Once everyone was back at the Refuge, all eyes were focused on Dinah and the babies, and most were worrying about Marc, guessing correctly he'd gone after Angus.   Betty Jo felt a bit in the way now. She didn't have medical skills and the Refuge had its own rhythm and ways to heal. She wasn't a bit unhappy when Ian put his hand on her shoulder and said softly, "My place or yours?"

"Yours," she said.  "We'll get waited on there."

He grinned and zapped them directly to his bedroom. "I'll draw you a bath. You can soak," he said, but wasn't in a hurry to let her go.

She wasn't in a hurry to be let go of.  "Can you make me look like me again?" she asked.

"Let me see," he said, and went quiet and still as he searched through what they'd done to her. "Close your eyes," he ordered, "and stand still."  She did.

A minute or two later he said, "Look now."

She was standing in front of an old, beautifully carved full length mirror.  She smiled at him.  She looked like herself again.  "Thanks," she said, kissing him.  "I like it much better this way, too."

"I am so sorry, that .. that we didn't take better care of you and Jolie," he said, his voice nearly breaking. "When I saw..."

"Ian honey, don't, please.  We're alive and well, and Dinah and the babies are back where they belong."  She took his face in her hands and kissed him.  "If it helps," she said, "neither of us remember a thing."

"You aren't lying to me about that?" he asked. "Don't pretend that... Please."

"No honey, I'm not.  I wouldn't do that.  It's a side effect of the drugs they used I guess."

"That's a blessing then," Ian answered still tending to study her as if she were a specimen he couldn't quite understand.

"What?" she asked finally, when he kept on doing it.

"I'm just ... it's good to see you safe."

"Having the link to you was..." she stopped, struggling to find a word to describe it.  "I can't explain it and thank you doesn't cover it...it's just that it was...was like a luxury and a god send and a feeling of safety."

"I'm glad I could help in that small way," he replied quietly.

"It wasn't small Ian, it was huge."

"Well, good then," he said. "Julian can remove the spell.  Since he cast it I'd rather not attempt it."

She smiled slightly.  "I'll miss it."

"Yes, well, it's no longer needed.  And now an intrusion."

She blushed a bit.  "I'm sorry, I didn't mean...if I was a pest...I would never...I didn't realize and I should have, that it must have been an invasion of your privacy." she said.

"Oh sod all. That wasn't what I meant at all. I meant... I meant you preferring your privacy. Of course you were never a... It made it possible for me to .. to get through the whole operation. And I'll thank Julian for giving me that bit of assurance to know that you were all right and that we could know in an instant if you weren't."

She blinked back sudden tears.  "I'll have to thank him too."

"Oh Gods, I've made you cry. I'm truly sorry."

"No...Ian, no, you haven't."  She smiled at him.  "I was just so relieved and I know how awful it must have been for you, worrying.  So I'm glad it made it easier for you."

"Well, it's all behind us now. Dinah is safe. Somewhere. With Marc close by I'm sure."

"Yes.  Now, right this minute what do you want, honestly want?" she said.

He looked the least bit panicked for a moment then said, "I want to draw you that bath, scrub your back and then watch you sleep soundly for possibly the first time in a long while."

"Okay," she said.  "We can burn these clothes too."

"Definitely," he said with feeling and zapped them off of her. He held out his hand. When she put hers in his he led her into his master bath, where he zapped up a bathtub full of hot water. "I'll let you decide what to add. Edwards tells me women like oils like these," he said motioning vaguely to a collection along the edge of the jacuzzi tub.

"Edwards tells you?" she repeated, giving him a look.

"Well, I asked him what we should have handy for you," he confessed.

She was scanning the labels.  "I see.  Well he has a nice understanding of...ah...women.  You should tell him that," she said as she picked one and added it to the bath.

"I'll be certain to do so. Edwards is a member of a dying breed.  They help us awkward idiots blunder on through life, despite our tendency to put our foot in our mouth."

She was about to step into the tub but stopped when he said that.  "You're not an awkward idiot you know.  At least I don't think so," she said, looking him in the eye.  "In fact, I think  you're endearing and charming and quite the loveliest man I know.  I don't always understand you but I'm certain you're worth the effort to do so."

"I, uhm, is it too hot?"

"No," she said, sinking down into the water.  "It's as lovely as you are."

He soaped up a sponge and began on her back. "You really are all right?" he asked, worry in his eyes.

