Karin gets under Mike's skin

"Yeah. My humble abode." he chuckled.

"Don't you get claustrophobic?"

"No. Not really. I can always go out on the deck and look out on the water."

"Hmm." The idea of living in such a small space was foreign to her. She preferred dwelling in a place that accommodated unstructured rooms.

"Hey, how about some coffee?"

"Sure."

Karin followed her partner inside. The cabin was tiny, his sofa bed occupying much of the minimal space. She thought the kitchen nice enough, reminding her of the apartment she lived in while attending college. Mike prepared a fresh pot of coffee. He noticed her evaluating his floating house. "So, where do you live?" he inquired off-handedly.

"I have a townhouse in Fells, three bedrooms, two baths…."

"Got any roommates? Pets?"

"No, just me."

"Why do you need a townhouse to yourself?" Mike took out two mugs out of a cabinet.

"I bought it with the intention of renting, but I liked the way it was remodeled, so I decided to stay."

He gave her a cup of coffee, extra cream, no sugar: exactly the way she liked it. They sat down on the edge of the bed. She kicked off her shoes, tucking her legs under her. She smiled at him sweetly. "So, why a houseboat? Why not an apartment?"

"I do charters, fishing mostly." He sipped his drink slowly, looking at how her slender fingers were wrapped around her mug. "The mortgage on this is killing me though."

"Decided it was cheaper to live here than have boat and rent payments." She nodded her head. "Smart idea. The rents on this side of town can get outrageous."

"Yeah. I know."

She leaned in and kissed him quickly. "Thanks for hangin' out with me. I needed the company."

"Sure. Anytime."

"Much as I hate to say, this breakup really hurts. You know, I'm don't know why I always set myself up…." She sighed, swallowing a third of her coffee in one gulp.

"Set yourself up…for what?" He was intrigued by her confession.

"Pain…disappointment...heartache." Karin nervously twisted a loose strand of hair. "I just wonder sometimes…if I was ever meant to be 'the one', the love of someone's life."

"What, beautiful girl like you?" he said is disbelief. "All you have to do is curl your finger and they come running."

"Oh yeah," she mumbled with a twinge of amusement. "I can't go anywhere without someone hitting on me for sex."

"Nice to be wanted." he teased.

"So, what about you?"

"What about me?"

"Why isn't there a Mrs. Kellerman?"

"There was, once." he whispered regretfully.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah." he murmured. The long years since his marriage came apart did little to ease the pain he carried in his gut.

"I would think a good-looking man like you would have the girls all a-twitter."

"You know…" Karin shifted her body, inching closer to him. "Coming up to you, looking ya' over, asking if you want to go home with them."

"Oh, by the dozens." he replied with mock seriousness.

She absorbed his sarcasm, laughing briefly under her breath. "We're pathetic aren't we?"

"Yeah, sad and pathetic." he agreed jokingly.

"You wonder if all this is worth it in the end?"

"What?"

"Dating, meeting members of the opposite sex, the whole romance idea. "

"You never know unless you take a chance," he offered.

"Hmmm, yeah, maybe." She was not convinced.

"You took a chance with me."

Karin regarded him quizzically. "With you?"

"I'm just saying…" he began, desperately trying to cover up his slip of the tongue, "you asked me out without a problem. If you can do it with me, you can do it with anyone."

"Huh. Well partner, " she said, finishing her drink, "maybe you are right. Maybe I should take more chances."

"Like anyone would turn you down." "You hafta take risks, put your heart out there and see who …" Mike gazed into her eyes and felt the spark again. "Like I am going to do now." Taking her gently into his arms, he kissed her passionately, surprised and pleased that she did not withdraw from him. She entangled her fingers in his blonde hair, running them haphazardly. He tugged one of her dress straps, pulling it down her forearm. She sighed as he kissed the hollow of her throat, relishing the taste of her skin. He breathed in her scent, sweat mixed with the remnants of Contradiction. She reached over and started to unbutton his shirt when he pulled away.

"What?" she mumbled, stunned by the sudden rejection.

"I'm…I'm sorry, I didn't mean to…" he apologized.

"To what?" she demanded quietly.

"To…come on to you like that." Mike placed the strap back onto her shoulders.

"You don't like me?" Her eyes look wounded.

"I like you." he whispered adamantly. "I like you a lot. But if we have sex…then…it would destroy what we have."

"Which is?" she prodded, moving closer to him.

"Our partnership."

"Oh, that." she replied evenly.

"Yeah, 'cos if I sleep with you, then I can't look at you the same way. You'll stop being a fellow cop and start being this incredibly beautiful, and sexy and desirable…." Suddenly, the cabin became white hot. "and...I"

"And you won't be able to separate that and me being your partner, right?" she argued, finishing his thought.

"Something like that."

"Oh." Karin nodded her head grimly. "Well, ah. Thanks for the coffee. I should probably go home now."

As she rose up, he grabbed her wrist, sliding his hand down to intertwine their fingers. "Karin?" he pleaded.

