Adila stood at the window in Teru's living room watching the fireworks over the river. She inhaled sharply in surprise when his hand appeared over her shoulder. With a grateful smile, she took the jade colored teacup from him. He had kept her cups and saucers; they were the only possessions he had refused to send to her when she had returned to Texas. Inhaling the luscious aroma of the rose tea, her smile morphed into a sentimental, pensive grin. The last few days had been wonderful. She had spent time with him every day engaging in everything from shopping to making a snowman in her back yard. Her feelings had grown exponentially for him in the sweet, romantic moments they shared making new memories.

"How is it?" Teru asked, standing beside her to watch the fireworks.

"Hmmm?" she questioned. She had been too preoccupied with her thoughts to hear the question.

"How is your tea? It is your favorite, right?" he inquired as if he did not know.

"It's wonderful. Thank you," she responded, taking another luscious sip.

"Adila, could you ever love me again?" he queried, staring out of the window.

'I think I already do,' she thought to herself. Crossing the living room, she set her teacup on the coffee table. A gasp tore from her lips when she turned to find him standing in front of her. Her eyes met his dark brown ones while he slid one arm around her waist and took her chin between the thumb and forefinger of his other hand. She had no choice but to maintain eye contact with him as he silently probed the depths of her golden green eyes. Was he looking for the answer to his question? Her body trembled as she remained under his direct and penetrating scrutiny. She wanted – no, needed – him to kiss her. Her hands went to his waist holding on tightly.

Without a word, Teru pressed his lips to hers. He did not want to break the sensual spell that had fallen over them by speaking. His mind had been replaying a New Year's Eve from a long time ago: their first New Year's Eve, the first time he had made love to her. History should repeat itself tonight. Things had been falling back into place since Christmas Eve. He had almost made her his again. All that remained was for her to take that final step with him – to make love to him.

Adila sighed with sensuous contentment when his tongue languidly slid between her lips. She had always loved his slow, enticing kisses. Every muscle in her body tightened and she heated up deep within as his tongue inquisitively explored her mouth, discovering every part on its delightfully stimulating journey. She groaned when his hands slid under her purple sweater, pulling it upwards as his fingers drifted over her skin. The prickly, sensitive flesh rising was like small bursts of fire igniting over her body.

Teru could feel her shaking beneath his touch. His fingers grazed the slightly rough, bumpy fabric of her lace bra. Two significantly larger bumps rose when his fingers brushed over her nipples. He broke the kiss to pull her sweater over her head. Holding her around the waist with one arm, he bent his head to her breast after pushing back the fabric of her bra with his fingers.

"Teru," she gushed in a breathy voice when his warm wet tongue hungrily licked over the erect nipple. Her unsteady fingers went to the buttons on his shirt, having some difficulty but eventually managing to undo the buttons as he moved to the other breast to lick the nipple.

Teru raised his head to kiss her so he could shrug off his shirt. He could not help but smirk smugly from her harsh intake of air when she looked at his body. All those hours he had spent at the gym had made a difference. It excited him to see and hear her reaction to his improved body. His hand cradled the back of her head as he watched her look him over with an open and erotic curiosity.

Adila pressed her hands to his well-defined chest with his strength on full display. She kissed the bulging pectoral muscle feeling it quiver under her lips. Her hands slid over his belly, her fingers playing over each hard ridge that formed his strong abdominals. Sliding around his waist, her hands moved upwards to glide across the distinct musculature of his back. It was amazing and arousing what he had done to his body. Burying the fingers of one of her hands in his hair, she pulled his lips down to hers by tugging lightly on his hair while her other hand glided over the muscles to feel him all over. At his waist, she turned her wrist, slipping her fingers under his waistband when he inhaled deeply.

"Adila," he gasped, clutching her shoulders when her fingers enclosed his hardened member. Her boldness was stimulating him more than he thought it would.

Adila pushed him toward the couch, removing her hand from his pants so he could sit down. She took off her skirt and underwear while he got rid of his pants and underwear. Straddling his lap, she held herself up while he positioned his member beneath her. Once she felt the head pressed against her body, she began the process of her lowering herself onto him.

"Oh, god," Teru mumbled in a choked gasp.

Adila kissed him, relishing the feel of him inside her body. She rotated her hips, making him moan helplessly as the pleasure overtook him. Her hips rocked in a gentle rhythm while her tongue met his for a playful yet carnally inspiring battle. She moved faster when his fingers dug into her behind signaling his rise in pleasure. Her body responded in kind, pushing her one step closer to a delightful end. She smiled when his hands gripped her hips, moving her faster when she did not speed up. The leisurely, pleasing lovemaking began to turn into something more demanding and obsessive, making them pant for air as they both extended themselves to press toward the impending orgasm. With a hungry kiss she pushed them both to that final end which left them in a devastated breathless heap, clinging to each other while they shivered from the strength of the physical pleasure.

"Adila, I can't live without you anymore. I love you," he panted, kissing her with a remarkable hunger.

Adila could not return the sentiment yet. Offering him a kiss of apology, she rose from the couch to gather her clothes. A strong hand on her shoulder stopped her before she could begin dressing.

