I'm gearing up to take my annual trek to Florida for the East Coast Paragliding Championships where I spend a week away from my family and my job and literally "pick up guys" as they fall out of the sky. They are pretty appreciative when I have driven fifty miles to get them. I respect what these guys (and gals) do and I get to fly tandem a few times as well.

Haven't heard much from my readers lately. I hope you all are still enjoying the story.

MEADOW

10/30/2003- D.D., there hasn't been a whole lot to write on a daily basis. Or maybe I just didn't want to continually write about how well everyone else was doing and how miserable I was. Today I'm on my way to D.C. with Moon. I do write a log every day of my findings on the mountain for General Blue Flame, but it's not the same. So I thought I'd write in my journal and summarize the last month since Ian's birthday party.

Where to begin; I suppose we could begin with Ian and Wanda. She's as a big as a house. She's got another month to go, and she's getting ancy. Ian is treating her with the finesse that only a man deeply in love could. They are happy, and I am happy for them.

Nadia has been keeping the fact that she was the one who instigated the sex between her and Niko. At least, that is what Niko confessed to me. She came to see me a few days after Ian's birthday, and I confronted her. She denied everything, but I haven't seen her since, so I imagine she is guilty as charged. I asked Burns if Carlos has approached him for condoms. He said that he hasn't, but Blake asked for an extra box when he made his request. Somehow I doubt Victoria's sex drive has increased; although, after she found out that Blake had no intentions on cheating on her, it is possible that she is being very grateful. Nadia and Carlos have been spending a lot of time together, so who knows?

Moon has taken the rejection of Nadia in stride. It seems he has already moved on to Nadine. I'm not sure how far that has gone, but the fact that Nadine is paying any attention to him at all is huge. After I ended our relationship, Nadine wouldn't even look at another man. It seemed that she had lost all trust and respect. I hope that Moon can restore what I have taken from her because Nadine deserves to be happy. I figure I'll question him at some point during our trip to Washington.

Gina has put her concentration back into making things work with Evan. She doesn't talk to me much, but I make it a point to at least say hello to her every day in the hopes she might start up a conversation. She seems to be very aware of where Evan is at all times, and that makes me nervous. My biggest fear is she could fall into an abusive relationship because she thinks no one else will love her. At any rate, my priority right now is to get my plan into action, and that starts with this trip to Washington.

Oh, and I forgot one important note. Everyone from the caverns is now in on my secret. I didn't really have a choice in the matter. It happened when I attended the memorial service for Brandt. The conversation surrounding Brandt and his demise brought up his best friend, Aaron, who is obviously not living on the mountain. Kyle was quick to realize that information was being fed to Travels the Frozen Tundra and Kyle, well…Kyle reacted the only way he knew how. He tried to take me out. Thankfully, Ian was there to stop him. I had no choice but to tell everyone at the memorial the truth. I'm not too upset about it because now when I see all my friends smiling at me, I am happy again, but Jamie worries me. He has a tendency to engage his mouth without thinking. As a matter of fact, he is the one who brought up Aaron. When we got back to the house, I took out my contacts for Kyle and Sunny to see, and Kyle came up with a plan that if any of the members of the cavern are ever brought up, we should say they left because they were uncomfortable with Burns.

The flight to Washington was uneventful. Moon was tired, and he slept most of the way. It gave me a chance to go over my notes that I was presenting to General Blue Flame. I arrived at the hotel, and the concierge recognized me immediately.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Downey. Nice to have you back. The room you had last time was not available. I hope you don't mind."

"No, that's fine. Can I as you a question?"

"But of course!"

"I'd like to go out and maybe meet a nice lady. Do you have any recommendations on any night spots that might accommodate my needs?"

"That depends. Are you looking for a sure thing?" he replied, alluding to a lady of the evening. I was surprised. Hookers had sex for money and money was a thing of the past.

"Do they still have ladies of the evening?"

"Why wouldn't they?"

"The object of a prostitute is sex for money."

"Ah, yes, the human version. There are still women out there who do it simply for the rush of having sex with many men."

