I was sitting in the park on the grass overlooking the pond, relaxing after a long day at work, content if not wildly happy. After the incident at The Nook, I’d worried about three things. First, that Abby was okay. Second, that she still wanted to see me. We'd had such a great conversation and connected at the end. I needed just a few more minutes, and to be honest, I was actually angry about it. Thankfully, before I went to sleep, I saw that Abby had sent me a text message that she was okay and that she would talk to me when she had the chance.

However, there was a third concern that left me sleepless for the rest of the night. I just couldn’t help but think I was going to walk into work at Lake Ford and find myself terminated. When Hank Lake called me into his office the next morning, I was sure of it. I hadn't even started my shift yet.

"You wanted to see me, Mr. Lake?" I asked, mentally debating if I was willing to debase myself enough to beg for my job, or at least ask to finish out the day. I could have used the money.

Hank looked up from his chair, noticing that I was at least in clean clothes, my coveralls freshly washed and still actually smelling slightly of fabric softener. "Yeah, Bell. I just wanted to tell you that what I saw last night, stays last night. To be honest, I was impressed at how calm you stayed."

I was stunned. Recovering quickly, I found my voice. "Thank you, sir. I apologize if I caused any trouble."

Hank shook his head. "Not at all. I've met Abby Rawlings before. She's a beautiful young woman. Of course, I assume you know that she and Chris were involved before."

I nodded. "Yes sir. But when I met Abby, I didn't know that. When we were in the service, Chris never told me her name. It wasn't until later that the connection was made."

Hank tapped his desk, pondering for a moment before shrugging and continuing. "I see. Well, that's not here nor there, I’d prefer to stay out of that issue. In any case, I just wanted to let you know. By the way, I saw you weren't scheduled for the weekend this week. Planning on enjoying the time off?"

It was my turn to shrug, as I was still flummoxed from the past thirty seconds of conversation. "I was thinking I might look at some apartments if I get the chance. I'm not quite ready yet, but I'm itching to stand on my own. I looked in the paper and saw a few cheap places that don't need a big deposit."

"Most likely in neighborhoods where you're going to be putting that military training of yours to daily use," Hank said with a laugh, tossing his pen onto his desk, where it clattered before coming to rest on his blotter. "All right, I'm not going to tell a man not to be a man. If you need a reference or anything, give them my number."

That conversation had calmed my last fear, and the rest of the week went well. Now, on Friday night, I was in the park relaxing after work not because of lack of funds, but because when I came back to the Tower, I found a tie hanging on the doorknob of the apartment. Holding my ear to the door confirmed that Chris did have some female companion over, a quite vocal one at that. I figured tonight would be a good night to just chill out, and backed away from the door, trying to figure out what I wanted to do with the rest of my evening. From the sounds of it, Chris and the lady were enjoying each other's company, and I'd need plans until at least midnight, if not morning.

Thankfully, unlike some of the guys in the shop who wore their work clothes to and from work, I used the locker room. So while my clothes weren’t exactly dressy, they wouldn't get me kicked out of an Applebee’s either.

The sun was still low on the horizon and the sky was golden when my phone rang, and I opened it up to see Abby's name on the caller ID. "Abby?"

"Hi, Dane," she said, her voice sounding a bit nervous. "How are you doing?"

"Pretty good, but the past five seconds have been the best part of my day," I replied honestly. "It's good to hear your voice again."

"You too," she said. "I know this sounds weird and all, but I was really hoping I could see you again tomorrow. Daddy won't know."

I should have said no. I knew it. I should have said that if we were going to see each other, then we had to be honest with her father, even if it meant that he would be pissed off. I should have, but I didn't. Instead, I let my lust do the talking, which said that if I had to make my way through a mile of rabid pit bulls to see this woman, I would. "Of course. I have the day off, lucky for me. What do you want to do?"

"How about you meet me at the Midtown MARTA station?" Abby asked. "And dress casual. It'll be a surprise. I'll be honest, I'm kind of making this up as I talk."

