This part might be a bit shorter because the next one is intense. I wanted to warn you in advance. Lex was a monster and I don't hold back describing him or what he's done.
But this part is fun. I think a few have been looking forward to it.
Enjoy!
++++
Mayson called the next morning and told them that a hearing was scheduled for Friday morning. She also informed them that Lex wanted to see them both on Thursday. When they informed her that they would, indeed, see Lex, she set up separate meetings on Thursday. That meant there was nothing for them to do until then but take care of their family and go on their date Wednesday night. Lois had mentioned it several times. Martha seemed to be fueling the excitement and anticipation, which caused a smile to grace Clark's face nearly all the time. They also managed to pick out new beds for Collin and Perry.
Early Wednesday evening found Clark standing in the middle of his bedroom trying to decide what to wear on his date. He'd mentioned that he wouldn't mind getting dressed up, a statement that sent Lois on a shopping trip. Now, as he stood there looking down at his choices, he wished he'd gone as well. Finally he chose a charcoal suit with a crisp, white shirt and a solid tie. He'd just finished dressing when his mother stepped in the room.
"Hey," she said softly as she approached him.
"Hey. Is my tie straight?" He worried with the item for the tenth time since putting it on two minutes ago.
"Relax, son." His mother walked over and pinned a red rose bud to his lapel. "There. Very handsome."
"Thanks, Mom," he said with a smile. "Is she ready?"
"For the date?" she asked, reading deeper into her son's eyes and question.
"For any of this," Clark clarified.
"She's ready, Clark. And she needs this," Martha told him. "Just... be patient, always tell the truth, and love her like crazy," his mother finished in a whisper.
Clark's smile faded and he looked at her with as serious an expression she'd ever seen on his face. "I already do," Clark whispered back.
"I know," Martha let him know as she checked him over. "Now, go have fun."
"We will." Clark grinned and left the room. He was informed on the top of the steps that Lois would meet him downstairs in ten minutes, then the older Kent hurried into her bedroom. Not sure what that was all about, Clark continued downstairs to wait for his date.
He checked the oil and other vital fluids in the Jeep, made a last check to make sure it was clean, then walked back inside. It was still three or four minutes before he finally looked up when Lois stepped off the stairs. His breath left him in a rush. She was wearing a little, black dress with thin straps. Her hair hang loose around her creamy shoulders, framing her face. There was a silver necklace around her neck, with matching earrings on her lobes. A beautiful silver watch was wrapped around her left wrist, and she was holding a small, black clutch to match her dress. Long, perfectly toned legs ended in shoes with a slight heel.
And he could smell the faintest scent of perfume that accentuated her own fragrance. The entire effect was so profound it made him lightheaded.
"Clark?" she asked when he didn't say anything.
He blinked several times to get his bearings. "Ah..." His eyes swept down her body again. "Wow!" His hands had been in his pockets, but he pulled one out to wave at her. "You look..."
"Is it that bad?"
"Oh, baby, it's that good," he mumbled and stepped forward to hold out his hand. "Ready to go?"
She smiled widely. "Yes." And she took his hand, allowing him to lead her out of the door. They'd said goodnight to the twins already and left Martha and Jonathan on the steps grinning at them.
****
When Clark glanced at her the sixth time in two miles, Lois shifted so that she could see him clearly. "What?" she wanted to know.
He grinned, but waited until they stopped at the stop sign before he looked at her. "Lois, you look sensational."
"Really?" she asked, glancing down at herself. "I was so nervous it was... over the top. But then I saw you and well..."
"Well what?" he asked as he turned left and headed further away from the city. "Should I have dressed up more?"
"Are you kidding?" Her eyes were wide and very appreciative as they swept over him... again. She'd been tongue tied when she'd first seen him. "Clark, you look... sensational," she repeated the same thing he'd told her. "I love that tie."
Clark ran his hand over his tie with a frown. "You don't like my other ties?"
"Actually, I don't think you could pull off solid very often."
"I'll take that to mean you like my ties."
"I love your ties," she said softly as she settled back in her seat. When he pulled onto the interstate, her eyes went to him again. "Where are we going?"
"To dinner," he informed her.
"Har, har," she replied and decided to enjoy the ride. Fifteen minutes later they pulled into the parking lot of a bed and breakfast.
Clark placed his hand on hers when her frantic eyes refused to meet his. "Relax. They happen to have one of the best restaurants around."