"Huh…" I replied thinking that Nadia would probably be today's version of a prostitute. Hell, who am I kidding? I've been called a male whore more than once myself…and not too long ago.

"So, are you looking for a sure thing?" he asked again.

"No, I'm looking for someplace upscale but that might have dancing. Not throw your body around dancing. You know the kind of dancing where a man holds a woman in his arms."

"I think I know the perfect place. It's called Uptown Girl."

"Billy Joel."

"Right! A lot of the business sector hangs out there after work. The place is usually jumping on the weekends."

"That sounds perfect. Thank you." I turned to walk away and then turned back. "Oh and if a young lady comes around looking for me, please tell her you haven't seen me, better yet, tell her I haven't arrived yet."

"As you wish, Mister Downey," he said, nodding his head.

Satisfied that he would do my bidding, I hightailed to my room. I dropped my luggage and headed out to the tailor to pick up my new suit. From there, I stopped at a little Italian place, just down the block from the tailor, for dinner. Then I went back to the hotel where I showered, shaved, and donned my new suit. It was all black including the shirt and tie. I looked at myself in the mirror and I had to admit I hadn't looked this good in probably ever. I felt confident and confidence was what I needed to pull off being a soul in a world where one little slip up could mean not only my death, but the death of my entire clan. I drew in a deep breath and headed out.

I arrived at the club just before eight. The concierge was right. The place was filled with white collar denizens. I spotted a lone seat at one of the two side by side bars and made my way to it. As I removed my coat and got comfortable, I took in the scope of the club. The two bars were rectangular and sat side by side with booths and tables lining the outer walls for more private seating. Beyond the bars was a dance floor and a Deejay, who at the moment was playing a song called The Game of Love by one of my favorite groups, Santana, but the song itself was sung by Michelle Branch. She was a newbie on music scene. She had a sweet voice. I enjoyed the song while I sipped my beer and perused the bar. Some people were engaged in conversation. Others were doing the same as me, searching for that someone to fill the void.

As I scanned the faces across the bar, my gaze fell upon a lovely creature. She had hair the color of honey, and dark eyes. I felt drawn in by her countenance. Our eyes met briefly before a man pushed his way between the seat the woman was seated in and the chair next to her. He appeared to be trying to start up a conversation with her. I watched as she shook her head obviously dismissing his advances. As he slid away, she looked up and our eyes met once again. She shrugged her shoulders as if to say this was something that she couldn't help. I realized that she was giving me the attention the other man had hoped to receive. I didn't want to seem overly anxious, so I raised my beer to her in salute. Just as I suspected, she looked away. This was a woman who would require a little finesse. Luckily, for me, the tide was about to turn in my favor.

The Deejay switched gears and played a song that was hot on the charts, and it just happened to be called, It's Gettin' Hot in Here. A lot of people gave up their seats to hit the dance floor, so there were plenty of seats available.A young woman tapped me on the shoulder.

"Do you mind if I squeeze in here to get a drink?" she asked. She was blonde and she was tall and leggy. She reminded me of Victoria. I looked her over and imagined those long legs wrapped around me.

I glanced across the bar and noticed she was watching me. As hot as the leggy blonde was, my mind was on the "hard to get" girl. I knew if I played this right, I'd have my opening.

"Would you like my chair?" I asked the woman who was trying very hard to get my attention by chewing rather seductively on her drink straw.

"Oh, that is so sweet of you!" she crooned.

I got up, and she quickly slid into the seat shifting so she could face me. I lifted my coat off the back of the chair and draped it over my arm.

"You have a nice night," I said politely and turned away, but not before I saw the utter shock on her face when she realized that I was abandoning her.

I made my way around the bar toward the object of my desire. She was once again resisting a man's advances. As he backed away, she noticed me standing there watching her. I shrugged my shoulders at her to indicate that I, too, had managed to escape the advances of an unwanted suitor.

I slowly stepped toward her, all the while keeping my eyes fixed on hers, willing her not to look away.

"Is it safe to approach?" I joked. "I mean I wouldn't want to get bulldozed by some Cro-Magnon man hell bent on getting to you before I do."

