Stirring, she turned away from him, curling on her side while resting her head on his arm. He turned with her, spooning her from behind. Together they looked out the picture window at the serene water.

While they called the property a “cabin,” the term was a bit of a misnomer. In actuality, it was a three-bedroom house tucked into a tiny cove, with a spacious family room, a living room with a picture window that covered an entire wall facing the lake, and three fireplaces. Through clever landscaping and the position of the building, they couldn’t see any other houses.

The house sat at the edge of the waterline, while below, instead of a basement there was a compact boathouse that held a rowboat, a small, sleek motorboat, and a variety of water toys, including Jet Skis and paddle boards.

They also had their own pier, and over the last four weeks, they had replaced all the older, outdated furniture with new, quality pieces, like the chaise lounge by the living room window where Melly loved to read, and the spacious couch that offered plenty of room for cuddling.

“We did a good job when we picked this place before,” she said. “I’m glad all the trees have survived and have grown to be so big. It’s nice to go through the day without direct sunlight coming in any of the windows.”

“Even if we do lose a tree to an ice storm, the shutters are installed if I need them,” he replied. “For now, I’m glad I don’t need them. It feels good to look out.”

They fell silent for a time and watched the sunrise together.

He and well-being…

They were beginning to know each other, just as he and happiness were getting acquainted.

What do you know. Sometimes an old dog really could learn new tricks.

“Do you miss it?” she asked finally. She twisted around to look into his eyes. “All the intrigue, politics and power. I could imagine they would be addicting.”

Various members of the council had begun to email Melly, asking after her well-being and attempting to solicit her help in persuading Julian to return. She told him about each email with great satisfaction, although he wouldn’t let her read them to him.

“Not at all,” he replied. Honesty forced him to add, “At least, not yet.” He played with her hair. It was one of his favorite pastimes. “Do you miss the fast pace of the movie set?”

She smiled. “Absolutely not. At least not just yet.”

He stroked down her body gently, taking his time so that he touched every hollow and curve. The clothes she wore at the cabin were soft and pretty – silks and sometimes fleeces, all in jewel tones that complemented her golden skin, green eyes and tawny curls. She left her hair loose, just the way he liked it.

She was not only beautiful to look at, but also a pleasure to touch, and he could talk to her for hours.

They played conversational games with each other. He would ask her a question, then she would ask one in return. The intricate, winding discussions unlocked barriers in his mind that he hadn’t realized he’d had.

He fell into enchantment, exploring possibilities like walking a green maze drenched in afternoon sunlight, turning countless corners and discovering new treasures, always working to go further in and discover the heart of the place.

The center of it all. Melly.

She said quietly, “I’d like to confess something, if you don’t mind.”

He lifted his head off the couch pillow, immediately fascinated. “Of course.”

Taking his hand, she played with his fingers. “Over the past five years, I’ve toyed off and on with the idea of in vitro fertilization.” She peeked at him over her shoulder, her expression tentative and self-conscious. “Keep in mind – it doesn’t bother me in the slightest that Vampyres can’t father children. When I started thinking about this, I wasn’t in a relationship. I think I just want to be a mother. How would you feel about that?”

The strength of his response astonished him. All kinds of powerful reactions resonated through his body. His imagination ran wild. Melly, round with pregnancy, the baby kicking under his hands as he stroked her belly.

As he held still, stricken with the images that unfolded in his imagination, she searched his face anxiously.

He whispered, “I would love that. Really fucking love it.”

Her expression lit up. “We could keep talking about it then. We don’t have to do anything right away. Hell, I’m okay if we discuss it for a couple of years before we come to any decision. I don’t want to rush into anything before we’re ready.”

He rolled onto his back and stared at the ceiling. “I have no idea how to be a father.”

“I don’t believe it,” she told him. “All I have to do is look at how you are with Xavier.” As he glanced at her sidelong, she amended, “You might not know how to be a father to a baby or a young toddler, but Julian, none of those things come instantly to anybody, anyway. You have to learn them.”

Draping one wrist on his forehead, he frowned. “True.”

“As long as you’re not opposed,” she whispered, then paused. “If I need to, I can also give up the idea.”

At that, he lifted his head to scowl at her. “I won’t have you give up a single thing to be with me.”

Searching his gaze, she chuckled. “Well, I don’t want you to agree to have a baby just to make me happy. That wouldn’t work out very well for the baby, would it? I think the subject is a little like facing battle – we both need to be all in, or we need to be all out.”

“Good analogy,” he told her.

She added, “And there’s always the possibility that in vitro wouldn’t take. After all, it’s very difficult for the Light Fae to conceive and bear a child, just like it is for the rest of the Elder Races.”

They could always adopt. He thought it but didn’t say it. They could explore that conversation at a different time. For now, he simply listened to what she had to say, watching the play of expressions on her face.

She paused, then added, “If we do decide to go ahead with trying, we would have to be prepared for one other thing.”

He nuzzled her ear. “What’s that?”

She told him, “When the women in my family conceive, we tend to have twins.”

His mind leaped from Bailey to her mother Tatiana, and her aunt Isabeau, the Seelie Light Fae Queen in Ireland.