"I'm fine," she said, smiling at him.  "I missed you like crazy."

"Would I be totally a cad if I replied I'm happy to hear that?"

"No," she said.  "I don't think so.  I think that would make you a normal red-blooded male with exceptional taste in women.  And one who, moreover, is fondling my breasts, so saying you weren't is what would be cad-like."

"Ah. You Americans, always so delightfully blunt."

After her bath they fell into bed and unsurprisingly all parts still fit and both of them found release and exhaustion. It was some hours later when they were both up to any sort of conversation.

"I have to say that whatever leanings towards Buddhism I might have had are gone.  This body isn't just a vessel, it's an integral part of me."

"Yes, and that is entirely the way it should be," Ian agreed.

After a few moments, he added, "Trevor will turn over everything he can find to get every one of them."

"It's something at least.  You know, it's funny, I know people who believe that slavery in the world ended when Lee surrendered to Grant.  And I've encountered people in my work who are trying to be slaves because it gets them off."

"I don't know why we tolerate it," he replied. "I don't know what it is that makes men so insecure that they can't appreciate someone like you."

"I don't know either, unless it's that women like me like men as people and aren't threatened by them.  But I think I'd rather focus on appreciating the ones I know who aren't insecure like that and who do appreciate women like me," she replied, smiling.  "I rather think in the long run those are the guys who'll win out, because they'll have women like me on their side."

He laughed. "As I've already made clear, I'm not one of the good guys, though," he added after a moment, more soberly.

She looked at him.  "Meaning?"

"I don't play by the rules you are willing to give your life for.  Honestly? I don't believe in them. They don't work. At least not for people like me.  Not for people like Angus."

She nodded.  "I know.  I've never not known that about you and I don't care.  I'm my mother's daughter that way.  What I care about is you and what's between us.  If those things ever get in the way then we find a way to deal with it, assuming you're willing to do that."

"I am," he replied simply. He reached out to cup her breasts in his hands.  "At the moment my only thought is to pamper you until you won't let me any more."

"Now that's a plan," she said, "That I can support unequivocally.  It'll probably be days, maybe longer, before I try to stop you."

"That's the best news I've had for weeks."

"I really did miss you," she said again, meeting his eyes.

"I love you," he replied.

Jolie closed Dinah's door behind her and leaned against it for a moment, her eyes closed, feeling the tiredness wash over her.  Then she stood up, pushing the hair back from her face and looked around for Spence.  She found him in a chair, out of the way, watching her.  She smiled and went to sit next to him.  "Hi, cutie."

He looked closely at her face as if studying it. "You okay? You haven't even had a minute to scream."

"I'm okay," she said.  "How are you doing?"

"A lot better than I have been. Was it.. Jolie, watching you and knowing what could happen... what did happen. And you so calm and brave. I'm in awe."

"No I wasn't, I was scared to death.  I just pretend well.  I'm just glad it's over," she said, leaning her head on his shoulder.

He wrapped an arm around her. "How's Dinah? I'm guessing you wanna stay here for awhile just to be sure she's okay. I'm good with that. If you don't mind me hanging around."

"She's okay.  And you better be hanging around, Spencer Smythe!  I've been sleeping without you longer than I care to."

He looked at her wide-eyed. "Does that mean you actually intend to give yourself time to sleep? I thought maybe you planned to sleep draped over the incubator. I'm okay with that, but I'd prefer the other."

"They'll call me if anything changes.  Right now they're stable, sleeping the sleep of the innocent."  She looked at him.  "Where's Julian, I'm tired of looking like someone else."

Spence grinned. "Good. Cuz I want you back. You." He grabbed her arm and towed her over to the House where they found Julian conked out on the couch in Marc's offices, Reno being long gone.  Spence kicked his boss's foot. "Yo, dude!"

"Huh! Wha?" Julian said as he sat up in a hurry, looking around for the fire.

"You did it, Julian.  Now undo it," Jolie demanded.

Julian rubbed his eyes and yawned. "Undo what?"

"That!" Spence said indignantly, pointing at Jolie.

"I think she looks kinda cute.  Are you sure?" the mage asked the scholar.

"Yes!" Jolie and Spence yelled in unison.

"Okay, okay, let me see, how did that spell go?  Uhm hair of feather, toe of newt, undo the weather and deliver the loot.  Oh, not that one. Oh, yeah, this one!" He waved a languid hand at Jolie and she turned back into her self.  "I can change you back if you want?" Julian asked, looking at her critically.