"Oh I don't know. I rather like Cro-Magnon men," she jested back.

"I find that hard to believe, considering you've been wooing me with those eyes all night."

"Have I? I hadn't noticed."

"Shall we dispense with the banter and do something more productive like dance?"

She flashed a smile that seemed just a bit uncomfortable. "I'm afraid I'm not really much of a dancer."

"Well I am, and I can make anyone look good on the dance floor," I said as I held out my hand to her. "Even you."

"Excuse you! I look good wherever I am."

"I bet you do. Shall we?" I reiterated.

"What about my seat?" she asked.

"I'll just hang my coat on the back, and you can leave your purse in the seat. No one will take it."

"Why in the world would someone take my purse?" she asked.

It dawned on me that without money or credit cards, there would be no reason to steal one's purse. As a soul, I would know that. "I meant the seat, my dear. No one will take your seat."

Before she could answer, I hung my coat on the back of the chair, took her by the hand, and led her toward the dance floor. She was as tall as I was in her three inch heels. The sapphire blue dress she wore hugged her curves on all the right places. The song that was playing was a bit upbeat for my taste. I leaned in to her.

"Do you think you can manage to stand here for a minute without getting molested while I request a song?"

"Molested! Mr. …" she stopped because she realized she didn't even know my name.

"Downey. Nathan Downey. Now hold that thought." I rushed away quickly and asked the Deejay to play a slow song. I asked him to make it a classic. He nodded and said, "I've got just the thing."

I crossed the room to where I had left her. She looked almost lost, standing there in the middle of the dance floor. Her expression changed to one of relief at seeing me return.

I wrapped my arm firmly around her waist and spoke in her ear while I waited for the song to end.

"So, you know my name. May I ask what name would befit such a beautiful creature?"

She placed her hand on my chest as she leaned in to reply. "My name is Wind in the Meadow."

"That's a beautiful name. Do your friends call you Windy?"

"No, everyone calls me Meadow."

"I see. It's very nice to meet you Meadow. I go by Nate."

"Nate. I like that."

The song ended, and an old Eric Clapton song began. I recognized it immediately. It was called My Darlin', You look Wonderful Tonight. At least, that was how I knew it. I pulled her body tighter to mine. She felt rigid, signaling to me that she was unsure if she wanted put herself in this position.

"Relax. We are just dancing. I promise I won't violate you on the dance floor."

She smiled weakly.

I clasped her left hand in my right. "Put your right hand on my shoulder," I instructed. "We are going to do a simple box step. You will step to the side with your right foot."

She stepped to the right. "Good. Now do it again but this time, before you bring your left foot to meet your right, step back instead."

"I thought I'm supposed to bring my feet together before I step back?" she questioned.

"You could, but it makes the whole thing rather robotic. My way allows fluidity in the step, and your hips react accordingly."

"Like this?" she asked as she attempted to do the steps my way.

"Yes. Doesn't that feel more comfortable?"

"It keeps my body tight to yours," she replied.

"Yes it does," I said with a smile.

She stopped dancing. "Okay, then what?"

"When you step back, you do follow by bringing your right foot together because the next step you take will be to your left, but we are gonna rock that right hip first by tapping your right foot out."

She tried to follow my lead as best she could, but lost me on the right tap out.

"Do it again," I ordered.

She took a deep breath, and this time, she concentrated on the tap out.

"Better. Now after the tap out you step to the left and like before your right foot will never land solidly. Just a light touch right into the step forward, completing the box."

"Okay. Let's do it," she said with conviction.

"Okay, if you get lost, just follow my lead."

The song was coming to a close, but there were still a few bars left to complete a full step.

"I did it!" she squealed with joy. "Let's do it again!"

The room fell silent for a brief moment before a new song started. I didn't really recognize the song.

"I love this song!" she crooned.

"I've never heard this song before," I replied.

"What! Have you been living under a rock? This song is everywhere!"

I chuckled. "I used to live in a cave. Does that count?"

She looked at me with surprise.

"Why on earth would you live in a cave?"

