Although Canim Lake had been a great experience so far, it was now one step closer to being heaven on earth. Slex was back on the table, and I meant that metaphorically and literally, given the two steamy breakfasts we'd had right on the dinner table. Even when my period came, it wasn't enough to quench our need for one another. So we used towels or our showers together to keep up with the pace.

Our routine remained the same overall, with the quality time we spent together at home, a couple of hikes per week, a movie every other evening... Except that now, it was sprinkled with mind-blowing sex, and I was living for it.

Overall, we were being reasonable, though. Since my stamina had been quite low in the beginning – due to the recovery I was still under – we hadn't indulged in the slexathon we usually spiraled into after a long break. And by the time my endurance had grown back to the way it used to be, we'd had enough of each other to not require two days of uninterrupted sex to make up for it.

Also, since we maintained our activities, we had things to keep us busy other than rolling in the sheets. But I had to admit that we'd gotten carried away during a couple of hikes, probably traumatizing the wildlife that had witnessed our scandalous sexcapades in the middle of the forest. Or in the jacuzzi when we'd decided to finally try it out. Or in the lake, after I'd dared him to dive into it during a remarkably warm day, and he'd grabbed me from the lounge chair I was on to take me with him.

We both became closer to the Crawfords, inviting them for dinner a few times, and them inviting us back. Lex and Glenn found a common interest in engineering, and I loved talking with Meryl, avidly listening to her words, eager to know her secret recipe for a long and blissful marriage. Needless to say, Lex and I were already on track for it all, and it confirmed we were destined to a life full of happiness and love.

Isolated in the middle of nowhere, by a minor lake in British Columbia, we found our harmony again. We were happy, truly happy like there was no cap limit on bliss, happy like only we could be. Everything else faded, our issues, the danger we were in, the uncertainty of our future... It was all put in a sealed box in the back of our minds, as we focused on the present instead, on enjoying each other and whatever was at our disposal.

But I wasn't immune to nostalgia either, so now and then I found myself missing my life, my friends, and my family. One evening, after having spent part of the day chatting with Mason – who was planning the ultimate girls' night for the following weekend – I was lying in bed, staring into the dark as melancholia occupied my thoughts. I'd thought myself to be more of a loner nature, but I was missing people. My gregarious needs were becoming obvious to me, as I missed being around friends and seeing faces other than Lex's, Meryl's, or Glenn's.

With everything Mason had told me, I wanted to hop in the car and drive south so I could spend that evening full of fun with my friends. I missed drinking, dancing, poorly singing into the mic of a karaoke machine with whoever was willing to come on stage with me, too drunk to care about being in tune.

It made me feel guilty to want to be there so much when Lex was holding me against him, big-spooning me after he'd made love to me earlier. But it was only human nature to want to be around others, to be social, to interact...

"Baby?" I whispered, low enough so it wouldn't wake him up if he'd already fallen asleep.

"Hmm?"

"Is there anything you miss from your life in Seattle?"

"No, not really. I wasn't going out much, so I don't miss the commodities of the city. Maybe my apartment, because it felt more like home than here."

"Don't you miss people, like Kev?"

"I don't miss him, no. We talk every day."

I wasn't sure how to feel about his answer, so I dwelled on my thoughts instead. Was I wrong for feeling like I was lacking something? Should I be content with just him, as he was with me? We were different in that aspect, and we didn't have the same needs when it came to socializing. He was a lone wolf, and I was a pack one who sometimes enjoyed lonesome moments.

"Is there something you miss?" he asked after a moment.

"I realized today that I miss going out with friends to get drunk and have fun."

"You have weekly outings with Meryl."

"Yeah, but it's so mild. I never allow myself to have more than one glass of alcohol, because I'm worried I might say something wrong if I lose control even a tiny bit."

"You had girls' nights back in Seattle, right?"

"Yes. We had wild evenings together at least once a month, sometimes twice."

There was another silence, and after a few seconds of it, he tightened his hold on me. "I know it wouldn't be the same, but would you like it if we did that together? Maybe tomorrow?"

Amused shock gained me, and I twisted in his embrace to catch a glimpse of him in the dark. "You mean having a girls' night together?"

"If you want to, yes."

"I can think of three reasons why girls' night with you wouldn't be possible," I humored.

"Ah-ha... Don't you usually have Mason in the group?"

"True, but Mace is more feminine than half of us. I do really appreciate the offer, though. It could be fun."

"We can go to town, buy whatever we need for cocktails and such, and then come back and get ready for the evening."

I fully turned around to face him and plastered my naked front against his, hooking my leg over his hips. "I'd love that. Thank you, baby, for indulging in my silly needs."

"It's not silly, Andrea. You're a social creature. It makes sense you'd miss all this. I'm sorry I didn't realize sooner. I thought Meryl and Glenn would be enough."

"They are. Most of the time, they really are. I don't know, I'm just... I'm missing my friends tonight."

"Then I shall work on distracting you," he offered.

