Author's Note: I am so sorry it has taken me so long to get this out. Hope you haven't given up on the story yet :)! Thank you, everyone, for your wonderful and encouraging reviews. I hope you enjoy this chapter!

Disclaimer: I do not own Rookie Blue.

Chapter 6: Time that You Won

You have suffered enough

And warred with yourself

It's time that you won

"Hey, hey," Andy called, softly rapping on the door as she entered. "Can I come in?"

Chris Diaz pushed himself up in the bed and smiled at his visitor. "Hey Andy," he greeted, motioning with his hand, "Yeah, come on in."

Andy moved further into the room. "Where's Gail?"

"Harassing one of the nurses somewhere, probably," he said fondly.

Andy laughed and pulled a chair over to his beside, taking a second to assess her friend's progress. He was still hooked up to an IV, but his eyes were brighter and his skin was pinker than it had been when she visited him last. "You look great," she told him, settling in next to him. "Much more color than a couple of days ago."

"Yeah," Chris nodded, "They had to transfuse two more units of blood, but I'm finally starting to feel better. Want to see the wound?"

"You know buddy, I think I'm good," Andy said, patting his hand that rested above the covers. "Any idea when you're going to be getting out?"

"Tomorrow, hopefully," Chris said tentatively. "I uh, spiked a fever again last night so they might keep me longer."

"That sucks," Andy commiserated, wrinkling her nose.

"Yeah," Chris joked, "If anyone ever stabs you make sure they do it with a sterile knife. It'll help keep infection down."

Andy smiled, glad that Chris was able to keep a sense of humor throughout everything. "I'll keep that in mind," she promised. "Are you in much pain?"

Chris shrugged again and shook his head, "They're keeping me pumped full of morphine. It's not too bad."

"That's good." Andy said, wanting to believe him. His ginger movements and occasional flinches were more telling than his response; Andy knew he must be in more pain that he was letting on, but she decided not to push the subject.

"Yeah," he continued, "I'm just really bored now. Ready to get back to work."

"We miss you," Andy said kindly. "Work's not the same without you, but you need the time to rest and recover," she reminded him.

"I know, I know." Chris conceded reluctantly. He paused for a moment and then asked, "So what's been going on, what all have I missed?"

"Um," Andy said, thinking. "Not too much. Boyd's finally finished everything up, thank God. That was such a pain in the ass. I never thought we'd be done with all the paper…"

Chris interrupted her impatiently, "Rumor has it that you and Detective Callaghan broke up."

Andy pursed her lips at the quick change of subject. "And who is supplying you would with these rumors?"

"I can't reveal my sources," Chris said, lowering his voice conspiratorially.

"Dov?" Andy guessed, as if it was difficult to deduce who the informant had been.

He grinned sheepishly, "Yes. But Gail might have mentioned something about it, too. Is it true?"

"Yeah," Andy confirmed, knowing there as no reason to lie about it. "It's true."

"You okay?" Chris asked immediately, his face drawn with concern. "That was kind of sudden, I thought you guys were moving in together?"

"Uh, yeah, we were going to, but we're not anymore. And I'm fine, really," Andy said, shifting in her chair uncomfortably. "Are you sure you want to talk about this? Let's talk about you. How are you doing?"

"Please, I am so tired of talking about me. Every other hour a nurse comes in and asks me how I'm doing," Chris explained. "I wanna know what's up."

"What's up with you and Gail?" Andy questioned, turning the conversation back on him.

Chris knew exactly what she was going so he answered easily and without hesitation. "We're back together," he said. "Your turn."

Andy gave an exaggerated sigh. "I guess I have to humor you, since you're laid up in the hospital and all."

"It would be cruel for you to deny an injured man," Chris agreed with a grin.

"Fine," Andy gave in, exhaling loudly for effect. "What do you want to know?"

"What happened?" Chris prodded. "Last I heard you guys were fine."

"Fine is… relative I guess," Andy said, searching for the words. "It just wasn't working out."

"Was there someone else in the picture?" Chris asked with a slight knowing grin.

Andy blushed and shook her head, unable to keep from smiling. "No," she denied lightly, "Not really."

"Not really," Chris repeated, grinning fully now, "But kind of?"

"Maybe," Andy shrugged and then narrowed her eyes. "What do you know?"

