John held the piece of fabric in his hands and draped it around his neck. His fingers fumbled with it and managed a mangled knot in a few minutes. Tugging it apart, he attempted it again before fingers covered his. He attempted to turn but the hands kept his shoulders facing the mirror.

"I can only do this from one position and you need to stay still if it's to work."

"Sir?"

"Shh!" John clamped his jaw shut and waited as Mr. Smith's fingers deftly arranged the fabric into a proper bowtie before patting his shoulder. "Turn around so I can straighten it."

John performed an about-face and Mr. Smith's delicate fingers straightened his tie and brushed over the coat. With a nod he stepped back, eyeing John up and down as if he was a model for a suit Mr. Smith wanted to buy. Another nod and his eyes met John's.

"You look rather dashing in my old tails."

"I've never worn them before so I guess we can all release our breath about the anticipation." John tugged his arms straighter. "And even if I didn't look too dashing in it, I'm grateful for the loan. I've none of my own to compare."

"I suspect you left them with all of your other luggage when you made this unexpected trip up north."

"I'd have to have other luggage to do that, sir."

"True." Mr. Smith came a step closer. "I do hope I don't have to instruct you on the finer points of serving as my daughter's escort to something like this."

"I don't believe taking a few points of advice would go amiss."

"Then only take this piece of advice," Mr. Smith held up a finger and John leaned forward. "Trust none of them. They're all rich, entitled, and they'll scalp you the moment they know you're not what they think you are."

John frowned and gave a confused nod. "Yes sir."

"And take care that my daughter does not get over heated. I'll hold you personally responsible for any changes in her temperature."

"I'll keep a mind to her at all times sir." John swallowed, his mind flashing briefly to the evening they shared on the roof. "She'll be the picture of health for tomorrow's activities."

"She's never been one for unwrapping presents. She finds it worthless since, as she says, she's not got time to use them." Mr. Smith hung his head, "Parents aren't supposed to bury their children."

John opened his mouth but closed it again, at a loss for anything to say. They stood in silence until Mr. Smith checked his watch. He huffed and then shook his head, tucking the timepiece back into his pocket.

"If there's one thing women don't understand it's the concept of time."

"Sir?"

"They take forever to arrange their hair or make up their faces or find the right clothing when, in reality, they don't need to go to the trouble." John kept his mouth closed as Mr. Smith continued. "All men need are their faces. We don't care for the rest as it's nothing but distraction."

"Perhaps it's not for us, sir."

"I hope not." Mr. Smith shook his head, pacing away from where John waited to return to his lbrary.

John raised a hand to his hair but then withdrew it as his fingers touched the carefully shellacked surface. Dropping his hands toward his pockets he almost shoved his hands in them but withdrew when he realized they did not go as deep as he needed them to. With a growl he withdrew his hands and clapped them together to drywash as he paced the foyer.

"Nervous?" John turned to see Gwen, leaning on the doorjamb in a beautiful red dress.

"Is it that obvious?"

"I guess the only thing keeping it less obvious would be if you started to drag your fingers along the floor like the animals do occasionally at the zoo in Central Park." Gwen slunk over to him, hands clasped behind her back. "What's got you so nervous?"

"I'm taking your sister to the Christmas Ball as her official escort and your father warned me away from everyone you might know there."

"Except the Crawleys he's not a fan of most of the people who live here in the winter." Gwen nodded, matching John's pace as he continued he trek back and forth down the length of the foyer. "They've either been involved in a scandal he reported on in his paper or they've been trying to sell him scandals."

"Your father doesn't want scandals sold to him?"

"He'd rather trust that most people aren't trying to make a nuisance of themselves and minding their own business."

John frowned, "He's a newspaper man."

"He believes in the necessity of digging for what you find. If someone just hands it to you then what is the point?"

"The point, in some cases is patience." Gwen stopped and John followed her gaze to the top of the stairs where Anna stood, smiling at them. "Waiting for something means that you're willing to accept the best may not yet have come."

"It has if it's on the wings of an angel." John stepped forward and extended his hand to take Anna's when she reached the bottom of the staircase. He scoped her from head to toe, noting the deep red of her dress. "It's a beautiful color on you."

"Gwen and Rosamund were both wearing red and it's the color of the season." Anna let her fingers curl around his hand. "Although we won't see Rosamund's until dinner tomorrow."

