I'm the kind to sit up in his room. Heart sick and eyes filled up with gloom.

[emptynight]

When Thomas woke up, the sun was streaming in through the window, and he could see brilliant blue sky through a space in the thin curtains. His mouth felt bone dry, but his head didn't throb, a pleasant surprise. Some part of him had expected the vampire safe tequila to have given him every effect of real alcohol. As it was, Thomas couldn't remember coming back to the house and falling asleep; the last thing he remembered was getting back on Lestat's plane and deciding he was going to take a nap.

Maybe someone had dragged him back to the house and tossed him on his bed.

With the shambling, bleary gait of a sobering college student, Thomas shuffled into the bathroom and set himself to the not-inconsiderable task of sluicing off the remnants of debauchery and alcohol.

*****

Half an hour and a thoroughly steamed up bathroom later, he stood in the middle of the bedroom he shared with Alice, a towel around his hips, as he checked his voicemail. The blearily blank expression on his face faded into worry and perplexity as he listened, and, by the time Thomas clicked 'save', a deep frown was growing. He sank into a seat on his bed, staring at the phone in his hand, while the other ran absentmindedly through damp dark hair.

((Tag Alice!))

Comments

[manicpixydream.livejournal.com]

There hadn't been a whole lot to do on the plane back except hide in the bathroom so that's at Alice did, and no one bugged her 'cause bathrooms weren't places vamps needed so much as other people she figured. She figured a lot of things on the way back, and none of them were really good, but it was easy to forget them 'cause if she didn't her head was going to explode.

She had to stop thinking that too though, 'cause the one time she'd thought it really, really hard, the bottle of water some flight attendant had slipped her on her way in burst into a million little plastic fragments and that was enough to keep her meditating most of the way home.

Jasper was going to call and he was going to be pissed and let him, she thought, this wasn't normal and it wasn't like she needed topping up daily. Not usually. This was unpredictable and there were more important things than whether or not she wished she could pop a Tylenol. Like who the hell Nathan Raith was when he was at home, and where his home was, and god, Thomas was probably a mess. She sure was.

He definitely didn't look too happy when she walked in. Doing her super strong best to seem casual and probably failing miserably, especially when she saw all her stuff and remembered she still hadn't decided where she was going to live, never mind everything else. At least Thomas was in one piece and yeah, she was pretty relieved.

"You look all chipper and ready to take on the world, yeah? No sleeping today? They say ten hours Thomas, and that's just for humans, you might need more." She didn't say sweet fuck all about pretty lights and bleeding doorways and the other things that popped up when she tried to form sentences. Because she was fine.

[emptynight]

There was really something to be said for autopilot. His mind was flying through possibilities, trying to figure out why Lara had sent Lord Raith to the house, trying to process how she managed it without Justine even getting a hint of what had been going on, and (more importantly) trying to figure out what he was going to do about it now.

So when Alice came in, Thomas rose without thinking, crossing the room and sliding an arm around her waist. The Hunger was already reaching for her when he kissed Alice's forehead. The sheer magnitude of emotion, of that pent up pressure, surprised Thomas out of his thoughts and he blinked rapidly, staring down at Alice as if seeing her for the first time (which, to be fair, was true).

"I slept already," he answered, his mouth still working on autopilot as he reached up to brush Alice's cheeks with power at his fingertips. Still there, that torrent of emotion, barely held in check by sheer willpower. The next words that came out of his mouth were obvious.

"Alice? You're not okay."

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"Everyone says that the first few times they see me off the rails but you don't know, I mean I don't even know, and hey parading not ok for starters let's go with last night 'cause I don't remember Vegas sucking that hard, I texted you and hey, you're the one who should be getting the third degree about not ok, plenty of time for cracks in the wall." Alice leaned into his touch automatically, sighing against his fingers. She wanted out of that dress and into a dark room, but this was fine. She'd be fine.

"You worry too much Thomas Raith, that's always gonna be your problem."

[emptynight]

With physical contact, it was much easier to get a clear picture of just what Alice wanted subconsciously, and Thomas figured she was too out of it to complain, not when everything seemed to be directed at keeping her from falling to pieces. "If worrying too much is my only problem, I'll take it," he answered lightly, his hand slipping into Alice's, fingers twining with hers.

