Author's Note: I realize that it's been a REALLY long time since I had the chance to write, and I can't offer enough excuses. I've really let you guys down on this story - the truth is, I knew where I was going with it, but not entirely sure how I would get there. Anyway, I can't thank you guys enough for your reviews of encouragement even when I wasn't writing or posting; they were what really inspired me to get back to writing. I've had several busy months, and it's really quite refreshing to join Breck and Leana again. I hope you enjoy this next chapter. )

He was close - so very close. She could hardly breathe, yet she still managed to pull breath after breath into her lungs at an alarming rate - she was breathing so hard yet hardly enough. Her mind was in a state of chaos, yet in a sleepy, content place at the same time. It had been so long since she'd felt so close, such a part of somebody like she felt right now. It wasn't just that they were making love, it was that they were becoming one. Never had the term made so much sense to her, but now she understood the meaning, the reasoning behind it. It was a sense of not knowing where she ended and he began, of him being inside her and being a part of her, in both the way their skin melded and the way he'd always been a part of her mind and the thoughts that occupied it.

One particularly large breath, and she felt his stomach heave against hers, the hot breath trailing down her chest and between them. She felt his rough cheek against hers, the whiskers on his jaw rubbing against her soft skin. He muttered things into her ear that made her moan, affecting her almost more than the way he pumped into her with his hips. She felt his rough, big hands cupping her curves in a different place each moment, could hear his groans of pleasure matching her own.

Her hands, that had previously been resting on his shoulders, his straining arms, trailed their way up to his face, and she opened her eyes to see that he'd drawn back from her and was now looking at her with his intense, dilated dark eyes. His thumbs traced the contours of her cheeks. "Don't close your eyes," he whispered, his voice deep and light at the same time - quiet, yet it felt as if it was booming in her ears, thrumming against her eardrums. She knew what he meant; there was so much to see - but it astounded her to think that she'd already seen it all.

Even though her thoughts were centered where his body joined hers, the muscles that stretched taught every time he thrust into her, clenched around him when he sank inside - she was still aware of his hands. They were big, rough hands, now hot to the touch. Every part of him that was in contact with her seemed to be burning up in a strange and pleasant manner. His right hand trailed down her body, rubbing his palm over her breast and her ribs, trailing his fingers over her abdomen. He seemed to have a destination now, whereas before his hands had just been wandering. Slowly, he slid that hand between their two bodies and eventually arrived at the spot where he was pushing himself in and out of her.

Her body jolted, suddenly, and a particularly startled gasp found its way out of her lungs. He pressed his finger against that certain spot that always managed to drive her crazy. She leaned her head back further into the pillow to look him straight in the face, and she found him grinning. His finger moved against that spot again, dragging the pad of his finger over the sensitive nub. Her hips reacted, throwing themselves upward to meet another stroke from his hips and another flick from his finger at the same time.

She could feel the energy building up inside her, and she knew that she was close. But it had been so long since she'd been with a guy - been with Breck, or Ryan, or whoever he was - to know how to judge his reactions. She strained against him, meeting every thrust with an upward one of her own, looking for a deeper thrust. Every stroke was met with a groan from each of them.

The motions of his finger became more intense, as if he knew that the suspense was building in her - or perhaps it was simply in response to how the pleasure in his own body was mounting. Either way, she could sense that they were both heading toward that cliff, together.

Leana spread her legs even more, feeling his hip bones as they ground into the insides of her upper thighs. "Breck," she moaned. She felt as if she needed to let the energy inside her go, and that moaning and saying his name would help. It did, but only for a split second. He responded by grounding out her name as well. She matched his quick breath with her own. She felt as if she should explode at any moment - an atomic blast that had the potential to shake the world.

And then, quite literally, she did. Her hands found her way up into his hair, and she grasped the long, curly tendrils within her fingers. He continued to thrust into her, as fast as he possibly could, knowing that she had just stepped off the cliff. Then, in the middle of the most wondrous moment that she'd had in a long time, she felt him reach his peak as well.

He collapsed on top of her and they lay there just like that, catching their breath.

.13.

It was the middle of the day, but she was exhausted from the emotional highs - Breck, on the other hand, was just exhausted. So when she woke up and checked the clock, she was more than surprised to see that it was nearly seven o'clock at night. However, she was completely shocked to get up out of bed to feel the cold air hit her bare skin - it was more the bare skin that shocked her than the cold air. Letting out a slight squeal, she immediately jumped back into bed, which was when she realized that Breck was located there, and he was slowly beginning to wake up as well.

When his eyelids fluttered open, she was sitting there, looking utterly forlorn on his bed, the white sheets caught up in her fist, which was now attempting to put itself in a location that covered the most - which wasn't much, considering the sheets were nearly translucent as it was. A sly smirk ran across his lips, and he reached his hand out to caress her thigh. "You're beautiful when you're naked, do you know that? I would more than almost prefer for you to just remain that way."

It took a couple of minutes for reality to come seeping back in. But in the end of those three minutes, it all suddenly came rushing in. Her realization that Breck was actually Ryan from her past, and the afternoon they'd spent in absolute bliss.

