She sat in the living room, cooling a bottle of wine, waiting for him, and at last he arrived, looking rumpled and tired and excited to see Mel. She rushed to her feet and quickly went to him. “Hi, love, how was your day?”

“Wonderful now.” He walked into the living room with a smile. There were no lights on yet, and the room was filled with daylight and sun. “How was yours?”

“Endless without you.” It was a very honest thing to say and she sat down again and patted the couch next to her. “Come sit down and tell me what you did today.” It was fun having someone to talk to at the end of the day, other than the girls. She told him what she had bought, where she had gone, and then sheepishly, she told him that she had literally counted the hours until she saw him again, and he looked pleased.

“I felt the same way. All I could think of was you. It does sound crazy, doesn't it?” And with that he put an arm around her shoulders and pulled her close, and then suddenly their lips met as they kissed until they were both breathless this time, and there seemed to be nothing to say when they stopped. All they wanted was to kiss again.

“Maybe I should start dinner or something?” Mel laughed, as though they needed a distraction from what they both felt.

“How about a cold shower, a deux?”

She smiled again. “I'm not sure the à deux' would help.” She got up and walked around but he pulled her into his arms again.

“I love you, Mel.” And then it was as though the whole world stood still for them both. He had never said that to any woman except Anne, and Mel had told herself for years that she never wanted to hear or say those words again. But this time it meant something to them both, and when he kissed her again she felt it sear her very soul, and she clung to him as though she would drown if she let go. He kissed her face and her lips and her neck and her hands, and then suddenly, without thinking about it, Mel stood up and gently led him upstairs, to her room. And then she turned to him.

“I love you too.” She spoke so softly that had he not been watching her, he would never have heard.

“Don't be afraid, Mel … please …” He walked to her and carefully unzipped her dress as she slowly unbuttoned his shirt, and when she was undressed he carefully laid her on the bed, and ran his hands slowly over her silky flesh, until at last she arched toward him, aching for his body on hers, and they pressed themselves close to each other, savoring each moment before he finally entered her and she gasped, and then it was almost as though he could hear her purr until at last she screamed and he groaned, and they lay in the silence as the sunlight streamed across the floor. And when Peter looked down at her, there were tears coursing silently from her eyes. “Oh baby, I'm sorry … I …” He was aghast, but she shook her head and kissed him again.

“I love you so much, it scares me sometimes.”

“It scares me too.” But he held her so close that night as they lay side by side, that it was impossible to believe that they would ever know anything except joy.

At nine o'clock they went downstairs, stark naked and hand in hand. She made sandwiches and they came back upstairs and watched TV and laughed. “Just like married folk,” he teased, and she rolled her eyes and pretended to faint and he held her fanny comfortably in his hand. And Mel realized that she had never been as happy with any man. They slept together in her bed that night, and awoke to make love several times, and when he got up to go to his conference again, she got up with him, and made him coffee and scrambled eggs before he left. And when he was gone, she sat naked and alone, aching for the moment when he would return again.





CHAPTER 19

“Well, what did you think?” he asked her when they were finally alone again that night. They had opted for a quiet dinner at home, since he was leaving the next day, and they wanted some time to themselves.