All characters that are from the TWILIGHT saga by Stephanie Meyer belong to Stephanie Meyer. All others belong to me. I do not receive profit for these stories except for the joyous enjoyment of reviews.

This story follows right after When I'm Gone: Third Installment to GONE Saga, so if you haven't read that one or the two before, please do.

The timeline of the story will coincide with Gabriel Michael Laskaris' growing up years, starting at Seth and Rosa's wedding day, April 12th and will progress from there.

AN: Another chapter so soon!? Did I not tell you that I had it ready? I am a few sentences away from completing chapter thirteen and will soon put down my wonderful ideas for the fourth chapter.

Gaby -lovely friend, I dedicate every chapter to you...every chapter lovey because you are always so supportive and excited about my story ideas along with giving me some wonderful ideas to work with.

Ses -seven!

Chelsea, Gianna, Lette, Moani, guests and all others -I love receiving your reviews, whether short or long, and would like more reviews...must I beg? 'Cause if I must, I will.

As always, y'all enjoy this chapter as you read it and please, please, pleeeaaaaseee review. How was that for begging?

Chapter Twelve
Monday, Third Week of November

Rachyl Brizza loved being a second grade teacher and although this was her first year teaching right out of college, she felt like she was doing a pretty good job of it.

She watched with a smile as Missy –a little blond with blue eyes and a missing front tooth –sat down on the sharing rug, the rabbit she had brought for show and tell uncomfortably snuggled into her lap –at least she thought the poor thing looked uncomfortable, if that were possible.

"Great job, Missy," she applauded the little girl along with her other students before looking towards the middle of the rug where her one gifted student wiggled in place, her big eyes never wavering as she stared her way.

Vivian de Lune was one of those children that seemed to pick up everything on the first try.

Not only that, but the little girl was a perfectionist in everything she did and Rachyl had started wondering if it would be best for the little girl's learning capabilities to be advanced a grade or two –she had yet to mention this thought to the principal or her aunt but she truly believed it would be a good step on the child's behalf.

"Okay," she smiled as Vivi continued to wiggle in barely contained excitement, "Whose next?"

She wasn't surprised to see her little hand shoot up in the air, her face eager as she tried to make herself seen by stretching as tall as she could without getting up off the rug, "Me, Miss Brizza! Pick me!"

Laughing, she pointed at Vivi with a smile, "Okay, Vivi, go ahead."

She hopped up to her feet, picking up a poster board she had brought with her for show and tell, her little face bright as she moved to stand in front of her classmates, holding the poster board in front of her, "This is Spain –it's where I was born. Spain is very pretty with beaches and islands and it's always warm there. It has a king and a queen and there are lots of pretty places to visit."

She let go of one side of the poster, pointing at the pictures as her other hand held tight to the other side, trying to keep it from slanting, "This is the flag and here's Salamanca –it's the city I was born in."

Rachyl stared at the poster in amazement –aside from the glitter glue surrounding all the big letters, the board was well beyond the capabilities of a child Vivi's age so she either had help with it or she had a little genius in her hands…although children of high intelligence weren't known to have such fine motor skill abilities.

"Salamanca has lots of old buildings that look like castles –there's a university and lots of churches and museums and palaces too!"

Vivi looked towards her, eyes bright as she turned her big smile back to her classmates.

Rachyl looked over at her students as she prompted them, "Do any of you have a question?"

A hand towards the back of the room shot up in the air, Rachyl pointing at Meaghan, "Go ahead, Meg. Ask your question."

"Does it rain in Spain," Meaghan asked, giggling along with three little girls sitting around her –Rachyl secretly called them the Titter Gang due to their endless giggles.

Vivi shook her head as she pointed to a list of things under a glittery title of facts, "It only rains six or seven days out of the whole year and it never snows."

Another little hand shot up and Rachyl tried not to grimace as she pointed at Robbie –that boy seemed to like picking on anyone and she wasn't sure this was going to be any different.

"If Spain is so great, then why are you here?"

