((Contains material of an adult nature.))

Though Elle had agreed to a dinner date with Dominic for his birthday, she had not expected to be wrangled by none other than Vicki and Daisy well before that. "I know what you two are up to," she warned them both, though she had gone along with their little plot. "You're trying to play matchmaker. Both of you. Don't even try to deny it," she said as she examined herself in the mirror and adjusted her hair for what seemed like the hundredth time.

Sat on the bed beside Daisy, Vicki flashed the little girl a wide grin before drawing her features into something that might have seemed innocent ....on someone else. "Maybe we just want you to have a lovely evening," she suggested, nudging Daisy teasingly. "Don't we" Mummy looks very pretty all dressed up. She's going to knock his socks off."

Considering Dom had already asked her to elope, whether he'd really meant it or not, their attempt at matchmaking was probably unnecessary, but Elle had to admit the idea of having him all to herself for one night was very appealing. There were few opportunities for privacy in the big house, not only because of Daisy. "Do I look all right?" she asked, turning this way and that. It had been a long time since she'd had any reason to dress up for a man.

"You look stunning," Vicki assured her, rising from the bed, one hand open for Daisy. "Seriously, you could be wearing a garbage bag, and he'd still have to pick his jaw up off the floor when you walk in. You are beautiful woman, Elle. Own it." She winked warmly, glancing at the clock. "You are also ....late."

"Yes, well ....I haven't been on a date in a very long time," she said, mostly to Vicki. She knew she could charm the pants off a man when she wanted to, quite literally, but this time it was different.

"You look pretty, Mummy," Daisy said, smiling up at her mother as she slid her hand into Vicki's.

"Well, I suppose it's now or never," Elle said, taking a deep breath. She turned to Daisy and leaned down to give her a peck on the cheek. "You be a good girl for Vicki, all right?" she said, to which Daisy nodded solemnly.

"Don't worry, Mummy. Dom will think you're pretty, too!" she told her mother.

Grinning, Vicki bent to hoist Daisy up onto her hip. "We're going to have a girlie night and paint Jon's toenails, and make him watch The Princess Bride with us, aren't we?" she encouraged the little girl cheerfully. "And maybe Humpty's, too, if we can crowbar his shoes off him." She chuckled, reaching out to gently squeeze Elle's hand reassuringly. "Dom's in the conservatory."

"Thanks. I'll see you in the morning. Be good!" Elle said, offering both woman and girl a hug, lingering a moment longer than necessary in hugging her daughter. The two of them weren't used to being away from each other, but it was only for one night, and they would presumably be staying in the same house.

"Have fun, Mummy!" Daisy replied, turning back to Vicki with a big grin on her face. "Can you paint my toenails, too?" she asked, looking like she was just about ready to hop and down with excitement.

Vicki smiled, letting mother and daughter hug as tightly as they needed to for as long as they wanted. "Of course we can paint your toenails," she promised the little girl with a grin. "We can do your fingernails, too - I have lots of colors to choose from." Holding the girl secure on her hip, she gave Elle a little push toward the door. "Go on, shoo. You won't get to enjoy your surprise if you don't actually go and enjoy it, lady!"

"Surprise?" Elle echoed, as she was pushed toward the door, but Vicki and Daisy were already ignoring her, Daisy chatting excitedly about all the colors she wanted to paint her fingers and toes and how she thought Jon would look funny with painted toenails. Elle frowned a little, wondering if Daisy needed her at all anymore, though she knew it was ridiculous to worry about such things. They were both doing this for her, and there was no one who could really take her place in Daisy's life. She drew a deep breath before giving the door a soft rap, almost hoping no one answered. She wasn't sure why she was so nervous; she'd never felt nervous about such a simple thing as a date before.

The voice that answered her knock was the calm, confident tone she knew to expect from Dom. "Come in, Belle."

Pushing open the door admitted her into a softly lit wonderland. The conservatory was beautiful at the best of times, but tonight ....tall shrubs and potted trees had been brought inside to frame the windows that looked out onto the setting sun over the Grove gardens, wound about with tiny electric lights that sparkled softly. A table had been set in the perfect position to enjoy that view, two settings laid out. Wine was chilling in an ice bucket beside the table, on which had been set a small bouquet of peonies in a vase as a centerpiece. Dom stood beside that table, one hand in his pants pocket, looking nervous in his second-best suit.

"Oh, my goodness," she whispered as she stepped inside. The conservatory was a lovely place as it was without all the ambiance he or some accomplice of his had created. If she didn't know better, she'd think they had left the house all together and wandered into some sort of enchanted wonderland. And then, there was the man standing there looking handsome and dashing in his second-best suit. At that moment, she thought she had never known a more handsome man in all her life. "Dom, I ....I don't know what to say. This is ..." She paused a moment to catch her breath. "No one has ever done anything like this for me before." No one, not even Jimmy. "What a lovely surprise."

