Max parked his car in the lot of Senor Chows. The lot was almost full. It was busy for a Saturday night and looking at his watch, he knew he was already ten minutes late. Entering the restaurant, he stood in line to get to the hostess when he felt eyes on him. Turning, he stared into the eyes of Jonathan Stiller. Taking a calming breath, he walked over to join him at a table in the bar.

“Sorry, I’m late.” Max said. He wasn’t going to admit to being confused as to what to wear on a ‘date’ with a man, so he opted for jeans and a sweater.

“No problem. The wait is long, but we should be up soon.” Jonathan discreetly nodded at the bartender who then went to talk to the hostess. Soon she came over to tell them their table was ready. “You want something from the bar?”

“Just a mineral water. I don’t really drink much. Half a beer is my limit.” Max said, distractedly looking at the other diners, self-conscious of being with a man.

“Cheap date.” Jonathan commented watching Max’s startled reaction to the word ‘date’.

“Um...”

“Look, Max, this is just a social meeting, a get-together. I swear I won’t even try to make a move on you.” Jonathan smiled at Max to reassure him. “Just loosen up. Would you be so worried or concerned if it was Guerin sitting across from you eating dinner?”

Max just shook his head. Jonathan had a point. If it was he and Michael catching a meal, he wouldn’t even look to see how other people were taking two men dining together. He wasn’t worried about Jonathan trying to kiss him as much as he was worried about him trying to kiss Jonathan.

“You’re right. I’m sorry.”

“Okay, so if this isn’t too presumptuous of me, can I order for us? It’s just a habit of mine, and most people let me have my way.” Max just shrugged. Sure, whatever. It wasn’t like he was going to taste anything anyway.

By the time the food arrived, Max had calmed down a little, and was leaning back listening to Jonathan talk. The man was entertaining, that was certain. And when Max saw the large amount of food that hit the table he was astounded.

“You’re not related to Maria by some strange chance? A lost brother or something?” Jonathan just laughed.

“No, I assure you, Maria and I have no common stock among us. Though she is my favorite friend. We could talk and eat for hours, and it’s never a dull moment. I think that’s why I was so fascinated with her when we first met.” Jonathan popped another bite in his mouth and motioned to the waitress asking for more guacamole and sweet and sour sauce. “She was so familiar to me, and later I realized that I was seeing some of me in her. Nothing like an affair with yourself. Oscar Wilde wrote in one of his plays, ‘that a love of oneself is the beginning of a life-long love affair’."

Max just laughed. He could see some common traits between Jonathan and Maria, but some major differences too. “Well I have to admit, my life changed since I met her, and not just because of how it affected Michael, but other ways too. So far, all the changes have been to the good.”

“So this kiss thing. It threw you for a loop?” Jonathan asked, curious how the usually unflappable Max Evans was taking a change in lifestyle.

“Yeah.” Max rubbed his neck. “I’m just not sure...”

“Well let me help you out.” Jonathan said, and he moved in closer on the table. “I’m not gay. I’m not opposed to same-sex relationships, but when I go looking for companionship of a sexual nature, it’s usually female.”

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to imply that you...” Max felt the heat running up his face, feeling that he had made a mistake and insulted Jonathan.

“Stop it. I asked for your number first. I won’t lie. That kiss, it piqued my interest.” Jonathan watched Max squirm a little in his seat. “And I would be a fool to walk away from all possibilities. I don’t think the heart sees sex or race like our heads do. So I don’t want to shut the door without looking inside first, if you know what I mean.”

“I do.” Max said quietly. That was exactly what Maria said--she’d always want to know. “I just don’t think I'm ready for anything real earth-shattering right now. My private life, it’s pretty messed up lately. Add in the fact that I’m expecting a child in about six months, and you can see my dilemma.”

“Congrats on the kid. I didn’t know you were involved.”

“I’m not, or at least not any longer. My ex-girlfriend just sort of hit me over the head with it a few days ago. Part of me is still waiting for the reality to sink in, and the other part of me...” Max looked around and leaned on the table closer to Jonathan, “the other part of me has been stopping in baby shops all week looking at clothes, toys and stuff.”

Jonathan laughed at that. “I can imagine. It’s like an alien world.”

“Yeah, and those shops...they smell like babies already.” Max sat back and relaxed and enjoyed the conversation with Jonathan. It wasn’t quite the same as talking to Michael, but close. He never noticed how Michael looked in his clothes, or watched Michael's hands, or watched Michael eat. Max could find himself drowning in the fascination of this powerful man, and he didn’t know what to do about it.

They played four games of pool and Jonathan won all four of them, leaving Max much lighter in his wallet. But since Jonathan had picked up the dinner tab, Max didn’t complain too much. They sat on the side of the room resting on their pool cues and arguing over the last game they both watched, disagreeing on the outcome. Jonathan pointed out a woman dining with a group and mentioned he once dated her. Max laughed and said he had dated her too. They started swapping dating stories.

When they said goodnight, Max walked to his car and smiled to himself. That wasn’t so painful. Actually it was fun. He just opened his car and was about to get in when a tap came on his shoulder. Turning he saw Jonathan standing there.

“I’m sorry. I forgot. I owed you this.”

He touched his tongue to the side of Max’s mouth and licked the rough, salty skin. As Max tried to catch his shuddering breath Jonathan put both his hands on Max’s face, framing it. He tilted his head to meet his lips fully. Jonathan joined his mouth to Max’s and tasted him again. His lips and his teeth and his questing tongue, desire growing until it was a hum to match the roiling of the blood in his veins, Max just stood there suspended in Jonathan's hands, moaning deep in his throat, with a throbbing pulse like a bass drum. Max pushed him back, shoulders gripped in his hands. Trailing his fingers across the clean crisp peaks of his starched shirt.

