Anne rolled over in her bed and groaned. She had been out of the hospital now for over a week and she has not seen a sign of Remy. She thought that after everything that had happened between he would definitely come to see her. Instead, she'd been tortured for the last few days by Smiley and his determination to stay with her until she was better.

"Hi Anne." Her face lit up as she saw Remy come toward the bed. He sat on the edge and looked at her.

"How you feeling?"

"Better now that you're here," she said looking up at him. "What kept you?"

"CD found a way to keep me extra busy for the last few days. How's Smiley?"

"He's been an excellent babysitter, which is why I have to kill him. Make him stop, Remy. If I eat another bite I'll blow up like a blowfish."

"I'll see what I can do," Remy said getting up off the bed.

"Where are you going?" she asked him. She was just a little upset about his behavior toward her. "I asked you a question."

"To find Smiley."

"You just got here," she said flashing him a knowing smile.

"Sorry Anne, strict rules. I'm not allowed until you are one hundred percent better."

"How about a kiss," she said with a pout.

He looked at her and knew how much he wanted her but he couldn't do it. Not yet. He wanted everything to be perfect for their first time. She was still beautiful despite the paling of her skin from staying indoors and her thinness from not eating.

"I thought you were eating?"

"I am," she said defensively, "just not all of it."

"Anne," Remy said sternly.

"Oh alright, alright. Don't get your shorts in a knot."

"Anne!" he said losing his patience with her. He calmed his voice down and gave her a begging look. "Please."

"You can beg better than that," she said feeling mischievous, "make it worth my while." Remy knew it was against his better judgement but he went back over by the bed he had so recently left. He looked at her and could feel her eyes boring into his soul. "Don't do this Anne," he said half begging, half pleading.

"Make it worth my while," she repeated.

Remy bent his head down and brushed her forehead with his lips. He then pressed them and could feel how warm she was. He could smell her fruit scent and let it envelop him. Before he knew what had happened he was kissing her.

It felt so good to hold her again. To touch her, to taste her and he was reveling in it. He couldn't get enough of her. He ran his hands over her body and could feel the heat of her body intensify just as his was doing. He found the bottom of her nightshirt and found more skin to touch and taste.

He stopped kissing her lips and began kissing her legs, thighs, and stomach. Anne moaned in pleasure as his lips explored her body. She had wanted this for so long and it was finally happening. She knew that once he got close enough there would be no backing down. He would be as hot for her as she was for him. After the other night, she knew nothing else she wanted more than this before she died.

"Anne," she heard Smiley call, "Lunch."

Remy got up off the bed and looked at her. She was fine. It would be okay to wait... until later.

"I'll see you tonight," he said walking out the door with not even so much as a backward glance.

Anne saw Smiley come in and walk past Remy with a tray of food. He set it down on the bed and walked out. She heard voices and heard Remy before he walked out the front door.

"Eat well Anne. You need your strength."

"Nuts," she said looking at the tray full of food in front of her.

Anne waited all day for Remy to come back. She ate every ounce of the four meals Smiley fed her and even found that it helped. She felt stronger and revived. She was actually beginning to feel like her old self again. She smiled when she heard him in her kitchen cleaning up. He was singing a song that she'd heard in one of the clubs before and she enjoyed the way he sounded. His voice was deep and soothing. So soothing, she almost didn't hear a knock at her glass door. She looked up and her smile moved beyond her lips to her eyes. She got up out of bed and opened the door.

"Remy," she said as he put his arms around her waist and closed the door behind him. He kissed her briefly before turning to close the curtains.

"Wouldn't want any peeping toms, now would we?" Remy said lifting her into his arms and carrying her to the bed."I'm not an invalid you know," she said with a pout.

Remy looked at her cute little pout. He thought it was just so sexy on her. Any other woman might have looked like she was beginning to whine, but on Anne, it was almost like foreplay.

"Don't look at me like that," he said a little hoarsely. Breathing around this woman seemed to be the only thing he could do right.

"You always seem so calm," she said running a finger down his arm. She could feel him tense under her touch. "So under control as if no woman could break this exterior."

"You have," he whispered as he lowered his mouth to hers for a kiss. It was a hot and melting kiss. All resolve and reason was slowly leaving his body as she matched his kisses with her own. He could understand more now what it was that caused people to murder and say it was for love. Right now he would do anything to protect Anne from harm. Anything. But the feel of her hand against his skin thwarted those plans.

She was running her hand against his chest and started pulling his shirt up. He grabbed her hands with his own. If she touched him any more like that taking it 'slow' would be the last thing on his mind. He could feel her pulling back and just reached in closer. He was now on the bed beside her and if this was supposed to be a gallant effort of making her see how much he cared this would have to be slowed down. He paused for a minute and pulled away.

"Something wrong?" she asked as he pulled away.

Remy smiled at her. She looked thoroughly kissed. Her lips were swollen and her cheeks had the most color they had had in days. "No, nothing's wrong. I just thought we should talk first."

'Uh oh,' Anne thought, 'here it comes. The "I'm-not-ready-for-a-relationship" speech.' She fumed inwardly. It wasn't supposed to be like this. Everything was supposed to happen in the heat of the moment and the talking came later. She fought the urge to scream.

"What about?"

"Just that I want you to know that I really care about you Anne. I want this to be more than what I've ever had but I'm going to need some help. This is all going to be new to me."

Anne's shock and surprise was mirrored on her face. She could have sworn her heart stopped beating if it was beating so erratically that it hurt. She took a deep breath to start the slowing down process. She didn't say a word and Remy began to get nervous.

"Say something Anne."