In that moment, all the cursing and effort that had gone into transforming the room was swept out of Dom's mind as he looked at the woman who was fast burrowing deep into his heart. He smiled at her expression, glad that he had been right to follow his instincts. "Not half so lovely as you," he told her gently, moving to meet her, his hand extended in invitation. "I know it isn't quite the dinner date you might have wanted, but I didn't want to take you too far from Daisy. Not yet."

"It's perfect," she assured him, reaching for his hand and stepping closer. You're perfect, she thought to herself, not quite ready to tell him that. She didn't quite know him well enough yet, but so far, she had seen nothing to convince her otherwise. He was flawed, certainly, but then so was she, and his flaws were very similar to hers. "You look very handsome," she said, returning the compliment, but only because she meant it. She reached up to adjust his tie, though it didn't really need adjusting. "Was this your idea or did someone put you up to it?" she asked, with a hint of a teasing gleam in her eyes.

"I may have had some help," he conceded, though he wasn't about to admit that the idea itself had come from a certain little someone who was currently bouncing all over his cousin upstairs. And because she was right there, so warm, so beautiful, he leaned down to her, brushing a soft kiss to her lips. "You truly are a wonder, Elle. I wanted to reflect that, if I could."

What could she say to that' Her heart melted at his words, so sweet and thoughtful, until he mentioned sex. Was he serious or was he only trying to lighten the mood" She found herself laughing at his boldness, wondering if he really meant it or if he was only teasing. "Are you sure you're up to it, darling" That's quite a claim," she teased back, the tears subsiding, though her eyes were still wet. She slid her arms around him, toying with the hair at the nape of his neck and smiling coyly up at him. "I wouldn't want to disappoint you."

"I didn't say whose mind was going to be blown, did I?" he smiled, infinitely relieved to hear her laugh, to see those heartbreaking tears fading as she teased him in return. Another kiss, warm and tender, assured her that there was no way he could possibly see her ever disappointing him, in any arena. One hand patted her rear gently. "I do, however, need to eat before I try anything athletic," he admitted with a low chuckle. "And I daresay ....you may well need your strength, too."

"If we are lucky enough to make it to bed, I can assure you, you're going to need your stamina," she told him with a cheeky grin and a kiss that lingered long enough to give him a small hint at what she might give him later. She was no virgin, but a mature and experienced woman who knew well how to please a man, and this man deserved plenty of pleasing. "I haven't properly thanked you yet, have I?"

"Mmm, promises, promises," he chuckled, stepping backward with his arms still wrapped about her, drawing her toward the romantic dinner table as he shared her grin. "You haven't run screaming from any of my kisses, or my wandering hands, I'd say it's me who should be thanking you."

"I don't recall promising anything," she replied, with a teasing smile on her face. They seemed to have just averted a potential disaster, and there was no guarantee things wouldn't get awkward again, but wasn't that all just part of the process of getting to know each other" She took his arm and let her lead him toward the table, laughing a little as he ridiculed himself, unnecessarily so. "Believe me, you have nothing to worry about in that regard."

"Oh, I'm worried," he chuckled, finding it easy to deprecate himself if it kept that smile on her face. "I haven't taken my pants off in company in years. For all I know, it's grown a beard." Winking at her, he released her arm, drawing her chair out to guide her into a seat.

"Yes, well, from what I've seen so far, I have no complaints," she reassured him as he led her to a chair. "Why, thank you, sir. Aren't you the gentleman?" she teased, rewarding him with the whisper of a kiss against his cheek before settling herself in the chair. Though she hadn't seen much of him without clothing yet, she'd seen enough to know what was hidden was likely to be just as appealing as what wasn't. "You really shouldn't worry so much. You are quite an attractive man, you know," she continued.

"Sadly, it's a habit I've never been able to shake," he smiled, referring to his manners, making sure she was comfortable before moving around to the other chair to take a seat of his own. "All that matters is that you like what you see," he told her with a grin. "Though I refuse to dye my hair pink, or start wearing sandals, if that is the way your tastes run." Chuckling, Dom reached out to lift the wine from the bucket, wiping the water from it before he poured out a measure of the crisp white into her glass. "I wasn't sure what you would prefer on the menu, but Daisy assures me that what we eventually chose is a favorite meal of yours."

She laughed, having a hard time imagining him with pink hair, though sandals wasn't a bad idea, depending on their environment. "I'm a little too mature for someone with pink hair, don't you think?" she replied, her eyes shining brightly as she watched him pour out the wine. "Did she?" she asked, arching a slender brow. "It's not puss'ketti, is it' Because that's her favorite, not mine," she added with a smile.

"Well, she was absolutely adamant that you would thoroughly enjoy this," Dom assured her laughingly, remembering the silly wrangling over the menu he'd had with the cheeky little girl who had been so invested in helping him put together a nice dinner for her mummy. He cleared his throat a little awkwardly, and rang a small crystal bell set on the table between them. A moment later, two covered plates were brought in and set down, one in front of each of them. Dom bit his lip, trying not to laugh or look as worried as he felt.