She let out a breath of relief. "Sorry."
"No need to be." He squeezed her hand before he jumped out and ran around to open her door. As she stepped out, he held up a red rose. "For you."
Her eyes snapped down to the flower, then back up to his. "When...?"
"My secret," he insisted and stuck out his arm. She slipped her hand in the crook and they walked inside. Lois was surprised when the hostess greeted them by name.
And she was floored when they were led into an empty dining room lit entirely by candlelight. Hundreds of candles were everywhere, casting a warm glow on the entire room. In the middle of the room was a beautifully decorated table, with flowers and more candles. Once seated, Lois found it difficult to tear her eyes away from her surroundings. Soft music was playing in the background, completing the effect.
"Clark, this is..."
He looked up from his menu to watch her gawk at her surroundings. "Too much?"
Her eyes came around to meet his, her expression almost making him want to skip right to desert. Only the desert he wanted had nothing to do with dinner.
"If this is what you do for a first date, I can't understand why any woman would walk away from you," she said very seriously.
Clark closed his menu and laid it aside. "This date is a bit more special than any other I've ever been on."
"Why is that?"
He reached across the table and lightly touched her hand, his fingers stroking her skin gently. "A first date never meant as much to me."
The sound of his voice, the look in his eyes- she felt a rush of heat through her body. Why this man? Why now? After everything she'd been through?
Her hand flipped over quickly and she wrapped her fingers around his. "It means everything to me," she confessed.
Swallowing the lump in his throat, Clark glanced down at their joined hands. This felt *so* right. *She* felt so right. Her hand in his- it was exactly where it should always be. His eyes went back to hers and they stared at one another for a long moment before Lois smiled.
"I think we should order pasta."
He couldn't help but smile at her. "I think I'll have seafood."
She pulled her hand away and opened her menu, glancing at him with a wicked grin on her face. "Ah, come on. What's the fun in that?"
Clark laughed softly and went back to perusing his dinner choices. It was going to be a *long* night.
A long, exciting, *hot* night.
****
Had dinner ever been as good as it was tonight? Lois thought as she walked along holding Clark's arm. Had she ever had such a nice time on a date?
After leaving the restaurant, they'd driven to a park just a few miles from the house. It was much different than Centinnenial Park in the heart of the city. It boasted fountains, benches, play areas, and even a pond, two in fact, but there was more vegetation. Large trees of every variety, small trees, bushes, and flowers of every kind known to man grew everywhere. One pond was large, offering visitors a choice of activities. Paddle boats, regular boats, and kayaks were available to rent. Or you could bring your own. There was a bridge across the neck from one side to the other. A creek wound its way through the woods, offering more opportunity for visitors to enjoy the outdoors. During the summertime, on the south side of the park, there was amusement rides of all kinds.
"Want to go over?" Clark asked as he motioned toward the flashing lights of the carnival in full swing.
"Dressed like this?"
"Then how about we check out the concert?" He started them walking again.
"Concert?" she asked as they stepped off the bridge and headed toward the back end of the park.
"Summer concert series. They showcase local artists. On Saturday mornings at the amphitheater, there's a artisans' fair."
"Local talent?"
"Mmm," Clark answered with a nod.
"Maybe we could come out Saturday."
"Maybe."
Lois looked around the park as they walked, the music beginning to slice through the night air. "The kids would love this place."
"I can't wait to bring them to play."
"I know." They continued on until they reached the top of the wall above the stage. Rock seating had been stacked up a hill, giving the effect of being a natural part of the landscape. They chose a spot in the middle of the wall at the top and sat down. They listened for nearly twenty minutes before a new group was introduced. Lois gasped when she recognized the keyboard player. "Jack!" she breathed.
Clark looked over at her with a smile. "His group is good, but his true gift is writing. Some of his songs are amazing."
"Shhh," Lois hissed, entranced by the music she heard. Jack's group only played four songs in their set, but all four were fantastic. She clapped enthusiastically when they were done. "That was great," she said after.
"I thought you'd like it." He stood and held out his hand. "Ready?"
"We're leaving?"
"Just moving on to the next part of our date."
She kept her eyes on his as she took his hand and rose to her feet. He led her back to the car and drove them toward home.
"Clark?" she asked when they turned on their street.
He just smiled at her as he drove past the house to the end of the cul-de-sac. There was an empty lot between their house and Perry's, owned equally by each of them. He parked and led her through the sparse thicket toward the back of the property. They faced one another and Clark smiled at her.
