The survivor spoke to us though, or tried to. Mumbling through that matted brown beard of his, pale as death itself. I can__ say now if it was weakness from his wounds or what it was _ but we struggled to understand him. In fact we got nothing intelligible from him at all then. He seemed afraid, like any dying man probably would be, but he did seem more terrified than any dying man I__e seen before _ and I__e seen a few in my time. Let me tell you, Corsair or not, he grabbed whatever hand would hold his, and clenched it so tight his knuckles turned white! He kept fading out as we carried him on the stretcher board the medics brought with them. Looking back, I think he tried to warn us, poor bastard. He tried to tell us to leave him behind and go, but we wouldn__ listen. We thought we were better than the Corsairs, remember? We thought we would be all moral and upright and try to help him. __on__ say I didn__ warn you._ were the last words he said before losing consciousness. At least, those that we could make out. At the end of it all, he was right _ as it turned out, we couldn__ even help ourselves.

Sarah, I__ going to take care of you whether you like it or not.

Honey, I have a feeling he doesn__ think of you as a friend. Have you seen the way he looks at you?__he glanced at him and as if he could feel her gaze, he turned his eyes on her. Soft and hard all at once. __eah,_ Mel said. __e promised to stop doing that.

You__e a good date,_ he said.__ou thought of it as a date?__e nodded. __rom the beginning.

She liked his unique smell, and it turned on all five of her senses, wanting to see him naked, touch him while naked, hear him as he moaned while he made love, taste his skin, and feel his naked body as she seduced him with the trailing of hungry fingers.

I__l always be your friend,_ he said. __our best friend, if you let me. But I want to be your lover, too._ He groaned and shifted in his chair. __oon. I want to be that soon._ Then a look came over him. __h Gina_I didn__ even court you! God, I should date you first before I beg you to take off your clothes!