"Please, don't go," Teru pled with her, taking the clothes from her hand. He drew her naked body to his, embracing her tightly. "Don't leave me. Just stay."

"I really shouldn't. I need to –"

"No, you don't. Let me make love to you again…please."

Adila held her breath as his beguiling lips went to her neck. After a few kisses and nips, she was convinced to stay and more than willing for him to take her to the heights of pleasure all over again. She permitted him to lead her to his bed where he took her for another mind-blowing adventure in sex. They had celebrated the coming of the New Year with a meeting of their bodies and emotions, once again joining their lives.

~\..'../~

Adila walked into her office on Valentine's Day to find a gorgeous porcelain tea set sitting on her desk. A single, dark pink rose decorated each item of the set from the teapot to the saucer. A box of her favorite rose tea was included. She picked up the plain white card attached to the handle of the tea pot that bore a single quote: "A life filled with love, must have some thorns, but a life empty of love will have no roses." With a smile on her face, she picked up each fragile item, inspecting it carefully. Disappointment flooded her when she picked up the sugar bowl and heard a loose rattle that implied something had been broken. Lifting the lid, she expected to see a huge chip of porcelain in the bottom. She found something quite different and even more disturbing instead.

"Oh, my god," she gasped as she stared at the ring lying on the bottom of her bowl. Carefully setting the fragile porcelain bowl down on the desk before she dropped it, she reached inside with trembling fingers to retrieve the plain diamond solitaire engagement ring.

"Do you like your present?" Teru asked, making a sudden appearance in her office like a phantom from beyond.

Adila was too stunned by the ring to react in any form. The only fear she felt was from what the object in her hand stood for. Marriage had never been a priority for her, and years ago it became a dream that she had chosen to forget entirely. All she could do was shiver and stare at the ring as if it were a deadly creature about to attack her. Her gaze shifted back to him when he called her name.

"Well? Will you marry me?" he queried, his smile fading when she did not answer after a long moment. "Adila?"

Adila finally found the will to move but not her voice to answer his question. Dropping the ring back into the sugar bowl, she rushed past him to flee the room. It was nearly impossible to breathe, and she felt as if she did not run now she would die right there in her office. Forsaking the elevator and not caring that her office was on the top floor of the building, she ran to the stairwell. The adrenaline pumping through her system was enough to carry her down the numerous flights of stairs without fatigue and without stopping. Bursting through the emergency exit, she continued to run across the parking lot. She was not sure where she was running to and did not really care as long as it was away from Teru.

"Adila!" His voice carried across the parking lot to her. The anxiety and distress in his voice made her stop.

Adila whirled around, not holding back the tears but allowing them to flow freely down her cold face. She collapsed to her knees when tiredness settled over since the adrenaline had been spent getting her to this point on the far side of the parking lot from the building.

"What's wrong with you?" He knelt down in front of her to hold her, unconcerned about soiling his dark green suit pants which was shocking.

"I can't! I can't marry you!" she sobbed, evident panic in her voice.

"Okay. It's all right. Then don't," he rejoined, keeping almost all of the anger out of his voice. He had never dreamed she would have such an adverse reaction to a proposal. In the usual progression of relationships, engagement then marriage were the next steps. Apparently, he had forgotten theirs was not the typical relationship.

Adila was unsure as to why the possibility of getting married frightened her so terribly. Perhaps it was because of what happened between them the first time. Maybe it was because of what she had heard from Shuichi about his failing marriage. She did not want to have to endure anything like a messy divorce. Divorces, even when wanted, were always miserable and painful. It was better to not get married in the first place which she had resolved to do a long time ago.

"Calm down. Come back to the office," he urged her gently, helping her to her feet.

Once they were back in her office, Teru put her new tea set to use. He made the tea instead of her while she sat and shivered in shock at her desk. He did not speak a word to her until she had drunk her first cup of the rose tea and ceased shaking. Setting his cup and saucer down on the desk, he silently contemplated what to do next as he looked at her.

"Where do we go from here, Adila? Please tell me because I have no idea," he muttered, unable to hide the bitterness in his voice. He jumped to his feet, striding to the window because it was too painful to look at her anymore. His heart could not take much more hurt from her. "I thought this was what you wanted."

"You thought wrong," she responded emotionlessly which made it seem that much more cruel.

Teru spun around to glare at her. She could have at least had the decency to say those harsh words with sadness or anger or some kind of feeling. No emotional outburst meant she felt nothing whatsoever which was more heart-wrenching than any reaction she could have had.

"What do you want from me?" he asked.

"Nothing more than your love, Teru," she answered, confusing him even further.

"What?" He threw up his hands with a growl in frustration. She was contradicting herself in words and actions. It was really starting to piss him off.

Adila stood up, swiftly closing the distance between them to claim his mouth in a soul-stirring kiss. She needed him to need her. It had become obvious to her they shared a codependent relationship and had to be together to function no matter what psychologically distorted level it was on.

"I won't marry you, but I'll be yours. I love you," she whispered, grunting when he crushed his mouth to hers for a forceful, controlling kiss.

"Welcome back, my goddess."