Hands on my ass got my attention and I rolled over to face Dawson, his eyes dark and hot. I could feel his cock against my thigh and was instantly aroused. I opened my mouth, wanting to tell him we couldn’t do this anymore, but he put a finger to my lips. “Don’t talk,” he whispered, and somehow, I knew it was important to be quiet, though I wasn’t sure why.

 

He was already undressed, and he quickly pushed my pajama shorts down my legs and buried his fingers in my folds. He rubbed and teased and pushed inside, thrusting over and over until my moisture poured over his hand, and he sighed. “That’s it, Mari. Come for me.”

 

The whispered words did me in, and the wave of pleasure stroked my skin like a loving caress as I shivered and moaned quietly. “Dawson, please!” I begged. I didn’t have to explain – he knew what I wanted, and he was ready to give it to me. He shifted his weight on top of me and then between my legs, and he rolled his hips back and forth, rubbing against my clit and teasing at my core. And when I couldn’t catch my breath, he drilled into me with a long, harsh thrust his cock was deep and satisfying, filling me, massaging every part of my inner walls.

 

But something was different, and though there was the same desperation that we always shared in the bedroom, there was a tenderness I wasn’t used to in the way he touched me, a sensuality that was more pronounced, and it took me to a level of passion I wasn’t sure I would survive. Instead of the angry, violent pace that was our norm, he fucked me with long, thorough strokes that had me on the verge of blacking out with the pure ecstasy of it.

 

I clung to him with my whole body, desperate not to lose him as I realized this felt like saying goodbye. His lips crashed down on mine, and then he filled me, his body shivering with the effort not to scream as he found his release. I milked him dry, my inner walls pulsating and contracting around his cock with my own explosive orgasm.

 

I closed my eyes in delicious satisfaction as he collapsed, but I didn’t feel his weight on me, and it was strange. I clutched at him, but all I got was air, and I opened my eyes, finding my limbs wrapped around a pillow. It couldn’t have been a dream, I thought. It felt too real. But as I looked around and found myself completely alone – and wearing something completely different than I had pictured – I knew I’d imagined it all, and tears slid down my cheeks.

 

I had no idea if I’d ever feel Dawson’s arms around me again, if he’d ever lie next to me in all his beautiful nakedness, and that broke my heart. I let the tears flow for a few minutes, mourning the loss of something I knew now to be more special than I’d ever wanted to believe. Then, I told myself to get over it. I had to be strong, for everyone. I had to carry myself through this, take care of a little girl who’d already had her life uprooted once before, and I had to make sure Dawson had enough confidence in my ability to do so that he could focus on taking care of himself and getting back to her as quickly as possible.

 

I climbed out of my bed slowly and carefully, fearing the oncoming nausea that was inevitable, and when nothing happened, I took a moment revel in the fact that I didn’t feel sick for the first time in several days. Then, I marched with slow determination toward the bathroom. I needed to shower. I’d feel more alive when I was clean.

 

I was hungry, but I wasn’t going to satisfy my appetite and risk bringing back the morbid illness that had kept me down for so long. I would let myself recover fully and feed myself when I was sure it would be safe, when I couldn’t hold out any longer. I dressed in simple clothes, loose and comfortable – my favorite yoga pants and a soft, long-sleeved t-shirt would be fine for my intentions, which involved nothing more than drawing up my courage to speak to Dawson.

 

Before I called, I had to decide whether I wanted to be on my turf or his. My house was my solace, and I would feel more solid and confident here, in whatever I had to say or do. But it would be easier to end the conversation if it got heated or if Dawson wasn’t ready to back down from some argument or plea if I went to his place. I had a hard time with the idea of throwing him out, but I could readily march out of his house any time I wanted and not look back.

 

Six of one, half a dozen of the other, right? I decided to let Dawson tell me where he wanted to talk. Before I could talk myself out of it, I dialed his number. It went to his voicemail, and I was about to leave a message when my call waiting beeped. I answered his callback instantly. “Hello?”

 

“Sorry I missed the call, ba…Mari.” He was going to call me ‘babe’ and stopped himself. I winced. I hadn’t wanted things to come to this, ever, and I hated myself for what I had to do. “I was on the other line with my mother.”

 

I wondered if he’d told his mother what he planned to do, and why. I wondered, actually, how much the woman really knew about his life. I didn’t ask. “It’s all right. You told me to call.”

 

“Did you go to the doctor?” he asked.

 

I didn’t answer immediately. I didn’t want to lie. Finally, I said, “I think I had food poisoning or something. I took a nap and I feel better now.” Weak and tired still, but not nauseated. Anything was an improvement at this point. “Do you still want to talk?”

 

“Yes.” His tone changed, from worried to despondent. “Are you up to eating? I can make lunch.”

