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nipple. She cried out with pleasure. Feeling warm for the first time in ages, Nathan pushed aside any thoughts of tomorrow and gave himself over to the heat of her willing body.
    ***
    Sara woke alone. Brushing the hair from her face, she sat up and peered around the dark bedroom. The only light, a washed out imitation of moonlight, came from the street lamp down the block.
    “ Nathan?”
    Nothing.
    “ Nathan, are you here?”
    No response.
    “ Damn.” Sara dropped back down onto the pillows and closed her eyes. “This is so wrong, so very, very wrong. What time is it?”
    Turning onto her side, Sara reached for the clock. Nine-thirty. Plenty of time to get some work done . I have to print up two manuscripts and what I have of my work in progress, and get them ready for Kinko’s.
    “ Crap!” Sara flew out of bed. By now the ice cream had probably melted all over her couch. Grabbing her bathrobe, she headed for the staircase and descended in a hurry, only to discover the grocery bag she’d left on the couch had vanished.
    “ Where is it? Where the hell is it?” Sara didn’t see a stain, so she ran a hand over the couch, checking for cold, wet spots. Nothing.
    “ I put your food away.”
    Sara jumped at the sound of his disembodied voice. “What happened? Where are you? I can’t see you.”
    “ I’m here, near the fireplace.” He sounded weary, and more than a little annoyed.
    Sara glanced out of the corner of her eye. He was there, all right, but once again, he’d become incorporeal. “I’m sorry.” What else could she say? She heard him sigh.
    “ Thank you.”
    Sara absently twisted the ties of her bathrobe. We need to talk . She cleared her throat. “We need to talk.”
    He cleared his throat in response, but said nothing. Sara’s eyes followed his faint glimmering trail as he moved farther away from her.
    “ Don’t you dare vanish,” she said. “Not before we’ve had a chance to talk about what’s happening.” Sara held up a finger. “I’m serious. Don’t even pretend to go wherever it is you go when you are trying to avoid me. Make yourself visible so we can talk face to face.”
    “ I’m not avoiding you, Sara.” She heard him mutter something. “I can’t become visible at this moment. It’s beyond my control.”
    “ Well who has control?” Sara tried and failed to keep the anger out of her voice. “Who or what controls when you become visible.”
    From what Sara could discern, Nathan shrugged. She dropped down on the couch. “It’s very difficult to have a conversation with you when I can’t see you, but we need to talk.”
    “ Sara.” His voice sounded right in her ear. This time, instead of jumping out of her skin, she managed to sit still. “I can’t have this discussion with you right now. I will be visible again, of that I’m certain. We will have your conversation, but not tonight. It takes a great deal of energy for me to…”
    “ Become corporeal?”
    “ Yes. I’m tired. I apologize, but I must have some time to recover.”
    Sara felt a cool breeze blow through her tangled curls. She knew it was no breeze; it was his gentle fingers. Sensing a slight pressure against her cheek, Sara closed her eyes, remembering his soft, sensuous lips.
    “ Sara, I must leave you now. In any case, you have work to do - this publisher, remember? You must prepare for your meeting with her. I don’t wish to interfere with that.”
    I’m beginning to get a headache . “It’s all right, Nathan,” Sara said, rubbing her temple with her fingertips. “When you’re ready you know where to find me, but we can’t put this off much longer. I need an explanation.”
    “ I know.” After uttering those two words, Nathan vanished altogether. Somehow, his absence felt more tangible than his presence. A block of ice settled in Sara’s heart. She didn’t want him to leave. If he was a living man, I’d never want him to leave . A rumble from her stomach interrupted her musings.
    Well,