Feeling the sun on her face, she took a deep breath and opened her eyes. The morning light welcomed her and she stretched her arms above her head. Taking in the morning peace, she looked around her bedroom and watched the door open. The man was standing shirtless against the frame and she saw the plate and glass in his hands. Bear trotted into the room and hopped up onto his hind legs beside her.

He kissed her good morning and hopped down as Reese approached. The man set the items down beside her and captured her mouth with a promising kiss. Slowly he released her and she looked at the food he provided her.

"What is this?"

He sat beside her and said "This is just me being nice."

Laughing, she pulled him down to her and asked "What do you want?"

His smirk faded and he quietly said "I want you to be happy, no matter what."

She looked into his calm amber eyes and smiled. He leaned back to hand her the plate of food and walked over to the dresser. She worked on the hot food as he dug out some riding clothes for her. A pair of worn jeans and a black t-shirt awaited her at the foot of the bed. Her riding boots were placed by them and he picked up his waiting shirt from a nearby chair.

As he slid it on, she finished the food and drank her juice. He came back to her as the plate and glass was set aside and ran his hand through her brown hair. The locks had lightened with the sunlight exposure of the last year but were as soft as ever. Silently he kissed her and felt the pulse fly through his system. Even though he had the day planned out for them he wanted to toss them aside and remain here with this woman until forced to leave.

"Am I to stay in here all day?"

He chuckled and said "I don't think Daemon would appreciate it."

Smiling, she watched him rise and take the dishes with him. She waited until he left the room and silently slid from bed. The room was cool against her barely clothed body and she walked into the bathroom. Turning the water on, she allowed it to heat as she slid out of the few clothes. Warmth radiated from the water when she slid inside the shower and she let it soak in.

She washed her hair and skin, savoring the moments and letting the water knead her skin loose. When she turned the water off, she dried herself off with her waiting towel and slid into her bathroom. Wringing all the loose water out of her hair with the towel, she hung it up and ran a comb through it. She returned to the bedroom and dressed in her clothes. Pulling her hair off her neck, she secured it behind her head and hung her bathrobe up.

Bear stood at the door waiting as she slid into her boots and she followed him out into the hall. They descended the stairs and she walked into the kitchen. The room was cleaned up from breakfast and she smiled as she walked outside. The morning air was cool on her skin but welcomed her to the new day as she entered the barn. She found Reese leading Daemon from his stall already saddled and she approached the two.

He let her take the reins and watched her take Daemon outside. Grabbing Champ's reins, they walked outside and he swung up into the saddle. Glancing back at her, he watched her seat herself on Daemon's back and look at him.

"Where are we going?"

He smirked and said "Riding."

Her eyes narrowed at his game and she followed him as they rode into the hills. Bear trotted along side, keeping pace with her, and she watched the sun play in Reese's hair. He was searching the land as they moved closer to the open fields and she nudged Daemon up beside Champ. He caught her challenging gaze and nodded. She flicked the reins and Daemon took off.

They flew up the hillside and stopped as the herd came running through. He smirked and looked back at her. She saw the look in his eye and shook her head. Turning Champ to go down to the herd, he let the stallion trot downward. Rolling her eyes, she allowed Daemon to follow and they approached the wild creatures.

The horses watched them and took off further down the pasture. Reese urged Champ on and they raced after the fleeing herd. She smiled as they ran into the middle and let the pounding hooves match her pulse. They rode to the end of the land where the woods blocked them from entering the next property and came to a stop. She watched Reese dismount and let Champ settle in by the woods.

Swinging to the ground, she released Daemon and met the man as he spred out a blanket. He sat down and pulled her down next to him. Stretching out, he watched the herd graze and looked over at her. The carefree smile that had slowly come back into her life was there and she met his gaze.

"Thank you."

"I wanted us to have one day together now that everyone has left us."

She smiled and said "We'll have plenty of those."

Chuckling, he rested on his back and looked up at the sun. Her head lingered on his chest and she listened to the horses grazing. His hand slid along her arm and she closed her eyes.

"I don't think I could beat this one."

Smirking, he looked down at her and said "I told you."

She shoved him back and said "Don't let it go to your head."

He captured her mouth and said "There's one way you can top this."

Sitting up, she looked down at him and asked "What are you saying?"

"I'm saying if you want it, then have it. I won't hold you back."

She looked over the land and studied the herd. In her dreams she had lived this dicussion numerous times but it had only been in dreams. Now it was here and she wasn't ready to face his inner opposition.

"Joe."

Slowly she looked back at him and said "I can't put you through that pain again."

He sat up slowly and said "I know you want another child and I do too. I want you to make the decision of your own free will. All I want is for you to be happy and if that means another child then so be it."

"But it almost killed you the last time. I cannot ask you to go through that agony again."

He smirked and said "I always will. From the moment we became friends I have. You're a disease to me and no matter how hard I fight it, I can't get rid of you and nor do I want to."

"The chances of death do not scare you?"

He shook his head and said "We fought them back once, we'll do it again."

The smile slowly captured her face again and she pulled him to her. Her mouth took the breath from his lungs and he wrapped his arm around her. Holding him to her, he devoured her taste and rolled her beneath him. Her brown eyes looked up at him and he kissed her faint scar. She closed her eyes as his mouth traveled along her skin, down her throat, and felt his hands catch her shirt.

