CH16

Rick had only just parked when Paige, Jenny, and their respective parents showed up. "Rick, good to see you again. I know you said it was a lot, but man, that's a huge pile of boxes!" James, Paige's father, exclaimed.

"It's a big playset. However according to their website and the installation instructions I downloaded and printed out, each of these bundles is one item. Tower, the other tower, the swings, the bridge, the picnic table, and the slides. We just have to get one bundle at a time up to the site where we're going to build it," Rick explained.

"Okay, that sounds easier. Do we carry each box up to your site?" James asked. "Nope. Let me get the dogs and the girls inside and settled then I'll be right back," Rick told them. Everyone went inside til the garage door opened. They all heard an engine start and watched Rick drive out on a quad. James and Randy, Jenny's father, had huge grins on their faces. Maybe it was going to be easier than they feared.

The largest tower's box got strapped to the quad as James and Randy walked each bundle of boxes up to the site. "It goes here?" Randy was looking at the giant-sized prepared site. "You weren't kidding, it really is big. Do I even want to ask what it cost you?" Randy inquired. "On second thought don't answer that. Veronica's just going to want one for Jenny." It was something he couldn't begin to afford.

The wives helped strap down the next batch of boxes while the guys got the third batch four foot long stakes were first things to go in; they had to be driven into the ground and would be used to secure the entire thing. Tower II with balcony was first and all they had to do was attach part A to part B using bolt AA with washer BB and nut CC. It was built on its side until it was time to lift it into place and attach it to the four rods already pounded into the ground.

Next came the balcony that got attached to the side of the tower. Then the cabin that enclosed the lower half of the tower. The wives came out with lunch. "I love your kitchen," Vicki told Rick. "Kitchen nothing, I love the entire house. It's gorgeous Rick, it really is," Veronica declared. "Thanks, we like it. I started the design with an architect a little over 2 years ago. From listening to the people in town, I think you know how long it took to build it," Rick mentioned. "Yeah, I think half the town came out here to look every month or more. All we saw was mostly the outside, but the inside is amazing. You can even see the wall of windows in the living room from here," Veronica said, turning to look.

Lunch was late so they only managed to get the second tower about half done, leaving it lying on the ground. "Same time next Saturday?" Rick asked wanting to make sure the schedule still worked for everyone. "Yep, we'll be here. Can't wait to see what this thing looks like when it's completed. Come on Paige, time to go home. Say goodbye to Alexis and let's go," James yelled. Rick and Alexis watched everyone drive away.

"What do you think pumpkin? Think you'll like it?" he asked her. Alexis just stared at the tower that was up and the partial one that was lying on the ground. "Not to worry, it has slides, ladders, a rock wall, and swings. It even has your very own picnic table. There's also your very own little house under the tower." He walked her over to the tower and opened the door so she could go in. Inside were walls and a ladder going up. "We can paint in here if you want. Put in a chair or two maybe. It'll be great. Come on sweetie, I need to start dinner." Rick got her moving.

"Are we going to go see Kate?" Lately they had been over at the Beckett's quite frequently and Alexis really liked it a lot. "Not until after school on Monday. Until then you're stuck with my cooking," he told her and watched her shoulders slump. 'I know how you feel pumpkin, but I don't want to overwhelm them by seeing them every day.' he was thinking to himself.

Rick and Alexis were downstairs in the game room shooting pool with Alexis using her little step stool to gain the height she needed when Rick heard the alarm on his laptop go off. It told him a sensor had picked up something and the bear in him was now wide awake. He went to his laptop in the living room and pulled up the map that showed the sensor at the road entrance had gone off. "You're leaving in an ambulance at best this time Dad," Rick growled as the bear within was getting all worked up for the confrontation.

He went outside to look and saw a dark green Jeep driving up and instantly his bear went from eager for a fight to 'Kiss her, just kiss her. That's all I ask.'

Rick watched Kate walk up the steps to the front door dressed in sweats with a t-shirt under the open sweat shirt. "Hi Rick. Mom made another of her dinners and I'm so full I'm going to pop. I was wondering if your offer…" He interrupted her. "The exercise room is downstairs, help yourself. You're always welcome." He was glad to have her over and motioned for her to go in first.

"I really need to work off Mom's cooking and get back into shape for when I start my job. I've gotten lazy since we left New York and I'm out of shape," Kate told him and jogged down the stairs leaving him behind. Rick, however, was thinking, "Your shape is perfect, absolutely perfect."

'I second the motion,' came from his bear. 'Go down and exercise with her. We could watch her breasts… We could watch her work up a sweat before stripping and going into the sauna, followed by a naked steam shower, followed by…' His bear was on a roll. "Down boy, down. You want a onetime roll in the hay or do you want her forever?" Rick countered and his bear shut-up. It left Rick wondering what Alexis was doing.