"Are your shoes tight?" he asked her.
"What?"
He pulled his glasses off and tucked them into his inside jacket pocket. Her eyes were wide, questioning as she watched every move he made. His hands went down to grasp her sides. "Let me give you the moon," he told her and the air rushed around her. When they stopped moving and hovered among the stars, Lois gasped. He hadn't taken her up this far before. The stars looked close enough to touch. "There she is," Clark pointed out the moon hanging in the blanket of blackness. From this distance it was huge.
"Oh, Clark," she breathed as she looked around. "This is... "
"I know." He glanced at the stars. "I never get used to it."
"How could you? This reminds you just how small you are." Her eyes kept searching her surroundings, awe all over her face. This was beyond stunning. They hang there in silence, Clark allowing her to soak it all in.
Of course, while she was busy taking in her surroundings, he was busy staring at her. Had he ever seen a woman as beautiful as this one? Not being able to control his wayward limb, his hand lifted and he trailed his fingers down her neck, from below her ear to her shoulder. His action caused her to bring her eyes around to meet his.
"Will you go out with me again?" he asked her, not even close to what he wanted to say, but the safest by far.
"Yes." Not an instant of hesitation in her reply.
His hand opened and he barely touched her shoulder as he moved it over and down her back. It came to rest on her side again. "I think I should take you home."
That surprised her. By the way he said it, things had changed from a few moments ago. The expression on his face had changed, and he kept his eyes averted from hers as he brought them back down to Earth. They were parked in the driveway when Lois reached out to grasp his hand, effectively stopping him from getting out.
"I've had a wonderful time."
"So have I." He smiled, but it didn't come close to reaching his eyes. He tried to get out again, but she was still holding his hand.
"What happened, Clark?" she prodded softly. "One minute you were with me up there and the next you were gone."
Clark sighed and eased back against the seat. "Lois, you move me like no woman ever has." His free hand gripped the steering wheel, though he was careful not to grasp it too hard. "Being with you tonight, holding you close..." He turned his head to look at her. "It was time to come home before my blood started boiling."
He was being a gentleman. His explanation was tame compared to what he truly felt. But he wouldn't tell her the depth of his feelings. Not now. He felt it was too soon, felt she wasn't ready to handle it.
She wasn't... ready to handle it. Maybe ready to hear it, but it *would* be too soon.
"Aren't you gonna open my door?" she asked him.
He laughed, her expression telling him she completely understood. She completely accepted it, even if she didn't want to. He saw that, too. Her eyes were too expressive not to see it all.
He jumped out and hurried around to open her door. They talked softly and laughed a little on their way up to her room. They stopped at the door and Clark cupped her cheek. "Thank you."
Her hand covered his, her eyes searching, begging for more. More than she'd ever had before. More than she'd ever felt before.
Don't do it, he told himself even as he leaned forward. Just one touch, on and off before she knows I've been there.
He's going to kiss me, she chanted silently as his face moved closer to hers. Oh, oh...
And he was there. His lips touched hers, soft, gentle, undemanding. He tasted *so* good!
Gone before she could stop him, she was left standing there with her eyes closed, stunned by how good it felt to be kissed by Clark Kent.
"Beautiful," Clark whispered as his thumb stroked the skin under her eye. Her eyes opened and he smiled at her. "Goodnight," he said.
Left to watch him walk the distance to his bedroom, Lois missed him already. "Goodnight," she whispered. He stopped and looked back at her, then stepped into his room. When his door was closed, she was finally able to take a breath. It was another moment before she could move. Inside her room, behind her door, Lois wanted to sing. She hadn't felt this lighthearted, this good in a years.
And suddenly all she could think about was their next date.
****
The lighthearted feeling was completely gone, replaced by overwhelming dread. Sickening, painful aching washed over Lois in waves as she paced back and forth beside the table while she waited for the guards to escort the devil into the room.
"Lois, you're making me nervous," Mayson told her. The lawyer had refused to allow Luthor to see Lois alone.
"I'm making *you* nervous?" She snorted a wry, humorless sound, clearly indicating she felt Mayson didn't have a thing in the world to be nervous about. The door clanged and she stopped, fear washing over her in waves. She wished Clark was here, but he would see Lex after she had. The prosecutor refused to honor the madman's request to see them both at the same time.
Lex stepped into the room and his evil leer washed over his face. "Lois, darling," he drawled.