Vivi's smile slowly dimmed, her gold-brown eyes losing some of their sparkle as she looked down at her pink and white sneakers, rubbing her toe against the edge of the rug, "We're here because Tia Rosa had to come here to meet Tio Seth."

Robbie wrinkled his nose as he rocked forward before sitting back on his heels, "Are your parents still in Spain?"

Rachyl felt a lump in her throat as Vivi looked up, her big eyes bright with tears as she softly answered, "Mama and papa died before we came here."

Robbie reached up to scratch his ear before asking, "Did you do that poster alone?"

Rachyl knew she needed to put a stop to this and she was about to do just that when another little boy –Ray Garrison and friend to Robbie –muttered loud enough for everyone to hear, "What a nerd."

Gabriel Laskaris –oh, little Gabe always coming to Vivi's rescue –turned blue eyes towards Ray with a scowl on his face, "Take that back."

"Na-ah," Ray shook his head, his face set in a mutinous expression, "She thinks she's smarter than everyone else and that's a nerd so she's a nerd."

Rachyl should have seen it coming –she was quite familiar with Gabe's temper when it came to the way others treated Vivi –but it still surprised her when the hefty six year old threw himself across the rug, the two little girls sitting between him and Ray scrambling away with shrill screams as Gabe and Ray rolled around, little fists flying.

"Stop it," Rachyl stood up, making sure not to step on little hands as she made her way to the two little boys, "Ray! Gabriel! Stop it right now!"

Neither one listened to her, loud grunts coming from them as they rolled closer to where Vivi stood and Rachyl watched in utter horror as the little girl reached down to grab the back of Gabe's t-shirt.

"Gabriel! Stop it," Vivi yelled at him, stumbling back as a little fist connected with her face, falling over someone's foot to land on her bottom with a small cry.

Finally reaching the boys, she pulled them apart, wincing when one of their kicking feet connected with her shin.

She was so focused on getting them to calm down she completely missed the look of horror on Vivi's eyes as she stared down at her small fingers smeared with blood from her lip, her breathing coming fast and harsh as her small body began to tremble.

"You two are going to stay in during recess," Rachyl guided them off the sharing rug, towing Ray to his desk before leading Gabriel towards his seat several rows away, "And I'm calling your parents –that is no way to resolve any issues."

"Miss Brizza!"

"Yes, Meaghan," she answered the high pitched voice, not looking towards the rug as she sat Gabriel down, his blue eyes iced over as he glared at Ray.

"Vivi isn't breathing!"

Turning quickly, Rachyl felt something close to panic as she ran towards the little girl, getting down on her knees to reach out and touch her small cheek, "Vivi, honey, take a deep breath for me."

Vivi shook her head, her lips turning blue as she kept staring at the blood on her shaking hands.

Picking her up, she felt a flood of relief wash over her as Oscar, the fourth grade teacher next door, leaned into her room, "What's going on in here?"

"Can you please keep an eye on my kids," she asked as she quickly moved across the room towards the door, "I need to take Vivian to the nurse."

She didn't wait for Oscar's agreement, simply ran down the hallway towards the nurse's office.

This had to be the worst show and tell in the history of show and tell.


Gabe was angry –very angry.

He wished, for the first time ever, that he could turn into a wolf whenever –like Uncle Seth –and hurt Ray.

Stupid boy had made Vivi cry and even worst, it was his fault Vivi had had to go to the nurse.

Looking down at his small fisted hands, he rubbed a thumb over his knuckles, his stomach feeling sick at the little red cut shaped like a half-moon.

Looking over at Vivi –she sat two seats down and one row away –he watched as she quietly colored a picture in one of Miss Brizza's coloring books.

Tapping his finger against his desk, he watched as she ducked her head lower in response but didn't look back at him the way she usually did.

She hadn't looked at him since the nurse had brought her back, her hands clean and her cut lip shiny with Nes-porin –mama used it whenever one of them got a scraped knee or something.

Clenching his fists on the desk top, he turned to glare at Ray, the only sound in the silent room the ticking clock as Miss Brizza sat at her desk.

