The song was beautiful, written by Sarah Buxton and Kate York. She listened to them sing it through twice before she tried it herself. She would need several run throughs before she attempted to record it, she knew that for sure. Because she always liked to know how the song would fit into the episode, they shared that it basically was Rayna saying to Deacon that she couldn't go down old paths again, as easy as it might have been to do that. It made sense to her, particularly in light of Rayna announcing that the song was for him. In her mind, she could see Rayna writing the song as a way to tell Deacon where things were for the two of them. She and Chip had talked before about the fact that they thought music was one of the ways their characters spoke to each other, so it made sense that she would write her feelings in a song. It also seemed like more than even just that. Pour it up so high, til I can't feel my heart. It was like she needed time and space to heal, something that she – Connie – could relate to.

She wondered what Chip's thoughts would be about the scene and the song. She felt a little anxiety about seeing him the next day, but she also wasn't expecting their interaction to be anything but professional and friendly. It would take a little time, she supposed, to move to a more comfortable place. There were feelings involved and even if they had both agreed the separation on an intimate level needed to change, they still cared about each other. That she felt sure about.

"Let's try it again, guys," she said then and put the headphones back on. What had Deacon said in the episode? That it was a pretty song. And it was.

As she left the studio, she got a text from Chip. What time tomorrow? They would start at noon. 11? She waited. Sounds good. She could see he was still typing, so she watched. The bubbles stopped, then started again, then she finally heard the whoosh of the text coming through. How are you? She smiled. Good. You? His response came quickly. Yeah. Same. She wondered. It wasn't really true that she was 'good'. She was in pain, her heart hurting. She thought it was likely he felt the same. But they would make this work, she knew. Good meant 'we've got this'. See you tomorrow. A thumbs up came across and then she slipped her phone into her purse and headed for her car.

She looked up when she heard footsteps. Her heart started beating harder as he approached. When he got to where she was seated, he smiled as he removed his jacket and sat down next to her. "Hey," he said.

"Hey," she said. "I'm glad you could come."

"I thought I was the one who suggested it."

She hesitated and then laughed. "Yeah, I guess you did. Anyway, I'm glad we did. I brought this" – she handed him a sheet of paper with the lyrics to her song on them – "because I thought it might be helpful. The song Rayna sings at the Bluebird for Deacon."

He took the sheet of paper and read through them. "I'm sure you have thoughts."

She nodded. "I do. But I have a question first – what is Old Yeller?"

He looked surprised, with just a hint of a teasing smile. "You don't know Old Yeller?" She shook her head. "It's the iconic story of a boy and his dog." He gave her an odd look and then she realized he was quoting from the script. She laughed.

"Okay. Well, I've never seen it. So it's just about a boy and his dog?"

He shrugged a little. "Well, it's more than that. Let's just say the dog dies at the end and so it's all pretty sad."

"Apparently Rayna is familiar with it though."

"I would imagine Deacon made her watch it with him once. And then that was it. She probably never watched it again."

"I'm not sure I would either, if the dog dies. But why would this be such a big deal for Deacon, if it's that sad?"

"Maybe it wasn't as sad as his own life," he said. "And it was a loving family. Not what he would have had."

She thought about that. "Maybe you're right." She looked at him. "So you've seen it?" He nodded. "More than once?"

He shook his head. "Once is enough," he said, with a vague smile. He handed her back the song lyrics. "So what were your thoughts on the song?"

"I thought maybe it was her way of telling Deacon they weren't going to happen. That she didn't want to go backward, that maybe she just couldn't go backward, into something that would only hurt her. Hurt both of them."

"I'm sure you're right," he said.

"Sarah and Kate basically said it was that. It sort of fits with why she didn't tell him about the divorce in the first place and probably even how she considered crossing the line, when Deacon kissed her in the elevator. Don't go down a path you've gone down before. Where you know how it ends up." He didn't respond. She looked at him. She realized he'd seemed not like himself, more subdued than normal. He sighed. "What?" she asked.

