Lunch

Completely overtaken the moment of heated passion, Alec persists with the exchange, feeling as though all sense has left him. But there was just something about Ryan. She had cared... she was beautiful... she was warm... she believed in him... she had convinced Reese to let him out for a while... she felt oh so good tucked in his arms.

It felt like a slice of eternity, when in reality it had been less than two full minutes when Alec straightens his head, catching breaths of air in between several last kisses. Leaning his forehead against Ryan's as he still held her, his heart pounded in his chest and heat flowed up his neck and into his face.

"I'd make you stay," he whispers, "but Hal's due for his rounds in three minutes."

Giving her nose another kiss, he searches her bright eyes, wondering how they had entranced him so. He'd had other women, but there was something different about this. He had the desires, but... Ryan had something that held him at bay... something that warned him not to step too far over the line, less he lose something he wanted. Deep, deep down a question lay in wait... could this really happen?

Finally letting Ryan slide back down to the floor, he reaches to her face, combing her hair behind her ear, then running his rough palm down her cheek. "Now that we've had dessert... maybe it's time for lunch."