her, pressing his lips into his shoulder. "It's okay," he whispered. "I'm here. I'm here." His warm, capable hands soothed the goosebumps left by her thoughts of Mason. "I'm not going anywhere."
She nodded, turning around and tucking herself into his chest. The bed was soft and warm underneath them. Katie could feel his arms draped over her, more comforting than any blanket she had ever lay under. She was perfumed by his musky scent, as was her tank top and shorts, and the bed sheets at home and whenever next she had to sleep alone his smell would make her feel safe, warm, and happy.
Katie ran her hand over his chest, the different scars she felt over the expanse of smooth skin tickled the tips of her fingers. She could feel the muscles that had so many years of care and training to earn through his skin. His hair had grown so long since he'd shaved it; a thick, blond mess. She clutched the hair in her hands and it felt as it did when they'd first met. They way his sideburns curled toward his ears and framed his now thinned face, made her lust for him more than she remembered.
It was only his eyes that had always remained unchanged, colored a green that was her favorite kind color of a tree.
"I think I'm up for a little bit of first base action if you are." She whispered into his chest, pressing a kiss there as she looked up at him.
He laughed, his hands reaching out to touch her face. "Whatever you're comfortable with, my love, just tell me and I'll proceed with caution." He lifted her face slowly until hers was met with his.
She laughed and pressed her lips against his, pulling back just slightly to say. "Just shut up and kiss me alright?"
"Alright, alright, I'm gonna kiss you," he said smugly and then pressed their lips together again.
When Katie woke up the next morning, she noticed her husband was gone. The light was streaming in and she turned to lay on her stomach, feeling the bare side of the bed to make sure. She groaned, tossing onto her back and pulling the blanket it up more.
She wanted to cuddle with her husband, to enjoy every bit of alone time with him that she could. Last night had been the first good night for them in the last two weeks. They'd finally talked, really talked. Katie had told Ned what happened between her and Mason during those three days when he'd held her captive.
The door opened, revealing a sweaty Ned and her father. She pulled the blanket up higher and sat up in bed.
"Hey," Ned smiled as he saw her. "Did you sleep well? You were sleeping when I woke up and your dad was making coffee in the kitchen."
She stopped thinking when she heard his voice, the sound of it sent a wave of lust shooting through every nerve ending in her body so strongly that she was unable to do anything. Blinking at the shock of it, she looked up to see Ned's gaze fixed on her, a smug look in his eyes.
He knew.
She felt her blood rising, suddenly her cheeks flushed and she smiled at him. "I was a little worried when I woke up and you weren't here." She reached out and grabbed his hand, pulling him toward her.
He responded to something her dad said, but the only thing Katie heard was the low timber of Ned's voice as he looked at her. "I think I'm gonna shower. Then I'll come down for some lunch." He said, leaning in to kiss her cheek. "You can come and join me if you want."
Momentarily light headed from her husband's words, she swayed and her fingers dug into the cool blanket. She closed her eyes and when she opened them again, her father was kneeling in front of her with one brow raised in silent question and Ned was heading to the door to their connecting bathroom, which closed behind him.
"You alright, bug?" Her dad asked and she nodded. "You shouldn't lie to me, you know…"
"I'm fine dad, really." She smiled, reassuring him a little when she stood up. "Just a little uneasy. I keep thinking he's alive. It's hard sometimes..."
"I'm sorry, bug. Come here," Jim hugged her tightly, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "I love you. We all do. God, Katie we're so glad you're okay."
"I know," she smiled into his chest, wrapping her arms around her. "I'm so happy to be safe. We'll be over for dinner the night we come back in case I don't see you before you head out. Mom insisted on keeping something normal."
Her father laughed, squeezing her once more. "Your mom always tries to keep normalcy in the family. She's good at it," Jim said softly. "And don't worry. We aren't leaving just yet. Just packing up the Jeep. I'll see you before we head out, okay?" He smiled and kissed her cheek.
She nodded and saw him out of the room, locking the bedroom door after she heard Mackenzie start to come up the stairs. As much as she loved her little sister, she wanted to go join Ned in the shower and not be interrupted. Without another word she turned and followed where she'd heard Ned go. She didn't know where this sudden hunger for his touch came from, but she was not going to waste it. She didn't want to waste a minute of it.
