A soft touch against her skin made Alex open her eyes and raise her head. Next to her, Derek mumbled as he turned over and settled back to sleep. She pressed her ear against his chest, feeling it rise and fall with each breath. Alex wanted to savor the closeness of him, and let the past few days fade like a terrible nightmare. Jeroen was dead, and she wanted to forget that the monster had ever existed. She and Derek were safe, and there was nothing to worry about.

If only they could stay for another week to recuperate, just the two of them in this gorgeous room. The lovely pale orange color of the walls blended with the two huge vases of tropical flowers and the matching floral curtains on the windows. The French doors leading to the veranda were open, and a gentle breeze ruffled the sheer curtains. The fragrance of flowers filled the air. She sighed. What a perfect setting for young lovers. No wonder that woman wanted to honeymoon here. It was everything that a tropical island should be -- warm, inviting, and romantic. There was a wonderful sense of tranquility.

The silence of the beauty around her was abruptly broken by the rumbling of her stomach. When had she last eaten a decent meal? Should she wake him for dinner? Alex glanced at the clock radio on the bedside table. How long had they been asleep? It had barely been an hour, but Derek seemed so peaceful that she didn't want to disturb him. Since he had not had much sleep lately, she decided to let him sleep a little longer.

She gazed out at the picturesque scene beyond the open doors. The Te Tiare resort was even more charming than the Pearl Beach. Alex shook her head and grinned. Whatever had possessed Derek to take them on this trip? She had no idea why, but it allowed her to see such a beautiful sight as the sun setting a little lower, its red, pink, and golden rays peeking out from behind several large, gray clouds in the darkening sky. Did San Francisco ever have such a dazzling start to an evening?

"Derek, you're missing the end a perfectly breathtaking sunset," Alex whispered into the ear of her sleeping companion. When he did not stir, she continued to watch him, marveling at how much better he was than earlier in the day. She winced as her fingers touched the bandage, half-hidden beneath his hair. Thankfully, the bleeding had stopped. No shiner either after Jeroen's punch, thank heavens. Derek had worried her yet another time, but yet another time he had survived with just several new scars.

Alex studied the precept's features in the fading light. It was getting later, but she still didn't wake him. "No, you need all the rest you can get after the hell you've been through these past months." Her fingers toyed with a button on his shirt that lay half-open, exposing his chest. "You couldn't even come to paradise for a little fun without running into something terrible." She was tempted to play with the patch of hair that glistened with the moist tropical heat...

*Get a grip,* she admonished herself with a chuckle. But he appeared so comfortable... She cuddled up against him once more, tenderly stroking one of the scars on his chest. Derek Rayne was a survivor, and his body bore the marks of many past battles that he had fought for the Legacy. Delicately touching the one on his left shoulder, Alex cringed, remembering how the ghost of Joshua Cantwell had impaled Derek with his own sword. She had been unable to help due to the psychic attack she had suffered from Cantwell, but she had stumbled upon the aftermath.

Other wounds had healed, but they had left telltale marks on the man's body that tore at her heart. The latest were the scratches from the ancient spirits, but there were the electrical burns that marked his flesh when Reed Horton drugged and tortured him. Her eyes glistened as she pressed her lips against the white spot on his ribcage. She hoped that that bastard was...

She froze as an icy finger slowly slid down her spine. "No, please..."

Flashes of memory assaulted her. Horton's face swam in her vision, his sadistic, mocking grin lighting up his features as he injected Derek in the neck with a syringe of vile-looking green fluid... Horton's visage abruptly morphed into Jeroen's grinning features.... The laughter of the young Dutchman grew louder, filling the room...

Alex gasped at the horrifying, final image of Jeroen's sneering face as he stood over Derek's unconscious body. The shock made her flee from the comfort of the bed and stumble toward the French doors. *Come on, pull yourself together. You can't fall apart on him now.* She angrily brushed at the tears falling down her face. Deeply inhaling the clean air, she clenched her fists.