"Deal," I said, leaning back and just relishing the sound of her voice in my ear. "Abby, are you going to get in trouble for this?"

"Sometimes things are worth getting in trouble for," she said softly. "I didn't understand that before . . . but I think I do now."

"I know what you mean," I said, sitting up on the grass and watching a couple of kids throwing a Frisbee back and forth. "Abby, you're causing a lot of emotional changes in me. Some of them are pretty scary, actually."

I could hear the smile in her voice as she replied, but still, a trace of nervousness clung to her honeyed tones. "Really? Like what?"

"Like for the first time since I can remember, I think there might be a chance that I could find real happiness in life," I said. "Like maybe I'm not just a barely tolerated dog in the world, to be kicked and smacked around until I lose it and bite back. Like maybe there is someone for me, and that there might be a chance at . . . well . . .”

"At what?" she asked, her breath caught in her throat. I could tell she wanted me to say it, but I didn’t want to say it prematurely. We still had a while to go.

"At love," I finally said in a whisper. I ran my hand through my hair and laughed. "Is that too much to hope for?"

"No." Abby's answer came back at nearly the same level of whisper that I had used. "I feel the same way. I don’t know if that’s what this is, but I have hope.”

* * *

The next day, I waited outside the Midtown MARTA station when a white Chevy Camaro pulled up and Abby waved. I hurried over, jumping in on the passenger side. Looking around the interior, I ran my hand over the real leather, impressed. Maybe it was living in the Mayfair Tower, maybe it was that I had a job of my own now, but I had come to be able to appreciate the trappings of Abby's economic status without being too worried about my position relative to them. "Wow, this is a great car."

"Thanks," Abby said. I couldn't help it—I stared at her as she pulled out. She was wearing jean shorts, not quite short shorts but damn close, with what I was sure was about a mile and a half of toned, beautifully tanned leg sticking out, along with a blue tank top and her hair pulled back into a thick, braided ponytail that completed the package. I could feel blood begin to rush to my cock, and I could only sit there like an idiot. When we got to the stop light, she looked over at me and smiled shyly. "You're staring. And not wearing your seat belt."

"Sorry," I replied, jerking my eyes away and putting on my belt. "Just . . . you look beautiful today. So what is on your agenda?"

Abby's smile was contagious, and she jerked a thumb behind her. I looked and saw the folded bulge of a blanket and a picnic basket. "I guess you can tell, but I'm an outdoors-type girl, and I couldn't think of anything better than having a picnic with my boyfriend."

"Is that what we are now?” I asked. I tried to think back to the last time a girl had called me her boyfriend, and I realized it was nearly a decade prior, back when I'd just gotten out of high school. Of course, I’d had plenty of hookups since then, at least before Iraq, but never had I been someone's boyfriend. “Are you sure about that? I’m not the most popular guy around here.”

Abby got on I-85 and headed north, letting the horses under the hood of her car walk it out some. I wasn't sure exactly what she had, except that it was one of the newer Camaros, but I doubted she was running a factory standard motor under the hood. I'd heard enough engines in the near month that I was working at Lake Ford to know a tuned up car when I heard it. “I’m positive,” she said as she smoothly merged. “After today, I was thinking that no matter what, I’m going to tell Daddy we’re going to see each other. He’ll be so pissed off at me that I lied to him, but I don't care. After last week, I have to follow my heart, and it’s time for me to put a stop to him controlling my life. I’ve let it go on for so long that it has become second-nature to him.”

"So what did you tell him, anyway?" I asked, curious. I wanted to say something else, but didn't have the words just yet. "Just so that when he kicks in my door with his twelve-gauge ready, I’ll know what to say."

"Oh, he doesn't have a twelve-gauge," Abby said, then looked over at me. "He's got a ten-gauge."

I rolled my eyes, laughing. "Even worse. Although I guess it means more mess for the coroner to pick up. It's worth it, though. So what did you tell him?"

