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  I shuddered, visibly. He wrapped me in his arms. I remember thinking, as I drifted off to sleep, how nice it felt to be held by him after we’d shared such an intimate experience.

  Gregg never even put an arm around me after sex. As soon as he finished he’d always jump up and run for the shower. It made me self-conscious in the beginning, but he claimed it was just something he’d always done. I was starting to realize just how many things I’d been missing.

  Chapter Four

  I woke up with Darrios spooning me. I smiled to myself. It felt much too good inside his arms. Hearing him sigh, I shifted a little, not wanting to give the moment up yet, when he pulled me closer.

  My eyes popped open when I felt his rock-hard erection up against me. I stayed still for a moment then I pushed back into him a little. He didn’t move. I moved back a little more and I felt him stir. He pulled away, getting up rather suddenly. He padded off into the bathroom without a word. I sighed, a little disappointed.

  He came back a few minutes later, washed up and dressed. His hair was pulled back into a ponytail and he had shaved. He smiled when he saw I was awake. Crawling onto the bed toward me on his hands and knees, he kissed me.

  “Rise and shine, beautiful,” he said cheerfully.

  I threw my arm up over my face. “Ugh, I can just imagine how beautiful I look right now,” I replied.

  He gave me a cockeyed look. “You do. What’s the matter, Gregg doesn’t like the pillow-mussed look?”

  Just by the shocked look on my face, I’d revealed to Darrios that he was exactly right. Damn it!

  “You gotta be kidding,” he said, disgusted.

  “He has a thing about his hair...and mine, in the morning. He likes a fresh start...you know, get up, brush our teeth, get rid of the morning breath, wash...”

  “Yeah, I know,” Darrios said quietly, moving closer to me. “I think he’s a fool. And he’s missing out.”

  Taking my face in his hands, he kissed me deeply, lingering right there near my face. “I think you are incredibly sexy in the morning...morning breath and all.”

  I laughed, nervously, not knowing what to say. I definitely was not used to all these compliments. Stupidly, I said so. Darrios leaned back and said, “Well I think that’s a damn shame.”

  “Can we please talk about something else? I don’t want to spend my last day here talking about Gregg,” I said a little too loudly.

  Darrios gave me a puzzled look but didn’t say anything.

  I lowered my voice. “Last night you said it had been a long time since you'd been with a woman.”

  He nodded.

  “How long? What, a month, two months?”

  “More like three years,” he admitted.

  “Why? I mean...you seemed to enjoy yourself, and God knows everything you did, you did very, very well. I don’t understand.”

  He sighed, a sad expression passing over his face. “It’s a long story, Maggie.” He smiled, then, and said, “Let’s just say you fixed me. Boy did you fix me!”

  I laughed a little and let it go. Whatever it was, it was obviously a painful memory.

  Darrios suggested we go get some breakfast. I smiled and got up. By the time I came out of the bathroom, he’d draped a fresh T-shirt, a new pair of underwear, and even a bra over the back of the chair for me. I smiled to myself. He came walking back into the bedroom and leaned against the doorjamb.

  “They fit perfectly,” he said, pleased.

  “How did you know what size bra I wear?”

  He smiled wickedly, cupping my breasts in his hands. “I took pretty good measurements last night,” he whispered. He leaned down and kissed me. I rolled my eyes.

  ****

  Darrios was anxious to get going. He claimed we had far too much to see and not enough time to see it in. I reminded him that time passed by more slowly here. Surprisingly, he took my hands in his, kissed my knuckles, and said, “It doesn’t matter how much time we have...I still want more.”

  My breath hitched in my throat. It was almost annoying how just his words and a simple look from him could affect me so totally, overcoming my entire body with a heavy, molten heat.

  He took my hand as we headed out. We walked down Rosewood Lane to Main Street then turned and headed in the direction of the mountains. The weather was perfect, warm with a gentle breeze. I glanced around as we walked, trying to take it all in, the clear skies, the floral fragrance the air held from all the different flowers, the beauty of the mountains in the distance. I wanted to remember every detail from this incredible place.