"Is she not coming to this Ball?"

"No. The children only attend the ball on New Year's Eve." Anna pivoted to face Gwen, bending at the knees to be at eye-level. "I do hope you'll change out of that immediately so you don't get anything on it before tomorrow night."

"I just wanted to see if it matched your dress." Gwen pulled a bit of the fabric of Anna's toward her. "Yours is more maroon than mine."

"Yours compliments your hair." Anna teased a bit of it before stepping back toward John. "Mine has to compliment my skin."

"To each their own."

"Quite right." All three heads turned to where Mr. Smith emerged. He approached Anna, putting his hands on her arms before drawing her into a hug. "You look absolutely beautiful."

"Thank you." Anna kissed his cheek. "And I've made us late."

"It's understandable." Mr. Smith flicked his eyes toward John. "I'm sure."

"It is." John offered Anna his arm, "Shall we?"

"We shall." Anna waved to Gwen and her father, "We'll be back after midnight. They promised fireworks this year."

"Watch them from outside, Anna. I wouldn't want you overheating."

"I won't." Anna pulled herself closer to John. "He won't allow anything to happen to me."

"I'm sure Mr. Bates will remember every necessity of decorum." Mr. Smith's expression held an unforgiving angle to it and john swallowed so hard his Adam's apple bumped his collar.

"Absolutely sir." His voice pitched and John pulled his coat from the hands of the waiting footman before helping Anna into a loose shawl. "I'll be the picture of decorum."

Anna patted her hand against his chest, "We'll be fine but we'll be a bit too late if we don't leave now."

"Travel safely."

John ducked his head and headed toward the door, holding it for Anna and then hurrying outside. He shivered as the blast of cold air hit them and pulled his coat tighter. Anna just closed her eyes and basked in the chill before taking John's hand and ascending the step into the sleigh.

"You don't need to be so worked up over my father." Anna took the seat, helping arrange the large blanket over John's lap and leaving it so he could arrange it for himself. "He's just protective."

"And what would he do to me if he knew what we'd done only a few days ago?"

"I'm sure he'd find he can't do anything about it now." Anna giggled as John took the reins, snapping them to guide the sleigh away from the house. "You know how to drive one of these?"

"I used to run a few different scams with these." John tugged the reins to guide the horses onto the track. "They're irreplaceable in the winter because so many people expect them and they're not as worried about them as they are about cabs."

"Really?"

"Seasonal desires overcome many people's regular inhibitions." John shivered, "I do hope you're feeling cold enough to enjoy the party."

"I don't plan on letting anything stop me from enjoying this evening." Anna snuggled herself closer to John. "Although I am intensely curious as to why you've not taken any time to visit me since the other evening."

"I thought we risked quite a bit the other night and I didn't want to take further advantage of your father's hospitality."

Anna leaned her head on his shoulder. "I doubt you would've."

"He almost caught me in the corridor when I returned to my room in the morning." John shook his head, "I don't believe in tempting fate."

"Then I guess you'd be a bit disappointed if I told you that I've got plans for you this evening?"

John shifted, "You are a temptress."

"And I do hope it works." Anna nodded toward lights in the distance. "There."

They guided the sleigh into the line with the others, John handing the reins to one of the footman as he stepped out and extended his hand to Anna. "Milady."

"Thank you kind sir." Anna joined him on the snow, her fingers intertwining with his. "This is lovely."

"And I do hope it'll be more comfortable." John dipped down, kissing her quickly. He went to draw back but Anna put her hand to his cheek and held him in place to deepen the kiss.

After a moment she dew back, licking over her lips. "Please let me know when your opinion about the rest of the evening changes. I am still waiting for an official answer to my salacious invitation."

"You're insatiable."

"And you're irresistible." Anna snuck a look down, shaking her head. "I'll have to be careful or I'll melt all the snow I'm standing on."

"Let me help you and we'll melt all the snow in the world."

"So you've promised." Anna interlaced their fingers. "But, for now, I think we should dance together."

"I'd like that."

John led her inside, quickly divesting himself of his coat to the man handing out tickets in return for them. Anna hung her shawl over John's coat and then laid her hand over his arm as they pivoted to enter the room. He hauled in a deep breath, shivering as her fingers graced the back of his neck.