She pulled his shirt off and felt his warm skin under her fingers. Her shirt was removed as his mouth slid along her collarbone and up her throat. She felt her pulse racing with hunger and she captured his mouth. He caught her sides and ran his hands along her small frame, savoring each curve they touched. The burning in his blood drove his hands to releasing her jeans and peeling them down from her hips.

He jerked her boots off with her jeans and she rolled him off her. Straddling him, she captured his mouth and felt his hand free her hair. She unfastened his jeans and tugged them down. Every ounce of her screamed with uncontrollable hunger and she caught his burning gaze. He sat up quickly and captured her mouth.

He tasted her her hunger as powerful as his and rolled her beneath him. The movement left her startled and she couldn't hold back the gasp as she felt him move inside her. Feeling the warm grass rub beneath the blanket, she met his hunger and gave into the primitive hunger exploding within. Surrendering to the pleasure, they lost themselves and as the sun grew into the afternoon sky, he trailed kisses down her throat. She looked into his burning amber eyes and the smile crept onto her face.

"I love you."

He captured her smile with a kiss and said "Not near as much as I love you."

She slid her fingers through his blonde hair and slowly stretched her arms. Lying under the sun like this left her feel utterly calm and free, and she had this man to thank. He sat up slowly and handed her the discarded clothes. They dressed in silence and caught each other's gaze. The light in her eyes echoed in his and he held his hand down to help her up.

Rolling up the blanket, he tied it onto Champ's saddle and looked back at her. She was rubbing Daemon's nose and he watched Bear rub her knee. She knelt in front of him and scratched his ear. The dog let out a content groan and she laughed.

"We should get going."

She looked up at him and stood up. Swinging up into her saddle, she watched him mount Champ and turn the horse toward home. She let Daemon follow them and watched the man ride up to the herd. The horses raised their heads and began to gallop back home. Laughing, she joined him in the middle and they rode back to the house.

They broke from the herd when they reached the overlooking hillside and galloped back to the barn. The sun was beginning to set when they dismounted in front of the barn and settled the two stallions in for the night. He caught her hand as they left the barn and led her up the porch steps into the house. She shut the door as he walked down the hall and slowly pursued. The man was digging stuff out to prepare dinner and she leaned against the counter.

"What are you preparing tonight?"

He looked at her and said "Go relax and I'll bring it in when it's finished."

"And leave you in here where you could hurt yourself?"

An eyebrow went up and she laughed. Coming around the counter, he captured her with a commanding kiss and she looked up into his eyes. Silently she walked to the door and looked back. He was chopping up some meat and she smiled as she slid into the hall. She sat down on the couch in the family room and picked up her book.

Bear entered the room and curled up beside her. She scratched his ear and flipped the page in the book. Glancing up at the window, she watched the sun continue to set and smiled. Bear settled his head on her lap and closed his eyes.

"Ready?"

She looked up and found him waiting in the doorway. Putting her book down, she allowed Bear to lift his head and rose to her feet. Reese had her follow him out onto the porch steps and she sat down as he made up the plates.

"I never pictured you as a romantic person."

"Hardly."

Laughing, she stilled his hands and leaned in to kiss him. She pulled back and took the food he offered her. Tasting the excellent mixture of foods, she looked back at him and nodded. They ate in silence and when she finished, he drew her into his arms. Leaning against his warm chest, she listened to his steady heart beat and looked up into his eyes.

"It's too bad this can't be like many days."

"But the day isn't over yet."

She smiled and said "I know."

He helped her up and they took the dishes back into the house. Cleaning up the kitchen, they put away the food and shut the downstairs up for the night. As they climbed the steps, his arm circled her waist and they entered the bedroom. Leaving the door open, he watched her free her hair and begin to remove her clothes. Catching her hands, he drew her gaze him and shook his head.

"Once they come off, no clothes come on until tomorrow."

Laughing, she pulled him down to her and said "I suppose I can live with that."

He picked her up and carried her over to the bed. She let him remove her boots and heard them hit the floor soon followed by his. She straddled his waist once he was stretched out and slowly kissed him. His mouth was hard and demanding, fueling her inner fire, and she slid her fingers down his chest. She slid his shirt off and threw it onto the floor as she tasted his mouth again.

He pulled her shirt off and felt her hands run along his chest, leaving chills in their wake. The sensation sent heat through every inch of him and he forced himself to stay still to allow her the fun. She freed his pants and tugged them off quickly. Pushing him back down onto his back, she listened to him breathe and smiled before capturing his mouth. Her hands sent jolts of fire through him and he rolled her beneath him.

Pulling her pants down, he hookied her panties and removed them with one swift tug. She felt the cool evening's air brush her burning skin and she pulled him down to her. One movement of his knee and she cried as he burrowed deep within. Each moment left her closer to the edge and she moaned as his mouth slid down her throat to her chest. Feeling the world shatter with their releases, she took deep breaths and looked up into his eyes.

They were burning and she slid her hand along his jaw. He kissed her temple and rolled onto his back. Catching her side, he pulled her into his side and looked into her bright brown eyes. Kissing her slowly, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath. She smiled as her hand rested on his stomach and she listened to his calming heart beat.

"Thank you."

He smirked and said "Like I said, you deserve it."

She looked up into his eyes and smiled as she savored his love. He slid his hand through her hair and kissed her temple. Her eyes drifted closed and he watched her sleep. He felt his pulse settling down and looked down at her. Seeing her totally at peace was the best thing possible and he let his eyes close as he surrendered to the much needed sleep.