"It was way cooler than pitching a tent in the woods. Anyway, it doesn't really matter. What matters is you were dancing and now you're not."

"Oh, right," she replied.

I initiated the steps, and she followed; although I could tell she was really concentrating. I thought if I kept her talking, she might relax into the steps.

"So, what brings a beautiful lady like yourself out to a place like this looking for companionship?" I asked.

"I am here on a business trip, and I had some time to kill. I asked my concierge where a good place to have a drink and relax would be, and he suggested this place."

"That's funny. My concierge told me the same thing. Where are you staying?"

"The George," she answered.

"Me, too!"

"Oh my goodness. That is too funny!" she commented.

"So where are you from?"

"Connecticut. I work for a marketing firm. We have an office in Connecticut, one here, and one in Paris."

"Really? What types of products do you market?"

"Mostly perfume and cosmetics," she replied. "Where do you live?"

"I live in a very small town out west."

"So what brings you here to Washington?"

"I have a meeting with the President and one of his military advisors."

"Wow! That sounds so important!"

"It's important to the people I represent."

"And what people do you represent?"

"Eh, it's complicated. You know you've been dancing this whole time without missing a step."

"I have, haven't I?"

The song drew to a close, and another song began. This song was more upbeat and not conducive to close contact. I took Meadow by the elbow and led her off the dance floor.

"So tell me more about Connecticut," I said in the hopes of keeping the conversation flowing.

"Connecticut is well…home. My host grew up in a small New England town, blah blah blah."

I chuckled. "I take it you're not a small town girl?"

"I love Paris. Have you ever been?"

"No. I've never been outside of the United States."

"Oh, you should go! It's so charming and old world and yet chic and decadent. It's everything in one!"

"It is difficult for me to travel in my position."

"And what is your position?" she asked.

I didn't want to tell her the truth and give her a reason to reject me. My mission tonight was to get laid, and right now, Meadow was ripe for the picking.

"It's getting rather loud in here. Maybe you'd like to go back to the hotel and we can talk over a bottle of wine."

"Mr. Downey, if I didn't know any better, I'd swear you were avoiding talking about yourself."

"It's Nate, and I am not comfortable with talking about my position in public. It's kind of top secret."

"Ooooo! Are you a seeker?"

"I am part of a project designed to promote souls and humans to live together in peace and harmony."

She looked shocked. "That's impossible! Humans are dangerous."

"Please, can we talk about this somewhere else?"

I pulled my coat from the back of Meadow's chair and slid it on. Meadow grabbed her purse, and we made our way to the door. Her coat was on a hook near the door. After I helped Meadow with her coat, I offered her my arm, and she latched on. I took that as a positive sign.

"I remember seeing a supermarket just around the corner. We can get a bottle of wine there," I exclaimed.

We made small talk during our walk. I refused to speak to her about my life while we were in the public eye. The last thing I needed was for her to freak out in the middle of the street. We caught a taxi, and as we approached the entrance to the hotel I asked, "Your room or mine?"

She looked a little nervous. "I think I'd prefer to be in my room."

"Your room it is." I placed my hand at the small of her back as I ushered her into the elevator. Her room was on the third floor, one floor below mine. We entered her room, and I avoided the bed, opting for the love seat to ease her fears.

"I'll get some glasses."

I took off my jacket, carefully folded it, and laid it across the back of the loveseat. I had the wine open and ready when she returned. Her lips had a fresh coat of pink on them. She handed me the glasses, which were tumblers as opposed to wine goblets, and I filled each about halfway.

I held my glass up to make a toast.

"To lasting friendship," I said cheerfully.

Meadow sat in the chair across from me, raised her glass to mine, and drank. She seemed much more sedate than she did at the bar.

"I get the feeling you are uncomfortable."

"I'm sorry. I don't usually bring strange men to my room."

I patted my hand on the cushion of the love seat next to me. "Putting distance between is not going to promote a romantic atmosphere."

Meadow rose slowly from her seat and sat next to me.

"You had no problem touching me when we were in public," I announced.

"I know."

