Okay, when I woke up, I was tied to a log in a saw mill, and of course the log was headed toward a really big round saw. I was trussed up like fricken' Penelope Pittstop while some loon with a crazy moustache was cackling in the corner. What kind of sicko would think that sawing a guy in half was a good plan? The kind of sicko that watches too many cartoons. The kind of sicko that only Benton Fraser could find. In fact, I was willing to bet a paycheck that there was only one sawmill in all of Canada with this kind of old fashioned rig and naturally, Fraser was connected to it.

I closed my eyes and listened to the whine of the saw. It didn't seem very far away. It was hard to tell, but I'd figured I was somewhere in the middle of a really long log. That made sense in a perverse way. Would've been over too quick if I was too close to the top. Not nearly enough screaming and begging. Not that I could scream. I was gagged, but he'd be able to tell, I guess. I tried to wrestle free from the ropes or rock the log off the track. Neither worked. The rough rope just dug deeper into my wrists and my neck. Maybe if I was lucky I could strangle myself. But my luck had stayed the same - - all bad. I stayed right where I was with skin rubbed raw to bleeding.

As deaths went, I figured this one wouldn't be that hard on me. Probably hurt like a mother for about 30 seconds. Once my brain was split, I wouldn't have felt a thing. Hell of a thing for Fraser to find though. Maybe he wouldn't have known it was me. Who was I kidding? He gave me the mukluks and helped me pick out the parka. He'd know. I wondered if he'd kill Mr. Moustache before joining me in the Great Beyond. Fraser was a sharp one. He'd probably make the idiot draw on him. Kill each other at the same time. Poor Dief. I was sad but resigned, I guess. That's why I had come up there - - love or death. The odds were fifty-fifty. Either worked for me. Life in limbo without him had been enough hell for me.

The whine of the saw had just about lulled me into a trance, but there were other sounds intruding on the edge of my mind. It kinda sounded like explosions. I could see the mustachioed maniac turn away from staring at my progress down the belt - the sick fuck - to talk to one of his guys who was all wild eyed and waving his arms like crazy. I couldn't make out what they were saying over the noise of the saw. It must have been something, because Mr. Moustache was red faced. Seemed he didn't want to miss out on me spurting like a CSI corpse. Two more explosions including one that blew off the front door didn't budge him.

The angry wolf settled the argument. Mr. Henchman didn't make it out. Unfortunately, Mr. Moustache did. Boy, Dief was really mauling that idiot by the way he was yelling. Of course in all that parka he was wearing, I doubted that the wolf was reaching skin. It was about then that my brain caught up with my eyes. Wait, Dief was there. That meant....

"Ray?"

The voice was unmistakable even over the saw. I could hear a lot in the tone of that one word.

"What on Earth are you doing here?"

Then it all hit me. One, I was gagged so I couldn't answer. Two, if Fraser was here he'd have to watch me die. Three, I couldn't stand for my last few seconds on Earth to be filled with the image of Fraser's horror struck face. Just then, the saw hit the top edge of the log.

"Get me the hell off this thing!" I mumbled loudly over the gag.

"Language, Ray," he shouted while producing a large knife.

Fraser was swift if not gentle in getting me out of those ropes. Then I was rolled off the log and righted onto my feet just as the saw sliced the place my head had been. I watched in fascination as the wood was cleanly and completely split. Then, my legs gave way and the lights went out.

I came back with a hard start thinking for a half a second that I was still about to be split in two.

"Easy Ray," Fraser murmured. I felt his arms tighten around me. I realized that he had let me down so that I was cradled against him. The gag was gone. He gently stroked my face. I could see more emotion in his eyes than I ever had before. They were so intense... more intensely blue than I remembered. It was an amazing sight.

"What are you doing here?"

I found myself smiling. The man never could let go of a question. But I didn't have enough words for him right then. I was too tired and this was too important. Instead of talking, I reached up with a shaky hand to slide into the hair at the nape of his neck. The hair was so soft. Softer than I had imagined. He didn't resist the pull. His expression was hopeful like he couldn't quite trust what his eyes were telling him but he really wanted to. I closed my eyes then. His lips were soft but firm and as hot against mine as I had imagined. They opened for my tongue. He even did some gently exploring of his own. The kiss wasn't passionate by any stretch. It was sweet and clingy and saved me at least two hours of roundabout conversation. His eyes were shining when he pulled back. I felt prickles behind my eyelids.

"I didn't want you to leave without me," I said softly. "I didn't want you to die."

That startled him. He went through the math while tracing my hairline. He seemed amazed to be able to touch me this way. After a long, silent moment, he nodded.

"We have a lot to talk about," he said solemnly. "Can you stand?"

"I think so," I replied. I felt pretty good in my head. I was alive and he was alive. He was on the same page with me. Knowing that made everything feel easy.

Fraser got me to my feet then stepped away. I was a little wobbly but remained upright. It was then I noticed Dief still had Mr. Henchman. He was on the guy's chest while his tail thumped happily at me. Talk about a mixed message. The guy didn't know what to do. The Mountie took over. In short order, the suspect was cuffed and strapped into his sled. The Henchman had the good sense to observe his right to remain silent. My adrenalin had come back and I was in the mood to pound someone over the log thing. But there was Dief yammering at me in between big laps of the tongue to distract me.

We rode Fraser's sled to the place where I'd hidden mine. Fraser expressed approval at how well concealed my team was under a natural overhang. The genuine pride in his voice jazzed me. I just wished I'd been bright enough not to let Mr. Moustache get the jump on me. But that was water under the bridge. I found my Mountie and he was smiling at me. My main thought was centered on getting him alone as soon as I could. By then I felt steady enough to ride my own rig to the nearest outpost. I was really grateful that it was as close as Fraser said. Sometimes, people who live in the middle of nowhere think that a short ride is four to five hours. The detachment was only an hour away just outside of the town I had been headed for when I spotted Mr. Moustache and his men.

So, in a span of a few hours of being attacked and tied to a log, we were riding into a fort that looked like something between F-Troop and Dudley Do-Right. I was confused until I saw the modern administrative buildings and SUVs nearby. I guessed that they kept the fort like that for tourists. It even had a gift shop. I'd have to find out what kind of Mountie souvenirs were available. But I was also seeing barracks. That sucked. I was glad we were somewhere safe so fast, but Frase and me had a lot of deep shit to work through. That wasn't going to happen in a barracks.

