When the bed dipped as Caroline climbed in, Kate kept her eyes focused on the wall in front of her, trying to calm herself.

"You're beautiful, Kate." Caroline's voice suddenly whispered from behind her. Their place was reversed now, as Caroline's body pressed into the back of hers.

Caroline didn't touch, not immediately, but she dropped small kisses to Kate's shoulder.

"You're magnificent." Kate replied.

"Can I..touch you?"

"Please."

A hesitant hand lifted then and slowly moved Kate onto her back so their eyes could meet again. Kate could see the nerves there and forced her eyes to stay on blue ones as those blue ones dropped to look at her body.

Then a pale hand traced the same route as the eyes had done, traveling down between her breasts and to her navel, where it flattened and then moved up to cup one breast.

Her next move surprised Kate so much that she let out a cry of relief as a mouth descended onto her breast, making her back arch. It made Caroline let out a hum of a laugh and she focused there for a while before she lifted her head again, a nervous smile playing on her lips. "I guess we have both been thinking about that for a long time."

Kate laughed too, lifting a hand to Caroline's cheek. "I guess we have."

Caroline turned her head to kiss Kate's palm.

Neither was sure how long they just looked into one another's eyes for, but it was long enough for Caroline's nerves to begin to leave her, replaced by a delicious intimacy as Kate's foot stroked her calf under the covers.

"Considering we've only been together, officially, just over two weeks…" Caroline offered, her hand beginning its journey south on Kate's body again. "I have thought about this moment way too many times."

"What usually happens when you're thinking about it?" Kate asked, risking a look down at Caroline to find she had taken off her lingerie. Kate thought her heart might stop.

"Usually I'm a complete sex goddess who knows exactly what to do. But now we are here…"

"You don't have to do anything. Just do what you want to do, what feels good, for both of us."

"What I would..what.." Caroline attempted to voice what she wanted, a pink blush spreading across her cheeks.

"I'm all yours, Caroline. Do whatever you want, whatever you need."

Caroline studied Kate's face again, then leaned forward to kiss her, over and over again whispering. "I love you."

When Caroline woke in the night, she realised they'd forgotten to even close the blinds the night before, the moonlight now streaming in and hitting the pillows.

Slipping from the bed, she padded across the room, no longer so conscious of her nakedness after the night before. She intended to close the blinds to stop the bright light that had been on Kate's face, but as she reached for them, arms wrapped around her middle.

Though she had been sure that every ounce of pleasure had been drawn from her already, she soon found that wasn't the case as her hands rested against cold glass, and skilled hands brought her to the precipice once more.

When the hands were suddenly gone, she was panting and weak legged,unable to resist even if she had wanted to as she was drawn back to bed.

Another loud cry left her lips as those skilled hands were replaced by an eager mouth.

This is what heaven felt like.


"Cuddle."

If Kate had ever seen anything cuter than a sleepy Caroline with tousled hair, half open eyes and a pout, she couldn't remember it.

"You said you'd meet Claire in half an hour." Kate reminded her, even as she slipped back into the bed.

"Hello." Caroline gave a sleepy smile.

"Hi." Kate smiled back, stroking her cheek.

"…I'm not sure I'll be able to walk today."

Kate laughed,kissing the woman before her before running fingers through her hair. "You look well and truly-"

"Fucked." Caroline replied happily, stretching her whole body like a cat as Kate laughed.

"That's it." Kate smiled.

"Mm." Caroline hummed happily, giving Kate a look she now recognised.

"No. Nope. We need to get up."

"I don't want to start our sexual relationship on an uneven keel, Kate, and if I recall I've had one spectacular orgasm more than you, so…"

Kate gave a dramatic sigh as if she was being forced to give in. "Well, don't let me hold you back from evening the playing field, I suppo-oh, god." Her fingers tangled in Caroline's hair once more. They had definitely already discovered the thing that got both of them aroused in seconds.

...

They'd agreed on a time to meet for breakfast, but Claire found herself along the next morning for at least a quarter of an hour before she caught sight of a familiar pair.

They walked close together, the blonde's head bent and listening as the other talked. It looked like a serious conversation until Caroline lifted her head and Claire saw the smile that rested there.

"He wasn't."

"He was."

"Who was what?" Claire asked as the pair sat down.

"John." Caroline said with a dismissive hand wave. John had certainly never brought her to the sort of orgasm she had had last night, almost sobbing for a release that when it came made her cry out so loudly she was sure everyone on the hotel floor must have heard it. The thought made her blush and sink a little lower in her seat. Dear god, she would have to learn not to think about sex with Kate just anytime anymore, now she knew what it was like. She would never get anything done and would be permanently blushing.

When Claire didn't get an answer to her second question to Caroline, who was staring at the coffee pot with a smile, Kate took over. "Very comfortable. Yours?"

"So big I had to roll over twice to hit the alarm clock. It was glorious."

"And no snoring! I bet that comes as a relief. If I remember correctly Graeme used to-" Kate stopped and cringed when she saw the look on her friend's face. "Too soon to mention him?"

"I think so."

"Sorry. If it's any consolation, when Richard and I stayed at a hotel in a huge bed once, when the alarm went off he reached out to turn it off and slapped me on the face instead. Worst wake up of my life."

The mention of her girlfriend's ex seemed to bring Caroline back into the conversation and she smiled half heartedly as the others laughed, not having heard a word. "I do prefer not to hear about you and Richard In bed together."