  Darrios pointed to a small building on the left. He told me that’s where we’d be having breakfast. I followed him inside to discover we’d entered a cute little café. It was simply decorated with pale yellow walls and a wood floor. Six tables sat in the center of the room and three wooden booths lined the wall. The ceiling was made of glass, or something like it, so natural light filled the place.

  Darrios explained that it was the only real restaurant in town, but the food was delicious. Since there was no electricity, they had to cook everything on a wood stove or bake it in a wood-fueled oven. I looked around, eager to try a Celio breakfast.

  The place seemed busy, but not overly crowded. We sat in one of the booths and a waitress came right over. She didn’t give us menus, but instead, she rattled off a list of entrees. None of them was anything I’d ever heard of, so I deferred to Darrios to order for me.

  I noticed everyone in the place was staring at us. To avoid the intrusive gazes, I looked at Darrios and then out the window. Darrios waited until the waitress walked away then he took my hand. I motioned with my eyes for him to look around.

  He nodded. “I know,” he said, his eyes twinkling mischievously. “They haven’t seen me with a woman in a very long time. It’s a small town. You’re a big deal.”

  I shook my head and whispered, “I don’t want to be a big deal.”

  Darrios chuckled. “It’s not something you can help. Look at yourself.”

  I immediately pulled away and put both hands over my cheeks, self-consciously. My eyes dropped to the floor.

  Darrios’ smile faded. He sighed. “You know, I really hate what he’s done to you.” He leaned in and took my hand again. “Look at me, Maggie.”

  I slowly raised my eyes to his.

  “When I said look at yourself, I meant that you’re gorgeous, the most beautiful woman in this place...and you’re here with me. They’re going to stare.”

  I smiled weakly at him, again, not sure what to say.

  Luckily, our food arrived just then, causing a welcome distraction. I inhaled deeply, filling my nose with the delectable aroma of I had no idea what. It didn’t matter. It could’ve been human flesh and I would have eaten it just because of the way it smelled.

  My breakfast tasted every bit as wonderful as its scent had led me to believe it would. I had to consciously tell myself to slow down, it was so good. I told Darrios I wished he could order my food all the time. He looked me right in the eyes and, very seriously, said he did too. I shuddered, swayed again by the way his words and his gaze threw me off balance.

  When we were through, Darrios set several strange looking coins on the table, thanked the waitress, and stood up to leave. He held out his hand to me. I glanced around at all the faces, surprised at the hopeful, encouraging looks I was getting. I realized they wanted me to take his hand. They hoped we were together. Placing my hand in his, I stood up, relieved by the public approval, yet eager to get out from under all the scrutiny.

  We walked a few streets down then Darrios turned right. I followed his lead and we ended up at a cottage, very similar to his, only slightly larger. Darrios knocked on the door. A very tiny, but very pregnant woman opened the door.

  She stood about four and a half feet tall with a freckled, cherub face and flaming red hair, cropped short, just below her ears. She reminded me of a leprechaun, but I had the good sense not to say so.

  The woman smiled war
mly, opened the door, and reached out, open armed, to Darrios. He hugged her, awkwardly trying to get around her swollen belly.

  “Sandra, this is...my friend, Maggie. She’s new in town. Maggie, this is Sandra. She and her husband, Evan, are very good friends of mine, The best, in fact.”

  Sandra gave me that same smile and hugged me too. “So good to meet you, Maggie,” she said. “Come in, come in. You know, Darrios, it’s been much too long. Why don’t you visit more often? You know how we miss you. Eva will be so excited to see her Uncle Darry, and so will her daddy.”

  As soon as she’d said the words, a tall, blond, curly-haired man walked through the door, carrying a little girl with the same bouncing, blonde curls. I figured her to be about three years old.

  Her eyes lit up when she saw Darrios and she started squirming in her father’s arms. As soon as the man set her down, she ran to Darrios, giggling as he scooped her up and kissed her cheek.