But my Mountie wasn't nearly as clueless here as he seemed in Chicago. He turned the prisoner over to a Corporal Stivens (who was as big a stiff as his name). He dashed through his paperwork and took my statement with lightening speed. He then contacted his own superior officer to tell him that he was one detachment over from where he should be but had caught a bad guy. He was told to take the days off he'd accrued immediately. Apparently, there would be some sort of paperwork apocalypse in the RCMP if he didn't. He reported all of this to Inspector Dudley (How I managed not to bust a gut laughing, I'll never know. Fraser's face was priceless trying to keep me in line). The Inspector agreed that the leave had to be taken 'post haste.' Next thing I knew, we were putting our gear down in a nice one-bedroom rental cabin off the main road between the fort and the town.

Fraser had housed our sleds and dogs at the fort and borrowed a vehicle. After getting rid of the gear, me, Frase and Dief headed into town for provisions. I knew the drill with my Mountie. He'd want to get us set up with everything we would need for the next few days, before nightfall. I was usually dead tired and grumpy about that while we were on our adventure. I was pretty tired that day, but I didn't want anything or anyone interrupting us once we got started. I knew I wouldn't want to stop. From the looks I caught when Fraser thought I wasn't looking - neither would he.

After we hit a market and a dry goods store and a drug store (I was hopeful), we found a good restaurant. I had learned during our adventure that towns in the Northwest Territories were generally not the backwaters Fraser had described in Chicago. Yellowknife had a mall and the First Nations in Inuvik had their own web pages. There were enough restaurants up there that I became almost a big enough snob over them as I had with pizza parlors back home. I'd judge a place by the smell when I came in. If it smelled like road kill was boiling somewhere, I'd beat a hasty retreat. This place smelled like heaven. It had great vegetable soup and light, flaky biscuits and great coffee. There weren't many people there. We basically had the place to ourselves. That suited me. Aside from not wanting to share Fraser with anyone, it had been a while since I'd last showered. I was barely confident to keep enough food in me and keep warm when I was alone. I really didn't want to risk the chill of bathing outside in the tundra. I had been heading for a town and a shower when the crap hit the fan earlier.

The food felt good. I scarfed down two bowls of soup and had the berry cobbler. Fraser's eyes felt good on me too. No one who didn't know him would have noticed. But I could see everything in his eyes: curiosity, amazement, gratitude and a heat that made my toes curl. He was so different than the buttoned up guy I knew in Chicago. He was tousled and tired. He had five o'clock shadow. He looked as edible as that cobbler. And he was staring at me. I had realized something during all those hours alone in the tundra. Fraser had always watched me. Watched my hands and my mouth and my moves. All those times when he was 'wool gathering' he had been checking me out. This time though, when he caught me catching him, he didn't go blank or look away. Fraser looked right into my eyes then licked cobbler off his spoon. I was surprised that the boner I had didn't poke through all the layers I was wearing and right through the table.

Somehow, we made small talk throughout dinner and dessert. He wanted to know how I got my sled and my team. That hadn't been easy. I lost a week proving the guy who was renting the team to me that I a)could actually handle them; b)wasn't just some 'crazy yank'; and c)had a plan for finding Fraser that he could approve of. Took every bit of patience I had not to rip his head off that week. The Mountie would have been proud. He wanted to know how I'd tracked him and anticipated his next move. My face felt warm at the pride in his eyes as I told him. I guess he didn't realize how closely I had watched him on our adventure or how much I had learned from his stories. I had heard every word. I always had. I was just a little slow on the uptake.

By the time we got to the cabin and put away the provisions, I was wiped. Fraser coaxed me to stretch out on the sofa while he lit fires in the living room hearth and the bedroom. The cabin had all the modern conveniences (even a washer and dryer), but we'd been warned that the furnace was cold. Seemed to me only a few second later that I was being pulled from the sofa.

"Come, take a shower so I can treat those rope burns," he said.

"Come with me," I whispered tugging at him.

"As you wish."

"Do you wish?" I asked. A challenge crept into my voice.

"Yes," he admitted. "Yes."

I hobbled into the bathroom and stripped. Fraser stepped into the tub after I was under the mercifully hot, hot spray. I barely had time to look at him. His hands were on my body first cleaning away days of sweat and grime. Then massaging away the aches. I touched him as well running my hands down the broad muscular back chasing suds. My touch was less practical or therapeutic, but he didn't seem to mind. Fraser leaned into my touch. He seemed to crave it as much as I craved his. I wanted his mouth on mine again. But Fraser was determined to give me the once over. I decided not to fight it.

My patience got me put in bed naked. Fraser was in a towel for some reason. I guess he needed some clothes while he put ointment on me. I was not to sure about whatever he had in his hands, but it felt good on my neck. Then the welts weren't burning anymore.

"Feels good," I said.

"I purchased an antibiotic ointment with pain relief in the pharmacy," Fraser said as he carefully treated each wrist.. "Your skin looked very raw."

"Yeah. Feels pretty good now," I said. "But my lips are feeling raw."

Fraser's eyes seemed to get darker. "Do you want some ointment on them?"

I shook my head and let my eyes drop to his mouth. Fraser licked his lips. I bit back a groan. Thank God he didn't want to play anymore. His lips were on mine. His tongue was opening my mouth as he pulled back the covers and replaced their warmth with his heavy heat. Somehow, he'd ditched the towel. This kiss wasn't like the one in the sawmill. It was a lot hotter and deeper and it was the Mountie who was pushing the edge. He was learning me. Hell, he was owning me. I groaned in his mouth as the kiss intensified. My hands wandered down his back and up to tangle in his hair. My touch made him growl and that was almost as hot as the kiss. He shifted his hips then thrust against my erection. I gasped as he tore his mouth from mine. He shifted his attention to my neck just shy of the rope burn. He gently bit me.

"Ben... Ben.." I gasped.

He pulled back to look at me with almost black eyes.

"Ray," he whispered.

Then we were kissing again and moving against each other. God, it felt so good... couldn't last... I felt him stiffen against me just as I lost it. He moaned my name. I nearly shouted his. Fraser was heavy on me. I loved how he pressed me down. His heart was racing. His breath was warm in my ear. We stayed that way until Fraser's breathing quieted. He rolled over taking me with him then pulled up the blankets. I fell asleep draped over him listening to his heart.

I woke up a long time later. It was hard to tell the time between the shutters and the night that was never really dark. But my arms and legs felt like lead which meant I had been asleep long enough for my body to figure out that it had been pulverized. I would have drifted back to sleep, but I knew Fraser was awake. We still needed to talk. The arms around me tightened as I opened my eyes and lifted my head. He was perfectly lit by the light that poured through the shutters. His smile was sweet. His eyes were warm.

"How do you feel?" he asked. His voice was husky and deeper than usual.