"Just that you arrived at work yesterday and today in a large gray truck," Chris told her, "Much like the one that belongs to… Officer Sam Swarek."

"Did Dov have pictures for you too?" Andy asked good-naturedly. She just couldn't bring herself to be upset at the intrusive questions, especially from Chris. He was the closest thing to a brother that she had and she knew there was not a malicious or mean-spirited bone in his body.

"They were sent from a camera phone, so the quality wasn't the best." Chris retorted, his eyes twinkling. Andy's eyes widened almost comically at the thought so Chris decided to set her mind at ease, "I'm joking Andy, there were no pictures."

"I actually believed you for a second," Andy said, leaning back in her chair and laughing along with Chris. When the laughter died down she told him, "It's not what you're probably thinking."

"I'm thinking you finally realized what everyone's known for months now," Chris told her. "Swarek's in love with you."

"Oh, he is not," Andy scoffed, shaking her head slightly.

"Uh, yeah," Chris claimed, "He is." Andy just rolled her eyes until Chris called her name and caught her gaze. "Andy," he said sincerely, "I'm a guy. I know how guys act when they're in love with someone."

Andy tilted her head to the side, considering what Chris had said. "Okay," she admitted after a moment. "So maybe it's exactly what you're thinking."

Chris grinned, "I KNEW it! I'm happy for you Andy, Swarek's a good guy."

"Really?" Andy asked, her brow furrowed. She had always thought Sam was a much better guy than he gave himself credit for, but for some reason she was surprised to hear it from Chris. "I thought you'd be pulling for Luke."

Chris made a face, "Why?"

Andy just shrugged, not having an answer for him.

"Well, I'm not," Chris informed her. "I never really liked the idea of you and Homicide Luke."

"And you like the idea of me and Sam?"

"Well, yeah," Chris said. "I don't know… you guys just make sense together. Its just a feeling that I get…"

"In your gut?" Andy supplied.

"Yeah, call it intuition or something," Chris said.

"That's what Sam says," Andy told him, repeating what her training officer had told her many times, "Got to learn to listen to that feeling in your gut."

"What's your gut telling you?"

Andy sighed. "I don't know, Chris," she said honestly. "I guess it's just hard for me to trust it yet, does that make sense?"

Chris nodded. "Do you not trust yourself or do you not trust Swarek?"

"It's not that I don't trust him," Andy said, "I do, I just…" she shook her head. "It's kind of scary, you know? Like something that could be so good isn't really real? Like he's going to wake up one day and realize I'm not really what he wants," she admitted, looking down at her hands. "Not really what he's been waiting for. And he's going to run."

"Andy," Chris said gently, "No offense, but if anyone is going to run, its going to be you."

Andy raised an eyebrow. "No offense," she repeated sarcastically.

"You know its true," Chris claimed earnestly. "Swarek's not going to run. I don't know him very well, but he seems like the type of guy that knows what he wants and when he gets it he's going to do everything he can to hold on to it."

"Kind of like with you and Gail?" Andy asked.

Chris shrugged the shoulder on his good side and nodded. "Kind of like me and Gail. I know people may not understand it, but I love her Andy," he said. "She's special."

"I know," Andy said softly. She ran a hand through her hair and then sighed, admitting, "I think I kind of love Sam."

"You kind of love him or do love him?" Chris asked for clarification.

Andy narrowed her eyes at him, "You're really getting into this girl talk stuff, aren't you?"

"I told you," he said, slightly defensively, "I'm bored. Your love life is better than daytime TV." He paused for a beat and then said sincerely, "And I care about you."

Andy gave him a small half smile. "I don't know, it's too early," she said. "We're taking things slow… I don't want to rush into anything again, especially with him."

"Taking things slow?" Chris asked, not quite believing her.

"Yes," Andy said, her turn to be defensive. At his disbelieving glance she asked, "What?"

"It's just…" Chris hesitated, "Showing up for work together doesn't exactly imply that you're taking things slowly."

"We aren't sleeping together," Andy told him sharply, "If that's what you're asking."

"Hey, it's none of my business," Chris said, holding up his hands in innocence. Then, curious, he asked, "Why aren't you?"

"I told you," Andy said, "I don't want to rush into anything." She picked at the blanket on his bed, "I don't want it to be just about that."

"So Andy, let me ask you this," Chris wondered aloud, "When you told him you didn't want to sleep with him, what did he do?"

