Ginny Coalson came into the hospital one week later and promptly told Dixie that she would recuperate at the Coalson farm, and Jamie would stay with Mac. The recently reunited couple wasn’t too happy about the arrangements, but in view of the way the whole town had tried to get them together, they knew there would be plenty of prying eyes.
“The town’s abuzz with the news of the shooting. Television crews have been traipsing back and forth, trying to find anyone who knew anything about it,” Hank Coalson stated as he took the vacant rocking chair next to Mac and Dixie.
“The fact that Mac and Dixie are now engaged gives the entire tale a happy twist. The town gossips are busy rehashing and embellishing their turbulent courtship,” Ginny added. She handed Hank a glass of lemonade.
Dixie was amazed at the amount of people who were waiting to wish her well when she arrived at the Coalson farm. She knew a few of the faces, but she assumed most were friends of the family since they had lived here for generations. She soon realized she was considered something of a local hero as person after person came up to commend her on her courage at the grade school.
When Mac led one particular family up to see her, Dixie’s eyes filled with tears. Jason Cranston stood next to her, his small head bowed. She could feel his trembling from where he sat. Quickly gathering him in her arms, she reassured him that everything was fine, and that she was all right. He began sobbing and stuttering, and even though she couldn’t make out half of what he was saying, she knew he just needed to let loose of his guilt and sorrow. When he calmed down, she quietly talked to his parents as she held him against her in a comforting embrace. She received their apologies and reassurances that guns were no longer within reach of their children.
Dottie stopped by to offer her congratulations and to thank Dixie for reconciling with her boss. “He’s been a bear to be around these past weeks. Hopefully that will change now.” She admired the beautiful engagement ring then glanced over the rim of her glasses at Mac. “The staff is ready to stage a mutiny.”
Mac feigned outrage. “You’d be leading the pack, you old dragon. If you weren’t practically a member of the family, I’d fire you on the spot for insubordination.”
“Hah! You should thank your lucky stars I’m still around, you rotten kid. I’m the only secretary left that will still get coffee and put up with all your nonsense.” Mac laughed outright and grabbed Dottie for great big bear hug. She chuckled and hugged him back as Dixie smiled at the pair. “You get this child back to bed, Mac. She’s looking a little bit pale to me.”
“Well now, Dottie, that’s a fine idea,” Mac hauled Dixie up in his arms and grinned at her.
“You behave yourself, young man, or you’ll answer to me.” Dottie waved her finger at him then shooed them out of the living room and into the hall.
The doctor had ordered Dixie to rest quietly for at least one week and Mac insisted on following the doctor’s orders to the letter. After a few days, Dixie’s inherent enthusiasm and energy overcame her, and she was desperate for something to do to keep from climbing the walls.
Ginny came to the rescue. “As you know, sweetie, I’m putting together a cookbook of the family’s favorite recipes. I could certainly use your help to catalog and prepare them for publishing. I’m going to display them in the general store with the proceeds going to help rebuild the town.” Dixie loved the idea and threw herself into the task whole heartedly.
Dixie and Ginny began peering through recipe files. After a few hours, Ginny decided they needed a break, but Dixie wanted to finish her box. Near the bottom, she came across one for peanut butter squares. “This says ‘Sam’s favorite’ on it. I’m sure you want to include it.”
Ginny reached for the yellowed file card. “Yes. He could make this himself. He was so proud.” She smiled wistfully. “He always was so independent. Even as a child.”
“Is he going to be able to make it for the wedding?” Dixie inquired.
“Well, as to that,” Ginny sighed. “We don’t know. He’s rather hard to pin down. All we know is he works for the Navy. Or, at least, we think he still works for the Navy. We relay any messages and letters to a special address. He calls us back eventually.”
“Wow! That sounds mysterious.”
“Yes.” A shadow passed across Ginny’s face. “I know he takes dangerous risks. He never talks about it in his letters. Sometimes I think he does what he does to try and erase the past.” She sighed. “The trouble is, unless he comes home and confronts his past once and for all, he’s never going to be able to get some peace.”
“Angel Devereaux’s the past you’re talking about, isn’t she?” Dixie asked. She had heard some gossip about the town “bad boy” and the richest girl in the area.