We needed to talk. But I thought kissing that beautiful, hot mouth was a much better idea. Fraser seemed to agree. I stretched up to set my lips against his. God, he was so warm and hard against me. I opened my mouth under his and let him take me over. He felt me give it up and murmured appreciatively rolling me onto my back. Then he bit my neck. I expected him to tongue me from head to toe - to taste me the way he'd taste things at a crime scene. That had been a big part of my fantasies on I let them run wild. But he couldn't stop kissing me. The kisses would wander to my hairline or my eyelids or my neck. But he kept returning to my mouth. I couldn't kick about that. Hell, I was so happy with that mouth on mine that is was all I could do to keep from laughing.

"Ray, Ray, Ray, Ray, Ray...." he murmured in my ear before nipping at it.

My eyes did the prickling behind the lid thing. Never thought I'd hear him say my name like that again.

"God, Ben..."

I shifted my hips to align our erections and started thrusting. I need to hear him come with my name on his lips. And bless him, Fraser was right with me. In the end, he growled my name then gasped my name. My favorite was when he sighed my name after we were a sweaty, sticky mess.

We lay that way for a long time. I was already addicted to having his weight on me. I was loving his heart beating into me.

"How did you find out?" Fraser asked after a while.

The time had come to talk but suddenly I didn't want to do it in that bed. That bed or any other bed we shared from then on was for other things.

"Let's get breakfast," I said.

A half an hour later, we'd showered and shaved and were working on breakfast. Dief was underfoot expressing his own pent up affection and keen interest in the food prep.

"Thatcher called me," I said after my first drag on the coffee cup.

Fraser's eyebrow went up but he remained silent as he cooked a pan of sausages.

"Called about four weeks ago," I said. "She met your superior at some conference and asked about you."

I held his gaze with mine.

"She said your superior thought highly of your arrest rate. You were no fuss - - liked the long patrols that no one wanted," I continued. "But your reports were somewhat lacking."

"Ah," he said coloring slightly. He moved mechanically to making eggs.

"Yes, ah. Mister everything in perfect triplicate," I replied. An edge had crept into my voice.

"And Inspector Thatcher called you," he said. That confused him. It had been my wake up call.

I shrugged at that. A smile tugged at my mouth. "I guess we were the only ones who didn't see it. She knew I'd come after you. Hell, Welsh didn't expect me to come back after the adventure."

That really threw Fraser. I was used to it. But I had been kicking myself about our blindness since leaving Chicago. I was used to the idea by then.

"How did you know what the reports meant?" He seemed very confused.

"Ben, it's me. Being the ultimate Mountie was how you defined yourself. You didn't care anymore. You were flying solo more and more and taking risky cases," I said. The edge was back. "I knew because I was already on that road."

Fraser froze as we was dishing out the food. I nodded at him.

"It wasn't a plan or I didn't think it was until Thatcher called," I said thinking about all those long lonely nights in my crappy apartment. "I'd make sure you thought I was happy and adjusted. And I'd give it time to make sure you thought I was happy so you would never connect the dots. Then..."

"You'd let whatever happened happen," Fraser said.

"You were leaving without me," I croaked. My throat felt suddenly closed. "I had to stop you or..."

"Join me," he whispered. "Dear God."

Fraser started shaking. I was across the room to hold him.

"You could have died a thousand ways looking for me," he whispered into my hair.

"Who knew I'd find a buzz saw?" I said cupping his face making him see my smile.

"Ray, I was foolish and selfish."

I made him look at me. "You. Were. Not. Alone. I was as big an ass in this. But we're here now. I'm not going to waste it wallowing and I won't let you either."

Suddenly, I was plastered against him with that amazing tongue in my mouth.

"Why didn't you do this when we were zipped in a sleeping bag?" I murmured against his hair after he moved from my mouth to nibble on my shoulder.

"I was certain that you'd punch me in the nose," he said against my skin. "Or kick me in the head."

Fraser pulled back to look at me. His eyes were soft and serious. "I was afraid I'd lose my dear friend. I've had so few this close to me in my life. I lost you anyway."

I traced his pouty lips. "No one lost anyone."

"You're quite right," he said finally smiling. "Let's have breakfast."

I swear I don't know how we got food down our throats grinning at each other like that.

"How long can you stay?" Fraser asked. His smile remained but there was a little shadow in his eyes.

"'Till I'm pushing up daisies or you make me leave, Ben. I'm using all my leave while the retirement goes through," I replied. "I got partial but I can make it work. Welsh was begging me to get out after a while. I was almost useless after Thatcher's call. I had to get to you."

Fraser colored a bit. "I was quite difficult as well. Dief was finding it intolerable."

"You'll have to help me with the paperwork and find a way to fit in up here," I said. "I didn't have much of a plan when I left."

Truth was that I didn't know if I would need one. I had boxed my stuff and gave the turtle to Frannie. I had letters in my apartment with instructions if I didn't come back. But Fraser didn't need to know about that.

"It will be my pleasure to find a place for you in Canada, Ray," Fraser said. "You have a number of options."

"I knew you could think of something."

"Did they give you a nice send off at the 2-7?"

I shook my head as I finished off my eggs. "Nah, I figured they might buy me a beer or two when we go back for my stuff."

"We?"

"I ain't letting you outta my sight if I can avoid it," I replied. "We finish up whatever craziness going on here, then we go back for my stuff. No arguments."

"That suits me, Ray. I've grown tired of being on my own," Fraser replied. His voice dropped to a whisper.

He was looking uncertain again. I couldn't have that.

"Okay, we've got provisions for a few days. There's a TV and even something that plays tunes," I said. "A regular honeymoon suite."

Fraser considered that as I helped him with the dishes. The look he gave me made my knees quake. "Precisely."

Somewhere in the middle of the gymnastics I planned, Fraser needed to rest. I knew I was still in bad shape, but he actually looked tired which meant he was half dead. Jesus, what would sex be like when he was full throttle? Well, if I gotta go that's a great way to leave. If we were horizontal, there was bound to be some rest.

"What do we do first?" I asked.

I knew there were some practical things that needed to be done, but all my thoughts centered around putting my mouth on something or a body part in somewhere else. Fraser seemed to have the same problem if his blush was any clue. That was cool.

"Why don't you let Dief out and get more wood while I put some stew on to simmer?"

I clamped down hard on the wood remark forming in my brain. I had plenty of that raring to go. Instead, I grabbed my scarf and gloves and got the wolf's attention. The air outside was bracing, Fraser would say. I wrapped the scarf across my face to keep my nostrils from freezing shut. I ended up wrapping my whole head because the icy wind was such a shock after the toasty cabin.

