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The next morning, just after the girls left, the physical therapist arrived. This would be Joe’s last visit at home, since Declan was more mobile now. He could get around without crutches and rarely needed a walking boot. While the two of them worked together, Lila cleaned up the kitchen, answered some email, then went upstairs and turned on the faucets of the tub. She used to take long, luscious baths all the time, often with the girls, sometimes with Declan. As she sank into the bubbly water, the scent of jasmine floated up to her, just as it had all those years ago. She thought back to one time...

“What are you doing?” she asked when Declan came into the bathroom and started to shed his clothes.

“The three of them are down for naps. Who knows how long they’ll all be quiet?”

“It won’t be long.”

“Then move over, darlin’.”

He’d touched her until she was ready, then she went up on her knees and settled onto him.

The girls woke up minutes after they exploded into a hurried, but cataclysmic orgasm....

Now, she shivered at the hot memory and closed her eyes to savor it.

“Hmm,” she heard some time later. “This is a pleasant surprise.

Smiling, she looked up. “How did you get upstairs?”

“Very carefully.” He leaned against the jamb. His hair was damp, and a clean navy T-shirt stretched across his pecs, making her want to touch his chest. “Wish I could join you.”

“I was just remembering a time when you did.”

He gave her a cocky half-grin, one that used to come all the time when they were married, but she hadn’t seen in a very long time. “I like hearing that.”

“Do you need to shower after the PT?”

“Nope, I managed one alone downstairs.”

She gave him a sideways glance. “How long have you been able to do that?”

“Not sure...”

“You devil. You made me help you when you knew you could do it alone.”

“I’m no fool. By the way, Joe took off all the gauze and I’m just in an ACE bandage.”

“No more boot at all?”

“Only if it’s feeling exceptionally weak or tender.”

“How is it now?”

“A bit of both, because of the exercise.” His gaze was intense. “Are you done in here?”

“Yes.”

“Get out, I’ll dry you.”

As gracefully as she could, she climbed out of the tub and stood before him where he sat on the toilet. Turning her around, he dried her back first, rubbing a thirsty yellow towel from her shoulders to her waist in soft slow circles. How could that be so sexy? Then he pushed her away some and leaned forward over, drying from her feet up. “Spread your legs.”

She did. The towel inched between them. He slid it back and forth. She shivered even more this time. “Cold?”

“Hardly.”

After removing the towel, he turned her around and cupped her soundly. Her gasp echoed in the small space as desire streaked though her. She was so weak-kneed, she had to grasp his shoulder to keep herself standing.

Despite her reaction, the drying continued. He took his time with her neck and shoulders, then made sweeps across her breasts. Her nipples peaked. He ran the towel back and forth over both of them. The terrycloth was soft, but still abraded her. She swallowed hard. At one point, he said, “Put a foot on my knee.”

“Dec, this is killing me.”

“Baby, you ain’t seen nothin’ yet.”

Slowly he dried one foot, between her toes. Her calf. Why was he going so slowly? She wanted more. Much more. When he got to her thigh, she was completely exposed to him. He took the end of the towel again and ran it between her legs, teased her clit, back and forth, back and forth. She struggled to stand upright. “You like that?”

“Oh, yeah.”

“Other leg.”

He followed the same procedure, and when he got to her opening a second time, he rubbed the towel hard. Harder. And Lila burst into blazing pleasure that went on and on and on.

Afterward, he kissed her knee. “You’re all dry, sweetheart.”

“I’m wet as hell.”

It was his turn. Because his foot still needed consideration, he stretched out on the mattress spread-eagled. Lila was flushed all over when she came to the bed. Climbing onto her knees, she reached for something on the night table. When she opened it he smelled the sinful aroma. Oil.

Which, when she placed it on his chest, was warm. “Did you heat this?”

“No, it turns warm on contact.”

“How the hell—oh, God, that feels good.”

She rubbed his torso all over with strong muscular hands he forgot she had. Then she started at his feet. “You gotta be kidding me. I’ll go over before you even get to my cock.”

“Wouldn’t be the first time.”

“I remember those teenage nights.”

She massaged each of his legs and finally got to ground zero. Taking his penis in her hands, she proceeded to rub it between her palms. The action felt like a million bucks but before he couldn’t think straight, he grabbed for her and pulled her over him, spilling the bottle onto the floor.

“Come up on your knees... that’s it... Now slide down.”

She impaled him. “This feels so right, love.” He could hear tears in her voice, see them in her eyes.

 “How did we lose it?”

“We were selfish. I love you more than I did then, Dec. We can make it this time.”

“I love you more, too.”

Silence while he moved her up and down, enjoying the slippery slap of her against his thighs, the sensation of her muscles contracting around him. When he could stand no more, she sensed it and took over. She went at a slow pace, and he wanted to wait till she was ready again, like they used to, but... “I can’t wait.”

“Me neither. Come with me, Dec.”

“Always,” he said.

Passion combined with tenderness and a deep gratitude for finding what they’d lost, and they burst into one beautiful multi-colored flame that consumed them both.

They were still naked when Whitney texted that she’d picked up the girls and was heading for the city. “See now,” Lila said proud of herself. “We don’t have to get dressed at all.”

“You put a robe on to bring us food.”

“Yep, and to get that.” She gestured to the night table where a chilled bottle of champagne he’d received as a housewarming gift sat. “Want some now?”

“That would be perfect.”

She poured the bubbly into glasses, spilling some over on her hand. Declan licked it off, slowly, sexily, and even after what they did already, she savored his touch. Propped up against the headboard, they bumped shoulders, clicked glasses and toasted.