"Nothing," Andy said, shrugging.

"He didn't get pissed, he didn't throw a tantrum, he didn't run away, he didn't did try to talk you into it…" Chris asked, throwing different options out there even though he knew they were ridiculous.

"No, of course not," Andy said, shaking her head. "None of that. He was fine with it. Why?"

"Okay, I'm not saying not to take things slowly," Chris prefaced, "That's a good thing and you shouldn't do anything you feel uncomfortable with. I'm just saying… I don't think he's running. If you want to sleep with him, sleep with him. You've put the man through enough, don't make him jump through one more hurdle just for the heck of it."

"It's not for the heck of it…" Andy defended, "I just want to be sure this time."

"What are you unsure of?" Chris asked.

Andy didn't have an answer for him. "I don't really know." She sighed and looked up at the ceiling before looking back over to Chris. "You're certainly being honest tonight," she said, knowing he was only telling her the truth.

"It's the morphine they're pumping me full of," Chris said, raising the arm that held the IV. "It's like a truth serum. I just say whatever comes into my head. It's really pissing Gail off. Sorry."

Andy laughed, "No, it's okay. I needed to talk it out with someone." She smiled at her friend. "Thank you, Chris."

"You should tell Sam," Chris advised, "Everything you just told me, you should tell him."

"Really?" Andy asked, unsure.

Chris nodded, "If it was Gail… I would want to know."

"Would want to know what?" Gail's voice interrupted their conversation as she walked into his room. "Hi Andy," she said warmly.

"Hey Gail," Andy replied with a genuine smile. She had decided that Chris was good for Gail; he mellowed her out and actually made her pleasant to be around.

"How irresistible you find me," Chris joked as Gail leaned over to kiss his forehead.

"Oh yeah," Gail replied, rolling her eyes at Andy, "Those hospital gowns really do it for me."

Andy laughed and stayed a little while longer to talk with her friends before standing up and announcing she had to go. She hugged both of them goodbye, being extra cautious of the tubes running to and from Chris' body. "Goodnight guys," she said, stepping towards the door. She wagged a finger at them and warned, "Don't get into any trouble."

They both just laughed and wished her goodnight.

As Andy made her way out to the parking lot, she couldn't help but smile. Chris had only reinforced what she had already known about Sam. She fumbled through her purse to find her phone and then punched in the familiar number.

"Hey," Sam answered sharply. Andy could tell he was irritated at something just by his tone.

"What's wrong?" she asked, forgoing the greeting.

"I just spilt the damn lasagna all over the floor," he informed her. "There is tomato sauce and cheese all over my kitchen."

"Aw," Andy said, ignoring the important part of what he said, "You made lasagna?"

"Technically Stouffer's made lasagna," Sam told her, "I just put it in the oven and then promptly spilt it all over the damn floor as I was pulling it out." He sighed, clearly aggravated at the mess he had made. "I'm ordering Chinese. What do you want?"

Andy laughed as she unlocked Sam's truck and climbed in. "Um… chicken and broccoli sounds good. Oh, and an eggroll," she added.

"What kind of rice do you want?"

"Fried," she said, starting the truck up. "No wait, I want white rice."

"Oookay," Sam said slowly and she knew he was writing her request down. "I'll call in just a minute. How's Diaz?"

"He looks good," Andy said, holding the phone between her shoulder and ear as she attempted to maneuver out of the hospital's parking garage. "He thinks he'll get to go home tomorrow."

"That's great," Sam said.

"Yeah, it is," Andy agreed. A car pulled out of a parking spot in front of Andy unexpectedly, causing her to slam on her brakes. "Hey, I'll see you in just a few minutes okay? I'm driving and I kinda need to concentrate."

"Please, please be careful with my truck," Sam begged.

"I will be," she promised, "I've got to go."

"See you in a few," Sam said, hanging up the phone.

"Bye," Andy said, grinning as she ended the call. Grumpy Sam, when he wasn't upset with her, was kind of cute sometimes.

Sam met her at the door when she made it to his house. She suspected it was partly so he could check to make sure his truck was still in one piece, but she didn't have too much time to think about it or be insulted as he wrapped his arm around her waist and practically carried her through the door, kissing her thoroughly.

"Hi," she said when he set her back on her feet. "I'm sorry about the lasagna."