So, I'm making like the Invisible Man in bandages and Dief had frolicked his way around the back of the cabin when I noticed a snowmobile heading down the road toward the main road into town. On it was a hatless guy in a big long red scarf and a strange moustache that looked very familiar. I kept doing what I was doing and he kept his attention on the road. Luckily, Dief was still out of sight. I wasn't absolutely sure it was him. I had been traumatized. I might have a moustache phobia for the rest of my days. But I didn't want there to be any chance that our honeymoon would be interrupted.

He puttered out of sight without ever looking my way. By then, Dief was nudging my hand with a yip.

"Yeah, mine are freezing, too," I said. We beat it inside with the wood. I locked the door and bolted it. The shutters were sturdy. Fraser had his service pistol and at least two rifles. We also had Dief. I felt safe enough. Fraser was cleaning up the stew fixings. The iron soup pot was simmering. I had better things to think about.

"That pot should be fine for a few hours," Fraser said as he unwrapped my head. He seemed amused. "Fetching head dress."

"It worked," I said pulling him to me. We kissed our way to the bedroom.

Then, I had him. The Mountie with the amazing tongue was with me. He was baring my skin inch by inch and tasting everything he uncovered. And that tongue was different on every pass against my skin. The first one was learning my taste. The second was a caress. But even before the tongue was the nose thing. He has to scent the area first. That made my skin so sensitive that the first swipe drove me out of my mind each time. He had to hold me down. Even with that, by the time he got to my navel, I was a begging, moaning idiot.

He must have taken pity on me. Next thing I knew he was scenting my groin. The first swipe went from the base of my cock to the tip. I had to look at him. His eyes met mine as he tongued me up again. God, his eyes were intense and so dark. When he reached the crown on the second pass, he took me whole. My eyes rolled back in my head. I exploded seeing stars behind my eyelids.

Then, his mouth was on mine and that hot erection of his was stroking against me. I looped a leg around his hips and canted my hips against his. He tore his mouth from mine suddenly.

"My. God. Ray." He growled then came.

He felt so good against me. I was stoked that I could do that to him.

"I'm afraid I grew impatient," he murmured breathlessly. "There was so much I wanted to do."

"What? Kill me?" I croaked.

"Hardly," he sighed. I could feel his smile against my neck as he nuzzled me.

"Well... okay... that's what honeymoon's are for," I replied sleepily.

I must have dozed off for a few. When I woke up, Fraser was sponging me off.

"Hey," I smiled.

"Hey yourself," he replied then settled in behind me. Dief curled up next to us. Fraser didn't kick about it, so I figured the floor must be pretty cold.

"Say, what was with that guy and the buzz saw?" I asked. I hadn't before that. "You been chasing him long?"

"He's been elusive," Fraser admitted. "He's based in this area, but no one's been able to determine where he's hiding."

"Probably next house over," I thought. If a whole detachment of Mounties didn't know how to find him, I wasn't about to contradict them. Besides, I doubted if he was going anywhere.

Fraser pulled me from my thoughts. I'll never forget the first time he wrapped around me and pulled me flush to sleep. He had one arm around me and one leg between mine. His head rested just behind mine. I fell asleep with his breath gently ruffling the hair at my ear. I never felt so wanted before. I felt that to my toes.

The stew got me up. It smelled great, but I wondered about it scorching. De-tangling from Fraser was interesting. He was warm and clingy in his sleep. Eventually, he let me go. But he rolled into my spot as I got up. That got to me. Jeez, I was turning into a sap. Of course, the stew was perfect. But the fire in the living room needed to be stoked. The place was getting really chilly. I got that chore done, then I went to work on lunch prep while the room heated. I had ulterior motives, but it was necessary. I set up the coffee pot and the tea pot. Then I filled Dief's bowl and got him a snack.

"Dief, come on," I whispered. "Snacks!"

The floor was warm enough for wolf paws and there were choice morsels of stew in the bowl. While the wolf took the bait, I hotfooted into the bedroom and shut the door.

Fraser was on his back still sleeping. His face was relaxed. He had a small smile on his lips. He still looked good enough to eat. And I wanted to let my own tongue wander before he could distract me. I wanted those nipples and that navel. Mostly, I wanted him moaning and babbling like a loon.

"Ray..." he moaned as I sucked one nipple to hardness. I shifted to hold him down by one shoulder as he arched off the bed. I was getting addicted to hearing my name said with that much heat and want. I needed more. I needed all I could get from him.

Fraser's navel was sensitive and tasty, and I loved the way he gasped as I tongued around it. But nothing matched the taste and feel of him in my mouth. I still held him down, because I could feel him fighting for control. God, I loved doing that to him. I loved him. That was my last thought as he came down my throat crying out my name.

I collapsed on his stomach afterwards. My jaw was sore but I was pretty pleased with myself. Fraser's chest was heaving. He was still moaning and sighing. But super Mountie was never down for long. Before I knew it, I was dragged up Fraser's body and rolled onto my back.

And Jesus. The look Fraser had on his face. No one had ever looked at me with such tenderness.

"Ray, Ray, Ray..." he murmured just looking at me like I was the most precious thing on the planet. Then that hot mouth was on mine and a hot hand was wrapped around my erection. Fraser was going to kiss me until I came. That almost did it for me, but he gentled the kiss and gentled me. Then he slowly played me like a freaking symphony until I was almost shouting into that kiss and coming all over the place.

After that, I was a wet dish rag trying to drag enough air into my lungs to stay conscious. Fraser was staring at me. His eyes were sheened over.

"Ray," he whispered.

Then he was in my arms crying softly. I didn't shush him. I just held him and shed some tears myself.

"I've always kept a tight rein on my emotions," Fraser said quietly. It had been more than an hour since we got out of bed. Fraser washed his face but his eyes were still a little puffy. But he made biscuits and tea like nothing was wrong. Then, he'd dished out the meal with hardly a word. I didn't press. His eyes were warm and unguarded when they met mine and he touched me a lot. It felt good in a way that he didn't need to fill up the air with a lot of words.

"From very young, I was told 'don't be sad'...'what is the sense in wanting what you can't have'...'don't be angry'..." Fraser said softly. "So often... I've believed that my feelings were wrong..."

He paused and smiled at me. "I hope I didn't alarm you, Ray. I wasn't upset. I was so... overwhelmed with my feelings..."

Fraser struggled for words, but I put a hand over his to stop him. "Hey, you get to me too."

We ate for a little while in silence. The food was good. The company was better. I was even feeling human.

"I had suspicions... hopes that my interest in deepening our partnership were shared. I am not as oblivious as believed."

That made me smile.

"But I couldn't be certain," Fraser said wistfully. "I didn't trust my feelings. I kept hoping you would make a move."