"I'm not your darling," she told him coldly.
"Ah, I see you've already regained a bit of your fire." He hobbled over to the table as best he could with his hands and feet shackled, and with a bullet hole in each leg, and dropped on a chair. "So, how is my wife these days?"
"I'm not your wife either," Lois said. She refused to sit down, not wanting to be in the room with that slime longer than she had to be. "Just tell me why you wanted to see me."
"A man has the right to see his wife."
Lois stepped forward and slammed her hand down on the table, bringing herself face to face with him. "I am not your wife!" She stressed each word as she said it.
His brow arched and his leer deepened. "That's the reason I chose you," he said softly. "I just *had* to taste that fire."
Mayson shot to her feet and reached out to grab Lois when she lunged for Lex. "Sit down, Lois. Don't give him the satisfaction," Mayson told her.
Lois stared him down for a long while before she finally eased to a chair. "I should have killed you when I the chance," she bit out.
"That goes both ways," Lex admitted, the smile on his face slowly dissipating. "Tell me, are your... little bastards well?"
Mayson placed a hand on Lois' arm to disarm the next explosion. "Mr. Luthor, I don't think that's called for. Her children are none of your business. Your lawyer has informed you that the DA has filed a motion to bring charges for the many crimes you've committed against my client."
"Yes, which is utterly ridiculous. Lois married me. She is my wife. I did not rape her."
"Yes, you did," Mayson spoke up before Lois could. "Paul Lang has supplied evidence to support that fact, as you will find out during the hearing tomorrow. Now..." Mayson stood up. "Being as you have nothing further with my client, I think this meeting is over."
"Oh, but I do have something for your client," Lex said with that tone that left little doubt that he'd been hiding something. "You see, Paul Lang was not the only doctor who worked for me."
Lois felt a moment of panic. What in hell did he mean by that?
"My personal physician performed a few tasks for me that Lang knew nothing of."
"What tasks?" Mayson asked him, sitting back down.
"Oh, no, Ms. Drake. I will not divulge such precious information until I have a signed agreement that I will not be charged with the rape of my wife."
"A charge of rape is not going to make much of a difference in light of the murder charges, Luthor," Mayson spoke up, all pretense of formality gone.
His eyes bore into Lois', who didn't waver a bit. "It will make a difference to me," he replied. "I will know that *she* knows I've gotten away with what I've done to her."
"Go to hell!" Lois spat at him and stood up to leave.
"I assure you that you want to hear this information," he called after her. "It involves your children." That stopped Lois at the door on the other side of the room and when she turned back toward Lex, he grinned. "I thought you might be interested."
"What about my children?" she asked as she walked back over to the table.
"I want my deal."
"You tell me what I need to know or I will climb over this table and choke you with my bare hands," Lois said between clenched teeth.
"You will go back to jail."
"It would be worth it," she insisted.
They stared at one another for a long moment before Lois turned back toward the door. "I'd rather the DA ask for the death penalty," she said and tapped the window for the guard to open the door. "Even if it means you're never charged for anything you did to me."
"The girl is dying," Lex said as she stepped through the door. Lois froze. The expression on her face was worth it, he thought as he grinned at her. "A nasty, little bacteria is eating her up as we speak. She'll be dead by Christmas."
Lois went back again, a thunderous roaring in her ears. "What?"
"She was injected with a little concoction my physician was experimenting with." He shrugged. "Another test involved with the mind control drugs. We wanted to see how her death affected you. But then things got out of hand and well, I figured if Lang had her when she died, no great loss. She meant nothing to me anyway. The boy either for that matter." He laughed aloud. "Actually, he meant fifty billion dollars to me."
"This bacteria," Mayson began. "Was designed to work slowly?"
"Oh, yes. In fact, I'd bet your little angel is a sickly child. You've probably been told she has cancer, which the attack on her system closely resembles."
Lois and Mayson exchanged a look, then slowly Lois smiled. "I'll be sure to tell her doctors what to look for." This time she did leave. Clark was waiting in the hallway a few rooms over when she came out. "He's mad!"
"That bad?"
"Yeah. Go see what he wants with you, so we can get out of here."
"Okay." He reached out to squeeze her arm before heading in the direction she'd come from. He stepped into the room with Luthor a few minutes later.
"Ah, you must be the anonymous sperm donor," Lex said with a smile. "Of course, you're not so anonymous anymore, are you?"