He just shrugged, not looking particularly upset about it anymore. "It's just lasagna. Game's about to start, come on," he said, tugging her through his house and into the living room. He grabbed the remote off the coffee table and then fell back onto the couch, pulling her down with him.

"Who are they playing?" Andy asked, curling her legs up under her and settling in against Sam's side as he turned the TV on.

"The Senators," Sam replied, flipping through the channels until he found the hockey game. "It should be a good game."

Andy hummed in agreement as Sam casually wrapped his arm around her shoulder, resting his hand on the curve of her hip. To be honest, she couldn't care less about the hockey game, but when Sam had suggested they spend the evening holed up together on his couch watching it… well, she could think of worse things.

It had been a week since she and Luke had broken up, a week since Sam had first come over to her apartment. Andy was amazed at how easily they had fallen into the relationship; how comfortable she was around him and he was around her. Maybe it was because they were already friends, already had an emotional relationship, that it just came so naturally to be together.

Their food arrived not long after the game started and they ate their takeout in front of the TV. Sam surprised and impressed Andy with his dexterous chopstick skills. "Bet you didn't think I could do that, did you?" He asked, expertly twirling a strand of Lo Mein.

"You are a man of many talents," Andy granted, smiling as she accepted the bite of food he held out for her.

"You don't even know the half of it McNally," he said with a sly wink.

"That's big talk," Andy said, poking him in the shoulder with her own chopsticks. "You gonna be able to back that up?"

Sam glanced over at her and slowly ran his tongue along his top lip. "Is that an invitation?" He asked, noticing the faint pink that began to color Andy's cheeks.

Andy laughed and shook her head, "You wish."

"Well, I can't deny that," Sam said smoothly, grinning as he stood to take their empty cartons to the kitchen.

Andy sighed as she watched him walk out of the living room. Sam had been completely respectful of her desire to move slowly. He hadn't once pushed her or tried to make her feel bad about it and even though they'd spent the majority of the nights since that first in the same bed, he had been the perfect gentleman.

Andy didn't know if she had expected anything less, but as Sam rejoined her on the sofa she couldn't help but think about what Chris had said. Sam wasn't going anywhere, she knew that. Since leaving the hospital she had been trying to remind herself of her reasons for wanting to wait, but they were becoming less and less convincing.

At some point during the game they repositioned themselves; Sam stretched out from one end of the couch to the other and had pulled her down on top of him so her head was pillowed against his chest. He had one arm crooked behind him to prop himself up and the other was buried beneath the back of her shirt, his fingers drawing lazy patterns over the smooth skin as he watched the game unfold in front of them.

Andy, for her part, had trailed her hand under his shirt, seeking the warmth of his skin. He had flinched at first when her cold fingertips ran over his stomach. "Sorry," she'd whispered, and started to remove her hand, but he caught her wrist and told her it was fine, that he would warm her up. She rested her palm against the flat plain of his abdomen and spread her fingers out, running them through the sparse hair that covered his chest. Occasionally her wandering fingertips would graze against his nipple and she would smile as she felt him tense ever so slightly.

His hand became bolder as the night wore on and he moved it higher up her back and brushed his thumb over the clasp of her bra. When she didn't say anything he did it again and when he met no resistance the second time he deftly unhooked it and pushed the material to her sides. His fingers resumed their exploration of her back, running unimpeded up and down her spine in long, even strokes.

While Sam was able to do all of this and still make comments about game, Andy was fighting a losing battle to concentrate on what was happening on the television. She'd hear Sam mutter something about a terrible call or an idiotic play and would just nod in agreement, having no idea what had just happened. Every once and a while she'd make herself pay attention and would ask a question so that Sam would launch into a detailed explanation.

Sam loved teaching her, Andy had realized, and not in a condescending, I know more than you, kind of way. He just like sharing what he knew, whether it was about police work or hockey, and Andy was happy to let him. She did feel slightly guilty though, because while he was was going to great pains to make sure she understood what was going on, she allowed herself to slip back into the oblivion of just enjoying the feel of his hands on her body.

Their need to touch one another, to feel each other's skin, was more out of comfort than anything else, though Andy couldn't deny the underlying frustration that hummed just beneath the surface. She glanced up at Sam and, as though he felt her eyes on him, he looked down and winked at her before shifting his attention back to the television.

