Kat was at church, the one place Nex couldn't follow her and currently the only major source of tension between them. He didn't care for her going to church and although he didn't outright say it, it was evident in the small comments and the way he was not as happy when she returned home after. Because of that, she wasn't quite as anxious to get home as she usually was. That was until her phone vibrated and she looked down to see a message from him.

Nex: I want to fulfill that dream you told me about, the one with your father's coworker. Guarantee I'm more powerful than he was, I'd like to be the face attached to all your fantasies. What do you say, kitten? You want me to bend you over and have my way with you?

Kat flushed and put the phone screen down in her lap. She should definitely not be talking about that kind of thing in church of all places. She swallowed hard and stared straight ahead, trying to keep herself from rereading that text. She couldn't deny how much that one message had her heart racing but decided she shouldn't answer until she at least wasn't in church. At least, she tried to. She knew she shouldn't... She bit her lip and opened the message, typing out a quick reply.

Kat: I would like that...

She sent it and shook her head to try to focus on less lustful thoughts, given she was in a church service. Just sitting there having read that message made her embarrassed but thankfully it was almost over and as soon as it ended, she gathered her things, loading them up into her messenger bag. She started towards the door, hoping to avoid social interaction so she could get home faster, but someone grabbed her arm.

It was strange, the feeling she got from that touch. It was nothing like she experienced before. A strange sense of complete peace and calm took over her. She glanced up to see the bluest eyes she'd ever seen attached to an almost unrealistically perfect face.

"Hello," he greeted with a friendly smile.

"Hi," Kat answered, stepping back and out of his hold.

"Forgive me, I just wanted to say your voice is just beautiful," he said.

"Oh," Kat blushed. Despite the fact Nex didn't like her going to church, when she was offered a solo singing position for every other week, he encouraged her to accept it and she did. This week was her first time. "Thank you. I was a little nervous," she admitted.

"Nervous? I find that hard to believe," he chuckled. "You have a stunning voice."

"Thank you," Kat said, starting to feel embarrassed under his scrutiny. "I'm sorry, I don't think we've met, have you been here before?"

It wasn't a big church, she would've noticed him. The strange thing was there were several new people today though none of them sat together, they were all there in singles. There was something different about him, about all of them. She couldn't quite figure out what it was.

"I'm Gabriel," he smiled, offering his hand. "And no, it's my first time here. I quite enjoyed it. How long have you been attending?"

"I'm Katherine," Kat answered, shaking his hand. "And I've been coming here since before I can remember."

"How sweet," Gabriel smiled. "So it's worth it to stay then? I'm just... Visiting the area for an unknown amount of time. For work. Trying to find a place to fit in while I'm here."

"Oh, well, you'll definitely fit in here," Kat encouraged. "What do you do for work?"

His smile only slightly faltered but enough Kat noticed and wondered why he seemed so different than most people. "Counseling," he answered.

"Oh," Kat nodded. "That's great. We can always use more counselors. You'll fit in well here, everyone's very kind and welcoming."

"I've noticed," Gabriel said, giving her another smile. She couldn't help but notice how white his teeth were, how perfectly aligned his clothes were. It was like he was photo-shopped. Nowhere near as perfect as Nex was, in her opinion.

"Well," Kat said, giving him a small smile. "It was nice to meet you but I better get goin-"

"Katherine," he interrupted. "I'm new to the area. Do you have any food recommendations?"

"Oh, um, what do you like?" Kat asked.

"Anything at all," he shrugged, grinning.

"Well... Just down the street from here, there's a place called Misty's Café. It has a whole bunch of different kind of food and it's really good," Kat said.

"Sounds wonderful. Would you care to join me?" He asked.

Kat was surprised by his request and it took a moment for her to respond. She took a step back, giving herself more space from him and offered her best polite smile.

"Oh, thank you but I'm afraid I have to get going," she said. He seemed outwardly perfect but while he felt peaceful and calm there was something off.

"It wouldn't take long, I eat fast," he tried. "Just don't want to eat alone, you know?"