He didn't look at her. "Nothing." He paused. "That's not true." He turned to look at her. "This all seems so easy for you."

She breathed in slowly. They didn't need this. "Really? That's what you think?" He just looked at her. "Well, it's not. But we both know the reality of this, Chip. We can't pretend that the world outside this" – she made a circle with her finger – "doesn't exist. It does. We're playing with people's lives, not the least of which are our own. This is so hard. For me. Doing this creates so much conflict for me, on so many different levels. When I really get down to it, I have to acknowledge that the most important thing, right now, is maintaining the work relationship." She swallowed over the lump in her throat. "And the relationship around that that makes the work relationship solid. If the swirl around that hurts the work, I can't ignore it."

He leaned forward and put his head in his hands. "But the swirl, as you call it, it exists. It still exists." He sat up and looked at her with the saddest eyes she'd ever seen. It made her feel weak, so she knew she had to be careful. "For me, anyway."

"This isn't easy for me. it's one of the hardest things I've ever done. But it's necessary."

He closed his eyes for a moment, then breathed in deeply. "You know, that song, that whole scene, actually, feels like this."

She nodded. "It does. You're right. And in this case, I can't be the one who blows it all up. If we look at it from the story perspective, Rayna can't let that happen and I think, for her, it's a mix of the past and the secrets and the potential consequences of going with her heart. So I guess it's the same thing here. For both of us."

He looked at her. "Except that it's gonna take me longer than one night to put my feelings aside."

She frowned. His sense of self cut both ways. As much as he could feel confident and enthusiastic, he could also sometimes forget that anyone but himself had feelings. "You're being selfish, Chip," she said, careful to keep her voice low. He looked a little incredulous. "You are. You're acting like you don't know me at all right now. And you know better than to say something like that."

He didn't say anything at first. Then he shook his head. "Clearly you're better at fake it til you make it than I am."

"I can't do this with you, Chip. I hope you figure this out before we actually have to have a scene together." She grabbed her purse and got up from her chair, walking down the hall, trying not to show just how much his words had hurt.

She spent her free time with Yoby and did not talk to him again that day, other than when they read their lines to each other. At the end of the day he left. By the time she'd gotten Yoby and Olivia, his car was not in the parking lot. She shrugged just a little, thinking maybe it was just as well. Then she felt annoyed, because he always seemed to get testy when he didn't get his way, no matter what it was. I'm better off without that in my life.

She didn't hear from him at all until later that night, when she was in bed. She picked up her phone when it buzzed and saw it was him. She stared at the screen and then tapped Decline. Half a minute later she had a text. Please call me. She pushed herself up and leaned back against the pillows, just staring at her phone. Then she closed her eyes and leaned back against the headboard. In her experience with him, it was pretty much the only thing that truly bothered her. He was mostly kind and caring, fun and funny, sweet and loving, but this was the part she liked the least.

"Wow, Connie, other than the fact that he's married, it sounds like there's not one single flaw," Carla said, definitely tongue in cheek. "Of course that married thing is the thing that pretty much negates everything else."

"Actually there is one thing."

"What's that?"

"If things don't go his way, he can be so pissy. It's really not attractive. But I suppose we all have something like that."

"Everybody except you, that is." Carla laughed. "You, my dear, do not have one single negative quality or flaw."

She reached over and swatted her friend's arm. "Stop. That's not true." She smiled. "Anyway, it doesn't just happen with me. I've seen him do it with a director or someone else. He always comes right back with some joke and silly statement, as if that covers it. And it probably does for most people, since he's so damn likeable."

"But it bothers you."

"Yeah, it does, but maybe it's because it only seems to happen when we talk about not being together." She sighed. "I think sometimes he really does forget he's married and has a family. Like we're living in our own bubble, just the two of us, with no outside stuff to deal with."

"How long is he like that?"

She smiled sadly. "The thing is, it's the same as with everyone else. He comes back so quickly with an apology and a full confession that he knows what he's done. Or said." She laughed then. "And true to form, he gets all sweet and funny and it's hard to resist that."