His arm that was wrapped around me pressed me closer, and he moved forward to kiss me. My loving smile came in the way of our exchange, but he persevered, until he had me pinned between the mattress and his broad body, ready to distract me in the best of ways.

Yes, I was missing my old life, but if there was one person in this world who could make all my melancholia go away, it was him.

• • •

As agreed, we spent part of the next day in town, shopping for groceries and other items we needed. Neither of us was even close to being a decent bartender, so we'd found a few easy cocktails to create, and we'd stick to it. That, and shots of the best tequila one could find in this small town. Sure, it wouldn't be like an actual night out with my girlfriends, but it would still be wicked fun.

Since it wouldn't be the same, it made sense I wasn't getting ready for it the same way. After all, I had the insurance that the evening would end with some intense and drunken slex. For the occasion, I had even bought a wrap dress while we'd been shopping earlier.

The fabric resembled liquid silver, and it hanged on me perfectly, its texture quite enjoyable on my skin. The cut of it was too bold for me to wear it outside, but luckily for me, we wouldn't leave the house. Lex would most certainly enjoy the deep cleavage that ended between my sternum and navel, as well as the slit that went up my thigh. In all honesty, I'd seen lingerie more proper than this garment. It was a call to sin, and I, its wearer, was the most willing of sinners.

For the first time since my birthday, I was wearing makeup, after trying my hardest to channel my inner Tamika. I didn't look as flawless as when she took care of it, but I still looked pretty damn good. I'd also taken the time to pluck and wax whatever hair wasn't wanted, after getting a little carried away with the Chewbacca situation. Lex didn't mind at all, which he'd shown and expressed several times, but this was more of a gesture. It was my way to express just how ready I was to get fucked by him a good portion of the night.

So after over two hours locked in it, I made my way out of the bathroom, feeling more attractive than I had in a while. It made me want to finally learn how to walk with high heels, because that would have been the cherry on top. Still, I was feeling godly as I came down the stairs, ready to start the evening.

Lex was already there, sitting on the couch with his back to me, turned toward the flames dancing in the fireplace. On the table before him, there were two colorful drinks waiting in tumblers. He'd also taken out everything we might need, as well as the finger food we'd bought for the occasion. I had turned the music on from upstairs, to set the mood as I got ready, and I wondered if he'd noticed this was our SLEX playlist.

He must have heard me coming, because he suddenly straightened up and turned to me. "I was about to send a rescue team. What took you so—" His words died on his lips as his eyes fell on me, and his eyebrows rose on his forehead, in a way that was almost comical.

I quenched my proud grin and came around the couch, highly aware of his gaze devouring me. "I take it the long wait was worth it?" I cheekily asked as I sat by his side.

"Most definitely, yes." God, how I adored him...

"What are these?" I asked, pointing at the drinks he'd prepared.

"It's called Tequila Sunrise."

"Oh, yummy!"

I enthusiastically picked one of the glasses, brought the straw to my mouth, and sipped a mouthful of it to sample the beverage. The orange juice, grenadine, and tequila made an efficient combo, and my taste buds tingled with appreciation. "That's perfect, baby."

"Really complex recipe. I'm glad I could nail it," he caustically said, which made me chuckle. "So, what do you usually do on your nights out with your friends?"

"It depends on where we are. Sometimes there's a karaoke machine, so we sing. When the music's good, we'll dance. And sometimes we'll just drink and talk. Oh, we also had a couple of trivia evenings. And that one time we went to a bar that had drinking games, like a Jenga set where we had a dare on each block. That was a lot of fun. Ah, and Dakota once took us to a bar that was hosting a paint night, and we were each given a canvas, some paint, and we had to do some art. It got worse with each drink we had, but we laughed so much."

"Yes, I remember. You came back covered in paint."

"Mason is a sensitive bitch who can't take criticism," I explained with a laugh, remembering how he'd attacked me with his paintbrush when I'd pointed out that his stars resembled anuses.

"Alright, we can't do much of these things, given what we have here. We haven't tried the Mastermind Meryl and Glenn loaned us, though."

"That's a great idea. Like, we make a separate drink, the one who guesses takes a sip from it every time they are wrong, and once they guess, the other one has to finish what's left?"

"Yeah, that could work," he agreed.

"I'll go get it, and when I come back, you have to take two shots of tequila."

"What? Why?"

"Because it's unfair that I have to compete against your computer-like brain. It's so I get a chance, at least!"

Since I was already on my way to fetch the board game, I didn't hear his response, but he seemed to disagree. I came back quickly, and found him where I'd left him, still dashing in his dark blue dress shirt and charcoal pants. He'd already prepared a third Tequila Sunrise, which was waiting next to ours. This was nothing like girls' night, but it was good to have some silly fun like this.

After I'd set the box on the table, I sat by his side again, with my legs folded and my feet under me. "Okay, so tequila shots can be a lot of fun," I explained. "Since you seem rather reluctant, how about we make it worth it?"

"And how do you suggest we do that?"