School had ended ten minutes ago so they were still there, waiting for their parents to show up.

Gabe knew he was in big trouble but that didn't stop him from wishing he had hit Ray just a little harder –Vivi wasn't talking to him when Ray had been the one to be mean to her –how was that fair?

A soft knock at the door had all of them looking over their shoulders, Ray wilting in relief as seven year old Marc walked in.

"Can I help you," Miss Brizza smiled at the brown-eyed boy, watching the way his face darkened as soon as he caught sight of Vivi's face.

"What happened," Marc asked as he moved to stand next to Vivi, reaching out to gently touch her swollen lip.

Vivi shook her head, not saying anything as she looked down at the coloring book, a tear splashing onto the pink flower she had just filled in.

Gabe kept his eyes on the desk, his left hand covering the right one –he didn't want Marc to see the cut on his knuckles.

"Excuse me," Miss Brizza stood up and moved around her desk, setting her pencil over the papers she had been writing on, "But who are you?"

"I'm Vivi's older brother," he looked up at her, politely holding out his small hand, "Marc de Lune."

Gabe saw the surprise on Miss Brizza's face as she shook the small hand offered to her, looking down at his hands again when Marc asked in a serious tone, "Who hurt my sister?"

"I'm not sure," Miss Brizza looked over at Gabe then Ray before turning to look down into Marc's dark eyes, "We had a bit of a problem –"

"He called Vivi a nerd," Gabe pointed an accusing finger at Ray, the other little boy cringing as Marc turned to look at him, his eyes flat before he looked at Vivi.

"They thought my poster was stupid," Vivi whispered as she rubbed a small fist under her nose –Gabe knew it was red from crying because he could hear the tears in her voice as she spoke to Marc without looking at him, "And that I think I'm smarter than them."

Marc let out a sigh, reaching out to tug Vivi's chin out of her chest so he could look into her eyes, "Si lo eres, Viviana, y tu lo sabes. Somos diferentes a los demas y eso siempre les va a molestar." *You are, Viviana, and you know it. We're different from everyone else and that's always going to bother them*

Vivi reached up to tug at his hand, a tear dribbling off her chin to land on the sleeve of his black jacket, "Yo no quiero ser diferente, Marcos. Quiero ser como los demas." *I don't want to be different, Marcos. I want to be like everyone else.*

Marc smiled at his sister, turning his hand to squeeze hers, "You're too special for that."

Everyone's heads turned as the door opened, Gabe watching with sinking fear as Zaky toddled in, his little hand held by Emmie, her big blue eyes looking everywhere as mama followed behind with the twins in the stroller –he was in trouble now.

"Miss Brizza," she parked the stroller next to the bookcase, setting the break with her foot as Emmie let go of Zaky's hand, heading straight towards the books while Zaky toddled over to the big fish tank by the teacher's desk, "I'm Leah Laskaris. I'm so sorry it took me this long to get here –it's a little difficult to leave in a rush with this many kids in tow."

Gabe watched as Miss Brizza smiled at his mama, risking a peak up at her before dropping his eyes to his desk –mama was not happy.

"I got your phone call," mama moved to rest her hand on Marc's shoulder before crouching down to look at Vivi, the purple shirt she wore stretching over the new baby belly, "Are you okay, honey?"

Vivi nodded with a sniff, wiping the back of her hand over her cheek as mama leaned in to give her a kiss and Gabe knew she had to be feeling better 'cause mama's kisses always made everything better.

"What exactly happened," mama asked as she straightened up, her pretty eyes on him as Miss Brizza opened her mouth, but Gabe spoke up first, his little finger pointing across the classroom, "Ray called Vivi a nerd."

"I didn't ask you, Gabriel," she softly reprimanded him, keeping her eyes on him as he lowered his hand onto his desk, covering the tell-tale cut on his knuckles as he sat there quietly while Miss Brizza explained.