“Yes. As I said, Sam has always been a bit independent. He’s highly intelligent but his attitude was something some folks couldn’t understand. From a very early age, he lived by his own set of rules-not that he didn’t mind us, but, well, sometimes he took matters into his own hands, and that invariably led him into trouble.”
“So what happened with Angel?”
Ginny stared off into the distance. “He stood up to Angel’s father. You have to understand, Trevor was a horrible man in every way. The fact that a mere boy, with no money and an in-your-face attitude had dared to confront him, sent him over the edge, I guess. He set out to destroy Sam’s reputation all because he happened to want Angel. He succeeded.”
Ginny wiped away a tear. “Trevor planted drugs on Sam, and he nearly went to jail. It was all done to make him an example in case anyone else from around here decided to try and take Trevor’s daughter. He had high hopes for better things for Angel than being some farmer’s wife. Sam could have gone to jail, but he didn’t care. He was terrified of what would happen to Angel at her father’s hands.”
She shook her head sadly. “But at the time, we thought that his faith in her was sadly misplaced. You see, she sided with her father during the preliminary hearing.” Ginny wept into a tissue. “I’ll never forget the look on Sam’s face when she came out of the courthouse holding her father’s hand. She wouldn’t even look at him.”
Dixie was sorry she brought up the incident. “I’ve met Angel. She seemed very nice. Kind of quiet. Did she ever try to explain her actions?”
Ginny composed herself. “Yes. To us. Her father died the night Sam left again for the Navy. She came by to see him to explain what he saw, but he had already gone. She looked like she was in shock that he had left her behind. I don’t really know what she expected, but I’m sure she thought he was so enamored of her that he wouldn’t leave town without her.”
“So she told you what happened?”
Ginny nodded. “It’s a long, sad story, and I think she left out a lot of it. All I know is that it’s not up to us to forgive her for what she did. She had her reasons, but it’s up to Sam. He won’t even look at her.”
Ginny got up from the kitchen table wiping away tears. “How about some tea?”
Dixie nodded absently. It appeared to her that Sam Coalson wasn’t the only one running from the past. Dixie thought Angel Devereaux was haunted by the events of that fateful time herself. Dixie and Mac had learned the hard way that things were not always as they seemed. She hoped Sam would come home for the wedding because Angel was definitely on the guest list.
Plans for the wedding were moving along at a brisk pace. Mac didn’t want to wait, but Dixie refused to budge on the issue of a big wedding, so they compromised and decided on the third Saturday in June. That gave the women about a month, and with any luck, Sam would be able to make it home.
While Dixie perused bridal magazines and internet sites for ideas, Mac was busy supervising not only his construction business, but the renovation of the local Catholic Church. Because the church was located on a slightly higher level of ground, the flood hadn’t caused any permanent structural damage to the hundred year old building. Unfortunately, the interior of the tiny church had to be completely renovated while services were held in the grade school gymnasium. Mac made this his first priority. He wanted to be married in the family church. He wanted it to be perfect.
Mac couldn’t believe Dixie hadn’t batted an eye when he told her he wanted to be married in the old church even though the inside was still completely gutted. It hadn’t mattered one iota to her what the church looked like. She said that what went on inside was what mattered the most. Mac fell in love with her all over again.
Early one June evening, Mac and Dixie were lying on the family room sofa enjoying a rare moment of peace. Dixie was resting between Mac’s legs, her head pillowed on his chest discussing the honeymoon plans. She glanced up and realized he had fallen asleep. Nudging him awake with her elbow she demanded, “Hey, am I boring you here with all this talk about honeymoons and lingerie? This does not bode well for our future sex life if you are going to fall asleep at the mention of my unmentionables. “
Mac yawned. “I’m sorry sweetheart. I’ve been trying to finish the church in time for the wedding.”
“When do you find time to do that? The city council didn’t pull out of the marina deal, did they?”
“No. Everything is going according to schedule with the company. With any luck, the supplies for the marina job should be here by late August.” He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her up for a kiss. “I’ve been leaving here and working at the church at night. I want everything to be perfect for the ceremony and since I set the deadline, I just can’t leave it to my workmen during the day.”
“Everything is perfect. I have you. What more could I want?” She snuggled closer, tilting her face for another kiss.
Mac was more than happy to oblige and passion consumed them. Soon she was lying limp in his arms. Mac cursed silently at the inconvenience of living apart. At this rate, he was going to burst into flames before the month was up.
