Kat awoke with Nex close. It wouldn't have been unusual since the last month he often slept close to her, especially if she'd been crying.

This was different.

This time they were skin to skin. This time his arm around her waist held her tightly, possessively, so that their bodies were pressed so tightly together, nothing could come between them. Nex's nose was buried in her hair, in the crook of her neck. Kat's back was pressed against Nex's chest, his body curled around hers. His other arm came up from under her and wrapped over her breasts, hand curled around her shoulder, holding her closer than he ever had before.

Kat woke first, feeling incredibly warm despite the chill in the house from the colder season. She shifted just slightly and Nex's arms tightened around her, holding her even closer to him. Her eyes fluttered open and she looked down at his strong arms, admiring the corded muscles, the veins, the way they held her like she was something precious.

An involuntary smile crept on her face and she sunk back against him, closing her eyes briefly while she enjoyed the closeness. Her eyes opened again and she stared at the obnoxious, glowing green numbers of the alarm clock. It would be going off soon to tell her she had to get up for work. She didn't want to. She wanted to stay with Nex like this as long as possible. Forever, if she could.

Deciding she'd rather not risk another alarm clock breaking- this was her fourth, Nex did not care for the alarm clock- she tried to reach for it to shut it off before it started but she couldn't. The tips of her fingers didn't even reach it. She tried to wiggle a little out of his hold but it only caused him to groan and hold her tighter, his hot breath hit her neck as he nuzzled closer to her, his breath fanning over her neck. The sensation elicited a jolt of excitement, even more so when his deep, raspy morning voice spoke lowly in her ear.

"Where do you think you're going?" He rumbled, not opening his eyes, his hand around her waist slowly starting to pet circles against her skin.

"I..." Kat breathed, her eyes sliding shut, wondering how such a simple touch could make her want him all over again. "I have to get ready for work."

"Not yet. That annoying box hasn't gone off yet. You trying to get away from me early?" He asked, sliding his nose up and down her neck, brushing his lips against her skin.

"No," Kat said shakily, pulling her thighs together as she felt his hardness press more firmly against her butt. "I just thought I'd turn it off before it bothered you."

Nex grunted and slid his arm down lower, gripping her hip as he rocked himself against her. "I don't think so, kitten. You're not going anywhere," he whispered, nipping her ear.

Kat bit her lip and angled her head to give him better access as he started kissing her neck, licking and nipping at her skin, sucking it into his mouth until it left a mark. Her hands came up and curled around his forearm as he ground against her and groaned.

"Katherine..." He murmured. "I want you. You want me inside you again?" He murmured, sliding his hand from her hip to her thighs.

Kat blushed and nodded. Nex chuckled and nudged her legs open, sliding his finger down the length of her aching core before he circled her clit, earning a whimper from Kat.

"So wet, kitten," he said in a half-growl. "I'm not accepting a nod, only a yes. Do you want me inside you again?"

"Yes," Kat panted, letting out a small whimper as his finger slid inside her.

Nex nipped her neck and added a second finger, sliding them in and out of her until her nails pressed into his arm and her body tensed. Each time he learned from her, learned where to touch her so he could have her falling apart faster, faster than even Kat was ready for. She moaned as she came, unable to stop herself from writhing as her body seemed to grip his fingers, the overwhelming euphoria taking over. It was a sensation she still wasn't quite used to, the way her body would tense and then relax so much she wanted to stay in bed even more.

Just as it was ending, she felt him press against her and slide into her, making her gasp and tighten her hold on his arm. Something about it felt different this morning, felt even better than it had last night.

"So fucking wet," Nex groaned, sinking fully inside and gripping her hip, holding her back against him. "How does it feel, kitten? Are you sore?"

"No," Kat moaned, squeezing her eyes shut. "Not sore. It feels good."

Nex growled lowly and started sliding in and out of her, holding her tightly as he sank in over and over. Kat rocked back against him and he kissed and sucked on her neck, paying attention to the spots that made her clench around him, leaving little red marks all over her skin. Every movement in and out left her feeling more addicted to him. Addicted to the incredible physical feeling of his movement, caressing the sensitive parts inside her she didn't know were there, addicted to the emotional feeling of being close to him in a way that she couldn't begin to comprehend, a closeness she never felt with anyone before.

