Compared to their Saturday, Sunday was rather tame. Anna escorted John to her local church before taking him on the tour of the nine other possible houses of worship within the fifteen-minute drive of the first. After that John surrendered his afternoon to preparing for the meetings that filled his Monday schedule and Anna submitted to the demands of grading she put off to enjoy the weekend with John.

It felt rather domestic as they both took up space in her sitting room, the trees and rolling hills of her property visible through her large windows, and maintained a comfortable quiet while her music lilted softly in the background. The scratch of her pen and the click of his laptop keys set a kind of cadence to their work until Anna strained her eyes to see the script on the papers in front of her. With a stretch she left her chair and flicked on a light, laughing when John blinked at it.

"That dark already?"

Anna pulled her mobile from her pocket, "That late already."

"I guess there's only so much you can do." John clicked a few more things before closing the lid. "Get all your work done?"

"Enough so that when I ask them for their homework tomorrow they can't throw it back in my face." Anna sighed, "Sometimes I wonder if it's all worth it when most of them will just move ten minutes away from where they grew up and then marry their high school sweethearts."

"Is there anything wrong with that?"

"Not if it's what they want but in most cases this is what they get."

John frowned, "Lack of opportunity?"

"I firmly believe that most things denied us are lack of initiative, not lack of opportunity." Anna shrugged, "I don't want them looking at their lives five, ten, twenty, or even forty years down the road and thinking 'is this really it'?"

"Life without regrets then?"

Anna gave an embarrassed grimace, "Is that too much to ask?"

"I've yet to meet anyone who can claim they've lived their life so well they don't have any regrets."

Taking the open section of sofa next to him Anna folded her legs underneath her. "I hope it's not too bold a question to ask if you'd tell me what one of yours is."

"One of my regrets?" John blew out a gust of air when Anna nodded. His fingers raked through his hair and he stared out the large windows before moving his laptop to the side table and faced her. "Marrying my ex-wife."

"I could see that."

"Thank you very much."

Anna stuck out her tongue, "I had to meet her and I could've told you she was a harpy then."

"She wasn't when we married." Anna raised an eyebrow and John defended himself. "She wasn't. At least not like she is now."

"What happened to turn her to the Dark Side?"

"I wish I could say it was something as simple as she cracked or lost a job or something but we never really had struggles like that." John's face scrunched as he strained to think. "I'd say it was gradual."

"You just grew apart?"

John nodded, "I decided I was going to quit drinking after my mother died. I'd given up smoking about five years before and she didn't like that."

"She didn't want you to live to see your grandchildren?"

"She would've had to actually want children for there to be grandchildren." John shook his head, "I take it back, that was the moment we started growing apart."

"You wanted kids?"

"Still do if I can." At Anna's grin John hurried to cover himself, "I wasn't meaning to imply that's-"

"I'm just having you on." She pulled her knees up to her chest, "When'd you find out she didn't want kids?"

"About two years into marriage." John shrugged, "You take a year to get to know the other person and then a year to work out a rhythm between you two and then I thought maybe we could try for kids."

"Is that when she dropped the bomb on you?"

"It was a huge fight and we never really recovered from it." John frowned, "Wait, why am I the only one sharing my regrets?"

"I'm sorry, I thought it was story time." Anna took a breath, "I guess, if I had to pick one, it's that I didn't take a risk with Evelyn Napier."

"Who?"

"He was this liaison who worked in my office when I was stationed in Leeds." Anna giggled, "He had this embarrassingly huge crush on Mary to the point where everyone had this office pool on when she'd have to break his heart."

"But she married Matthew."

Anna gave a quick nod, "And so he got the picture after that but it was still hard to watch someone that good, that solid lose out on something."

"Not all love is requited." John nudged her, "But you're telling me Mr. Napier's regrets, not yours."

"Well, there was this last Christmas Party before I went to my next posting and he was there. We struck up a conversation and he offered me a chance to leave the Air Force then to join him on this business venture. I thought, at the time, I wanted to serve forever and so I turned him down." Anna sighed, "I guess I sometimes wonder what would've happened if I'd stayed in England and worked with him."

John laughed and Anna swatted at him, "What's so funny?"

"I'm sorry," He tried to contain himself, "I thought you were about to tell me he proposed to you or something and you wondered why you didn't serve as his second choice."

"Sometimes second best isn't bad, Mr. Bates." Anna beat him with a pillow, "But no, Evelyn only ever had eyes for Mary and everyone else was just invisible."

"I guess we all get tunnel vision when we see something we want."

Anna met John's eyes, refusing to blink as she crawled toward him on the sofa. "And do you see something you want Mr. Bates?"

"I might." He smirked at her, leaning back on the sofa so she could position herself over him. "But I think the night before you have to face rooms full of teenagers and I have to sell some difficult pills isn't the time to chase after it."