“Goodnight, Detective.” Jonathan smiled and casually walked away as Max stood there shocked, as he touched his mouth with his fingertips. Well hell, that just complicated things again!

~~~

Rolling off of her, Kyle stood, extending his hand. "Let's go get something to eat. I'm starved."

Laughing, Tess took his hand and allowed herself to be pulled to her feet. Feeling a little self-conscious, she grabbed Kyle's shirt and buttoned two buttons as she followed him down the stairs and to the kitchen. Watching as Kyle walked over to the huge refrigerator that hummed in the corner, Tess once more tipped her head, admiring the lines of his body. He was built like linebacker--broad shoulders, trim waist, narrow hips. And a truly lovely ass. He hadn’t bothered to put on clothes, so Tess just leaned on the counter and watched him while nibbling on a finger. Hungry. She was hungry.

Kyle stood, hands on hips, and looked at the fridge's contents. Obviously unimpressed by what he saw, he checked the freezer next. Tess, moving to stand behind him, peeked around his shoulder to see inside. With a yelp, she reached under his arm and snagged the container of Ben and Jerry’s Rainforest Crunch ice cream.

"Spoons?" she asked, looking around the kitchen. Homing in on the top drawer closest to the sink, she opened it. "Ah ha!" she said triumphantly, retrieving the desired utensil. Leaning against the counter, she ripped off the lid and tore into the contents. A satisfied sigh escaped her lips as she took the first mouthful.

Kyle stood, watching her with a bemused expression on his face. "Do you think I could get a bite of that?" Everything she did, every bite she took, looked like a prelude to sex. How could one tiny little body have so much energy and power to it?

Tess stared at him with wide, innocent blue eyes, the spoon, loaded with ice cream arrested in mid-air. Then smiling, she proffered the spoon.

Kyle sauntered over to where she stood and bent his head, taking the cold, creamy substance into his mouth. Tess took another mouthful, feeling suddenly very warm despite the ice cream. Swallowing, she stood on tiptoe, leaning up to kiss him, flicking her tongue teasingly between his teeth. Shuddering, Kyle deepened the kiss, feeling her cool mouth open to his, tasting the chocolate and nuts on her tongue. Breaking the kiss, he took the ice cream and spoon out of her hands, filling his mouth again before setting it down. He then gently lifted her and set her on the counter's edge.

Breathing heavily, Tess stared at him, her pale blue eyes no longer innocent. Unbuttoning her shirt, he leaned forward, gently taking her nipple into his mouth. Tess moaned as a delicious shiver ran down her spine at the feel of his cold mouth and tongue on her heated flesh. Shrugging the shirt off her shoulders, she wrapped her arms and legs around him, feeling his c-ock harden as she rubbed her body against his. Nibbling on his ear lobe, she leaned in and whispered, "Make love with me, Kyle."

Her words drove all rational thought from his mind. Lifting her slightly, Kyle impaled her on his throbbing erection. Tess whimpered, burying her face in his shoulder as he began to slowly rotate his hips, thrusting upwards into her. Grasping a handful of her hair, he forced her head up, pressing demanding lips to hers and driving his tongue between her teeth in synch with their increasingly feverish pace. Tess came almost painfully, her body jerking against his, his mouth swallowing her cries of pleasure. Feeling the tension building in his body, Kyle slowed down, then withdrew, not wanting to come just yet. Over her protests, he lifted and carried her over to the dining room table. She squirmed as he laid her down on its cool surface and then mounted her, lifting her legs over his shoulders, entering her once more.

"Oh, yes, yes, yes..." she chanted over and over as he plunged hard and deep inside her, lifting her hips into his every thrust. She had never been penetrated so deeply. The ache between her legs began to build again. Kyle, driven wild by her cries, felt his body tighten and then he was coming, pouring himself into her, pinning her beneath him. His c-ock spasming inside of her pushed her over the edge. Tess jerked in his arms as another powerful orgasm ripped through her, her nails digging into his back as she sank her teeth into his shoulder to keep from screaming.

The pain of her "love bite" triggered a smaller orgasm in Kyle. Crying out, he lunged forward, then lay still, completely spent. Feeling Tess stir under him, he raised his head with effort to find her gently tracing the broken skin left by her teeth, a slight frown creasing her forehead.

"Sorry."

Grinning weakly, he responded, "Not a problem." They lay like that for a while, too exhausted to move. Finally, Kyle withdrew from her and stood. Tess sat up with a groan.

"I won't be able to walk tomorrow."

Chuckling, Kyle helped her off the table. Slowly and wearily, the two made their way upstairs to the bedroom. Tess collapsed on the bed, falling asleep almost instantly. Smiling, he lay down beside her, tenderly gathering her into his arms and pulling the covers over their bodies. However, he didn't fall asleep immediately. Lying awake, Kyle gently stroked her hair and watched as the dawn's light slowly crept into the room through the partially open blinds, deep in thought.

Tess slowly came awake feeling his hands still stroking her body. Smiling she stretched under his hands, and opened her eyes to look at him. He was watching her, at first unaware that she returned his regard, but once their eyes met she saw the look in his eyes. The wariness was back, an almost cold regard, as he struggled with something deep inside him.

Tess pulled away from him in pain gathering the bed sheets around her. Kyle tried to reach out for her and bring her back. But she was too fast and she jumped off the bed.

“Not again! I can’t. I can’t take this again. You leaving, forgetting, regretting, or just pretending it didn’t happen.” Tess reached around the floor for her clothes and hurriedly scrambled into them. She avoided his eyes as the tears started to slowly fall. “Damn you, Kyle. I trusted you.”

Kyle realized what she saw, what she must have thought. He reached for her again to calm her, to make her understand. But she went around his hand and rushed down the stairs.

“Tess! Dammit, would you please wait!” Kyle scrambled out of the bed and grabbed his clothes, trying to put them on. “Tess!” He heard the front door open, as he found his pants and rushed downstairs just in time to see her car take off away from the loft.

“Dammit to hell!” Kyle rushed back upstairs to get the rest of his clothes and shoes to follow her. Scrambling around the room, he searched high and low. “Sh-it where are they?” Searching under tossed bedding and rushing downstairs to look in sofa cushions Kyle rushed into the downstairs bedroom. Coming back out, he looked around the loft in defeat. Raising his hands above his head bracing himself he tried to think of where he last saw his keys.

“Freeze! Put your hands above your head!” Kyle just groaned and reached for the ceiling. F-ucking glorious, just fine! Tess had left the door open again.

