perfect - at lea

hampagne glasses, and polished smiles that said

it had been

sure to perform - to be Edward Woods' first son, the succ

ne, when the doors closed and the vale

ne of which he answered. His suit jacket was off, tie loosened, his whit

zing where he was - not until he looked up

s apar

lse fl

and walked up to her door, hear

ocked

gain,

here in shorts and a soft oversized

ol

ke the composed man she saw every day

. Disarmed. Bea

ood there for a moment, breathing,

go," he said finally, voice l

ping aside instin

ift. Nancy closed the door, her brows furrowed with worry. She wen

nod, their fingers grazing briefly - th

ou," he

y as he drank, wa

e glass aside, h

ltered slightly. "Can I

n made her

hing deeper she didn't want to name. But before he

e," she w

itation - and led him down the

lamp casting a warm halo on the sheets. She t

hesitation, he did something

for her h

dn't l

he asked. "Just.

on the bed, side by side. No words. Just quiet bre

touch he

could no longer resist, he slid his arm ar

didn't m

he felt his breath on the back of h

Warm.

ngled lazily ben

talk. They

t

ssed a slow, lingering kiss to her forehead - a k

for a second, her lips parti

already d

in his arms,

asting soft golden stripes across the room. Nancy stirred first,

o

still

a

e

ers relaxed but protective - like even in

ully in his embr

hair tousled in a way she never got to see at the

heart beating far too fast for some

herself, gently pul

eakfast - and mayb

hair into a loose bun, and set to work, trying

eggs into the pan,

tu

. His eyes were on her - not just watching, but devouring. As though seeing her like this - in her kitchen

asleep," she whisper

rough with sleep and something

embled slightl

cheeks warm. "I thought I'd

, stepping closer.

before she felt his hand - slow a

eath c

le.

nst her neck, breathing

di

o his eyes - the ones that always seemed to be hi

," she said softly. "

her chee

n he ki

shed. It was

like time pa

gues tasting. His hands slid down her waist, pulling her

er, never breaking the kiss, her le

in pieces - slo

drank in skin and silence. Breaths m

d her, it wasn't with

her - was som

soft moan escaping her lips, and he kissed down her neck, her coll

spoke loude

to his back, while he whispered he

ak together, trembling and ga

s sur

-

each other on the kitchen floor, t

s chest, his heart beating

hem spoke fo

ured, "I've never felt a

at him, lips b

neit

e, breathless, and complete

just about n

about