After signing the paperwork and handing over the cashier's check, Meg walked out of the Realtor's office feeling both excited and oddly claustrophobic. She had never owned a piece of property before, and already the responsibility seemed overwhelming.

She got back on her Harley and headed towards the cabin. She knew her way now, having done a final walk through yesterday. Overall, the place had been in much better condition than she had expected, especially the barn, which the previous owner had turned into a miniature mechanic's shop slash man cave. The discovery of the garage had led her to do another thing she'd never done before in her life: make an impulse purchase.

On her drive back into town yesterday, she had passed a small car lot with half a dozen cars sitting out front for sale. One of them was a 1968 Chevy El Camino painted a black metallic flake with charcoal gray racing stripes. It was an SS model with the 396 6.5 Litre engine that puts out 402 horsepower. The rims were black to match, and the windows tinted. It was an absolute dream, and it was being delivered to her later this afternoon.

There was a second big delivery that she was expecting that afternoon, and it was a favour from her old boss, Bob. As part of any agent's retirement package, the Agency scrubs their background and makes them either disappear from all Agency records, or appear to be a desk jockey. However, due to the extremely sensitive nature of some of Meg's most recent assignments, Bob had decided to send her the necessary equipment to keep her completely off the grid and have plenty of security in place. The purchase of the cabin had been made in the name of a blind trust and she wouldn't have any utilities, cable, or internet thanks to the satellite equipment that was being sent as a supplement to the solar panels, well water, and propane gas.

A little after 8pm that night found Meg sitting in the middle of the king-sized bed in the loft area of the cabin. She was tired in such a good way, having accomplished so much that day. She had installed her security perimeter cameras, along with a couple of booby-traps around the area she discovered that would work as her weapons bunker. She had also set up her satellite network for her home communications hub, with a couple of monitors for the camera feeds and her modified MAC modem which she linked to her encrypted smartphone. Besides all the Inspector Gadget stuff, she had also cleaned the cabin, and washed the linens that she had bought at the local Home Goods store.

Now sitting on clean sheets, she leaned back on the mounds of pillows and pulled up Netflix on her tablet. She was about to watch the season finale of the second season of The Walking Dead and she was excited. She had gotten completely hooked and watched as often as she could sneak one in. Just as she hit play, her iPhone buzzed and she looked down and grinned.

"4 more days," the text from Norman said. She picked up the phone and texted back.

"You sure you don't want to back out?"

"I think I'll suffer through it."

"Good, cause I have so many plans for you."

"Oh, yeah? I like the sound of that." He added an emoji of a devil face, which made her laugh.

"HA, famous last words." She typed back.

"You're killing me, lady. What're you doing right now?"

"I'm sitting in my new cabin. Just moved in today, and I'm exhausted." She typed, and then quickly added, "I was just about to start another episode of TWD."

"Okay wait, you're no longer homeless? And more importantly, you're watching my show?"

"That's right, I'm about to watch the finale of season two and I gotta say that I feel a little misled. I thought you were the leader, the main man. Instead I find out you're the sidekick – Tonto, Robin, Barney freakin' Fife dude."

"You're shittin' me. You do realize my kills outnumber Rick's by more than double?"

"Relax, Watson, I actually really dig the way your character is a man of much action and little words. Those crazy one liners and smouldering looks, combined with the python arms, it's no wonder every time you look towards one of those women they get that post orgasm look on their face."

"You are seriously disturbed." He responded along with an emoji of clapping hands.

"Must be why we get along so well. Now, leave me alone so I can see if you die or not."

"I do. The ladies trap me in a tent and force me into an orgy and I die of exhaustion... But seriously, I'm about to forward you my flight info into Kansas City. I booked our hotel, too, so don't bother. You still planning to pick me up?"

"Of course, I bought a car today so feel free to pack a real suitcase."

__________________________________________________________________

The following Wednesday afternoon, Norman said goodbye to the flight crew as he pulled his suitcase behind him down the jet bridge and made his way to the baggage claim area. He was just a bit nervous about seeing Meg again. He had halfway convinced himself that he'd been in a vulnerable place and that the attraction wouldn't be as strong, or that they wouldn't have as much to talk about, or that she would no longer find him as attractive as before. The whole thing was ludicrous, he knew, but he couldn't seem to stop his brain from playing the 'what if' game.

When he came down the walkway he immediately saw her. She was taller than all the other females, but ultimately what drew his eye was the layer upon layer of reddish brown curls and bangs framing those large green eyes. She stood with her spine straight and her hands planted firmly on her hips and when she saw him she threw her shoulders back and smiled with her whole face. In a few short strides she was in his arms and they were both laughing.

