Carpe Diem by Allison McDonnell

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Chapter Two

It was a well-deserved day of rest for the tired Eden crew. Most slept in late and only essential chores were done. In fact, Devon insisted that everyone take it as easy as possible. Some napped in their tents while others dozed under the large trees. Even Julia allowed herself to go for a leisurely walk without stopping once to pick up plant samples to analyze.

Meanwhile, Devon searched the campsite for her favorite mechanic without success. She was infuriated when she finally spotted two long legs sticking out from under the carriage of the Dunerail.

Damn him, she seethed. John tells me not to push myself so hard and then has the nerve to slave away all day working on the vehicles. She began to steam, both from her anger and the intense summer heat. Why can't he just take a break like the rest of us?

"Danziger!" Devon hissed as she stormed up to the rear of the 'Rail.

"Danziger! What the hell do you think you're doing?" Her temperature continued to rise as she got no response.

"Answer me, dammit! Weren't you the one who continually complained that we needed a day to relax? Get out from under there, NOW!"

Devon's voice was now beginning to raise as well. The two legs began to stir, but she still didn't get a verbal response.

"DANZIGER!" she hollered and, before she could stop herself, she gave him a swift kick to the right shin.

"Jesus Christ! What did you kick me for?" a very angry Walman yelled as he pulled himself from under the vehicle and grabbed his newly sore foot.

Devon just stood there stunned at what she had done and at the new turn of events. Beating up Danziger was one thing. He had earned her wrath on many occasions and it was a wonder that she hadn't resorted to violence before. But she shouldn't be assaulting the other members of the group. Oops.

"What's going on?" Magus said as she ran up to the two of them.

"Hell if I know," Walman cried. "I was just under here catching a quick snooze and next thing I know, Devon is yelling and kicking at me!"

"I'm really sorry," Devon tried to backtrack. "I thought you were someone else."

Magus folded her arms and scowled, "Yeah, you thought he was Danziger. No wonder that man's always in a foul mood."

"Poor Danz. I have a new respect for him," Walman added. "I always thought you were just trying to irritate him to death. Didn't know you had resorted to physically attacking him, too."

Okay, this is getting way out of hand, Devon surmised. "Look, everyone," she addressed the crowd that had begun to congregate. "I made a mistake and I apologize. And for your information, I do not normally go around injuring people, including John. This was a special circumstance."

"What was the special circumstance, Devon?" Baines pressed having just joined the gathering.

Oh God, how do I explain this one? She grasped for an answer that would make sense to her and the others. Why did she assault him, again? Oh yes...

"I thought that Danziger was working when he should be resting. I told him this. I mean, I thought I told him this when I was really talking to you, Walman. But you were sleeping and I was getting angry because you weren't answering me and-" Focus, Devon pleaded with herself, focus. "Anyway, it's over now and, as I said, I apologize for hurting you. It was just a stupid mistake." She tried to smile, but it came out as a look of desperation.

"Let me get this straight," began Magus, not letting her off the hook. "You were angry because you thought Danziger was working, so you decided to kick and scream at him until he agreed to relax. Do I have this right?"

"Uh, kind of, yes." This was getting worse by the second.

Yale had come upon the impromptu assembly and had heard enough to know that Devon needed a quick escape. "Devon, perhaps you would like to go check on Uly. I believe you will find him down at the lake with True and John."

"Thanks, Yale. I'll do that," she gratefully responded as she scurried out of camp. She could feel the stares of the others burrowing into the back of her head.

"Just remember," Baines couldn't resist. "We're gonna be checking Danziger for marks when he gets back, so don't get any ideas!"

_______________________________________

As Devon briskly made her way down the path leading to the lake, her mind was in overdrive. Okay, that didn't go so well, she noted. What an understatement! How could she have humiliated herself like that? Where was the levelheaded executive of a multibillion dollar company that used to reside in her frame? Gone, with no sign of returning anytime soon, she fretted. This would never have happened on the Stations. Back then, Devon Adair had been confident and powerful. Devon Adair had been shrewd and unapologetic. Abruptly, she stopped mid-step. Devon Adair had been lonely.

Certainly, she'd had Uly and Yale and she'd known that they truly loved her. But the pre-G889 Devon never really had friends. At best, she'd had acquaintances who tolerated her presence only because of her wealth and good name. They'd abandoned her without a second thought when she'd begun her quest to colonize a new planet. Some of them had told her that she was crazy. Most just avoided her altogether. A few had even betrayed her trust by providing Eden Project information to sources that had an interest in making sure that she'd failed at any cost. And where are those so-called friends now? Slowly rotting back on the Stations with nothing to keep them company but their own duplicity and selfishness. And where was she? She smiled. She was part of a fifteen member family and she knew that she wouldn't have it any other way.

