Don't say it's over, I'm-a change what I've done;

Gonna lay down beside you, gonna lay down my gun.

The struggle ain't over, but I hope you will stay;

'Cause I'm quittin' at the end of the day.

Deacon took Rayna's hand and led her up his driveway, unlocking his back door and pulling her inside.

"C'mon in here," he said, walking directly through the dark house and into his bedroom, shedding his jacket along the way.

Rayna followed him, pulling her jacket off and dropping it on his dresser. He turned on a lamp, clicking just once so the light was soft, and turned toward her, embracing her tightly. She wrapped her arms around his neck, kissing him deeply and pushing him back against the bed.

He leaned on the edge of the bed for a moment, then suddenly pulled away from her, sitting back on the mattress and propping a pillow against the window blinds behind him, kicking off his shoes and stretching his legs out over the covers.

Rayna started to climb on top of him, but he stopped her, putting his hands gently on her shoulders and holding her at arm's length.

"Stay over there," he said, his voice husky.

"What? Why?"

"I want you to take your clothes off. I … wanna watch."

Rayna froze, feeling the color rise hotly over her face at his words. She swallowed hard, nervous suddenly.

A thought that had been hovering in the back of her mind for the past couple of days surfaced just then. While she had spent the last 14 years twice becoming a mother, in a monogamous relationship best described as "plain vanilla," she knew that Deacon's experience since they had been apart had been … very different.

There was something intimidating about that. After the first flush wore off, would he find her … inadequate, somehow? Or worse yet … boring?

Rayna took a deep breath, hesitating a moment longer as insecurity gripped her. He was leaning back against the pillow, his arms folded behind his head, looking at her with an inscrutable expression.

"Go ahead, darlin'," he said softly.

Rayna swallowed again, realizing that she was trembling - and incredibly turned on. She stepped back to the center of the room, facing him. She eased her black, sheer blouse out of her pants and reached around to undo the row of black velvet-covered buttons at the nape of her neck. She slipped it over her head and dropped it on the floor, emerging from the mass of her hair to find him smiling at her.

Emboldened, she smiled back. Two could play at this game.

"What about you? Don't I get to watch, too?"

"Fair 'nough."

He sat up, undid the center buttons on his white shirt and, in one swift motion, yanked it out of his pants and over his head, tossing it across the bed.

"Pretty smooth," she said, admiring his bare chest.

He grinned and leaned back, propping his arms behind his head again, causing Rayna's knees to momentarily wobble.

"Your turn."

Rayna took a deep breath and looked down, reaching for her ornate belt buckle and sending a silent word of thanks to the trainer who had kicked her ass for months to get her in shape for this tour.

But when she looked up, Deacon was shaking his head.

"No. Not yet."

She felt the blush spreading down her neck and over her bare collarbone now, reddening her chest. She stared at him, then reached back and grasped the clasp on her black lace bra, arching her back, her breath coming quickly, her eyes never leaving his.

"That's it … don't rush."

She unhooked her three bra clasps excruciatingly slowly, pausing between each one. Then, as the garment came loose, she crisscrossed her arms over her chest, hooking her pinkies in the straps and lowering them inch by inch, trailing her dark fingernails slowly down the length of her bare arms.

Just before she was exposed fully, Rayna leaned forward and shook her head so her hair fell over her shoulders, partially covering her breasts. Ever so gently, she allowed the black lacy brassiere to slide off her wrists and drop softly onto the floor.

Deacon had not moved a muscle during this performance, but she could hear his raspy breathing coming from the bed a few feet away. Rayna steeled herself and straightened up, tossing her hair back over her shoulders and meeting his gaze fully.

"Was that slow enough for you?"

Stunned for a moment, he broke into a wicked smile.

"That was perfect. You're perfect."

"Your turn."

He raised his eyebrows, appreciating how quickly she had gotten into this game, and stood up next to the bed, facing her. He unbuckled his belt and unzipped his black slacks, letting them pool at his feet and then stepping out of them.

Rayna stared pointedly at the front of his boxers, delighted with the obvious effect she was having on him. Then she reached again for her belt, not needing direction this time, and unbuckled it, kicking off her shoes and stepping quickly out of her pants and her panties together.

She took a step toward him, fully naked now in the soft lamplight.

"Rayna … you're so beautiful."

His voice sounded strangled. He started to walk toward her.

But she put her hand up, stopping him.

"Stay over there."

She went to him instead, positioning her body as close as she could possibly get without actually making skin contact.

He shivered and closed his eyes as she passed her face across the left side of his neck; he could feel her breath hot on his collarbone as her hair brushed over his shoulders and tickled his chest.

He needed so badly to take her in his arms, to push her down underneath him and be inside of her.

But Rayna was clearly enjoying herself, showing him she could meet him and match him. He forced himself to stay still as she stood close to him for a long moment, goose bumps prickling up on his skin.

Just when he thought he couldn't hold back any longer, she brought both her hands up to his waist and took hold of his sides, leaning back and looking up, her gaze smoldering as it met his. Her touch made him tremble, but he held her eyes as her hands slid gradually downward, her thumbs slipping inside the waistband of his shorts.

She pulled them down slowly, following them with her body until she was kneeling on the floor in front of him.

He looked down at her, his breath coming hard. She was staring up at him, her eyes shining.

"Rayna. You … you don't have to …."

She tossed her hair back again, looking so beautiful, naked in front of him.

"I want to, babe. I want to show you … I want to show you how much I love you."