He thought about telling her to go lie down and yell at him from there for a second, but empty night there was so much. Thomas wasn't sure how she was still standing. "Come on," he said. "Walk and yell." The Hunger slid from his fingers and up, reaching for Alice, sinking deep beneath her skin as Thomas walked her with him to the windows and drew the blinds tightly.

When the room was in shadow, he led her back to her bed. "Don't you give me that I'm fine crap. Sit down," he continued, loosening his grip on Alice's hand to reach behind her and undo her dress, letting his fingers linger against smooth skin. By now, simple touch was enough, though through touch alone the demon could only feed in a slow steady trickle, not that glorious flood of light. But it seemed best for now, when Alice looked like anything more was going to break her into pieces.

Slow lingering touches, every one of them siphoning off a little more emotion, easing the pressure. "I left my phone under the bed," he said, following Alice's train of thought as he eased the dress off, fingers kneading steadily at her shoulders. "Sorry. Go ahead, keep yelling."

[manicpixydream.livejournal.com]

A part of Alice had been etching into her brain in tiny little letters that the walls working the way they did, which was god knew how but seemed to change all the time, and now it hurt so much it almost wasn't pain anymore- well a tiny part of her had been sure they'd block Thomas to drive her truly mental. Feeling him slide under her skin the way he always did, cool and emptying and perfect, it was such a relief she almost cried right there, knowing he still could. And the blinds, that was kindness more than anything. Thomas was still Thomas and she wouldn't tell a soul.

"I wasn't yelling, you'd know if I was yelling mister, they'd know it all the way back to Vegas, I was worried about you, and oh god Thomas, I think they did something to my head." State the obvious much, Alice. "I mean nothing different- there was just so much happening and seeing Vlad made it hurt more than it ever has before, I don't know why, I tried to make it stop but it only got better awhile, I can't help wanting to know where he is, why aren't you telling me if you're ok or not? Didn't I ask that yet?" She wasn't seeing, there was just too much in her head to get it out in the right order.

But it was getting better. Thomas' touch was smooth and careful, more like he was performing surgery than feeding. It was nice, though, being taken care of. Just for a little while. Alice gave a little gasp when the pain began to ebb, and god, she was so grateful. "Tell me if you're ok."

Not that she was going to change right off.

[manicpixydream.livejournal.com]

There were a few things Thomas didn't take well to - boy was that an understatement - and one of them was sympathy, she'd seen that enough times not to even bother trying, but how could she not be totally appalled by what he was saying? And the casual way he said it, the same way he related anything really fucked up about his life, it wasn't the first time she'd heard that tone of voice. Not even the first person. Jasper had stories.

Alice liked to think she kept anger, real anger that was going to last beyond her next shopping trip or great conversation, in a special quiet place. Somewhere deep beneath all the noise and threads of the future and lately pain, somewhere it would keep to itself until it was needed. That's where she put the look in Thomas' eyes when he listed all the ways his father had earned a long, painful death. That's where she put the silent but very, very serious desire to kill the man for him. For the world, really, 'cause what kind of loss would that be? But that was for later, after she'd had time to figure out what kind of deal was really going down. He'd never let her do anything to help if it was going to risk Justine. And his family, his Court was all so frigging complicated. She didn't have the head for it right then, still pounding with everything she was blocked from seeing and everything she was keeping inside.

She might if he kept kissing her like that, though. Alice splayed a hand over the muscles where his shoulders met, the slow warmth under her fingers filling her head and letting it melt. It was kind of nice, this slow pull of Alice into Thomas when far too much Alice existed, a different kind of nice from when they just tore into each other and he drained her all at once. Like being sculpted. Jasper used to call it that, though it wasn't the same thing, and anyway Alice made herself.

She didn't necessarily mean for things to change when she pulled him to lie down with her, everything stayed slow and easy. She just wanted to close her eyes and feel the pain drift away, and so in its place was Thomas' hands and lips, yeah, that was a pretty excellent trade.

"I tried to text you all night," she said quietly, pulling away a few inches and stroking his hair, "'cause I wanted you to know I'm on your team, and you're on mine. 'Cause I didn't want to keep you out of any of it or make you think I was gonna go do something stupid." And 'cause Nathan had been the skeeziest surprise ever, but the rest of it was true too. If Alice was going to get taken care of whether she liked it or not, then Thomas could deal with being trusted. She figured that was a pretty excellent trade, too.