Carla looked serious. "Maybe you need to think about doing that though."

She thought about that conversation, one they'd had in Mexico. The only potential problem with it was that if she did that it could impact the work relationship, something she didn't want. Just then her phone buzzed and she looked down. It was Chip again and she figured she might as well talk to him.

"Hey," she said as she held the phone to her ear.

"Hey." He paused. "Look, I'm sorry I acted like an ass today."

She sighed. Part of her wanted to tell him to knock it off and quit being a martyr, but she didn't want to prolong this. "We can't keep doing this, Chip," she said. "We have a show to do and I don't want this to get in the way."

"It won't. And I do know it's hard for you too."

"Well, thanks for acknowledging that."

"We really never talked about the scene. Do you want to do that now?"

She thought about that. she was tired, from coming back to Nashville, to having to spend time in the studio the day before, and then the exchange with Chip earlier. "Actually I really don't. I want to go to sleep. I've got a long day tomorrow."

"Okay. We can find another time." He hesitated, then cleared his throat. "I love you. I know you don't want to hear that right now, but I do. But I also understand it's hard for you. It doesn't change the friendship."

She closed her eyes. "I hope not. Because that has to be at the core of everything. If there's not the friendship, then there's really nothing else."

"Agreed," he said. "Sleep well."

She smiled on her end. "You too." She lowered the phone and disconnected. She slid back down on the bed and placed her phone on the bedside table. I love you. I know you don't want to hear that right now. She felt an ache in her heart and wished she could have told him that was exactly what she wanted to hear. She turned the light out and closed her eyes, hoping sleep would come quickly.

They found a rhythm that worked. Their characters had more scenes together and they would find places on set where they could run the lines and talk about character motivations and backstory. She had particularly enjoyed the episode where Deacon came to see Rayna at the hospital.

"I love that they essentially walk through their history in that one conversation," she said.

"Do you think Rayna moved in with Deacon when Lamar kicked her out?" he asked.

She thought about that. She tapped him on the arm. "I think she must have. That's the only way the whole timeline makes sense, all the way to present day."

He smirked. "You got all that from that one conversation?"

She laughed. "Oh, no. I've been trying to put all of that together since the beginning. Rayna's 40 when the show starts, so if you think about how old she would have been when Maddie was born and then you factor in the amount of time she was with Deacon, she had to have." She smiled. "How rare is it that you would meet someone at that age and know he's your soulmate? And Deacon couldn't have been much older than her."

He nodded thoughtfully. "And them coming from such different backgrounds."

"It was the music. Deacon and the music were the same for her. And for him, I'm guessing. Coupe de foudre."

He looked puzzled. "Coupe de what?"

"Coupe de foudre. Love at first sight. And think about everything they went through. His drinking and all those rehabs and it's clear to me she didn't want to leave him. She's a strong, smart woman and she could have left him years before she did, but she didn't."

"Why do you think that is?"

She smiled. "She loved him. Deep down in her soul loved him. Her life felt like less without him. And she kept him close, all the years she was married to Teddy. It's because she loves him in a way that won't ever let her completely let him go, even though she tells herself that's not true. But he feels it too. It's real."

He shrugged and grinned. "I guess that's true. He's just been waiting for her all those years. At least until Stacey came on the scene." He laughed.

She rolled her eyes and laughed. "Stacey. Sweet girl, but so out of her element. I think she knows she'll never be first with him, but she's willing to take what she can get." She sighed. "That's so sad, now that I think about it."

"I think she believes it can work. And Deacon's trying."

"And yet his first stop when he comes back to Nashville is to see Rayna." She held up the script. "I rest my case."

"Well, she is family." The way he looked at her then seemed to imply so much more. After it had lasted a little too long, she looked away.

