Maggie woke with a start, wondering what had disturbed her sleep. Blinking in the darkness, she became aware of Macklin stirring next to her. She reached out, curling around him. He murmured again, and she felt the tension in him, the subtle tremor in his muscles. This is what had woken her – Macklin was dreaming.

She made soothing noises, stroking his skin gently, letting him know she was there. Nightmares plagued them both from time to time. With the things they had experienced, it was only to be expected. She allowed her presence to sink into his subconscious, whispering words of love and promises of protection in the darkness. She held him close, feeling his hard skin gliding under her touch as she reassured him with physical contact, anchoring him to the present, helping him find his way out of the past. His skin was warm, a delightful blend of contrasts – velvet over hard steel muscles. She pressed her lips to his shoulder, inhaling the male scent of him, as her hands smoothed over him.

He turned towards her in his sleep, settling onto his back. His arms were outstretched, flung across the pillows. She tucked herself into him, laying her head on his chest and hearing his strong heartbeat beneath her cheek. Her hand stroked lazy patterns on his chest.

Instinct took over, and she followed with her lips where her fingertips led. The warm skin was intoxicating, his scent filling her nostrils. She outlined each muscle with her lips and tongue, cataloguing each one before moving on to the next. Her attention was fixed on his abdomen, carefully mapping each line of muscle, when she felt his arm slid around her and heard the change in his breathing. She looked up at him, her lips never leaving his skin, and found his dark eyes watching her intently.

"Did I wake you?" she whispered against his skin, feeling him shudder at the tickling sensation of her breath.

"If you did, I'm very grateful," he replied, his voice raspy and sleepy.

She climbed back up him to take his mouth with hers, tasting the sleep and lazy arousal in him. He reached for her drowsily, not entirely sure whether this was dream or reality. The kiss deepened, and he pulled her on top of him, feeling her body pressed the length of him, sighing as his hardened flesh stroked against her thigh. Her mouth left his, fastening instead on his throat, following the line of it down to his collarbone. He hissed as his arousal grew, reaching out to grip the sheet beneath them. Her hands slid down his body, stroking and caressing, dragging her nails over his sides, causing him to arch against her, begging for more contact. She gently nipped at his flesh, catching a hardening nipple between sharp teeth, making him gasp and jerk involuntarily. She gripped his sides, her thumbs digging into the hip bones that framed his washboard flat stomach. Her nails trailed down his thighs, and he felt her breath against his cock a split second before she took him deep into her mouth in one smooth movement.

He raised his chest from the bed, unable to control the surge of anguished pleasure at her touch. He fell back down to the mattress, his head flung back, the tendons of his neck standing out in stark relief against the smooth column of his throat.

"Fuck - Maggie," he breathed hoarsely. He looked down his body to see her crouched between his legs, watching him with a mischievous light dancing in her dark eyes, her mouth wide and distended as she took him in her mouth. He twitched uncontrollably, threatening to come just from the sight of her. Her tongue swirled and flicked around the head of his cock, sliding under his foreskin, tantalising him and driving him insane in equal measure. When she opened her throat and slid down his length, taking him almost to the root, he thought he would lose all semblance of control.

She slid back up his body, her skin silken and hot against him. He tried to control his frantic heartbeat and ragged breathing, but control was completely out of the question while she tormented his every sense. She sat astride him, and he caught his breath at the sight of her, looking down at him, the silvery moonlight caressing her firm, pert breasts and flat stomach. He reached out for her, feeling her nails trail down his chest. He arched towards her, begging for more.

He felt her warmth surround him, the velvet heat of her take his cock in one smooth, supple motion. He heard her gasp as he slid deep inside her, feeling the shuddering ripple of muscles as she accommodated his thickness and length, then the soft rocking motion of her hips as she drew him in deeper, her breathing growing as ragged as his own in her need. He slid his hands up her silken thighs, grasping her hips, feeling them roll against him. He watched, awestruck at the wanton beauty of her, as she ran her hands up her body, over her own breasts, to tangle in her hair, pulling it back, displaying her pale throat, before loosing the silken tresses to fall back down her back. He reached up to take a handful of her hair, pulling her down towards him to take her mouth with his. He could taste himself on her lips.