"Cut the crap," Clark told Lex.
"Looks like Perry White has a taste for reporters with attitudes. Tell me, Mr. Kent, are you sleeping with my wife?"
Clark cut his eyes at Mayson, who shook her head in disbelief. Luthor was trying to get under his skin, but he was not about to give him the satisfaction. "What do you want, Luthor?"
"I just wanted to the meet the man Paul felt should father *my* children."
"Your children?" Clark asked incredulously. "You have a hell of a way of viewing things."
"I am a man of vision and the only way to achieve brilliance is to pursue greatness."
"Is that what all of this was to you? Lois is a human being, not some piece of meat you can do with what you want to do."
Lex grinned widely. "You *are* sleeping with my wife."
Clark, who had remained standing when he walked in, leaned over the table to bring his face close to Lex's, placing his hands on the surface to hold himself up. "Just so you have something to think about while you're waiting to die in this hellhole, I don't have to rape her to get what I want." Clark stood up and turned around to leave, but stopped at the door. "And, Luthor, nothing is quite as sweet as stoking a fire into a raging inferno."
Mayson snickered as she stood up to follow Clark out. "The charges *will* be filed," she told Luthor before she left, too. Clark was leaning against the wall taking deep breaths in through his nose when she made it to the hall. "Nice, Kent," she told him and tugged on his jacket so they could leave. Lois was standing in the parking lot looking fit to be tied.
"It's about damn time!" she snapped and jumped in the car. "Come on, Clark. We have to meet your parents at Star Labs."
"What?" He looked between the women as he stood beside the car holding Lois' door to keep her from closing it.
"Lex told Lois that his personal physician injected Perry with some kind of bacteria that was supposed to kill her."
"WHAT?!" he nearly shouted.
"Relax," Mayson told him, reaching out to place a hand on his arm. "Her super blood must be fighting it off because Lex said she should be ill. And last time I saw her she was wide open."
"She's on the way to Bernie for tests to make sure," Lois told them. "So let's go!"
Clark gave Mayson an apologetic look before hurrying around the car.
"I'll see you at the hearing tomorrow morning," Mayson shouted as they drove off.
An hour later, Bernie came out of his lab carrying a happily chatting Perry. He gave the worried parents a wide grin. "I don't think we'll ever have to worry about this child being sick," he told them.
"Hi, Daddy," Perry said as she fell over into Clark's arms.
"Hi, baby," Clark said as he held her close.
"Uncle Bernie gave me a sucker." She showed him her prize. "Hi, Mommy!"
"Hi, sweetie," Lois told her.
"Perry definitely inherited your blood, Clark," Bernie went on. "Any bacteria that might have been there is long dead." He reached out to hold Perry's hand. "Come see me again, Perry."
"I will. Bye-bye!"
"Thank you, Bernie," Clark told the doctor and carried his little girl out into the hallway. His parents had stepped out to allow Collin to walk a bit and when the boy saw his daddy, he ran that way. Clark bent to catch him with his free arm and smiled at him.
"Well?" his mother wanted to know.
"She has super blood," Clark told her.
"Bernie doesn't believe she'll ever be sick," Lois finished the explanation.
"That's my girl," Jonathan announced and reached out to take her. "Who wants ice cream?"
"Dad!" Clark whined when both children yelled their agreement.
"Oh, hush, boy," his dad said. "Getting poked with needles deserves a little ice cream."
"Give it up, Clark. Grandpa outweighs Daddy," Lois told him as she wrapped her arm around his back and leaned over to tickle Collin.
Clark laughed softly, giving up his protests. They'd all eat ice cream today. For once he was glad to be Superman. If he hadn't been...
Well, the alternative probably wouldn't matter. If he hadn't been Superman, these babies probably wouldn't exist in the first place. But he was really glad Perry had inherited his super blood. It had saved her life.
****
It was barely three in the morning and Lois was awake- again. Finally giving up trying to go back to sleep, she got out of bed and padded out of her room. She stopped in the doorway of the room the twins shared. They were both sound asleep in their new beds they had all picked out. One was pink, one blue- toddler size. Clark said they could get bigger ones later. He wanted them to be little as long as they could. So did she. After a final look, she headed toward another room where she knew she could find a bit of solace.