"You can calm your heartbeat." She whispered, leaning her head toward him as John dipped to hear her better. "They'll not eat you for the main course."

"Your father warned me against all of them."

"I didn't say you shouldn't be on your guard." Anna took the first step, John hurrying to keep pace with her, "But if you show fear they can smell it on you and then they'll pounce."

"You make them sound like animals."

"Then in your scams against the upper echelons of society haven't taught you that they're worse than the most rabid of the street urchins." Anna smiled at the host, "Ms. Smith and her escort, Mr. Bates."

"Ah, yes, right this way Ms. Smith." The host snapped his shiny heels at them, weaving between the filling tables like the most expert of dancers to sweep his hand over their chairs. "Your seats for the evening, close to the terrace doors as requested."

"Thank you for your generosity at the last minute request." Anna smiled at him as John drew out her chair and helped her sit.

"It was not trouble miss. Most request away from the draft so it was perfectly convenient for us. As was your request about the main couse."

"Then they did decide on the Cornish game hens?"

"They've kept them for the evening."

"Then we'll take the first course as soon as you're prepared to bring it." Anna put her hand over John's to still the slight tremor there. "We've found ourselves famished."

"Right away Ms. Smith." He nodded at her and John before vanishing on his heel.

"What a pleasant man." Anna stroked her fingers over his hand as she sat back in her chair. "He's better than the one last year. He pestered my father for hours."

"I thought your father wouldn't allow you to attend theses before."

"I didn't. He came home hours early and regaled us for a few hours with the minutia of the evening." Anna gave her bright smile, "He's got a way with words about him that kept Gwen and I up until dawn."

"Then it's a good thing he choose the profession of a writer." John jumped slightly as a man appeared at his elbow. "Yes?"

The man, in an almost entirely white suit with carefully coifed hair that shone almost as brightly as the lights off the crystal glasses on their tables, nodded at John. "Apologies for startling you sir but I wanted to offer you and your lovely guest libations for the start of the evening."

He reached for the glasses, filling them with skill and speed that left no drops on the table but had the glasses to the brim in less time than it took John to blink. With a cough, John reached for his and turned to the man. "Are you our… man for the evening Mr. …?"

"Thomas is all you need call me for the evening, sir." He straightened, holding his decanter near the arm that draped a tea towel. "And I am assigned to this end of the room so don't hesitate to summon me should either of you need anything over the course of the evening."

"Thank you Thomas." Anna gave him her smile again but John missed her turning to him as he threw back the contents of her glass. "Do you need mine as well?"

"Would I be rude to ask for it?" John put his glass back on the table and let his shoulders hunch as he cringed. "I'm nervous."

"Well," Anna kept her hand on his, leaning up to his ear to whisper to him. "I'm nervous as well so perhaps we should be nervous together."

John tightened his fingers around Anna's and took the offered glass. "I'd like that."

"And," She put her hand over the top of the glass, "Drink this one slowly. It'd ruin the evening if you choked on it."

He could only smile and then sip at her drink.

They spent the night in a sparkling haze. John wondered if it was the company or the grander that he could never imagine or perhaps the smile that stayed crinkling the corners of Anna's eyes but he could only see the world in a haze of delectable joy. Each word from Anna almost glowed with its own aura of golden beauty. Her eyes sparkled in the light and each piece of glass in the room reflected and multiplied the light until John decided they ate and spoke on the surface of the very sun. Everything about him just burst with light and his heart almost burst at it.

The feel of Anna's gloved hand against his forehead brought him blinking to the present. Through the beautiful haze he noted Anna's frown and tried to copy it with his own mouth but laughed at it. "What is it?"

"I think we need some air." Anna tugged his hand and John followed her, rounding out of his chair as if he was a cork sprung from a bottle.

The energy soared through him and John took Anna's hand in his. As if the angels themselves wanted this night to end happily, the music began as they escaped to the terrace and John spun Anna out from him. A burst of air from her lungs clouded on the air but John used it to take her into form. With his hand just under her shoulder blade and his other hand grasped about hers, he led her around the terrace.

Swelling music, strings and the soft melodies of the winds, guided them about as John marched them around. His very fingers tingled and John saw the world as if it moved slowly. But even as he tried to match each step with his own, to move at the speed of the world, he moved too slowly. In that moment, as he gazed as Anna, he saw her from birth to death. Each moment in her too short life flashed before her eyes and the shock of the reality of her condition crushed into him like a building collapsing on his soul.