He felt her shudder, felt the building heat inside her, her breath coming in quick gasps now as she moved with desperate speed, all control gone as her need overwhelmed her. He held her close, held her secure, as she gripped his cock with iron hard internal muscles. Her mouth opened and he swallowed her cry of pleasure, feeling the ripples of her orgasm down his cock.

He gave her a brief second to gather some sense before he gripped her buttocks, smoothly lifting her and sliding to put her beneath him, never leaving her body. He moved slowly and deliberately, sliding deep into her slick flesh, watching her eyes widen at the sensations he gave her.

He closed his eyes briefly, lost in the scent of her skin, the feel of her, the welcome in her arms, the safety in her body. He opened his eyes as she moaned softly, moving her hips against him, demanding more. He gave himself willingly. The world contracted around them until they were the only things that mattered any more, the only real people in a world of shadows.

She arched against him as his mouth settled on her throat, tasting the sweat on her skin. All his power and strength surrounded her, held her, protected her. She didn't have to even think about holding back from him; he could take everything she had, give everything she demanded. She rocked her hips, gripping him hard against her. Her tight hold loosened as she slid her hands up and down his back, urging with breathless words and grasping hands, her body arching and slipping against him in wordless need. She raised her legs, hooking her calves around him to pull him further inside her. He lowered his head to her breast, dragging his tongue over her hard nipple and hearing her hiss of pleasure. She arched further, desperate to bring him closer to her. He sucked at her in reward for her eagerness, her groan almost enough to push him into orgasm. He held himself deep inside her, feeling the growing surge of pleasure overtake her again, determined to ride the waves of her passion, unwilling to let this sublime moment ever end.

She arched against him, her eyes wide as orgasm hit again, harder and deeper than before. He never wanted this to stop, never wanted to be separated from her again. Always this, always together, always connected, owning each other. Nothing but the pulsing heat of her around him, gripping him so tight he could barely move.

He thrust into her again and again, nothing else in the world but this endless slide, this delicious friction. Her breath against his throat, her sighs and moans, half-formed words dragged from her with each press and touch. She felt his shudder, the heat of him inside her, burning her, branding her as his. He grew harder, hotter inside her, throwing his head back and howling his release. She felt him burst deep inside her, ribbons of white-hot heat hitting her very heart, ripping another orgasm from her as he tipped over the edge himself. Her throat was hoarse from the cry he tore from her, the pleasure ripped from deep inside her. Orgasm shuddered through her as though it would never stop. Her breath caught in her throat as all muscles except those surrounding him ceased to function. She heard cries and half-screams, not knowing where they came from, not recognising the sounds of triumphant relief as her own voice mingled with his. Not caring for anything but the feel of him.

Blinding white light burst inside his mind as he lost and found himself inside her. He poured himself into her, feeling her welcome him deep inside, answering with her own heat and passion. The wrench of release left them buffeted, sluggish with sensory overload. Slowly, they became aware of their surroundings again. He could hear her heart hammering against his, slowly returning to normal as they retreated into their own bodies. She could feel the hot slide of his skin against her, sweat easing the movement between them. He cradled her, his hands automatically bearing the majority of his weight, keeping it off her. She inhaled deeply, trying to calm her raging heart and ragged breath, and found herself surrounded with the warm, musk scent of their sex. Their breathing was hard and heavy. Slowly, their gasping breaths settled as they regained control.

He looked down at her. Their bodies lay pressed together, but the completion they achieved when he was inside her had gone for now. But when he looked in her eyes, he could see a bond between them that surpassed physical contact.

He smiled down at her, smoothing her hair from her brow, kissing her slowly, languorously. She clung to him, savouring the delicious heat of his skin against hers, the taste of him, the warm velvet of his mouth.

"What's the time?" she whispered when his mouth left hers.

He looked across the bed to the clock, reading the digital display. He lowered his mouth to hers again, feeling the silken touch of her lips against his.

"Four," he said, his lips brushing hers.