world and the universe until there was an explosion that became a delirious ecstasy an unbelievable shattering journey an arriving and departure an ending and a beginning and Catherine lay there spent and numb holding him tightly never wanting to let him go never wanting this feeling to stop. Nothing she had ever read or heard could have prepared her for this. It was unbelievable that another person’ s body could bring such joy. She lay there at peace: a woman. And she knew that if she never saw him again, she would be grateful to him for the rest of her life.
“ Cathy?”
She turned to look at him, slowly and lazily.“ Yes?” Even her voice seemed deeper to her, more mature.
“ Could you get your nails out of my back?”
She suddenly realized that she had been digging into his flesh.“ Oh, I’ m sorry!” she exclaimed. She started to examine his back, but he caught her hands and pulled her close to him.
“ It doesn’ t matter. Are you happy?”
“ Happy?” Her lip trembled and to her horror she began to cry. Great sobs that wrenched her body. He held her in his arms, stroking her soothingly, letting the storm spend itself.
“ I’ m sorry,” she said.“ I don’ t know what made me do that.”“ Disappointment?”
Catherine looked at him quickly to protest, then saw that he was teasing her. He took her into his arms and made love to her again. It was even more incredible than before. Afterward they lay in bed and he talked, but she didn’ t listen. All she wanted to hear was the sound of his voice, and it didn’ t matter to her what he said. She knew there would never be anyone for her but this man. And she knew that this man could never belong to any one woman and that she would probably never see him again, that she was just another conquest to him. She was aware that his voice had stopped and that he was watching her.
“ You haven’ t heard a word I said.”“ Sorry,” she said.“ I was daydreaming.”“ I should be hurt,” he said reproachfully.“ You’ re only interested in me for my body.”
She ran her hands over his lean tanned chest and stomach.“ I’ m no expert,” she said,“ but I think this one will do nicely.” She smiled.“ It did nicely.” She wanted to ask him whether he had enjoyed her, but she was afraid to.
“ You’ re beautiful, Cathy.”
She thrilled to his saying it and at the same time resented it. Anything he said to her he had said a thousand times to other women. She wondered how he was going to say good-bye. Call me sometime? Or, I’ ll call you sometime? Perhaps he would even want to