John broke away, stumbling but leaving Anna balanced on her toes. He grabbed for the railing, the shock of cold on his hands jarring his mind free. In the next instance he grabbed a handful of snow and doused his face with it as if to recover from the strongest, most euphoric drink he ever took. His eyes burned, his lungs screamed, and his body fought against the enticing tide beaconing him to return to its embrace so he might enjoy the world from a more golden shore.

He sagged against the stone, the cold sinking into him through the soaking sleeves of his jacket and resting soothingly on his forehead. Another bit of cold hit the back of his neck and John jumped, almost out of Anna's hands. She put one to his shoulder and kept the other holding a chunk of icicle to his neck.

"Are you alright?"

"I don't know." John blinked, squinting into the far darkness to try and distinguish individual lights on the lake and river just beyond them. "I feel… I feel like I could see all of creation down to its component parts and tell you how it all goes back together again."

Anna gave a little laugh, pulling the icicle away to bring him so she could look into his face. "I guess two drinks was too much for you."

"I think it was the kind of drink and not the number." John ran his wet hand over his face before shaking his hand out to rid himself of the residual droplets. "It's finer than the swill I normally assume is sufficient."

"I wouldn't know. I only have wine with dinner. I've never been a big drinker." Anna pulled at his jacket, smoothing over the shoulders. "This was my father's before he stopped going to finer functions."

"He's been very kind to me."

"He's a wonderful man." Anna took a deep breath, "Do you think you're seeing the world a bit more clearly now?"

"It's getting back to its foggier self." John cringed, "I didn't embarrass us did I?"

"No." Anna shook her head, taking his frozen hand in hers and warming it on her fevered skin. "You were a bit more excited than your normally reserved self but you were far from an embarrassment. I just wish you'd been conscious enough for me to tell you all about the embarrassing things others were doing that were far more entertaining."

"I don't care about them." John took Anna into position again. "What I'd prefer is if you'd allow me to dance with you with all of my faculties in tact."

Anna gave him a smile that would have him retrieve the moon for her, should she only ask him. "I'd be delighted."

The music changed and John guided Anna about the terrace. Carefully avoiding patches of ice, sure to ruin the evening should the slick bottoms of their shoes touch it, John led the waltz. Anna's hand occasionally squeezed his but John only followed the direction or warnings it gave him. When the song finished and he went to stop Anna put a hand to his chest.

"Another?"

"I couldn't deny you anything." John whispered and started again.

In fact, they danced to each song until the snow reflected colors other than the dark blues and silver of the moon. They frowned for a moment but then Anna clapped her hands together and ducked around John to stand at the edge of the terrace. With a shiver, and folding his hands into his armpits as their cease of motion finally allowed John's body to feel the cold of the air and the resulting chill from his wet clothing, he followed her.

Soon they were joined by the brave souls who braved the cold and dark to enjoy the explosion of fireworks. The colors danced across the sky but John could barely focus on them. All he could see was the sparkle in Anna's eyes as she gazed with wonder at them. Not the wonder of a confusion or adoration but of appreciation.

He bent his head to her ear, so she could hear him without allowing those about them to engage in their conversation as well. "What do you love so much about fireworks?"

"They're an amazing scientific skill and they are so beautiful." Anna shook her head, as if in awe of the magnificent display before her that popped and exploded in bursts of color coordinated light. "It's as if we're using color to say the things we can't say. To express emotions we can only feel with our hearts but could never find the words to encapsulate for our mouths."

John traced a finger along her jaw, "I'd like to say something with my mouth but I don't think this is the place."

Anna finally turned away from the fireworks and put her hand to his face. "Then let's go somewhere you can say that to me."

It took no time at all from them to retrieve her shawl and his coat. Even less time to climb back into the sleigh and lead the horses home. Their arrival surprised the boy waiting up for them and John only suffered a momentary pang of guilt at tossing the reins to him as he hurried Anna back toward the house.

But instead of the front door, Anna guided John to the side of the house. Pulling a key from her pocket, she opened a gate and guided John up the blind back stairs to the roof. They skirted the edge of a protruding gable to reach her tent on the roof and set to work quickly stoking the fire up and leaving all of the tent flaps tied closed but for a small corner to allow the air to enter the space. But once they were settled and could turn back to face one another, the intensity of their flight and the speed of their motions died away.

