Sands and Grace made their way to Grace's room, their lips barely leaving each other the entire way there.  Sands had a run in with a chair, but could have cared less.  His reaction:  "Right now, I probably would have tripped over that even if I could see."

            Before Grace knew it, both were on her bed, on their sides, hands roaming freely.  Grace had begun to unbutton Sands' shirt when he paused for a moment.  "What's wrong?" she asked.

            "Do you want this, Gracie?  And don't think that I'm asking for…I just need to know."

            "You will go back to your usual self in the morning, right?"

            "Miss him?"

            "I seem to like this multidimensional personality thing you have going on."  She kissed him.  "I want this, Jeffrey.  I want you."  She slid his shirt off of his shoulders and let her lips explore his chest.  Immediately, soft moans began to escape his lips.  Smiling, she let her tongue glide across his left nipple.  His hips bucked upwards.

            A seductive sounding laugh came from him.  "You are kinky, aren't you, Gracie?"

            Grace smiled.  "I'll let you find out later."  She ran her tongue up his torso, his neck, then along his lips.  "Right now, I want things to last.  If I let you see the other side of me…"  She kissed him, her body beginning to ache for him.  "…you'd never last."

            "God, Gracie, you're killing me."  He chuckled.  "No better way to die though." 

            Grace kissed him again.  "Jeffrey…"  A lingering kiss on his neck.  "I've never wanted…"   Another heated kiss on his lips.  "…so much."

            "I think you missed something in the middle there."

            "Oh?"  She reached down to his pants and unbuckled his belt.

            "Well, I didn't…"  He smiled.  "Hm…I'm certainly not going to stop you."

            Grace undid his pants and slid them down over his slim hips.  He had kicked off his boots moments after stepping into her room, so there was no pause before the clothing left his body.  His arousal was far more than evident through the thin layer of cotton that remained on him.  Before Grace could work up the nerve to remove it, she needed something to relax her.  She got off of the bed causing Sands to whine.

            "Gracie?"

            "I'll be right back…it's just too…it's too quiet and I'm getting a bit…"

            Sands smiled.  "Aw, someone a little nervous?"

            "Shut up," she laughed.  She had her laptop on her trip with her – knowing that Cassie would wind up leaving her alone on some nights – and it was sitting on the dresser.  She opened it and, having left it on earlier, and pulled up the playlist she had saved to her desktop.  As soon as music hit her ears, she was far more at ease.

            "Music?" Sands asked.

            "Problem with it?"

            He smiled.  "No."

            Grace returned to the bed and had no qualms about ridding Sands of the last of his clothing.  "Well," she breathed, "at least you weren't giving yourself credit where it wasn't due."

            "Someone likes what she sees."

            She ran her tongue along his length and all comments ceased.  "Mm hm."  After a few moments, she engulfed all of him and Sands was audibly thankful.  His hands clutched at the bedspread and Grace heard him moan her name.  She forced herself away from his length and crawled up his body to kiss him.

            "Gracie, this dress has to go."  His hands fumbled a bit, but eventually found where the halter portion of the dress tied around Grace's neck.  The zipper was easier to find and there was soon a red pile next to the bed.  His hands gently fondled her breasts, which he was more than glad to find unrestrained.  Rolling so his body was on hers, his tongue found her nipple and he teased her in much the same way she teased him.  "I want you," he whispered in her ear. 

            Grace smiled, whispering back.  "Well, Jeffrey, you were right.  I need you."

            That was all he needed to hear.  Sands slid the silk underwear from her body and couldn't resist weakening Grace just the slightest bit more.  He kissed his way down her stomach, then planted one slow, open mouthed kiss on the core of her being.  She yelped just as the song on her computer switched.

            If you've been hiding from love

            If you've been hiding from love

            I can understand where you're coming from

            I can understand where you're coming from

            If you've suffered enough

            If you've suffered enough

            I can understand what you're thinking of

            I can understand what you're frightened of

            Sands made his way back up her body and kissed her, just as she had done to him.  She kissed him back, desperately.

            She all but panted as she spoke.  "Jeffrey…now…please…" 

            And I'm only here

            To bring you free love

            Let's make it clear

            That this is free love

            No hidden catch

            No strings attached

            Just free love

            No hidden catch

            No strings attached

            Just free love

Sands heard the lyrics far too clearly.  Free?  Not so sure…  No, it is…we both want this and she can't possibly expect anything more from it.  He entered her in one quick, almost rough motion…then stopped.  Dammit, Sands, you're already in, just do what you always do!  He began to move his hips, his pace deliciously torrid… 

I've been running like you

I've been running like you

Now you understand why I'm running scared

Now you understand why I'm running scared

I've been searching for truth

I've been searching for truth

And I haven't been getting anywhere

No, I haven't been getting anywhere

…but again he stopped.  Fuck!  I can't do this to her.