Those kind of things didn't happen often. They both were working at it and it felt like they'd developed a cadence. In some ways their own situation wasn't a lot different than their characters'. There were still times when she would see him across a room or across the production facility and feel that quiver inside. Feel her heart beat a little faster and the butterflies in her stomach. She loved him. Probably would until they no longer worked together. And then she'd put it aside and focus on the good relationship and being great friends. He would still be in her life, even if it was not what either of them may have wanted.

Then she got the script for episode 18 and she knew, deep down inside, that her world was going to change. Again.

The weather had turned really cold. When the courier brought by the envelope with the script, the brisk wind swirled into the foyer and she shivered. When she thanked the young man, she smiled apologetically for having to close the door quickly. As she headed back to the den, she thought about how hard it was to get used to the cold. Winters were cold where she grew up. And where she went to college and in New York City. But she'd lived in LA for so long that she'd forgotten all that. She dropped the envelope on the coffee table and went to stand in front of the fireplace in her den. She had been amazed that a gas fireplace could actually put off heat, but she was grateful for it. She had a fireplace in her home in LA but never used it. She held her hands out for a minute, then rubbed her arms.

She'd been in the studio two days earlier to record Postcard from Mexico with Michiel. They had listened to another version of the song, written in a call and respond format that they found interesting. The story behind the song, for the show, was that it was one of Rayna's old songs, originally written and performed with Deacon. The way the song was arranged was to make it much more sexual in nature than the original version they listened to. They worked on it the better part of a day. She was impressed with how well Michiel could make it sound like something that would have been incredibly personal to Rayna and Deacon, yet be able, as Liam, to put his own spin on it. And considering that there had been the sexy, flirty vibe between the two characters, it worked.

T Bone had given them the context in which the song would appear on the show. He explained that Rayna and Liam would give the song a lot of heat and there would be some awkwardness about that for Deacon, who would be watching from the side stage. He wouldn't give away more than that, so she was interested in seeing how it fit into the total scene. Her expectation is that it would be explosive for both Rayna and Deacon, although probably in separate ways.

She got a call then and forgot about the script until later in the day. When she finally picked it up that night and worked through it, she realized she'd underestimated just how explosive it would be. Rayna and Deacon had been doing this little dance for several episodes, ever since the appearance of Stacey as Deacon's girlfriend. She had found herself wondering about total awkwardness on the part of Rayna, when she'd been so clear about not going back. When she and Chip had talked about it, it felt like there was so much subtext for her. She remembered how weird Chip had been when Rayna was kissing Liam and it felt a little like that for her as she read the scenes between Deacon and Stacey. She kept telling herself it wasn't the same, but she couldn't help but feel a little unnerved by it.

"What do you think is happening there? Because this feels really different, like they haven't gone down this particular path before," she mused.

They were sitting in the break room on set. No one else was there. "I think she's seeing things through his eyes now," he said, looking over at her. "I'm guessing he's never been really serious about anyone before and she was pretty comfortable with that."

She made a face. "But Rayna was married. Maybe she wouldn't have noticed."

He gave her a look. "Oh, I'm sure she would have noticed. But he's sort of awkward about it too. Like he doesn't want her to see it or doesn't want to talk about it with her."

"I get that." She smiled. "Plus she's being all Miss Congeniality about it. 'I like Stacey.' 'She seems nice.' 'Seems serious.' And then she looks all punched in the gut."

He laughed. "True." He gave her a side eyed smile. "And you do such a phenomenal job at it too."

"She's being possessive in a way she knows she has no right to be. I keep thinking she's going to stand on stage and say 'Deacon's mine and you can't have him!'." she laughed, thinking about that. "And she can't."

"Well, she could." He gave her a long look. "She just won't." It felt so much like they were talking about their own situation in that moment that she couldn't respond.

Rayna was poised to take the plunge and run off to St. Lucia with Liam, maybe putting a line in the sand between them, when Deacon put his heart out there for her. And now, there was going to be a front porch confession, a kiss, and sex. Her head was hurting.