"Shhh, it's all right, Alex." Her breath caught as Derek gently wrapped his arms around her. She hadn't noticed that he had woken and slipped out of bed. The woman leaned her head back and his lips softly pressed against her temple. "Whatever happened, we'll face it together. I promise."

She turned and slipped her arms around his waist before she rested her head on his shoulder. They stood in silence, gazing out as the last rays of light faded to stunning red and golden beams shooting out from low clouds. Alex tightened her arms around him as he kissed the top of her head. Derek was worried for her, she knew, but she was more worried for him than for anything Jeroen might have done to her.

Another tear fell as her arms moved up to encircle his neck. She stared at him through moist eyelashes for a moment before she leaned forward to kiss the tip of his nose. "What was that for?" he asked.

She smiled at him as her hand pushed back his hair. "I guess I'm just grateful that you seem to have more lives than any cat I know."

Derek laughed and her smile grew larger. What a wonderful sound� and one she had been longing to hear for years. Derek Rayne, Legacy precept, laughing with joy. God, it sounded so good and it filled her with joy as well. Her arms tightened around his neck and she kissed him thoroughly.

When she eventually pulled back, she saw the grin on his face and the increasing desire in his eyes. "You suddenly appear to be feeling better," he said before he lightly kissed her neck.

"You make me feel that way," she managed as his lips moved upward.

His mouth captured hers and the touch of him sent her senses reeling. Her pulse quickened, and she responded by pressing her body against his. Derek's fingers tangled themselves in her dark, curly hair, and she moaned as his kiss deepened. She became aware of him pulling her backwards, and her heart stopped when she realized that it was to the bed.

"You are a remarkable woman, Alex," he said, his voice thoughtful as they stopped by the edge. "Do you know how lovely you are?" She trembled when his hand caressed her cheek before his thumb slid along her lips. His tongue outlined their fullness before slowly slipping into her mouth. Every nerve in her body blazed into a fire that she wanted to consume her. Then his mouth left hers. "Alex, are you sure..."

She groaned. "Derek, I don't think Jeroen did anything to me," she said as her fingers slid up his chest. "But I want to do things to you."

He chuckled. "I believe I have seniority," he said, gazing down at her as she stood in the twilight. His fingers traced the hollow of her throat then moved down the front of her body. She moaned, wanting more. His hands grasped the hem of her jersey and she raised her arms to help him pull it over her head. She heard him inhale sharply.

"Derek..."

"I'm all right." He hesitated before lowering the strap of her lacy bra off her shoulder and kissed where it had been. A ripple of excitement coursed through her as his fingers unhooked it. The item fell to the floor, joining her top. As his hands moved lower down her back, she heard him gasp softly. He tried to hide the grimace when she pulled back.

"Hey, that doesn't sound like the kind of gasp any guy has given me at this point in the proceedings," Alex teased him before she grew serious. "It's your right arm, isn't it, Derek." She stared at him, challenging any attempt at lying. He merely shrugged.

"Yes, it's my right arm. I don't think it's going to play along," he conceded, making an effort to hide the tightness in his voice. After she removed his shirt, Alex made him sit. She sat next to him and gazed with growing concern at the bandage on his arm that now showed small red spots. His finger under her chin raised her head, and he smiled gently. "It's okay, Alex. It's just a little stab of pain."

"You were shot in that arm, you know. Scared me half to death too." she muttered. He kissed her forehead.

"It seems like I'm not going to be much use," he stated with an impish grin. "Whatever shall we do?" Alex grinned in return.

"I guess we'll just have to... improvise," she replied before she placed the flat of her hand against his chest, causing the man to lie down on his back, with his legs crooked over the side of the bed. In this vulnerable position, she easily removed Derek's pants and shorts.

He captivated her with a smile that made her heart melt. "Miss, are you planning to have your way with me?"

Her eyes sparkled as she removed the remainder of her clothes. "Why, I do believe I am," she whispered huskily. She kissed him with a slowness and a deliberateness that left them both breathless.

"This might go a little better if I were lying completely on the bed instead of half off of it," he quipped with amusement. The hunger in his eyes aroused her further as he slid backwards across the sheets, tossing the pillows onto the floor.

