He watched as Jayleigh conversed with Dyanise and Fae'rhee.  He couldn't 
help but note Dyanisa's brief, knowing smile when she looked at the two of 
them together.  Ah, the girl wasn't all that naive apparently.

After they left, Jayleigh turned back to him and smiled.  "Alone at last."

"Then what are you doing sitting up there?" he asked patting the bed where 
she had lain before they were surprised.

"Are you sure?"

For an answer he reached up and pulled her down until she was laying half 
over his good side.  His hand moved up into her hair and pulled her head 
towards his until their lips met.

He returned to kissing her as he had done before, feeling her gasp and 
then her body molding to his, her kiss as passionate as his own.

They were both breathing hard when the kiss ended, Tair'n moved her so 
that Jayleigh's body was snuggling up tight against his, her head resting on 
his shoulder.

"Go to sleep 'Leigh," he said soothingly.  "We'll work something out-- s
ome way for the two of us to be together."

"I won't ask you to give up R'ven," she said in a voice barely above a 
whisper.  "I can't ask you to turn your back on someone you care about as 
you do him.  It wouldn't be fair to any of us if I did."

"Are you sure?" he asked, surprised.

"I'm sure," she answered.

He considered for a moment.  "Well, you may certainly have the same for 
Gerald, but I think he may have problems with it that R'ven won't."

She sighed.  "Well, I guess we'll make it all fit."

He yawned, then ouched in pain.

"I'm sorry.  You need to sleep.  I think they were talking about releasing 
you tomorrow morning."

"That would be wonderful," he said.  "I want to have clean hair again.  
And sleep in my own bed.  And take the paperwork off Rayrem's hands.  She 
hates paperwork."

Jayleigh chuckled.  "After the week I've had, I'm not too fond of it myself."

******

He awoke from a very pleasant dream involving Jayleigh, R'ven, himself and 
Gerald... and a quart of honey.  Jayleigh was still asleep in his arms.  His 
brushing her hair from his face, however, woke her up.

She kissed him gently and he felt himself stirring even more.  If they 
didn't let him out of here soon, he was going to burst.

"Good morning, lover," she said.

He'd almost swear she was intentionally trying to arouse him more, they 
way her body pressed against his just so.

There was a light knock on the door, then it opened and R'ven walked in.  He 
seemed not at all surprised to see them together.

"I brought you some clean clothes to wear when they release you," he explained.

"Thanks."

R'ven started to turn to leave.

"Hey, wait.  Don't I even get a kiss?" Tair'n asked.

R'ven turned, his eyes flickering to Jayleigh.  Then he stepped over and 
kissed Tair'n.  When he would have pulled back, Tair'n slipped his hand 
around him and pulled him tighter into the kiss.  R'ven slowly lost 
himself in the kiss.

Finally, they pulled apart and R'ven cleared his throat.  "We'll talk later, 
okay, Tai?  I've got to go."

He walked out and Tair'n turned to Jayleigh, looking into her eyes.

"Jayleigh," he said quietly, "I want you to understand just exactly what you 
agreed to.  Do you really think you can handle R'ven and I still being 
lovers?  I don't want you to answer right away.  I want you to think about 
it.  I want you to picture walking into my bedroom or my office and 
finding R'ven and I together, making love.  I want you to think about how 
that makes you feel.  Because if it's going to be a problem, I want to 
know now."

The door opened again.  Tai wondered if they'd specifically scheduled a 
let's-interrupt-Tair'n day or something.

"Good morning," the voice of his former mate and the mother of his son (or 
half-brother) said.  "I'm here to examine you to make sure you're well 
enough to be released.  If you'll excuse us, warrenlady."

Jayleigh quickly excused herself.

Calette was quick and efficient.

"Okay.  You can go home.  I want to see you in here for the next several 
days so we can check the dressing and stitches.  And I absolutely want no 
strenuous exercise, including that."

"Including what?"

"You know damned well what, loverboy.  Now get dressed and get out of here 
before I change my mind."

Tair'n was quick to comply.  It would be good to be home... wherever that 
was going to be...

Respectfully submitted,
 Lynette R. F. Cowper
  Tair'n and Amadith

NRPG: Well, Barb?

---
|   Lynette R. F. Cowper  *  Official INWO Rules NetRep & Goddess    |
| http://www.io.com/~lcowper  *  lcowper@io.com  *  lcowper@indy.net |
|  "If people never did silly things, nothing intelligent would ever |
|                   get done."  -- L. Wittgenstein                   |