He thrusted into her a little harder than he had last night, gripping her hip and holding her in place. Kat gasped and moaned at the feeling, making Nex groan and thrust harder, hitting deeper as he pressed his fingers tightly into her hip.

"You like that, kitten?" He rasped, thrusting hard again.

Kat nodded and Nex growled, biting down on her neck so hard she yelped and moaned all at once, the action making her clench around him tighter. "Say it," he said firmly.

"Yes," Kat said breathlessly, squeezing her eyes shut as he thrusted even harder and slid his hand down her leg, curling under her knee, lifting it up and sinking deeper.

"Good girl," he murmured, thrusting harder, faster, desperate to hear more of her gasps, desperate to sink so deep she would never forget the feeling.

His hand tightened around her leg as he sank in over and over until Kat clenched around him and cried out, her hands tightening around his arm like she was afraid he would leave. She never wanted him to leave. She wanted to have this feeling forever, to be close to him forever.

Nex thrusted harder, sinking so deep Kat whimpered again. He slid his hand to her hip, pulling her flush against him and moaning softly as he came inside her. "Fuck," he groaned, giving one last thrust as he finished. "You feel so good, kitten," he said, alternately licking and kissing the spots on her neck he left marks from biting. "I could spend all day inside you."

"Mmm," Kat hummed, trying to catch her breath. It was the only thing she could get out after that.

"Shit," Nex spat, pulling out of her. "You did just finish your period like two days ago, didn't you?"

Kat blushed at his question and looked back at him questioningly. "Um... How did you know that?"

"I can smell the blood," he said releasing his hold on her and backing up, watching the cum slowly drip out of her. "You did, right?"

"Yes," Kat answered, frowning in confusion.

"Good," he sighed. "I," he started then stopped, kissing her shoulder and turning her to look at him. "I'm sorry," he said, setting his hand on her face. "Waking up with you like that distracted me and I didn't use a condom. But it's fine," he said, stroking her cheek. "Nothing'll happen this close after your period."

"Well..." Kat blushed and darted her eyes away. "Nothing should happen anyway," she said, sitting up and clutching the blankets around her.

"What do you mean?" Nex asked, tilting his head to the side. "Are you on birth control?"

"I..." Kat flushed and let her hair cover her face. "My mom put me on it young for... You know..." she said, moving her hand in a circular motion, causing Nex to arch an eyebrow questioningly. "Not...Like... Not... Sex related reasons," she said, darting her eyes away. "I've been on it for three years."

The alarm went off and she quickly shut it off before Nex could smash it. She was thankful for the interruption as the conversation had her face feeling so warm she felt the need to splash herself with cold water to erase the embarrassment. She started to get up but he pulled her down onto his lap, brushing her hair out of her face.

"Stop being embarrassed around me, kitten," he said, pecking her lips. "If we're going to be fucking, you need to be willing to talk about these things with me."

She couldn't deny he had a point, she just wasn't used to discussing anything like this with anyone. She did her best to maintain eye contact, pulling the blankets more over her shoulders.

"Right," she said, biting her lip. "Umm... Is that why it felt so good? Does a condom make that big of a difference?"

"Yes," Nex said, his eyes darkening. "It definitely does. In fact, now that I've had you like that, I don't think I can go back. I like feeling you with nothing in the way," he said, brushing her hair back and kissing just under her ear. "I like cumming inside you," he whispered, biting down on her skin and sucking it into his mouth, leaving another mark on her neck. "You liked that, didn't you?"

"I did," Kat said, darting her eyes away as she was unable to stop the blush.

"Good," Nex purred, sliding his hands to the back of her head and kissing an unmarked part of her neck. "Because my craving for you has only intensified," he whispered, sucking on her skin enough to make her moan and leave another mark. "I already want you again. I'm tempted to tie you to the bed for the entire day."