"We had a bit of an altercation during show and tell. Apparently, Ray felt it necessary to call Vivi a name," she turned to give the boy in question a stern look, "Which will not be happening again. Gabe felt the need to come to Vivi's defense –with his fist. Before I could pull them apart, Vivi stepped in. As you can see, she got a split lip and had a bit of a panic attack. I took her to the nurse who cleaned her up and brought her back after recess. The boys didn't have their recess either and I've called Ray's mother as well."

Mama nodded, never having looked away from him and Gabe just knew this wasn't going to be good –not at all.

Letting out a slow breath, she took one of the chairs from the desk next to him, sitting down to look into his eyes.

Gabe couldn't keep looking at her, feeling so bad that she wasn't happy with him, rubbing a finger against the surface of the desk, keeping his hand over the other one.

"Gabriel," mama's voice was soft and low, "Look at me."

Swallowing back the knot of tears in his throat –he wasn't going to cry in front of Marc and that stupid boy –he looked into her eyes, sniffing back a sob as she stared at him.

"We're going home," mama kept her voice soft but he could still hear the sadness behind it –and that hurt more than if she were mad at him, "And you're going straight to your room and staying there until your father comes home from work."

"But mama –"

"Don't interrupt," she raised an eyebrow at him and he closed his mouth, holding his bottom lip between his teeth, "I've told you, time and again, this is unacceptable behavior. I understand you were standing up for Vivi but fighting is not the way to do that."

"I'm sorry," Gabe whispered as he dropped his eyes down to his hands, sniffing as mama reached out to touch his face, "I'm not the one you need to apologize too."

Tightening his jaw, he took a deep breath before turning to look at Ray, "I'm sorry I hit you."

Ray scuffed his toe against the linoleum floor, giving him a nod before looking over at Vivi, "I'm sorry I called you a nerd."

Vivi looked at him for a few seconds, her big gold-brown eyes studying his face before she quietly said, "I forgive you."

Marc placed his hand on Vivi's shoulder, his eyes locked on Ray's face and the little boy knew that though Vivi said it was fine, her older brother wasn't feeling the same way.

He couldn't understand the look on Marc's face but he knew he would get more than just a few bruises if he ever picked on Vivi again.

The door burst open, a tall blond in a business suit rushing in, her briefcase banging against her thigh, "I'm so sorry to be this late. I got your call, I did, but I had a meeting run over at work and traffic was murder on the way here –"

"Mrs. Garrison," Miss Brizza stopped her excuses, holding out a hand as she gave her a friendly smile, "It's okay. I understand how hectic life can get. I'm really sorry I had to call you due to this –"

"I'm glad you did," Mrs. Garrison set her briefcase on a desk before turning to look at mama; "You must be Gabriel's mother."

"I am," mama stood up, holding her hand out with a smile, "Leah Laskaris."

"A pleasure," Mrs. Garrison shook her hand before looking at the kids around her, "Which one is Vivian?"

"I am," Vivi turned around in her chair, looking up at the blond woman with a bit of fear.

She smiled down at her and Gabe made up his mind right then and there –he didn't like her, "I'm sorry my son called you a nerd. It won't happen again, right Ray?"

"Yes mom."

Mrs. Garrison gave her son a smile as she picked up her briefcase, looking at Miss Brizza, "I'm sorry this happened –I assure you, name calling is not tolerated and he'll learn not to do it again."

Turning to look at mama, she gave her a nod, "A pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Laskaris. Ray, let's go."

They all watched silently as Ray got out of his desk, picking up his backpack, which had been at his feet before following after his mother.

"Mama," Zaky's high pitched voice broke the silence as he turned to look at mama, his knees bouncing with excitement as he pointed at the tank, "Fish!"

"Yes, honey," mama reached out to touch his cheek and Gabe knew though she wasn't happy about what he had done, she still loved him, "Those are fish."

"Pretty fish," Zaky turned his blue eyes back to the tank, reaching up to run his finger against the glass, giggling when the fish began to follow it.

"Alright, guys," mama let out a sigh, standing up and returning the chair to the desk she had taken it from, "Let's go home. Marc, where's Einstein?"