As she approached the banks of the lake, she chortled in amusement. What was she thinking kicking Walman like that? Oh well, there was no real harm done and he'd forgive her eventually. After all, he was family.

Devon focused in on the source of noise emanating from the middle of the lake. John was chuckling at the wild splashing coming from True and Uly as they furiously raced each other. True soundly won and now Uly was crying foul.

"No fair. You're bigger than I am. I should get a head start."

"Fine. Be a baby," True spat. "I bet you can't even tread water."

"Can, too! Watch me!"

Uly edged his way to a slightly deeper part where he could no longer feel his toes touch the bottom. He attempted to paddle and kick to no avail. Despite his efforts, he sank like a stone.

"You're trying too hard," Danziger instructed. "Slow down your movements and do wider strokes with your arms and legs."

Uly followed the directions, but succeeded only in getting several healthy gulps of water.

"You got lead in your pockets, kid?" John joked. "Okay, maybe we should try something else. Do you know how to float?"

"Not really."

John gently grabbed hold of him by the shoulders and guided him back to a shallow area.

"All right, what you want to do is lean all the way back with your head in the water."

As Uly did so, Danziger placed his hand under his back to keep him from submerging. "Now, spread out your arms a bit and just kind of let your body go limp." The mechanic slowly backed away and smiled.

"It's working. Hey, True, look! I'm floating!"

"Hooray for you. I've been able to float for years," came the sarcastic reply.

"Hey, knock that off, " John softly chastised her. He leaned forward and whispered into her ear, "True, you know why Uly never learned to swim. Until last year, he lived in a world where just breathing and walking took everything he had. So, you think that maybe you could cut him a little slack?"

True felt a bit guilty. But only a little bit. "Okay, you're right. Sometimes I forget what he went through." She craned her neck toward her dad and whispered, "But he's still acts spoiled rotten sometimes."

"Yeah, well so do you," he teased before raising his voice for Uly's benefit. "Come on, you guys. Time to get out and dry off."

"Yuck, I got all wrinkly!"

"Me, too."

"Don't worry. You'll be fine," John laughed and shook his head as he made his way back to the shore along with his precious cargo. It was only then that he caught sight of Devon observing them from the edge. She welcomed both kids as they dashed out of the water and into the awaiting blankets that she held out for them. As she helped dry them both off, Uly couldn't contain his excitement,

"Mom, Mom, did you see me? I was floating! I was really floating!"

"I saw you, Sweetie. And I watched you race True, too. I'm so proud of you," she praised as she hugged him, getting herself wet in the process. "Let's get you two back to camp. Cameron should have lunch just about done and I bet you've worked up quite an appetite after all that exercise."

The children immediately darted up the trail toward camp in search of the promised meal, leaving the adults behind to gather up the discarded shoes and makeshift towels. Devon snickered a bit as John started to dry himself off.

"You wanna let me in on the joke?"

"Well, Danziger," she giggled, "I guess until this very moment I didn't really know that you had legs."

"I think that comment demands a further explanation." He was completely bewildered now.

Devon smiled with a twinkle in her eye. "I'm just saying that I didn't even know you owned a pair of shorts, John. Even on the hottest days, you're always in pants. Just thought it was amusing, that's all."

"Well, if you must know, these are old pants that became shorts after my incident with the ZED."

Devon's grin faded and she shuddered as she noticed the round scar located on his left thigh. Briefly, she remembered how close John had come to dying that day. She recalled her own fear as she operated to remove the bullet lodged in his abdomen. God, if she had lost him...

"You okay, Dev?" he asked as she shook herself back to the present and refocused her gaze on the soft grass beneath her feet.

"Yep," she reassured before changing the subject. "You know, I really want to thank you for everything you've done with Uly. Today, for instance. It was really nice of you to try to teach him to swim."

"Nah, it's nothing. I guess I figured that if New Pacifica's on the coast, it'd be better for everyone if he knew how to handle himself in the water. You know, for his safety."

"I appreciate that. You've looked out for him since the first day we arrived here. He really thinks the world of you."

"Yeah, well, he's a great kid. I think the world of him, too. And so does True," he reflected as he began to dry his hair. "That whole act on her part to make Uly think that she just barely tolerates his presence is just that. An act. True really cares about him deeply. I don't know what she would have done if he wasn't here as a part of the group."