"Look, I think if we just get past the elephant in the room, we can resume our little talk." I leaned in to her lips. "It's like dancing; just follow my lead." I kissed her gently and then I kissed her again. The third time I allowed my lips to linger on hers. The fourth time I used my tongue to taste her. She responded by parting her lips just slightly, allowing me to slide my tongue across the opening. I slid my arms around her waist and pulled her closer as I tilted my head for better access to her beautiful mouth. The next kiss exploded into passion. Meadow slid her hands up my chest and cradled my chin as she reciprocated. Our tongues did a little tango. I finally broke the kiss and tilted my head back to look at her. Her cheeks were warm with color. "Better?" I asked.

She smiled sweetly. "I'm not sure. Maybe we should try that again?"

She didn't need to ask me twice. I stroked her cheek once before going in for a second round. Meadow crushed my lips with hers. If I didn't know any better, I'd say it had been a while since Meadow had allowed a man in her bed, and I was determined to be in her bed. I let her take control because I knew she would feel more at ease. My hands automatically traveled to her breasts. My first thought was they weren't as voluptuous as Gina's. I hated that my mind went to Gina. I didn't want to think about her. I didn't want to feel guilty about being with this woman, and to my surprise, I wasn't. Instead I felt anger. Anger that Evan, that son of a bitch, was the one who got to caress my angel's perfect breasts. I broke the kiss because I couldn't concentrate on Meadow, but she went for my neck. She continued to kiss my neck, and that created a whole new sensation which started in my pants. The feel of her lips on my collarbone spoke to my dick. I needed to make sure she was absolutely, without a shadow of a doubt, ready to seal the deal. I tested her by running my hand up her inner thigh and allowing my fingers to brush the silken panties that protected the prize I was seeking. She flinched for a second and then continued her trail of kisses along my neck, taking a little nip at my shoulder.

"Meadow, my sweet, if you keep that up, I will not be able to control my urges."

She stopped and looked me directly in the eyes. "It's nice to know I can still crack a man's control," she whispered in a husky voice.

I once again took her in my arms and kissed her; only this time, I unzipped the zipper that stood between me and her naked body. "Take off your dress," I demanded.

I took Meadow by the hands and rose to my feet, pulling her with me. I looked into her eyes as she slowly removed the dress from her shoulders and wiggled to allow the dress to slip down her arms, revealing a teal colored lace bra with black edging. It was the kind of garment Rachel would kill for. I tried not to be obvious as I fixated on her breasts gently nestled in the colorful lace. The dress fell from her wrists to the ground in a puddle of drapery at her feet. My eyes dipped lower to see the matching panties she wore which barely covered the tuft of honey colored ringlets that protected her prize. For a woman who may not have planned for what was about to happen, she certainly was prepared to entice.

"Do you like?" she asked.

"Your taste is exquisite." I approached her and scooped her into my arms. I walked swiftly toward the bed and stopped at the edge. "And speaking of taste," I said as I lay her gently on the bed. "I simply have to taste you."

She let out a little shiver of anticipation as I unbuttoned my shirt and kicked off my shoes. She rose to her knees to run her fingers through the hair on my chest and kissed my pectorals. Undeterred by her advances, I pushed her back on the bed and kissed her with hot and heavy lips before kissing my way to her breasts. I lingered there for s bit as I suckled and lapped at the rigid peaks of her nipples.

Eventually, I continued my trek southward toward those silken panties. I rose up on my knees long enough to remove the scraps of material exposing the soft curls leading to her core. I bent low and kissed her thighs as I parted them with my hands. Using my tongue to slowly burn a trail up her inner thigh, Meadow squirmed with anticipation. A quick swipe with my tongue sent her body into spasm. I held her down using my hands on her thighs and began to slowly lick the crease that kept the folds of her clit safe and warm. My tongue breached those folds, and I felt the button that sent her into a frenzy of motion as she bucked, trying to get me to pierce her entrance. She began to low series of moans which only served to heighten my own senses. My dick began to grow as the blood engorged my penis.

Please her, I said to myself. She will do anything for you if you just please her, I reminded myself. I continued my exploration of her clit with my tongue while I teased her entrance with my finger. She was bucking hard and pleading with me to enter her.