"You've got me there." Anna ghosted her hand over his face, "But how I wish I could take you on this sofa right now."

"I wouldn't argue."

"Your back would. There's a wooden beam right about here," Anna pressed into his side and John twitched. "Are you ticklish?"

"No," He blocked her hands, the smile breaking over his face. "I wouldn't play with that kind of fire Ms. Smith."

"I think I might want to."

They battled back and forth over the sofa until it came to a draw as John's mobile rang. He held up a finger, sliding his finger over the screen to answer the call. "John Bates speaking."

Anna got off the sofa, gathering the graded papers and working them into her bag. She risked a look back at John and he cringed but she waved him off. The call took him back to the borrowed room and she secured the house for the night while making sure all was in order for the next day.

They met in the hall and Anna pointed to the mobile in his hand. "I hope that was good news."

"Good and bad." He winced, "All the meetings are moved to tomorrow so my flight is tomorrow night."

"Oh," Anna deflated slightly, "I'm guessing you'll be checking out in the morning then?"

"Unfortunately." John frowned at his mobile before taking her hand with his free one. "I'd like to see you again though, if I could."

"When?"

"I'll be back in town in a month if all goes well and I'd need a place to stay." He grinned, "Someone to give their opinion on the approved sights and the plans."

"Are you asking about the availability of the room or my availability as a person?"

"Both."

Anna pursed her lips but surrendered to a smile of her own. "School's out by then so I'll have some free time in between teacher trainings and evaluations."

"You'd have free nights then?" John's finger skimmed up her arm and Anna failed to suppress the shiver that ran through her.

"I'd move the earth to fulfill that particular promise, Mr. Bates."

"I'm looking forward to it." John's head dipped down toward hers, his voice a whisper, "Though, I do have a question."

"What is it?" Anna closed her eyes as his lips found her neck and laid a line of kisses there. Her fingers gripped in his shirt in an attempt to hold herself upright as his voice hummed over her skin. It took all of her focus to hear him while her body heated under his attentions.

"I wonder if you might be willing to let me give you a taste of what you'll be waiting for." He paused, fingers teasing under the edge of her shirt to draw it up. "That is, if you're willing."

"Yes please." Anna turned her mouth to meet his while his hands tightened their grip on her hips to haul her up. She wrapped her legs around his waist and he took a side step to place her back against the wall. The gentle thud roused her enough to tangle her fingers in his hair and rest her own head back against the wall to better feel him.

His hands snuck under her shirt and rucked it up to smooth over her back while his mouth covered the exposed area of her chest with his kisses and caresses. Anna tried to maneuver him with her hands in his hair but found her guidance shockingly lacking. John seemed to get the hint though and shifted just enough to look in her eyes.

"What do you want Anna?"

"I'd like to make it a home run if that's alright with you." Anna smiled at him, "Though probably not against the wall in my hallway for our first time, if that's alright with you."

John pivoted, hands holding securely at her thighs, and entered his borrowed room. The lamp on the desk gave the room a soft glow as he settled on the bed, sitting on the edge with Anna's legs now dangling over his. Her fingers slid from his hair to edge his jaw before she laid her own trail of kisses.

He let his head go back and Anna grinned to herself. With nips at his jaw that had John hissing through his teeth, she slipped the few buttons at the top of his shirt loose before tugging it loose from his belted trousers. Within a moment she pulled the article over his head and spread her fingers wide to take in the feel of him under her attentions.

The hair there tickled her delicate fingertips but she massaged through it. Drawing patterns over his muscles and around the contours of his skin gave Anna an idea. When she acted on it John let out a gasp, her tongue and teeth now teasing the skin of his chest. Sucking on his chest left little red patches and Anna decided to risk a red patch at one of his nipples.

John bucked under her, his hands bunching in the crumpled fabric of her shirt, and groaned. Anna did not cease her attentions, choosing instead to flick open his belt and pull it loose with a flourish before dropping it to join his shirt on the floor. Her hand then followed the path from the previous evening to open his trousers.

Shifting enough to pull his trousers from his hips she ran her hand over him through the fabric of his boxers. John twitched, fingers digging into the skin of her back, and Anna removed the last barrier between him and her hand. Adjusting to shove both bunches of fabric off his legs and leave him naked under her, Anna set to her task.

The smooth skin warmed under her touch, swelling with each stroke. Her mouth set a reverse journey from his chest to his jaw while her hand tightened and tugged. When her lips eased over him she worked him harder. When she decided to add teeth and tongue her strokes lengthened and soothed.

Anna found herself so wrapped in exploring his body under her that it took her a moment to realize when his hands insisted at the hem of her shirt. In a moment it left her body and her hands returned to their former occupation while his hands took a more active roll. One slipped her bra clasp loose, leaving it hanging from her shoulders while her chest pressed toward his to better the proximity of her mouth to his skin, and the other teased under the waistline of her jeans. He took her pause in attentions to sneak that hand under the elastic of her knickers and grabbed at her ass. She bucked into him, rubbing the fabric of her jeans against his arousal by accident and he hissed while Anna moaned. They exchanged a look and Anna grabbed his wrist to move his hand.