~~~

Would you care for a drink?" Michael looked up from his book to acknowledge the flight attendant.

"Coffee would be great."

"Flavored, latte, cappuccino, espresso..."

"Regular, black, three sugars."

"The attendant smiled at him and nodded. Michael looked down at where Maria was sleeping next to him, leaning on him. He had put up the armrest between their seats and lowered their seatbacks on an incline while she slept. They had stayed up late last night talking to her family and eating. Later they went to the ocean for a midnight dip.

After an early breakfast, the entire family had seen them off to the airport, and Maria's uncle calmly handed Michael a gift and referred to him as 'Maria's Cop, Miko'. What surprised Michael the most was Maria's aunt. She surprisingly grabbed Michael in a strong hug and pushed something into his hand, whispering to him to give it to her son. And then she quickly asked him to take care of them all, for her.

"Would your wife like something?" The attendant asked as she passed Michael his coffee.

"Maybe an orange juice."

"Champagne with that?" Michael quickly shook his head.

"A glass with some ice, and do you have any crackers or something? She's had problems in the morning lately, slightly nauseated." The woman smiled and went to get what Michael requested. He didn't mention how he knew Maria was nauseated being that she was asleep, but he knew.

After the attendant moved on to the next row of seats behind them, Michael reached into his pocket and pulled out the two items. Leaning back in comfort, he opened his hand to stare at the medallion on a long silver chain Theresa had given him for Sean. St. Michael, the Archangel.

"It's the patron saint to police officers." Maria said quietly. Michael looked down at her, meeting her eyes. Kissing the top of her head, he nodded. Of course it was. "It's for Sean?"

"Yeah, she asked me to give it to him." Maria's long beautiful fingers gathered the silver chain from his palm and lifted it up to shine in the sunlight from the window. "She didn't need to worry, did she, Michael? He's already protected." Maria said calmly as she put the medallion back in Michael's hand and reached over to kiss him.

Michael shoved the medallion into his pocket along with a single bullet with an engraved emblem on its side. Marco had given him a bullet. Maria rubbed her head into the side of Michael's neck smelling his clean scent, mixed with the surprising smell of lemons. Moaning softly, she opened her mouth up against his skin and tasted him, allowing her tongue to locate his pressure point, as the staccato beat of his life rushed past in a movement of warm gushing blood. Hunger.

They were in First Class and some of the seats were empty. With the additional room and size of the individual seats, it was almost like they were alone. Her body was hot against his and he could smell her, the heated smell of arousal. It was growing stronger every day, overwhelming at times to the point he could barely control his response.

"Maria, god! Professor...not here." Michael gently moved her away from his body and raised their seats to a more upright position. Continuing to lie back was only going to get them into trouble. "Here, drink some orange juice and I got you some crackers for the nausea."

"I'm not nauseated anymore." Michael frowned. She was right. It had passed. All that was left was this singing buzz in the blood, a swirling need that made his head almost dizzy, and the redness of her lips... Michael closed his eyes and groaned. He wanted to bite her mouth until it bled.

Maria quickly unbuckled her seatbelt and stood up to lean over him. Putting one knee on the seat she leaned hard into his body and bit the side of his neck hard and then placed a soothing suck and lick.

"I'm going to the bathroom." Maria took his head in her hands and kissed him deeply, sucking him into her mouth. Straightening to leave, she whispered in his ear as her hand went down his body to grip him hard. "I'm not wearing any underwear."

Michael watched her saunter off to the front compartment's lavatory and pause at the door to look at him. Going inside, she left the door ajar. Michael quickly stood, cursing the lack of room in his pants, and looked for the attendants. They were busy serving refreshments to the other passengers. Following her, Michael opened the door to enter the room when her hand grabbed the front of his shirt and pulled him inside, slamming the door behind him.

~~~

“Julia, honey! Phone! Someone from the office.” Julia looked up from where she was sitting outside on the back terrace. They had decided to do a little grilling after Sunday services, and her mother’s best friend Jenny and her husband Marc, were lighting up the grill. It was cool outside, but the sun was out and it was warming up nicely.

Julia excused herself, and went inside to take the phone from her mom. Kissing her on the cheek, she answered the phone to her hysterical assistant.

“Pardon me?” Julia felt a slight rushing in her head, the lights receding and then returning. “Please repeat that.” She willed herself to stay calm, collected, a nicely brought up Southern girl with impeccable manners and refinement… “What the f-ucking hell do ya mean ya lost my witness? I don’t care two figs in a pig’s slop bucket if it’s not your fault! You are responsible for Mr. Perdy’s protection and well-being. I have a trial in less than twenty-four hours, not twenty-four days or even years. Hours! Now get your ugly sh-it-kickin’ shoes on and start looking! And find me Detective DeLuca!”

Julia slammed down the phone and fumed. Straightening her Sunday clothes to a neater more presentable manner, she turned to wave at her mom through the kitchen window. Finding her purse, she looked at the business card in her holder and found one for central information at the Roswell PD. It took some work, but she finally found Sean DeLuca’s home phone number.

Dialing the number, she stood there tapping her foot. The double click, the ringing of the phone as it connected, and finally an answer…..

“This is Sean, leave a message, and if I’m not tied up or in jail, I’ll call you…..beep.”
“This is Assistant DA MacLeod, I would appreciate you calling me back at 623-6192. It is very important, and can’t wait until tomorrow...thank you.”

“Julia! Honey, come to eat!” Julia looked up as she hung up the phone and waved. How bad could one case get?