"I can't take it. I need you," she panted as she bucked wildly, hoping my finger would penetrate.

I stayed true to my task, licking and sucking. Her hands were buried beep in my hair. She was pushing my head toward her moist opening as she thrust upward, lifting her hips off the bed. Finally, I let my finger slip inside her core. She exploded with delight as she cried out, "Yes! Oh my God. Yes!"

As if on command, I rammed my finger deep into her hot sheath. I expected her to cry out, but she imploded, pulling her scream inward as she sucked in her breath while every muscle in her torso went rigid. She tightened her fists in my hair nearly pulling the locks from my head. Then, without warning, she bucked wildly, and her moan was more like a wail, and then just as abruptly she cried, "Stop! I can't…" She pushed me away from her.

I stopped and sat back on my haunches. "Are you all right?"

"Yes," she said breathlessly. After a few deep breaths, she continued. "That was intense."

"You don't mind if I continue?" I asked as I stood up, unzipping my trousers and slowly removing them. She watched me as I meticulously folded them and laid them over the back of the chair. "They're new," I explained.

"I like a man who takes care of himself," she replied.

I slowly slid my boxers down to my thighs and my erection popped out in all of its glory. Her eyes widened when she saw it. I could only assume it was my size as I had seen that look before.

"That's good because right now I absolutely intend to take very good care of myself," I said with a grin as I slowly crawled onto the bed and straddled her body. She gave off a tremble as I reached for her nipples and pinched them gently.

"I don't think I've ever had someone like you before," she said in a meek voice.

"My mother was Greek on both sides," I offered as an explanation.

"No, I don't mean your complexion," she replied.

I gave her a sly smile. "I know what you mean. I won't hurt you, I promise."

"Can I touch it?" she asked.

"Nothing would please me more," I answered as I leaned forward to kiss her. As our lips met, I felt her hand wrap around the base of my penis. She placed her other hand above the first leaving only the head of my penis peeking out. She slowly jerked her hands forward, and I pushed forward, enjoying the sensation. I allowed her a minute to explore my gonads and to caress my dick. I raised my head from her lips and stared into her eyes. "Ready?"

She looked pensive. I reared up on my knees and pulled her thighs so they rested on mine. My dick was up against the entrance to her core. The moisture trickled down onto my thigh as I guided the head of my penis into her. I moved ever so slowly. She was tight, and the sensation made me want to rip through her and claim victory, but I kept my head.

I eased my way into her heated core and paused when I felt her stiffen, allowing her sheath to stretch to accommodate me. I pulled out slowly and pushed my way into her again. The second stroke was much smoother than the first. I felt her entire body relax as she accepted my invasion.

I kept my eyes on hers, keeping her engaged. "Are you okay?" I asked.

"I'm fine. It feels…" she paused as if searching for the right word. "good."

I smiled. "Let me know when it feels incredible."

I continued to thrust my dick into her, each time pushing just a little harder and getting just a millimeter deeper, but never wavering from my mission to take her to a place where no man, human or soul, had ever taken her before. She began to coo in approval as the rhythm increased. Her sheath was milking my dick to the point where my control was beginning to waver. She's so damn tight! I thought to myself.

I fought my desire to shoot my load by once again engaging in conversation. As I gazed at her, she was chewing on her lower lip hard. It was obvious she was fighting her own battle at this point. I thought I might help her along.

"Baby, you are so tight. I just want to fuck you till morning."

Her eyes popped open like two saucers.

"No! You'll kill me!"

"But you haven't said that it feels incredible yet."

"Isn't your head swelled enough?" she teased.

"Oh, okay. You're gonna play?"

I leaned forward and began to lick her neck, biting gently as I moved toward her collarbone. She began to moan. It was a quiet moan at first, but the more I suckled on her neck, the more deep and throaty her moans became.

At that point I pulled my dick out so that only my head was still entrenched in her core, and then I slowly pushed it back in. The second time I did it; she grabbed my hips and pulled me into her as hard as she could. I pulled out again and resisted her pull. "What?" I asked.