"Make a move," I chuckled. "Stell pounded into my skull that I was the world's neediest fuck. I thought I was seeing what I wanted to see. And then there's that thing you have for risking life and limb to be polite."

"Really, Ray," Fraser said. That got him riled. "No one is that polite. Not even Canadians. Why, Francesca would have her third child by me if that were the case."

I looked at him staring at me all indignant with messy hair and kiss bruised lips then busted up laughing.

Fraser stared at me. He laughed then. The crinkling at the corner of his eyes warmed me to my toes.

"I love you," I said. Never thought I'd say it for the first time while I was laughing.

The crinkling got deeper as the smile got wider. "And I love you, Ray."

That night we took a bath together. I'd never been into baths before, but I could get used to that. By the time it was done, all my aches and pains drained out of me with the water. The water and Fraser's magic hands were better than any pain pill. Afterward, we lazed in bed talking. I'd missed talking to him so much more than I realized. We fell asleep with Fraser wrapped around me again. I didn't mind at all.

We fell into a routine of basically sex and food and baths while we were awake. After the first day, we didn't sleep as much so we did manage to fit some television into the schedule. That was mostly catching up on the news. And the laundry got done at some point. The only time we left the cabin was to take Dief out and to get more wood. I was in heaven. We never did the Big Deed, but that was okay. I didn't know squat from topping or bottoming or any of that. As long as I had his hands and mouth and weight one me, I was good. I was better than good.

By day four, we were well rested, fed and momentarily satisfied. I think we were ready to move on to make this a permanent thing. The sooner Fraser got back to his own detachment, the sooner we could set everything in motion.

Our plan was to sign off with Dudley and make sure there wasn't anything else they needed from us then hit the road back to Fraser's detachment. That would take more than a day with the sleds. I figured that tent on the way back would be a whole new ball game, so to speak. Then, there I'd stay with Fraser at his small place until we could go back to Chicago. While I was waiting, I could check out bigger places for us to settle down. I was also going to look into a profession. Dance instructing wasn't likely, but I was a good mechanic. I figured there would be somewhere to fit in. I would charm the locals and make myself indispensable while Fraser waited for leave.

The first snag in the plan was Superintendent Dudley.

"Corporal Fraser, you look fit as a fiddle," the man said. "The rest did you good."

"Yes, sir. Thank you, sir." Fraser replied with a blush and a crack of his neck.

"And Detective Kowalski, I see you're no longer green around the gills," he said.

"No sir. I've been resting too," I said.

Fraser shot me a look. I clamped down on my smirk and tried to look serious.

"It's good you're back, Corporal," Dudley continued. "We've been pressed on all fronts on this Whiplash situation."

"Whiplash?" I blurted. "Snidely Whiplash?"

"It seems our quarry has convinced himself that he is a descendant of that persona," Fraser said. "That's why he tied you to that log."

"He thinks I'm Nell?" I demanded. Suddenly I wondered if I was still zoning on the sound of that log and I'd dreamed the last few days. No way my real life had gotten this weird.

"Ray, what he calls himself is unimportant. It's like that gang leader in Chicago calling himself 'Big Master Double Blunt.' Whiplash is much less of a mouthful you have to admit," Fraser said. He sounded reasonable. I still stared at him like he had three heads.

"The miscreant has become more than a nuisance," Dudley said. "The large amounts of drugs he's running through this area are making us look quite foolish."

"You're kidding," I said. I was thinking of how Double Blunt or any of the gangbangers would deal with him and his moustache. The miscreant wouldn't last five minutes.

"His gang is very active, and we must put a stop to it," Dudley said. "Our reputations are at stake."

"Sir, I appreciate your position, but I was going to report back to my detachment," Fraser said. "There is a full compliment of capable officers here and I must put in for an immediate personal leave."

"I cannot authorize it, Corporal," Dudley said. "As I said, this has been given a top priority from Ottawa. Your superior has ceded your service to my detachment. I've also been talking to the American Consulate and the Chicago Police Department."

My stomach dropped as the Superintendent slid a piece of paper at me.

"You are now officially attached as a liaison on this case," Dudley said. "You are to work with Corporal Fraser."

"I've been drafted! Greatness."

Fraser shot me a more sympathetic look, but I was about to go on a tear. These guys haven't been able to find someone a half mile away. There was no way Fraser and I were going to spend weeks in the frozen tundra looking in the wrong place. I wanted Fraser and me to get going to Chicago so we could get back to Inuvik. That meant Mr. Moustache was going down, Chicago style.

"Okay, you want me to work with you then you gotta deal with how I work," I said. "Frase and me don't do the task force thing. We got a method. And I have a hunch we need to follow. Now."

I gave Fraser a hard look. So did Dudley. Fraser cleared his throat and rubbed his eyebrow.

"Detective Kowalski's arrest record is well documented at his precinct. The high percentage is in part due to his hunches," Fraser said. "His insights have been honed by years of intensive undercover experience and he is particularly versed in the ways gangs operate. I believe that experience applies here."

Dudley muttered something Canadian for 'whatever works.' The next thing I knew we were outside the administrative office. Fraser was looking at me closely as we walked away toward the motor pool. He was waiting for answers. I was moving us toward somewhere private.

"Thanks for backing me up, Frase," I said.

"It's the truth, Ray," he replied. There was warmth in his voice. "But what do you have on Whiplash?"

I didn't want to tell him that right then. I didn't want to tell him that this detachment was a bunch of idiots. I'd rather Fraser figure that out himself. I had another tact in mind.

"I think we should look at this the way we would a cold case," I said.

"But it's an active investigation, Ray."

"Yes, one where you spent weeks in the snow before you caught a glimpse of the gang," I said. "It sounds cold to me. It's clear this mook is in the immediate area, right?"

"All indications point to that, yes."

"I think this needs some fresh eyes on the old material," I said. "This detachment has been so close to it, I think they may have missed something."

"Ray, I don't like to second guess..."

"I know you have cold cases in Canada. I've seen the TV show," I said. "Let's get the file and look over the record. We ain't stepping on any toes taking our own look."

Fraser still looked unsure but he got the file anyway. We beat it into town to look at the case over lunch. I knew he'd figure out what I already knew. Fraser had once looked at an apartment building riddled with bullets from a gang shootout and found one of the 'victims' had committed suicide. I wouldn't have to tell him anything.

Sure enough. Fraser's chewing slowed to a stop in the middle of the meal as he read. The color began to creep up his neck. He looked at me. Disbelief and anger were clear in his eyes. There was no speaking. He ate more of his lunch while gathering his thoughts. I had some cobbler and coffee.

"It seems that no one from the detachment interviewed the locals about the suspects," Fraser said. "All of the information came from Drug Enforcement. They had satellite photos and interviews from the captured carriers but there has been no basic legwork in this area."