At a discreet cough, they sprang apart, and Dixie tried to restore some order to her appearance. Mac turned around to growl at the interruption, but his mouth fell open in shock. “Sam? Is it really you? Well, I’ll be damned.”
Mac chuckled as he sprang off the coach to grab his brother’s outstretched hand. He hadn’t been sure that the message to Sam would reach him in time. With a laugh, he pulled him close and hugged him, pounding him on the back.
Dixie sat back and watched the reunion. Sam’s muscular frame engulfed Mac’s slimmer physique, although Mac was the taller of the two. Sam’s dark blonde hair and brown eyes contrasted with Mac’s twinkling silver eyes. Sam, unlike Mac, looked totally ruthless and unapproachable.
And he was staring straight at her.
Dixie summoned her courage and returned the stare from the dangerous man. She didn’t envy Angel having Sam Coalson for an enemy.
Oh well, best to take the bull by the horns. She plastered a smile on her face and held out her hand. “Hi, I’m Dixie. Pleased to meet you.”
Sam crossed the room and took the proffered hand as he looked her over.
He gifted Dixie with a rare smile and pulled her in for a hug, too. “I’m Sam. Welcome to the family.”
*****
Dixie thought the wedding went off without a hitch. Tanner, Mac’s youngest brother, made it home from college in time to change into a suit and rush to the chapel. Jamie gave her away and since Mac couldn’t decide which brother to ask to be as best man, he asked his father. Jason Cranston was the ring bearer and Ginny was her matron of honor.
Dixie felt like a princess in Ginny’s wedding dress. The candlelight satin with the lace overlay had a low décolletage trimmed with seed pearls, a fitted bodice complemented with hundreds of tiny beads and sequins. The ivory lace continued down to the formal train. When Ginny had shyly offered the heirloom to Dixie, she knew that she was truly going to be part of this wonderful family. The two women hugged and cried while Ginny reminisced about her wedding day so many years ago.
Mac stood solemnly before the altar in a black tuxedo. Dixie’s heart skipped when she saw him. His gray eyes were shining with love and admiration as he reached out to take her from Jamie’s arm. “I love you Dixie Harris, soon to be Coalson,” he whispered.
“And I love you Mackenzie Coalson, forever and always.”
“Forever and always,” he repeated as he squeezed her hands and they turned as one to recite their vows before God and family. Dixie knew the entire congregation that gathered in the small chapel felt the love that radiated from them. It was in their faces, recited by firm voices as they took the traditional vows to become man and wife. It was also reflected in the tears of the Coalson family that stood around the altar celebrating the sacred sacrament as silent witnesses to the beauty before them.
Dixie and Mac agreed it was a beautiful wedding, but the reception following the ceremony was what would be talked about for years to come. They had invited the entire town and everyone came. They held it at the grounds of the state park a few miles down the road. Tables were set up along the walkways and every family brought a dish to sample. One giant picnic prevailed, with music and laughter and dancing throughout the night. Mac knew it had been quite a while since the people of the small community had something wonderful to celebrate, and they embraced it with a vengeance.
Although the party continued into the wee hours, Mac and Dixie excused themselves from the festivities early in the evening. Before they embarked on the much-anticipated honeymoon, Dixie threw her beautiful bouquet of pastel roses directly at Angel Devereaux, who stood to the side of the jostling crowd of single women vying for the blooms. The surprised woman clutched the bundle then hid her face in the fragrant roses. Dixie hoped Angel and Sam could find a way to reconcile their differences.
A grinning Mac walked over to Sam, not even giving the other single men a chance. With a formal bow, he placed the garter on Sam’s wrist, then grabbing Dixie’s hand, the happy couple left in a flurry of white rice. Dixie saw Sam search for Angel’s face amidst the crowd of well-wishers and, when he captured her gaze, he lifted his champagne glass in a silent toast. Dixie prayed they would find the happiness she and Mac shared.
Dixie was astonished when Mac’s parents gifted them with the honeymoon suite at the park lodge. They walked the short distance to the cabin reserved for them. The interior was decorated in soothing blues, and the wall facing the river was made entirely of glass. It reminded Dixie of Mac’s house. Now it was her house, too. The moonlight reflecting off the Mississippi River cast a pale glow over the entire room as Dixie thought about the past few hours and the passionate journey she was about to take in Mac’s loving arms.