John's fingers slid up Anna's cheek, quivering from the cold of the evening as it mixed with his excitement, and he cupped around her heated skin to draw her toward him. Their lips met and for a moment John could feel nothing. But when her warm hands held to his neck as her own anchor, it served to banish the chill over his own skin.

The tie so carefully knotted by her father fell to the floor with the collar as Anna put the cufflinks in the pocket of his jacket. His coat thumped to the floor with the jacket and shoes in a haphazard tumble. And when the braces thumped against his hips, John finally moved his not-so-frozen fingers from her jaw to the back of her dress.

Each tie pulled away as finely as lace until the dress opened like a clamshell around her. Anna eased her arms from the sleeves that were nothing but swathes of fabric that wrapped just below her shoulders and stood still as John maneuvered the dress from her hips. When she could step back out of it, John busied himself lifting the dress to drape it back over a chair. When he faced Anna again his jaw almost dropped to his chest.

The sight of her, standing naked before him, would never fail to take his breath away. He decided that as his one coherent thought in the eternity it took for him to cross to her. Be it the first time or the second or the millionth, he would never cease to gawk at her beauty.

It was a fraction of a moment. It was an eternity. It was the blink of an eye. It was forever. It was all the time they needed for John to stand with his skin pressed flush with Anna's.

They maneuvered as they danced, in unison and with each taking a turn to guide the other. Anna's mouth found his and John gave her all his breath just to hold her closer and wrap his arms around her as if he could pull them together until they failed to separate. Her hands moved over his skin as if memorizing him and he copied her motions to seek out each place she gasped or whined or keened or whimpered or moaned so he could revisit those places. For each of them it was a tactile activity that only ceased when John broke their kiss.

A hazed look sat in Anna's eyes now and John took full advantage of it. While his hands and fingers on her skin had evoked reactions, he now sought those places hi lips would bring her pleasure. With each of stroke of his tongue or touch of his lips or nip of his teeth, Anna strode further and further to the edge John guided her toward as if they were still dancing.

His hands stroked over her thighs, following the tremor in her muscles to open her for his body to the adoration of his mouth of her skin. As he journeyed back up from her other ankle, soothing her with murmured words to match the whimpered sounds from Anna. John's fingers ran over her skin, tracing the shivers when he ran closer and closer to where she practically glowed.

When his breathed over her, Anna's hand flailed to grab at John. He caught her hand, kissing over it as he raised himself over her to meet her lips. She pulled at him, her fingers digging into the skin of his cheeks and jaw to hold him in place as her tongue swept his mouth. But he followed each breadcrumb she left him until Anna pulled back.

Their eyes met, her fingers continually stroking over his face, and John almost did not hear what she said. He leaned closer to her, their bodies shivering and undulating against one another as they tried to find their pleasure while keeping the tension to a point that would not break them. Her fingers on his jaw and neck, digging into his hair, allowed her breath to tickle his ear as she whispered to him again.

"I've never done that before."

"I know." John kissed just below her ear, coming back to her mouth, stroking her hair away from her forehead. "Trust me."

"I do." Anna kissed him again, the violence of it almost knocking their teeth together. "Just show me."

John glided over her body, his shoulders situated between her legs, and dragged his tongue from the edges of her folds to her clit. She twitched under him but John put a hand on her thigh to shift her leg higher so he could slip his tongue between her folds to delve more deeply. His fingers slipped and skittered over her while his tongue tried to taste every bit of her until John found himself in a perpetuating cycle of him chasing her pleasure while giving it to himself until she gushed around his lips.

Anna's fingers dug crescents into his scalp while also clutching at the bedclothes under her. John only caught a glimpse of her whitened knuckles to give him an idea of the knuckles now trying to control his head through her crushing grip on his hair. The kind of grip that allowed John to use his fingers to open her so his tongue could find her again. So he could chase her taste again. So he could then use his fingers stretch her and find that spot inside her that made her almost shriek while his mouth took its pleasure sucking and pulling at her clit.

She came again, her whole body sagging into his hold as John drew his fingers slowly from her still clutching muscles. He kissed over her, using his tongue and lips to try and settle her twitching body to a settled state. A state he was sure, as John continued his motions up her body to tease at her breasts, she might never find. But he persisted as he noted the red blush over her skin that further heated his skin.