"And I can clobber you one if you do?" Jolie asked.  "Go play with Nims's looks."

Julian laughed. "Okay, okay, you two. Go make mad passionate love. I know for a fact Spence got you guys a room. Go use it. I'm outta here. See you two when you make it back."  The mage, with a wink, winked out.

"I do have a room," Spence confirmed, waggling his eyebrows at Jolie.  "I'm no dummy."

"Where?" Jolie asked, moving closer, her hands working on his shirt.

"Right upstairs. But that couch looks fairly comfortable."  Spence's hands were on her buttocks pulling her in closer.

"It sure does," she said, spreading her hands across his chest.

"God, it feels so good to feel and taste you again," Spence was saying between nibbles on her neck. "Can I leave a hickey?"

"Only if it'll show." she said.  "And I can leave one that matches."

"Oh yeah," he replied as they began ripping clothes off and fell down onto the couch.

"I missed you so much," she said, much later.  She was looking at his neck, appraising her handiwork.  "Oh yeah, looks good."

"I'll wear it proudly," he said, grinning. "I haven't had a decent night's sleep since you left."

"I'm sorry you had to go through all that," she said, getting serious.

"I knew it was something you needed to do. It's okay."

"You being okay with it, that's not something I take for granted," she said.  "I don't take you for granted, either."

"You probably should take me for granted. I'm hooked on you, you know."

"Yeah, me too.  Which is exactly why I don't take you for granted."  She pulled him down so she kiss him.  "So how can I make it up to you?"

"Promise me we go away for a holiday, just you and me, somewhere nobody knows our names. Only after Dinah and the babies are okay, I mean."

"Wherever you want, I promise, for as long as you want.  I'm thinking, barring complications, it should only be a couple of days, a week at the most.  After that the healers can take over with the babies.  Dinah...well, I don't know."

He nodded.  "Somebody should worry about Marc too. He was a mess. I'm betting he's still a mess."

Jolie agreed.  "I know.  But he's a lot less easy to doctor or whatever.  I think he'll be a lot better when he knows Dinah's okay, but I could be wrong."

"Well, I'm gonna suggest that Reno keep an eye on him anyway. He's a complicated guy. Unlike me. When I'm unhappy everybody knows it."

"When you're unhappy you better make sure I know it," she said.  "I'm not the sort that likes guessing about those things."

"Okay, but only if you do the same. I'm not very good at guessing either. Besides, it makes more sense to say, don't you think?"

She nodded.  "Lots of things make sense to say that never get said.  So where do you want to take me off to?  Some desert island, where you can have your evil way with me?"

"I was thinking remember that comment about a nice ski lodge on the top of some snowclad mountain so we could get snowed in?"

"Oh yeah, that sounds fabulous.  I do a good snow bunny too."

"You know, Carmine's keeping the dzong. Can't you just see him doing a snow bunny?"

Jolie laughed out loud.  "And he'll never feel the cold.  While I, on the other hand, require frequent warming.  In fact, I feel a chill coming on right now."

"We could, you know, go to our room. I can draw you a nice hot bath and scrub your back for you."

"We could.  How do you feel about washing my front too?"

"Sounds like a plan. I could even be talked into washing your toes."

She looked intrigued.  "And sucking on them too?"

"Oh yeah, that goes without saying. I have this toe fetish. Didn't you know?"

"You've been holding out on me, and you know what happens when you do that."

"What?" he asked, his eyes going wide.

"Damn," she said.  "I was hoping you did 'cause I don't but we can figure something out I'm sure."

"Well, we've got plenty of time to explore all our likes and dislikes and fetishes on vacation.  I'll even borrow Julian's feather boa."

Sunrise awoke them. They were still lying on the beach, having made love several times, and then sleeping in each others arms. Marc was smiling down at her when her eyes opened. "Can't pretend you're asleep any more. Sorry. Our bond let's me know. I also know you're hungry. Me too."

"So what are we having for breakfast?" she asked, snuggling closer.  "Coconuts gathered with our own hands?"

"I was thinking we go back to the commune and beg Tabitha to cook for us."

"Works for me," Dinah said.  "I can look pitiful while you beg."

"Hah," he replied and with a thought they were in their own rooms at the commune. "I'll get the shower hot while you uhm, figure out what to wear," he said, looking down at her now mostly flat stomach.