~~~

Michael stood in the doorway of the loft, amazed at the chaos. Kyle was still frantically cleaning, trying to get some order back before they got home. It didn’t help that no matter how much he straightened, that damn cat destroyed it as soon as his back was turned. And even hours later, he still couldn’t find his keys.

Kyle set the phone back on the receiver and resigned himself to a few words with an utterly unpleasant Michael. It was just par for the course since Tess wasn’t answering her phone. At one point, Kyle almost called Max to see if Tess had gone over there. Jealousy was a terrible thing, especially when he was afraid he may have pushed her away into another man’s arms.

Maria came around the stalled Michael in the door as the taxi drove away. “Michael, you’re too big to go around. Could you maybe move out of the doorway?” Michael just moved and waited for her reaction. “Great Scot!.”

“Kyle? Is there something you want to tell us?” Michael asked quietly, counting to ten before letting himself explode. Was that his hockey stick broken in two in the corner of the room? “Tell me that a gang of tree worshippers broke into the loft and protested the use of natural wood in home décor?”

“I just want to say that your security system works fine; and would you mind shutting the door because I just can’t take having another Cop hold me at gunpoint again today.”

Maria walked slowly around the room as she took in the mess. “Oh god, are you okay?” Michael closed the door after pulling their bags the rest of the way inside as Maria’s cry of dismay drew his attention. “Kyle, oh god, these are eleventh century. Ming Dynasty, jade figurines. They’re...they’re..., oh god... too valuable to be lying on the floor.” Maria’s eyes narrowed as she noticed splotches on the Oriental rug in the living room. “What is that?”

Kyle just sighed. Of course she would notice the clumps of Mr. Booboo's hair all over the place first. “Well see, Mr. Booboo...”

“Oh god, where is he? Did they catnap him?” Maria ran up the stairs calling the cat’s name. “Michael, call the police...someone, anyone...”

Michael just calmly turned to Kyle. “You want to talk now, or do I have to run you in downtown?”

“I swear, Michael. You could’ve mentioned that your cat was more than just neurotic. That cat is possessed, a limb of Satan! He did this, all of this. Every since you left, it’s been hell...”

Maria appeared at the top of the stairs with the large Mr. Booboo hanging between her hands. He was missing some noticeable clumps of hair. Maria was staring into his eyes making noises at him, and even faces.

“Oh damn, Michael, The Boo is totally non-responsive! We need to take him to the hospital.” Maria hugged her cat to her and looked down at her brother. “What the hell did you do to my cat?”

“Nothing, I swear! Tess thinks he was missing the two of you, searching everywhere for you.”

“Really? He missed me?” Maria melted. Looking at her big, not so fluffy cat, she took him downstairs cooing to him, “Did you miss me, my little fluffers? I bet no one made you a treat.” As she disappeared into the kitchen with him, the cat made a pathetic meow, but Kyle swore he looked at him with an evil smile.

Michael was slowly picking up stuff as Kyle helped. “So how did the trip go, Michael?”

“It was eye-opening, that’s for damn sure. A local man is supposed to be calling to give me information about a dumping ground here. I know more than I did, so despite this mess, I think it was worth the trip.”

“Kyle, where is Tess?” Maria asked as she fed the cat, stroking his back the whole time. He devoured his food like he was starving, and purred loudly the entire time.

Kyle came over to Maria and took a seat at the kitchen bar. “She left. We sort of had a misunderstanding. I was trying to follow her, but I couldn’t find my keys. I looked everywhere. Once I had the mess cleaned up, the damn cat...” Maria frowned at his description of her poor cat, so obviously abused and underfed. Kyle gulped, but continued, “He took off in another frenzy and I still can’t find them.”

“Do you have a spare set?”

“At home, but my house key is missing too.” Kyle was more than ready to get home, get his car and go find Tess. He wasn’t sure what to say or how to say it, but he couldn’t just leave things like this.

“I have a spare key for your house.” Maria looked him over critically and frowned. “So what happened with Tess?”

“Maria.”

“Did you two finally talk about Jack?” Kyle looked at her, and saw the speculation and knowledge in her eyes. “I know she knows that you and Jack were in love.” Maria ignored his startled reaction. “It was hard to miss, because it went beyond just normal best friends. He was a tough man, but for you and Tess he had a gentleness.”

“She knows. Tess always knew.” Kyle looked around to see Michael in the downstairs bedroom still picking up the mess. Mr. Boo had wandered into the room and was sitting at his feet meowing away, obviously telling Michael all about the horror of the last two days. Whining tattletale.

“So what went wrong? She must know that you loved her too.”

“She does.” Kyle made sure of Michael's whereabouts again before he leaned in to talk to Maria. “Look, you’ve got to tell me how to fix this. I need your help.”

“Just tell me what you need.” Maria reached into the refrigerator and took out two bottles of water, passing one to Kyle.

“Tess and I have history.” Maria just nodded. Yeah, she had caught that. “Years ago, I broke up with Pam Troy. Actually she dumped me in a cruel way, and I didn’t take it so well. I got trashed off my ass, stole a car, went on a joyride and finally found my way over to Jack’s house. Jack’s parents were never home. They did lots of traveling, so when we were Seniors in High School, Tess and Jack were practically shacking up in his parents’ home. I interrupted them. But they were really nice about it. Tess and Jack put me to bed in Jack's brother Martin’s room, who had left for the Marines that year.” Kyle took a swig of his water. “I was always envious of their relationship. It was like they took one look at each other and that was it. Bam. But they never excluded me. Actually they seemed to want me around more than I understood. I secretly thought I had a crush on Tess, but it was more than that.”

“Love?” Kyle just nodded.