[emptynight]

Feeling Alice slowly relax as tension leeched out of her, Thomas concentrated on slow touches and the steady flow of emotions sinking into him. It helped keep his mind from acknowledging how bad of a state she'd been in coming in, from thinking about the sympathy and anger that slid over her skin. He let Alice draw him down with her and watched her with serious grey eyes, listening to her words.

His hands never stopped moving against Alice's back; there was no way he could knead enough at the muscles he felt beneath her skin to do any good, but Thomas kept up the motions anyway. It was the thought that count, or something. Much like how he really didn't need Alice to be stroking his hair, but it was appreciated. "You are doing something stupid, Alice," he couldn't help pointing out, but there was no heat in his voice. No anger. Just resignation. "But then so I am so maybe we're even on that one."

The rest of her words had warmed him far more than Thomas was comfortable with, and instead of addressing them he did what he always did. Thomas pulled Alice back against him and kissed her, slow and steady, with nothing more than the simple pleasure of kissing Alice. "Thanks."

Keeping a rein on the Hunger, forcing it to sip continuously, Thomas asked calmly, "So tell me about what happened with Vlad. I promise I will not tell Lacci or Edward about his visit." It didn't need to be said that he was, in fact, thinking of all the ways his precisely worded promise could (and would) be circumvented.

[manicpixydream.livejournal.com]

Even sounded about right. Every one of them was being pretty stupid when you came right down to it, but if you lived in fear of that you ended up keeping totally still all the time which, not so great. Or you turned into Edward. Either way it definitely wasn't Alice's MO.

There were still risks you could be super careful about, though. "You can't just not tell her, she can't find out, like, at all, the language was pretty specific and there was a reason, you know?" Alice kept her eyes closed while she spoke, partly out of wanting to feel herself floating in a quieter head and partly 'cause she didn't really want to see his reaction to any of it.

"He couldn't say a whole lot, like something was stopping him, but I think they keep him knocked out most of the time. He said they only keep him awake when they need him to think." That part was the freakiest and the one her brain had been trying to focus on the most since the night before, except she hadn't been able to, not until now. "I don't know what they need him to think for, but it wasn't a high priority, you know? Just making sure it was him, getting him fed- I mean I might have blanked out some stuff, it got pretty crowded up here and that's when the trouble started, yeah?"

It was worth it. It was totally worth it, except if she was wrong and it wasn't any better the next time they got him she didn't know how she was going to cope. And she definitely didn't know how Thomas was going to react to that, or to all the rest of it.

"Ask me whatever you like and I'll tell you what I remember but if there're like, pink elephants in the story, doubt my veracity, yeah? I'm basically still coated in the thickest layer of sleeze, 'cause never mind your father, Vincent made me wanna hurl and I actually can't." His eyes kept popping up in Alice's head, and she wondered if that's what'd done it, or if she was really just that crazy lucky. "You met him before. Did he- like was there any kind of hoodoo he worked? Does he always wear that shiny suit? But Vlad's ok, at least, he's not any deader than when he left, and we got letters. Maybe Lacci'll get one too."

Oh and by the way I can maybe make things explode by looking at them which might be from the insanely old vampire I fed off of or it might be an evil demon lawyer's bug in my brain. Right. You worked up to stuff like that.

"But I'm ok Thomas, really I am you can tell, can't you? It's better, I mean it feels like I'm talking in the right order now anyway." Needing this was just a huge pain in the ass. Wanting it was pretty nice, though. "For real, ask whatever. What were you doing last night? Did your dad- I mean you saw him, yeah?"

[emptynight]

It was probably a good thing Alice kept her eyes closed, because with every word about Vlad, Thomas' expression grew blanker, as some things agreed with his suspicions and others teased out other bits of information, as pawns began rearranging themselves on the board. He sidestepped most of her questions, concentrating instead on feeding, on coaxing the Hunger deeper, drawing out all the tripping, racing emotions out of Alice.

"Vincent's a slimy wannabe Armani knockoff model," Thomas said instead, forcing his voice to be light. "But whatever he does, he's warded. I can't read a thing off him, and neither can Edward." The idea that Wolfram & Hart would let Lacci get a letter from her brother when they were doing their damnest to keep everything about him from her seemed unlikely at best, but Thomas didn't say anything. No need to start that argument again.