John stopped suddenly and gazed into Devon's blue eyes. Seems there were some interesting parallels between the two generations of Danzigers and Adairs. And the looks on their faces showed that they both knew it.

"Even though they may not say it out loud, they know they mean a lot to each other," he finished reluctantly.

"You're right about that." Devon wasn't stupid and, not only did she follow the hidden meaning of his words, she agreed with them. An uncomfortable silence followed as they both struggled for something, anything to say.

"Come on, Mom. You're missing lunch," Uly yelled to them from the edge of camp.

True impatiently added, "Yeah, Dad. Aren't you hungry?"

"Be right there, True-girl."

"Me, too, Uly," Devon answered. After another few moments of quiet, she inquired, "Hey, Danziger, you want to go swimming later?"

"Sure. When?" He grabbed True's shoes and blanket and started walking up the path.

"I was thinking this evening. You know, like a moonlight swim. You don't have guard duty tonight, do you?"

"Nope. Got the night off." Danziger stopped and stared back at her as she caught up to him. "Exactly how late were you thinking of taking this swim of yours?"

"This swim of 'ours,'" she corrected.

"Okay, 'ours.' How late?"

Devon strode past him with a smile as she advanced up the trail. "Oh, I don't know. How about after the kids fall asleep? Meet me back here at the bank."

The mechanic gawked at her as she turned around with a raised eyebrow.

"Come on, Danziger. Live a little," she slyly teased. "I'm going swimming and you yourself said that it's too dangerous to go out alone at night. Remember last evening's speech? Well, not only am I telling you where I'm going, but I'm inviting you along as well."

"You mean our little talk actually got through that thick head of yours?"

"What can I say? You made a compelling argument. So are you with me or not?" She decided to test the waters a bit early. "If you aren't interested, I can always invite someone else. Walman, perhaps?" she grinned mischievously.

"No, no, I'll go," John answered a bit too eagerly. Jeez, calm yourself down, he scolded himself. Clearing his throat, he replied, "Anyway, Walman's on sentry duty tonight. So I guess you're stuck with me."

"So be it. See you later." The leader sped up slightly so she could have the last word.

By the time Danziger reached the edge of camp, Devon had already disappeared into the meal tent.

She just wants some company, John reasoned. Don't get too enthusiastic. Devon just wants to make sure that she's safe. You're the stupid idiot who practically demanded that she bring a bodyguard should she want to venture out at night. That's what you are- a bodyguard. You'll just be there to protect her in case anything goes wrong. Nothing more.

John ran his hand through his still-damp hair and sighed in both confusion and anticipation. He couldn't help but wonder exactly how many hours of daylight was left. Maybe he could persuade True to go to bed early tonight.

He shook his head. Dammit Adair, what the hell is going on?

_______________________________________

John was more anxious than he wanted to admit. It felt like it took forever for the darkness to descend. After three bedtime stories from her father, True finally closed her eyes and drifted off into the deep sleep that the Danziger clan was famous for.

Although it had been a bright and sunny day, clouds had moved in during the evening, obscuring most of the larger moon. The smaller moon was hidden completely and visibility was unusually low. Danziger changed back into his swimming attire, grabbed a small blanket and headed off in the direction of the lake. He went unnoticed by Baines, who was scheduled for the early shift for guard duty. As he fumbled his way down the trail, the mechanic cursed himself for not bringing a lumalight. Then again, if he had, Baines might have discovered him going to meet Devon.

So what? It's not like he's doing anything wrong, he thought to himself. It's just a casual meeting between two good friends, right? Yep, just keep repeating that over and over.

We're just going swimming.

Alone.

In almost pitch dark surroundings.

John was getting more nervous with each step. How was he possibly going to keep his equilibrium under these conditions? He resolved to try to concentrate on some of Devon's less positive attributes. That should sober him right up. Like her moodiness. Her pigheadedness. The way the sunlight reflects off of her auburn hair. Damn, damn, damn, this wasn't working either. Just stay calm, he inwardly pleaded, and try not to humiliate yourself. God knows, she'll never let you live it down.

Danziger staggered haphazardly the final hundred yards to the water's edge and scanned the ground for Devon's belongings. Guess I'm the first one here, he deduced after nothing was found. Maybe Devon got held up telling Uly bedtime stories, too.

He'd just stripped off his shirt when he noticed Devon wading toward him. "I was beginning to think you weren't going to show up. Where have you been?" she asked.

"Couldn't get True to sleep. How about Uly?"

