Continued...because I had some more ideas. Let's see where they take me. Please review!

Ben generally woke up quickly, his mind alert and already spinning. Recently his first thoughts in the morning had been of Kate Reed and the bizarrely torturous unrequited passion he felt for her. He had never been tortured by thoughts of a woman before.

This morning, the subject of his old affliction was curled up in kittenlike slumber with one slim arm banded around his ribs. Ben peeked down at her face. She was pretty while she slept, even with a tiny frown between her brows. As if she were arguing even in her sleep. He glanced at the clock and did some brief mental math before kissing the top of her head and murmuring. "Time to wake up."

She muttered darkly at him, her frown intensifying, then blinked her big dark eyes. Yesterday's makeup smudged them. She looked grouchy.

"Good morning." Ben greeted.

"Not yet." Kate grumbled at him.

"Yes it is." Ben argued amiably. He nudged her forehead with his nose. "Wake up, wake up. I have plans for you."

Kate reluctantly opened her eyes again and found Ben's sleepy dark eyes on level with hers. "What plans?" she said cagily.

"Naked plans." he said with teasing enthusiasm. "Then coffee plans, then getting you clean clothes and to the office plans. Maybe more naked plans after that..."

Kate chuckled at him and lifted her chin to kiss him with closed lips. She ducked her head. "I have morning breath." she said.

"I wasn't going to say anything but, ugh, disgusting." Ben agreed with a smile. She gave him a playful swat in the shoulder. He flipped her onto her back and rolled over her, sliding his hips between her legs and finding her morning soft.

Kate wriggled beneath him and managed to join their bodies with a shift of her hips. Ben groaned. She gave him a wide, satisfied smile.

They made love lazily, both reaching their mellow conclusion quickly. Ben lifted his weight off of her, propping himself over Kate, and kissed her unhurriedly. "This is even better than I imagined." he admitted.

"What did you imagine?" Kate asked with a pleased smile.

"Oh, deviant things, Katie." Ben said expansively. "Illegal things. Lots of 'em."

Kate laughed. "I think you mentioned coffee?"

"I did." Ben nodded. "I can't believe you're not going to ask me about my rich imagination."

"I have a feeling I'd regret it." Kate said with a teasing grin.

"I have a feeling you wouldn't." Ben said huskily. He kissed her thoroughly again, then rolled and sat up. "Okay, you win. I'll make coffee. You have the shower first. It's through there and...there's probably some girl shampoo around here somewhere. I'll bring it. Hey, I have a mom!" he said when she narrowed her eyes. "A mom with hair!"

Kate laughed at him and sat up, unselfconsciously naked. His eyes drifted over her slim and curvy form. "Hm." he said, clearing his throat. "I'll go make that coffee." He grabbed his boxers from the floor and left the room with a quick backwards glance at her and curved lips.

Kate flopped back onto the bed and sighed. The worries and reservations and neuroses rushed back over her. Ben poked his head back into the bedroom a minute later. "Stop fussing over every little thing and get out of bed." he ordered. Kate blinked at him, then did as he said. "Good, here's the shampoo." he said, handing the bottle to her while his eyes again wandered over her body. "God, just go." he said with a frustrated smile and a swat at her retreating backside. "Remember that you're in love with me." he called after her into the bathroom. "In love with me." he murmured to himself, trying on the phrase with pleasure.

The shower came on and a happy groan from the bathroom reinforced Ben's feeling that the ridiculously expensive bathroom remodel had been worth every penny. He heard the kettle begin to whistle and hurried downstairs to pour water into the french press.

It didn't surprise Kate when Ben eventually joined her in the shower. It was a huge, glorious steam shower and she'd been in it fully ten minutes longer than was strictly necessary. It did surprise her that he caught her shaving...

"Your arms?" he said with a wrinkled nose.

"Look at my hair! And my eyebrows!" Kate said defensively. "Depilation is a full-time job. I didn't have time for a wax last week." she muttered, turning pink.

"Okay, okay." Ben said, holding up his hands in peace and handing her cup of coffee right into the shower. "So you're grossly hairy. I can live with that. I admit I do a little, uh, manscaping myself." He sipped his coffee and watched her hold her mug outside of the stream of water as she rinsed his razor and set it back in its tray.

Kate chuckled. "Manscape." she repeated with a quirky smile. She bent out of the spray and sipped her coffee. "Mmmmm. Are you just here to provide audience and commentary?"

"No, I'm here to take advantage of you in the shower and then get us out of this house on time." Ben said candidly, setting his coffee mug on the counter and shucking his boxers.

"Oh, well. In that case." Kate said, taking another big gulp of coffee and handing the mug back to him to set beside his. "I guess you can stay."

Ben smiled, his eyes tender. "Good." he said, and stepped into the hot spray with her. He kissed her, both of them tasted of fresh coffee. "Mm." he said. "I could get used to this."

"Oh, yeah?" Kate said. "Maybe you should."

Ben gave a short laugh and pulled her slick body against his in a wet hug. "I do love you." he murmured into her drenched, sweet-smelling hair.

"I could get used to that." Kate said, mimicking him gently.

"Maybe you should." he replied, echoing her in return with one lifted brow. She laughed and pulled his face down to kiss him.

They almost made it to work on time.