It had been late when they finally arrived at Madelyn's. Harry carried the half-sleeping woman into the house. Having retrieved the keys from her coat pocket, he opened the door, letting her down after crossing the threshold and flicking on the lightswitch. Lamps that were connected to the switch, came to life. He lifted the strap of the duffle that carried a change of clothes over his shoulder and dropped it to the floor.

Divesting themselves of their coats and Harry asked, "Do you need anything out here? Want me to make you tea or something?" It was her house, but he was asking the questions of a host.

"I don't need anything but sleep. We need to get some ice on your knuckles, though."

Harry hadn't thought much about the fist that he'd smashed into Jack's jaw earlier in the evening. There had been other things on his mind after the altercation. As she pulled his hand into hers and raised it, he realized that not only was there some minor swelling, but it was a bit tender as well. He knew he would have kept punching the bastard if the first swing had been less effective and Jack hadn't met the wall with such force. Luckily they were spared that disaster.

She brushed her lips over the bruised fingers, then tugged his hand. "Come on, I've got an ice pack we can put on there."

Harry followed her into the kitchen and stood, leaning against the counter while she rummaged through the freezer. He wasn't mortally wounded, and he felt a tad silly that she appeared to be concerned about something so minor. Still, it was nice to have her fuss over him. Eventually, she extracted a clear plastic bag that was filled with blue gel. She held her hand out, palm up. He placed his hand in hers and she covered it with the ice pack. The sensation was startling at first, then soothing, as his skin absorbed the cold.

"Thank you," he muttered.

"No. Thank you for keeping me safe tonight. I know I could have handled it, as I said earlier. The fact that I didn't have to, makes me feel good." She drew in a deep breath and let it out heavily.

"Are you upset? Do you want to talk?" He bent forward to kiss her temple.

"No, Harry. I'm so tired. I just want to go to bed, please." Tilting her face upwards, she met his lips.

"Okay, bed. For now. But Madelyn, we're going to have to talk about this in the morning. I'm not going anywhere, but I have to know what I'm dealing with and I need to know you're safe." With his good hand, he pulled her against his chest. "I am very well aware of the fact that you have successfully stood on your own two feet and are quite capable of taking care of yourself. I'm not disregarding that, I promise. I'm just asking that you see it from my perspective; if my presence is going to set Jack off, then I should be allowed to help make certain that he is dealt with and that you and I are safe. Can you let me do that?"

Sighing, she looked into his earnest, green eyes. "What you're saying makes sense. I'll let you help me, but you need to understand that this is new territory for me. I've been on my own and taken care of myself, not only because I could and I wanted to, but because I had to. Sharing that responsibility is going to be an adjustment."

"Fair enough. We can figure the rest of this out in the morning. You look like you're about to fall over in those heels. Let's get some sleep; things will look better in the light of day."

Harry reached around her and opened the freezer, tossing the ice pack inside. Closing the door, he turned and gently brushed his cold knuckles over her cheek.

"Bed," he whispered.

____________________

Lying on his side in the softness of her pale blue, cotton sheets, Harry bent his elbow and held his head in his hand. Certainly, he had woken up next to a woman before. What he was feeling now was something larger than simply sharing a bed. It was an awakening.

The sunlight was filtering in through the tops of the windows. Although she had said they were treated with some kind of film so that no one could see in, there were curtains that covered the lower half of the windows to keep the brightest morning light at bay.

He was quiet so as not to disturb her; she seemed so peaceful as she slept, so beautiful. Her left hand rested on her rib cage, just below her breast, her right arm was thrown up over her head and tangled in the dark waves of her hair, the natural light emphasizing the red that was usually so subtle. Madelyn had worn a sheer gown with thin straps and a matching robe. The robe had been tossed over a chair near the bed. Through the ecru fabric, the faint outline of her areolas were visible. The sheet and down comforter lay across her hips; beneath the covering, he could see the outline of her legs, one stretched long, the other bent toward him at the knee.

Her breathing was shallow and even. He could see the steady pulse in her neck. Harry was struggling to reconcile the urge to touch her with his desire to allow her slumber to continue. Once she woke up, reality would come knocking.