There went that brow of hers again, a little surprised at the service. She had almost forgotten they were still at the manor with a staff of servants to wait on them hand and foot. She wondered what it would be like to have him all to herself. Did he like living with his mother and sister" Did he ever do the cooking" Was it Gwen's death or his career that kept him away from Maple Grove" Would he go off again now that he'd found her" A plethora of questions suddenly filled her mind, but thankfully for him, she only looked mildly curious about the plate in front of her. She thanked the servers politely, before leaning toward him to whisper a question. "How do they know which is which?"

He nodded to the servers, a little awkward for the silver service that was assigned to them for the evening, and leaned forward to answer Elle's whispered query. "I don't like to ask," he admitted in a whisper of his own. "The cook gets handy with her wooden spoon if you ask too many questions." He grinned, nodding to the plate in front of her. "Have at it." Lifting the cover from his own, he almost laughed aloud at the contents. Daisy had insisted that what her mother liked best in all the world was chicken salad sandwiches and thick cut fries, and a gourmet version had been provided by the terrifying woman who ruled the kitchen at the manor.

Elle wasn't sure what to expect when Dom uncovered his plate. What would be waiting for them there" If she knew her daughter the way she thought she did, they were as likely to find toasted cheese sandwiches for dinner as anything else. Elle wouldn't deny the fact that she had expensive tastes, but those tastes were rarely indulged and never in front of her daughter. When she saw what awaited them, she couldn't help but laugh. "Well, I do like chicken salad, but I wouldn't say it's my first choice for a romantic dinner," she said, though she didn't seem displeased. It was the company that was really important. "I have to say, this is the first time I've had gourmet chicken salad," she told him with a smirk as she, too, uncovered her "dinner".

More than a little embarrassed, Dom cleared his throat, rubbing his neck worriedly. "I think perhaps next time I won't ask Daisy for advice on feeding you," he admitted. It had seemed like a good idea at the time; here and now, it seemed ridiculous, and he felt he should apologize for it. "I think it may be the first time it has ever been created on Rhy'Din," he shrugged, fighting not to apologize. He'd committed to the date, he had to see it through.

She reached across the table to touch his hand reassuring, her fingers lingering there a moment longer than necessary. "Don't be silly. It's perfect. And I'll enjoy watching you lick your fingers." Or perhaps she'd lick them clean for him. There was a tempting thought. "I think we can do better for your birthday though, don't you think?" she asked, her smile still in place.

He chuckled, shaking his head at the ridiculous meal as he squeezed her fingers in return. "I will take you out," he promised her. "Somewhere sumptuous, to make up for this." Laughing, he sighed, considering his meal. "How are we supposed to eat this without wearing it?"

He clung to her hands, a crack in that cool, calm exterior he showed everyone enough to prove that he needed her. "She always insisted that it wasn't my fault," he agreed with her brokenly. "But if I hadn't been so eager to be a father, if I hadn't pushed her ....I will never stop blaming myself for that. And I decided that I would never be a father, I would never have the family that I had hoped for. I'm sorry, Elle, I don't mean to be maudlin, but ....Just the thought that you might even consider allowing me to take that place in your lives ....it's overwhelming."

"I can only imagine how you must feel," she told him sympathetically, holding fast to his hands as long as he needed the simple, reassuring warmth of her touch. In truth, she understood those feeling of guilt all too well; if it hadn't been for her, Jimmy would still be alive, but that was another tale for another time. "And if you had waited, it might have happened anyway. Who's to say why these things happen" I'm sure she never blamed you, as I would never blame you, but things are different now, Dom. I would love to give you a son someday, though I know he could never replace the one you lost anymore than I could replace Gwen." There were tears in her eyes as she spoke, of the dreams and wishes she hoped would come true for both of them, though she knew only too well that fate sometimes had other plans.

He sighed softly, rising from his seat to kneel beside her. "Without Gwen, I wouldn't be the man I am," he said gently. "Without Jimmy, you wouldn't be the wonderful woman you are. Would they want us to dwell on the past' I don't think they would. I will never try to replace Jimmy, in your heart or in Daisy's. He is as much a part of you as anything you have experienced. Without him, you would never have entered my life, and I will always be grateful, though I never knew him."

Now it was her turn to shed a few tears, as she turned to face him, touched not only by his words but by the fact that he had pushed his own pain and grief aside to touch on hers. She shook her head at him, unable to speak for a moment, not because he was wrong, but because he was right. "No, there's no changing the past, and even if I could, I'm not sure I would." She touched his cheek with gentle fingers, needing him to understand something about herself and her past that she was only starting to realize herself. "The truth is, though I loved him, I hardly knew Jimmy. It wasn't the same as your Gwen. And Daisy' She never knew him. He died before she was born. She only knows what I tell her of him, nothing more. Jimmy and Gwen are gone, and there's no bringing them back. But you and I ....We deserve a second chance, Dominic, and I'd like that second chance to be with you."