"Are you really wearing cowboy boots?" He asked her as he looked down. She had on some faded Levi's, a flannel button down shirt, and a scuffed up pair of cowboy boots.

"Hell yeah, I'm a bonafide mountain woman now. The boots are required wear." She grinned and then turned and started heading out the door towards the short term parking area. As he walked behind her, he decided that he really liked the extra swing those boots gave to her gait.

Soon, she slowed and turned to a row of cars, stopping at a badass El Camino pulling the tailgate down and folding back the leather cover.

"Are you serious?" He asked, never taking his eyes from the car.

"I told you I bought a car," she said as she lifted his suitcase up into the bed before shutting the tailgate and refastening the cover.

"You said car, you didn't say one of the nastiest American muscle cars ever made!"

Meg looked at him with her head cocked. "Why Norm, is that a tear I see shining in your eye?" And then she pulled the keys out of her pocket and dangled them in front of his face. He grinned hugely and snatched them out of her hand before jumping behind the steering wheel.

The engine rumbled to life and once out of the Airport and on the freeway headed towards downtown, Norman stepped on the gas to see just how responsive the engine would be. It did not disappoint and soon he and Meg were both laughing and whooping and singing along to AC/DC's Thunderstruck. They were having so much fun that it was almost a let-down when they pulled up to the Raphael Hotel on the Plaza. The valet, however, looked anything but let-down as he grinned when he was handed the keys.

Once inside with their suitcases, Norman walked up to the check-in desk and gave his name. The young lady looked up and her eyes widened slightly before her face turned red. She picked up a phone and spoke quietly into it for a few seconds.

"Yes, sir, Mr. Reedus, all of your requests have been accommodated. You should find the suite to your specifications, but if you need anything... anything at all, please feel free to contact me personally." She smiled and made direct eye contact with him and then added, "My name is Lucy." She handed him a key card holder and directed him to an elevator bank behind them.

Once on the elevator, Meg looked over at Norman and raised her eyebrow. "Hi, my name is Lucy and I'm here to serve you, Mr. Reedus..." she said in her best Marilyn Monroe breathy voice.

"Stop" he said, and pulled her to him by the back of her head. Their kiss was interrupted by the ding of the elevator and they stepped out into a foyer that led to a set of double doors. Using the same key card that he had used to get the elevator to reach the top floor of the hotel, he opened the doors into a stunning penthouse suite with a large central living room, two bedrooms on each end of the suite and a kitchen and dining area between the living room and the bedroom to the left. All along the back wall was floor to ceiling windows with a set of French doors in the center leading to a balcony overlooking the gorgeous lights and buildings of the Plaza area of this mid-western city.

"Dang Reedus, for a greasy haired hipster, you really know how to sleep in style." Meg said as she walked around the suite. The sheets on the bed were insanely soft and there was a robe hanging in the bathroom that she felt like she would disappear into. Back in kitchen, she discovered it was stocked with her beloved Community coffee, Carolyn's Irish Crème Whiskey, a selection of very nice cabernet wines, and a big box of chocolates. That made her grin...

Norman watched her roam around the rooms, and take in all the small touches that he'd requested. She'd never say it, but he could see that she was touched that he'd taken the time to have the things she liked brought in. They were going to be here two nights before they set out to wherever it was she had planned for their first stop, and he wanted her to enjoy every minute of it.

"What's on the agenda for tonight?" She asked him.

"I didn't make any plans for tonight, actually. Got dinner worked out for tomorrow." He replied.

She grinned at this. "Good. Let's order room service, take a swim in that enormous bath tub, wrap up in those amazing robes, watch one of your movies, and then go do really fun and naughty things to each other between those deliciously soft sheets. Sound good?"

He felt his heartbeat accelerate at the images that entered his brain. His eyes narrowed and he took a step towards her as he reached down and pulled his shirt up over his head. Her eyes widened in surprise and she stumbled back a step into the leather barstool behind her. Norman stopped when he was within inches of her and continued to shed his clothing until he was completely nude. She looked him over and bit the corner of her lip and a blush started rising up her chest to her cheeks. He undid her belt and unbuttoned her jeans before slowly pulling them down. She kicked her boots off and he slid the jeans completely off before standing and pulling her shirt up and off and then made quick work of her bra while she slipped her panties over her hips.

Meg was shaking with need and reached out to pull Mac to her, but instead he held her at arm's length and took in every inch of her. "You are so beautiful, Meg MacAndrews." He whispered and then picked her up, wrapping her legs around his waist, and carried her into the bedroom where he pulled the covers back with one arm. "I liked your plan, but I say we start and end the night in the same fashion." He said against the skin of her neck, raising goosebumps, while his hand reached down and parted the folds of her sex.

