"There was truth in what she said. Somewhat. However, since, Im her guardian, what better way for a delicate, legally insane young woman to control her older, male keeper than to suggest...I repeat, she suggested I lie with her." She stared round at him, in astonishment.

"Hoppy, thats not true."

She had lied some, but I wasnt sure when.

"When I said no to her, Day came to me, naked. Youve seen her considerable attributes. I may be...old; but, I am a fully functioning man. She said shed close her eyes and I could do whatever I wished, pretend whatever I wanted, and use her however."

"NO! No. No. No. No. NO! Thats...thats...!"

I was getting very much confused and was about to edge away. She uncannily, instinctively sensed it, shook her head "no" at me. I shook mine and shrugged. Abruptly, she was with me, kissing me, her whole body seductively against mine, her tongue in my mouth; usurping any independent volition right out of me.

I was so screwed.

Hopkins growled, deep in his throat.

"No!"

He pulled us apartwell, attempted anyway. She glanced at him for just a moment. Nothing was said, just a stiff, intense nod from her, which heit seemed to me and to my great surpriseaccepted, in triumph.

He left.

Somethingd passed between them, something important, that I missedstanding mere inches away.

"Wh...what just happened?" Id suddenly been sucked deeper into darkness by an undertow, without knowing exactly--.

Thered been a quick, deadly skirmish, in a battle forfor me; and in that concise insurgence, shed won. Hed won. I felt Id won but simple reason didnt confirm that; especially, since I still didnt know what war I was in.

It didnt matter.

I was like a diabetic confronted by his favorite forbidden and deadly, sweet delicacy. I ate, hungrily, fearing it would kill me, yet not giving a damn, as she kissed and touched me, until Id forgotten my question, as we made love where we were, her desire for me entirely burning out my reason.

She left me there on the floor, and when realizing I couldnt use my mind for anything except thoughts of her, I sought her out.

He was in her room, behind closed doors, grunting and huffing, as he did, speaking her name and begging her to be vocal. I heard her, faintly, then louder, which meant she was participating, as he wished. Weakly, but most definitely, she participated. She was no longer just mutely lying there, as before. She was evidentlypaying him for my continued residency.

First, shed seduced me. CorrectionId let her seduce me, then shed gone straight from me to him, from my body to his.

Day didnt come back to me that night, which she couldntve, if shed tried; Id locked my hall door and my side of the bath and turned my Mac to an Internet radio station, to drown out their sounds and the many thoughts of themin theretogether. I had to change the station, though, after getting a painful third of the way into the all too prophetically appropriate Dave Matthews Bands "Crash Into Me".

Everything was just great. Having a fantastic, extended sabbatical on The Beach. I wasnt sleeping properly or resting, not in his house, where "Hoppy" was rightshe was "confusing" me. Terribly. Probably detrimentally.

Day, this child-woman, whom Id seen come to tears over the decision of which fruit preserve to put on her peanut butter and potato bread sandwich, knew exactly what she wanted, when it came to me, despite having been treated harshly, in ways I cant and dont want to imagine.

Her violent affections for me frightened me. Minemine for her frightened me even more. Most times I was swept up in her like driftwood in a Gulf/Caribbean hurricane battering the Yucatan shore; caught in a force of nature, that was wild, emotional, and beyond deadly.

There was something truly addicting about that for me, and I dont have an addictive personality. At least Id never thought so, not until her.

* * *

I ran much earlier than usual the next morning, then breezed past Day expectantly waiting for me on the sofa. I relocked myself in and called the hotel, which still held my room. No, no arrival yet, sir. Thank you. Click. I went to the kitchen, when I knew both Day and Mrs. G were elsewhere, and was heading back to shelter, when I spotted the pretty blonde woman outside speaking cheerily to Day.

I went out in time to have my hostess glare at me, before she guardedly crept down the stairs, while holding tight of the rail, to sit on the last step, strip her feet bare, and bury them up past her ankle scars in the warm sand.

"Gee, Stephie, still have your winning way with people, do yah?" If you think Days a bitch, when she doesnt get her way, youve never spent time with my twin sister, who couldnt keep her eyes to herself.

"Your Day has a good eye. Identified me right away and I look nothing like that ancient locket photo. And we certainly dont look alike, shaggy. Tell me you didnt toss the expensive travel razor I gave you, while youve been purging your very enviable life." I hugged her from behind, as she put an arm back around me, a standard stance for us.

"You like her."

"Snake Boy, shes gorgeous, and a more petulant bitch than I am."

"Yes andmaybe. Stop staring at her. Youre always trying to steal away the other women in my life." Wed let each other go, as Steph peeked in the house before gazing again at the back of Days windtossed curls, then dipped her eyes to thoroughly view again the rest of Day, who intently ignored us both.

"You always have great taste, Benn."