As he uncoiled her, lifting Catherine up and off himself, Nathan asked her with one eyebrow raised, now to be serious.   This of course was his professor's face, the same he'd perfected for students who evaded his questions, and so now he used it since this was an answer he wanted to be sure he got right.  While retrieving another glass, she explained from the bedroom that in fact she was serious, completely so, and that she wanted something beautiful, something of his choosing.  He figured she'd missed the meaning of his first glance, so he tried again from the kitchen with words. Nathan asked her to give him an example, really now, something concrete for him to work with.

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