They settled, John between Anna's legs, and he waited for her hips to nudge toward his abdomen. His hand on her thigh opened her so he could slip between her folds. Between the two of them, they slipped and slid until John settled as deeply inside her as he could go. John held there, his hands meeting with hers to drag them above her head.

Their fingers intertwined and John thrust forward. Anna's hips rose, her legs wrapping around his hips, and met him thrust for thrust. Her back arched and John dragged his teeth over her exposed neck with each drive of his hips. Over the chill of the night John only followed the snap of their hips as skin met skin. Each move of their hips filled his ears with the sounds of their wet thrusts until he could no longer comprehend anything beyond them.

They were all that mattered.

With his hand holding both of her wrists, John used his other hand to drag over her clit. Anna bucked and gasped under him, her ankles locking around his hips as one of her hands slipped free. The hand she used to hold his ass as each thrust brought them closer and closer to the edge. An edge John fell over first and held himself just there to make sure Anna joined him.

He almost collapsed on her but managed to slide himself far enough back that his forehead could rest on her abdomen while his arms wrapped around her. Anna's hands slipped and slid over his shoulders, keeping him close until they both turned to their sides. With a shuffle and a shift, John landed on his back while Anna turned onto her stomach.

"I think that was much better done in private than in public."

John only laughed, huffing out to try and fill his lungs before turning back onto his side. He supported his head on one hand, the other drawn to her back, and smiled at her. "Much better done in private."

Anna let her eyes close, the smile pulling at the corners of them, and pulled her hair to the side. John traced over her back, whirling and whirling from her shoulders to her ass before dipping over the skin to watch her shiver. Her face ran between a few emotions as John continued until Anna stopped his hand.

He flicked his eyes to her face and met her smile. "What?"

"Are you coming to Christmas dinner tomorrow?"

"Where else would I be?" John kissed her shoulder, letting his fingers move back over her back. "This is a magical time of year."

"Yes it is." Anna sighed, slipping over to kiss under his chin. "And this was the best gift anyone could give me."

"Then I gave you the gift too early since this wasn't the first time."

"It was for what you did with your mouth… twice."

"I'm glad you enjoyed it." John paused, "Unless you didn't enjoy it."

"I enjoyed it very much." Anna bit into the skin of his neck and John quivered. "And I'd like to try it again some time."

"Perhaps…" John bit at his lip, fingers gliding over her ass to slide back between her folds. When she gasped, John almost leered at her. "I could do it after you accompany me to the New Year's Eve Ball."

"You want to go to another Ball with me?" Anna shifted her legs open more so John's fingers dove deeper to allow him to open her further. "Are you sure you should risk it after what happened tonight?"

"I'd like to." John slipped himself behind her, pausing as he leaned over on his knees. "Are you alright?"

"I'm better than alright." Anna pushed herself up, wrapping herself back toward him with a hand on his neck to hold him still as she took charge of his mouth. "And I'd like to see where you can take me."

"Back to the edge of pleasure if I can." John placed his hands on her hips to bring her closer to him as he plunged forward in one thrust. "If you'd like."

Anna could only rest her head back on his shoulder and dig her fingers deeper into his neck as he shifted into her. He thrust steadily, keeping her in place with his hands at her hips before risking one higher up to knead at her breasts. She sobbed, her lungs filling and emptying so quickly her chest almost caved under him.

John tipped them forward, holding Anna under her hands held herself up and he shifted onto his knees. The leverage allowed him to drive deeper, to send them both higher, and bring Anna over the edge between his fingers and the kisses he laid over her back. When she came, sobbing and crying out so loud that the corner of John's mind told him could reveal their activities to the neighborhood, John was not a pace behind her.

He moved them onto their sides, Anna tucked close to his chest as their breathing settled, and stroked through her hair. She ran her hand down his arm to interlace their fingers while pulling his arm around her. They breathed together, bodies cooling under the steady beat of the chill wafting in through the gap in the tent flap.

"Yes."

John frowned, tipping his head toward Anna as she half-turned to face him. "What?"

"Yes." She ran a finger under his chin. "I'd love to go to the New Year's Eve Ball with you. If you'll still have me."

"I'd be a fool not to have you." John hugged her closer, "If I can, I'll keep you forever."