"Wait, we may need those." She grabbed one and put it under his injured arm. "I don't want you being hurt..." Alex winked at him, "at the wrong time."

Wincing as her injured knee burrowed into the mattress, she slid a cushion under her knee, then gingerly shifted her weight to straddle him. Her hands slowly slid forward along his chest as she leaned over, resting her sensitized nipples against his chest.

"Have I mentioned how much I absolutely love this beard stubble?" Alex leaned in close, her mouth inches from his lips. "It feels prickly when we kiss, but I kind of like it. Besides, it sure makes you look sexy," her voice lowered seductively, and she bubbled with laugher at his raised eyebrow.

"Most women wouldn't like the feel of it on their skin, no matter how sexy," he said, his lips curling into a smile.

"Ah, but I'm not most women," she murmured before she briefly kissed him.

"I'm beginning to see that." He laughed. "I shall endeavor to keep you happy for the next few hours." She grinned before his hands on her face lowered her mouth to his. Hands began to explore and the passion of their kisses grew until the urgency of their desire demanded immediate attention. Alex slid back over his hips, wanting only to welcome him into her body.

"Wait, wait," he gasped.

She pulled back. "Derek, what..."

"Protection. We need protection." He gave her a mischievous grin. "What is it they say, 'No glove, no love?' Besides, London would not be pleased if one of us ends up pregnant."

"And two guesses which one of us would," she mumbled as she gave him a quick kiss. "No glove, no love," she giggled. "I'll be right back." She ran off toward the bathroom and came out a few minutes later wearing a robe.

"What's..." Questions were in his eyes.

Her hands reached into her pockets. "What else does one do all day on Fantasy Island?" Alex snickered as she sprinkled condom packets down on him.

"Where did you find those?" He laughed as he picked one up.

"In a gift basket near the shower. Since the resort provides everything for its guests... and since we took the honeymooners' bungalow..." she chuckled.

Alex removed the robe, shivering as Derek gazed at her naked body. He held out his hand, and an electric shock scorched through her as their hands met. He held out his other, and she climbed back into the bed and once more straddled him.

"Hmm, where were we...?" she said, her voice flirtatious. "Ah, yes... protection." They both smiled before Alex ripped open one of the foil packets with her teeth. "You just lie back, and I'll take very good care of you... leave everything to me."

"Do you know what to do with those?" he joked, his eyebrow raised in surprise.

She raised her eyebrow in return and tried to hide her smile. "Don't you worry, I've had a bit of experience with gloves." Joy bubbled within her as that wonderful quirk of his arched higher, making her feel as if she could light up the world from the glow she felt inside.

"I'm quite capable of doing this myself, you know." His voice was low and tempting as she placed it on him and smoothly unrolled it.

"Why Derek Rayne, where's your sense of adventure?" Their eyes locked and smiles crept on their faces.

He laughed easily. "In that case, I'm entirely in your hands."

"You are for the moment." Her fingers slid slowly over the condom. "We don't want it to break because of any air bubbles." She kissed the tip of it. "There, we're all set."

She bent forward to kiss him, her breasts once more pressed against him, causing a sharp breath at the contact. His hands slid down her back, then to her thighs, stoking the fire within her to an inferno. Words were no longer needed as she began to explore his body. Her mouth left wet kisses on his chest, then moved down the length of his body. She wanted to kiss every inch of him, remember every inch of his body, and give him the most pleasurable experience he had ever had with a woman. Her hands begged to be part of this journey of rediscovery, so they stroked the strong muscles of his thighs and the smooth hard shaft between them. He moaned softly as she guided him deep inside her.

She started slowly, rocking back and forth, and soon they found the tempo that bound their bodies together as one. Alex bent forward to kiss Derek's mouth, her hair falling lightly on his face. As she leaned back, the blaze in his eyes pushed her onward. Her knee and ankle protested, but it was easy to ignore the twinge of pain; it seemed to heighten her sense of pleasure. His hands caressed her back and buttocks, and she trembled with growing arousal. Alex bit her lip, trying to hold back her own quivering response, but a gasp escaped as his thumb followed the curve of her breast. She pulled back, then slowly swiveled her hips, watching the surprise and growing ecstasy on his face.