"Toward the end, I barely knew Gwen," Dom admitted, the guilt in his eyes flaring painfully bright. "I've spent twenty years running. Running away from what I did to her, from having to witness every day the consequences of my impatience ....and after her death, I was still running. I ran away from the family who wanted to help me. Oh, I've made a name for myself; I have a notable career. But I have nothing else. Before she died, I had a wife whom I saw for perhaps a month at a time, before I went away on yet another trip that would last months. I let her down, a long time before she died, because I couldn't face what I believed I'd done. That won't happen with you, Elle. I'm tired of running. The only thing I truly want is for you to be happy and healthy and safe, and I want to be a part of that. I won't let you down, the way I've let so many other people down. I swear it."

"I've been running a long time, too," she admitted, though her circumstances were very different from his. Her eyes welled with tears, both happy and said, as she cupped his face between her eyes and held his gaze, needing him to believe what she was about to say. "No matter what happens, I'm not going to let you run away from me so easily as all that. We've been given a second chance to prove to ourselves and each other that we've learned from our mistakes. No one is perfect, Dom. You're stubborn, reckless, and just a little too remorseful for your own good, but you've never let me down, and I don't think you ever will. Unless perhaps you forget my birthday," she added, unable to resist teasing him a little, though as yet he didn't even know the date yet. "I know I'm not perfect either, but I will promise you this ....I will never run away from you, and I will do my best to make you happy."

He laughed a little at her tease, drawing his arms around her waist to pull himself close, burying his face in the crook of her neck for a long moment. It felt somehow more intimate than any embrace they'd shared before, that promise not to run somehow drawing them closer than they had yet become. "We will be happy," he promised her fervently. "All of us."

It seemed it was her turn to do the comforting, holding him close in an intimate embrace, her fingers curling around his neck to trail through his hair, the familiarity and softness of it against her fingers oddly comforting. She pressed her cheek against the top of his head, slowly breathing him in, wanting to memorize the smell of him, the feel of him close, and eventually the taste of him. "It really is such a lovely dream," she told him softly. "I might never want to wake up." She was speaking figuratively, of course, knowing full well that if it it was a dream, it was a waking dream, a dream of the living.

Leaning into her, Dom cried a few more tears - tears he hadn't really shed when the grief was new and fresh, tears that were long overdue. And abruptly, he drew back, rubbing his face dry with a rough hand. "Dinner can be reheated," he said, rising to his feet, offering her his hand. "Come with me. I want to show you something."

Her heart ached for him as she held him close, allowing him that heart-wrenching release. How long he had held that pain so deeply in check, she could only guess. Months" Years, more likely. More than she cared to guess, it seemed, and she found her heart opening to him further, aching to heal his wounds and soothe that pain and grief, if only she knew how. Very gently she helped him to wipe away his tears, smiling through a mist of her own making. "Dinner is sandwiches. There's not much reheating to be done, is there?" she asked, a little amused at his worries over dinner, when there was plenty of food to be had and much more important things to worry about. "What is it?" she asked, taking his hand and tossing her napkin aside on the table as she moved to her feet. She had no idea what it was he wanted to show her, and she was a little afraid what it might be.

"Something I found when I was a boy," he told her. "It isn't too far, but you'll need a coat." Wiping his eyes dry, he drew her back toward the body of the house, collecting his own coat from where he'd left it haphazardly over the bannister to wrap about her shoulders. "Something I've never shown anyone."

His answer only heightened her curiosity further. Whatever it was he was about to show her, it must be very dear to him if he'd never shared it with anyone else, not even his Gwen. What could it possibly be? Whatever it was, it seemed she was about to be offered another small glimpse into the heart of a man who she thought had kept his heart guarded for far too long, much as she had. "Never?" she echoed as he drew his own coat about her shoulders, though she didn't think it was all that cold outside just now. What the devil was he up to"

"Never." There was a secretive smile on his face now, almost childlike in his excitement. Taking her hand in his, he lead her back through the conservatory, and out into the garden, still lit with the last rays of the sun, the springtime dusk lingering lovingly over the gardens that were so beautifully cultivated around the manor house. "I found it when I was a child," he explained as he drew her along. "I used to spend hours exploring the Grove, usually on my own. It was where I went to think, to be myself without worrying about what other people were thinking when they looked at me." Ducking through the wall that surrounded the manor's own garden, he drew her into the gentle wilderness of trees and plants that curtained the manor from the cottages on this side of the Grove.

She arched a brow at him, though he wasn't looking her way. Could it be he'd been as worried about being judged for his life of wealth and privilege as she'd been for being the exact opposite" She'd worked hard to rise about her meager beginnings, like Eliza Doolittle, pretending to be someone she wasn't until she nearly believed it herself. "Where are we going?" she asked, wondering where it was he was about to whisk her away to.

He smiled reassuringly at her. "It isn't far," he promised again, and indeed, he came to a halt not long after. "Bear with me a moment." Releasing her hand, he ducked into the darkness of overhanging shrubs to his left, and for a moment, all she could hear of him was the sound of his footsteps - not on overgrown weeds, but on stone. And suddenly, he let out a whoop that was nothing but pure delight. "Found it!" His hand thrust out from between the greenery, beckoning to her.