"Oh, um," Kat said, biting her lip. "I'm sure Pastor Brighton and his family would love to go with you. They often take the newcomers for lunch. I'm sorry, it's just that I have someone waiting on me to get home."

"She certainly does," Bernice giggled, approaching them and nudging Kat's shoulder with hers. "When are you going to bring that handsome young Nex with you to church?"

Kat had to hide the amusement at what Bernice said for more than one reason. First, Nex wasn't even sort of young. Second, he would never be able to step a foot in here even if he wanted to.

"A boyfriend?" Gabriel asked, tilting his head to the side.

Boyfriend. She didn't know what to say to that. They hadn't even talked about it, they'd just... Been intimate nearly constantly over the last couple weeks. Having trouble sleeping was no longer a problem because Nex made sure she was exhausted by bed every night.

"Um, sort of, we haven't... We haven't labeled it," Kat said, smiling sheepishly.

"So, free to see other people then?" Gabriel asked, raising an eyebrow.

Other people. Kat hadn't even considered it. She didn't think Nex would do that. Except they hadn't really made rules... And he did spend a lot of time where she didn't know what he was doing while she worked and rehearsed...

"Nex and Katherine don't need a label," Bernice said, patting Kat's arm. "It's obvious when you see them together that there's no one else they see but each other."

Kat felt a little relief at that and gave Bernice a small smile, feeling awkward about the entire conversation and not liking the way her thoughts were headed. She had to get out of there.

"I've got to go but I'll see you back here next week?" Kat asked Gabriel.

"Indeed you will," he said, smiling brightly.

"Great," Kat nodded to him before turning to Bernice. "See you Wednesday."

"Wednesday, my dear," Bernice nodded. "Don't forget to tell Nex to try to find a time the two of you can come for dinner."

"Right," Kat nodded, giving her a strained smile. Nex liked Bernice well enough but the displeased look on his face when she asked if he'd have dinner with her was more than answer enough. "Bye," she said, giving them both a wave before rushing out of there.

Kat hurried home, holding her coat tightly around her as it grew colder and colder every day. She got home and the second she walked in, could hear Nex and Marcus talking so intensely they didn't seem to notice she walked in. She slipped off her coat and hung it up along with her scarf, taking off her boots and leaving them by the door before walking over to the kitchen table where they were seated, picking up on the middle of their conversation.

"You can't feed him that, he has a sensitive stomach," Nex scowled, crossing his arms.

"You're being ridiculous about the whole thing," Marcus said, rolling his eyes. "They're fine. They're happy."

"Is everything okay?" Kat asked, raising an eyebrow as she set down her messenger bag.

Nex glanced up, feeling slightly annoyed that Marcus bugged him enough he didn't even hear Katherine come in. "Everything's fine, Marcus is just a cunt."

"I'm taking care of your hounds. You're welcome, by the way," Marcus said, throwing his arms up. "For fuck's sake Kat, how do you put up with this?" He said, gesturing to Nex.

"You're going to make Sicarius sick with the shit you're feeding him," Nex growled.

"I'm telling you, he hasn't been sick," Marcus sighed. "He and Venandi are fine. Stop being such a baby. You know, I don't have to take care of them. I could've just left them wandering around with nowhere to go, waiting to get eaten by something bigger."

"I should've asked Lucian," Nex grumbled.

Marcus rolled his eyes and stood from his chair, patting Kat on the back. "I'm out. Good luck," he said before vanishing in a cloud of shadow.

"You're worried about your puppies," Kat said, frowning.

"For the last time, they are not puppies," Nex said, shaking his head. "I'm sure they're fine, I just don't like relying on someone else to watch over them."

"Well... Can they come here somehow?" Kat tried.

"No," Nex sighed. "They're hell-hounds and they're dangerous to humans. They're only allowed in this realm in special circumstances and only with their trainer- me. Being accidentally summoned by a human isn't the kind of thing I need a hell-hound's help for."

"Oh, I'm sorry," Kat said, frowning.

Guilt crept into her that he was still here, still unable to go home, to see his dogs. She would be lying if she said she was researching just as hard as she was before they became intimate. Becoming intimate with Nex took up a lot of her time but it wasn't just that. She didn't have the motivation to do it because she didn't want him to leave. Recognizing that was a selfish way to look at it, she ignored the ache in her heart at the thought of his absence and took a deep breath before speaking.