I love you. That's just never not been true. They hadn't talked about it the way they usually did. It was like an unspoken agreement between them. She knew instinctively that they would not discuss it in the way they usually talked about their scenes together. She knew he knew it too. She was pretty sure they wouldn't even break it down before rehearsal. They'd let the director talk them through it and that would be that. She thought perhaps they'd talk about it afterward. In fact, she was sure that they would.

He walked up to stand beside her. She looked up at him. "You ready for this?" he asked, his voice low.

"I think so."

"We should just go through the motions right now and save the kiss for when it counts. Right?"

"Yep."

He looked pensive. "Should we have talked this through beforehand?"

She shrugged. "Maybe. But we're professionals and we know what to do."

"Yeah, you're right," he said, after a pause. "We're professionals. We've done this before." She felt herself shiver ever so slightly.

Eric, the director for the episode, looked their way. "Connie, Chip? Ready?" They glanced at each other and got in place to rehearse.

It was dark. She knew if they didn't get this right, they might never get home. It wasn't a long scene, maybe a minute long, but it was the culmination of all the sexual tension between Rayna and Deacon up to that point. It was the kiss that was causing her problems. She could tell it was causing him problems too. She could feel her fingers pressing too hard into his shoulder and he made a noise, which then caused her to stumble as he was turning her. They stepped back from each other, almost as though they'd touched fire. Nothing felt natural about what they were doing and it made it hard to feel relaxed at the close of the scene.

They stepped apart, not looking at each other. She heard Eric's footsteps as he approached. They both turned to look at him. "Do we need to stop and pick this back up tomorrow?" She heard the slight irritation in his voice. No one wanted that.

"No, no, we can get it," Chip said. She looked down at her feet. "One more time." She looked up in time to see Eric give them a skeptical look, but he nodded.

"Okay, let's try it again."

As Eric walked away and the camera crew got back in place, she looked out off of the porch. She could feel Chip looking at her. "We can do it," he murmured, almost under his breath. "Just be natural." She looked at him for a second, then looked away. They got in place and then, at Eric's direction, started the scene again.

He said "hey", and she turned back towards him. She took two small steps and she was in his arms. Their lips met and she put her hands on the back of his neck almost simultaneously. As he started to turn her, the kiss changed. Everything felt like it was in slow motion at that point. He pulled his lips away, although almost immediately they were back, only this time his mouth was slightly open. She slid her tongue in his mouth as they kissed again and he did the same. He turned her a little more and her hands moved to his shoulders and he quickly turned her into the house. Then they stepped apart.

"Cut!" She heard the voice as though it were coming through water. "We got it!" Her heart was beating hard and she felt breathless. She let herself look at Chip. He breathed in slowly, not taking his eyes off hers. It only lasted a moment, though, as that completed filming and she knew they needed to leave. She saw the question in his eyes and she gave him a very slight nod, then walked back out the door.

He was already waiting in his car when she was finally finished changing out of her wardrobe and cleaning off her face. She slowed her pace as she approached, but she didn't stop and continued on to her own car. When she was inside, she sat for a moment, feeling how hard her heart was beating, and then started the car and headed for the parking lot exit. When she looked in her rear view mirror, she saw him following her.

It was late and traffic was light when she got onto the highway. Her heart was still beating hard, her mouth felt dry, and her hands felt damp. When she looked in the mirror, she could see a car behind her in her lane, but it was far enough back that she was no longer sure if it was Chip, although she assumed it was. What am I doing? She couldn't reach for her phone, so she couldn't call him and tell him to go home. She knew she didn't want him to go home, but she knew he should. Is it always going to be like this? Am I always going to struggle with keeping him at arms' length? With it being apparent that Rayna and Deacon were going to be together, it meant that staying apart would be harder, if not futile.

She sighed. This was going to be impossible.

The knock came less than 10 minutes after Olivia had left. She flew to the door and opened it. He walked in and pulled her into his arms, kissing her hard. He pushed the door shut with his foot and let his hands run down her back and over her ass, pressing her against him. She put her arms around his waist and rubbed herself against his erection, feeling herself getting wet. He slid his hands back up and cupped her face, breaking the kiss. He leaned his forehead against hers.