  Sandra introduced me to her husband, Evan, then invited us to sit down in the living room. He hugged Darrios, slapping him on the back. Sandra poured beverages for all of us and handed them out. I sipped mine, pleasantly surprised to find it tasted very much like lemonade. The only difference was the lavender color. I didn’t ask.

  Sandra asked how I came to be here. Darrios eagerly answered.

  “She fell in over in the western quad of the Outer Rim. She would have been eaten by a molterg if I hadn’t been there.”

  Sandra gasped.

  “I pulled her out of the way just in time.”

  I stared at Darrios, wide-eyed. “Pulled me out of the way? Don’t you mean brutally tackled me to the ground and then dragged me like a sack of laundry between a couple of rocks? Not that I’m not grateful...”

  Evan and Sandra laughed. Sandra lightly slapped my knee. “I know what you mean, honey. It was the two of them that saved me from the moltergs. I looked like I’d lost a boxing match by the time they hauled me to safety. I was black and blue from head to toe. I don’t think either one of them understand the concept of gentle.”

  I thought of Darrios’ touch when we’d made love. He definitely knew what the word meant. I smiled at Sandra.

  “So I’m guessing that’s how the two of you met,” I said.

  Sandra nodded and giggled. “Yup, I fell in over on the east side and they happened to be patrolling. Despite Evan’s rough edges, I was immediately taken with him as soon as I heard his voice, the way he spoke to me. It was as if he spoke right to my heart.” She looked lovingly at her husband, batting her eyes in an exaggerated manner then turned back to me.

  “That was four years...well four Earth years ago...and I’ve never looked back. Eva just turned three and this one is due any minute.” She rubbed her belly affectionately, giggling again. She asked, “How long have you two been together, then?”

  “Uh...we...” I stuttered.

  “We’re not together,” Darrios answered, his voice gathering an edge. “She’s leaving. She wants to go back.”

  “Oh...I’m sorry. I just assumed,” Sandra said, embarrassed.

  “How are you going to...?” Evan started to ask.

  Sandra lightly placed her hand on his arm and he stopped in mid-sentence. He looked at her, then back at me, clearly making the realization that not only had Darrios and I slept together, but he’d obviously gotten me to Avascon. How else would I be able to go home? He smiled and nodded. I looked at the floor. God, could this get any more uncomfortable?

  Evan asked Darrios to join him in the shed so he could show him his latest project. They left, eager, I’m sure, to bail on the weirdness. Sandra told Eva she could go next door and see if her friend could come over for lunch. Eva cheered and ran out the door leaving Sandra and I alone. Terrific. She didn’t waste any time.

  “It’s just that...you two seem so in love.”

  I gasped and nearly choked. “In love? We just met! I mean...we had to...you know...the wish and all.”

  I heard myself babbling, but I couldn’t seem to stop. Luckily, Sandra interrupted. “I get it,” she said, “but don’t you have any feelings for him at all?”

  I softened. “Of course I do. He’s been wonderful to me. Jesus, he saved my life on several occasions, and he’s been so...nice...and warm and affectionate. A part of me wishes I could stay.”

  Sandra nodded, expecting me to continue. Suddenly, I found myself spilling thoughts and feelings to her that I didn’t even know I had.

  “He makes me feel so good, and I’m comfortable with him. I don’t have to censor what I say or worry how I look. He doesn’t care. I mean, at first he was kind of gruff, but now he’s sweet and loving no matter what.” I stood up and paced back and forth next to the couch. “But I have a boyfriend...or at least I had one. I think it’s safe to say that’s past tense.”

  Sandra wrinkled her brow and gave me a sort of half nod. I sat back down.

  “After being with Darrios, I find myself questioning my whole relationship. I know I don’t love Gregg. I mean, how could I be having feelings for Darrios if I did? And what Darrios and I shared? I don’t have the words to describe it.”

  “I knew there was chemistry,” Sandra said triumphantly.

  I paused for a moment, afraid I might start crying. “I had no idea two people could share such intimacy or how much I’d like it.”

  “Maggie, there’s nothing wrong for caring for two people.”

  “It doesn’t matter, because even though I know Gregg and I are through, I can’t just not go back. I have my brother and my Aunt Gin, who are both probably sick with worry by now.”