"Mike." she mumbled impatiently.

"I'm sorry, but I…"

"You?" she asked sharply.

"I…want…I want you."

She held her breath, caught unprepared by the insistence in his voice. She plopped down next to him. "Mike…I…I mean…." she muttered helplessly, "You...you want me?"

"Yeah." he affirmed, reaching for her face.

"Yeah?"

"I think you are…" Mike swept her up and laid suffocating kisses upon her lips. To his delight, she did not attempt to squirm away. She unbuttoned his shirt. "We shouldn't" he breathed.

"You're, you're right. We shouldn't" She pressed her lips hungrily on his, removing his shirt, throwing it down onto the floor.

"Have…" He pulled her dress straps down her arms.

"Sex."

"…with each other." he concluded breathlessly.

Karin broke the embrace. Hesitating, waffling on what she should do. "To hell with it." she growled, pressing herself prostrate on top of him.

Mike's heart beat swiftly as she took his lips roughly, moaning. He tugged at her hair, letting it fall down around her face. "Karin…" he sighed, running fingers through her thick black hair. "Oh God…."

"Shut up and kiss me." she demanded. While he busied himself exploring her mouth, she rolled him over. Caught up in the heat of their foreplay, she ripped off his undershirt, tugging at his jeans zipper. She lost her balance, struggling, finally falling off the bed, onto the floor, Mike collapsing on top of her.

"Are you okay babe?" he said, concerned.

She broke into a hearty laugh, covering her eyes with a hand, shaking her head.

"Babe?" His eyebrow was knitted.

"I'm okay." she assured him. "Well, I'm okay, my pride is shot all to hell."

Mike had to laugh with her. Close up, he recorded the details of her face. Soft, magnetic golden brown eyes, full lips, perfectly shaped nose in the middle of her oval face, her pale olive skin glowing in the morning light.

"Come here." she teased, wrapping her arms around his neck.

He bent down and kissed her gently, overwhelmed by the tenderness of her kiss. He managed to pull her dress over her head. Karin traced the curve of his spine with her fingertips, arousing his latent desire. "We should go to bed." he said seriously.

Mike sat in the middle of the mattress, legs open and knees bent. She knelt in front of him, gliding fingertips across his bare chest, moving to kiss his throat. His hands moved up from her belly to her bra. He reached around her back and unhooked it. He touched her firm breasts, sending her into a gentle rapture. He took one swollen, light brown nipple into his mouth and pulled gently. "Ah, Mike, God, that's good." she moaned quietly. His hand grazed the other breast, cupping it, kneading on it to her increasing sighs.

She pulled away from him, moving to the right side of the bed, lowering her body down onto the mattress. He got on his knees in front of her. Karin reached up and unhooked his belt, sliding it off slowly. She undid the button, and then slowly unzipped his tight jeans. With deliberation, she pulled them down, freeing his erection from the constraint of his clothes. He kicked them off completely while she rose up, taking the tip on his manhood with her tongue. He moaned deeply, shutting his eyes, imagining coupling with her. She plunged his erection deeper into her mouth, sucking slowly and evenly until he was stiff.

He broke away, once more laying her on her back He pulled down her hose and panties until she was naked. He coaxed her legs open gently with one hand, sweeping a finger inside of her. Her sharp cries of satisfaction filled the air as he stroked the inside of her thighs, then kissed them. For a few moments, the tip of his tongue grazed her center. Her moans were jagged as she mumbled his name like a prayer.

"Karin…" Whispering sweetly under his breath, he sat her up at a slight angle. She enveloped her legs around his waist, locking her ankles behind his back. He penetrated her quickly, beginning to thrust evenly and fully. She gasped at the sensation of him inside her, fulfilling her cravings. He bent down to kiss her harshly, increasing the speed of his lovemaking until she bucked wildly in perfect unison with him. He groaned deeply, saying her name like a mantra as he slid further into her body.

"Mike…." Her cries grew more insistent as he stabbed himself into her roughly.

Their mutual climax was shattering, each other's shouts of release almost drowning out their partner's. He held her close, softly gyrating until he emptied himself completely into his lover. Without a word, he kissed her sweetly, withdrawing slowly. Karin sighed softly as she massaged his skin.

"God…" she drawled wearily, "that was…"

"Good?" he teased.

"No."

"Great?" he asked hesitatingly.

"The best…the best screw I ever had." she purred.

"You're just saying that 'cos you want another go at me." he joked.

"Damn," she teased, "you found me out."

"That's what they pay me the big bucks for, " he said sarcastically, "to get at the truth."

"Well, here's another truth Detective Kellerman." She slithered away from him, tucking herself into the bed. "I want to stay with you."

"Stay with me?" he asked skeptically.

"If you'll have me." she added seductively.

"I'm not in the habit of kicking beautiful women out of my bed."

"Good." She patted the other side of the mattress playfully. "Plenty of room for two."

Mike joined her, slipping under the sheets. Lying on his side, he drew her into his arms and kissed her, enjoying the afterglow.