“I want to go slow,” he said, his face pinched with the strain of fighting for control. “I want to remember this, but I—”

“Don’t,” she pleaded. “Don’t go slow.”

He gave her what she wanted in hard, urgent thrusts that quickly had them both slick with sweat. A climax claimed her in fast, almost violent waves, dragging him into the abyss with her.

Drawing in ragged deep breaths, he rested on top of her. “Jesus,” he whispered.

She giggled. “He can’t help you now.”

“I don’t think anyone can. I’m sorry I didn’t last longer.”

“I don’t know if I could’ve taken much more.”

He lifted his head to give her a lecherous look. “We’re just getting started, baby.”

“Is that a threat or a promise?” she asked with a grin.

“A promise.” He kissed her and rolled them over so she was on top. “Very definitely a promise.”

Much later, after they sent out for pizza and ate it in bed, Clare remembered she had never called Maggie.

“Tomorrow,” Aidan said, yawning as he nestled her against his chest.

“I feel kind of bad being here and not calling her.”

He raised her chin. “Can we have tonight, just this one night for us? We can spend all day tomorrow with Maggie, okay?”

“It’s getting late anyway,” she said with a deep sigh of contentment, but something still nagged at her. “Would you mind terribly if I called her now to make plans for tomorrow?”

He smiled and lifted his arm to let her up. “Of course not.”

She leaned over to kiss him. “I’ll be very quick. I promise.”

“Good, because I’m already getting lonely.”

Reaching into her closet for a robe, she tied it around her on the way to the phone across the room. She felt Aidan’s eyes on her as she dialed Maggie’s cell phone.

“Hey, honey,” she said when Maggie answered.

“Hi, Mom.”

“Hey, guess what? Aidan and I are in Newport for a day or two, and we’re hoping you’re free tomorrow.”

“What’re you doing here?”

“Aidan’s father had a mild heart attack, and I went with him to Cape Cod to check on his dad. Since we were so close, we came to see you.”

“Oh, good,” Maggie said but without the enthusiasm Clare had expected.

“What’s wrong, honey?”

“Have you talked to Kate?”

“Not in a couple of days, why?”

“Well, um, something’s going on, but I don’t know what. Dad got a call last night from a friend of hers in Nashville, and he flew down there today. He’s on his way back now. I don’t know what’s going on, but he was really mad about something. Andi seems upset, too.”

Clare’s stomach dipped with anxiety. “Is she there? Can I talk to her?”

“Sure, I’ll get her.”

“Call me in the morning?”