Once her shoes were off, all bets were off, it seemed. Heedless of the mild burn through his shirt as his tie joined her shoes, he bent his knees just enough to gather her up, lifting her from the floor to tuck her legs about his hips, pressing her against the opposite wall with a low, eager groan. "Might be a quickie to start," he warned her in a low growl - it had been a long time since he'd been with a woman, much less a woman who set him alight the way she did.

"I don't give a bloody damn," she whispered back as she wound her arms around his neck and her legs about his hips. His need and desire was rather obvious now with her pressed so close and the knowledge of it only made her own desire flare to life, like a flame burning deeply inside her that was only for him. It had been a long time for her, too, and she was just as much in a hurry to quench that desire, at least the first time around. She smothered his lips with kisses that grew ever deeper, ever more daring. If he wanted her, then she was only too willing to let him have all of her - heart, body, and soul.

His own curse was muffled against the smooth line of her neck, one hand leaving her to push away from the wall and stumble up the steps beside them. He might be in a hurry, but he wasn't in so much of a hurry that he was going to have her right there next to the back door. As his feet stumbled them through the nearest door, he dropped forward, covering her as she landed on the softness of a bed that was at least clean, his lips devouring hers as impatient fingers trailed up beneath the hang of her dress to touch and tease the aching secrecy nestled there.

She wouldn't have cared in that moment if the bed was clean or not. Perhaps later, but not now. Now, all she wanted was to discover him, and in the discovery to relieve that aching need that was burning inside her. No words were needed now - no entreaties of love. Words would only distract them. She would show him without words what she was capable of and how much she needed him. Her fingers worked at the buttons of his shirt, half tempted to rip it away from him, but they'd have to look at least half-way presentable later. Or would they' At the moment, she didn't really give a hang either way, her only thought, her only desire to have him inside her. She moaned against his lips as his fingers found that which made her female. Aching for his touch, she lifted her hips to push herself against his hand, encouraging him further, though it was not his fingers that she wanted so much as something that was still frustratingly hidden from sight and touch.

Luckily for that impatience of hers, he was in no mood to fanny about with proving to her he was the greatest lover in the world. He could do that later. Right now ....she just needed to be ready for him. It wasn't smooth, or particularly adept, but within a few minutes, she was bare to his touch, and he was ....well, mooning the ceiling, to be quite frank, easing himself close enough to feel her heat with a lusty groan.

As much as she wanted to explore him and discover every nuance of him, trace every last inch of him with lips and hands, that sort of exploration would have to wait. She was too impatient for him now, and even his pandering about trying to prepare her for him was only frustrating her further. If he wasn't careful, she was going to take what she wanted and not bother asking permission. "I want you," she whispered, her breath ragged against his lips. "Now," she told him, demanding that he take her, that he show her what he was capable of. Instead of kissing him, she nipped at his jaw, not hard enough to hurt him, but hard enough to let him know she was done fooling around.

"As you wish." It might have been offered on a huff of breath that was almost a laugh, but it was no less obedient for that little tease. No more teasing, no more anticipation; his lips covered hers as he found his mark, bold and decisive, reading her impatience as well as his own with no need to be soft and gentle. Not this time, anyway. His groan was swallowed by that kiss, filling her mouth with the taste of him as he moved within her, clinging on with white knuckles in the hope that he could last long enough not to leave her hanging.

If her sigh of breath was any indication, he need not worry about disappointing her. It was as though there had been an empty place inside her that only he could fill, and once there, she didn't want to let him go. She held onto him tightly with arms and legs, their bodies moving together, frenzied in their mutual need to both please and find pleasure in each other's embrace. She'd had several lovers over the years, but in that moment, they all paled in comparison to this man who was at last fulfilling her every way possible. This man who held her heart in his hands, with whom she was falling more in love with each passing moment. This man who was as damaged as her, and yet, whose heart yearned to love and be loved. This was one wish she could fulfill, wholeheartedly.

Frenzied was, perhaps, the only word for this first coming together - first, because Dom was beginning to become aware of a need to make sure she couldn't walk straight by the time they were done here. He needed to show her that he was more than a man who hadn't been with a woman in too long; that she was far more than the satiation of a physical feeling. He needed to love her, in every way she would allow him to, and he had every intention of making a very good start on that right here and now. Even in the aftermath of that first frenzy, he held her close, his hands restless to find the warm skin beneath the still cloying cling of her dress as his lips played over her temple and cheek.

Even aching as she was from the first frenzied coupling, she wasn't anywhere near done with him yet. Somehow she managed to untangle herself from him so that she could join him in his state of undress, slowly unveiling the warm skin he had felt beneath her dress but not yet seen. She was comfortable and confident enough in her own body to know what kind of reaction his body might have to that unveiling, an amused smile on her face as she watched him for a reaction even as he watched her undress.