Dixie stared down at the ribbon of water that snaked past her gaze as it disappeared into the night. So calm and peaceful, yet the current was flowing swiftly underneath the placid water, rushing quietly to a preordained destination. If it was possible for the river to have feelings, Dixie knew these emotions were in complete accord with hers. She stood here, with the man she had vowed to love, honor and cherish for the rest of her life, just a few feet behind her. And although she loved him with all her heart and felt that theirs was a true love match that comes so rarely to two people, she couldn’t stop the inner trembling. The churning tide of emotions was bubbling just below the surface of her peaceful countenance. She was nervous.
As if sensing her inner turmoil, Mac gave Dixie some time to herself as he perused the rest of the cabin. He noted the fruit basket on the credenza and a bucket of champagne thoughtfully provided by the lodge staff. He walked through the small living room and into the bedroom. The large bed had been turned down invitingly and a single pale rose lay across the plump pillows. He picked up the flower and inhaled the sweet fragrance, touching the tender petals, noting that their softness could not compare with Dixie’s skin, nor equal to the bloom in her cheeks when she blushed. His heart began to race as he speculated on the many ways of loving her that would put her to blushing so sweetly.
With that thought in mind, he turned back into the other room. Dixie was still at the window, her expression serene, her slender shoulders relaxed. Her wedding ring sparkled in the moonlight as she unconsciously shredded tissue between her hands. His loving bride was a nervous wreck.
Mac sighed and resigned himself to helping her overcome her fears. “Dixie,” he whispered softly, “this has been a very busy day for both of us. Just let me hold you. We have the rest of our lives to love each other.” If I survive the night.
Dixie was silent for a moment as the importance of Mac’s words flowed over her. She had no doubt that Mac wanted her, but the fact that he was once again willing to put his desires aside to wait until she was comfortable, completely drained the last of her silly fears away. This was her husband. The man she had pledged her love to. It was about time she showed him some of that love. The mere sound of her name on his lips sent shivers coursing through her. So what on earth was she waiting for?
With a brilliant smile, she turned around and immediately noticed the dejected droop of Mac’s shoulders as he started for the bathroom. She almost laughed at his appearance.
“Mac, darlin’,” she whispered, then giggled as Mac turned around so fast he knocked over a lamp. “Aren’t you even going to kiss me?”
Mac didn’t have to be asked twice. He flew across the room and gathered her in his strong arms, spinning her around as she laughed with exuberant joy and anticipation. He kissed her tenderly, then with increasing passion as she grasped his shoulders and pulled him closer.
Mac kissed her eyelids, her forehead, and her cheek. He tried to clamp down on his growing desire, but he knew he was quickly losing control. Only Dixie could do this to him. Make him hard so quickly with need for her. He had to feel her skin against his or he would go insane. Impatiently, he reached behind her to undo the buttons of her gown, then groaned in frustration when he realized just how many of them he had to unfasten
“Patience is a virtue, Mr. Coalson.” Dixie giggled.
“For goodness sake, don’t lecture me now, woman. I’m about to die with wanting you.” So saying, he ripped the rest of the gown apart, sending the buttons flying in every direction.
Dixie gasped. “Your mother’s wedding dress! What am I going to tell her?”
Mac pulled her against him and kissed her hungrily. When she was totally breathless and liquid in his arms, Mac touched his forehead to her. “I’m sure she’ll understand. Now would you please stop mentioning my mother?”
Dixie laughed and grabbed the front of his shirt, ripping it open, then reached up to slowly slide the material over his shoulders. He was so tall she had to stand on tiptoe’s, even in her high-heeled shoes.
Mac’s warm hands caressed her spine, sending tiny shivers of pleasure throughout her body. With a whisper, the wedding gown fell in a pool at her feet, and she felt his gaze devouring her. “I see you made a trip to Merrywidows,” he growled as he looked at the white corset and garter set she wore.
Made entirely of two separate strips of white lace with tiny white satin bows tying the material together down the center of her body, it was incredibly sexy, only hinting at the treasure that would be revealed with just a pull of the bows. Tiny bows on the garter belt held sheer stockings in place on her thighs. “I’m going to make you moan. Then I’m going to make you come,” he rasped.
