Happiness; because it has been a long week and because I had to sort of abandon the story for the duration. Thank you for all of your reviews.

It was still dark, she suspected that it was very early morning, but the moonlight that came through the bare glass pane fell at and angle across the bed, and she could see his face clearly. For a few seconds, he lay exactly where he was, quite still, continuing to look at her. It would have seemed from his actions as if he hadn't heard her at all, but the look in his eyes as he watched her intently told her quite the opposite. His hand reached out to her, brushing along the side of her face, their heads still both resting levelly on their pillows, and never breaking eye contact, simply touched her. He kissed her, leaning forwards, drawing their bodies part of the way back together so that they touched lightly. He kissed her so gently, tenderly, reverently that it took her breath away with a sigh. The way he kissed her in those first few seconds, while neither vigorous nor especially provocative, were like no other kisses she had felt before, because the moments before her arousal engulfed her entirely and she pressed closer to deepen the kiss, told her plaintively of the passion with which he cared for her. They reminded her that she was his friend as well as his lover, and in those moments that was so very important to her. Those moments told her that she was truly in love with him, as opposed to only lust. Then, she wrapped her arms around his neck, parting her lips against his and the beautiful moment was broken; to be replaced by something that was no less beautiful.

His hands wandered to her sides, resting there softly, before flitting between their bodies to touch her breasts alternately, pushing his thumb firmly across her nipples, making her groan aloud. By God, she had missed him. Long abstinence made the feelings he evoked in her all the more likely to overwhelm her. Matching her reactions, he continued to touch her, until, breathless, she bent her head forward to rest her forehead against his chin. He planted an almost chaste kiss in her hairline. Her hand rested against his chest, and as she recovered herself a little she brushed her hand back and forth, caressing him gently. As always, their legs seemed to have become entwined and it drew their bodies closer together. Finally, she felt able to look into his face.

"I've missed you so much, Richard," she confessed quietly. After a moment's pause, his hand slipped down to rest on her hip, causing her breath to hitch a little in anticipation.

"I've missed you too, Isobel," he replied, in barely more than a whisper, or a low growl, "Ever so much. Especially like this."

The hungry look in his eye as he spoke made it absolutely clear what he meant by that. It almost made her groan aloud again just to hear him say it. Reaching out, she made to slip her fingers under the waistband of his shorts, but he stopped her.

"Richa-..." she was about to protest, but he stopped that too, taking advantage of her off-guard indignation to press his lips against hers and firmly stop her speech. All arguments were rendered quite hopeless by that kiss.

"You first," he informed her, "I want to show you how much I've missed you."

His voice, and what he said, caused her to shudder blissfully against his body as she felt his hand trail slowly away from her hip, to rest on the inside of her thighs. It stayed perfectly still, tremulously close to her excitement as he kissed along her jaw with deliberate restraint, before reaching her ear, taking the lobe between his teeth as he moved his fingers to move slowly back and forward between her folds. The slowness with which he moved only intensified her arousal, heightening it to fever pitch, so that when he finally sank two fingers inside of her, it was all she could do not to cry out and just let of herself go. He must have felt her her difficulty, because as he moved his fingers back into her, he pushed with his thumb against her nub. Clamping down on her lip, she moved her hips back and forwards frantically. He slowed his movements a little, but she continued to move her hips in desperation.

"Richard, please don't tease me," she told him, "I need you, I need to-...Oh."

She was silenced utterly by what he did next; withdrawing his fingers from her, he pressed her nub between his thumb and fingers, massaging her firmly, giving her such blissful pressure and motion that it made her head spin. Her eyes closed, it took her by surprise when she felt his lips on her as well, kissing her, lapping at her wetness with his tongue as his hand moved continuously. She couldn't take it; throwing her head back, her hand on the back of his, holding him to her, she cried out as she came, her hips rocking vigorously. Oh, she had missed him.

When she finally returned to her senses, she found she was wrapped around her lower back, his head resting on her hip. Her hand slipped back into his hair, her thumb brushing softly against his temples, as he turned his head and planted a single kiss against the bone of her hip.

"You're so beautiful," he told her, "You're always beautiful, but like that... I don't know if I've ever told you how beautiful you are when you're like that. Especially when you let go. It's the one thought that really kept me going when you were away, but somehow it seems as if I'd forgotten what it was really like. You're like a goddess when you're like that, Isobel."

She smiled down at him. She was too much in love with him, and too grateful to call him a flatterer.

Almost, cautiously me moved back up the bed to lie beside her properly, pulling her into his arms and holding her against his chest.

"Thank you, Richard."

He smiled against his lips as he kissed her again. When they broke apart they were both breathless, and she had the feeling that it wouldn't be long until he made her look like a goddess again.

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