"HI KATE!" Alexis ran over and wrapped her arms around Kate's legs. "Hi Alexis, what are you doing down here all alone?" she asked. "Dad and I were playing pool. I have my very own stick to use and I use my step stool so I can see," Alexis told her all excited. "Well I came over to use the exercise equipment so you and your dad can go back to shooting pool if you want. He's upstairs," Kate said. "Can I watch?" Alexis asked her. "Watch me exercise? It's going to be very boring, but I suppose so." Kate went into the room and let Alexis enter and started doing her stretches before doing anything and started giggling when she saw Alexis mimicking her. She moved both of them to stand in front of the mirror. "Like this, watch me." She pointed to the mirror and started stretching again, occasionally helping Alexis with one of the moves.

"I suppose you're going to exercise with me?" Kate asked her and watched her nod while smiling widely. "Okay, I'll take the stair stepper and you can have the treadmill. Do you know how to use it?" she questioned her as Alexis shook her head looking a little sad. It took no time at all and Kate was using the stair stepper while Alexis was slowly jogging next to her smiling at Kate from time to time. "Trade you," Kate suggested and took off her sweat shirt revealing an NYPD t-shirt underneath. Then off came her sweat pants revealing a pair of shorts that exposed her long legs. In no time at all Alexis was slowly walking upstairs while Kate was jogging, working up to running full out.

Alexis was worn out and tired of using the stair stepper. She started to sit down. "No, don't sweetie, you need to walk around first. You need to cool down first, not just sit down. Go walk out around the pool table and come back and do it again," she told her and watched Alexis walk out the door. Kate was running for all she was worth when Alexis came back and then left again. She only did that three times before she sat down on the floor and watched Kate run. Kate figured it was enough and let her be.

Rick finally couldn't take it any longer and went downstairs with something for Kate to drink, only when he reached the door to the exercise room all he saw was Kate in a tight t-shirt that was mostly wet from sweat. Even worse, he could see that she wasn't wearing a bra. And then there was the fact that she was wearing those shorts. All of his blood went south and his heart rate went way up. Kate Beckett pounding the punching bag while occasionally giving it a swift kick was like a walking wet dream. He managed to back out of the room, placed his back up against the wall, and squeezed his eyes closed. Not that it did any good getting rid of the picture that was now burned forever into his brain. He slid down the wall til he was sitting on the floor.

He was doing all he could not to go in there and ravage her, not that the bear inside him was helping, because it wasn't. "We're not going to rape her, we're going to make love to her. Please, for the love of god calm down," Rick begged his bear that just wanted Kate and wanted her now!

Rick suddenly opened his eyes and saw Alexis standing in front of him. "You okay Dad?" Alexis asked him, having been inside sitting on the floor watching Kate when her dad started to enter only to leave again. Right now he didn't look too good. "I'm fine, I'll be fine. You want to give this to Kate? She might be thirsty by now." He handed Alexis the bottle of Gatorade that he had in his hand. Alexis took it but didn't move. "I'm fine pumpkin, honest. Just go give that to Kate." And he watched Alexis go back into the exercise room.

Alexis stood where Kate could see her and offered up the bottle of Gatorade. Kate stopped, removed one of her gloves, and took the bottle. "Thank you Alexis, that's very sweet of you," she told her and promptly drank half of it in one go, not knowing just how badly she needed a drink. "Dad brought it for you. I think he's sick." To Alexis he certainly didn't look good, so that equated to his being sick.

"Oh, where is he?" Kate asked as Alexis pointed to the other room. Kate drank half of what was left while walking to the next room where she found Rick sitting on the floor. She kneeled down in front of him. "Rick?" To her he mostly looked fine. He, however, saw a sweaty Kate kneel down in front of him in a t-shirt that showed him almost everything except bare skin. And the smell of her sweat was driving his bear into the upper atmosphere taking Rick with him.

Rick couldn't stop himself, he just couldn't, it was too primal for him to control. He was up on his knees in a second, took Kate in his arms, and was kissing her. He did his best to devour her mouth as he used his tongue to slide across her lower lip, begging for entrance. When her lips parted just a fraction he was in and searching her mouth. Everything about Kate at this point in time was intoxicating; he couldn't get enough, the bear inside him couldn't get enough. Kate was initially shocked at what Rick did, however as soon as her lips parted granting him entrance, she wrapped her arms around him while holding onto her bottle of Gatorade and kissed him back.