Why Clark had become so important to her well-being she'd never know. The door was only half closed, the way it usually was. He left it open for her, she was sure. Venturing inside, she could see he was lying on his back tonight. One arm was above his head, the other resting on his stomach. He had kicked the cover aside in his sleep and she got a full view of his perfectly sculpted body. She'd never seen him go to bed without a pair of shorts on, but tonight all he was wearing was the tight boxer briefs he wore instead of traditional underwear. The cloth stopped mid-thigh, accentuating his toned muscles. Black- he was wearing back underwear. Underwear that sat low on his stomach where perfect abs gave way to...
She tore her eyes away from his lower body, feeling herself burn in embarrassment. Clark was certainly built a lot different than Lex.
And even as that thought entered her mind, she forced it right back out. Lex Luthor didn't have a place in this house. Yet, he was the reason she was awake. Almost painfully anxious about tomorrow's hearing, she didn't think she'd be able to sit still until it was over, much less sleep.
Standing in the middle of Clark's room in the dark ogling his near naked body wasn't going to get her back to sleep either. But it was much better than thinking about Lex, she had to admit as she stood there looking at the man on the bed. He was beyond gorgeous. She moved closer, gently eased onto the mattress, and reached out to touch him.
The time the mattress moved, Clark was awake. He'd been on the edge of sleep all night, his thoughts too troubled to rest. He'd been thinking about everything that happened earlier in the day and was keyed up tighter than a stretched rubber band. He'd been flying, taken three showers, worked on the furniture in the office, checked on the kids, and had been lying here for a while wondering if he should just go ahead and get up. When Lois' hand touched him, he kept his eyes closed. He was curious to see what else she'd do.
And excited as hell. He'd almost jumped up when he realized she was standing in the room looking at him. After his last shower, he'd left his shorts off and he was briefly worried about his state of undress with her in the room. But undoubtedly she liked it. Or didn't dislike it. She hadn't run screaming from the room.
Her hand smoothed over his solid pecs, down just under his arm. The hair in his pits was a faint white, indicating he'd used a bit too much deodorant. She liked his deodorant; it smelled really good.
Her hand kept moving, across his shoulder, over his arm, to his hand. He had a lone freckle on the back of his left hand. Her finger touched the mark and she smiled. He had great hands.
She continued down, onto his stomach. Could she hear his heart beat? It was slamming rapidly against his chest; her touch driving him wild.
"I know you're not asleep," she said softly.
His lips curved into a smile, but he didn't move, didn't say a word.
"You feel..." She leaned over and laid her head on his shoulder. "Dangerous."
"Huh?" he asked, opening his eyes to look at her.
"Have you ever wanted something you know might not be good for you? Something that you know is the best thing in the world you could ever have? Something that's the safest, most gentle thing you could think of even though it's also the scariest thing in the world?"
He brought the hand down from over his head and smoothed his way up her arm. "Lois, we don't..."
"I know that. I really know that," she said as she sat up, leaning on her elbow. "We don't have to do anything. But God help me, Clark, I want to," she told him softly.
He leaned up on his elbow so they were face to face. "I don't want to scare you..." He lifted his free hand and touched her face, threading her hair through his fingers. "... but I want that, too."
"I'm scared," she admitted.
"I know." He continued to play with her hair, moving it behind her ear. "I made a decision a long time ago that because I was different, I would have to be careful who I shared an experience like that with. Lana and I were together six years before we ever slept together. Yeah, we started dating when we were fifteen..." He shrugged, grinning widely. "Mayson and I were together six months before we were intimate." He watched his fingers trail down her arm. She was wearing a tank top, exposing her creamy shoulders. "I've met other women I was attracted to. Some I've thought about that with." His eyes met hers. "But I have never met a woman that I was attracted to the way I am to you." His voice was low, husky with pent up desire. "When I look at you, I'm very glad I'm a man."
"I'm glad you're a man, too," she told him and grinned. He chuckled softly as he laid back down, bringing her with him. He wrapped his arm around her and squeezed tightly.
"God, lady, I'm glad I know you."
"I'm glad I know you." She held him around the waist, scooted a little closer, and threw her leg over his stomach.
"Even if it might kill me," he mumbled.
She giggled and sighed heavily. "I'm staying."
"I know." He kissed the top of her head, then closed his eyes. He might have to take a swim in the Arctic at dawn, but he was going to hold this woman tonight.
Lois, too, was content where she was. Her libido screamed one thing, her mind another, and her heart still another. She'd figure it out, eventually.
They'd figure it out together. She closed her eyes and relaxed for the first time that night.