  I rubbed my hands over my thighs as though I were cold or nervous, but really, I just had pent up animosity toward Gregg and no Gregg to release it on. “As much as I’d like to avoid a scene with Gregg, I can’t simply vanish, especially after the row we had in Hollywood. I have to go back. I mean...I don’t know what will happen once I get home...”

  Sandra took my hand, looking me in the eye. “You have to understand, Maggie. This whole experience will have changed you...and it’s none of my business, but even though you have your suspicions about...Gregg, is it? Are you going to tell him that you slept with another man? Will he believe you had no other choice? Will he believe...any of this? Can you handle it if he doesn’t? Does it matter to you? If you choose to be ‘selective’ in your recollection of events when you talk to him, can you handle not telling him the truth?”

  I leaned back and blew out a breath. “I have a lot to think about...but yes, I’ll tell him everything that’s happened, because unlike him, I am not a lying, cheating weasel. But, honestly, Sandra, I don’t give a shit whether he believes me or not.”

  Sandra leaned back a little and cocked an eyebrow, but she didn’t press for more information. “I respect your decision, Maggie, but I have to tell you, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t disappointed. It would’ve been nice to have a girl friend, and to have Darrios around more often.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “He and Evan used to work together, you know, killing monsters and helping people escape the outer rim to get to Inland. Evan had been working with a guy named Bernie before Darrios fell in. Bernie hooked Evan up with Darrios. Said they needed one another. They clicked immediately and they’ve been best friends ever since.”

  “This Bernie’s name keeps coming up. I really would’ve liked to have met him.”

  “Yeah, he’s quite a guy.” She chuckled. “Very flamboyant. Larger than life, even.”

  I thought of Bonnie and smiled to myself. “Yeah, I know...or knew someone like that.”

  “After Evan and I got together, every time Evan went to work, I sat around on pins and needles, worrying, scared to death he’d get eaten by one of those awful things, and believe me, the moltergs aren’t the worst things out there. Over the years, I’ve heard stories...trust me, you don’t want to know.”

  “Believe me, based on what I’ve seen between the Outer Rim and here alone, I don’t want to kn
ow.”

  “To this day I still don’t understand how either of...any of them get up and go into the Outer Rim. Who does that? Who stays with a job, even embraces it, where there’s a very real possibility you’ll die a terrible gruesome death at any given moment? Definitely not me.”

  “Me either, I can’t imagine.”

  “Anyway, I wasn’t about to sit around and wait for one of those things to kill him and eat him. I couldn’t live with the stress and the worry. It was too much.”

  I shivered, remembering my all too recent experience with said monsters. Sandra continued.

  “I told him I wouldn’t marry him unless he gave all of that up. I wasn’t trying to tell him what to do or give him an ultimatum, but it was all too scary. He didn’t mind giving up hunting, but he didn’t want to abandon Darrios. Darrios tried to convince him he wasn’t abandoning him, but it was Bernie who finally convinced Evan he should quit.”

  “I understand completely. I couldn’t imagine having to spend every day wondering if my husband was going to come home or not. It’s a good thing you had Bernie as the voice of reason.”

  “You got that right, Maggie.”

  “Well, that was one good thing about having a boyfriend who was a pharmaceutical salesman. Nothing too dangerous.”

  We laughed, then Sandra became serious. “I hope you’re making the right choice, Maggie, because I don’t know if you can ever get back here once you leave.”

  ****

  Darrios came back in and suggested we get going. We said our goodbyes then we left. We headed out of town into a heavily wooded area. The tall, lush trees created just enough shade, but still allowed fingers of sunlight to poke through.

  Several different varieties of forest animals scurried curiously about. Darrios assured me they were all harmless. He told me what all of their names were, but I couldn’t remember which one was which.

  A short while later, we came upon a small bridge. The gentle flow of the stream below bubbled over the rocks, creating the most soothing melody. I stopped on the little wooden bridge and peered over the railing into the crystal clear water. Darrios told me the stream opened up later into our journey and that the pond was even prettier there.