My Mountie seemed dismayed by this. I wasn't surprised. "Frase, this detachment probably hasn't seen more than a bar brawl in a long time. It's a tourist area. No roughnecks from the pipelines... none of the usual riff raff. They probably felt out of their depth and relied on info from higher up."

Fraser sighed. "I understand that, Ray. But we were all trained the same way. This is very basic procedure. Even the rookie members should have known better."

"I'm sure they do, Frase. But what would you do as a wet behind the ears rookie when Dudley tells you to search the tundra?"

"I'd search the tundra," Fraser replied.

"Yep. But we're here and on the case. Let's show 'em how it's done," I said.

As investigations went, this one wasn't hard at all. We started in the restaurant and found four people who knew exactly who Snidely was and where and his boys were likely to be. His name was Seymour, not Snidely and Wabash not Whiplash. I can't blame the guy for wanting the cartoonie handle. Anything would be better than that name. And he was the guy. Everyone had the same story of how he was convinced that the cartoon villain was based on his great grandpa who made his fortune in real estate with a thing for foreclosures. He apparently also had no use for the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. By the time we'd talked to the owner of the dry goods store who also happened to be the mayor of that little burg, Fraser was clearly irritated.

"I beg your pardon, Mister Mayor, but if you knew of Mr. Wabash's activities, why didn't you report them to the authorities?" Fraser asked.

"'Cause I thought he was a lying idiot," the Mayor replied. "He's been spinning big yarns since we were in school. How am I supposed to believe he's part of a drug cartel? Twenty years ago, he said he and his boys were off to join 'Miami Vice.' I think he thought it was some kind of club."

Fraser glared at me when I snorted into my sleeve, but the Mayor was with me. He started laughing.

"Besides, if any of this were true, I figured the Horsemen would have inquired after him," he said. "Wouldn't they?"

"Yes," Fraser said tiredly. "Thank you for your time."

We were on our way back when Fraser spoke again.

"How did you know they'd missed something?" He asked quietly.

I sighed. "I was pretty sure I saw him pass our cabin a few days ago."

His hands tightened on the steering wheel. "And you didn't see fit to inform me?"

Oh, I was so not putting up with that tone - - not after all we'd been through. "First, he was a half a mile from a full detachment of cops that were supposed to be on the lookout for him. Second, I wasn't that sure at the time. I'd been seeing a lot of mustachioed crazies whenever I closed my eyes a few days ago. Third, that was the day you licked me up one side and down the other - - I would have done anything you wanted me to - - let you have me any way you could think of.... did you really want to give that up?"

Fraser was boring holes through the windshield. His breathing was labored.

"No... I wouldn't. God help me, but it's all I can do to keep from dragging you back to that cabin right now," he said softly.

It was all I could do to keep from making him pull over so I could shove my tongue down his throat and my hand down his pants.

"Back at you, Frase," I said. "Let's get Seymour so be can get back to important business."

The meeting with Superintendent Dudley and Inspector Fenwick (I can't even come up with anything to say about that) did not go well. All the Canadian politeness in the world could not change the fact that Fraser was telling superior officers that they have royally screwed up an investigation. And the superiors did what any would anywhere - - they got pissed off big time.

"I find it unbelievable that he would brag about such serious crimes to local waitresses," Fenwick sniffed. He struck me as an older, stiffer Turnbull. I think Fraser just wanted to strike him.

"It has been well documented that criminals cannot resist the impulse to brag about their exploits around those they want to impress," Fraser said with infinite patience. I could tell he was coming to the end of his rope by the death grip he had on his hat. "He may have been trying to curry favor with these waitresses."

"Or the Mayor," I chimed in. That got me three sets of eyes with the same expression. I shrugged. So far, I'd been pretty good at keeping my yap shut, but if I didn't say something I was going to bust.

"But we got the directives from the Narcotics Unit," Fenwick persisted.

Fraser sighed. "It's been my experience that such directives are meant to augment the local investigation, not supersede it. Such authorities would not presume to tell the local police unit how to run an investigation."

I bit my tongue. I've never met a Fed who didn't enjoy stepping on local toes, but I also didn't want this to go on for four hours.

"No matter what new technology we're given, we must never forget that we must be progressive and proactive," Fraser said. "We must be accountable and efficient through shared decision making. And we must achieve this through involvement with our communities."

Dudley flushed. "You are quite right, Corporal. We have been so preoccupied with the directives from Ottawa and the Technical Units, we've forgotten that we aren't just some museum post. We are the RCMP."

"Quite right," Fenwick chimed in.

I was about to add a 'here here' when a constable rushed into the office with an envelope. Dudley opened and read it. There was a strange look on his face that made my stomach sink.

"It's from that blighter, Whiplash," he said.

I took it from his hand and read it aloud. "Dear Dolt."

"Hmmm. can't spell Dudley," Fraser said.

"I've grown tired of your cat and mouse games. First sending a comely seducer to lure me to my doom and then sending spies into my own backyard. The time has come to face each other openly. You and your spies can find me at the Wabash Gorge at 6pm," I read.

"Obviously a trap," Fraser said. "That gorge is on the far side of his family's property and well away from the air strip where the real activities take place."

"We should strike both locations," Fenwick said. "And that airstrip should be destroyed."

"They'll be heavily armed," I said. "The guys they play with believe in lots of automatic weapons."

"We will prepare accordingly," Dudley said. "The men will enjoy suiting up in their Kevlar and using their rifles for something other than qualifying.

"Indeed," Fenwick agreed. "Let's suit up and meet at the center of the post in ten minutes."

Dudley sounded the alert for the men to get ready while Fraser and I headed for the stables where our sleds and dogs and Dief were.

"That was some speech you gave them back there, Frase," I said. "Really impressive."

"Thank you, Ray," he said. "But I was merely reminding the Superintendent and the Inspector of the core values in the RCMP Mission Statement."

"You guys have a mission statement?"

"Of course. I'm sure the Chicago Police Department has one as well," he said.

"Sure. It's 'shut your yap or I'll kick you in the head.'"

Fraser smiled at me then handed me a Kevlar vest.

"Oh, who was the 'comely seducer' you guys sent out," I asked. "I didn't see any females at the post."

Fraser frowned then rubbed his eyebrow.

"What?" I asked.

"I believe the comely seducer was you, Ray," Fraser said.

"What in the hell makes you think that?"

"It's not uncommon for men who spend a lot of time in the frontier to be drawn to other men for... comfort. There aren't many women about. Aside from that, he tied you to a log," Fraser said.

Okay, I know there's are a lot of times when Fraser seems to be speaking Greek, but that last sentence might as well have been Martian for all the sense it made.