Stimulated to reciprocate, Derek moved against her more urgently, creating sensations that toppled her reserve and fogged her brain. Alex could do nothing more than surrender to him, allowing the shuddering wave to overwhelm her.

"Alex!" Her name burst from his lips, and he called out to her again as his own body shook. Her heart bursting, she gently rolled her body to cradle him in her arms, and she kissed his face periodically until he lay quietly against her.

"So, how was that?" She sighed contentedly as she snuggled into the crook of his arm.

"It was goot," he exhaled after a minute's pause.

"Good? What do you mean... good?!" Alex playfully thumped her fingers against his chest, and a mock frown furrowed her brow.

"I meant, incredible! It was incredible." He laughed as she poked his ribs.

"You better say 'incredible,' mister, or next time..." She gave him a wicked smile. "I won't be so gentle."

Derek chuckled and pulled her closer. "I'll look forward to it."

Their legs entwined as they quietly lay in each other's arms. A fresh breeze wafted through the room, cooling their heated flesh, and she realized she had never been so happy. There was something else... Alex suddenly sat up in bed. "Ah, Derek. You know... we did it with the French doors open."

"Apparently so," he replied as he lifted his head in the direction of the veranda. "I guess your sense of adventure was revved up a few notches as well." Derek rolled to the side of the bed. "Hold it in check until I get back. Keep the bed warm for me?" He gave her a quick kiss.

Alex watched as he wandered blindly across the bungalow toward the facilities, hands outstretched. A beam of moonlight shining through the window kept him from falling over the furniture... and illuminated his body very nicely, she grinned. After a few moments, he returned to her waiting arms.

"I was right all along," he mused as he sat on the bed next to her. "I knew you had an incredible passion for your work. But for sex? I must say I'm entirely delighted to learn about this side of your nature. Our little adventures seem to have turned you on."

The woman stiffened. "Little adventures?! Seriously, Derek, we could have died on that damned mountain, and it was all my fault that we were up there. I should have simply told you about my life with Charlie as we sat on the beach or something. We were lucky to get back alive. I'm... I'm sorry. I want to apologize for my insisting that we go."

"You'll do nothing of the sort. There is nothing to apologize for. Alex, whatever happened between you and this Charlie... it was long ago," he said, his hand playing with her hair. "Most of it is likely in the report and background check that were done before you joined the Legacy."

She froze. He had said it so casually. So he had known all along about Charlie and the horrors of her life. She should have known. Of course, there would have been a pre-initiate background check. Yet they accepted her anyway...

"Why didn't you tell me..." Her voice became hushed.

"Because you needed to tell it." His voice softened at the expression on her face. "You know we do background checks on people who come in close contact with us. Alex, you were young, and you overcame those obstacles to make a better life for yourself. It shows your strength." He took her two hands in his own. "Remember when Reed Horton murdered Franklin Cross and tried to take over our House?"

"God, how could I forget," she said quietly as she glanced away. "He and that woman relied on my weaknesses to help them." She would never forget that as long as she lived.

"My dear, sweet, Alex," he said gently before he kissed the palms of her hands. "We all have something in our past that... we wish we didn't. You rant over it, grieve over it..." He lifted their hands in the air as if tossing something high in the air. "Then you forgive yourself... and let it go. Life is sometimes nothing more than... a series of lessons or hardships that must be learned or handled. You've got to accept that you're a flawed human being. None of us are perfect."

Her head lowered, and he placed his hand under her chin to raise her face. "What is that saying?" Derek smiled at her. "'Lord, grant me the courage to change the things that I can, the serenity to accept the things that I can not change, and the wisdom to know the difference.'"

She touched his face before she kissed him. "You're right; I'll try to do that from now on." Her stomach chose that point to again let her know how hungry it was. She blushed as the noise became louder.

"Hmm," Derek teased, trying to keep a straight face. "I seem to recall someone saying that they'd buy dinner? The biggest and most delicious meal she could find?"