"Uncle Seth came to pick him up after show and tell," Marc reached down to pick up Vivi's backpack, the little girl taking her poster from the desk in front of her, "Miss Gianna didn't want him to stay too long after my turn."

"That's good –I'm not sure I would have space for him too," mama smiled at him before turning to look down at Gabe, "Get your backpack, sweetie, and make sure you don't forget your homework."

"Yes, mama," Gabe hopped down from his seat, lifting the lid to his desk to get the homework Miss Brizza had given them, sliding it into his backpack before he picked it up by its strap, looking over at Vivi but she still wouldn't look at him.

Dragging his feet, he made his way towards the stroller, seeing that his brothers were asleep –that's why there was no bell music.

"Where's Emmie," mama asked as she looked around the classroom, smiling when she caught sight of her daughter snuggled into one of the beanbags in the reading corner, a book open in her lap, "Emmie, baby, it's time to go."

"Mama," Emmie looked up at her mother as she held up the book, "Read this to me."

"Honey," mama moved across the sharing carpet to crouch down beside his sister, "We need to go home, baby."

"Alla thelo na diavaset afto to vivlio," she said with a pout, her blue eyes big and Gabe knew if Daddy had been there, she'd be cuddling in his lap while he read the book. *I want you to read me this book*

"Baby," mama reached out to cup her cheek, "We'll look for it in the library tomorrow, okay?"

"You're more than welcomed to take the book with you," Miss Brizza said with a smile that just got bigger when Emmie beamed up at her, "I have a check out system so Gabe can check it out for his little sister."

"I can, mama," Gabe nodded, thinking being nice to his sister would make mama happy with him again.

"Thank you," mama gave him a smile before she looked at Emmie, "Say thank you to your brother, Emerie."

"Thank you, brother," Emmie said with a big smile as she tried to get off the beanbag, shaking her head when mama tried to help her, "I do it on my own, mama."

"Okay, baby," mama took the book from her and handed it to Gabe, who gave it to Miss Brizza and watched as she wrote his name in the library book's card before placing it in the box where she kept the other library book cards.

Emmie finally rolled out of the beanbag, pushing herself up to her feet before she skipped to Miss Brizza, giving her a big smile as she took the book offered to her, "Thank you, teacher."

"You're welcomed," Miss Brizza's smile widened as she looked up at the sound of ringing bells, her face lighting up as she caught sight of two pairs of blue eyes staring at her, "Oh my goodness! They are precious!"

Mama laughed as she picked up Zaky, "They are heartbreakers. The one in blue is Andrey and the one in green is Alyx."

"They're identical," Miss Brizza moved to crouch before the stroller, laughing as Alyx strained against his shoulder harness to reach out and touch her face, "And so social!"

"Alyx is my ladies' man," mama began herding her crowd towards the door, "I'm sure you'll be singing a different tune when you get these two in your second grade class."

Miss Brizza laughed, nibbling on Alyx's small fingers as she reached out to tap the bells on Andrey's shoes, smiling when the little boy giggled, the dimple in his right cheek turning his adorable smile downright dangerous, "That's still a few years away."

"Yes, it is," mama unlocked the brake to the stroller, Vivi taking Emmie's hand as Marc and Gabe headed towards the door, "But forewarned is forearmed."


Finals week, December
Tacoma, Washington

She let out a sigh of frustration, lowering her pad of paper as she looked next to her.

"Having trouble," Collin asked as he flipped through his Infectious Diseases textbook, a notebook on his lap and a pen/highlighter combo in his right hand.

"I can't get past my second argument," Lyn tossed the pad and pen onto the coffee table, stretching her arms over her head, "The damn stress over finals is giving me writer's block."

Collin looked over at her with a smile, "A bath can help with that."

"I have a better idea."

"Lyn…"

"Oh, get your mind out of the gutter, Collin Littlesea," Lyn pushed his notebook off his lap, moving to straddle him, the textbook sliding off the couch's arm and landing in a dull thud on the carpeted floor, "I was thinking about wedding plans."