"Well, I was invited to a party by Chris Lake," she said, "down near the reservoir. Anyway, I didn't tell him flat out yes, but I did arrange for Shawnie to go in my place. She's going to say that I invited her too, and that I would meet her there. If Chris asks, I'll tell him that I had car trouble or something. Daddy doesn't need to know more about it, except that you and I were together instead of at the party like I'd originally told him."

The way she said together sent shivers down my spine, and I hummed, half nervously. "So, we're lying to both your father and to the man who is giving me a place to stay. This sounds like a dangerous game.”

"I'm willing to take the plunge if you are," Abby said. It was easy for her to say. She had never really experienced any consequences in her life. Not that I wasn’t in—I was all in—but I wasn’t sure if she would stick to it once the going got tough.

"Dane . . . my feelings for you are hard to put words to."

"Then let's wait until we get to wherever it is you're taking us," I said. “It's probably safer to drive when you're not searching for words."

We left Atlanta, heading out into the suburbs, until Abby took an off-ramp and drove me down a few winding roads to the side of a river. "I thought about a park. I even thought about us going to Six Flags, but I decided that I wanted something more private."

“Even better,” I said amiably as I got the picnic basket and blanket out of the back. "Ooof, this thing weighs a ton. What all do you have in here?"

"You're a big man, with big appetites," Abby teased, her meaning very clear. "I wanted to make sure we were both satiated today."

Abby led me down a narrow path to a clearing, where I spread out the blanket. "What is this place?"

"Just a fishing spot that Daddy and I would sometimes go to when the creek at the house was boring," Abby said. "It's special to him because it's the spot where he and Mom got engaged."

Abby spread out the blanket underneath a huge magnolia tree, the shadows from the wide leaves giving us plenty of shade. "It's beautiful today," she said as I took a seat.

"Abby, can I ask you a question?"

"Of course. Shoot.” Abby opened the basket and took out a sub sandwich wrapped in butcher paper. It was easily a foot long, and about as big around as my forearm. It looked like it could have fed a horse. "Sorry. I would have come up with something more homemade, but it would have looked funny. Thankfully, the picnic basket was in the garage, or else we'd be eating our picnic out of a plastic shopping bag."

"This is just fine," I said, unwrapping it to find a turkey sub with bacon and cranberry mustard dressing. Easily a half pound of turkey slices, probably an entire pack of bacon, and just a bit of cheese complimented the whole package. "It's a little Thanksgiving, isn't it?"

"You can always enjoy a good Thanksgiving," Abby said, taking out a can of Pringles and a bottle of Cheerwine. She handed them to me, then got her own, much smaller sandwich and sides out, along with the same Cheerwine. When I looked at her bottle, she raised it in a salute. "A Southern tradition, you know."

“I love it,” I answered, toasting her and opening both bottles. "I guess my question is, what happens next?"

"What do you mean, next?" Abby asked carefully, setting her bottle down. "Do you mean with me going to grad school? Well, I'm planning on going to GT for my Masters too, and after that, well, we'll just have to see. What do you think of North Carolina? Duke and UNC both have great Ph.D. programs."

"Last time I went to North Carolina, it was on leave," I said, thinking back into my memories. "I ran into some boys from the 82nd. When they found out I was 101st, we had a friendly discussion that ended up with my getting a black eye."

Abby laughed and sighed. "That's what I like about you, Dane."

"What?" I asked, taking a huge bite out of my sandwich. It was juicy and delicious, and I reminded myself to get the address of the shop from Abby, no matter what. "That I got my ass kicked? I mean, I gave as good as I got against three other guys, but that’s beside the point.”

"No, that you're secure enough in who you are and in your maturity that you’re willing to admit that. Any other man I've ever met, after the way we met, at least, would have told me a litany of lies that made him look like the world's biggest badass," she said, laying back on the blanket and letting her body stretch out. She looked so sexy, I couldn't have taken my eyes from her anyway. “You’re the real deal, and you don’t try to flaunt it. It’s refreshing. And you know what else?"