"All right, I'll concede defeat. However, do we want to go out to that lovely restaurant with the clothes we have?" Her hand stroked his chest.

"To tell you the truth, I'd rather stay here and dine with you au natural," he replied with a grin.

"Great, I'll call room service, but you are going to have to put a robe on to answer the door, you know." She laughed as he tossed the sheets over his head.

Coming out from under them, Derek brushed a strand of hair from her face as he studied her dark eyes. A shadow crossed her features, settling in the fine worry lines around her mouth and eyes.

"What's troubling you?" he asked quietly as he stroked the tip of her nose.

"What makes you think something's bothering me?"

"I'm a psychic, I know these things," he shrugged. "Besides I've known you long enough to recognize the signs."

"It's nothing, Derek," she lied. "I'm just glad we found our way here. I wasn't sure that we'd ever be in such a beautiful place again." She kissed his chest. "Especially when I was stuck in that pit, God, I was so scared that I might never get out of it."

"The pit?" Alex saw the confusion in Derek's eyes.

"The one I stupidly fell into when I was rushing to you after I punched Jeroen," the dark woman said before her tone became harsher. "I wish I had punched him harder or had the damn presence of mind to hold onto his gun."

"You fell into a pit." He murmured it, and she noted with a growing sense of alarm that he furrowed his brow.

�Derek, don�t you remember?� Her heart rose to her throat. The vision she had. Did this relate to it? Should she try to get the doctor to see him again? She knew he wouldn't; she should talk to Rachel.

"I had just forgotten for a short period," he said and then laughed briefly. "Don't worry, Alex. It's probably due to lack of food. We also have a lot of things to do. We have to call Nick to let him know that we'll be staying another day so that we can give our statements to the police tomorrow, but we have to be back to the Pearl Beach on the 31st so the group of us can celebrate New Year's Eve together." He cupped her face. "This New Year will bring more changes, and I hope a brighter life for all of us."

"I hope so too." Her face fell. "Derek, I doubt very much that the Legacy will allow us to have a happy New Year once we return to San Francisco."

"We'll have to face their questions and concerns, of course," he acknowledged, touching her face once more. "We'll just have to take it slow." A twinkle came to his eyes. "We don't want to scare them."

Alex sighed, then said in a quiet voice, "It's not like this hasn't taken place before. It's not as if we'd even be the first ones in the Legacy that a precept and a member of his House would have a relationship."

"Well... then we'll simply have to show them that we can continue to do our jobs while maintaining a relationship," he stated with resolve.

She gave him a small smile. "You're right. We'll show them that we can keep our personal and professional lives separate," she said, caressing his face. "I'll be happier when we give our statements tomorrow and we never hear another word about Jeroen."

"Alex, you do know that if you... that if anything had happened to you that you would have the support of Rachel, Nick and me. I'd do whatever I could to make you feel safe, to see what we could do to counteract the effects of this drug. Not only would I do that because you are a member of my House, but I've known you for some time and you know how... fond... I am of you." Her heart filled at the pink tinge that rose to his cheeks.

"Thank you, Derek," she said before she kissed his cheek. "I am very lucky to have the three of you as my friends."

He brushed back her hair from her face. "Oh I think we've gone a bit beyond a friendship, don't you?" he said with a grin. Alex blushed and nodded as he took her hand and kissed it.

"Why don't you take a shower, and I'll call Nick and room service. Then when you come out, we can have a glass of wine as we wait for our dinner to arrive. Maybe later we could work on our not-so-platonic relationship..." he said in deep, beguiling tones, his Dutch accent grew more pronounced.

"That sounds wonderful," Alex whispered against his lips. She kissed him again before she dashed to the bathroom, stopping to grab the gown that was now on the floor. She ran the shower, then stared at herself in the mirror. Could this be real? Derek was acting a little strange, but then she wasn't used to seeing him so happy. Or so much of his skin. She laughed softly as she got in the shower. This new Derek just might take some getting used to. She hummed a light tune as she scrubbed her body.

Maybe she and Derek could really make this work...

End part 35