Dixie blushed at the fire that sprang in his eyes, and she lowered her gaze to Mac’s magnificent body. His large shoulders gave way to muscular arms sprinkled lightly with dark hair. His wide chest was a work of art. Dixie’s eyes traveled lower then widened at the evidence of his desire showing through his trousers.
“Yes, you can see what you do to me, my love.” He grasped her hand and pressed it against his hardness.
She lifted her eyes once again and saw the passion smoldering just beneath the surface of Mac’s steely gaze. The silver deepened in his eyes and began to glow within his pupils as her hand caressed him through the thin material of his pants.
Mac’s hands glided along her arm, sending a shiver down her spine. He reached the first bow on the top of her corset, near the swell of her breasts. He adeptly freed the material. All the while, he focused on Dixie’s face. “Keep your hand right there. Touch me”. His knuckles traced the sweet curve of her breast as he slowly pulled the second tiny ribbon and that bow too, gave way under his gentle assault. The shadowed valley between her breasts retreated to expose even more creamy abundance, which began to rise and fall rapidly with shivers of desire. He felt her tremble as his hands reached for the next ribbon, tugging it open and pulling the material aside to reveal her breasts, her nipples growing tighter, hard in anticipation of his touch. He growled and touched one peak with his finger, and she sucked in her breath.
He smiled and repeated the tender caress with the other breast, then leaned down to take each tender bud in his mouth, as he untied the third ribbon. His mouth moved to lavish her breasts, nipping and tugging on her sensitive nipples. He then kissed the underside of her breasts and trailed kisses along her rib cage and down her stomach, delving into her navel with his tongue as he slid the material down and away from her quivering body. Dark, erotic thoughts filled Dixie’s head. She moaned and grabbed his hair none too gently as he kissed her again. A warm breath, a kiss, a lick; sweet heaven, she couldn’t stand it.
Dixie was mindless to everything but his caresses and the exquisite sensations pulsing through her body, pooling at the essence of her womanhood. She could feel the ecstasy building and building. She trembled with desire against the onslaught of his lips on her skin, his tongue was liquid fire, and then his breath, whispered against her fevered skin. She was consumed with her need to give him the same exquisite pleasure he was releasing on her. “I want to touch you, please you, as you’re pleasing me.” Tentatively, she reached out and lightly skimmed her hand over his chest all the while rubbing against his hardness.
Mac groaned. “Oh baby, you don’t know what you’re doing to me. I love it, but you have to stop this sweet torture or I’m going to explode.” He lifted her hand off his crotch and brought it to his lips sucking gently on her fingers.
Mac fell to his knees, kissing her body reverently. Dixie shuddered. Her body was no longer her own, only his to command. She shook with desire, as Mac used his tongue to send flames licking along her stomach, then lower.
Mac turned his scorching eyes on her, holding her gaze as he plucked the last ribbon open and the material fell at her feet. He smiled slightly then murmured, “Beautiful.”
Mac stood up and held her at arm’s length continuing to hold her gaze as his fingers skimmed over her naked mound. His hand slipped between her legs, causing her to moan as he caressed her tender folds. Dixie began to shudder. She wanted his touch, but she wanted more; she needed more. As if sensing her needs, Mac got down on his knees once more, bending low and touching her intimately with his tongue. Dixie cried out at the shock of the warm kiss, which stirred a tempest in her belly. Throwing her head back and shuddering, she uttered a soft cry of ecstasy.
“That’s it, sweetheart. Let go. God, you’re so sweet,” he growled as he opened her further, releasing the tender bud, teasing it with his tongue. Dixie pulled his hair.
“Please.” Dixie wasn’t sure she wanted him to stop, but he was making her crazy. She needed more.
Mac wasn’t finished yet. He wanted her completely wrapped in desire. He parted her thighs a bit more, wedging his shoulders between her and grasped the tiny ribbon holding her stockings and lace garter. He gave it a gentle tug, rubbing his fingers against her inner thigh and causing her to buck against him, silently pleading for more of his tender kisses. He smiled against her legs then turned her around, slowly planting light caresses along the hem of her stockings and her bottom as he unfastened the ribbons at the back of her thigh. All the while, his naughty tongue was rubbing against her most sensitive spots.
His fingers softly rolled the sheer material down her leg, stroking her thighs and calves, lifting her foot and tickling her toes as he slipped off her shoes. He tenderly repeated the procedure with her other leg, never breaking the rhythm with his tongue. When he was finished, he parted her folds, dipping one finger into her tight, wet sheath, stroking in and out of her tight channel in a slow, frustrating rhythm.