Sam was completely oblivious to the internal debate she was having with herself, which she was thankful for. She knew that the decision to move forward in their relationship was completely in her hands. Unless he had just been very good at hiding it, Andy knew it had probably been a while since he had slept with anyone and yet there he was, patiently waiting for her to decide she was ready. The man had to be some kind of saint, Andy decided.

The thing was, she couldn't help but feel like she'd made him wait long enough, like she'd put him through enough.

Andy could imagine what Sam's reaction would be if she told him she wanted to have sex because she felt she somehow owed it to him. She could picture the look that would cross his face and could hear the words that would come out of his mouth, and the volume at which they would come out at, and it wasn't a pleasant image, nor would it lead to the outcome she was hoping for.

It really wasn't that she felt like she owed him anything, but Andy struggled to put exactly what she was feeling into words. She wanted to be with him because she wanted him to be with her. She felt like it was something she could give him when he had given her so much.

Andy almost rolled her eyes at how cheesy it sounded even in her own head, but it was true.

She also couldn't help but think back to something Sam had said that first night. "We've got plenty of time," he'd told her. After seeing Chris in the hospital, she knew that wasn't true. She knew that they weren't promised the next day or even the next hour, and that realization caused an ache in her heart. Even though they'd only been together a few short days, the thought of NOT being with Sam made it difficult to breathe.

She was broken out of her thoughts by Sam's groan of frustration. She looked at the television to see that the Maple Leafs had lost, four to three. Sam reluctantly removed his hand from its position on her back to turn the TV off, causing a comfortable silence to fall over them. Normally she could be quick to fill the quiet air, but right then she was content to just lay there, enjoying the moment.

"I can practically hear the wheels turning, McNally," Sam said after a while, smoothing her hair with his free hand. "What's up?"

Andy lifted her head to look at him. She studied him for a moment before smiling softly and saying the first thing that came to her mind. "I thought you were going to die," she told him. "I was sure of it."

She was just as surprised at the words that were coming out of her mouth as he appeared to be. Sam didn't respond to the seemingly out-of-the-blue comment, he just raised an eyebrow and allowed her to continue.

"I was certain that as soon as Landry saw you, he was going to kill you," she said seriously, her voice filled with emotion. "And it was the single scariest moment of my life."

Sam's lips tugged up at the ends, as though he was a little pleased at the admission, at the knowledge that she cared so deeply about him. "I wasn't too thrilled to leave you behind either," he said, stroking her hair in a calming manner. "But we're both okay, mostly because of you."

Andy nodded and ran her hand up his chest, settling it just above his heart so she could feel it's steady beat beneath her fingers. "When I saw Chris in the hospital…" she shook her head, a lump unexpectedly rising in her throat, "I know it makes me a horrible person, but I couldn't help but think of how thankful I was that it wasn't you." She looked down at the end of the confession, refusing to meet Sam's heavy stare, and choked out, "I don't know what I would have done if it had been you."

"Andy, you're not a horrible person," Sam assured, tugging on her arms to get her attention. "I'm fine… we're both fine. I'm not going anywhere."

Andy cracked a small, sad smile and then pushed herself up so she hovered just about Sam. She pressed a light, tentative kiss against his lips before pulling back and whispering, "I don't want to wait anymore."

Sam's eyes widened but then quickly filled with concern. "Andy," he said, "If this is because you're scared about losing me or…"

She shook her head sharply, cutting him off. "That's not it," she promised, dipping down to kiss him again. "I was scared that night… I was scared and I didn't do anything about it. I just let you go without telling you…" she trailed off, sighing at how foolish she had been not to tell her partner then how much he meant to her. "I don't want to make that mistake again."

She leaned back down to kiss him and he started to speak, but she slid her tongue through his partially opened lips, silencing his protests. Eventually she felt his resistance slip away and his hands wrap around her waist, pulling her firmly down on top of him. She fell against him, allowing him to fully support her weight as she ran her hands through his short hair, tilting her head to the side and deepening the kiss.

His kisses slowed as he pulled away once more and framed her face with his warm hands, forcing her to look at him. "Andy, I know, okay," he murmured, his voice husky. "You don't have to prove anything to me. You don't have to do this. We don't have to do this," he said earnestly, though his dark eyes betrayed his need, "We can wait. It's fine, really."