"Out like a light. I think learning to float tired him out," Devon jested.

"I seriously doubt that."

"So-"

"So, what?" Danziger was starting to feel nervous again.

"Are you getting in the water or are you just going to stand there all night?"

John swiftly removed his shoes and threw them next to his shirt on the grass. "Just give me a minute, all right? Hey, where's your stuff, anyway?"

"Hidden behind that rock over your right shoulder. Put your things there, too, so they don't get stolen by a Grendler."

"Always barking out orders."

"Just shut up and get in here before the sun comes up," she playfully chastised.

The mechanic added his personal items to hers and was about to jump in when he abruptly stopped.

"Now what's wrong?" Devon asked in exasperation.

Danziger broke into a Cheshire grin. "I just wanna make sure. You aren't gonna attack me, are you?"

Devon was mortified. Could he have figured out her agenda? A few awkward moments passed before she realized what he was actually referring to. "So, I take it you heard about my run-in with Walman today, huh?"

"Let's just say that I was warned that my safety may be at risk."

Devon decided that she needed to regain control of the conversation fast and she had just the retort to do it.

"Okay, I promise not to kick you, but be careful," she wryly declared. "I have a Nag-pro."

They both chuckled as John joined her in the water. "I guess news travels pretty fast around here, doesn't it?"

"Yep. Nothing stays a secret for very long in a small group like ours," Devon agreed. "Come on, let's go."

"Where?"

"I don't know, Danziger, as far as you can hold your breath. Just swim, okay?"

Before he could respond, Devon dove underwater. He didn't move, instead waiting to see where she reappeared. She surfaced toward the shallow center of the lake where he and the children had been earlier in the day. As she waited, he lazily made his way over to meet her.

"Gee, John, take your time," she teased.

"I just wanna know. Is there ever going to be a point where you'll feel that it's no longer necessary to boss me around?"

"Probably not," she quipped. "Some people need to be bossed. Some people even enjoy it a little."

"Fine, then let me tell you what to do for awhile. See how you like it."

"Give it your best shot," she challenged. Devon edged toward him impatiently waiting for his response. "Well, I'm listening. What to you want me to do?"

John's mind was suddenly deluged with several very interesting images, but decided to keep them to himself at this juncture. Instead, he decided to answer her with a different, though not altogether unpleasant, idea.

"How about being quiet for more than two seconds?"

Devon furiously mulled the suggestion over in her head for a moment and decided the best course of action.

"Fine. Your wish is my command." She gave him her most defiant look, folded her arms in front of her and stood there in the water in complete silence.

Danziger's eyes widened. "You mean that's all I had to do this whole time? Ask you not to talk and it would've worked?"

Devon shrugged her shoulders and nodded her head in mock agreement.

"I don't believe it," he taunted. "I can actually hear my own thoughts!"

Devon answered him only with an obscene gesture, but John was undaunted. In fact, he was on a roll.

"I can hear the wind blowing through the trees. I can hear the sound of kobas chirping in the distance. It's like a whole new planet!" he sarcastically declared.

At this point, Devon decided that she'd been quiet long enough. After all, technically the two seconds of requested silence had long since expired. She let out an angry growl and lunged forward, shoving the mechanic backwards into the water with a splash. She chortled as he regained his balance and slicked back the hair from his face.

"Hey, you promised no physical violence," John wisecracked.

Devon replied with a wink, "I was provoked."

"Oh, great. You're speaking, again," he gibed. "Guess all good things must come to an end."

"Don't give me that garbage, Danziger," she flirted as she took a step toward him. "You probably wouldn't know what to do with yourself if I wasn't around to torment you on a daily basis."

"Yeah, you got a point there," he conceded, his voice suddenly somber as he tried in vain to block out the memories of the week that Devon was gone, possibly lost forever to him and the others. Making the decision to leave her behind and continue the journey to New Pacifica had almost destroyed him completely. Although he had voted in favor of moving onward, Danziger wasn't sure if he could have actually left Bennett's ship. He thanked God that Julia had found a cure before their plans to leave were put into action. John's eyes became slightly saddened and Devon knew that he was remembering her illness.

"I have to admit, it is kind of fun driving each other crazy," he said.

Devon reached up and gently touched his arm. "I couldn't agree with you more." As their eyes met, she knew that it was time to take a chance. "Come on," Devon quietly suggested while motioning behind her. "I'll race you to those rocks."

Devon didn't wait for his answer and swam toward the small cove located on the opposite side from which they came. Once John saw the direction she was headed, he joined in hot pursuit. It didn't take long to overtake her and Devon felt the disturbance in the water as he passed.