"We can donate the pregnant lady togs to Tsura."

"Good idea," she said as her hands went to her stomach automatically, her eyes clouding.  "And thinking about birth control might be even better."

"I have been. We'll check out our options. Maybe make sure and take care of both of us.  If ever we change our minds," he shrugged.

"Yeah, if we ever," she echoed, pulling out some sweats and a teeshirt that announced 'Women work, men put up signs', before rummaging in the closet for a fleece.  "It all seems unreal somehow."

He didn't reply, instead turned on the shower and bowed to her, to precede him into it. He got in with her and began shampooing her hair. "Don't tell anyone, but I love to do this."

"Your secret is safe with me," she said, giving herself up to the feel of his hands on her head.  "I love that you do it."

He massaged her head and ran his fingers, soapy from the shampoo through her hair, all the way to the tips. After he had her rinse off, he took the sponge and put body soap on it and began rubbing it on her back, in soft soothing circling motions. As the soap washed off on her neck he kissed the back of it and wrapped an arm around her, gently, but possessively. She could sense a bit of what he was feeling. The last dregs of terror that he'd lost her, the feel of her washing the fear away with the water.

She leaned back against him, the feel of him the assurance that she was safe.  Then she drew in a deep breath and reached for the soap, sculpting the planes of his body as she washed him from head to toe.

When she was finished he did the same to her, lingering on the softness of her breasts, teasing the nipples erect, which made him grin to see it. By the time he turned the water off they were in each other's arms.  She drew his mouth down to hers as he lifted her and carried her to the bed, refusing to let go as he set her on the bed.  She pulled him down on top of her suddenly frantic for the feel of his weight on her.

He held her tightly until she calmed. Then drew back to look in her eyes. "I'm not going anywhere.  I promise. And, with the bond, you'll feel me where ever I am, even when I'm having a dump on the toilet." Despite the words, he was combing her hair back from her face with his fingers.  "Are they sore? I'm sorry. I just..forgot for a minute there."

It took her a minute to understand what he was asking.  "A little," she said squinting down at her breasts.   "It just...I...I don't know, it's like the whole thing...I can't even think about them as being real somehow except for that and knowing my jeans won't fit or stuff like that.  It's like it was all someone else."

"Once you see them, and  touch them ..." he suggested. "After we get something to eat. Jolie stayed. She'll want to see you for herself too."

"Yeah.  What she did, what Betty Jo did..."

He nodded. "I'll never be able to thank them enough."

"Me either," she said.  "Or the rest of them.  It must have been horrible for them."  She sighed and tried out a smile.  "And you."

"Well, I got what I went for so I'm not going to dwell on it. Come on, get dressed. I swear I smell coffee brewing."

She nodded and sat up, swinging her feet to the floor.  "Coffee," she said suddenly, as it dawned on her.  "I can drink coffee again.  Hallelujah and praise the lord!"

They were laughing when they walked into the kitchen. Marc motioned her to a seat and got her the coffee himself, a nice steaming mug full. Tabitha was standing there watching Dinah in that way she had. "Hungry?"

"I am," Marc replied. "How come no one ever worries about me being hungry."

"I don't have to ask you," Tabitha said, watching Dinah.  "I know.  But she's different."

"Yes, I'm hungry, famished, actually, now that you mention it," Dinah said between sips of coffee.

Tabitha shared a quick look with Marc then made herself busy fixing Dinah's favorite breakfast, even if it was nearly noon.  "Jolie wants to see you, Dinah. Wants to be sure you're okay."

"Tell her everything works like it's supposed to," Marc said, smiling at Dinah.

"I will," she promised, a self satisfied smile on her face, as she took a bite of toast.  "I'm sure she's dying to know."

Marc snorted as he dug into his food.  "Between bites he asked Tabitha, "Everything okay at the Infirmary?"

"Far as I know," Tabitha said pouring them more coffee.  "Christopher is still over there communing with the babies, resisting attempts to part them.  They seem more comfortable with him around so Doni's keeping an eye on him."

"Poor Christopher," Dinah said.  "He must have been unhappy."

"Oh yeah," Tabitha said, rolling her eyes.

"I guess he's given up on me now that he has the babies to adore," Marc said with a grin.