"My god, you are so wet. I can't believe that's for me."

"Oh baby, this is the tip of the iceberg" she said, a little breathless, "but we're going to discover so much, I promise." With that said, she flipped him over and after a few directions; she had taken him into her mouth while his fingers worked their magic on her. Over and over they brought each other to the point of climax and then backed off, until it was finally more than either could take and Meg climbed onto Norman's lap and they buried their hands into each other's hair. With their gazes locked on one another, emerald clashing with sapphire, their thrusts slowly increased and sweat ran down their chests. He could feel a rising heat within Meg's walls as her climax built. Norman couldn't believe he was holding out as long as he was; the pleasure was almost overwhelming. Suddenly, her head dropped back and he felt the vice grip of her walls clench him and squeeze as wave after wave of her orgasm washed over her, causing her entire body to tremble and spasm. It went on and on and drenched him and the incredible feeling was enough to send him over the edge of a massive climax of his own. Just as he was at the peak, Meg reached down and gently squeezed his balls causing another wave of pleasure to course through him. All he could do was grunt out a string of expletives.

____________________________________________________________________

After a quick trip to the restroom, Norman came walking back into the bedroom and stood at the foot of the bed. Meg was laying on her side, with the sheet draped over her hip, one arm over her breasts and tucked up under her chin and the other sticking straight up with her head lying on it. Her hair was a riot of curls and was fanned out all around her head, with a large chunk covering her face. He walked over and got his phone and took a couple of quick photos from behind and slightly above. It was a very obvious post-sex photo, and was going to be a great reminder of this trip.

"Did you just take a picture of me?" Came her muffled voice.

"Yep," he chuckled. "This one really would break the internet."

In response she raised one hand and one finger on that hand. "Do I hear a bath being ran?"

"That is correct. There were even scented bubbles."

That got her to raise her head and grin at him. "In that case, all is forgiven shutterbug."

The bathtub was huge and the water steaming. By the time they got out and wrapped up in the buttery soft robes their skin was bright pink and they smelled of the lavender bubbles. In the living room, Norman ordered room service while Meg browsed through the online Movie library until she found a couple of movies that he'd had been in when he was quite younger. In one he'd played a serial killer and the other he was a detective.

Ironically, they watched the serial killer movie while eating their room service. It was pretty gory and while the writing and directing wasn't that great, Norman had perfectly acted the part of the sociological killer. She sympathized with his victims, understanding how easy it would be to underestimate the bashful acting, super sexy young man.

For the second movie, his character had a love interest. She was a beautiful brunette, with intense features that Meg recognized from more recent movie trailers. The chemistry between the two on screen was electric. She could see why they were cast together.

Norman was lying between Meg's legs on the enormous sectional couch; his head reclined on her shoulder. When a particularly graphic scene between him and Susan started playing out on screen, he felt Meg shift restlessly under him and raise one knee up and lay it against his side. Sneaking a look over at her, he saw that her eyes were glued to the screen, widened just slightly and her lips were parted.

"Are you... Is this turning you on?" He asked in disbelief.

Mirroring his look she replied, "Well, duh, why wouldn't it? Two of the hottest people I've ever seen are having crazy, wild sex." Looking back at the screen she got a little half smile on her face before continuing, "I'm sure it's mostly because I know what you're capable of making a woman feel."

Looking back at the screen Norman just shook his head. Not only was she not feeling any jealousy, she was turned on thinking about the pleasure the woman may have been feeling? What planet was she from?

"Well, not to bust your fantasy, but I was a better actor than lover back then."

"Why? Don't tell me you were a selfish lover."

"I'm sure that was part of it, but also because I never really knew if what I was doing was the right thing or not. All I ever got was positive comments and feedback, if there was any at all."

"Well... that's something, I guess." She said with a little giggle.

"I'm serious!" He said and suddenly it was important to him that she understood what she had done for him. "I started modelling right out of high school and so sex was not hard to get. It was always easy and because I didn't have to work for it, I guess I just didn't work at it. Most of the time it was at parties and so I and the girl would both be drunk. Later in life, once I started acting I had a few longer term girlfriends and it just always seemed to be okay. No complaints. Even with Helena, it always seemed to be good, and she never said otherwise."

He sat up and turned around to look at her now. "But that first night with you, when you showed me all the things you wanted done, I realized that I had no clue how to please a woman. I also quickly realized that I've never really felt a woman orgasm with me inside her... because there is no mistaking that feeling. I cannot believe that I'm 40 years old and just learned these things." He shook his head and leaned over to kiss her. "No matter what the future brings, I will forever be grateful to you for being willing to show me the right way."