She put her hand behind his head and drew it toward her until their lips met. She deepened the kiss to heights he had only til then imagined. He began to relax and Anne took the opportunity to take control again. His arm was wrapped around her waist so she pushed him onto his back so that she ended up on top of him. They continued their kiss as she put her hands under his shirt and began rubbing her hands across his chest and stomach. She could feel his reaction as his muscles tensed and she felt his arousal against her thigh. It just made her even more excited.

Remy wasn't unaware of his reaction to her. He began lifting her pajama and grew impatient. It was too long and heavy. He ripped it off her as he yearned to touch her skin. It was soft and silky. He could feel how much better she was feeling as her body covered his more intimately. He tried to strip himself of the close he had on when he heard footsteps and a voice.

"Anne," Smiley called, "I was gonna head home and I..." he said pausing at the open door of her bedroom. "Can see you don't need me anymore," he rushed out. He did an about face and hurried out, locking the door behind him. It was as if they didn't realize the distraction being so caught up in each other. He stopped and pulled away from her long enough to strip down to his boxers. He took her in his arms again. They touched and kissed and licked all over each other. They wanted this first time to be more than worth its trouble unfortunately, it was going to have to wait, and the phone rang.

"Don't answer it," Remy said through labored breathing as they stopped kissing.

"I have to," she said picking up the receiver. "Hello... oh hi CD... Remy, no he's not here... saw him this morning.... is that so, what a shame....... Okay, I'll be sure to tell him when I see him. Bye."

Anne hung up the phone and returned her lips to their previous position, on Remy. She could feel him being drawn back into their lovemaking and pushed CD's message to the back of her mind. She didn't lie, technically. She hadn't seen Det. McSwain, as CD suggested, since this morning. She'd tell him, she thought to herself as she felt him enter her, later.

Several hours later they lay on the bed, holding each other and feeling properly sated after only one round for the night. They lasted for hours until they both pushed each other to that final climax that brought them thundering back down to earth from the cosmic joining. Remy lay there while Anne was on his chest, asleep. She'd been asleep now for a half-hour and he was glad to see her sleeping so peacefully. He felt his eyes begin to grow heavy as he succumbed to sleep.

A few minutes later Anne roused from her sleep. She felt so different now. She looked up at Remy's handsome face and wondered what he was dreaming about. She was remembering the phone call from CD as she kissed his chest and he woke from his recently begun slumber.

"No, no, no," he said wrapping his arm around her and turning to his side, "need rest first." He hadn't opened his eyes. He just spoke and went back into his slumber. Anne rested her body against his and tried to go back to sleep.

An hour later she turned over with an aggravated sigh. She couldn't sleep a wink. The clock only said 4 in the morning and she was wide-awake. She drummed her fingers on Remy's hip and felt him stir underneath them. She smiled as she thought about the previous hours and wondered if maybe now he was up to more.

"Remy," she whispered into is ear. He pulled his arms tight around her but didn't open his eyes. She whispered again, hoping for a better reaction. This time he just uttered her name under his breath. Anne was getting even more agitated and then a sly smile crossed her lips. Instead of calling his name this time she gave him a little nudge that sent him rolling onto his back. She straddled his hips and began kissing his chest. His arms instinctively came around her waist and he opened his eyes.

"Good morning," he said his voice still a little raspy.

"Not quite yet," she said rubbing her hands over his chest and teasing him into an arousal. "I'll let you know when."

They repeated the previous hours until they fell into the bed to tired to do anything but hold each other in sleep. Anne had brought back all the desire that she saw in his eyes the first time. He took more time with the foreplay this time. He was still as gentle but tried driving her to the brink of insanity before entering her needy body. He knew how bad she wanted it because he wanted it just as bad. He just wanted to make it good for her. He wanted her to understand his heart, this way and maybe then the words would come easier. As he plunged into her over and over again, she called his name. The sound of his name on her lips escaping through her moans of pleasure started to drive him insane as he just continued pushing more and more until the two of them screamed out in ecstasy falling back to the bed, entwined and slept.

When they awoke, hours later, Anne found a note on the refrigerator door.

Anne,

Didn't mean to interrupt last night, doubt you guys noticed. Left some breakfast in the oven and told CD that Remy went out of town and would be back tomorrow. Don't forget, protect.

Smiley

They ate the breakfast of pancake and eggs that he left and made love for the rest of the day. When nightfall came they were both properly exhausted.

"I don't think I could ever get enough of you, Anne," Remy said smiling at her.

"Nor I you," she said returning the smile. Her eyes were beginning to look a little tired and it made Remy remember that she was supposed to be on the mend.

"I'm gonna go, Anne," he said raising himself out the bed. She stopped him with a kiss on his abdomen that made him weak in his knees. He sat back down. "That doesn't help things," he said looking into her eyes. God, he wanted to stay but he knew that she needed her rest.

"I won't sleep well unless you're here," she said with a sly smile.

"Then," he said returning the gesture, "you wouldn't sleep at all. You need your rest."

Anne grew indignant and glared at him. She went to open her mouth to speak but a yawn came out instead. When she was done she lowered her eyes before complaining. "I am not a baby."

"But you are tired," he said yawning himself, "and so am I; you need to get some sleep. And if I," he paused yawning again, "am to go to work tomorrow. I need a few hours sleep." She pouted and he resisted the urge to take her in his arms. This was his only chance for escape. If he succumbed to her now, he was doomed.

"Don't Anne," he said with a pleading voice. She spared him no mercy as folded her arms across her chest. He could see the outline of her body under the sheet and felt the tautness of an arousal again. He went to kiss her on her forehead but she reached for him and he was under her command.

"I'll make it worth your while," she uttered against his lips.

"Yes," he said stripping off his clothes and getting in the bed beside her, "I know."