"Because he tied me to a log means he has the hots for me?" I asked. "Please, tell me how that makes sense?"

"It was the plot of many of the silent serials that Whiplash's cartoon persona was based upon," Fraser said with the same patient tone he used on Dudley and Fenwick. "The heroine would refuse the villain's advances and the villain would respond by tying her to a log or railroad tracks or whatever was handy in retaliation."

I never want to hear about how violent modern films are again. "So he thinks I'm a 'comely seducer'?"

"Well, you are Ray," Fraser whispered. "But I don't want anyone else thinking of you that way."

I got lost in his gaze. "Would you tie me up if I didn't cooperate?"

"Most definitely," he smiled. It was a very naughty smile for such an innocent face. "But it wouldn't be to a log and you most assuredly wouldn't be fully clothed."

I really liked this Fraser. And I wanted to get to know him better. Much better.

"Let's go get the sick fuck," I said.


I was very surprised and happy when Dudley didn't bother to wait for Whiplash's deadline. Fraser explained that it wasn't un-Mountie like because Mounties didn't make deals with criminals. That made sense to me. Frase and I headed for the gorge because that's what Whiplash expected. We had two of the newer Mounties with us. I picked them because they were really bored at the post and they'd graduated at the top of their class in marksmanship.

Our plan had been to get the drop on Whiplash as he came to set up the trap. Of course, he arrived at almost the same time with a couple of goons. I'm not good at telling who was shooting where and who was running in which direction. All I know was that running and shooting started. I kept behind cover as I was unarmed but I kept my eye on that moustache. If he stayed true to form, he'd jack rabbit as soon as the going got tough. He did and I was right behind him.

"I'm on Seymour, Frase!" I shouted. He'd been separated from me by the vehicles and gunfire. He didn't look happy, but I knew he could follow me as soon as he could. I figured that not much could happen in the generally flat terrain with all those Mounties swarming around. Of course, that doesn't mean that nothing at all would happen. Or that what happened wouldn't be weird.

I was on him until just out of sight of the gunfight at the gorge. Then I lost him in seemingly flat terrain. It was like he had one of those magic Hobbit capes that let you hide under a twig and be invisible. Then I heard him behind me. I also heard the blow coming and started turning my head before he hit me. I was dazed this time but not knocked out.

He was cackling again as he carried me over his shoulder a short distance away then dumped me on the train tracks. I was having none of that. There was an off chance that Fraser and the other Mounties might get tangled up. I was not going to let some Yukon Yahoo take away from me and Frase what we just found. I startled struggling hard. Jesus, he was strong. The unexpected fight kept him from taking my gloves off. I started talking so he wouldn't figure out just how hard I was straining against the ropes.

"Seymour, this is some screwed up foreplay," I rasped. "You didn't even ask me if I wanted to do the nasty."

"Would you have said yes?" He asked in a mild tone as he knotted the ropes at my wrists. I bucked against him as he tied down my torso. "And don't call me Seymour."

"No, I don't go around screwing every strange man I meet in the snow," I snapped. Why was I having that conversation?

"Then asking you would have been irrelevant," he replied. I had no leverage so tying my ankles down was simpler.

I'd had enough. As he leveraged off me, I took a deep breath, "FRA-SER, HEELLLLPPP! MMMMPPPHH!!"

He gagged me. I wondered if he carried duct tape with him all the time. Seymour hot footed back down the hill he'd just carried me up. As soon as he was a distance away, I started shimmying out of the ropes. The ropes had been tied over my thick gloves while I was straining against them. My hands came out after a little body English. I had to move. I could feel the tracks vibrating. Wow, that Indian trick does work. Something was coming fast. The ropes around my torso were too confusing to figure out on short notice. I slid out of the coat then used the knife in my belt to free my ankles. I could hear Dief barking by then, but I didn't look because I was busy getting off the tracks. I rolled down the hill on the opposite side of where I'd came as the freight train roared past.

The first thing that hit me was how close that train was. There hadn't been one in sight when we first reached the tracks. Then the wind hit me and realized I'd lost my coat. That could be as dangerous as the train if I didn't get covered up soon. Thankfully the train only took a few minutes to pass. I scrambled back up the hill in search of Fraser and perhaps a Mountie blanket.

What I found was Fraser strangling Seymour a short distance away. Dief was trying to intervene but Fraser was hearing none of it.

"You killed him! You killed Ray!" He kept saying. I couldn't stand to hear that pain in his voice.

"F-Frase! Fraser stop!" I shouted over the wind. He heard me. He even looked at me, but he kept throttling Seymour.

"He killed you, Ray," Fraser insisted. Tears were streaming down his face. "I can't stop."

"How could he have killed me if I'm standing in front of you?" I asked reasonably as I got closer to him.

"Listen to him," Seymour rasped.

"Shut up!" We both said.

"Frase, do you see and talk to ghosts?"

"On occasion," he replied.

Okay, we'd have to talk about that. But Seymour was turning colors. I had to act fast.

"Don't do this, Frase. They'll take you away from me forever if you kill him.... I'm turning blue, Frase. Do ghosts with no coats turn blue?" I demanded. Then I shoved my face against his neck so he could feel how cold I was. I felt him inhale my skin. Seymour fell to the ground with a thunk. I heard the idiot gasping for air as Dief growled a reminder that he shouldn't move. I saw none of this because Fraser had me plastered against him while he sobbed and whispered into my skin.

"Ray, Ray, Ray, Ray, Ray," he kept saying. His grip on me was near crushing but I didn't fight it. He needed this.

"I'm okay, Frase," I said softly. "But I need to get warm and bozo here needs to be taken in. Let's get started. We have a life to begin."

He looked at me with red-rimmed eyes and smiled. "Right you are, Ray."

I think he would have kissed me but the young Mounties appeared. Instead we hustled back to the vehicles.

From there, events went by pretty fast. Fenwick's team got the rest of the gang and one of their customers who were in for a pick-up. That made Dudley's detachment look very good to Ottawa. We looked very good as well. We looked so good that Fraser was able to apply for his leave from where we were and my application to emigrate was put on the fast track. Dudley offered to get our dog teams and gear back to where they belonged and get us to the nearest town with an airport. He probably wanted us out of his hair as quickly as possible but I didn't care. It had been worth the trauma to shave weeks off the red tape it took to get me back to Canada permanently.

It still took a week before we got back to Chicago. Fraser and I were always with someone official. And because we were moving from place to place, our nights were not that romantic. We were exhausted, so even when we were alone there wasn't much more than kissing and some groping. It was great just being with him every night but it wasn't as close as either of us wanted to be. This situation was making me wiggy. Fraser grew more and more quiet and distant. Not that he wasn't physical. He was still holding me at night. He made a point of arranging my body to his liking before he could sleep. His eyes were still warm. But he was remote.