“Strange, Jack didn’t seem to mind. It was like he expected it. Anyway, I was in that bedroom, miserable, with the ceiling circling around, and I could hear them in the next room. The noise, the laughter, and I felt miserable and lonely. I guess I moved around a lot, because suddenly Tess was in the doorway.” Kyle gulped as he still felt it, still saw her. “God, Maria, I swear--you had to see her. She was only wearing Jack’s shirt, unbuttoned. There was a light behind her making her seem to glow, and she looked...otherworldly. She came in the room and took my hand, and when I started to speak, she just shushed me and put a finger to my mouth, and then she replaced it with her mouth. I never thought I would someday kiss one of my best friends, and the girlfriend to my other best friend. But Tess just pulled me into Jack’s bedroom. They had the whole room lit with candles, and Jack was in bed. He just held open the covers as Tess dropped his shirt and climbed in, and then she turned back to me, pulled off my boxers and pulled me in bed with them.”

“The three of you?” Maria was impressed. Actually she was more than impressed. Actually...wow.

Michael came to the head of the stairs upstairs. “Sonofabitch, Valenti, you slept in our bed!” Maria looked up at him and frowned.

“Michael, can’t you just change the sheets and bellow about it later please? Kyle is telling me some important things. He had a threesome with Tess.”

"In our bed??? Michael thundered. "You mean someone else was here?"

"No! Years ago. With Jack." Maria watched Michael's eyebrow go up, but he disappeared into their room without another word. She knew he would continue to bitch and moan upstairs, but he would ask her the story later.

“Maria! That was confidential.” Kyle was horrified.

“Fiddlesticks, I tell Michael everything. Don’t worry, it will elevate you in his eyes.” Maria said. “So? What went wrong?”

“I did. I woke up while they were asleep, the two of them wrapped around each other, and both of them reaching for me. It felt like they were a pair and I was part of them, but not quite. I was still on the outside.” Maria just nodded. That was how Michael described his relationship with Max and Isabel. “Anyway, I looked at them and I knew. I just knew that sooner or later I would want to be on the inside, and if that didn’t happen it would end badly.” Kyle rubbed his face. “I couldn’t do it, Maria. I couldn’t take the chance of losing them both. Their friendship meant everything to me. I can’t even tell you how close we were. So I ran away, and I pretended that I was so drunk that I woke up the next morning in the park with no real memory of the night before. They followed my lead and it was never mentioned again.”

“Oh, Kyle.” Maria just shook her head. It must have been so tough for him at seventeen, but still...walking away?

“I know. I was an idiot. Ever since Jack died I've wished I could go back in time and make another choice, the other one. I threw away really knowing them, being a part of something wonderful.” Kyle voice lowered. “I kissed him. I kissed Jack that night. It was strange, Maria. I didn’t feel gay. Jack wasn’t a man to me. He was something more, both he and Tess. It wasn’t weird and freakish. It felt right, like I finally found a part of my soul that I hadn’t known was missing.”

“So when Jack died...”

“I was wrecked. It was so hard. Tess needed me, but all I could see was that Jack made a stupid choice by saving me and taking that bullet.”

“I doubt he thought that, Kyle. He loved you, and he loved Tess. How could he choose his own life over either of yours?” Maria looked at him with sympathy. No wonder he avoided Tess. He had lost one-third of the most important part of himself, and by default, lost another in the form of Tess. “So I take it that you finally got back together with Tess this weekend.” Kyle just nodded. “So what went wrong?”

“Me. Again.” Kyle leaned back and rubbed his eyes. “I couldn’t sleep. I was afraid that I would wake up and she’d be gone, or that it was all just a dream. As she slept, I lay there just looking at her, holding her, and my hand was over her stomach. I felt the baby move, that fluttery motion. It...it was so incredible. And in that moment I had everything I could ever want.”

“But?” Maria looked at him sadly. This wasn’t good. She could see the sadness in his eyes, the pain. “Jack.”

Kyle nodded. “It hit me all the sudden. Jack. He was gone-really gone. And there I was holding his entire life in my arms, his wife, and the baby that should have been his. I didn’t want him to die that day, but there I was, two short years later holding everything he held dear in my arms, almost like I wished my best friend dead so I could have his life.”

“You’d finally be that important part of the couple, instead of the third?”

Kyle covered his eyes and leaned forward on the counter. “The regret, the anger at myself and the self-loathing, it was all there. And Tess woke up and saw it. She thought...”

“That you hated her and that you were going to run away again, just when she finally got you back in her life?”

“Yeah.” Kyle looked so helpless. “Maria, she won't answer the phone. I've tried. I've left messages.”

“What do you want, Kyle? What do you really want?” Maria asked him softly.

“I want...I want to not be alone, but unless I have Tess I can’t see myself anywhere but there.” Kyle closed his eyes and groaned. “I’ve loved her practically all my life, and for a long time I convinced myself that if we were friends it would be enough. But it wasn’t. It never could be, and not especially after last night.”

“Then don’t you think ten years is enough time spent denying it? Would Jack want this? Really Kyle, who are you protecting, giving retribution to? Jack is gone, but you and Tess are still here.” Maria looked at him and reached over and squeezed his hand. “One life, one heart and what we feel, it’s all we’ve got to guide us. You’ve got to decide if you finally live starting today, or die this way.”

Kyle got up, and picked up his keys for his apartment. Maria handed him the keys to the Jetta. He just smiled. “I think I’ll just...”

“Go.” Maria watched him leave. Thinking about what she had just learned and comparing it to what she had suspected, Maria was still impressed. Wow, a threesome. “Michael, have you ever considered a...”

Michael looked over the top of the stairs. “Maria, I will spank you. Don’t even mention it...”

“I’m just saying, if...fantasy potential I mean...who would you...”

“Maria!”