“To making love,” he said.

“How many times did we do it?”

“Three, if you count the one in the bathroom.”

“That was just me.”

He laughed. “Well, I guess you owe me one.”

They held hands, linking their fingers like they always used to. “Happy?” she asked.

“More than I ever thought I’d be again.”

“Me, too.”

“We lost years, honey.”

“Which I regret so much it makes me ache.”

Thinking of all the troubles she’d seen in her practice, Lila asked, “Have you thought about what I said the other day, about seeing a counselor of our own?”

“I did. I think we should.”

They spoke of other things as the day passed. His work. Hers. She told him about Robert leaving the new branch of the VA. “Will they ask you to do the job?”

“I don’t know. But it doesn’t matter. I won’t take it.”

“Why?”

“Too much administration for one thing. I like working on the interactive website and doing longer, in-person counseling.” She set the champagne glass aside and turned toward him. “Besides, since you gave up your missions, we’ll have time to be together.”

“Yeah, we will.” He pushed a lock of hair behind her ear. “Why didn’t we make these kinds of compromises before?”

“We should have.” She kissed his pecs. “We should have, Dec.”

When both felt the sadness intensify, he said, “Move onto your side.”

She did. He cuddled her close to his chest and let his hand drift lower. His clever hands massaged her breasts, then he sneaked two fingers between her legs, into her opening. When she was ready, he thrust inside her from behind. It didn’t take long this time, as they began to move with a rhythm that came back to both of them. At least this, they hadn’t lost.

They ordered dinners of prime rib, grilled asparagus and Caesar salad from a local restaurant and ate as lustily as they’d made love. The meat was rare and succulent, the salad tangy, and the asparagus done al dente and dipped in hollandaise sauce. Then they sipped tart red wine and gazed into each other’s eyes. He felt like a lovesick fool, but he didn’t care.

Grasping his hand, kissing his knuckles, Lila said softly, “That first year, I thought I was going to die. I missed you so much. My body went into shock not being near yours every day.”

“Mine, too. Remember how much we called each other at night?” That contact had been torture and nirvana at the same time as they had some pretty hot phone sex.

His jaw tensed at the remembered pain. “When we stopped sleeping together the second year, I was a wreck.” He swore again. “We were so stupid. Why couldn’t we see that?”

“Life intruded. We didn’t compromise. We were both stubborn.”

“And I was more selfish than you, love.” He didn’t know how many times he’d have to make this confession, but he knew he hadn’t said it enough yet. “I should have come to D.C. It was your turn.” He kissed her lips and they tasted like Merlot. “I am sorry.”

“Accepted. Though you stayed partly because of Maggie. Who I shouldn’t have left.”

“So much regret hurts.”

“Let’s put the pain away, Dec. Not forget it, but go on from here.”

“So long as it doesn’t happen again. Promise me it won’t.”

“I promise.”

She leaned back in the comfortable dining chair. “Ready for dessert?”

“Yeah, but I can’t make it back upstairs. We’ll have to go to the den.”

It took her a second to grasp what he said. “I meant the chocolate triple-layer fudge cake we ordered.”

“We can eat that there, too. After.”

The next day, Lila and Declan woke up together and just held each other, thinking about how lucky they were. Not everybody got a second chance. Then Declan announced they were going for a walk. “Joe said only a block or so. But I need to get outside and move some.”

They went slowly in the bright and beautiful morning, holding hands and brushing up against each other. The birds chirped loudly, as if sharing in their happiness.

He wanted to prolong the closeness. “Favorite memories.”

“What?”

“Tell me your favorite memories from when we were together. And not when the kids were born. Of us two.”

“I loved walking together like this.” Lila yanked a twig off a tree. “In college, we took a stroll every single night.”

“Our classmates used to tease us.”

“They called us lovebirds.”

“We were.” He sighed. “Now we are again.”

“I’ve got another.” Lila smiled. “Swimming naked in the lake.”

“Hell. We got caught a couple of times.”

“Once by other kids.” She remembered standing in the cold water and shivering when others came into view. “And by the cops.”

“You begged them not to call our parents.”

“It was worse when they found us after we moved back to Lakeville.”

He’d forgotten about that. “We were in our thirties.”

“That’s what the cops said.”

“Remember Old Walt? ‘What would your children think?’”

She laughed again. “That was so funny.”

“Not at the time, love.”

Six stories later, they were back at the house and Declan’s phone rang.

“I’m not going to answer it.”

“As a parent, you can’t do that.”

Standing before her, he ran his knuckles down her jaw. “I’m not ready to give this up yet.”

“Maybe the call’s innocuous.”

It wasn’t. It was Ben. “Dec, I know you weren’t supposed to come in until next week, and I’ve actually been off a couple days, but there’s been an incident. A shooting. People in high positions were hurt and are being transported to MedStar as we speak. That’s all I know.”

“Was the president involved?”

“No. Is there any way you can come in?”

He hated to do this, but said, “I’ll leave now,” and disconnected.

“What is it?”

“I’m sorry, sweetheart.” He explained what Ben had said.

“You were hurt only two weeks ago. Are you strong enough?”

“I have to be.”

“Dec...”

“Lila, I have to go in. Will you drive me?”

“I-I guess.”

“What?”

“It’s nothing.”

“Work’s intruding on us, isn’t it? After we made promises.”

“Yeah, I guess.”

“What should I do?”

“You’re right. You have to go in. I’d do the same thing.”

“Still, this is déjà vu?”

“Not exactly.”

“But close enough, right?”

“Yeah, I guess. Close enough.”