Alexis, reprised

"Payback's delicious, isn't it?"

"God, you have no idea," she whimpers.

"Au contraire... if I give even half as good as I get from you, then I have a pretty good idea."

She turns her head and blesses me with a lopsided smile. I lever myself off her and curl up against her, my breasts pressed against hers and my head pillowed on her shoulder.

I can feel her gently teasing the very tip of a finger up and down my spine, and I shift happily against her. I love the way the soft curve of her hip presses into my belly. I love the feel of her ribs against mine; the goosebumps she develops when I exhale. I love the perfect pale teardrops of her breasts in the combination of dying day and flickering fire.

I love that I'm hers.

Gently, I lift my right thigh, and hook it and my leg over her left, pulling me in against her. I can hear the gentle lub-dub, lub-dub of her heart, close in speed to mine now.

"If only every day could be like this," she says, softly.

"We'd starve," I return, amused.

"Pretty sure I can live by sex alone," she answers. I snort.

"Not with the number of calories we burn while doing it."

"True," she smiles, planting a gentle kiss on my cheek.

I close my eyes and lie there quietly for a while. It takes me a while to realise that Robs is singing under her breath. My own breath catches, and I try to keep as still as possible so as not to disturb her. It's such a rare event for her...

It's Dionne Warwick, I realise. I smile - Robs is praying a little prayer for me, and I can't help but join in on the refrain. She laughs, and stops singing, then squirms over to face me.

"I wish you'd do that more often," I say, sadly. "You sound like an angel who took up chain smoking. Turns me to putty."

"One artist in the family is enough," she says, eyes twinkling. "But if you're good maybe I'll sing more for you."

"I'd like that, Robs. I'd like that a lot," I say, softly. She strokes my cheek, then reaches over and pulls a blanket over us, adjusting me slightly so that she's comfortable.

As we lie there, listening to the fire and watching the daylight fade, I find myself hoping that I never lose the childlike happiness I feel when I'm around her. Robs as always notices and intervenes.

"Stop thinking so hard, Lexi-love," she whispers quietly.

I watch the firelight flickering in her eyes, and slowly the world seems to shrink around us, till it's just her and me.

It's our little slice of heaven, and I hope it lasts forever.

.:.