The beginnings of an idea ran through his mind. The girl enjoys reaching into your mind, speaking to us. Who is to say I cannot whisper back? For the moment, Thomas pushed it away, lest he begin to make plans and give the game away to Alice. "I'll ask later," he said. "Let me think about what I want to know." He smiled and kissed Alice's forehead again.

Mention of his father made a shadow fall over Thomas' face, a mixture of anger and worry, but it passed as quickly as it had come, leaving behind little more than a faint tension around his eyes. "Yeah, you're fine if you're grilling me about that again. I did see dear old Dad. Lacci was having a bad time with all the lights in Vegas, so we went and found a room with Edw--" Thomas stopped his immediate train of thought, switched gears. "Something happened with your brother last night."

[manicpixydream.livejournal.com]

There was something seriously relaxing about getting fed off of like this. Probably harder for Thomas and definitely not her everyday preference but every time Alice thought that was it, she wasn't going to get any clearer, the pressure eased some more and she did. Well it wasn't completely news to her that savoring was a good thing, but savoring relief, that was mostly new. At least to this degree it was.

The warding she figured, otherwise Edward would've said something before she'd gotten blacklisted, it was what Vincent did she was interested in, but he would've said by now. She was just going to have to wait, talk to Pandora, try not to get too... explodey, she guessed, and she'd figure it out. She always did. "I never saw him. I mean he's been here a bunch of times and they were blocking before I knew, but I never once saw him, I'm not even totally sure if he falls on my radar, Alucard never did. Wards on them and wards on my head are different, yeah?" Dru had always been a problem too, but that was definitely not for dwelling on.

"I don't think asking you a question I already know the answer to fully qualifies as grilling, but take your shots where you can, yeah?" Alice smiled and listened to the post-mortem with some amount of content until his voice changed, and then she was torn between sighing wearily and shaking the story out of him. Her eyes flew open instead, an inquisitive and tell me right fucking now look in her eye that she liked to think was unique to her serving as a replacement for both.

"What happened with my brother last night? Where is he? What'd he do?" She didn't sound so much worried as she did like she was going to track him down and smack him. Which, distinct possibility.

[emptynight]

The look on Thomas' face at the mention of blood was the exact expression young children got at the mention of broccoli. "You're worrying, Alice. It'll give you wrinkles," he teased. "But you know fear and blood aren't my things. Leave that to the Skavis and the other Courts. Edward was just drinking the tequila, and you know me, I'll try anything once. Twice. Three times, tops."

His grin was pure mischief, but Thomas seemed to catch his own words and frowned a little. "You can get smashed just fine with the regular stuff. Edward used to be able to, but now he can't." He raised an eyebrow and gave Alice a Look. "Think he just overdid it the first couple of times, or is this related? I mean, the stuff was definitely magic, even though it doesn't taste any different. I couldn't burn it off at will like the normal stuff."

Thomas shook his head, the grin returning at the mention of pictures. "But if I use the internet to find them, that makes me some sort of skeezy pervert. If you offered them it would be a gift. Or an invitation works too."

[manicpixydream.livejournal.com]

"Sometimes you say stuff and I have no idea who you think I am, like wrinkles, come on, but then I remember you've never met Rose and thank god for that." She'd imagined it more than once, and stopped for the sake of her own mental health. Still it left her being the stereotypical girl Cullen. Most of the time.

"You've never seen me really smashed. Well ok maybe that one time, but I got over it pretty quick, yeah? I dunno, I never went for the full alcoholic experience, not like Edward. It might be whatever hocus pocus, but our tolerance is pretty high." Alice frowned in thought, staring at the ceiling, so it was completely believable she didn't notice all the towel tugging she was doing. "I wanna try this magic booze stuff though, that sounds pretty great, plus surprisingly few retail goods for vamps in my experience of the world. I mean I don't know any sparkly lushes personally, you know? I'll ask Jasper."

Jasper would tell her, if she asked. He'd spent a long time drinking as hard as you could, so if anyone had matched Edward's intake, it'd be him. As much as she hated to dredge things up. For a second she missed him so hard it was almost like a physical thing in the room with them, but it passed. It always did. She'd write him later.

"You are a pervert," she said idly, still thinking about what she'd write to Jasper before turning to face him again, grinning. "Just 'cause you aren't skeezy. I am not giving you pictures, you're gonna have to work for them, probably same for an invitation if I think about it." If she thought about it, Pandora might not be super happy that she'd told Thomas about any of it, but Pandora could deal. Thomas got kept in the loop. That's the way things were.