"This would change everything," he whispered. "Again."

She looked into his eyes. "I know."

"I'm sorry I..."

She shook her head. "It was me," she murmured. "I started it." She stepped backwards, letting her hands fall from his waist. Then she took his hand and led him back to her bedroom.

She put her arms around his neck as he gently lowered his body onto hers. Feeling his skin against her own made her want to cry. She felt him between her legs and she yearned for him, but he was taking it slow and she had decided to let him. He leaned down to kiss her, gently at first, then he bit softly on her bottom lip. She parted her lips and he slid his tongue into her mouth. He took his time, exploring the inside of her mouth, and she followed behind him, luxuriating in the taste of him.

He ran his fingers over her skin, skimming her sides down to her waist. Then he pulled his lips from hers and balanced himself on his forearms. She looked into his eyes and let her hands slide down to rest on his shoulders. He dipped his head and she felt the wetness of his tongue on her breast. "Mm," she murmured, closing her eyes as he took her nipple in his mouth. He took it slow, lightly grazing her skin with his tongue, gently sucking on her nipple. She bent her knees and drew her legs up slightly, arching her back just a tad. He grazed her skin lightly with his teeth. She sucked in air and then moaned, feeling the electric quiver down her body.

He finally turned his attention to her other breast, tantalizing her in the same way. She arched her back a little more and drew her legs up a little more. He was hitting her right between her legs with his erection and she moaned again, ready for him to enter her. Finally he raised his head and looked down at her. "Connie," he whispered, and she opened her eyes. "Tell me what you want."

She swallowed, her mouth dry, her body on fire. "I want you inside me," she said softly. "Right now."

The hint of a smile crossed his lips. He leaned down and ran his tongue over her lips, teasing her, then finally taking her mouth with his. He shifted slightly and then he thrust himself inside her, in one long, hard movement, filling her up completely. He gave her a few seconds to adjust to him and then he started moving inside her and she started moving her hips to meet his thrusts. It wasn't rough, but there was a hot intensity that she felt from him and inside herself. She felt like she was in a haze, her entire focus on how it felt as he moved in and out, his strokes getting longer and more powerful.

She wrapped her arms around his neck, grinding herself against him, squeezing him inside her. Waves of pleasure began to build inside her, starting between her legs and spiraling out. Every nerve in her body felt like it was on fire. Suddenly it felt like she had exploded inside and she saw stars as she felt him come inside her. He collapsed on top of her, his face buried in her neck. Her arms slid down as though they were weighted and her hands gripped his biceps. They were both breathing hard and his skin felt damp against hers.

He finally pushed himself up and looked down at her. He let out a short laugh. "God, I missed you," he said, then leaned down and kissed her hard on the lips. He moved over next to her and, putting an arm around her waist, pulled her close. She rested her hand on his arm.

She smiled. "I missed you too." She brushed her lips over his. "I tried not to. But I did."

His face turned serious. "I wanted to do what you asked. I tried. But it's hard not to want you." His eyes were sad. "I know that's not what you want to hear."

She looked at him and then put her hand on his cheek. "It's hard not to want you." She looked down, then back. "I have to confess that I think about you all the time. I think about you – dream about you – at night and you're the first thing I think about when I wake up. Someday we have to really have a heart to heart about this and what we're going to do." She paused. "But not today." She smiled. "Right now I just want to feel you hold me and love me." She kissed him again. "I want this. I don't want to think about tomorrow or the day after. I just want to live each day as it comes." She reached up and ran her fingers through his hair. "You're pretty hard to resist."

He bit down on his lip for a second. "Me?"

She wrinkled her nose and laughed softly. "Yeah, you. For me anyway."

He kissed her. "I could say the same about you."

"I think we just enjoy what we have right now."

She sighed happily as he wrapped his arms around her, fitting himself behind her, pressing kisses on her shoulder. "I don't want to leave you, baby," he whispered.

"You don't have to leave," she said.