We got back to Chicago where there were days of paperwork. I thought about unpacking my bed and kitchen stuff only to have to re-pack it when we left. I opted for a hotel. That made sure that we wouldn't be in town long. Still, we weren't left alone. There was the endless party by the 2-7 and a reception at the Consulate. Those may have been more endless because I couldn't help but talk about Whiplash and Dudley and my adventures. Fortunately, none of them knew about that sexual retaliation thing. And it was really fortunate that I was relocating. A male cop called Nell would have had a long, irritating career. Then, we had to spend time with my folks and the Vecchios. I felt like we already had in-laws. Finally, my boxes were shipped; my apartment was empty; our good-byes had been said. We had been vague about our departure, so we could spend the last night in Chicago alone. Our plane wasn't until the afternoon and our checkout was late morning. The night was our own.

We ate at the same Chinese place we did on that first night together. Fraser was only slightly more accessible than he was that night. He talked about our old times, and it was cool to re-live it all when our lives weren't in danger. But something was off. I began to worry that maybe he wasn't so excited about me coming back with him. Maybe he really was just trying to be polite and I would get let down sometime before we were supposed to fly out.

Naturally, I worked myself into a near frenzy by the time we got back to the hotel. I was about out of my own skin by the time he closed and locked the door. It wasn't even registering that he had put out the 'do not disturb' sign, triple locked the door and unplugged the phone. By then, I was on a tear.

"Look Frase, you've been making like a clam since we caught Seymour," I said. "You didn't have to go through with things if you really didn't want me up in Canada with you. I don't want you to think you're obligated ... mmmpphhh."

He had a big, hot hand over my mouth. His eyes were warm - - warmer than warm and he was very close to me.

"I have endured sharing you with all manner of RCMP, then friends, colleagues and family," he said. His voice was husky and soft. "All the while, I've wanted nothing more than to strip you naked and lose myself in you scent and your taste. I withdrew because even a little indulgence would have resulted in decidedly inappropriate behavior. I had to stay in control. Do you understand?"

I nodded. He removed his hand. It slid down my throat to the collar of my coat. "I'm afraid I don't have much control left, Ray."

I swallowed hard. I could feel it then. He was holding everything back. He was nearly trembling wanting me.

"I won't break, Fraser," I whispered. "Please."

I expected him to pounce me, but Fraser just brushed his lips against mine just feeling them a few times before settling against them. He kissed me a few times before coaxing my mouth open. All the while, he held me by the arms keeping me from moving. Keeping me from holding him. By the time the kiss deepened, he was peeling me out of my coat. He kissed me as all the while my clothes were pulled away and discarded. It wasn't always my mouth that was gifted with attention. My throat, my collarbone, my nipples and my navel all felt that hot wet kiss. Soon I was on my back naked. He was straddling me. This time he was kissing me while holding my wrists still over my head. I never thought I'd love being held down and taken over like that. I never knew that Fraser would be into taking me over.

"You are beautiful like this," Fraser said softly. He was still straddling me as he took off his shirts.

"I think you need my glasses," I snorted.

He shook his head then ran a hand over my torso. I arched up into his touch.

"I know what I see," he replied softly. "I know what I want."

"Anything, Ben," I whispered. "You can't want more than I can give."

Jesus, his eyes got so dark. He got rid of the pants and was on me. I quickly lost track of where Fraser was and what he was doing. I was reeling from wave after wave of pleasure from my hairline that was peppered with gentle kisses to the souls of my feet which he kissed as well. Everywhere in between was tasted and nipped and sucked. He was re-mapping his territory. I could see it in his eyes that he planned to cover every inch of my skin before he finished me off. There wasn't much I could do to help other than caress what warm, smooth skin I could reach and moan his name a lot. By the time he took my erection in his mouth, I had no voice. The pleasure was so intense, so close to pain that I couldn't find it. I dug one hand into his thick, silky hair and one on his shoulder and silently came.

I felt my boneless body being turned onto my side. Somewhere deep in my depleted brain, I had enough cells to get where this show was going. I pulled my knee up granting better access.

"Please, Ben. Anything," I managed to say.

"Ray, my Ray," Fraser murmured.

He was gentle and slow. I realized that he had deliberately tried to blow my brains out. Normally, I don't have the patience to wait for what I want. Fraser wanted to have me but not hurt me. I could feel the want vibrating off of him but he didn't rush stretching me with his fingers. He didn't rush pushing into me. His patience was amazing taking me slowly and waiting between each push for me to relax and let him in. Then he was deep in me and I was against his body. Patience should be rewarded, I thought.

"Do it, Ben. Take... take me..."

Fraser pulled me against him holding me in place with one arm and nuzzled one side of my neck.

Then he went for it stroking hard into me. I loved this, too. I loved the way he held me so that I could feel his heart pounding almost inside of me. I loved the panting and grunting in my ear. I loved feeling him inside me. And that was before he shifted his thrusts and hit something that made my eyes cross. My erection was back and I was heading for orgasm like a freight train.

This time I did cry out. I think it was God and Ben and great balls of fire. It came out sort of like a garbled howl.

"God.... Ray!" He gasped before biting down on the curve of my shoulder. I could feel the orgasm wrack through him into me. He trembled for a while afterward. I couldn't move for a stampede through the room.

I must have dozed a little. The next thing I knew, Fraser was soothing my bite with his tongue and gentle kisses. He eased out of me. All of a sudden, I wondered where he got the lube. Sneaky Mountie.

"Did I hurt you, Ray?" He asked. His voice was soft maybe a little worried.

"No, God no," I sighed. "I feel more right than I ever have."

"As do I," He murmured against my ear before kissing my temple.

"Bath?"

"I'm afraid the tub is too shallow," he replied. He was still lazily nuzzling me. "How about a shower?"

We spent our last morning looking at the skyline. I smiled at Fraser.

"I thought I'd miss it more," I said. "I didn't give it much of a thought when I was up there chasing you."

"I was concerned that you might," Fraser said. "You certainly ate a lot of pizza this week."

"Just getting my fill for now," I replied. "I didn't think about that either. I only wanted it because it was a habit."

"What did you think about up there, Ray," he asked.

I knew he just wanted to hear the words. Maybe he was as needy as I was.

"You, Frase," I said. "Just you."

"Let's go home, Ray."

I was all over that. I didn't think about the weirdness we'd find or the problems we'd make for ourselves. Nothing was ever easy for us. I thought about Dief and stew with biscuits and falling asleep in his arms. I thought about home.

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