But perhaps it was bliss with consequences. The way he was looking at her now, it frightened her. She'd always thought it would be wonderful to actually be cherished by a guy - to hear poetic words flow from his lips, to feel his hands cup her waist in a way that wasn't purely sexual - to feel that connection with them. There had been a connection with Breck since that first time she saw him in the coffee shop; she'd known it but hadn't been able to admit it, even to herself. But what if they had more than a connection? They had passion, they had electricity, and that was enough to make her feel alive. But that emotion, beaming from his eyes like a blazing fire... well, it was more than enough to make her uncomfortable.

"Breck..." Leana pinched the sink between her eyebrows, closing her eyes for a moment. "Ryan? What do I even call you anymore? Now that I know that both names represent you." She was tempted to ask just who he was - but apparently he was a guy who thought that he could just barge into her life, after watching her from a distance for such a long time, and expect her to respond well.

"Call me whatever you wish," he whispered, letting his hand wander up toward her waist.

Leana's breath caught involuntarily and then leaned out of his reach. She shook her head, not believing her body's reaction to him. She couldn't stay here in bed with him and expect to think clearly. As quickly as she possibly could, she hopped off the bed and covered herself with the sheets, pulling them with her. They came easily, considering they had already been loosened. "Listen. I don't do... that... normally." She ran the back of her hand across her nose, hugging the white sheets against her, even though they covered nothing.

"You don't have to hide yourself from me anymore, Leana," his eyes trailed the length of her body. How could he possibly be so horny, even when they'd just had sex a couple of hours ago? Then again, she thought, he had probably been wanting it for years, ever since that first time. What was a guy to do, with so much pent up sexual frustration? Still, that was no excuse for his behavior. She wasn't willing to put up with it when she was trying to have a serious conversation with him. Now that she'd actually given in to him, would he ever be able to talk seriously with her again? Now that he knew what was underneath her clothes, and what it was like to touch her?

She, on the other hand, or perhaps it was the same hand after all... well, she knew what she'd be thinking about in the days following that afternoon's episode on the bed. Just the thought of thinking about it made her recall the sliding of his hot palm down the length of her legs, up and cupping her breast...

Letting out a sigh of frustration, she threw the sheets at him, and then promptly walked out of the room, knowing very well he was getting a very good view of her from behind. It wasn't like he hadn't seen it yet, anyway.

.13.

She wasn't entirely sure of what to do, now that she had officially walked away from him and her entire wardrobe. She couldn't go back in, even if she wanted to be clothed. So she had no choice but to walk downstairs, arm over her breasts self-consciously and hand cupping between her legs as if that would hide her from the house, and pause at the foot of the stairs, wondering what she should do. She wished she could somehow find something to wear... and then she remembered the pool. With one last glance upstairs, she made sure he wasn't watching her or following her, and she made her way toward the double doors that opened into the pool.

Flashes of something that looked like a movie appeared before her eyes. Breck, pinning her against the wall, sliding his hands all over her body, their lips melded together. Her bikini bottoms floating in the pool. She shook her head and closed her eyes, but that only served to strengthen them. She willed herself to focus. Great, she thought, now that I've finally done it, I'm not going to be able to stop thinking about it. Or him. She swore under her breath.

Leana grabbed a white towel from the stacks of towels lined up neatly against the wall. She'd seen them there when she'd first come down, bringing a towel from the bathroom with her for she'd been unsure of what would be there to dry her when she was done swimming.

"Want some food?"

She whirled around just as she was wrapping herself in the towel. Of course, she shouldn't have been surprised to see him naked. She should know by now that he would most likely have no desire to be modest like her. There he stood, buck naked for anyone to see, even though they both knew that she was the only one that would. She was glad that today was not a day that his maid would be stopping by.

Food. The thought apparently made her stomach mad, for it began to rumble. From across the room, Breck smirked. Apparently, that was answer enough. Leana blinked and sighed, a little bit disappointed with her own body. First it had expressed its desire for Breck by actually letting him seduce her, finally, and now it was hungry? What else was it going to demand next?

He turned around and moments later, as she stood there still a little bit shocked about what had gone on upstairs, she heard the sizzling of a frying pan from in the kitchen. She sighed in resignation and padded over to where he was cooking them dinner - at about seven-thirty in the evening. It was a little late for her to eat, and that probably explained why her stomach was complaining about the lack of food. Still, she was almost reluctant to eat anything that he fixed. While she stationed herself on one of the bar stools and watched him cook, she found herself marveling at the fact that she had been as intimate with this man as you can possibly be with one person - they now knew just about everything about each other's bodies. As much as she wanted him knowing about her at least, and as much as she wanted to know about him. However, she still felt the same way about him - she was irritated and wanted nothing to do with him. Or at least, so she told herself.

It occurred to her that perhaps she was just irritated with herself. But she convinced herself that the only reason she was irritated with herself was because she'd let him seduce her.

Still... she found herself wondering at herself. If she had the chance to go back and do today over again, would she even change any of it?