Several days later, Kitty received another telephone call from the hospital.

"I'm calling to let you know your husband has awakened from his coma," the nurse told her. "We're running tests, but so far there's no indication of brain damage."

"Has he asked for me?" asked Kitty.

"No," the nurse told her. "So far he's only mumbled about someone named Anne."

"Huh!" Kitty snorted.

"We'll need to keep him here for a few weeks due to the severity of the injury to his leg," the nurse continued. "Several of the wounds are still leaking, so there's always a chance for infection. We're giving him antibiotics through an IV."

Gross! Kitty thought to herself, wrinkling her nose.

With baby Edward at his aunt's, she was lonely and bored all the time, and when Friday night rolled around, she decided to go out dancing. She chose her sexiest low-cut black dress with black hose and stiletto heels and, after carefully applying makeup in the most seductive manner she could think of, left her million-dollar house and went to the club.

She was on the dance floor, swaying her body to a funky beat, when who should she meet up with but Tom Culpepper.

"Hey!" he greeted her with a grin.

"Hey, yourself," she replied, narrowing her eyes as she surveyed his trim, fit body.

"What are you doing here?" asked Tom. "I thought you married that old guy, Henry what's-his-name."

"Henry Tudor. Let's go somewhere where we can talk." She took his arm and led him to an empty table away from the dance floor.

"So what happened?" Tom chuckled. "The old guy couldn't get it up, or what?"

Kitty smirked. "Half the time, he couldn't. He's in the hospital now. He was in a bad wreck a few days ago. Banged his head real bad and got his leg nearly ripped off. They're gonna have to keep him for a few weeks because his leg wounds are still leaking." She made the pout face he'd always found so adorable. "A girl gets lonely all by herself."

Tom frowned. "Doesn't he have a kid?"

"Edward's with his Aunt Beth. I'm all by myself now."

Tom grinned as he reached for her. "Not anymore, you're not."

Henry looked up as Charles Brandon, Anna Cleven, and his daughter Maria entered his room.

"We heard about your accident," said Charles. "We wanted to see how you're doing."

"Terrible!" Henry nodded toward his bandage-swathed leg. "I'll never be the same again. If you knew what it looked like under all that, you'd understand what I mean."

"Well, at least you're still alive," Anna pointed out.

"That's not much consolation," Henry muttered.

"It is to me," said Maria. "I don't know what I would have done if you hand't made it."

"How's your mother?" asked Henry.

"She's fine," Maria told him. "She still misses you. She's never said anything about it, but I can tell she does."

Henry snorted.

"Where's Kitty?" asked Charles.

"Who knows?" Henry scowled. "I haven't seen or talked to her since I woke up. She's probably out living it up with some shithead."

"Oh, I'm sure that's not true," said Anna. "I just talked to Beth. She said Edward's doing fine."

"Thank you," said Henry. "And what about your young man, Maria?"

"I sent him an email and told him what had happened," Maria replied. "He told me he's sorry it happened and he wishes you a speedy recovery."

Henry nodded.

As the three walked back out to Charles's car after their visit, his arm was around Anna's shoulders, holding her close.

"That really freaked me out, to see my best friend just lying there like that," he confessed.

"It's hard," Anna agreed. "With the grace of God, he will recover and regain the use of his leg."

Maria remembered how devastated she'd been when she'd found out about her father's accident, of how much she'd longed to feel Philip's arms around her, comforting her.

Tom took Kitty's hand and led her into his bedroom. Candles and incense were burning, filling the room with a musky scent, and soft music was playing. He unzipped her dress and pulled it off over her head, then unhooked her bra and let it fall to the floor. In response, she untucked his shirt from his pants and removed it.

"It's been too long for me," she whispered. "Far too long."

"It's been awhile for me, too," Tom replied.

Within seconds he'd removed her pantyhose and panties and knelt before her on the floor, using his lips and tongue to pleasure her. She cried out as she came, tossing her head back.

Tom quickly shed the rest of his own clothing, and Kitty took his erect member into her mouth. She pleasured him until he was close, then lay back so he could enter her.

It was over in seconds, and right away, they were at it again. Kitty lost track of how many times she came. At last, in the wee hours of dawn, they lay in each other's arms, exhausted.

"That's the best sex I've had in a long time!" said Kitty.

Tom laughed. "I still can't believe you actually married that old geezer."

"He's not that old, and he's rich! Anyway, I don't want to talk about him right now."

"What do you want to talk about, then?"

"Anything else but him."

"Do you like being a stepmother?"

"To Edward, yes. He's the sweetest little thing! To Maria, not on your life!"

"What don't you like about Maria?"

"She's conceited, selfish, demanding, and judgemental - and those are her good points."

"Sounds like a real bitch," Tom sympathized.

"Yeah. I'm glad I met up with you tonight, Tom."

"I'm glad I met up with you tonight, too. Nothing at all wrong with having a little fun while the cat's away."

They both laughed.