Once inside the bathroom, her eyes followed the trail of Ned's clothing that lead to the shower and its open invitation from her husband that still rung in her ears. Dropping her clothes own to join his, Katie stepped naked into the shower and pulled the curtain closed behind her.
Ned stood with his back to her, both of his hands resting against the tile as hot water poured over his shoulders and down his back. Cupping one hand beneath the body wash bottle, she squirted the slippery gel into her hand before sliding her arms around his waist and up over his chest, spreading the suds over him. She pressed her body against his backside. She doesn't say anything, no words were necessary.
She wasn't surprised to find that he's already hard. Opening her mouth, she grazed her lips over his left shoulder and a shudder ran through his body as he turned around to face her, but she didn't immediately let him pull her into his arms like she usually would. Her hands glided over his skin as she washed him still. She already knew every inch of him, but every stroke of her hands felt as though she was touching him for the first time.
She never wanted it to end.
"Katie," he gasped, closing his eyes as she grasped his length. "Are you sure?" His eyes were open now, meeting hers. No longer leaning against the wall, he stood closer to the center of the shower and she moved around him, danced away when he tried to catch her, to kiss her and make sure she was feeling alright.
"I wouldn't have come in here if I wasn't, Ned," she whispered. By the time she ran her soapy hands over his hips and thighs and sunk to her knees to wash his calves and lower, his breathing was ragged. She did the other leg and moved up to his hips, and he steadied himself with one hand against the shower wall. When she finally rose, he pulled her up against his body, not letting her move away from him again, slanting his mouth over hers in a kiss that made her toes curl.
He moved her up against the shower wall and she shivered at the cold kiss of the tile against her shoulders, too high for the water to warm the surface. He held her there with his body, shifting so he could lean down to suck at her nipple before he reached for the soap and washed her as she had washed him. He didn't let her do anything to speed his movements as he lingered over all the places he knew drove her mad. Her knees gave out and she slid down the wall.
Ned followed, cradling her head in the palm of his hand to keep her from hitting it on the tile, their mouths were so close and he pounded against her thigh. "I want you," he whispered, biting his lip. "But only if you're ready."
She whispered, pressing their lips together briefly before pulling back. "I feel like myself," she whispered, running her hands over him. "I feel good, so much better. I want you."
"Katie, I only want to make sure you're comfortable, okay?" he said softly, touching her face as she grasped him. There were colorful spots behind his eyes as she moved her hand against him slowly. "Oh, Katie… I don't know how much longer I can keep myself from having you."
"Then don't," she whispered against his lips, pecking them lightly.
He kissed her hungrily and she moaned into his mouth, incapable of forming words. She wrapped her legs around his hips as he pressed into her. She gasped and sucked at his neck, digging her nails into his back and shoulders, marking him as hers as the tension coils within her. He moved in slow, quick movements as she cried into his neck, over and over.
"Oh, yes." She moaned, resting her head against the shower wall. "Oh, god yes, Ned." The hot water cascaded over them and he kissed her neck, grasping her breast as his body stiffened as his orgasm took him with a wordless cry; the sound of his voice at that moment broke her into pieces around him.
They stood there under the water, both pulses gradually slowing and their breathing approaching a more normal pace as he finally pulled out of her. Ned slid an arm around her, pulling her into the circle of his body as he shifted to sit with his back against the wall. One hand splayed over her cheek and jaw, he caught her mouth again.
They were too close to the flow, water sluicing into their mouths and Katie laughed. "What if we drown?" She asked and Ned tightened his arms around her.
"We won't drown." But even so, he shifted them along the wall until the water no longer hit either of them in the face. "I promise."
"I believe you," she laughed, pressing their lips together again.
It wasn't until once the storm was over, but Katie didn't quite remember how she made it through, how they both managed to survive everything.
Katie wasn't even sure whether the storm was really over or not either, but one thing was certain when she came out of the storm and looked at herself in the mirror, she looked like the stronger version of the person who walked in.