The night was sweet torture. Gary held her breast while they slept. He woke to find himself pressed into the crack between those firm hips. But Caroline didn't stir. And, he knew, she wouldn't really respond until she had slept her exhaustion out. He slipped out of bed taking care to not wake her, care that looked unnecessary.

She had spent two weeks in the field, living on coffee and adrenaline. Contract clinched, she'd flown over most of the continent Friday night. Having dozed on the plane and in the car when he picked her up, she'd staggered into the bedroom to let him help her undress. Then she had crashed.

When he heard the water in the bathroom basin, he started cooking. Grocers sell frozen waffles for occasions like this. She ate neatly, taking small bites but keeping them coming. Seeing her sate one appetite reminded him of how she could sate another. He walked around behind her and played with her ears. She had such pretty ears, with such sensitive back edges. "Miss me?" she asked as she finished the fifth waffle. "I missed you." She covered the sixth with syrup and dug in. He combed his fingers through her hair, feeling the chewing muscles move every time his fingers passed over her temples. "I could take a quick shower," she continued. "I took enough of them the past two weeks."

"Let me have the peasant this afternoon," he answered. "You know that what you really want is to wallow in a tub. I'll deal with the princess tonight."

There is a time for slow undressing, a time for many kisses to each part of your woman as you unwrap her, a time for petting while standing before lying down for more petting. This wasn't one of those times.

He was naked in bed before she finished washing her sticky hands. Caroline shed her robe as she walked through the bedroom door. He saw the firm breasts jiggle to her stride; he glimpsed the nether lips under her trim bush. Then she lay beside him.

Her motion into his arms was a continuation of her motion into bed. Their bodies locked together as their mouths did. While his tongue explored her mouth, his hands passed compulsively over her smooth butt. Her nipples -- already erect -- pressed into his chest as her tongue pressed back against his.

When they had to catch their breaths, she eased onto her back. He kissed forehead, cheeks and neck while his hand brought the covers over them before caressing her torso. Another long kiss with wrestling tongues followed while he stroked breasts and thighs. When he broke away from that luscious mouth to kiss down her throat and shoulders towards her breasts, he finally stroked between those thighs. She parted and raised them, inviting his hand.

As he sucked the first nipple he had tasted in two long weeks, he parted her outer lips. Gently, he moved the inner lips against each other. They moved easily, slickly. The motion pressed out some of her copious moisture; she was as ready for him as he was for her. He knew that he could drive into her then and bring them both to a crashing satisfaction.

Impatient as he was, however, this was a time for patience. He wanted more than her satisfaction; he wanted her repletion. He stroked some of that moisture upward to one side, stroked another fingerful upward to the other side. When he stroked straight up the groove and across her clit, she sighed. Soon, her hips were rising and falling on the bed in counterpoint to his hand's motion.

She reached to grasp his thigh. "Now, darling." He sucked hard on the nipple in his mouth before climbing between her legs. She guided him in. If her hand had been warm, where he was now was hot. Hot and slick and clasping around him.

"I love you," he said while pressed fully within her. "I missed you, not only this."

"I missed you," she said, "especially this."

Then he let himself go, driving in and out and faster and faster. She started clutching around him just before his own spasm struck. He continued driving in and out while his whole being poured out through his cock into her.

She hugged him tight, and he rested all his weight on her softness. Then he moved off her and pointed to the sign he'd had the computer print out and hung on the wall, 'emocleW.' "Welcome back, darling."

When his strength had returned, she was back asleep. He hugged her for a few minutes before getting up.