Even caught up as he was in the closeness of that moment, in the utter perfection she was unveiling, Dom never could resist the urge to tease. He flopped onto his back with a low groan, blue eyes dark with desire sweeping over every inch she showed him. "Good grief, woman ....how do you propose to explain my death to Humpty?"

"Oh, I think of all of them, Humpty would understand most," she said, surging forward to cover him with her body, warm and soft and curved in all the right places. Her hair fell across her shoulders to veil her face as she sought to reward him for his efforts with a much slower seduction - one he was not likely to forget. She reveled in the power she held over him, if only for a short time, each groan of pleasure re-igniting the flame of desire deep inside her until she was taking him, just as he had taken her - slowly this time, until she thought she had tormented him enough, until she could hold herself back no longer.

If she only knew the effort it took not to take charge all over again, the corded tension of his muscles screaming at him as he succumbed to a woman who knew exactly what she wanted and was not at all afraid of sharing it with the lucky man who'd found a place in that bucket list of hers. She wiped every other lover from his mind, filling him with only herself, the softness of her skin beneath his hands, the hills and planes that made up a body he had been dreaming about since he'd first caught her lingering in his vault, no more than three weeks ago. But more than that ....she wasn't just a body, a collection of skills that made his bones melt; she was, quite simply, everything. She was Elle, his Elle, and he was going to make sure she knew it by the time they were done tonight. Fears might come and go, but she would never doubt his heart.

For a short time, it was as if no one and nothing else existed but them. She knew the feeling would only last for a short while, but while it did, she intended to make the most of it, showing him in no uncertain terms that he was the center of her world. Though she adored her daughter, this was a different kind of love, a special kind of love that could only be shared between a man and a woman. Without saying a word, with only kisses and caresses to relay her feelings, she was determined to alleviate all his doubts and fears. And when they were done and they lay tangled in each other's embrace, hearts beating hard and fast, only then did she utter the three words she had told him only a short time before, this time meaning them with all her heart and soul. "I love you," she whispered, curled against him, her body aching sweetly and warm from his love.

"I highly doubt that," she said, frowning a little and turning away, hopefully before he could notice that frown. It seemed she had worries of her own that she had not shared with him, just yet. She went to the window, the towel wrapped tightly around her. As bold as she was, that view was for Dominic's eyes alone, not Edward's or anyone else's. "With just a little work, this place could be lovely. The garden's gone wild, but all it needs is a little taming."

He caught the edge of that frown, a furrow of his own between his brows as he followed her to the window, curling his arms about her waist to draw her back against his chest. "It could be home," he murmured, brushing a kiss to her temple.

"A bit cozy, but we don't need a mansion for the three of us," she agreed, her hands covering his, well aware of the warmth of his body so close to hers, once again. She leaned back against him, enjoying the way it felt to have his arms around her, so warm and protective. "It isn't just a dream, is it, Dom' We could really be happy here."

"No, it isn't a dream," he promised her, rocking her gently from side to side as he kissed her neck beneath the fall of her hair. "We could move in tomorrow, if Humph gave the word." He smiled, hugging her close for a long moment. "Of course, I recommend being dressed for that conversation ..."

"Don't worry. I'm not planning on seducing your uncle to get my way. I get the feeling he understands me better than he lets on though," she said, with a soft sigh. "I can only hope the rest of your cousins are half as understanding." There was the hint of another fear again, worrying they might think her motives less than honorable. Money was a big motivator and had been all her life, but her feelings for Dom went far deeper than his pockets.

"Sweetling, let me tell you something." Dom drew her back from the window, turning her until he could look into her eyes. "You've met Lisbeth, Edward's wife, yes" Two months ago, she was his sister's housekeeper and cook. She was the help, nothing more. Do you see anyone accusing her of wanting anything more than Edward?" He raised his brows, daring her to compare herself poorly to his closest cousin's wife. "The only person who would dare say anything like that is my sister, Isabelle, and she is a bitter, unhappy woman who talks out of her ass more than she sees with her own eyes."

As a matter of fact, Elle could compare herself poorly to Lisbeth, at least in her head. Though Lisbeth had come from modest means, she had made an honest living. The same could not be said for Elle. Oh, she had tried to go that route once, long ago, but found thieving far easier, exciting, and far more lucrative than waiting tables or selling shoes. She'd developed expensive tastes over the years, though she'd also learned that money alone didn't make her happy. She was about to open her mouth to argue with him when a knock came at the door and she smiled sweetly, knowing it could only be his cousin Edward. "Shall I answer that?" she asked, with a smirk.

"Don't you dare." He laughed, swatting her backside for the tease. "He may be married, but you are mine." Pulling her close for a last, fierce kiss, his hand slipped beneath the towel for a tease of his own before he stepped away, making a showing of licking his fingers as he headed for the door and down the stairs.

"Oh, aren't we possessive, Mr. Granger," she teased back, only to happy to return that kiss, smiling against his lips when she felt his hand slip beneath the towel. There was another knock at the door, louder this time, more insistent. Elle laughed at Dom's mischief as he stepped away from her, waiting to give him a head start before tiptoeing down the stairs, just so she could see the look on Edward's face when he saw her.