"I should probably go to the library," she said, fiddling with the ends of her sleeves. "Do some more research to..." she paused, unable to say the words.

She looked over at him and couldn't figure out the look on his face. He was often very good at leaving his expression completely unreadable to her. On the other hand, Nex could very clearly see the conflict on her face. The same conflict he felt. The last thing he wanted to do was discuss it, so instead, he let a slow smirk spread over his face as his eyes darted up and down her.

"No. You should stay right where you are," he said, rising from his chair. "The table will work."

Kat's heart skipped so many beats it left her needing to breathe a little faster. Nex had a way of looking at her that she felt in her whole body. As if the look wasn't enough, she tensed up in the most delightful way when he walked behind her and moved her hair to the side, exposing her neck.

"We had plans, did we not? Are you trying to cancel on me?" He asked, skimming his nose along her neck and sliding his hands from her shoulders all the way down her arms to her wrists, his fingers curling around them. "What's wrong, it was a better idea in your head?" He asked, pulling her wrists back and pinning them behind her as he pressed himself against her backside. "You don't want me to take you like this?" He asked, holding her wrists with one hand and moving the other up, tangling his hand in her hair and tugging gently, directing her to look back at him. "You'll have to tell me what you want, kitten. Because you tried to leave but your racing heart and flushed skin is telling me you don't want to leave. So what do you want? Do you want me to have you like this?" He asked, tightening his hold on her wrists and pressing himself tighter against her.

Kat had to catch her breath before she could answer. He wasn't wrong, already her heart was racing and she was aching for him. He'd barely touched her but his actions had her feeling the need for a release.

"Yes," she answered, the word unintentionally coming out as a whisper.

"Yes?" He asked, bending her over the table and grinding against her. "That was awfully quiet, kitten," he murmured, leaning down and pressing a kiss against her ear. "You know hearing you say yes is the best part of my day. Try again."

She moaned softly as his hand tightened in her hair, giving him more control over her head movement. "Yes," she said breathlessly.

"Good," Nex said, releasing her hair and straightening out as he slid his hand up her dress, tugging her leggings and underwear down all at once before thrusting his fingers into her.

"Oh," she whimpered, dropping her forehead against the table. He moved faster than usual, harder, actions that left feeling even more like she needed him. He slid his fingers out only to circle around where she was so sensitive she jerked at the contact, letting out a low moan and squeezing her eyes shut. Nex always seemed to know exactly how and where to touch her that she liked the most. His fingers slid into her again, moving in and out and leaving her a whimpering mess, her body tensing and tensing right until she couldn't take it anymore but then his fingers slid out of her, replaced by something much bigger.

Nex licked her sweetness of his fingers before threading those fingers in her hair and tugging her up slightly as he slammed himself into her, making her cry out. "Too hard, kitten?" He asked, tugging her up and back against him.

"No," Kat panted, feeling his lips press against her neck. Kat already felt like she was going to burst but his moments of tenderness really had her melting. The way he'd check in with her any time he tried something new made her feel even more attached to him. "Not too hard," she said, licking her dry lips. "It..." she couldn't stop the blush, still not used to being so vocal about this. "It feels good."

Nex growled lowly and bent her over again, sinking into her harder. Kat cried out again and he tightened his hold on her wrists, on her hair, thrusting into her roughly over and over again. Every movement left her craving even more, left her wishing they never had to stop. Him bending her over like that made her ache for him even more than usual, made it feel so much more powerful. The movements and the way he held her in place made her fall apart so intensely she gasped.

"Nex," she whimpered, clenching around him and feeling pleasure wash over her in waves.

Nex groaned and slammed into her one last time, staying deep inside her as he finished. He took a moment to catch his breath before pulling her back against his chest and turning her around, catching her in a feverish kiss. Kat moaned into the kiss and wrapped her arms around his neck as he lifted her onto the table and held her tightly against him in an embrace.

