"Exhausted," he agrees with a chuckle. "And I would like nothing more than to curl our naked bodies together and hold one another for these next hours. As lovely as sex with you is, ma petite, I would prefer comfort."

His head falls back again, and he looks up at the ceiling. He's not sure he could meet Anita's eyes to say what he says next, even if he wanted to. "In truth, I feel like a small child who has just learned that the monsters under the bed are, in fact, quite real. I want someone to tell me that it will be all right, even though I am far too jaded to believe it."