Curtis's pulse rushes in his ears, matching the hiss of the ocean waves. When he asked, he'd been expecting another deferral. Later. Not yet. The whole night feels deeply unreal, like he's wandered into a dream: the fine clothes, the minute readjustments as he settled back into his own body, the rush of feeling, the soft, buzzy haze the champagne's kicked in.

And now Dejah's guiding him deeper into the dream, her hand light in his.

Here. Now.

"I love you too." He steps closer, settling his free hand on her shoulder. "God. So much."