"All right, keep your shirt on," Dom chuckled as he reached the front door, pulling it open to greet his cousin in nothing but a grin and boxers. "Found the place okay, I see?"

Edward stood outside the door, knuckles poised to knock again when Dom opened it at last. "Good lord," he said, upon seeing his elder cousin in nothing but his skivvies and a grin. "Are you mad" What if it hadn't been me at the door?" he asked, pushing past his cousin to duck inside, so that he wouldn't be seen while on his secret mission.

"Hullo, Teddy," a silken voice greeted him from the stairs and Edward turned to find the woman known as Elle wrapped in only a towel and that same stupid grin that Dom seemed to have plastered on his face.

"I see. It is you who has addled his brain," he accused, though there was no malice in the accusation.

Snorting with laughter at Edward's greeting, Dom stepped smoothly aside to let the other man in, turning to find Elle right there and still not adequately dressed. He rolled his eyes at her, and decided to play along with Edward's assumption. "You should see what happens when she drops the towel."

"I would rather not," Edward replied as he made his way past the pair toward the kitchen, forcing himself not to so much as glance at Elle. He was carrying a package in his arms, presumably the promised sustenance to keep his cousin and lover from starving for lack of food. "By the way, may I suggest the next time you want delivery, you call a pizzeria?" he asked as he set the contents of his arms on the table.

"Oh, what?s the matter, Teddy' Don't you like threesomes?" Elle teased, from the stairway where she waited for Dom.

"Don't you appreciate the trust I put in you, Tedward?" Dom asked his cousin, flashing Elle a warning look with amused eyes as he turned to follow the man into the kitchen. "Or did we interrupt something extra special planned with Lis?" He grinned teasingly, throwing an arm around Edward's shoulders. "I know we always promised each other we'd be cat ladies together, but my dear boy, you got married. What else was I supposed to do, pine away for your ivory flesh?"

"Of course, I do," Edward replied, sounding just a little insulted at the insinuation that he didn't. "Your timing could have been better is all," he continued, as he started pulling things out of the bag. It seemed Lis hadn't just packed them soup, but fresh baked bread, butter, a bottle of wine, and two slices of chocolate cake. Edward flashed a look of shock at Elle for her remark before shrugging off Dom's arm. "I love you like a brother, Dom, but that's as far as it goes. You simply do not have the right equipment. Sorry, old boy." He turned his gaze toward Elle then. "And you, madam, are a tease."

Elle cackled with laughter and started toward the two of them. "I don't deny it, but my heart belongs to just one man," she said, laying a hand on Dom's heart as if to claim him. She reached over then to touch a kiss to Edward's cheek. "You're a dear. Thank you."

Chuckling, Dom caught Elle's hand against his chest, looping his arm about her waist to kiss her cheek. "Don't spread it around, Teddy, but I might have had sex for the first time in seven years. Maybe. I probably need another couple of goes to be absolutely sure." Looking down at the array of food being unpacked, however, he couldn't help but laugh. "She just can't help looking after people, can she?"

"Twice," Elle added, waggling her brows at Edward before touching a kiss to Dom's cheek and whirling out of his arms. "I'm just going to go upstairs and freshen up a bit," she told them, though that was mostly a lie as she'd already done that. What she was going to do was put Dom's shirt on and give the two men a few minutes of privacy before she shooed Edward away for the night. She paused to goose Dom's rear, cackling wildly again before departing.

Edward chuckled finally at both Elle's antics and Dom's confession. "Twice. That's a record. And yes, she just can't help herself, which is good for you and bad for me, as we were enjoying a relaxing evening when you called."

"Yes," he agreed simply. "He and I have always been close, though to be fair, we were all pretty close when we were younger." Drawing her to the bed, he dished out a bowl of bouillabaisse for her, breaking the bread to give her a fighting chance with the butter. "We all grew apart, but for some reason, even when I was in the darkest depths of Borneo or wherever, and Ed was in Africa, we managed to stay in touch. Must be something special about that boy."

"I'm sure Edward is a perfectly lovely man, but I tend to think there is something very special about the man sitting in front of me," she said, taking the bread and the bowl and somehow managing not to spill a drop while she sat cross-legged on the bed. She had replaced the towel with his shirt, open at the front to show a hint of cleavage, but far more comfortable than that towel. "Vicki said he was an aid worker. What made him want to do that?"

"He's always felt very strongly about the divide between rich and poor," Dom mused thoughtfully, pausing to wolf down an enormous mouthful of stew and bread. "Always wanted to help people who are, for one reason or another, ignored or neglected by the people who should be looking out for them. I'm very proud of him for following through, although it very nearly killed him toward the end of last year."

"Yes, Vicki mentioned that he had come home sick and exhausted. It's noble of him to want to help those less fortunate," she added, though her own modest beginnings were far different than anything Edward might have encountered in Africa. No, her story was quite different, and she wasn't sure there was anyone at Maple Grove who was likely to understand. "What's he going to do now?" she asked, wondering if Edward planned on returning to Africa now that he was married.