"Ah," Collin tossed his pen onto the coffee table before sliding his hands up her thighs and under the three sizes too big SU t-shirt –he was pretty sure it was his –finding Lycra volleyball shorts under it, "Wedding plans…alright, let's do some planning, then."

Lyn placed her small hands on either side of his neck, leaning down to kiss his bottom lip, "Let's start with a date."

"Mhm," Collin smiled as he flexed his fingers into her waist, the muscles there trim and taut under soft supple skin, "I was thinking before residency and after graduation."

"Oh, no way in hell," Lyn shook her head, a tendril of hair escaping from the loose ponytail at the base of her neck, "I am not waiting four years for sex."

Collin laughed, bringing a hand up to tuck her hair behind a small ear, giving it a gentle tug before he moved his fingers over her jaw and down the side of her neck, "I thought we were talking about wedding plans."

"With you, wedding plans and sex come hand in hand," Lyn scooted closer to him, biting her lip when she felt his hand tighten on her hip, her face flushing as she looked up at him through her eyelashes, "Sorry."

"It's alright baby," Collin swallowed hard before letting out a breath, his fingers relaxing and going back to stroking the soft skin above her shorts, "So if not in four years, then when?"

"When would you like to marry me," Lyn asked, sitting back on his thighs as she let her hands drift down to his chest, her fingers plucking at the cotton t-shirt stretched across his chest.

If it were at all possible, he had gotten hotter –not to mention buffer –since she had first laid eyes on him almost five years ago.

"If I could, I'd marry you tomorrow," Collin leaned forward, placing a string of kisses across her jaw and down her neck, his hot breath causing goosebumps to break across her skin as she unthinkingly rocked forward, a soft gasp escaping her at the feel of him against her center, "But what with the genetics final at eight, your endocrinology paper due at one and the infectious disease final at five, we haven't got much time."

Lyn giggled, spreading her knees farther apart as she moved closer, her lips moving over his cheekbone and down his jaw line, "So if not tomorrow, how about Christmas break?"

"Baby," Collin's breath hitched at the feel of her moving against him, the basketball shorts he was wearing doing nothing to restrain his raging hard-on, "Your sister's going to be on tour and we have that internship to do."

Lyn nodded, her mouth wet against his throat as she moved her hands down to his waist, easily tugging the white shirt up his ripped stomach, "We have those two weeks between spring and summer semester."

"Doesn't give us much time to plan a wedding," Collin moved his hands up her sides, his thumbs brushing against the undersides of her breasts, a hiss of air escaping him as she rocked against him again, "Don't you want a big wedding?"

Lyn shook her head, feeling a keen sense of loss as Collin's hands dropped to her thighs.

Pulling back, she tugged his t-shirt off, smiling at the look on his face when she laid her hands on his bare chest, skin hot against her palms, his heart beating fast, the tempo in harmony with the pulse at her wrists, "A small wedding…at First Beach on a half moon night. Just the maid of honor and the best man for a wedding party…who's going to be your best man?"

"Ah, shit," Collin dropped his head back, groaning as –without thought or permission –his hips rose off the couch, the heat of her arousal rubbing against him causing the heat in his body to raise several more notches, "Its either Embry or Seth."

"Don't ask Seth," Lyn leaned forward, wrapping her arms around his waist as she rested her ear against his skin, hearing the thump-thump of his heart as he wrapped his arms tight around her, his lips brushing against her hair, "It's going to be hard enough on Julie…I don't want her to have to deal with being close to Seth as well."

"Alright," Collin kissed the top of her head again, sliding his hands under her shirt to smooth his hands over her back, the skin like silk against his hands, "I'll ask Embry."

They sat there in silence, their breathing synchronized as they held each other, Lyn's eyes closing as she inhaled his scent –woodsy yet somehow fresh…like the smell of an incoming rainstorm, "Collin."

"Yeah baby."

She turned her head to place a kiss over his heart, her nose brushing against the hot skin as she softly asked, "Make love to me."