Maria ignored him and went in search of food. “Michael! Michael! Someone left us steaks! Oh happy day. How do you want yours? Rare, rare, or rare?”

~~~

“This is Sean, leave a message, and if I’m not tied up or in jail, I’ll call you…..beep.”
“This is ADA MacLeod, I would appreciate you calling me back at 623-6192. I can’t stress how imperative it is you return my call.”

“This is Sean, leave a message, and if I’m not tied up or in jail, I’ll call you…..beep.”
“ADA MacLeod, 623-6192, call me A.S.A.P.”

“This is Sean, leave a message, and if I’m not tied up or in jail, I’ll call you…..beep.”
“Where the hell are you? If you are ignoring my calls, I will make sure you never work in this state again! So get your lily-white ass off that sofa, stop drinking your beer and call me back immediately.”

“This is Sean, leave a message, and if I’m not tied up or in jail, I’ll call you…..beep.”
“When I find you, I am going…” The machine disconnected. She quickly redialed, but only got a busy signal. Julia tossed the phone down. He had either unplugged his machine or she had filled up his message tape. Heaving and angry, she picked up the phone again and called central information at the Roswell PD to find out DeLuca’s home address.

~~~

Kyle stopped outside the door of Tess’s home. It was a privately owned condo that she and Jack purchased their first year of marriage. Tess had paid it off with money from Jack’s life insurance policy, and Kyle actually allowed himself to wonder if she wanted something larger for the baby.

He rested his head against her door, and took a clean, deep breath. Just breathe. Remember to breathe. Kyle could hear her moving around on the other side of the door as she came to answer his knock. When she opened the door his heart stopped in his throat.

Tess had been crying. It was obvious from her runny nose and her red-brimmed eyes. Kyle felt it like he was weighted down inside. Rubbing his stomach, he stood there waiting for her to decide.

Finally, she stood aside and let him in. Going into the living room, Kyle stopped at the stack of pictures on the coffee table. Pictures of Tess with Jack, the three of them, just Jack, and Jack and Kyle littered the table. Tess had no doubt been searching for something, maybe a memory or feeling lost.

He was a breathing statue, silent and unmoving.

"Jack loved me, in his way," she began, stepping closer to Kyle's motionless form, "and I loved him. But he's not here anymore." Her trembling fingers slid down his wrist to twine with his. "He's not who I want now."

"Who do you want?" he asked. His expression was veiled in shadows, but he squeezed her fingers warmly.

Her fingers squeezed his in return, but she did not answer his question. "Why did you come here tonight?"

This time he did touch her, skimming his knuckles over her jaw like he had last night. "I had to know if what I saw last night...what I felt...was real or not. Not real for me, Tess, but real for you."

The memory of them, of his body pressed against hers, flared in her eyes. "And? What then, Kyle? Will you feel regret and pull away again?"

He cradled the back of her head in his palm and traced her cheekbone with his thumb. "I’ve had a hard time with myself, Tess. You’ve been my best friend all my life, and the thought of losing you...I can’t. But I held you last night and felt our baby moving. And suddenly I felt like I wished my friend gone so I could have his wife. I wouldn’t give myself to you and him when he was alive, because I thought I would always be number three. And it’s like, now he’s gone and I win by default."

“Oh, Kyle...”

“No. It’s okay. I just felt it for a moment. I didn’t want to win that way, because it doesn’t feel like winning. Not at all, not even a little bit. How can it be when it means I lost Jack?” Kyle looked away and felt the pain cut him inside. “I can’t remember the last time I woke up and didn’t miss him, until last night. And then suddenly it all came rushing back.”

“Kyle, I have no regrets. Not about you or Jack. I regret that the choices we made as teenagers carried on in our lives for so long, but I never regret that night. So today, I decided to put it away. Put it in a box and store it away somewhere else. I can’t have that night back. Never. That possibility has passed. But there is you, and me, and nothing but future possibilities. And I have to know if you’re with me, because this is the last time I’ll turn back and wait for you.” She leaned toward him, beckoning to him with soft lips and warm breath against his cheek, and Kyle didn’t even hesitate.

Their mouths moved together gently, delightfully, as they began to learn each other all over again in her living room. For a brief second Tess considered forcing him against the door, considered ripping his clothes open so her hands could feast on his hot flesh, but as his hand moved to tangle in her curled blond hair, she decided against it. There would be time later for forcing and ripping, time for insistent rhythms and gasps, but for now this was right, this slow completion of a journey begun so many years ago.

Kyle brought her closer, crooking her arm behind her back and resting their still-joined hands on her hip. Pleased with his apparent reluctance to release her fingers, Tess smiled against his mouth. Her smile broadened when he traced her curving lips with his tongue.

"How far are you willing to go with me, Tess?" he whispered, running his thumb down the column of her throat. He didn't give her chance to answer him, though, before he pressed his lips again to hers, leading her in another kiss. “You always felt like forever to me.”

Soon his mouth left hers to trail along her jaw. Tess gasped as he nuzzled her ear and she at last tugged her hand from his grasp to twine her arms around his neck. His hands drifted down her back independent of each other until they met at her waist. He pulled her hips toward his. Mating them together. Too long. Even after just hours, it still felt like it had been too long.

The feel of his growing erection between them forced their lips apart. They stood for a moment, silent, and Tess could almost hear reality banging at the door, ready to spew forth all the reasons why she should take this slowly. He must have heard it too, for the question he saw in her darkened blue eyes was as clear as if she had voiced it: 'Are you sure?'

Kyle just moaned and rested his forehead against hers. Never so sure of anything in his entire life. Jealousy had raged in him for months. When she started seeing Max Evans, Kyle had been so sick from it, that he stopped dating all together. He was sure that he couldn’t take ever seeing her with another man. Kyle nodded at her.

Her response was swift and certain. She put her hand to his mouth, studying it, memorizing its shape and texture with her fingertips. "Make love with me?"

Her fingers delighted in his smile. "Yes," he said as he nipped one of her fingers.