"You know, I'm not entirely sure," he conceded with a low chuckle. "I know he's working on a book at the moment, and the more he's home, the more he's realizing what he's missed - especially with Lila, his niece. I've heard some talk about opening a clinic, although the location seems to veer wildly between the poorer areas of Rhy'Din and possibly Ghana, on Earth."

She arched a brow, having a little like experience at being poor. "There are poor everywhere, Dom. There's no need to go very far to find them." And the worst of the poor, in Elle's opinion, were those who fell through the cracks. "I'm sorry," she said suddenly. "I'm being morose." She offered no explanation for the sudden change in her mood or the subject at hand, but only added, "I do appreciate his efforts. More people like him are needed in the world." She turned her attention to her stew, soaking a bit of bread in the broth before taking a bite.

"They're different levels of poverty, love," he told her gently. "I can't even begin to predict what Edward and Lis will do, but whatever it is, they'll do it together, to help people." He watched her thoughtfully for a moment. "It isn't morose. But you're right, I don't know what I'm talking about. I've lived a privileged life, and though I try, I'll never understand."

"Of course, they are, but that doesn't make one group any less or more worthy of help. It's a difficult problem and one that won't be solved any time soon." And one you couldn't just throw money at in hopes it would go away. Her gaze softened at his apology - it had not been her goal to make him feel bad. "Don't. You're a good man, Dominic. You have nothing to feel guilty about. It's not your fault, you know. Life isn't always fair, and I've certainly a lot to learn about selflessness. Your Edward could likely teach us all a lesson about that."

"Oh, I have every expectation of that book of his making me feel incredibly proud and simultaneously incredibly ashamed of myself when I read it," he nodded, smiling at her. He didn't feel bad, exactly, but he knew that she and others had a level of experience that he would never have. The Grangers were affluent, and they looked after their own, even when their own chose to walk away from them. The safety net would always be there. "How did we end up talking about Ed, anyway' Philosophy doesn't really have a place over dinner when we're, neither of us, dressed for the occasion."

Elle's smile faltered, feeling suddenly guilty, even though she'd struggled nearly all her life to make ends meet. She really wasn't using Dom or his family to make her or Daisy's lives easier. In point of fact, she'd never intended for any of this to happen. He already knew that and had probably guessed at her modest origins. So then, why was she feeling so guilty about it all" "No, I suppose not," she agreed, turning her attention back to her stew. Her mood had shifted again, probably due to the talk about the needy. He was right about one thing - there were needy and then there were needy. She had always been one of the former and not one of the latter, but did it really matter"

His brows furrowed a little as he watched her smile falter, inwardly berating himself for whatever it was he had said wrong this time. It seemed as though they were destined to waver between smiles and sadness, at the whim of moods - it wasn't ideal, but at least he would never be bored, and hopefully, neither would she. "Of course, you're still overdressed for what I intend to do with dessert ..."

That comment put a smile back on her face, albeit not as bright as it had been a short while ago. Should she confess and tell him her whole life story - or at least, the important parts of it - or had she told him enough already? "I hope you don't mind," she said, regarding wearing his shirt. "I thought it less likely to fall off than a towel and ....well, it smells like you."

He raised a brow, looking her over with a warm flicker to his smile. "I could protest over losing my shirt, but I have to say ....it looks far better on you than on me." The flicker became a fully fledged grin. "Easy access, hint of cleavage, built in possibility of bondage ....oh yes. Much better on you." He winked, ripping a huge lump of bread free with his teeth to chomp it down.

"Bondage?" she echoed with a laugh. "Has someone been getting ideas from his cousin's films, I wonder?" she asked, that teasing smile of hers returning. She tore off a bit of bread and dunked it in the broth, wondering if he was just teasing or serious.

He groaned, rolling his eyes. "Oh gods, don't remind me." He even whimpered, for effect. "Humph made me go to the premiere of the first one. I never want to see Jon's ass again. Ever."

"Darling, those movies - those books - were made for frustrated housewives, not the likes of you. Do you really think women sit around fantasizing about being spanked" I, for one, can think of much better things to do in bed," she told him, eyes alight with amusement. "He is rather attractive, but not at all my type."

"He's an old married man these days," Dom snorted with laughter, mopping the last of his bouillabaisse up with what was left of his bread. "I do hear tell he's even managed to teach Victoria how to cook. Oh, to have been a fly on the wall during those lessons ..." He flashed her a grin, resisting the urge to lick his bowl clean. "I should get a few lessons from Lis. Have to make sure my girl and her girl are well fed, after all."

It seemed they had gone from talking about Edward to talking about Jon to talking about Lis all in the matter of a few minutes. "That's not why he's not my type," she told him with a mischievous smirk as she, too, finished up the last of her bread and stew. "Are you offering to do the cooking" Because if you are, I'll take you up on that offer."