"What?" I asked.

"I'm hoping that you’re going to take advantage of our privacy and this blanket," she purred, cupping her breast. "I've not been able to get that night out of my mind for six weeks. If that's what you meant by what's next."

It wasn't, but I damn sure wouldn’t turn something like that down. Setting the delicious food aside, I lifted the basket out of the way, making sure it was clear of anything before I lay down next to Abby, pulling her into my arms and softly kissing her lips.

I tasted the sweet wine on her mouth and tongue. Her breasts pushed up into my chest, and her legs were warm and strong under mine. Abby's kiss was tender and loving, her fingers running through my hair and pulling me in tighter.

With a giggle and a squeal, we rolled until she was on top, kissing me with her hair dangling over our face. Breaking our kiss, she traced my forehead and eyebrows, looking down on me. "Dane.”

“Yes, Abby?” I asked as she wiggled her body, rubbing against my now raging hard on.

"Call me Abs. You're the first person to ever do that, and . . . well . . . I kinda like it."

My answering combined chuckle and moan was more than enough of an answer, and we kissed again, my hands going from caressing to demanding, hungry to feel the silky smoothness of Abby's skin and to see her nude in the shaded afternoon light. "Abs." It came so naturally.

She lifted her body enough for me to pull her tank top up and off, leaving her in just a lacy bra. I repeated the name over and over, kissing down her throat and finding her pulse on her collarbone. She mewled and gasped, struggling to form a question. "Please, can you take off your things too?"

"Please? I like that," I teased, letting her get off me while I sat up. I'd dressed casually, but still more than she had, with a light cotton, button-down shirt to go with my own cargo shorts, five years or more out of fashion, but what I was still comfortable with.

She reached for the button on her shorts at the same time, and I noticed that her bra had a front clasp this time. I wondered if she had planned on seducing me even as we had talked the evening before. I couldn’t complain. I’d hoped for it either way. She saw where my eyes were fixed and raised an eyebrow, unclasping the bra and letting her perfect, heavy teardrops expose to the air and to my view. I reached up, cupping one of her breasts and letting it rest in my hand. "You certainly like these."

“How could I not?” I replied, taking my hand away and undoing my shorts. I pushed them down, glad I'd worn the Nikes instead of boots, as I could pull my shorts off easily. "Sorry, forgot the shoes."

"I don't care," Abby said, reaching for my cock. "This is what I've been desperate to have."

"I'm just a big cock life support unit then?" I teased, causing her to stop and smile.

“Oh you’re a little more than that,” she teased. “But yes, you sure know how to use it,” she said with my dick in her hand. “And there's something I've wanted to do that I didn't last time."

"Oh?" I asked, thinking back to the night in the apartment. It was hard to concentrate when I had a beautiful woman stroking my cock with her small, perfect hand, and my thoughts were totally blown away when she quickly knelt and took the head of my cock in her mouth, sucking and licking the sensitive tip.

Abby's lips sealed around my shaft added to the sensation, and I knew if she kept that up, I was going to fill her mouth with my come before she even got all the way down. Reaching forward, my hand traveled over the smooth curve of her backside, noticing that she'd lost a few pounds since our first night. It must have been the stress of studying, I thought, but I didn't mind. She was perfect no matter what, and as my fingers reached between her butt cheeks to find the warm moistness of her cleft, I shuddered as she groaned around me.

I stayed there for as long as I could, Abby slowly bobbing her head on my cock while I rubbed my fingers over the edges of her lips. Finally, I couldn't resist it anymore and I pulled back, grabbing her ponytail and pulling her up into a searing kiss. Our lips were hot and liquid, flowing over each other and sucking hard while we growled. Our inner feral natures were coming out, and this beautiful woman was more than willing to match my inner nature with her own passion.