Kate reached out and squeezed Caroline's hand, giving her a look that said so much the blonde blushed and busied herself rearranging her cutlery until the waiter arrived to take their order.


"Did Kate say what she was doing today?"

"Shopping, I think. Look at that cast iron! I used to have the most beautiful pot, my mum got it for me when I got married, but when we moved it disappeared. I found out years later that my husband gave it to one of the movers as a tip because he apparently couldn't find the cash I'd given him, in an envelope that said tip for the movers in huge letters on the front."

Claire laughed, and Caroline found herself relaxing a little more. She could do friends.

"Let's go and have a look." Claire linked her arm through Caroline's and led her confidently through the throng of people.


Caroline had bought way too much. John would be..John would be nothing, because his opinion didn't matter a jot anymore, Caroline remembered happily.

"I'll take this up to my room, and then we can work out where Kate is and see if we can meet her."

"No need. She's at the bar with..is that Greg? Greg!" Claire rushed off, leaving Caroline laden with packages and panic. She knew Greg was someone Kate had considered to father her baby. Had she planned to meet him here? Without her knowing? They hadn't intended to be back so early. Caroline's mind began to fire off hurtful scenarios.

"Hi. Good day, by the looks of it." Kate approached, though her smile was wary.

"I'm just..going to put it in the room."

"I'll come with you."

"No need."

"Don't. I didn't know he was here. I didn't intend to meet him. And I haven't discussed any of that with him, because it's not..not anyone's business. Aside from me and you. Not at the moment, anyway. Caroline?" Kate hurried alone beside her. "Don't shut me out. It hurts. And it feels like a punishment when I haven't done anything wrong."

"…I'm just going to put this upstairs, and then I will be back down."

"Caroline, please. I-"

"Kate! Just give me two minutes! I need to think."

Chastened, Kate stepped back, her eyes glassy with tears. "About what? About whatever scenario panics you the most and paints me just like John? I didn't know he was going to be around. If you don't trust me enough to believe that then I suppose we are done here, aren't we, Caroline?"

"Hi! You must be the lovely Caroline? I've booked a table for us all for dinner, I hope you don't mind. Kate's just been telling me how much your son likes comics, and I actually happen to write them, so I'm going to nip up to my room to get one for him and I'll sign it."

Caroline let out a long breath as Greg rushed into the lift then held the door for Claire. She stared at the floor as the doors closed with all 4 of them in there; her and Claire laden with packages, Greg smiling, and Kate staring at the top of Caroline's head. It was the longest lift ride of her life.

When they all stepped out and went to their respective rooms, Caroline couldn't think where she had put the room key, and Kate didn't seem willing to move from beside the lift where she stood with arms folded.

As another couple passed them, Caroline realised with horror that she was close to tears. It had been the perfect weekend until she had ruined it. Kate would leave.

"I don't-"

"I don't want to hear it."

"Kate. Please. It's not…I don't think you're like John. I wasn't panicking because of…I was upset because I hate him. I don't know him but I hate him. Because I love you and I want to give you the world, but I can't give you the most important thing. I can't give you a baby. I can't make you pregnant. He can. You've even thought about it. And I hate him for it."

Kate was surprised by the venom in Caroline's voice. Even talking about John didn't usually rile up this much anger.

Caroline went quiet again as the lift arrived once more and more people shuffled out. She didn't realised she was crying until the tears were suddenly brushed away by another's hand.

Kate silently unlocked the hotel door and opened it, then watched as Caroline piled her purchases on the floor by the bathroom door.

Caroline realised with horror she was now crying quite loudly but she couldn't seem to stop, the sobs just kept on coming. She had so easily admitted her own shortcomings.

They continued as Kate drew her into her arms, they continued as Kate kissed her and tried to kiss away the tears, and they continued as they made gentle love, so different from the night before.

They finally slowed when her head rested against Kate's chest, with arms securely around her so she could go nowhere. So she couldn't leave her.

Kate kissed Caroline's hair.

"I'm sorry." Was eventually mumbled into Kate's skin.

"I love you." Was all Kate said in reply.

It was only when Caroline finally moved that she realised Kate had been crying, too.

As Caroline kissed the path the tears had taken, kate tangled her fingers in blonde locks.

"..they'll wonder where we are…"

"I don't care." Kate answered simply. "Caroline, why haven't you talked to me about this? I didn't even..yes, it's important to me, but we haven't really even discussed it, not properly."

"Because I didn't want to upset you by bringing it up. I didn't want you to feel the pressure if you thought I wanted a baby with you, too. I didn't want you to feel as though you'd disappoint me if a baby doesn't happen."

"Caroline…you are the most frustrating, complex, infuriating, lovely woman I have ever met." Kate stroked her cheek. "We need..let's talk about it. Now. We will get it all out. I will tell you what happened, and we will talk about the..possibilities, okay? But I will cry, and I will be upset because-"

"We don't have-"

"We do. Because I owe it to you to explain. I'm going to go and put on some comfy clothes, and you are going to call room service for wine, and comfort foods, and then we will talk. Okay?"

"Okay." Caroline nodded, watching as Kate took a deep breath and then climbed out of the bed.

Downstairs, Claire and Greg had laughed at the thought of the lovebirds upstairs forgetting people were waiting for them, then they had dinner together, heads bent together as they shared stories from uni days.

The dinner went long into the night.