[emptynight]

The way Alice was tugging at his towel was sort of funny, though Thomas suspected that she wasn't really thinking about it and surpise naked time wasn't really a good thing. The surprise part usually didn't go well.

"Yeah, sounds pretty neat if you want to get drunk without being able to get undrunk on your own," Thomas grumbled, though he added with a smirk, "Lucky for me, everyone's seen me tipsy so often they can't tell if I mean to be or not. And what better excuse for drinking myself into a coma than surprise family reunion?"

He trailed a few kisses down Alice's throat. "What sort of work are we talking about for pictures? Can't I just beg for them on my knees? That usually works." His hand caught Alice's wrist at his towel and Thomas raised an eyebrow. "Disapprove of my towel colour choice, Alice? And I am not a pervert. I'm just a kind soul who doesn't want to hurt anyone's feelings by turning them away."

[manicpixydream.livejournal.com]

"You mean you had to sober up the slow human way, oh poor Thomas, from the sounds of it you needed all the drunk you got between your father and my brother, who by the way you never told me how that ended, except I'm assuming someone had to pull him off whoever again." Family reunion, yeah, that was one way of putting it. Maybe they could drop him in the woods and use him as a fox for the hunt she'd cooked up with Mal.

"I think you can figure out how good boys get rewarded all on your own, yeah?" Alice inched forward, nose to nose, with a knowing smile. "Your towels have this annoying habit of being on you is all, plus yeah, you are a pervert, plus are you saying I'm just a pity date? 'Cause that's insulting, Thomas. That's the worst thing you can say to a girl."

[emptynight]

"Ugh. Don't remind me. I was still drunk when we ended up at Lestat's party and I saw dear old Dad again," he grumbled. "Watching for him to do something homicidal when I can barely put one foot in front of the other's not fun."

Still, with the way Alice smiled and came up into his face, the last thing he wanted to talk more about was Lord Raith. "I could," he answered, "but a hint would help. You know, just a little one." He closed the inch or so of space between them and kissed Alice again, long and full of slow heat. "And I am not a pervert. Being free with my affections is a good thing. But I should probably shut up before I say something else stupid, huh?"

[emptynight]

"What is this, name calling day?" Thomas complained, his hand running through Alice's hair. "First you call me a pervert and now it's mopey jerk time? And whatever that nickname means."

He did laugh, though, at Alice's question. "I'll leave the sunny optimism to you. It doesn't go well with the tall, dark and handsome thing I'm going for." Thomas leaned back on the bed, pulling Alice half on top of him. "So I'm up for the day, I think. Anything you want to do before the rest of the house wakes up and there are a dozen people to tiptoe around instead of just one?"

[manicpixydream.livejournal.com]

"I'm pretty kick ass at backgammon." Alice dropped a kiss at his shoulder, grinning up at him. "I mean I gotta assume you were referring to the wide world of board games seeing as how you got dressed and all, plus strike the out of doors 'cause I know you get distracted when I'm glittering up the joint, I saw you all looking out of the corner of your eye whenever we stopped for gas. You like it."

Another kiss to his chest, and a totally not-stifled giggle, 'cause she was pretty sure this was tantamount to accusing him of war crimes or listening to Menudo or something.

[emptynight]

"Pants can be taken off, you know," Thomas answered. "If I recall, you're pretty good at it, except for that one ripping incident which I still haven't forgotten." The kiss to his chest spurred Thomas to tug Alice back up, kissing her with a laugh on his tongue and rolling over to pin her beneath him.

"Now that's just dirty slander. I'm not some glitter chaser," he answered, fingers tickling Alice's side. "Though I will admit it looks way better on you than on me."

[manicpixydream.livejournal.com]

"I am an expert at pants, probably like olympic standard but I'd take the silver to you and you know it plus, the ripping? Totally not my fault when you do that voodoo that you do so well, Mr. I'm Not Into Glitter, and since when do you sparkle like a diamond? 'Cause if there are pictures I basically demand them." Alice laughed at Thomas' burst of energy, not that it wasn't appreciated, and clearly talking wasn't getting them anywhere she wanted to stay very long.

"Seriously. Misguided glam rock phase? Frat prank? I'm prepared to tickle until you spill."