Christopher however made it plain when they got to the infirmary that he hadn't, in fact, given up on Marc, waving his arms and chortling wildly when they walked in the room, clearly wanting Marc to pick him up.  Then he squirmed around in his arms until he could see Dinah where she was standing and looking down at the babies.  She laid her hand flat against the cover of the incubator her head tilted to one side, staring at them as they slept.  Then she lifted the lid, drawing a tentative finger along the cheek of the nearest one, closing her eyes as she did.  'Can you tell which is which?" she asked Marc.

He grinned. "No. Not without lifting the blanket and peeking."

"They're so small," she whispered, after a long pause not taking her eyes off of them.  "So tiny," she repeated, her voice breaking.

"But they're fine and they're safe. And you're safe."  Marc wrapped his spare arm, the one not holding Christopher, around her securely. "You're safe," he repeated.

She nodded as if she were trying to believe him while Christopher grabbed her hair and tugged lightly saying, "Safe."  It startled her and she only just choked off the scream that rose in throat, her eyes wide and filled with fear and all the color bleached from her face.

Marc hugged her tighter. "Safe," He repeated for Christopher who looked like he was thinking of crying. Marc hugged him too.

Jolie walked in then taking in Dinah's white face. She grabbed Christopher off of Marc and that left Marc free to back Dinah up to a chair. He knelt down in front of her meeting her eyes. "I'm here. I'm not going anywhere."

Dinah nodded, tears leaking from the corners of her eyes.  "I'm sorry," she said.  "I know...it's just, I wasn't expecting it."

"I know. Don't worry about it. Christopher's fine. Talk to Jolie and then we'll go home. You want to talk to her privately, or would you rather I stayed?"

"I'll come find you," Dinah said.

He nodded.  "I'll wait right out in the hallway. Come on Chris, it's you and me buddy," he added, hefting Christopher up into his arms.

Dinah followed him out the door with her eyes while Jolie watched her.  When the door closed Jolie crouched in front of her and took her hands.  "You wanna cry or you wanna scream?"

"Both," Dinah gulped as Jolie pulled her close and hugged her tight.  "Thank you," Dinah said.  "For what you did for me...I'll never be able to repay you."

"Hush," Jolie told her firmly, handing her a kleenex.  "Now," she said, after Dinah blew her nose fiercely, "You ready to hold them?"

"They're alright?" Dinah asked uncertainly.  "Nothing happened to them?"

"They're fine.  We're going to have to fatten them up and keep them on oxygen for a while, until their lungs are little more developed but otherwise they're fine," Jolie assured her lifting one blanket clad bundle out of the incubator and placed it gently in Dinah's arms.  She watched her carefully for a minute and then lifted the other one and laid him along Dinah's other arm, ready to catch if she needed to.  "I'll be around for a few days, keeping an eye on the babies," Jolie told her, "and so Spence can ride the dragons and solve puzzles with Melly."  Jolie watched her for a bit and then she opened the door and beckoned to Marc, taking Christopher from him and jerking her head towards Dinah.  "Make sure she doesn't drop one," she said before she closed the door and left them alone together.

Dinah didn't look up, though she knew he was there.  "The one on the left is the girl."

"Can I hold one?" he asked.

"Sure," she said.  "Take your pick and then tell me what we're naming them."

He took the nearest one, and didn't bother to look to see which it was.  "Hell and Spawn. I filled out the birth certificates yesterday. I thought we'd agreed?"

Dinah kicked him.  "Be serious."

Marc sank down to his haunches so he was eye to eye with Dinah. He looked down at the tiny thing lying along his arm. "What goes with McNeill?

"Not a god damn thing," she said.

"Okay, we'll name them Smith. Rogatien isn't my name, you know. It's my favorite uncle's first name. So we'll name them, uhm, Jane and John Smith."

"We aren't naming them Smith, because whatever last name they get, I'm changing mine too," she told him.  "Consider Neil and Brenna."

He looked down at the child he held and touched her fist with his pinky. "Brenna?" he said. When she didn't respond he replied, "She seems okay with it. How about naming them after the House?  Brenna Siol."

Dinah looked at the baby she held, holding tightly onto her finger and yawning hugely.  "Yeah, but it needs something...Neil Siol...it doesn't sing yet."

"No. You'll rue the day he isn't Spawn Siol, trust me."  Marc reached over to push back the soft hair on his son's head. All three strands of it. "He's not gonna be bald is he? Should I worry?"

"Jack-ass," she hissed.  "Of course he isn't, there's no baldness in my family."