She stepped away from him, dropping her bra to leave her exposed to him from the chest up. John reached for her but Anna held his hands away, shaking her head as a smile stole over her lips. He grinned, hands going to the edge of the bed to hold there and waited.

With a little finesse, and a little awkwardness, she popped the button on her jeans and drew the zipper down so slowly the click of the teeth releasing echoed almost as loudly as the blood rushing in her ears or the thumping of her heart against her chest. Anna stepped out of them and snuck a thumb under the elastic of her knickers to sneak them down her legs. Once she stepped clear of them she caught his eyes again.

Everything about him sparked. His eyes, dark from the lack of light but now blown wider with the picture before him, bored into her. His knuckles whitened on the edge of the bed where her gripped the comforter in his hands. His feet were on tiptoe, as if ready to spring forward at any moment. And, to Anna's excitement, his erection stood even taller and prouder than before.

Anna closed the distance, pushing gently on his shoulder to settle him until the backs of his knees hit the edge of the bed and his feet flattened. She straddled his thighs again and looped her arms over his shoulders. With a smile she put her mouth over his, leaving a sliver of air between them, and whispered to him.

"Do we need anything?"

"I'm clean."

"Me too."

"Do you need something?" His hands trekked up her thigh, one tracing the dips above her ass while the other drew circled the inside of her leg to play near her folds.

"Modern medicine's wonderful when you've got birth control." She let her fingers trail over his flexing shoulder blades. "Unless you want another layer of protection."

"I'd rather not, if it's all the same to you." She gasped as he formed a 'V' with his fingers and massaged on either side of her folds. "I want every moment of this experience with you. No holds barred."

"Me too." Anna took control of his mouth then, moving her lips over his until she found a rhythm she liked.

His fingers spared no time in taking a hold on her ass to guide her forward onto his fingers. They slipped into her while his thumb flicked at her nerves to send Anna rocking against him for more friction. John answered her without reservation and soon had his throbbing erection trapped between them.

Anna finally broke the kiss, shifting away from his hand to take his arousal in her own. "I think we've not got time to waste."

"Bringing you to climax wouldn't be a waste."

"I'm glad you think so." Anna lifted up on her knees, her hand at his shoulder keeping her balance while her other hand positioned him. "But we can come together if you want."

"Yes please."

Anna sunk down and both groaned together. John kept his hand between them, pressing for added stimulation, and Anna raked her nails over his shoulders to give expression to what she could only say with moans and whimpers. He spanned from her ass to her hip with his other hand, thrusting into her while rocking her closer to bring them both to the edge.

When the colors sparked before Anna's eyes she changed her motion and bobbed up and down. John grunted, using the lift from his legs and hips to strike as deeply as he could inside her, and orchestrated his fingers more urgently against her. Anna fell over the edge with his name and John followed her a minute later with a gasp of hers.

He fell back on the bed, bringing Anna to lay over his chest, and they stayed there to just breathe. She adjusted, slipping herself free to lay next to him. John adjusted to face her and stroked a finger down her cheek with a smile.

"I only intended third base."

Anna laughed with him, moving her hands under her head and shifting to her side. "Well, then I guess you sort of got it."

"You definitely got your home run."

She grinned, "I did."

"I just hope you don't make it one of those things you regret." John brushed some hair from her face. "I know it's not ideal and things may not-"

"Mr. Bates," Anna placed a finger over his lips. "Given how much we've already experienced together and how much we've got to look forward to, can't we take this one night and let it be enough for now?"

He smiled back at her, "I think so."

"Good." Anna sat up, "Then I think we'd both be wise to actually get to sleep now. We've got to be adults tomorrow."

"I don't know," John teased as Anna slid off the bed, gathering her clothes. "I thought what we just did was very adult."

Anna shot him a look, "You're incorrigible now that you've gone and got your leg over."

"Well," He shrugged, one arm going behind his head as he watched her sorting her clothes on her arm. "I think I could stand to do it again now that I've seen you without your clothes."

"Enjoying the view then?" Anna came to the side of the bed, leaning over to take his lips with hers.

"I enjoyed every bit of you." John ran a finger down her side. "I very much enjoy the shape of you, Anna Smith."

"And I enjoy you, John Bates." Anna kissed him one last time. "And I'll enjoy you when you come back to me."

"I couldn't do anything else." He put a hand to her cheek, running his thumb along her cheekbone. "It'll only be a month but I'll be counting the days… maybe even the hours."

"So will I." Anna snorted, "When I'm not counting the days until summer holidays."

"I'll be back by then." He kissed her slowly now, "I'll be back by then."