Now that his adrenaline had dissipated, and he had logged a full night's sleep, the magnitude of their situation was crowding Harry's brain. He was a realist and well aware that there would be repercussions from the incident last night. The thought of her life with her ex-husband weighed heavily on his heart. At least she had come out on top. Now he just had to keep her there.

She shuffled slightly, her left hand pushing lower, onto her belly. Drawing a deeper breath, she exhaled on a sigh. Harry felt his blood rushing to his crotch. The desire to touch won out and he traced his index finger lightly over her collar bones. Trailing down the side of her breast, he ghosted his fingertip over her nipple and smiled as it tightened. When he paid the other side the same attention, her eyelids began to flutter. She kicked her legs out and rolled away, onto her side. This was deeply unsatisfactory.

Sliding over, he wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her close so that her back was flush with his chest and her bottom nestled into his lap. Dropping his hand to her abdomen he rutted his hips forward. Running the fingers of his other hand through her hair, he brushed it back; craning his head, he began to kiss and gently suck at her exposed neck.

Her groaning sigh, followed by the wriggle of her ass into him was gratifying, but he was going to need more if there was to be any relief for his increasingly needy cock.

"Wake up, baby," he whispered before nipping her earlobe and rubbing his upper leg over hers. Her nightgown had ridden up. Reaching beneath the covers, he slid his hand over her hip dragging the hem up to her waist. There was nothing beneath the fabric, nothing stopping him from cupping between her thighs. "Madelyn, I need you to wake up. Please?" Shit, that was whiney.

"Hmm, sleepy. Need to brush my teeth anyway."

"C'mon babe, I don't care. It didn't bother you last time." He truly did not care about morning breath, his or hers. What he did care about was starting the day loved up and happy. Hopeful that a few minutes of bliss would soften what was to come.

She shuffled her legs, draping the top one over his. Seizing the opportunity, Harry raised his knee, thus exposing more of her to him. He alternated fondling her breasts with stroking at her center until he could feel the dampness spreading onto his fingers.

"Harry," she whimpered. "I'm awake." She snuck her hand under the warm comforter, grabbing at his bum and pulling him tighter into her backside.

Aligning himself with her, he slid his erection home, claiming her gently.

***

True to his word, Harry did bring breakfast. They had showered and dressed and now Madelyn was at the table devouring the egg and veggie scramble that he had prepared. Harry was topping off her coffee when he broached the subjects most on his mind.

"Are you ready to talk about Jack?" He watched the fork in her hand freeze mid-way to her open mouth before she placed it on the plate. "Two things," he said. "First, let's call the security company; you said they were responsible for subcontracting the windows. Second, I want to file a police report regarding his behavior toward you last night."

"Harry, you hit him, he didn't even throw a punch before he hit the deck. There is nothing the police can do. I know I threatened to go back to the judge, but without him actually breaking the law, I haven't got any leverage. The only thing that will happen if I file a report, is that there will be an investigation and that will incite him further." Her voice was tense and frustrated, but beneath the surface was also a thread of fear. "I've got all I can handle with him randomly popping up as it is. I don't want to antagonize him further. I just want him to go away."

"I think I understand what you're saying, but please, hear me out. You keep saying 'I.' You aren't in this alone anymore. I am here and we can handle whatever fallout there is, together. Also, you are probably correct; there isn't much the police can do to Jack at this point. However, if he does escalate, we will have laid the groundwork to show that he is a danger. It will be easier to handle him legally if there is a precedent. He knows there is another man in your life now; if he pokes around, he will also know that I am not going anywhere. As you said yesterday, that fact will piss him off. We need to be prepared for the likelihood that he will be back with a vengeance."

"Harry, you have been here for exactly one week. I acknowledge that there is a phenomenal connection between us and that I am willing to throw convention out the window to be with you right now, but it is far too soon for you to be signing up for this chaos. I do not expect you to take this on." Madelyn inhaled deeply, filling her lungs to capacity before releasing the air. Her shoulders slumped slightly as she held her hands in her lap.

Setting his coffee mug on the table, Harry leaned down, resting on his forearms. "You are absolutely correct, Professor," he spoke, taking one of her hands in his. "This connection is phenomenal, and unless you're planning to throw me to the curb, you'll just have to accept that I'm here for the chaos." He set his forehead against hers and nudged her nose with his. "Now, please, get the number for the security company and let's get them out here this afternoon, then get your coat, because we are going to file that police report."