The pad of her bare feet against the wooden floor was lost in the scuff of Kyle's boots as they moved down her hallway. When they reached her bedroom door she paused, not because she was suddenly plagued with second thoughts, but because the room was once hers and Jack’s. "We could use the spare room. I have some candles," she said.

Kyle stood in the doorway and noticed the picture of Jack at the bedside. "This room is perfect. There’re no more ghosts between us. We don't need candles," he said, then reached toward her. One quick motion he unzipped her dress. “We’ll use them later when it gets dark.”

With another quick motion, he watched at azure blue silk dress slide to the floor in a pool around her feet.

“Wow," he murmured as his gaze trailed over her body, and Tess's smile took on a sultry upturn at his tone. His hand did shake slightly as it closed around her shoulder, but there was no hesitation in his kiss. His lips were firm, and she moaned, inviting his tongue to mate with hers as she pushed his denim shirt down his arms. He stepped away from her to yank the cuffs over his hands.

Tess took advantage of his backward motion to tug his Henley from the waistband of his jeans. She bent over and placed a kiss on his stomach, then lapped at his navel where it peeked out above denim. Raising his shirt a slow inch at a time, she worked her way up his torso, licking and kissing his skin as it was revealed to her hot sucking mouth.

When she reached his collarbone, she sucked the hollow made there by his bones, tasting the salt of his skin as she pulled the shirt over his head. She looked up at him, knowing her eyes were as dark as his. "Help me?" Her fingers traced the line of his ribs.

The shirt was gone in an instant. In the next, the hem of her thin slip was in his hands, his curled fingers brushing against her thighs. But then he stopped.

"What?" she asked, as the words ‘don’t stop’ kept echoing in her head.

He smiled at her, cupping her face and placing gentle kisses on her forehead, her nose, her cheeks. "Come here."

He sat on the edge of her bed. She stood naturally, trustingly, between his knees and he rested his hands on the backs of her thighs. "I want to be able to touch what I see."

Tess shivered as his palms glided along her skin, warm under cool golden satin. She gasped when his hands grasped the bare flesh of her ass. Feeling the top of the thong. His chuckle was the most sensuous thing she had ever heard. "I love sexy underwear."

She managed to smile. "I figure I only have so much longer I’m going to be able to wear them. You weren’t expecting white, cotton, lady Fruit of the Loom briefs?" The smile vanished when he squeezed her ass, kneading the muscles with strong fingers.

"I'll try to overcome my disappointment." His hands flowed along the arch of her spine, around the curve of her ribs. Then there was a rush of air as he drew the slip over her head, and she stood naked before him.

He studied her with the concentrated attention; she blushed. After years of Kyle avoiding direct eye contact except for a few moments, being under his direct regard was something new . He moved his hands over her thighs, belly and ribs; she shivered. He cupped her breasts in his beautiful hands; she moaned.

"So soft...and bigger than I remember," he murmured, teasing her flesh with his thumbs. "So beautiful." He leaned forward, placing a tender kiss on each nipple. "Tess." His mouth claimed her collarbone. "Tess. Tess." A warm gust of breath against her sternum marked his quiet laugh. "I'm not sure what to call you."

"Well, since you always called me Tess--" His lips closed around her nipple, and she grasped his shoulders, swaying into him. "Perhaps Tess," she started again, "would be best. Oh!" He was right. Her breasts were getting bigger, and definitely very sensitive.

At her gasp his teeth tightened a fraction more before he released her breast. "Tess," he purred, his kisses roaming over her torso. "Tess. Then by all means call me 'stud'."

Tess pulled away from him, framing his face in her hands. Eyes half closed, he nuzzled his cheek into her palm. She stared at him, losing herself in his familiar features while her fingers danced automatically over the planes of his face. "Kyle? Stud? Always so studly..." Shaking her head, she ran her hands through his hair left the soft silkiness of it grip at her fingers. "No. I'd rather call you 'mine'."

She barely had time to finish her words before his mouth was ravishing hers, his tongue hot and hungry against her own. They both groaned as she leaned her full weight into him, and she felt his stomach muscles contract as he slowly lowered them to the bed.

This was what she had longed for since she rushed from the loft earlier that morning, kisses that swamped her senses, kisses that swept everything from her mind except for him. Even those long, deep kisses lost their importance though, when Kyle arched up beneath her. The sensation of his denim-clad hips scraping against hers was startling but not unpleasant, and she rubbed against him, once, twice.

"Tess," he hissed, digging his fingers into her back. “God, what time is it?”

“Just after four in the evening. Why?” Tess asked distractedly pushing his body into hers, holding him tight. Last night had been like an explosion of need, but this was like a renewal.

“Just as I suspected. Nap time.”

Tess squirmed away from his hold, sliding backwards down his body. She explored his chest as she moved, delineating his muscles with her fingers, dragging her hardened nipples over his stomach. At last she knelt on the floor between his knees and reached for his bootlaces.

The simple process of removing boots and socks took much longer than usual as her hands showed a tendency to wander over the impressive legs before her. When his feet were finally bare, she spread her hands over his ankles and began slowly to run them up his legs. Over his shins. The denim rasped against her palms. Over his knees. The bed shifted under his weight as he propped himself up on his elbows. Over his thighs. She raised her smoldering eyes briefly to his as her hands drifted to his lap.

"Button-fly jeans?" She ran a single finger down his fly, feeling the bump of each button and the heat of his arousal underneath them. "It takes a real man to wear button-flys." The first button slid easily through the worn button hole. So did the second. "Button-flys indicate a certain sexuality." The third button. The fourth. "A certainty in one's own masculinity." The fifth. She found his waistband, venturing between underwear and skin. "Button-fly jeans are definitely men's wear," she breathed, her words warm against his boxers. Tess still had that picture of him in her mind from one summer, swimming with him in nothing but unbuttoned button-fly jeans with water wetting his skin. Delicious.