"Jeffrey?"  Grace's voice sounded so distant to him.  "What's wrong?"

"Gracie, I…"  Christ, I'll regret this if I stop now.  What's wrong with me?  She wants me, she giving me…  "The stitches in my legs are pulling and…"

She ran her hand along his face.  "Aw, poor baby," she cooed.  "I can fix that." 

And I'm only here

To bring you free love

Let's make it clear

That this is free love

No hidden catch

No strings attached

Just free love

            No hidden catch

            No strings attached

            Just free love

She coaxed Sands onto his back without breaking their bodies apart.  She began to move on top of him – slowly, intensely.

Hey girl

You've got to take this moment

Then let it slip away

Let go of complicated feelings

There's no price to pay

            Grace bent down to kiss him, but with the rhythm her body was keeping, she bumped into his glasses.  "Jeffery?"  He moaned in response.  "I'll turn out the light, I promise…"

            Sands knew exactly what Grace was talking about.  "No, Gracie."  She stopped moving and he felt her body lean slightly to the right.  He then heard the clicking noise as the light was shut off.

            "Please," she begged, her hips once again moving.  Sands' response this time was to stay silent.  Grace moved her hands to his face and carefully removed his glasses.  She leaned down to kiss him again and pressed her face as close to his as she could.  There was only a faint trace of light in the room, coming from the moonlight outside, and she found herself straining to see his face.  She kept her movements strong as her eyes adjusted, and finally she saw.  His eyelids were closed and misshapen – with nothing behind them, they held no form.  The skin was bruised and looked terribly painful…  My God…

We've been running from love

We've been running from love

And we don't know what we're doing here

No, we don't know what we're doing here…

She stopped moving once again and lowered her face to his.

"Gracie?"  Sands' voice was laced with worry – something Grace was sure rarely happened.

"Shh…"  As tenderly as she could, Grace barely grazed each closed eye with her lips.

His thoughts sprang back to life.  To hell with everything…  Sands wrapped his arms around Grace as tightly as he could.  He kissed her as passionately as his lips would allow and he rolled Grace onto her back.  His hips moved smoothly as he let himself give in to something he vowed to never be a part of.  He gently pulled her hips upwards to allow himself to slide deeper within her.  Grace's body tensed and she cried his name out into the darkness surrounding them.  A few moments later, Sands repeated the action. 

Afterwards, Sands rolled off of Grace, each of them breathing heavily.  Grace was as far on the left hand side of the bed as she could get.  Normally, this is how Sands preferred it.  Actually, he usually preferred getting dressed and rushing out the door…but tonight had meant more than it was ever supposed to.

"Gracie, you O.K.?"

"Mm hm."

"Why are you all the way over there?"

She sighed before answering.  "Not ready to get up yet."

"I'm not either, but…"  He shifted so that his chest was to her back.  "…this isn't so bad, is it?"

"I hardly though of you as the 'cuddle afterward' type."

"I'm not – so don't get used to this or anything.  Come tomorrow morning I'm back to my usual self, but right now…"  He kissed the back of her neck.  "I'm the one who needs you."

***

Author's Note:  It was very tough to keep Sands in character through this scene, but I really don't think it's too bad.  If you disagree, please say so nicely.  He'll be back to his perverse, sharp-tongued self, I promise.  Also, for those of you that think he'd be more of a tiger in bed – don't worry, the story's not over.  More fun to come – among other things.   I feel a little strange after this chapter – mostly worries about what you guys are going to think.  Sands does sort of need someone in his life now, doesn't he?  I mean, is it really so bad?  *loud gulp*  Oh, and I took some possible artistic license.  Eyelids.  Whether or not he had any after "the procedure" – I've decided he needs them…so…um….yeah. 

            Oh, I'm sure someone's saying, "Hm, why does that Pirate's Wench slip songs into her physical scenes?"  Well, the answer is simple.  When I hear a song while I'm writing a story, they can make me picture a scene the whole way through – it happened in "Struggle for Control" (both for the love-making chapter and the "struggle" itself) and it happened again here.  Sure hope you don't mind!  The song here was another Depeche Mode track entitled "Freelove" (hm, where'd that chapter title come from) and is on the album "Exciter."