[emptynight]

Thomas laughed in no little relief. "Did you not see that? During the month anniversary party, there were magic cupcakes that made everybody glitter. Even I couldn't pull that one off."

He squirmed theatrically against Alice at the tickling threat, a wicked grin playing at his lips as he used the opportunity to press against as much bare skin as possible. "I would've thought you TiVo'ed that one."

[emptynight]

If he'd been slightly less focused on the woman writhing and twisting beneath him, and if he were less of an unrepentant smartass, Thomas might have told Alice how beautifully she danced, how every roll of her hips and each arching motion of her back complimented the Hunger's playing. But as it was, his awareness was full of nothing but soft skin and heady desire, of quivering need and breathless gasps.

When it came, the wordless cry for more, Thomas stopped what he was doing, for a long second perfectly still, before he trailed kisses back up Alice's torso, caught at a perfectly responsive peak. With one smooth, practiced motion, he slid inside her and kissed her, hips and mouth working in flawless rhythm. The Hunger stirred again, drawing more heat, more heady, intoxicating desire up out of Alice. It twined want and need with friendship and affection, with emotions that recalled dozens of different beds, of hotels and back alleys, of frenzy and slow motion. The Hunger sang, an ever growing chorus of desire that drove them higher, in every note promising blessed silence.

[manicpixydream.livejournal.com]

It was a rush you didn't get with anyone else, all that feeling called up and flooding through her just as intensely as heat and clutching desperation. Thomas who made it quiet, Thomas who drove her crazy across state lines, Thomas who still pulled her in to the kind of desire that shouldn't have lasted after the first few times. That thrill of novelty and discovery no matter how many hotel rooms or back alleys, no matter how strong the friendship and affection. It made him feel more solid in her arms.

Everything was clear and simple and her head sang with it, especially knowing it was about to be a thousand times better, but her body still begged, legs wrapped around him and hips rising to meet his without any conscious input required. Alice was being devoured with a lot of care, and every muscle in her body tensed at the edge of a sweet fire about to be unleashed.

His kiss was returned and deepened, her hand gripping the back of his head even as the other clawed through sheets and into the mattress, scrambling for some kind of purchase, and the laughter bubbling in her chest was threatening to rise no matter what she did, just 'cause it was all so good.

[emptynight]

He could taste the edge of laughter on her tongue even if Alice tried to swallow it down, and Thomas couldn't help smiling against her lips. An accident of birth made him what he was, but it felt good to feel that something like joy could come out of this, out of the dark hunger that haunted every moment. The Hunger plucked at emotions, sent nerves reverberating with need even as laughter was woven into its song, rising high with desire, coaxed into that pinnacle from which it would all come tumbling, crashing down in release.

They moved in perfect sync, bodies rising and falling, her hips meeting his, drawing close and pulling apart. There was far too much to touch, to taste, and his hands and lips slid over Alice's body with quick, needy touches, as if trying to have everything before it all came crashing down. The Hunger delved deeper with anticipation as their rhythm quickened, unwilling to lose even a single drop of emotion.

[manicpixydream.livejournal.com]

The laughter came when Alice did, head thrown back and mind emptying of everything except that one long thread, the shuddering of pleasure against Thomas' skin, the pressure and pain still remaining burning away like mist in the sun. You couldn't not laugh when you flew down a hill that steep and found yourself at the bottom, warm and happy, and ok the metaphor maybe ran out when she got to being naked and still quivering breathlessly at Thomas' touch, but it didn't mean she was wrong.

Still laughing in fits and starts, she kissed him, the grip at the back of his head turned to a caress of his neck, legs soft and molded against his torso. And so there might have been some damage to the bed, her hand was tiny and it wasn't like she slept in it.

[emptynight]

The flood of desire and laughter that rushed through him where there had been only minutes ago a thin trickle sent Thomas over the edge, and he arched hard against Alice, his inarticulate cry muffled by the sheets. For a long moment all he did was rest against her, feeling her pleasure, her joy pressed against his skin.

He returned Alice's kiss lazily, his fingers running lightly down her side. Thomas could feel it under his skin, how much he'd taken, how full and overwhelmed Alice had been. "You push yourself too hard," he said idly, easing himself off Alice and staring at the ceiling.

"And before you say you're a big girl who doesn't need topping off etc etc, I'm saying this out of self-preservation. Last thing I need is your husband storming into the house and teaching me the meaning of compound fracture of the skull because I didn't help you."