Well, we couldn't make it a full body shot, because I'd have to get partially naked for him to drink out of my navel. If I did, something told me the night would get much shorter than intended and we'd skip to the sex. We could still do a semi body shot, though. I bent toward the table to grab a shot glass, a slice of lime, and the salt.

"When you bend like this, I can see your nipples," he pointed out. Ah, the cleavage was indeed very deep. We'd been so remarkably close lately, his words didn't trigger the slightest ounce of modesty or embarrassment in me. "Should I be concerned?" he then asked.

"How so?"

"Is this your standard girls' night attire?"

"Oh, definitely not. You've seen what sort of outfit I put on for those occasions, and while it's a little bolder than what I usually wear, it's nowhere near this. This one's for you, Alexander."

"Alright, good."

As I poured the tequila in the small glass, my mind remained stuck on the exchange we'd just had. While I understood his concern, I wasn't used to him dictating what I could or not do. Although I'd never do such a thing, it was my right to go out with this exact dress if I wanted to, and he wasn't supposed to have a say in it.

"I do love that dress, though. I might wear it once we get back home if Mason wants to go clubbing," I declared, willing to give him the benefit of the doubt before making wrong assumptions.

He stiffened by my side, and I tensed as well, waiting for what he'd say next. "I feel like this is some sort of unspoken test," he warily said, meeting my eyes. He was too clever for my mind games, and I'd never been good at those, anyway. "I will give you the answer you're looking for, and say you are free to wear whatever you want. I don't control your body." That was, indeed, the right answer.

"Now, if I'm being perfectly honest," he continued, "I would prefer you didn't wear this outside of moments like now, with just the two of us. Especially without underwear and nipple patches. I don't feel comfortable with others having dirty and degrading thoughts about you, which I view as a form of disrespect toward you. The sexual parts of you should belong to my eyes only, Andrea, so I'm not okay with you flashing your breasts to strangers."

His candor was greatly appreciated, and I could only sympathize with his state of mind. He was right, of course. Some drunk guy trying to get laid in a club catching a glimpse of my breasts would be aroused by the sight, and he might take it as an invitation. Still, I felt compelled to push him a little further.

"Nipples are reproductive, not sexual."

"Then how do you explain you came solely from me playing with them the other day?" he countered.

This time, a blush crept on my face, heating my skin all over. With PMSing came an increased sensitivity in some areas, and Lex had noticed. He'd taken great pleasure in teasing me until I'd shattered underneath him, with just his mouth and deft fingers tormenting the tips of my breasts. He'd been ridiculously proud of the result, and I'd been left quite surprised and disoriented. In my defense, I was already one orgasm in by then, and I'd been somehow pressing my pussy against his thigh.

"So, did I pass this little test of yours?" he asked, slightly concerned he may have failed.

"You did, yes. With flying colors."

We briefly kissed, which eased away the minor tension I'd created, and I then returned to the body shots Lex was meant to take. He watched, intrigued, as I drew a line of wetness with the lime on my neck, and then sprinkled salt on it.

"So, you lick the salt, then you drink the shot, and you chase it with lime," I explained before settling the slice between my teeth.

His eyes sparkled with mischief and interest, and he moved to angle himself toward me in a more comfortable way. I tilted my head to the side to give him the access he needed to my neck, and as he bent forward, I braced myself for the graze of his tongue. It didn't disappoint as he gave it a lick that dragged over my skin for much longer than necessary, making me shiver all over. He then took the glass I was holding for him, downed it, and came for my lips instantly after. I let go of the lime as soon as he bit on it, and once he was rid of it as well, he closed the inch separating us and claimed my lips.

Our kiss was languid, sensual, and I loved that he tasted of salt, tequila, and lime. It was all very exotic, especially coming from him. When he pulled away from me, seemingly very content, I prepared everything for a second shot. This time, though, I pushed my cleavage slightly to the side, and ran the lime on the modest swell on the side of my breast. His eyes darkened as he watched me work, and I looked at him with pride once everything was ready.

The man was even hungrier than I thought, and he surprised me by pushing that side of the dress completely out of the way, exposing the entire breast. I was about to protest, to remind him we hadn't even started the evening yet and couldn't let this turn into sex this early, but my words died as his tongue circled my perky tip with determination. He then drew it right over it, sending flashes of pleasure that shot to my core. The wet tip then lazily moved to the line of salt to clean it off. With his eyes locked on mine, he drank the shot and approached for the lime. I purposefully dropped it before he'd reached it, and he gave me a wicked smile before ravaging me with a starving kiss. The temperature in the room increased by many degrees as he pulled me close to him, our bodies grinding against one another while our mouths were busy devouring each other's.

For once, I was the one reasonable enough to push him away, panting, flushed, and with a persistent tug in my core, like an itch demanding to be scratched. Shit, we'd definitely have sex much sooner than I'd intended. "Alright, let's start our evening of fun," I declared.

"I thought it had started already. And I must admit I love the direction it's taking."

Me too... But we could probably make it even better.