"I don't want you to stop," she replied.

"Because…" I goaded her.

"Because I'm so close," she pleaded.

"And?" I rammed her hard with my dick.

Meadow raised her head, eyes wide open, and sucked in her breath. "And it feels fucking fantastic!" she cried out.

"I cannot disagree with you. You are a goddess." With that I began to slam her. The minutes passed as her sheath became swollen from the constant pounding, and I felt the friction and the pounding work on my balls. I didn't hold anything back. I was ready to shoot my load, and as the semen passed from my sac to my dick, the sensation was nothing short of glorious. I let out a guttural cry like a lion expressing dominance over his mate.

I hadn't realized that I was sweating until I felt Meadow reach up and wipe the moisture from my brow.

"That was intense," she cooed.

I chuckled. "I think I need a shower."

"That sounds nice."

"Oh, you want to shower with me? Don't you think that's a little intimate?"

She slapped me in the chest with both hands. "You jerk!"

"Ah! You wound me! Did I not just give you the best experience of your life?"

"Maybe…" she admitted reluctantly.

"Well I think I need a few minutes alone if you expect me to repeat that."

Her eyes lit up. "By all means, take a shower," she prompted.

I showered and primped and checked my contacts to make sure they were secure before returning to her. She immediately jumped off the bed and headed for the bathroom. "My turn!" she sang out.

She took a little longer than I did, and I found myself drifting off before she came bounding happily out of the bathroom. She landed on the bed with a bounce pulling me back to my senses.

"You're not going to fall asleep on me, are you?" she asked.

"Me? You kidding? I'm ready for round two!" I wasn't, but I knew if I let her explore my body a little more, I'd be ready in a heartbeat.

Meadow scooted closer to me and sat with one leg folded underneath her.

"I want to talk," she answered with a serious look.

I rolled too my side and propped my head up with my hand. "What do you want to talk about?" I asked innocently even though I knew exactly what she wanted to talk about.

"I want to talk about you and your project to promote souls and humans to live together."

"Are you sure you want to talk about this? It's very controversial."

"How am I supposed to know who you are if you won't let me in?"

"You want to know me?"

"Sure, I might be tempted to take a trip out west."

I smiled tentatively. I wasn't sure I wanted to broach this subject.

"Okay, but you promise you won't throw me out without my clothes?"

"How terrible is this project?" she asked.

"I don't think it's terrible at all, but most souls don't feel that way."

Meadow leaned forward and kissed me on the lips. "I promise I won't throw you out."

I took a deep breath and began. "Prior to my arrival on this planet, this host and a group of other humans lived out west inside of a cave."

"You took the body of a rogue?" she asked,looking very leery.

"Yes, and although I don't live in the cave anymore, I do still live with the humans."

Meadow leaned away from me. "I don't understand."

"Nate was the leader of a group of organized humans that managed to not only befriend a couple of souls, but these souls joined their group and live with them. They even managed to be intimate with each other, and we have one inter-species couple that has married and are with child."

"I don't believe it. That's crazy," she stated as a matter of fact.

"Maybe so, but this human, her husband, has seen her in her true form. He has held her in his hands, and he cried tears of love at the sight of her."

"Why would he see her outside of her host? Why would she trust him? Why would anyone trust a human?"

I reached up and stroked Meadow's face. "I don't expect you to understand, and there is so much more to this story. Just know that Nate sacrificed his own body to serve as host so that I could monitor the progression of this group of people who choose to look beyond the atrocities each species has laid upon the other and look forward to living peacefully in this world."

"He gave up his body for a soul?"

I sighed because I couldn't tell her the truth and I couldn't tell her that Nate was still very much a part of Travel's the Frozen Tundra's thoughts.

"He did it for the love of his people. He did it so that Wanderer, the soul, and Ian, the human could live the life they fought for to raise their child, knowing both humans and souls as trusted loved ones and friends."

"This Nate sounds like a pretty special guy."

"He was. My problem is trying to fit into his world when all those who loved him have a hard time accepting me." I lay back on the bed. "So you see, having this time with a beautiful lady like yourself means a lot to me." I reached out and caressed her breast.