"No, I mean for the rest of the time we're here."

She was quiet at first, then she nodded. "I knew what you meant." She reached a hand behind her and laid it against his cheek. "I want you here. with me."

He pulled her a little closer. "I love you, Connie."

"I love you, Chip." She knew that, at some point, they'd come to another end, but she didn't want to think about it until then. She wanted him in her bed, in her life, until they'd filmed their last scene together. She couldn't think beyond that, but she thought that just living in the moment was enough.

They laid there for a long time. She wondered if he was asleep, but then his hand slowly slid up her abdomen to her breast. She held her breath as he gently caressed it, letting his fingers explore her skin, brush over her nipple, then cup her. She breathed in, hearing the raggedness of it. His thumb was right next to her nipple and she desperately wanted him to touch her there. She didn't want to break the mood though and decided to let him take his time and do things his way. He let his thumb very softly brush her skin. She could feel her nipple tighten and get hard. She felt a heaviness between her legs that was intoxicating and she felt him getting hard.

She moaned involuntarily and he shifted just a little and then he brushed his thumb back and forth over her nipple. She felt heavy all over as his touch got a little firmer. She wanted to move her hips, open herself for him, but she made herself wait. She felt breathless as he tugged at her breast. She forced herself not to ask for more, just to give in to the swirls of pleasure she was feeling. The roughness of the pads of his fingers against her skin and her nipple were intoxicating. She moved her hips just a little. He was rock hard against her ass.

He started to kiss her along her shoulder, little kisses just brushing her skin. Then he moved his hand from her breast down her abdomen and between her legs. He moaned softly as he let his fingers slide through her wetness. She felt an electric zinger shoot through her body. He kept moving his fingers back and forth until she groaned, pressing against him. His kisses traced up the side of her neck and then he pushed two fingers inside her. She groaned again, squeezing herself around him.

"Oh, god," he murmured against her neck. She was right on the edge and was barely aware that he had pulled his fingers out and thrust himself inside her. She lifted her leg and shifted her pelvis so he could push in deeper. He put his hand on her hip and suddenly they were frantically moving against each other. She could feel herself beginning to spiral and from the far reaches of her consciousness she felt him reach down to stroke her. She cried out and gave herself over to the waves of her orgasm as they spread out through her body. His body went rigid and then he let go, his cry muffled against her shoulder.

Finally she felt herself relax and felt him do so as well. They were both breathing hard. She could feel his heart beating hard against her back, seeming to be in rhythm with her own. He moved his arm around her and held her tight. She closed her eyes as she tried to regain her breath. Finally, he took a deep breath and rolled onto his back. She turned onto her other side so she could face him. She pushed his hair back off his brow and he opened his eyes and looked at her. Slowly his lips curved up into a smile. "Hey," he said.

She smiled back. "Hey."

"You working tomorrow?"

She nodded. "Yeah." She had scenes with Michiel the next day and hoped he didn't ask her about them. "Do you?" He shook his head. "I've got a pretty busy day but I shouldn't be really late." She ran her fingers up his arm. "Yoby and Olivia will be with me and we'll drop her off on the way home." She smiled. "How about I leave you a key?"

He looked surprised. "To keep or just for tomorrow?"

"Well, you might as well keep it. Maybe tomorrow we can look at our schedules and coordinate ... things." she smiled. "I do kind of like the idea that you might be waiting on Yoby and me when we come home tomorrow."

He grinned. "I kind of like that idea too."

She put her hand on his chest. "Well, I have to work tomorrow, so I think we should try and get some sleep."

He pulled her to him and kissed her. "Sweet dreams then." she smiled and then snuggled down under the covers, happy that he was back.

Just before she fell asleep, some of the words from the last song she'd done came into her head. All these crooked voices, make them go away. She decided she would keep this to herself. She'd be content to live in the little bubble that just included Chip and Yoby. She'd worry about everything else once the season was over. She heard his even breathing and knew he was already asleep. As she freed her mind of the chatter, she felt content knowing he was there.