He was already there to greet her when she arrived at the base of the rocks. The area wasn't deep and the water only extended to just below Devon's shoulders. Despite that, she swam directly to Danziger and interlocked her arms around his neck. John jumped back in surprise as she pulled herself up to his eye level. Devon then wrapped her legs around his waist. Danziger's heart jumped into his throat and he found himself unable to speak for a few seconds. He could only stare at her in complete astonishment, afraid that if he closed his eyes, he would wake up back in his tent. She smiled alluringly and waited to see how he responded to the overture.

"Um, Devon, the water's pretty shallow here. You can stand up if you need to," he was finally able to stammer out. She could feel his heart beating wildly and the look on his face was a cross between intense yearning and abject terror. In other words, she had him right where she wanted him.

Devon nodded and leaned toward him. "I know, John. I know," she whispered and pulled Danziger the rest of the way to her. She met his lips with her own and drew him into a passionate kiss to which he responded with equal fervor. They were both breathless when they finally separated and John arched his head back to study her. He figured that it was best to be direct. Heaven knows she certainly was.

"You tryin' to seduce me, Adair?"

"Well, if you have to ask me that, I must not be doing a very good job," she mischievously replied.

"On the contrary," John growled as he encircled his arms around her to close the remaining gap between them. "It's working like a charm."

His left arm tightened his grip around her torso while he ran his other hand up her back. Devon shivered as he reached up and clasped his fingers around the back of her head. John gently eased her hair back exposing her neck and began a trail of kisses which led him slowly back to her mouth.

Both gasped as their emotions began to overtake them. They began to kiss and grope each other wildly as their previously hidden attractions broke free from their self-imposed restraints. Danziger peeled off her shirt and tossed it on the rocks located a few feet above them and it wasn't long before the rest of their clothing followed as well. They melted together seamlessly as they urgently explored one another. Devon snaked her feet down his thighs until she felt the back of his knees. She pushed her heels forward causing John's legs to buckle and forcing him backward against the smooth vertical rocks behind them.

"God, Devon, I've wanted this for so long." Danziger could barely breathe, much less talk.

Devon could only manage a labored whisper as she hungrily kissed him. "Me, too."

Their bodies ached with desire as their lovemaking continued to intensify. Finally, Devon could no longer keep her passion contained and they clung to each other helplessly as the pleasure overtook them both. When the waves subsided and they were finally able to catch their breath, Devon slid her arms around John's waist and placed her ear over his still loudly thumping heart.

"Well, this has been an interesting evening," Danziger broke the silence as he started to chuckle.

Devon looked up at him with pretended innocence. "Are you surprised?"

"I think that would be the understatement of the year." He gently kissed the top of her head. "But don't get me wrong. I'm not complaining."

"You'd better not be."

"I'm just really glad that you invited me instead of Walman," he snickered as Devon lightly smacked his chest. He pointed his finger at her teasingly. "Hey, you promised. No physical violence."

"Fine," Devon purred as she leaned up to kiss him. "That better?"

"Much." As John held her in his embrace, reality started to sink in. "So, what now, Dev?" he was compelled to ask.

She eyed him quizzically. "What do you mean?"

"Come on, what happened here tonight affects a lot of things. Like our friendship. Not to mention our kids." He wove his fingers through her wet hair and she closed her eyes, enjoying the sensation. "What about the mission to New Pacifica?"

Devon gazed into his eyes hoping that he would have the answers. She knew what she wanted and she knew what was realistic. However, they weren't necessarily the same thing.

"You can't tell me that you didn't expect this to happen sooner or later," she said in a mildly challenging tone.

"Well, to be perfectly honest with you, I didn't expect this to happen," John disclosed.

Devon's head snapped backward and her eyes became wide with concern. He wasn't regretting what they'd just done, was he?

"Wait a minute, let me finish, okay? I didn't expect this to happen because I didn't think that you had the same feelings for me that I had for you. At least, I wasn't sure about it. You're a tough one to figure out, Adair." John ran the tips of his fingers down her temple in a reassuring gesture. "Anyway, I assumed that, if there was gonna be anything between us, it would happen after we reached New Pacifica." He added with a smile, "But like I said, I'm not complaining."

"I don't know what to do," Devon reluctantly confessed. "But I'm willing to hear your thoughts."

Jeez, now she wants to hear my opinion. This evening is just chock full of surprises, Danziger mused to himself.

"First things first. Why tonight?"