 

I chuckled softly, not feeling the humor. “Thanks, but I doubt I could handle anything more solid than soup or tea.”

 

“Then soup and tea it is. Give me twenty minutes, okay? I haven’t showered yet. I’ve been…busy.” There was the cryptic tone I had grown to hate, silently whenever possible. I gritted my teeth against it, no longer feeling I had the right to come down on him or beg for full disclosure.

 

Instead, I said, “That’s fine. I’ll see you in a few minutes.” I hung up and silently watched the clock on the wall as the seconds ticked by. It became almost hypnotic, soothing, and my heartbeat synced with the ticking. After fifteen minutes, I stood and went to my room, grabbing socks and sneakers from my closet. I sat on the bed and pulled them on, glancing at the time again. It had only taken two minutes.

 

I decided to take some aspirin, my head throbbing suddenly, and by the time I swallowed that, it was time to walk over. I didn’t bother locking the door, and I didn’t carry anything with me. What was the point? I lifted my hand to knock, but the door opened, and Dawson stood there in a tight t-shirt, jeans slung low on his hips, and mussed wet hair. His tattoos glistened, his skin still damp from the shower, and my mouth went dry. In that moment, I thought my nausea would have been preferable. At least I wouldn’t have debated calling a truce long enough to get my fix.

 

He smiled tensely and stepped aside to let me in without a word. He closed the door and, as I stood in the entry by the kitchen, he swept past me, motioning for me to follow. I balled my hands into fists and pulled my cardigan tighter around me, suddenly very cold, though it was toasty and comfortable in his house. I saw the table set with bowls of steaming soup and hot tea. The lemon juice was next to my serving, and I smiled. Dawson always thought of everything.

 

But there was something else on the table, and I frowned. The manila folder, a pen resting on top of it, looked very formal, and I wasn’t sure if I wanted to know what was inside. Clearly, it was for me, but what was it? “Have a seat,” he said finally, and he pulled out my chair like some classic gentleman.

 

He didn’t take a seat until I was settled, and I teased, “Is that where you were this morning? Taking lessons on chivalry?”

 

He returned my attempt at humor with one of his own, though his expression held about as much mirth as that of an executioner for the wrongly accused. “No, I learned that from my mother, who just reminded me earlier that I should act like a gentleman from time to time. Whoever said chivalry is dead hasn’t met my mother and her determination to keep it alive.”

 

I forced a chuckle and tasted the soup. Its warmth going down felt nice, and my stomach seemed quite pleased that I was actually putting something of value into it. “Thank you for lunch. I haven’t had an appetite in days.”

 

He nodded. “It’s the least I can do, under the circumstances. Are you sure you’re feeling better?”

 

I wasn’t sure it would last, but I nodded honestly. “I slept, took a shower, and suddenly, I could breathe without feeling sick. It’s a miracle.” I took a few more bites and sipped at my tea, but I didn’t want to drag this out all afternoon. It was my M.O., and I had to change that about myself. I needed to be more assertive as a person, as a mother, and not just when thing got too difficult to handle otherwise, the way I had at work. “You wanted to talk, Dawson. What about?”

 

He looked away, not meeting my eyes. “I have some business to take care of with you. And I wanted to straighten out a few things, now that you know…what kind of person I’ve been.”

 

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. “Before you say anything, I want to reassure you that, whatever things you’ve done, they’re in the past.  You can’t change them, and you’re working to atone for any damages you’ve caused. I believe you’re a good man in a bad situation, Dawson, and you need to believe that, too. Because it doesn’t matter what happens next. There will come a time that you’ll need to be here for Ginger, and if you keep kicking yourself for everything that it’s too late to fix, you won’t be able to take care of her when that time comes.”

 

It took a lot of strength and determination to get through that speech, and my heart wrenched as I said it. I knew it was as much my forgiveness to him for what he’d hidden from me and the danger he’d put us all in as it was a reassurance that I believed in him.

 

“Thank you, for saying that,” he grumbled quietly. He lifted his hand, slid it across the table, and I thought he was reaching for mine. But I couldn’t be sure, since he drew it back almost instantly. Relief and disappointment battled inside as I thought about how nice it would be to touch him, or to have him touch me, even in such a chaste manner.

 

He took a deep breath and said, “I want you to know everything about how Ginger came to me. And I want you to know how important it is she never finds out about it.”

 

I stared at him, blinking. He’d told me what happened to her father. I didn’t think there was anything else to it, but, apparently, I was wrong. I hadn’t been prepared for this sort of sad story, and I had to brace myself. Deliberately, I picked up my tea and wrapped my hands around the hot cup, partly to keep them warm and partly so they didn’t shake as bad as I told him, “I’m listening.”