Edith thoroughly enjoyed the driving tour the next day. She took pictures of every new animal they saw. Anthony enjoyed the animals too but it seemed all his pictures were of Edith watching the animals and smiling.

Edith had been nervous at breakfast and around the lobby before the tour left. She really didn't want to see Sarah again. As soon as they'd finished the morning meal, she'd insisted they return to their cottage where she wanted to remain until it was time for the tour. She realized that Anthony caught her heavy sigh of relief when they met up with the group and saw that Khosi was to be their driver. It was only then that she realized that she'd been afraid Sarah might take charge of their tour.

Once they pulled away in the Rover, she relaxed even more and really enjoyed the scenery. She also enjoyed the knowledge that Anthony was enjoying his scenery as well, his view of her from his seat beside her. Khosi was a good tour guide, pointing out the different animals as they drove and explaining their habits. Occasionally he would pull off the path and let everyone have a few minutes for pictures or simply to watch as herds of various animals moved across their vista.

There was another couple in the Rover with them, Americans apparently. They were more Anthony's age than Edith's and she noticed that the woman had given Anthony an appraising look at the beginning and then shot a look of approval at Edith, as if to say 'well done.' Edith had smiled at the woman in acknowledgement of the silent praise. All of this happened without either of the men catching the silent communication, of course. Edith sized up the other woman's husband and shot the woman an approving smile in return, but in truth Edith felt she had the far better of the two men and that notion filled her with a warm smugness.

The small group returned to the resort hot and tired after the excursion. The other couple, the Andersons, Edith had learned, peeled off in the lobby with her saying something about going for a swim. All Edith wanted was a quick dip to wash off some of the sticky sweaty feeling of the afternoon and then have a short lie down. Anthony seemed to be in complete agreement, although Edith wasn't certain that he understood that she really meant a lie down, for a nap. Last night's encounter with Sarah had led to a fretful, sleep deprived night.

Edith and Anthony did go for a quick dip and then a brief shower after the pool. And when she stretched out on the bed and he did the same beside her, she sensed that he was relieved when she said she really did need a nap. "You've worn me out, my sweet, with all your activities," he teased.

"O, have I? I forget you're a doddering old man," she teased back.

"Yes, well…. I'm afraid I'd have found it difficult to keep up with your activity lever even as a spirited young man. You really are quite amazing, you know my darling."

"MMMmmmmmm," she murmured as she curled into him, cuddling close as she drifted off to sleep.

The Andersons joined them at their table for dinner that evening. It seemed Mr. Anderson, Toby, was an avid hunter. Anthony, while he hadn't hunted in years, was able to keep up his end of a conversation between the two men. Mrs. Anderson, Holly, turned to Edith. "Have you been married long?" she asked.

"Actually, this is our honeymoon," Edith replied.

"Oh really! How wonderful. This is a lovely idea for a honeymoon," and off she launched into a sad tale of the Andersons' honeymoon thirteen years before. "Yes, off to New Orleans we went, completely unprepared. The hurricane blew in and although the city didn't get the brunt of the winds, it sure filled up with water! Fortunately, Toby hadn't been able to book a room in the French Quarter and our hotel was on higher ground, so at least we were dry. But we were stranded. I didn't mind so much though because, well…. we were on our honeymoon and staying in our room most of the time really wasn't so bad, you know. But the hotel did lose power, so it did get uncomfortable after a while. Still, we were in so much better shape than those poor people in the lower wards." Holly paused and then sighed. "Yes, your Anthony's idea of a honeymoon is so much better. And then she laughed.

Edith found that she was enjoying the company of the Andersons and was disappointed when they shared that they were leaving the next day. But email addresses were exchanged with promises to keep in touch. And apparently, Anthony and Toby had agreed to trade copies of pictures they'd taken that day.

On their way back to their cottage, Anthony ducked into the gift shop. Edith watched to see what he wanted to purchase but caught sight of Sarah moving through the lobby and so Edith slipped behind a rack of books until Sarah had moved away. Anthony appeared at her elbow smiling. "ready, dearest?" And off to their room they went.

"What did you get at the gift shop?" Edith wanted to know.

Anthony grinned. "Thought we might need some entertainment tonight."

"Entertainment?" Edith's brow furrowed. "I thought you found me entertaining?"

"Oh, I do my darling. But we seem to be falling into a routine and I thought we might break it tonight. Mustn't let routine settle in or you might become bored with me," he replied, eyes twinkling.

"I didn't realize the they offered sex toys in the shop," Edith said as she moved closer to him.

"I don't think they do," Anthony answered, a puzzled expression on his face.

"So, what did you get?"

Anthony reached into the small bag and pulled out a box. Edith couldn't see the writing on the box because his hand covered it. "What is in the box?"

"Just playing cards," Anthony said as he moved toward the table. "Thought we might play some card games tonight."

"Cards games? And you think this will be less boring than…. Than our routine?" Edith was incredulous.

Yes, I believe so," was Anthony's reply. "Do you know the game of Poker?"

"I have an American grandmother, Anthony. Of course, I know Poker. But we have no chips or matchsticks or anything to use for the wagers."

"Oh, I'm sure we can think of something," he said, another grin plastered on his face below his twinkling eyes.

Edith watched as he grin morphed into a smirk and decided to play along. She sat in one of the chairs and stared at him confidently. "So what's the ante?"

"Oh no ante. Just bet to stay in the hand," he replied as he pulled the cards from the box and shuffled. "Shall we say some simple five card draw?"

"Alright."

Anthony finished shuffling and handed the deck to Edith. "Your deal."

Edith dealt and then set the deck on the table. She looked at her cards and saw she had a pair of tens. She watched Anthony as he studied his cards. "So what do we bet with?"

Anthony looked across at her, a grin quirking at the corner of his mouth. "I'll open with one kiss."

Edith fought the smile that was threatening her own mouth. "Is that a peck on the lips kiss or a full on one?"

"Simple peck, I think," he said as he looked again at his cards.

"Alright then, I'll see your peck and raise it to a full on kiss." Reaching for the deck she asked, "how many cards?"

Anthony pulled one card from his hand and set it on the table. "Just one." He was smirking again.

Edith dealt his one card and then, "dealer takes three," she said.

As they played their hand, Edith began to realize what Anthony's smirk was about. He was intentionally losing. Well, two can play at this, she thought.

Anthony dealt the next hand and Edith opened the betting. They played several hands, betting kisses, either pecks or full-blown ones, sometimes one, sometimes several, until Anthony upped his game. "I bet one nipple tweak," he said smugly as he looked at his hand.

Edith bit her lip to keep from laughing. "I'll see it and raise it to a full minute of tweaking."

She intentionally lost that one, much to Anthony's disappointment. It seemed he was suddenly ticklish on that part of his body.

As the game progressed, so did the betting, until the couple was seriously into some heavy petting and outright foreplay. Edith, absolutely on the edge of exploding if she didn't have her man soon, upped the level of betting after Anthony had bet one minute of licking and sucking. "I'll see your bet and raise it to this," she said. "I win and we move to the bed where I get to take you and if you win, we go to bed and go to sleep."

Anthony looked up at her alertly, tossing his cards on the table. "Fold," he said as he sprung from his chair and then pulled her from hers.

Sometime later as she cuddled next to a happily drowsy Anthony, Edith mumbled that she thought he was quite right to want to keep things interesting. "I'll have to think of a new game so we can change them up," she whispered quietly. But she already had a game in mind.