Meg couldn't believe this man. How could it be possible that he was so willing to be honest and completely vulnerable with her? She felt the struggle that had started taking place between her brain and her heart in the desert, deepen. From a young age she had put chains on her heart and given her brain free reign over her emotions and decisions and it had served her well. Even Doug had been a mostly intelligent decision, albeit driven by attraction and compatibility. This brain over heart, logic over emotion way of life was what had made her an exceptional soldier and operative. So now that she had left that life behind, why not 'unchain her heart' to quote a popular love ballad. But, as soon as the thought flitted across her brain, she tamped it back down. She needed to explore this line of thinking soon, but not today.

"Believe me; it was in my self-interest as much as it was yours." She grinned at him, before taking a deep breath. "So, my turn to confess... You might be surprised that, while I've studied sexuality and how to be irresistible to men, I've only had real sex with 3 other men before you; only one of those was I with more than once. And only one guy was secure enough to let me explore my more 'adventurous' side."

He was stunned, but held himself to as calm an outward appearance as possible. "I take it he wasn't the long term guy?" Norman asked. He was crazy curious about that guy, knowing he was likely the first 'in love' guy.

"No, he was Mi-6 and was with me on my last covert operation. We had infiltrated the British arm of ISIS, posing as weapons experts that had been floating since the break-up of the IRA Terrorist organization. Once on the inside I used one of my areas of expertise on the leader. It was a seduction technique, which you experienced a taste of in Florida." She smirked at him before continuing, "It's basically just exposing a weakness in the pack leader of a group, and then using some sort of intense sexual situation to make myself into a kind of 'ear wig' that he can't get out of his head. So, I did that to the leader, Mubadeen, and within another 4 weeks he was willing to abandon his faith and the brotherhood to run away with me. Because of it, I was able to get Intel on and stop 3 major bombing targets from happening, including 2 in the US and 1 in Germany. The night that happened, back in my room, after Daniel and I had transmitted the information up to our headquarters, the adrenaline took over and we spent it doing what would make us feel the most alive."

"So why wasn't there a repeat performance?"

"The second crew that was meeting us in Berlin was the one that had the details around the San Francisco and Chicago targets. So, the next day we went with the brotherhood to meet them in Berlin to set up the train station bombing. The night before we were to hit the target, we were holed up a crappy warehouse and we went over the plans for the local bombing, as well as those for the states. I had been able to plant a wireless microphone on one of Mubadeen's boots, and as soon as the information was received by Mi-6, they launched a raid. It would have been a fairly text book in and out, but there was a rigged explosive that the other group had put in place. Neither Daniel nor I knew about it. He was first through the door and took the brunt; he died and I was in a coma for close to 10 weeks, in the hospital for another 4 weeks."

"Jesus..." Norman sighed. "Is that where those scars on your belly came from?"

"Yeah, belly and thighs. Lots of internal injuries, brain injury, also took 2 bullets; 6 surgeries are what it took to put me back together. It was a career-ending injury."

"I can't believe how much you've survived."

"Well, someone had to teach your sorry ass how to shag properly. That's obviously why I'm still here." The both raised their eyebrows at the same time before laughter filled the air, dissolving the tension and heaviness.

Norman stood up and scooped Meg up and carried her into the bedroom. They both shed their robes and wrapped themselves around each other. He reached up and hit the master lights button on his side of the bed and the suite was plunged into darkness, the only light coming through the large windows.

"Meg?" He asked, his voice barely above a whisper, his lips against her neck.

"Yeah?" She responded, feeling the slight goosebumps from his breath against her skin.

"Can I ask you a question before we fall asleep?"

"Sure, why not?" She said and felt just a slight moment's nervousness.

"Just how long are those damn legs of yours?" He asked, looking down and seeing her feet sticking out below his.

She couldn't help it; she let out a snort at how ridiculous his question was. "From hip bone to heel they're 44 and half inches."

"You are a freak of nature, MacAndrews."

She let out a huge yawn and snuggled a little deeper into the covers before answering back in a mumbled whisper, "takes one to know one, Reedus."

*** Author's Note ***

I wanted to add a note here to say that I know that in real life Norman Reedus was only briefly a model. I've take a few liberties in this work of fiction, and making him a model early on in his life is one of them. Also, I want to say that I am very sure that Mr. Reedus has never been less than spectacular in the sack. However, in my personal experience I've found that men (especially if they're hot) many times don't know what a woman really wants because there aren't a ton of us that will tell them.  THANK YOU for being patient and understanding of the fictional portions that I create to make the story flow the way I envision it.