Part 4 of 4

Softer now, her lips brushing against his temple, "Darling, do you want me as much as I want you?"

His mouth is slowly coming to meet hers, "Again. Say it again."

Very softly now, her lips grazing over his cheek and coming to rest on his mouth, "Dear One, do you…?"

"Yes. Oh, yes. Camille, I surely do." And this kiss is the best of all; soft, gentle, full of promises and commitment, fidelity and loyalty, but it morphs quickly into something else… more of a let's-go-somewhere-private-and-get-down-to-business! kind of kiss.

He is somehow rising up, pulling her with him. Her legs feel weak as string and he has to hold her steady while she gets ambulatory. Her immobility isn't helped by the solid reality of him under her hands. She feels a bit dizzy and laughs suddenly, "I seem to have lost all the feeling in my legs! How did you manage that?"

He growls low in his throat, "I'll carry you if I have to! We are going back to my place and finish this conversation to both our satisfaction!" His arms hold her most possessively.

With his help, she manages to stumble along until she is more or less mobile again. Just as she is marvelling at his firm strength, a thought strikes her and she gulps, "What about Dwayne and Fidel? They're still back at the house!"

Now his eyes flash with something else, "If they saw any of this, if they have any sense of propriety, if they don't want to be fired… they will be gone when we get back. If not, I'll send them packing with a flea in their ear!"

"What will you tell them?" she wonders. This is a Richard Poole she's not seen before.

"I'll tell them to bugger off! I've got a man's job to do right now and I'm dying to get it done. They'd better not give me any lip either or I'll put them on night shore patrol for a solid month!"

They are laughing when they finally round the last little spit of beach and find his house totally deserted. There is a note jammed in the door which Richard reads then laughs and hands to her. It's scrawled hastily but the tone is pure Dwayne…

…We're GONE! We didn't see nothing! Tell Fidel he owes me ten bucks 'cause I just know there's gonna be fireworks here tonight! Bondye!

There is a small postscript written neatly below… Tell Dwayne he owes ME ten dollars because I know the fireworks will happen indoors and not on the beach!

"Oh, the shame of it all!" Richard moans as he picks her up and carries her over the threshold. "I have no secrets from any of you. How will I face those two come the morrow?" She can't help noticing that, despite his lamentations, he is undressing her with speed.

"Dearest, you have plenty of secrets!" she assures him as she finishes undressing him, "And I'm going to spend all night learning every single one of them! As for tomorrow, let it take care of itself."

"Oh, yes," he agrees, backing her towards his bed-side tree, "and we still have so much of today to use up. However will we manage?"

To her mind, he manages very well.

END