"Give it to me, Dane,” Abby hissed at me as her fingers pulled at the muscles along my shoulders and neck. "Show me what you can do."

Her words stirred my passion to flaming heights, and I pushed her back onto the blanket, her legs wrapping around me as I claimed her mouth with mine again. Reaching down, I aligned myself with her wet entrance and pushed in, not too fast, but unrelenting. If she wanted to be my woman, she would be my woman.

Abby didn’t make a single sound of complaint as I sank my entire length into her. A warm moan started deep in her chest as I pushed farther and farther in, until my balls rested on the curve of her ass below me. Pulling back, I looked into her sapphire eyes, which were wide with amazement and pleasure. Tracing my hand over her heart, I let loose the words of my heart. "You're going to be mine—forever."

She smiled, bringing her hand up to rest over my heart, her voice thick and syrupy with desire. I pulled back and drove into her again. Shudders rippled through her body with the feeling. We fell into a fast, hungry pace, demanding from each other everything the other had. My right hand was still wrapped with her ponytail as I drove into her over and over, our eyes locked on each other as our passion built. I'd never found a woman like Abby before, whose genuine desire matched my own in perfect harmony, rising to meet me and pulling me in for more and more.

My orgasm built quickly within me, and I didn't care. I could tell she was on the edge as well. I knew it—and knew there would be other times for gentleness and tenderness. This was about laying claim to each other. I was determined to make her mine.

Faster and faster, my hips rose and fell while I pinned Abby to the blanket, my hand tight in her hair and her fingers raking down my back. I felt the steely fire of my skin tearing as her fingernails cut furrows in my back, but the pain fueled my passion even more, and my hips pounded into her even harder. "Yes, yes, yes," she cried, biting her lower lip. "Fuck me!"

We raced each other toward our orgasm, my body trembling and covered in sweat from the exertion and the heat of the early summer day. With a trembling growl, I plunged my cock into her one more time, her legs tightening as Abby's orgasm swept through her, her fingers digging in harder than they ever had. The feeling of her pussy clenching and massaging my cock that last time was the trigger I needed, and I exploded, letting out a powerful, feral growl.

When I was finally done, and my body relaxed into the boneless happiness that is the wonder of a post-orgasm glow, I leaned down, kissing Abby tenderly and rolling both of us onto our sides. "I think I’m falling in love with you, Abs."

“Me too, Dene," she said. When I cocked an eyebrow, she smiled and traced my face with her fingertips. “In my studies, I ran across the word that the old English used for the Viking warriors. They called them Dene, or what eventually became Dane. I thought it appropriate for you.”

I kissed her softly, my heart warming. “It’s fitting, given what I’ve turned to religiously. I'll treasure it, Abs. Maybe I can get it tattooed on my body somewhere."

"I was thinking of maybe having it tattooed on mine," Abby replied with a smile. “And what do you mean? Are you into Norse mythology or something?”

I shrugged and shook my head. “I don’t know—kind of. I started looking for something to believe in after my conviction. But it started a little before that.”

"Tell me about it," Abby said softly, rolling back and pillowing her head on her arm. "I want to know everything about you, even the dark parts."

I nodded and rolled onto my stomach, tenting my chin on my hands and looking out at the river beyond. "I guess part of it was my upbringing. My family was one of those weekly churchgoing families—every Sunday, like clockwork. But there was nothing happening despite all that praying. It continued in the Army, as some of the biggest assholes I knew were also some of the most churchgoing. Still, I tried to keep at least a little bit of faith, but after what happened in Iraq, I practically gave up on it. So I thought about it, and I picked Norse mythology because it seemed to fit what I was going through. It's a religion where everything pretty much goes to hell, and the good guys get screwed in a major way. Kinda fit in with my outlook on life back then."

"And now?" Abby asked. "Do you still think that life sucks and then you die?"

I rolled to my side and kissed her nose, shaking my head. "I don't know for sure, but things do seem to have taken a turn for the better.”