Collin groaned, closing his arms over her as he buried his fingers into her thick hair, "Baby, we can't…"

Lyn looked at him, her purple eyes bright, the need she had for him blatantly obvious in the way she looked at him, his nostrils quivering at the heady smell of her arousal, "Any way you're willing."

He cupped her face, covering her mouth with his as a groan build up inside his chest.

She had no idea how much he wanted her –how he woke every morning and went to bed every night with the aching desire to have her in his arms to love and touch and hold and possess.

But his mother had taught him –as well as his father –that love was sacred and real, along with lovemaking.

It was a gift shared between a man and woman that made the promise of forever and sealed them into one being.

He knew Madelyn Rou was his for all eternity but he still had no right, whether it be in the eyes of God or her family as well as his, to take her when she wasn't yet his.

But there was nothing to stop him from showing her how much he loved her in other ways.

He lowered her onto the couch, their mouths never breaking apart as he gathered the hem of her t-shirt in his hands, pulling it up her stomach and over her breasts.

Gasping for breath as Collin moved his mouth down her throat, she lifted her arms over her head as he tossed the shirt aside, the cool air against her skin quickly dispelled when Collin moved his body over hers.

Moving his mouth down her throat, he placed small wet kisses from one collarbone to the other, his big hands covering her breasts, the lace of her purple bra rubbing against her hard nipples.

"You're so beautiful," Collin whispered against her skin, his nose brushing down her sternum as his lips moved over the soft swells of her breasts, "I love the way you smell…like lotus flowers and cinnamon."

Lyn's breath hitched as she felt Collin's tongue slide along the scalloped edge of the bra, wishing she could take it off and have his mouth on her but she knew not to rush him.

"I love how your skin feels like silk," his lips moved over her chest as he placed a line of kisses down the valley between her breasts, his hands moving down her sides, his nose nudging the underside of one breast before he moved down her taut stomach, one hand slipping into her shorts, "Except here…here it feels like velvet…soft, soft velvet."

Breathing was becoming a difficulty as she felt his fingers slide between her slick folds, one finger slipping deeper to gently touch the little bud of nerves.

Collin kissed a line down the middle of her torso, his tongue dipping into her bellybutton as soon as he reached it.

"Co –Collin…" Lyn stuttered his name, her hips rising up with each slow stroke of his fingers, one teasing the sensitive flesh around the opening to her body as another continued the maddening slow circles against her clit.

Sliding a hand up her side, he curved his fingers around her breast, his thumb rubbing over the taut nipple, her bra a silky barrier between their hot skins.

"I love the sounds you make," Collin gently scrapped his teeth over the flesh of her flat stomach as he slowly pushed a finger into her tight body, "Its music…a siren's call I cannot turn away from."

Lyn let out a keening cry as her body arched off the couch, her breathing strained as she fought against the threatening sensation of flying apart.

"Let go, baby," Collin moved up her body, his lips brushing her cheek as he picked up the speed of his thrusting fingers, her hip rubbing against his erection as she moved in rhythm with his hand, "I want to watch you come apart for me."

Lyn let out a sob as she reached up to bring his head down, her tongue sliding over his as she let herself go, her body tight then splintering apart, her soul full as it sank into a pool of silky wetness, every one of her senses humming in satisfaction.

He slowly pulled his hand out of her shorts, wrapping his arms around her, a groan escaping him as her hip brushed against him.

"Collin," Lyn placed a kiss on his shoulder, her hand sliding down his stomach.

"No, bǎobǎo," Collin grabbed her hand, threading his fingers through hers as he turned his head to kiss her forehead as she smiled at his use of baby in Chinese, "If I let you touch me right now, I'll lose it."

"That would be the point."

Collin laughed at her teasing words, tightening his arms around her as she slid her arms around his waist, a slim thigh moving to rest between his as she tucked her head under his chin.

Seconds passed by in comfortable silence, their labored breathing evening out as their hearts slowed down to a steady pace.

Collin looked down in surprise as Lyn started giggling, "What's so funny, Madelyn Rou?"

She tilted her head back to give him a bright smile, her purple eyes sparkling with mirth.

"I figured out the second argument to my paper."