Aurora POV: I was glad when Leo came in. He was wearing a funny peaked green cap with a big tassel hanging off it and an ugly yellow skiing sweater over blue jeans. He's flushed from the cold and smiling. I stand up and he throws his arms around me and then just as quickly she turns to Sharon and says, "I just heard! Congratulations!" "Thank You, Leo""There's an hour before dinner and no one will notice if we're gone. "Come on," He told me "Let's go outside." "Must we go?" I asked "Yes" he replied "And go where? Last I heard it’s eighteen degrees outside.” Sharon said“Which is why you’ll be wearing my coat." He replied “Where are we going?”“You’ll see…”We put on coats and boots and hats and gloves and tromp through the house and out the back door. The sky is clear ultramarine blue and the snow over the meadow reflects it lighter and the two blues meet in the dark line of trees that is the beginning of the woods. It's too early for stars but there's an airplane blinking its

Aurora POV:All through dinner Lucille has been careening wildly from sadness to elation to despair. Her entire family has been carefully navigating her mood, driving her into neutral territory again and again, buffering her, protecting her. But as we sat down and began to eat dessert, she broke down and sobbed silently, her shoulders shaking, her head turned away as though she was going to tuck it under her wing like a sleeping bird. At first, I was the only person who noticed this, and I sat, horrified, unsure what to do. Then Philip sees her, and then the whole table falls quiet. He's on his feet, by her side. "Lucy?" he whispers. "Lucy, what is it?" Leo hurries to her, saying "Come on, Mama, it's okay, Mama... " Lucille is shaking her head, No, no, no, and wringing her hands. Philip backs off; To my surprise, it's Great Aunt Dulcie who breaks the stunned stillness. "Child, if anybody's a hypocrite here it's you. You did the same thing and I don't see that it ruined Philip's

Aurora POV:I stopped on the front porch and looked down at my black loafers, worn with knee-high hose. I grimaced because one of them was scuffed. But, I reasoned, Michael was going to be more interested in the rest of me than in my shoes. I straightened my purse’s shoulder strap over my shoulder and walked resolutely to my old but reliable car.It was the first time I was going to his house, I'd never had a reason to be there before, and it never occurred to find out where my boss lives. It wasn't hard to find it, I followed the description to the last detail and there I was in front of his house.Michael was on the front porch of his house when I drove up. I marveled at how big the house was, I knew he was financially well off but not this rich. It had gingerbread patterned woodwork and a real turret room. The whole thing was painted white, brilliant and new looking, and there was a porch swing and rocking chairs on the long, wide front porch. There were bird feeders everywhere. I

Aurora POV;My sudden intake of breath made him hesitate, but only for a second. His other hand came up to my softly rounded chin and he tilted it up, just a fraction. ” he whispered as his mouth hovered “I want to kiss you as much as you want me to.”“Re…really?” I choked.He smiled gently. “Really.”His lips teased over my full mouth, nibbling my upper lip while he tasted it with a lazy stroke of his tongue. I jumped and shivered. The contact was completely out of my experience. I’d dated a few boys, but I didn’t seem to appeal to any of them physically. This was different. I wished I knew what to do so that he wouldn’t stop.He lifted his head and looked into my rapt, expectant eyes. I was breathing like a distance runner. My breasts were shaking under the whip of my pulse. " I thought you were experienced with the way you responded at your place, but it seemed I was wrong"His thumb moved to my lower lip and tugged it down gently as his head bent again.“We have to start somewhe

Michael POV:The kiss became passionate, demanding. She moaned again. Vaguely, i felt her tugging at my arm, wanting to be pulled up. I bent and lifted her, my mouth still enclosing her yielded, hungry lips. I carried her into the house, kicking the door shut behind me. I started toward the bedroom, but my body was in agony. Too many years of abstinence had left me powerless with Aurora's mouth promising heaven. I made it to the living room and slid her onto the sofa, but there wasn’t really room for both of us on it. She was as hungry as i was, and the restless movements landed us both on the carpet between the sofa and the coffee table.I started to lift ny head, but she pulled my mouth back over hers. The sensations were like waves of pleasure that rocked her in my hard arms, and she didn’t want us to stop. She didn’t want me to stop. She’d never felt such physical delight in all her life, and she wasn’t willing to give it up just yet.I was feeling something similar. It had been