Kat breathed out shakily and bit back a whimper as he sucked on her neck and slid the blankets down, off her shoulders and down her back, exposing her to him all over again. "I have to get ready for work," Kat panted.

"Call in," Nex said, nipping at her ear. "Stay in bed with me. I promise I'll make it worth your while," he said, sliding his hand down to her ass and pulling her tighter against him.

"I can't," Kat whimpered, tangling her hands in his hair. "Black Friday weekend is ridiculous. I can't leave my boss to that insanity."

"You're too pure for your own good, kitten," Nex said, stroking her back and pressing his forehead against hers. "You'll be late again?"

Kat sighed and nodded, nuzzling his nose with hers before climbing off him. She tried to grab a blanket to cover herself but Nex kept a tight hold on them, smirking as his eyes slid up and down her naked body, leaving her blushing even harder than she was before.

"I don't think so. I like looking at you too much," he said, licking his lips. "In fact, I think I'm going to enact a no clothes while at home policy."

Kat swallowed hard and rolled her eyes, moving to her dresser and grabbing clothes. "You don't make the rules."

Nex was behind her before she even heard movement, his bare chest against her bare back. "Don't I?" He murmured, sliding his hand down her stomach, almost touching between her legs. "I think I do now, kitten. That is my cum dripping down your legs, is it not?"

Kat leaned back against him, her eyes sliding shut. Him speaking like that would normally only leave her embarrassed but it was different now. It was different because now they were closer and instead of just being embarrassed, hearing him talk that way made her want to stay and listen to him talk some more.

"Please put clothes on," she whimpered. "I can't focus."

"I don't know how you thought telling me that was going to make me do anything but stay completely naked," Nex said, spinning her around and grabbing her chin. "Go ahead. Take a look," he smirked, his eyes darting down her body.

Kat swallowed, knowing she'd definitely be late for work if she let this continue. So with much resolve, she kept her eyes on his and nowhere else. "I'm going to get ready for work."

"Oh of course I'll shower with you," Nex said, grabbing her hand and pulling her towards the bathroom.

"No!" Kat squeaked, pulling her hand away and wrapping her arms around herself to cover herself as best as possible.

"Why?" Nex said, quirking an eyebrow.

"Because you'll distract me and I've never been late and I'm not going to start on a busy day like this," Kat said, moving around him and sliding in the bathroom, mostly closing the door and peeking out at him.

He chuckled and crossed his arms. "What's wrong, Katherine? Did I turn you into a sex-addict? Do you want me so bad you have to hide?"

"Shut up," Kat said, rolling her eyes and closing the door. "And don't just appear in here!" She yelled through the door.

His response came from in her head: Fine, kitten. I'll just imagine your naked wet body and how it would feel against mine. But now you owe me because I will get wet with you one way or another today.

Kat blushed and couldn't stop the smile from coming. All she knew was she definitely had to get out of the house fast or he would make her late for the first time ever.

She looked in the mirror and cringed at the sight of her hair, covering her face with her hands, mortified that he saw her looking like such a mess after being so intimate with him. Only allowing herself a few seconds of wallowing in embarrassment, she pulled her hair back, her eyes widening at the number of hickeys covering her neck.

"Oh my God," she whispered, hiding her face in her hands again, not daring to look in the mirror another time before getting in the shower.

Thanks to Nex, she had to spend a great deal longer on makeup since she had so many hickeys to cover up. She did the best she could and decided a great deal of her day would be focused on keeping her hair covering her neck, just in case.

After getting dressed, she went out to the living room and found Nex, thankful he at least had the decency to put on boxers. "Nex," she frowned. "Do you have any idea what you did to my neck? Can you maybe not make it obvious what we do in private?"

"I don't know why you're the one upset," he said, crossing his arms. "It's my handiwork that's being covered up for no reason."

"For no reason?" Kat squeaked. "You know why I have to cover it up. Why did you do that?" She said, setting her hand on her neck and feeling her cheeks burn at the memory of how many were there.

"Why did I do that?" Nex repeated, walking towards her in a way that had her backing up until the wall stopped her from being able to go anywhere. "Because, kitten," he said, moving her hair aside and pulling her against him, placing his lips against her neck. "I want anyone to be able to tell from one look that you are taken."