It soon became a battle of tongues as each tried to devour the others mouth. She needed air and broke from the kiss just long enough to notice that her entire chest was crushed up against him and that she wanted him. A rip-his-clothes-off-and-take-him-on-the-floor-right-here-and-right-now kind of want. Rick went back to kissing her and moved his hands all over her sweaty back. Kate moaned into the kiss wanting those hands on her breasts since she wasn't wearing a bra, willing him to pull her t-shirt off so his lips could do amazing things to her now rock-hard nipples.

'Make love to her, not fuck her. Make love to her, not fuck her.' Rick finally started repeating over and over inside his head until his bear relinquished control. He broke from the kiss and saw Kate's eyes were still closed and her lips were becoming swollen from the savage kisses that they had both enjoyed. "Kate, I…" He watched her open her eyes and they each saw how badly each wanted the other.

Then a thought hit Rick. "Alexis," he whispered, which got Kate to open her eyes wide and turn her head at the same time he did. They both saw Alexis standing there smiling at them. "Alexis, sweetie…" Kate found her voice first only to end up with Alexis in her arms forcing Kate to let go of Rick. This hug from Alexis almost felt as good as the ones Rick gave her. And then there was that voice in the back of her head again. 'Protect, protect!' Kate didn't understand why but she really did want to protect Alexis. But she just didn't know what to protect her from exactly.

Then Alexis quickly hugged Rick and started to make a break for it only to have him catch her by the arm. "Pumpkin, Kate is all sweaty and stinky. Why don't you show her where the bathroom is, get her a towel, and introduce her to the sauna. You can do the same and give me a minute and I'll join you. How about that?" he offered. Alexis nodded enthusiastically since it meant she got to spend time more time with Kate. She took hold of Kate's hand and started pulling. Kate got up off the floor and went into the bathroom.

Alexis got her a towel and Kate stripped while Alexis got herself a towel and did the same. Kate felt a little weird being naked in a bathroom with an almost naked 6-year-old girl, but it was fast and Alexis wasn't looking at her. Kate was fast and had the towel wrapped around herself in seconds. They ran into Rick on the way out of the bathroom. "What's this?" Kate tapped the frosted glass door of the space next to the sauna. "It's a steam shower," he told her and slipped into the bathroom and closed the door.

Kate was sitting back waiting for the heat to build up when Rick entered and sat next to her with Alexis facing them on the other side. Kate leaned back and closed her eyes til she felt Rick's hand take hold of hers. She opened her eyes and found him looking at her, smiling widely. A quick look at Alexis found her smiling widely too. Kate smiled back, leaned back, and closed her eyes. He was still holding her hand though he had started rubbing circles on it using his thumb. She never noticed but the smile never left her as the heat built up til they were all hot and sweaty.

Kate finally sat forward and grabbed her towel before it could fall open and reveal everything. "I should probably go home. I only came over here to work off Mom's cooking." Rick took Kate's hand back into his. "At the risk of repeating myself, you can come over anytime you like. Use the exercise room, challenge me to a game of pool or air hockey. Play cards, use the theater room to watch a movie. It even has a popcorn machine inside," he told her, though what he really wanted to do was invite her to spend the night except they hadn't even gone out on a date yet.

"Thanks I'll keep that in mind. …I'm going to go change." She got up, entered the bathroom, and found three sets of clothes scattered about. Hers, Alexis's and Rick' had her rolled up wet t-shirt in her hand along with her shorts and was only wearing the sweats she had arrived in when she emerged to find Rick and Alexis standing there. "Thank you for the use of your equipment and the sauna," she said.

"Grab your clothes pumpkin and go upstairs I'll be right there to give you a bath." Rick told her and waited until Alexis left. "Go out with me?" he asked. "Like on a date, date?" Kate questioned. "I don't know what there is to do in town but surely we can find something. Pizza Barn has pizza, beer, and games. We could go bowling afterwards maybe. If you're afraid of being alone with me we could bring Alexis," he teased while smiling. Actually in some ways Kate was afraid of being alone with Rick. That kiss earlier had almost led to something she wasn't ready for. She hadn't been with anyone since Will and he had left a bad taste in her mouth.

"I don't know when my first day off work is. I could find out and let you know," Kate offered. "I'll wait for your call then," Rick replied and then kissed her. She was all set to wrap her arms around him and really kiss him back when he stopped and let go of her. "Remember, you can come over anytime." Kate took her cue, went upstairs, and out to her jeep. Her heart was pounding out of her chest all the way home. It was only an 18-wheeler sounding his horn that got her out of the clouds. It looked like a refrigerated truck and Kate couldn't think of anything north of here for it to be going to. Still she went across the road and home.

Alexis was quiet during her bath, however she was full of questions but she kept them to herself for now.