She was slightly flustered as she admitted, "Because I wanted you and I didn't want to wait until we made it to the coast."

Devon forced herself to look into his eyes. "We've been through so much together. We've almost lost each other more than once. I wanted you to know how much I care about you. How much I need you. I also wanted to see if you felt the same way, too."

John scooped her into his arms and kissed her passionately. When they parted many moments later, he hugged her tightly and whispered huskily into her ear, "Do you have your answer?" He could feel Devon nod against his shoulder and they remained in their embrace as he spoke his mind.

"Listen to me, Dev. You're a practical person. Stubborn as a mule, but practical. I know that,despite what happened here tonight, you still think the best course of action is to wait on a relationship until we get to New Pacifica."

John pulled themselves apart and stared deeply into her eyes. "And do you really want to know what my answer is on that subject?" He rested his forehead on hers with their noses touching and softly stated, "Okay."

"Okay?" Devon shot him a stunned look.

"I'm saying that I agree with you," he explained. "There's too much going on right now. Not to mention that every day it seems like we're facing new obstacles. I mean, we're talking about our very survival here. We're also way behind schedule. You and I need to focus all of our attention on getting to the coast in time for the colony ship." He let out a sigh. "Plus, we'd have to deal with the group and the kids and... it's just better to wait."

Danziger placed his hands behind her head and caressed line of her jaw with his thumbs. "I'm not saying that I'm gonna like it. I just think that it's the right thing to do for now. I've waited for you this long. I can wait a few more months."

He tilted forward and gently kissed her. "Besides, now we know how we feel about each other. And we even got a preview of what's in store for us when we reach New Pacifica."

They both smiled as Devon nuzzled his neck. "Yeah, that was some 'preview.'"

"Maybe we can push the 'Rover to do thirty clicks a day," John teased.

"I also suppose that we're going to keep this encounter to ourselves?"

"I think it would be best, don't you?" Danziger didn't even want to contemplate the living hell Solace would put him through if he ever got wind of tonight. However, Devon was hesitant in her response. "This is what you want, right Dev?"

Devon ran her hand along his chest. "No," she acknowledged in a hush. "But it's the most sensible choice." She smiled as she looked up at him. "If you're willing to wait, so can I."

John attentively took hold of her hand and brought it to his lips. "Come on." He let her go and reached up to the rocks above their heads to retrieve their clothing. "We'd better get back to camp before we're missed."

Both were lost in their own thoughts as they redressed in the water. Danziger chuckled to himself. He couldn't believe that he'd been led into an ambush. And what an ambush it was! He would never have guessed that Devon could have planned anything like this and he certainly would never have pinned her as a seductress. He figured that she was much too reserved to ever take on such a role. The woman never ceased to amaze him, he thought. His heart skipped a beat as he thought of what other delightful surprises might await them once they reached New Pacifica.

At the same time, Devon was pondering whether or not she really wanted to wait. She was thrilled to finally know that John was as attracted to her as she was to him. She was even more thrilled to have been given the opportunity to act on those powerful emotions. However, Devon realized that she had miscalculated Danziger's response to her disclosure. Being as bullheaded as he was, she wrongfully assumed that, once they'd given in to their temptations, John would have insisted on continuing what had been started. Secretly, she had been counting on it. She'd never considered the idea that he would want to delay a physical relationship between them until their lives were more stable.

Devon couldn't help but smile as the two slowly made their way toward the shore. The man constantly astounded her and she wondered to herself if she would ever figure him out. She was looking forward to giving it a try.

"John, are you sure you're okay with these arrangements?" Devon asked, finally breaking the stillness as they reached the bank.

Danziger grabbed a blanket and started to dry himself off. "Not really, but it's the best way to handle this. And trust me," he stopped and eyed her suggestively. "It'll be worth the wait."

Devon chortled as she wrapped her arms around him.

"You know, it's at least four months to New Pacifica," John teased as he returned her embrace. "Are you sure you're gonna be able to resist me?"

"Somehow, I'll just have to struggle through the days," Devon retorted with an exaggerated sigh.

"Too bad we're waiting. I wouldn't mind seeing what it's like to be with you on dry land."

The wheels in Devon's mind began to turn as she remembered the small grassy clearing she'd discovered the prior evening.

"You know, we have a few hours until daylight," she offered, her face overtaken by a coquettish grin. "And I happen to know just the place."

John raised his eyebrows. "Well then, what the hell are we still standing around here for?" He excitedly grabbed her by the hand. "Let's go!"

And they went.

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