Kat inhaled sharply and bit down on her lip as he started kissing her neck again. "What are you doing? I have to go to work," she said weakly, setting her hands on his chest.

"I missed a spot," he said, sucking on her skin and leaving Kat conflicted about how to respond to it. "There," he said, kissing the spot he marked before stepping back and smirking. "It looks good on you, it goes with your hair."

Kat sighed and narrowed her eyes at him, carefully moving around him towards the kitchen. "You're unbelievable," she said, rolling her eyes.

"In bed? I know," he smirked, following after her and leaning against the counter while she started her tea. "Believe me, kitten, you moaning my name and writhing under me told me that already."

Kat hid her face in her hands and decided talking would only bait him and that was dangerous. Leaving the house was not easy. He cornered her and kissed her until she just desperately wanted to climb back into bed with him. Instead, she clung to the last bit of her resolve and thanked herself for being smart enough to pack concealer to cover up the new hickey as she went to work, trying to ignore the aching he caused before she left.

The bookstore today wasn't quite as bad as yesterday but it wasn't great. There were still plenty of angry and overbearing customers, the kind of people she was sorely tempted to sarcastically say "thanks for the Christmas joy you spread". Instead she did what she was supposed to, smiled and took it then complained about them to her boss as soon as they were out the door.

It slowed down the later it got and the more snow started to fall. Kat's boss left to get dinner for Kat as a thank you for working the busy weekend and closing up the night before. They had to sneak their food between customers but there was finally a moment where more people were reading rather than coming up to the cash register so they could eat properly.

Except Kat was eating very slowly because her mind couldn't stop going back to last night, this morning, the feeling of Nex moving inside...

"Can you believe what happened last night?" Connie, her boss asked.

"What?" Kat squeaked, dropping her fork with a loud clatter. "What about last night?"

"The weird meteor shower. Why are you blushing?" Connie asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I...I'm just... I'm not, it's just really warm between the heater and all the people," she muttered. "What meteor shower?" She asked, clearing her throat.

Connie narrowed her eyes at Kat suspiciously but didn't press the matter. "All right... There was a meteor shower last night that no one saw coming, astronomers are still confused and trying to explain it. It was beautiful. I caught the end of it on my way home."

"You saw it?" Kat asked in surprise. "There's usually too much light pollution in the city to see something like that."

"That's the other reason it was so weird," Connie nodded. "But yeah, it was bright and there weren't that many of them but the ones that were there were bigger than usual."

"Huh," Kat frowned. "Too bad I missed it. Do you think anyone got a video?"

"Some people tried but," Connie shrugged. "None of the videos turned out well and it ended too fast for anyone to really set up for it with no warning."

"Weird," Kat murmured, picking up her fork.

"What's going on with you? You're practically glowing today," Connie said, setting a hand on her hip and watching Kat carefully.

"Nothing," Kat shrugged, trying to hide her smile with the rice and teriyaki chicken she was eating.

"Really?" Connie asked doubtfully.

"I'm just... Happy," Kat said simply, taking another bite.

"It shows," Connie said, smiling. "Did something happen between you and Nex?"

"What makes you say that?" Kat asked, almost choking on her rice at the question.

"Just wondered," Connie shrugged. "He's the only one that makes you blush that much and you two definitely have chemistry."

"You think so?" Kat said, biting back the smile.

"Obviously," Connie said, rolling her eyes. "But tell him to stop coming here while you're working. He's too distracting," Connie said, narrowing her eyes at Kat. "It's slow and you closed up last night. Why don't you head home?"

"Are you sure?" Kat asked, perking up. She desperately wanted to go home to Nex.

"Yeah," Connie said, nodding to the door. "Go ahead. Thanks for your extra help last night, I really appreciate it."

"No problem. Thanks for letting me go early and for dinner," Kat said, gesturing down to her half-empty take-out container.

"Sure thing, kiddo," Connie smiled. "Get outta here," she said, jabbing her thumb towards the door. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Tomorrow," Kat nodded, closing up the container and gathering her thing.