Instead of responding, Andy simply kissed him and angled her hips against his, causing him to suck in a sharp intake of air. "I don't want to wait," she whispered adamantly, "And it doesn't feel like you want to wait either." She pressed a kiss against the corner of his mouth before trailing her lips around to the side of his head. "I'm ready," she breathed, lightly nipping at the shell of his ear. She couldn't help but grin as she felt Sam tremble, actually tremble, beneath her.

She moved down his body, stopping briefly to kiss the pounding pulse just below his jawline, before carefully climbing off of him and standing next to the couch. She took a moment to look down at him, noting the way his pupils were dilated and his chest heaved with uneven breaths, before holding her hand out to him.

Sam looked from her hand back up to her face. She met his questioning, almost disbelieving, eyes with what she hoped was a reassuring smile. "Please," she whispered, sensing his hesitation.

The small word was his undoing. He knew there was no way he could refuse her, not that he really wanted to. He swung his legs off the couch and grasped her hand, pulling her to him and meeting her lips in a frenzied kiss. His hands were all over her body at once, hugging her to him and lifting her into his arms. He ran his hand in one smooth stroke from the curve of her bottom to the back of her knee, hitching her leg around his waist. Andy giggled as her feet left the ground and she helpfully crossed her ankles behind his back.

His strong arms supported her with one hand firmly planted on her backside and the other wrapped around her back, holding her tightly against him. He groaned out her name as she kissed her way down his neck, her fingers clutching at the muscles in his shoulders. He stumbled slightly, blindly maneuvering them to his bedroom, stopping more than once to press her against the nearest wall, unable to take another step without feeling her lips against his.

Andy smiled into his kisses, thankful that all of his reluctance seemed to have melted away. Once when he slammed her against the wall she tugged at his shirt until he obediently balanced her body against the solid surface behind her and raised his arms above his head, allowing her to desperately yank it off of him. She welcomed the warm skin beneath her fingers, sighing in appreciation as she scraped her short nails down his back, feeling him shiver in response.

Eventually they made it to his room and Sam gently dropped her on the bed before stepping away to catch his breath. The short trip there had been frantic and hungry and he needed to take a moment and slow down or the evening would be over before either of them was ready.

Andy seemed to understand what he was doing without him having to tell her. She took a deep breath and then leaned back, propping herself up on her elbows. She watched as Sam studied her, his eyes sweeping down her body before rising to meet hers. "You're beautiful," he whispered, and she felt her body flush with heat at the intensity and emotion behind his words.

She accepted the compliment without a word and pushed herself up, rising to her knees at the edge of the bed. "You're not so bad yourself," she said, reaching out for him. He moved closer, standing just in front of her without actually touching her. Andy smiled and kissed him, slowly, both taking their time and enjoying finally being where they were. It was almost an innocent kiss, one full of promise.

The kiss soon intensified, both needing and wanting more of each other. Sam's hands rested at her waist and his fisted the material of her shirt, pulling it over her head. Andy skimmed her fingers over Sam's stomach and nimbly unbuttoned his jeans before slowly sliding the zipper down. Sam stopped her then and gently pushed her back down to the bed, winking at her as she bit her bottom lip and watched him push his jeans down, kicking them off.

She grinned at him as he climbed up onto the bed, dragging her with him so her head rested on one of the pillows. He rolled her body beneath his and she closed her eyes and savored the feel of his weight against her.

"McNally," Sam whispered, bending down to nuzzle her neck. "Just so you know…"

"Hmmm…" was the only response she could manage as his fingers worked the button on her jeans.

"Next time," he paused as he pulled her jeans off her body, trailing his fingers over her longs legs as he went, "We can skip the hockey game."

Her eyes flew open to meet his. He was smiling down at her, hovering just above her, and she reached up to curl her arm around his neck. "I'll keep that in mind," she said in a voice that was too deep to be her own.

Sam allowed himself to be pulled back down on top of her, careful not to crush her as he braced himself on his elbows. "I know you're probably going to slap me for this," he muttered, his lips just a breath away from hers, "But are you sure?"

Andy wanted to groan and roll her eyes in frustration, but she refrained. Instead she nodded, knowing he needed the reassurance. "I'm sure," she whispered, tangling her fingers through his hair and wrapping her legs around his waist.

It was all the he needed. "Oh, okay," he said, almost subconsciously, sweeping down to claim her lips with his own once again.