Kate was washing her face standing in her bathroom upstairs naked. She noticed that her nipples were still hard and she was also horny as hell. Not that it was the first time nor likely to be the last. 'We were so close, so close,' the voice inside her head spoke again. "Will you shut-up! And just where the hell did you come from anyway? I'm losing my mind. I'm talking to myself. I can even see my lips move when I talk," Kate moaned and got into bed. She reached over to open her end table drawer and pulled out Freddie.

She started stroking her lips while occasionally paying attention to her still rock-hard nipples until she was wet enough then slipped Freddie inside her and started stroking him in and out of her. Her mind, however, only saw Rick above her and felt him inside her, fucking her. Turning the end of Freddie turned him on and the vibrations helped a little, but even in her mind Freddie was no substitute for what it would feel like to have Rick's big… GOD, BUT SHE WAS HORNY!

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Kate missed her and while she knew what she was going to say, she needed that little push. She had her cell phone in hand while she was in town doing some shopping. It got a lot colder here in winter than she ever imagined. Plus they were on sale to make way for summer stuff. It took will power but she pressed send and waited. "Dr. Parish," Kate heard her answer. "Hi Lanie," Kate said sheepishly, knowing why she had called in the first place. "KATE!" Lanie all but yelled into her phone. "How have you been? Please tell me you made the right choice." Lanie wanted to hear even if Kate hadn't too, but she just wanted her best friend to be happy.

"I'm doing good. I start my new job in a couple of days. I have to go collect my government issued car tomorrow. I'm not really looking forward to that. I'll probably be issued the lone Ford Pinto that still runs." She laughed a little. "Government issued? Where are you working? Court house? Fire Department?" Lanie had some other guesses but was willing to let Kate tell her. "You are talking to the newest member of the Weston County Sheriff's Office. I'm a sheriff's deputy," Kate told her. "NO WAY! You're back to being a beat cop?"

"Well actually I have the entire county to patrol. Tiny little towns, individual houses out in the middle of nowwheresville. At least I'm not likely to get spousal abuse calls. I'm more likely get called to find out who stole who's chicken, cow, or horse. One thing's for sure, my butt's going to hurt from sitting in a car all day again," Kate added, trying to make light of being in a car all day. "So that's why your butt is so skinny?" Lanie teased. "Funny Lanie, really funny," Kate said dryly.

"Now for the million dollar question…how's your mother?" Kate started breathing again when Lanie didn't ask if she had found anyone or was dating anyone. Even though she did have a date tomorrow. With his daughter.

"Actually Mom is doing great. Rick talked her into opening a restaurant and Mom is so excited about it. If she keeps cooking her menu items we're all going to be fat in no time." Kate was laughing. "Who's Rick?" His name was all Lanie heard. Kate let her chin fall to her chest; she had just opened up herself to pit-bull Lanie without noticing it. "Rick and his daughter live across the road. He had been watching over the house for the people that used to live here," she explained.

"So he's married." Lanie was bummed. "Actually…" Kate couldn't say it. "So he's not married. What's he like? I'm assuming you like him." Lanie went fishing. "He's big, has a broad chest, big arms. His daughter is so sweet." Kate was interrupted by Lanie. "And he's handsome." Lanie said gleefully. "Well, maybe, I haven't really noticed." Kate lied since his naked body had been dancing in her head all last night. "Kate Beckett, don't you lie to me. He's handsome, he's a hunk, and you obviously like him. Have you jumped him yet?" Lanie got right to the point. "LAINE! …No I haven't jumped him," Kate moaned, which was the wrong thing to do. "But you want to. I can almost hear your heavy breathing all the way over here. So have you been out on a date yet?" Lanie wanted information.

"We have one tomorrow actually." Kate bit her bottom lip. Why was this so hard? "Way to go girl. Don't forget to kiss his face off," Lanie instructed her. "Actually we're going to this big pizza place in town and taking Alexis with us," Kate corrected her since there would be likely no kissing involved. "Taking the daughter with you on your first date, huh? Boy, you have got it bad, really bad. I expect a wedding invitation Kate Beckett or I'll smack you so hard you'll end up on the moon." Lanie was working fast. "Lanie we're nowhere near to being married. That's a long ways off, if ever." Kate put a halt to that thought. "Have you at least kissed him yet?" Lanie questioned. Kate's silence spoke volumes. "You have and you loved it. He must be a really good kisser," Lanie commented. "He gives really good hugs too." Kate slapped her hand over her mouth. HELL! Where was her filter when it came to Rick?

"Damn that's my work phone. I gotta go hun. Hug him, kiss him, and jump him, Kate Beckett. Do not let this one get away. And call me more often, like right after you have your way with him." And Lanie hung up. The problem was part of her did want to have her way with him. "It's too soon, just too soon," Kate said to herself.