Mac gently placed a chaste kiss on the top of her mound as he tested her sweetness with his fingers. She was so wet and ready, but he couldn’t help bringing the sensitive bud onto his lips once more and sucking gently.
“Mac please,” Dixie begged. “I want…” She tried to rub against him. Mac smiled as he continued to torture her with his lips and tongue. “Yes, darling, tell me, tell me exactly what you want.”
“You,” she gasped. “I want you.”
Satisfied with her response, and the fact that he couldn’t take anymore or he was going to explode, Mac tenderly lifted her in his strong arms and carried her to the big brass bed where he gently laid her down among the pillows. He quickly discarded the rest of his clothes, heedless of where they landed. His need for her was so intense, he fell on top of her, kissing her greedily, crushing her with his strength. The feel of her soft body against him was incredible. After her initial gasp of surprise, she welcomed him completely, opening her legs to nestle him within the apex of her thighs.
“Oh Mac, you make me burn.” She wiggled against him, against his hardness, the length and breadth of him. Her body still quivered beneath him. “Do I make you burn too?”
Before he could answer, she entwined her fingers in his hair and lifting her hips, began to rub herself along his shaft. She placed hot, wet kisses up and down his chest and over his shoulders, everywhere her lips could reach. Her hands grew bolder as she brushed against him again. Mac groaned and grabbed her hands, placing them high above her head. “Enough. I can’t stand it any longer, babe. You’re making me crazy. I wanted to be gentle, but I need you now.”
Words were beyond Mac. Dixie was touching him so intimately, spreading her legs wider to receive him. She moved her hips and arched against him. His fingers drifted down to her most sensitive spot, beginning to work their magic, rubbing against her as he slowly entered her moist recesses. Her channel gripped his fingers immediately.
“Oh God, baby! You are so tight.”
Dixie’s womanly scent surrounded Mac. Bracing his arms on either side of her, he slowly withdrew his fingers and prepared to enter her, trying to give her as little pain as possible but she was just so tight. So wonderfully tight and moist. He poised the tip of his erection at her entrance, gently pushing against her, trying not to hurt her too badly. He gasped at the incredible feelings as he penetrated her opening, and she instinctively raised her legs up to more fully embed him within her.
“Look at me, Dixie,” Mac commanded. He waited until her eyes fluttered open. “You are my other half. You make me whole.” He reached for her mouth, smothering her startled cry of pain as he lunged forward, breaking her barrier and sheathing himself fully within her softness.
“Oh God, it hurts! Stop!” Dixie slapped at his arms. “You’re too big! Now what are we going to do?”
Mac felt her tears and cursed himself for moving too fast, even though he knew she would have to experience a virgin’s pain. Determined to ease her discomfort, he shifted slightly and reached down to touch her, but Dixie grabbed his hand, fear showing in his her beautiful eyes.
“Shh,” he murmured. “It will be fine. Trust me.”
“I love you, Mac. I trust you.”
She relaxed her grip, and Mac’s fingers began to rub seductively against her tiny nub. “You’re so responsive, baby. I want to see you come. I want all of your pleasure.” He knew the moment desire shot through her system. His fingers were coated with her cream. She moaned and undulated her hips to receive him fully.
Mac smiled in triumph at the look of deepening passion on Dixie’s face, and began to move, slowly at first, determined not to hurt her again, even though the control he placed on his body was killing him. After a few strokes, Dixie’s eager passion took him over the edge. She arched against him, opening herself in the ancient rhythm of love. He felt her whole body tighten with anticipation. She grasped his shoulders, her nails digging into his back, as she tried to reach the stars.
Mac reached down and touched her creamy clit. Dixie came apart. He felt her first tremors of release, lifted her hips and embedded himself more deeply into her, wrapping her legs around him and surging into her was swift powerful strokes. Mac felt her nails digging into his back, trusting him to keep her safe as she climaxed.
She screamed his name.
Mac watched in supreme satisfaction as she reached her fulfillment. He had never seen anything so beautiful as her unabashed desire for him. He held her even as the tiny convulsions of her body threatened to push him over the brink. As she slowly began to come down from her sexual high, he began to move in her more forcefully, soon pumping into her