"It sounds to me like you have made a sacrifice of your own," she said as she reached out and stroked the stub that had previously been erect.

I straightened my legs, and my dick twitched at her touch. "There are some rewards that are worth the sacrifice," I said solemnly.

"And what reward would that be?" she asked in a suggestive tone.

"The reward that even though I will never be the real Nathan Downey, I can still please a woman and have a beautiful woman willing to please me."

There was nothing more to be said. Meadow leaned over my legs and took my semi-hard dick into her mouth. The response was immediate, and I propped myself on my elbows so I could watch her service me in the best way she knew how. A few minutes of her tongue and lips convinced me to take her again. This time we ended up doggy style, and she thoroughly enjoyed another round of love making before I announced with great regret that I needed to go back to my room or I would undoubtedly never get a minute of shut-eye, and I would be completely useless to the President and his cohorts.

"Maybe we can get together tomorrow evening," I suggested.

She frowned and answered, "I am leaving tomorrow to head back to Connecticut. Perhaps we could meet for breakfast before I go," she replied.

I stroked her golden honey locks. "I'm sorry, my Cherie. My ride is due at eight AM to pick me up. We always have breakfast together to discuss strategy before the meeting. It is a very delicate situation we are trying to defend. We must make sure nothing we say could possibly indicate that anything is out of place, or the entire human population as we know it could be destroyed on a whim."

"Would the President do that?" she asked.

"I don't believe the President would, but the General would breathe a sigh of relief if there were no such thing as a rogue in the ranks of our population. He came from the Fire planet, and compassion is not one of his strong suits."

"All souls are compassionate," she defended.

"To each other," I added. "Let me ask you something. Let's say you got into a car accident on a deserted highway, and the car that accidently hit you was discovered to be driven by a human. What would you do?"

"I would call the authorities as I was expected to do," she said adamantly.

"What if that human pleaded with you; told you he was trying to provide food for his starving wife and child?"

Meadow looked at me in horror. "He would kill me!" she replied.

"What if he didn't? What if begged you to give him fifteen minutes to run as far as he could? You know if he was caught, he would be implanted with a seeker who would track down his family, and they would be destroyed. Disposed of like yesterday's trash."

"No. They would be implanted and allowed to rejoin society," she answered.

"If that's what you think, then you are naïve. Rogues do not allow the soul to completely take over the body. They are aware of the soul and can communicate with the soul, but they cannot control their own body…at least not in the beginning."

"What do you mean?"

"If the soul is not strong like a seeker, they can, in time, take back the control to some extent causing great conflict. The soul often requests to be removed from the body, and then the human is destroyed. The higher ups have decided it's not worth the conflict, so they have resorted to ending the life of the human as a preventive measure."

"What about Nathan Downey? He was a rogue, wasn't he?"

"Yes."

"Does he communicate with you?"

"He does, but you must remember his sacrifice is for his family."

She looked alarmed. "Was he aware that you made love to me? Did I make love to a…a human?"

I kissed her forehead. "I think he is aware on some level, but he chooses not to share those experiences with me because it causes him pain. You see he loves another and feels guilty when I use what he considers his body to make love to another woman."

"That's horrible!"

"You could say that he and I have come to an understanding. He chooses to sleep, if you will, during times when I am intimate; although, I must admit those times are few and far between for me. This night with you will stay with me for a long time."

She relaxed a bit. "Really?"

"Really," I leaned forward and kissed her again before rolling to my feet so I could don my clothes. I noticed her cell phone sitting on the dresser. I picked it up and began putting my number into her contacts. "Call me if you are not too freaked out over my lifestyle, and maybe we can plan a get-together some time."

Meadow rose from the bed and began to step toward the chair where a robe lay.

"Stop!" I commanded.

"What?" she questioned.

"I want to remember you just like this—so beautiful." I stepped toward her and wrapped my arms around her, allowing my hands to rest on her buttocks. I kissed her with as much passion as I could muster. "Sleep well." With that, I snatched my coat and tie off the chair and slipped out the door.