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Major's phone beeped in mid-session with a client. A legit client, for a change, not Vaughn du Clark. Major could do without more time spent in the Max Rager offices right now. He still had to get back to the suspected zombie list, a task he had been pleasantly distracted from by reconciling with Liv.

Peeping at the caller ID, he couldn't help grinning when he saw her name. He had never expected to be back together, or to be this happy, again, and now that he had it, he wanted to bask in every moment.

As soon as he was done with his client, he called her back. "What's up, buttercup?"

Liv laughed. God, he loved to hear her laugh. "You're as corny as Kansas in August, that's what's up."

"Guilty as charged. Anything else?"

"Yeah, some potentially not so sunshiny news. Hang on." There was a pause and a click as she presumably went somewhere private and shut the door. "Ravi thinks we shouldn't have sex."

"He's that weirded out about passing you half-naked in the hallway? Wait—just at my place, or at all?"

"At all. He's really concerned about the transfer of certain … things, and wants to run tests."

"Ouch. I mean, on the one hand, I like that he has my best interests so at heart, but on the other … blocked by a tall, handsome Brit? Should I be concerned?"

"I love that you're taking this so well," Liv answered. "And, I know you're not serious, but for the record, you're all the tall and handsome I need, thanks."

It was good to hear. Not that he'd ever been seriously concerned about her relationship with Ravi, but he couldn't help the occasional dark thought in the dead of night. Speaking of … "You know, just because one menu is out doesn't mean we can't switch restaurants."

"Yeah?"

"Mm-hm. There's something I always wanted to try, anyway. How do you feel about Skype?"

So they set up the date. Liv had a glass of wine in her hand when the call connected.

"Getting fortified? Kinda hurts my manly feelings that you need to be boozed up," he told her.

"It does not. Besides, it's not you I need to be boozed up for, it's this thing." She tapped the screen.

"Technology can be scary, but it can also be your friend."

"Thank you, Mr. Monitor. Trying out for a children's show?"

He laughed. "I don't think what we're about to do is for children."

"No, but I'm hoping it'll be quite the show." She grinned at him wickedly, and he was glad to see her starting to get into the spirit of the thing.

"When do you want to get started?"

She drained the glass, refilled it, then toasted him with it. "Okay. Two glasses of wine. I think I'm ready."

"It doesn't get any safer than this."

"We could just wait until Ravi finishes his research."

"Nope. It's on."

"High card strips," Liv said. "Draw." He took a card off the deck in front of him and looked at it. "What did you get?" she asked.

"A two," he bluffed.

"Liar. Show your card, Lilywhite."

Reluctantly, he flipped the card over and showed her the nine. Liv drew, glanced at the card, and turned it around to him with a smile. It was a seven.

"Read 'em and weep."

He groaned with mock disappointment, then reached for the collar of his shirt, starting to pull it off over his head.

"Slow down, now, make it a show," Liv said.

"Hey, don't you dare make me feel cheap."

"Come on, everyone knows this is how you put yourself through college."

Major grinned, yanking the shirt off over his head. He hadn't wanted to tell her, but he'd been nervous about this, too, as much as it had been his idea and a long-time fantasy. But stripping for Liv now, anticipating her reaction to seeing him naked—always good for his ego—was even more of a turn-on than he had imagined it might be. He tossed the shirt off over his shoulder and leaned toward the screen. "Hey, how about a face card means you provide a little dirty talk?"

"We'll see." Liv had never been one for a lot of excess words in bed. She lifted the bottle of wine. "I may need to finish this bottle first." Putting the wine down, she reached for her deck of cards.

"Wait. Let's show each other at once. Build some drama."

"All right." She held the deck in front of her. "Three. Two. One." They flipped their cards, showing each other, then glanced at their own. Liv had a four, Major a king.

"Well, luckily, I'm wearing four pairs of socks."

"No, sir. Full monty. Gimme the goods."

"All right." He stood up and stripped off his boxers, showing her the little surprise he'd picked up.

Liv frowned at the screen. "What? A G-string? Uncool."

"I play to win." He sat back down—a little gingerly. The G-string had been tight when he put it on, and now, half-hard with anticipation as he was, it was fairly constrictive. "Now, draw, lady. Three. Two. One." This time he had a seven and Liv had a queen. "Oh, yeah." He folded his arms, waiting for the show.

Slowly, a little hesitantly, Liv pulled off her shirt, showing him everything that lay under it—no bra. God, she was so beautiful.

"All right. That did the trick for me." Major grinned at her through the screen. "'Night."

Liv laughed. "Chicken."

"Oh, now, what kind of dirty talk is that?"

"I'm sorry, here I am showing you the girls in all their glory and you want dirty talk, too? Let's see what you have first."

He flexed, letting her see all the carefully defined muscles of his chest. "I think I went bare-chested first, if memory serves. Let's see what else you have on."

"Fine." She stood up, showing him the toned muscles of her stomach, and unsnapped her jeans, shimmying out of them. New underwear, lacy and black.

"Damn, woman." Major adjusted himself. "I think I'm going to have to move to the bed. Care to join me?"

"Oh, yeah."

There was a pause in the action while they each got set up. By mutual agreement, they weren't going to go the full full monty onscreen, but looking at her firm, soft breasts was arousing enough. Major shifted enough to pull off the constricting G-string. "Will you—will you touch them for me? You know, the way I like to."

Hesitantly at first, then with more confidence as it felt good, Liv cupped and stroked her breasts.

"Then … with your thumbs. Oh, yeah." He sighed with her as she rubbed her thumbs across her nipples. One hand drifted down over his stomach to stroke himself lightly in time with her movements.

"I wish you were here," Liv said softly.

He refused to get drawn into regret over the situation. "Pretend I am. What would you do?"

"Kiss you."

"And then?" Her mouth was shaped like a kiss right now, her eyes half-closed, as she massaged her breasts and imagined him with her.

"Kiss your neck, and run my hands across your chest."

"Like this?" He slowly drew his free hand down across his chest and over his stomach.

"Yeah, like that." Liv mimicked the movement, and he could see the moment her hand moved between her legs in the way she threw her head back.

"You're so beautiful. Are you doing it the way I do?"

"Mm-hm." She nodded, breathless. "And you?"

"I can feel your hands on me, Liv, your mouth. I love the way you touch me."

"I love touching you. Oh, Major."

The conversation devolved from there, gasps and muttered words and caught breaths and moans as they watched each other, the sight of one another's pleasure so good after such a long time.

When it was over, they lay panting, coming down from the high, for a little while before each shifting and sitting up in bed, smiling through the screen. Despite the distance and the technology between them, it had been surprisingly intimate. Not as good as the real thing, but better than anything he had had with anyone else.

"Thanks for playing along," Liv said softly.

Major thought about pointing out that this particular coping mechanism had been his idea, but he knew what she really meant. "It was fun."

"It was. I know it's not the same as—"

"That's okay." He smiled, remembering her, before. "You remember the last time?"

"You mean, the last time we—" She smiled, too.

"That is what I mean."

"Yeah. Laundry room, your apartment building. We'd fought earlier about how many of your teammates would get invitations to the wedding."

"Make-up sex. Good stuff." They smiled at each other. "Just a couple more days."

"A couple more days."

Major could see in Liv's face that she wasn't as sure as he was—but someone had to think positively, and that had always been his role in their relationship. "I love you, Liv."

"I love you, too."

The screen went dark, and Major set his laptop aside, sliding down under the covers. He might not be with her in the traditional sense, but they were a team again, and that was what counted. He went to sleep thinking of other ways around the physical stumbling block.