"Uh oh," he said. "Siol. Seed right?  What's star in Celtish? I don't know nuthin' bout no Celt's except their women are hot."

Dinah raised an eyebrow.  "Women?  You know more than one?  And star is 'ster' in Celtic.  What about French?"

"I plead the fifth. Astre in French. Siolastre? Brenna Siolastre?  Neil Siolastre?"

"Marc Siolastre?  Dinah Siolastre?"

"Well, it's easier than Rogatien."

Laz watched Anja on the beach and listened to Paul explain the latest offers for his services, specialized as they were.  His new friends at Blackheath had a small problem they needed help with and they wanted him to do it.  They wanted him to extricate a dissident from Pakistan and get him back to London for a day of meetings and then reinsert him.  They wanted it within the next forty-eight hours.  And they wanted, Paul was telling him, to pay him a quarter mil sterling to do it too.  They'd better want to pay him that, he thought, watching Anja swimming parallel to the shore.  "Okay, Paul," he finally said, after thinking it over.  "Tell them yes and find out the particulars.  Then start moving on getting everything in place.  I'll be back by morning at the latest."

After he hung up he watched her swim, thinking about nothing except what he saw, the strong, clean strokes through the water and the flash of the sun on her skin.  When she headed back to shore he went to the beach to meet her and give her the news he had to go back to work.

She listened quietly. She was often quiet, and still too. He'd learned to accept that part of her and not read more (or less) into it.  Now she was looking out at the water.  Finally she said, "I enjoyed our time together, Laszlo.  Perhaps while you are doing that, I should go back to St Michael's."

"Should?" he asked.

She nodded, and reached out for his hand. "Let's walk." They began walking along the beach. "I told you some time ago I had several years to decide if I would accept the vows of a warrior monk and told you I now cannot. I owe it to the order to return, discuss this with the head of my order and with my master. I must seek their counsel before I make a final choice."

"Okay," he said.  "That makes sense.  So you're going back to St. Michael's for a while.  Any idea how long you'll be gone?"

She looked down at the sand. "A week at least. Perhaps two.. Perhaps longer. Laz, this has been wonderful, and you... But as do you, I have commitments, promises I've made. And I must deal with them before.. well, before I decide where I go from here."

"I understand," he said.  "Is there anything I can do to help?"

"Only... only remember that I will miss you and worry about you, so you must be careful."

"You too," he told her, his eyes intent on her face.

"This," she said, making a vague motion at the horizon. "This is not about what happened in Bangkok. Well, it is to the extent that you are who you are and who you have been since. I'm here because of you, not because of it, and I want to know, before I go, that you understand that I am here by choice and because I care for you."

"Okay," he said.  "I understand that and I appreciate it.  I hope you know as well that I didn't ask you here because of Bangkok.  I asked you here because I wanted you here."

She nodded. "You have said it before. I believe you." She flashed him a smile.

"Good.  Now what do you want to do with the rest of the day we have left before I have to leave?"

"You should surf.  I will watch."

"You want to watch me surf?  Why?" he asked.

"I like to see you happy," she said, blushing. "It is clear that you love it."

"There are other things I love that make me happy that we can do together," he said, taking her in his arms and kissing her.  "Like this," he explained, his mouth covering hers again.

Her body responded to the kiss, proving quite clearly such a plan would make her happy too.

He made love to her on the beach, laying on a blanket he conjured up for them while the waves lapped at their feet.  It wasn't until the tide began to come in that he stopped, but then only long enough to pick her up and carry her into the shower where he made to love to her under the spray that rinsed away the sand and the salt from their skin.

They stopped making love long enough to make something to eat then went to the bedroom where they made love again. Her needs were easier for him to read than they usually were, she indicating what she wanted, what she needed, and he eager to please her in this. And when she was sated she urged him to focus on his own and she brought him to a climax that left him feeling as if every muscle and bone were jelly. Finally they slept.

It was just dawn when he woke her, using the drift of his hands on her skin, seducing her from sleep with pleasure, sliding into her as her eyes opened to his, black meeting blue and their bodies joined and moved and grew hot and exploded.  He left her no time for thought, rolling off her and moving her on top of him so the he could see her, his eyes still on hers.  "I want you to come back," he said.

"I want to come back," she replied, meeting his eyes unblinkingly. And then the sex and the climaxes took them away from mere thought.