The bedspread was knotted in his fists. "Tess, please..."

She tugged on the fabric. He lifted his hips and she pulled his remaining clothes to the floor.

His erection stood out from his groin, hard and perfect. With eager fingers she stroked his length from base to tip before she closed her hand around him and squeezed. Pleased with his groan she squeezed again, brushing her fingernails against his balls in the process.

Kyle sat up as she continued her caresses, combing his fingers through her hair, then cradling her head between his palms. Tess's tongue snaked across her lips in anticipation, but instead of guiding her anxious mouth to his c-ock, he tilted her face up and kissed her.

Though he bucked against her when her grip on him instinctively tightened, he didn't release her. He urged her up, falling back onto the bed and pulling her with him, all the while kissing her with a fervor that she felt down to her toes. She barely registered the sensation of his naked body stretched out beneath hers before he rolled them over, forcing her into the mattress, pinning her beneath his broad shoulders and strong legs.

At last he pulled away from her mouth to lean back on one elbow. He stared down at her, tracing the contours of her face as she let go of his c-ock to clutch at his sweat slicked shoulders. "Kyle--"

Another kiss quieted her, but only until his hand began roving again, pinching her nipples, massaging her pregnant abdomen, spreading her legs. Broad fingers flitted across her inner thighs before darting all too briefly over her swollen folds.

Tess whimpered, her hips moving restlessly amid the sheets, and the fingers returned. Kyle's touch was both tender and sure, and she shuddered under his erotic assault. She writhed against him, her breath coming in gasps as he continued to stroke her, to kiss her stomach, to lick at the sensitive crease between hip and thigh. When at last he found her desperate clit with his thumb, slipping a finger into her moist opening at the same time, she arched into his hand. "Kyle! Oh...unh...please..."

Shifting to kneel between her legs, he reached for her ankle, bent her knee and placed her foot on the bed, opening her to his touch. His movements, though still gentle, took on a new intensity as he replaced one finger with two and began to press them in and out with a steady rhythm.

He was relentless, driving her toward release with a patience that amazed her, but it was too soon. Even as her muscles tensed, she shook her head and lifted her leg, wrapping it around his waist. "No," she panted, "not like this. I need you inside me."

"Tess." He surged up her body, hovering over her as he positioned himself at her entrance. He caught her mouth in a kiss that seared, then pushed slowly into her.

She didn't know whether to sigh or scream. His c-ock filled her so completely she could barely breathe, and she lay unmoving beneath him letting her body adjust to his length and his heat.

Kyle balanced above her, his eyes black and glittering. "My Tess," he whispered, his lips skimming over her damp forehead. "My best friend."

His tone made her heart jump, but her brain stumbled a bit, confused by his words. It wasn’t the words as much as the tone. Then he began to thrust into her, deeply, evenly, and her confusion was lost in her desire.

Thrust flowed into thrust into thrust, as relentless as the riding of a swell, as inexorable as breathing. Her arms closed around his back as his teeth closed around her earlobe, and she shuddered. She slid her hands over his back, down to his ass, up to his neck, reveling in the play of his muscles as he moved in her and above her.

His pace increased and she lifted her other leg to encircle his waist as well, clinging to him, pulling him closer. "Tess, marry me," he gasped, raising his lips from her ear to fuse again with hers. She bit at his lips, sucked his tongue into her mouth, dug her nails into his shoulders...

Her orgasm came on suddenly and she cried out, arching her back, trying to meld herself with him as her muscles clenched and pulsed around him. A moment later he shouted his release as well, throwing his head back and driving into her two, three more times before he stilled, balancing above her on shaking arms.

As the release of the orgasm hit in intensity and moved over him like an overwhelming rush of energy, she reached for him. Pulling him down to rest next to her, they rode the electrical buzz of a lightning storm together. Brushing his lips softly with hers, they lay twined together, trembling slightly, sharing caresses and warm, tired kisses as their breathing returned to normal.

At last Tess's brain began functioning on a higher level again and she raised herself up to look at her bedmate. His eyes were closed and his hands moved over her, seemingly of their own volition. Smiling, she bent her head and lapped at the hollow of his throat.

"Did you say yes?" he murmured, opening sleepy eyes to gaze up at her.

The strong line of his chin received a kiss before she said, "Took you long enough to ask."

Looking almost sheepish, Kyle urged her to rest against his chest. "I've thought it every day since you were seventeen, and all the years between. So what's your answer?" He paused, weaving strands of her hair between his fingers as he waited.

Listening to his voice rumble pleasantly against her ear, Tess could understand the request. "Will you do the laundry?" She trailed her fingernails over his abdomen, trying to avoid her exhaustion by focusing on him.

"We’ll do it together. There’s a baby on the way. I’m in love, not insane." He covered her hand with his, stilling her teasing touch. "I’ll do anything you want, as long as we do it together."

"Okay, but ask me again." A huge yawn interrupted her momentarily and she gave a wry grin. "Hopefully when I'm more awake. I want to make sure it wasn’t a dream."

"I'll ask you as often as you like." Kyle reached for the bedding crumpled around their feet, and after a little wriggling they lay wrapped in blankets and each other's arms.

Tess snuggled closer to him. "Maybe after a nap," she said, her words trailing off into a sigh. She felt him press a kiss against her hair before she drifted into a satisfied sleep. But before sleep could claim her, she remembered something.

"Promise me," she began, and she felt him raise his head to listen. "Promise you'll be here when I wake up."

She stirred beneath his touch as he traced a lazy circle around the tip of her breast. She didn't need to see the smile to know it was there, as the proof of his desire pressed against her back as he hugged her tight to him.

"Who said anything about sleeping?" Kyle murmured into her ear with a chuckle. Tess smiled, all thoughts of reckoning abandoned. They had time to battle it out, iron out all of their past and their future. But not now. And that was all that mattered. They had time.