Free No More Lonely Nights by Nicole McGehee

feeling was so deliciously sensual that Dominique thought she might faint. As though in a hypnotic trance, she drew closer to him; closer, until she could feel the buttons of his shirt against her breasts through the thin silk of her dress. She closed her eyes. She felt the warmth of his breath as he drew closer. And then he kissed her. His lips were sweet and hot. Dominique opened her mouth, wanting to taste him. His arms tightened around her as they pressed together. He moaned, then his mouth glided off hers and onto her neck. Dominique was sure that if he let go, she would be unable to stand, so she clung to him—abandoned herself to him completely.
    This was what she had secretly wished—not just this, but more! And there was nobody to stop them. No Nanny standing guard at the other side of the door.
    Suddenly Dominique felt like a trapeze artist without a net; free, yet frighteningly aware of danger. Her mind screamed a warning. Stop! She pulled away. She was breathless, her face flushed with desire.
    Stephen stared at her, his expression startled. He looked as intoxicated as she.
    Then he slowly released her. “I have to leave,” he said, his voice thick. He bent down and picked up his jacket.
    The withdrawal of his touch brought Dominique jolting back to reality. As she stepped back toward the door, she stumbled and reached behind her for support. Seeing her falter, Stephen caught her by the waist. She found her footing and righted herself. She rested her palms on his chest and looked up at him. “This doesn’t seem real,” she said, her voice shaky. “Will it still be the same tomorrow?”
    Stephen released Dominique’s waist. His eyes roved over her features.
    She looked back at him, her pupils dilated with yearning. She was all eagerness and promise.
    “Dominique, don’t you know?” he said tenderly. “For me, it will always be the same.”
    When Dominique arrived at the office the next day, Stephen was already there. His face lit when Dominique walked tremulously through his office door. He stood up and came around his desk to greet her, but stopped a few feet away from her. They stood facing each other.
    “I don’t think we should touch here,” he said, as the sparks flew between them.
    Dominique, breathless, balled her hands into fists. He was right, of course, but she so wanted to feel his embrace. “No, of course not,” she murmured.
    “I’d like to see you tonight.”
    Dominique’s heart leapt. “Yes.”
    “And… this Saturday. What about a trip to the beach?”
    He wanted to see her as much as she wanted to see him! Dominique struggled to suppress a giddy burst of laughter. “That sounds… wonderful,” she whispered.
    Over the next week, Dominique realized that the calls from Lieutenant Smythe had stopped. Clearly the woman had vanished from Stephen’s life, though Dominique never knew how he had managed it so quietly.
    Just as Stephen had been open about his relationship with Smythe, he was open about the role of Dominique in his life. They dined together almost every evening. Weekends were taken for granted—there was no question of either of them dating another person. Every moment seemed precious. When Dominique saw Stephen’s car pull up in front of her house, her pulse raced with excitement. When they parted at the end of the evening, she felt as though she were losing part of herself. There was a physical void when she was apart from him. And she rarely was.
    Stephen introduced her to his friends, and they seemed to welcome Dominique, to genuinely like her. Invitations no longer came for him alone. It was “Stephen and Dominique.”
    “He’s had it tough,” explained the wife of an American diplomat who was a close friend of Stephen’s. “Serena gives him a dreadful time. And as for that stuck-up bitch Amanda,” she said with typical American frankness, “no one could stand her. We can see he’s a lot happier with you. It’s obvious he’s crazy in love. He