"Better than the fantasy?" He asked, trailing his lips down her jaw and onto her neck before sliding his hands down, pulling her leggings and underwear off the rest of the way. He came back up and pulled her against him, nuzzling into her neck and placing soft kisses against her skin. Kat bit her lip and threaded her fingers in his hair, nodding and letting her eyes shut as she leaned into the crook of his neck. She gasped when he grabbed some of her hair and tugged her head back until she was looking at him. "Words," he said, narrowing his eyes. "You know I want to hear you say it."

"Yes," she panted, pressing her forehead against his. "Yes, Nex."

He groaned and pressed another hard kiss against her lips. "That's better," he murmured, restarting his path of kissing down to her neck, bringing his hands down to her legs and wrapping them around him.

"Will you tell me what your fantasies are?" Kat asked, biting her lip and blushing. It seemed unfair he would fulfill hers and she didn't even know what his were.

Nex lifted his head to look at her, a dark smile coming over his face. "Trust me, kitten. You are not ready for the things I want to do to you."

"How do you know?" Kat frowned. "What do you want to do?"

"What do I want to do to you?" He repeated quietly, bringing his hand up tantalizingly slow across her stomach and between her breasts until he reached her neck where his fingers curled gently around her throat. "I want to dominate you, kitten," he said lowly. "What I want is much rougher than what I just did. I want to punish you when you give me trouble, I want to make you wait to cum until you feel like it's less of a want and more of a need," he said, turning her head and biting the skin on her neck hard enough she inhaled sharply, almost moaning at the sensation. "I want to tie you up and smack that beautiful ass until it turns red as I fuck you. I want to claim and taint every inch of you until there's no doubt in your mind you're mine. Until I've ingrained myself so much into you, you can't even be touched by someone else without thinking of me and wishing it was my hands on you."

Kat stared at him with wide eyes for a moment. The things he said weren't completely foreign to her, it wasn't as if she didn't know anything about it, it was just so different to hear it said out loud. The stranger thing was although part of her felt nervous at the idea of that, part of her got more excited the more he talked, that ache somehow already returning.

He lifted his head and stared into her eyes, releasing her throat and rubbing his thumb over her lips, making them part. He darted his eyes down to her lips, watching her tongue dart out and touch his thumb. The action earned a half-smile from him and Kat took that as a victory. It was the moments like this, when he just stared at her, that made her feel she couldn't go a day in her life without seeing him. Thinking that sobered her thoughts and she swallowed hard, feeling embarrassed to even tell him what was brought up in church about their relationship.

"Nex?" she said quietly, grabbing his attention and making his eyes snap up to hers.

"What?" He asked, his eyes softening, his hand moving to cup her cheek. "What is it?"

"What... Um..." She blushed, darting her eyes away. "Uh..."

She breathed out shakily, nervous to bring it up, nervous about what he might say. Part of her wanted that label but it seemed silly to ask, given he didn't even live in this realm.

"What's wrong, kitten?" Nex asked, frowning. "Was I too rough with you?"

"No," Kat said quickly, shaking her head. "No, that was.... Um... That was..." she licked her lips, hating how much she could feel the intense blush forming. "Mhm."

"It was mhm?" Nex said, raising an eyebrow and trying very hard not to laugh at how adorable she was.

"Don't," Kat groaned, covering her face with her hands and dropping her head into his chest, feeling her cheeks heat to the point they felt like a sunburn. She could not take more teasing or she would die of embarassment. "Please don't."

"Don't what?" Nex said, wrapping his arms around her and placing a kiss on her head, deciding to ease off her before she became too embarrassed. The last time he got her too embarrassed, she kept trying to hide from him and refused to look at him until she had her blush under control. While it was entertaining, part of him felt bad he embarrassed her so much. "It was mhm for me too. Now what's wrong?" He asked, pulling back so he could look at her.

"Nothing is really... Wrong..." Kat said, shaking her head and sighing. "Today someone asked me if you were my boyfriend," she said, looking at him timidly. "And I... I didn't know what to say."

"What do you want to say?" he asked, rubbing his thumb over her cheek. "Are you bringing it up because that's what you want?"